Special Weekend Post: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I don't know if any of you have noticed the link to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution that has been added to my side bar, but if you haven't...now's the time to take note. 

Jamie Oliver, also know as the Naked Chef has started a campaign in America ...and the UK.  Jamie's challenge was to see if he could get a whole community cooking again. He worked with school lunch ladies and local families to get everyone back in the kitchen, making tasty meals with fresh ingredients – no packets, no cheating. He has started a Food Revolution: "to get people all over America to reconnect with their food and change the way they eat."

(That's Jamie...picture courtesy jamieolvier.com)

Now I'll admit to you, I knew of his "revolution", but had never seen the actual show.  I was shocked, though, to hear what Andrea (The Kitchen Witch) had to say about it...

"The show takes place in a small town in West Virginia in a town that's been identified as the "most unhealthy place in the world" based on CDC statistics. I've only seen the 1st episode of this program so far but it was very powerful. Poor Jamie, I don't think he really knew what he was getting into - this town has NOT welcomed him. In fact they are quite hostile towards him and his ideals. The saddest part of the show for me was when he brought a bunch of tomatoes into the lunch room and asked kids what they were. No kids could identify fresh tomatoes. One child got close, calling them potatoes. Close but no cigar."

Ouch!!  Well in addition to him trying to change the lunch program, he also has a "pass it on" pledge:  he will teach four people how to cook a dish...those four people will teach four more...and so on and so on.

So I'm joining Jamie's Food Revolution!  I would love to hook up with the pass it on week that Andrea and Megan at Tomato Tots are starting/participating in, but I will say that some of the dishes have things neither Chris or myself will eat.  So, I'm going to do things just a bit different and start my own pass it on month.  Each week, for a month, I will make a special recipe and ask that at least one of you recreate it and then pass it on to someone else.  If you have a blog, I ask that you then blog about it on your site too.  I'll use the freshest ingredients and I promise they will be tasty!  It's simple really....you gotta make dinner for the family, right?  Why not make something that is healthy and nutritious for your family.  If you are gonna spend time in the kitchen, might as well come out of it with something unforgettable, right?

Ok...so here we go...my first recipe will be Jamie Oliver's - the best barbecued sticky chicken with lemon and garlic.  I will make it tonight and post it on Monday.  Then it's up to you, my loyal readers, to "Pass It On".

Oh.. and in case you are interested, Jamie's show is on Friday nights on ABC 9pm/8 central.

Hoisin Chicken & Red Pepper Stir Fry

And yet another simple, speedy, week night meal idea!  Woohoo!  Ok, if you aren't a fan of stir fry this will not make you go woohoo, but if you are...go ahead.... give it a shot.... it feels good.... WOOHOO (In my best Homer Simpson impersonation)!!!  

Hoisin has become another ingredient I've been using a lot lately.  My theory is, if you have it on hand, use it...so I do.  And believe me, if I didn't love it, I wouldn't have it on hand!  It just brings this wonderful sweet, salty, flavor to dishes.  Now I have heard that some people think hoisin is very overpowering...and I guess it can be, in a way, but I never use it by itself, it's always diluted with other ingredients.  If you are unsure of it, add a little at a time.  That's always the best way to handle ingredients you are unsure of.  (because, class, what have I said before??  you can always add more, you can never take it away!!) 
   

Hoisin Chicken & Red Pepper Stir Fry
Ingredients:
For Marinade:
2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sriracha hot chili sauce

For sauce:
3/8 cup fat free, less sodium chicken broth
3 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons raspberry preserves (you can use apricot too)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks)
1 red pepper, sliced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Combine ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.  Place cut up chicken in Ziploc bag, pour marinade over, seal, and rub chicken to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Combine sauce ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and stir fry 2 minutes.  Add the red pepper and stir fry for 3 more minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.  Reduce heat; carefully stir in the broth mixture.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring to coat.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy!

(Nutritional info: (does not include rice) 186 calories; 6g fat; 26g protein; 7g carbohydrates; 66mg cholesterol; 526mg sodium)

Chicken & Pasta with Creamy Pesto Sauce

First off....anyone here watch American Idol?  If not...skip to the next paragraph, if so... WTF???  What is wrong with America?  They vote big Mike off?  For real?  He's got such an amazingly strong voice.  Chris even picked him to be number 2!!!!  Ok, ok, the judges did vote to save him and keep him another week...but it makes me wonder about the state  of this country...when (sorry if this offends anyone, but it's got to be said) TIM gets more votes then Mike??  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Now... let's talk food:  What do you do with leftover pesto...if there is any?  Well, there are so many delicious ideas, like putting it on pizza, pasta, bruschetta, potatoes.....you can even freeze it.  This is a good thing if you have a lot of basil you are trying to find a use for.  Make the pesto and then pour it into ice cube trays and freeze them.  Once they are frozen you can take them out of the ice cube trays and put the cubes in a Ziploc bag.  It should keep up to 3-6 months.  Today, though, we're focusing on turning it into a creamy pesto sauce for pasta.  I'm a pasta girl, so my first choice for leftover pesto, is always pasta :)  It's the Italian in me, what can I say?

One thing I found out about pesto...the more it heats up, the darker it gets.  Fresh pesto has this great bright green color to it.  What I found out when I made the pesto topped fish the other night is that as it baked, the pesto became a dark green color.  It wasn't as if it tasted bad, but the look of it was not that appealing to the eye.  I feel a bit like a dork, because I knew this would happen...deep in my brain, I knew it...but still insisted on trying out the idea I had.  I'm telling you this because, A. it's just a good cooking tip, and, B. so that you make sure you add the pesto in this sauce at the last moment.  My goal here is to make sure you don't make the same mistakes I do.

Anyway.. this recipe was fantastic, if I do say so myself :)  If you are looking for a way to get rid of some leftover pesto, this is the recipe for you.  It's quick, simple, and tasty!

Chicken & Pasta with Creamy Pesto Sauce
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
garlic powder
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb. Angel hair pasta (or dry pasta of your choice)

Directions:
Sprinkle both sides each piece of chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Grill or pan sear chicken until cooked through.  Set aside to cool a bit.  When cooled cut into strips or chunks.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat the half and half and cream cheese until cheese is melted and the half and half is just heated through.  Remove from heat and stir in pesto.  Serve over chicken and pasta.  Enjoy!

Basil Pesto

Pesto... what an amazing little concoction.  There is a pizza place that's close to our house that we like to go to on occasion that has the most delicious pesto pizza I have ever had. We usually order it with bacon...mmmmmmm....what a great flavor combination.  Anyway, pesto is a pretty versatile sauce.  You can use it on pasta, pizza, potatoes, dips, you can even spread it on slices of toasted baguettes.  I actually used it to top baked tilapia, but it didn't turn out the way I wanted, so I'll hold of on that recipe for another time....plus that gives me another reason to make pesto again...YAY!!!

Basil Pesto
- makes 1 cup -
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts 
2 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.

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Before you go....check out Aggie's Kitchen blog.  She had a chili contest where I was a runner up :)  I know, I didn't win, but hey, my picture and name got on her site, so I FEEL like a winner, that's gotta count for something, right??!!  Check the site out, there are some really yummy chili recipes!  Thanks Aggie for hosting the contest!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

After a pretty near disaster, I finally got this ice cream to turn out.  It was well worth what I went through.  Obviously, if you are not a fan of peanut butter (or ice cream for that matter) you are not going to like this...BUT...if you enjoy peanut butter as much as the next guy, you gotta try this!  It is SOOOOOOOOOOO yummy!  I could have eaten the entire thing the first night I made it, but since I no longer live alone and am worried Chris would think I had an eating disorder, or worse yet, that I was a pig, I restrained myself.....but BARELY!  This ice cream has the flavor of Reese's peanut butter.  Pour a little chocolate sauce over it and it's like a frozen Reese's.

Something I learned with this recipe.  Chill the ice cream mixture for as long as you can before you put it into the ice cream maker.  And by all means, make sure the bowl of your ice cream maker has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours.  If it's not frozen solid, this ice cream will not set.  I put it in the ice cream maker and let it go for almost an hour and the ice cream still wasn't setting.  I had to put the bowl of the maker in the freezer for a few hours, the put it back on the machine before it finally set for me.  So be patient with this PLEASE!!  You will not be sorry :)

One thing before I give you the recipe....Michelle over at All Home Cooking. All Year Long. is giving away a few really cool kitchen necessities.  I get extra entry points for talking about her here on my blog (I really want that bench scraper!!)...so go check her out.  I love her blog, she makes as much as she can from scratch...even her own vanilla extract!  While you're there.. enter for a chance to win one of her giveaway prizes!  Thanks Michelle...Happy Cooking/Baking!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Recipe courtesy of David Lebovitz by way of Smellslikehome.com
Ingredients:
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Jiff)
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
2 2/3 cup half and half
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Purée the peanut butter, sugar, half and half, salt, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Sriracha Chicken Strips

Chris and I are kids at heart.  This meal, as Chris said, appealed to the "kids in us".  Nuggets and tater tots (that's right, I made them again.. and I'm not ashamed to admit it!!).  What kid would not like that?  Oh, and don't forget the corn, we make sure to have at least one veggie with our meal, we aren't savages, just kids :)

We do like hot stuff, though, that is for sure!  If you don't like spicy foods, you will not like this dish.  It's not TOO spicy, but it does have a kick from the chicken being marinated in the Sriracha hot chili sauce (another one of my favorite ingredients).  This is a pretty simple dish to throw together.  I made it a little less work because I cut the chicken into strips instead of nuggets like the recipe calls for.  You could cut even more time by not cutting the breasts up at all and just making sriracha chicken breasts.  The panko coating gets nice and crispy when you bake it.  The chicken comes out nice and moist.  It's the perfect combination!  (if you are new to my site and you are unfamiliar with sriracha, check out my post for Mongolian Beef where I talk about it)

Sriracha Chicken Strips
Adapted from Life's Ambrosia
Ingredients:
1/3 cup sriracha
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about a pound or a little more)
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

In a bowl combine sriracha, rice vinegar and ginger. Stir in chicken pieces and coat completely. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baking sheet you will be using in oven as it preheats. (this will help keep the bottom of the fish crispy).  Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set aside.

In one bowl beat an egg. In another bowl combine panko, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Remove chicken from marinade, dip into egg and then dredge into bread crumbs. Place breaded chicken on prepared wire rack. Repeat process until all chicken is coated.

Once all chicken is breaded bake for 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes, the bread crumbs will brown slightly.  Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly. Enjoy! 

Tarragon Tilapia

The night that I made this was one of those nights when I had planned on making one thing and by the time I got home from work, it just wasn't what I wanted.  On the fly, I came up with this recipe.  I have made something similar to this with chicken (so, my dear Aunt Pam & Aunt Debbie, you can swap out the fish with chicken..see, I love you!!) I threw the original recipe together one night when Chris wasn't around.  It was so good I wished he had been there to taste it, then I thought if he was, I would have had to share it and, well, I really wasn't in the mood for sharing (hehe)!!!  It was simple to make and oh so tasty!!  So, when I got home the other night, that recipe just happen to pop into my mind...I figured it worked so well with chicken, why not try it with fish... I'm figured right!!

Tarragon Tilapia
Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
4 Tilapia (or other white fish) fillets
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
2 Tablespoons honey mustard (or Dijon mustard works just fine too)
1 teaspoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Directions:
Lightly spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray; place on medium heat until hot.  Sprinkle fish with salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon tarragon on both sides.  Add the fish to the skillet and cook about 5-6 minutes on each side or until fish is cooked through.  Remove to a plate; keep warm.

Turn heat down to medium low.  Stir sour cream, mustard and tarragon into the pan.  Cook about 1-2 minutes or until the sauce is heated through.  Serve sauce over fish and enjoy!

(Nutritional Info for 1 fillet - NO sauce:  100 calories; 1g fat; 21g protein; 55mg cholesterol; 100mg sodium)

Strawberry Chicken

When I saw this recipe on Andrea The Kitchen Witch's website, I immediately thought of summer.  And boy is it beginning to look a lot like summer here...or should I say it's beginning to feel a lot like summer.  The other day we reached our highest temperature of the year so far...88 degrees Fahrenheit.  Don't worry folks, it will be 110 in no time...YIPPY!

Anyway, we were talking summer.. yes, summer and strawberries and Andrea's strawberry chicken recipe.  I love Andrea's blog.  She makes some really amazingly wonderful recipes.  She is dedicated to making her family the heathiest, wholest foods she can. She cooks with out processed foods and makes as much as she can from scratch.  She conjures up some amazing spells in her kitchen.  This recipe is one of many.

Even Chris, who was a bit hesitant about it at first, loved it.  It was so light and fresh and sweet and savory.  Andrea cooked her chicken in a cast iron pan (God love her for her love for cast iron!) but since this dish was so summery to me, I decided to grill it.  I have a feeling that either way, the dish is going to be a hit in your house.

Strawberry Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Andrea, The Kitchen Witch
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 Tablespoons soy sauce
juice and zest of 1 lime, divided
2 green onions
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 pinches kosher salt
few grinds black pepper
1/2 lb strawberries (about 4-5 per person)
1 teaspoon honey

Directions:
Mix lime 1/2 the zest and juice, soy, salt, pepper, onions, garlic and ginger together. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate for 1 hour.

Hull strawberries and dice berries into 1/2 in pieces. Make a dressing for berries out of remaining lime zest and juice and a drizzle of agave nectar (about 1/2 t). Pour dressing over diced berries, stir well to coat. Allow fruit to macerate (fancy word for marinating fruit) while chicken cooks. 

Cook chicken in a heavy bottom pan or on a preheated grill for about 5-7 minutes on 1st side or until deeply golden browned and edges are opaque. Flip chicken, cook on 2nd side until internal temp is 160*. Serve and enjoy (and you will, don't worry)!

Honey Garlic Pasta

So the night I made this, I made it as a side dish and it was sort of a spur of the moment thing.  I didn't think it through, though, because it didn't blend that well with the dish I made...BUT...this is still something I think you should try.  It's interesting to say the least.  I have never in my life (and I'm part Italian) had pasta that was sweet.  Chris thought it was too sweet, I thought it was pretty good.  I think the key to cutting the sweetness a bit is parmesan cheese.  I actually didn't add it at first, but when I realized how out of balance it was with the main dish, I added it and it turned out to taste much better with it.  If you are going to make it just as a side dish, I would recommend just grilling or pan searing chicken that's been seasoned with salt, pepper and maybe a little bit of garlic.  I don't know if I can get this one pass Chris again, so if you try it that way, let me know what you think.  I'm curious what anyone else would say about a sweet and savory dish that includes pasta :)

P.s...I cut the recipe in half because I was making it as a side dish, not a main course dish.

Honey Garlic Pasta
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home
Ingredients:
1 package (16 ounces) angel hair pasta
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute the garlic in butter for 1 minute. Stir in the honey, basil and thyme. 

Drain pasta; add to garlic mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. (8 servings.)  Enjoy!  

(Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 356 calories, 13 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 167 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 9 g protein)

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

If you have read my blog for a while now, you may have noticed that I use a lot of panko bread crumbs.  Well, I have a confession to make.  I LOVE panko!  I came across panko just by chance.  I can't remember exactly which recipe was the first one to bring it to my attention, but since I've found it, I will use them over regular bread crumbs whenever I can.  Not only do I love panko, but I love parmesan cheese (ok, I like any kind of cheese). This recipe brings two of my favorite things together, now how can that be a bad thing?  This is a JFJ (Jenn's Food Journey) original.  You can use this on chicken or fish and it is scrumptious if I do say so myself (and I do)!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, oil, and thyme.  In another bowl, mix together the panko and parmesan cheese.  Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, then brush them all over with the mustard mixture.  Place chicken in the baking dish and spread the panko/parm mixture on top.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and the crust is golden brown.  Enjoy!

Honey & Spice Glazed Pork Chops

"What are we having for dinner tonight?" Chris inquires.   "Honey and spice glazed pork chops." I reply.

"OH! That's my favorite!!"  Chris exclaims!  "Uhm, Chris...I've never made this before."

"OH! I mean mmmmm pork chops, that's my favorite!!!"  (Damn he's so easy to please!!!)

Either way, this meal was splendid!  The sweetness of the honey was wonderful and not too sweet either, and the mixture of the cloves and cinnamon blended well with it.  It was perfect!  So, maybe now, Chris can actually say it's his favorite...and mean it!

Honey & Spice Glazed Pork Chops
Adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
salt & pepper

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  Reduce heat to medium-low; add honey mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until done, turning pork once.  Enjoy!

(Nutritional Info - 1 piece of pork, 1 Tbls glaze: 321 calories; 12.1g fat; 18.7 carbohydrates; 34g protein; 92mg cholesterol; 557mg sodium)

The Obsessive Chef's Tilpia Fillets

Since I started this blog, I have got to get to know some really creative and informative chefs/cooks.  It's been fun trading secrets and bouncing ideas off of them.  Oh and don't forget the biggest bonus....trying their recipes!!!  So my friend, Stephen over at The Obsessive Chef, and I have been chatting it up lately.  He knows we eat a lot of of tilapia and knows I am always looking out for new ideas so he recommended a recipe from his site....simply named: Tilapia Fillets.

Simple name, but amazingly wonderful dish!!  This delicious piece of fish was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  And I'll let you in on a secret, I baked it!  Yep, it's not fried, but baked!  YAY!!!  Chalk one up for healthier cooking!

There are two ways of cooking this fish actually, frying or baking, I picked baking.  Though I know that it would be oh so good fried, as I get older I try hard to leave the fried foods for special treats.  The key to the crispiness of this fish is not only cooking it on wire rack set on top of a baking sheet, but heating up the baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.  Stephen came up with the idea in an email to me and I immediately knew I had to at least give it a shot.  The baking sheet gets nice and hot and helps generate that heat to crisp up the bottom of the fish.  It worked like a charm!  Thanks Stephen!

I'll give you both methods of cooking, but I recommend baking....it comes out so crispy, you'll not miss the deep frying method at all!

The Obsessive Chef's Tilapia Fillets
Slightly adapted from Stephen, The Obsessive Chef
Ingredients:
4 Tilapia fillets
Salt, pepper, and paprika
2 Tablespoons Bisquick
1 egg
1 Tablespoon milk (or water)
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (or you can use unflavored regular bread crumbs)

Directions:
Rinse the fillets under cold water and dry them well with paper towels.  Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper and paprika. Use your hands to press the spices into the fish so that they stick.

Put the Bisquick in a fine-mesh strainer and shake it over the fish, coating it with a fine layer on both sides.

Lightly beat the egg with 1 tbsp water or milk.  Pour panko into another shallow dish.

Dip the fillets, one by one, into the egg, coating them completely. Let the excess drip off and coat the fillets with breadcrumbs, pressing them onto the surface.  (**)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place baking sheet you will be using in oven as it preheats. (this will help keep the bottom of the fish crispy)

Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and place fillets on it. Bake 12-14 minutes.  Turn the broiler on and broil for another 3 minutes or until the coating is firm and lightly browned.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt, and serve!

(**) Method 2-Frying:  After the fish is coated in panko Place the filets on a wire rack over a plate and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Remove them from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. This is crucial to getting the coating firmly setup enough that it will not separate from the fish while frying. If you are using method 2 below, this step is not necessary. 

Coat a sauté pan, large enough to accommodate both filets in one layer, with 1/8” vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium high heat until a spatter of water pops instantly when flicked in. Carefully lay the fish into the pan. Fry undisturbed for 4 minutes. Use 2 large spatulas, one on top and one underneath, and great care to turn the filets over. Fry on the second side for 3 minutes. Remove the filets to the wire rack which you’ve cover with a layer of paper towels. Sprinkle a bit of fine salt on them and let them rest for just a minute. Serve on hot plates and dig in immediately while the fish is still hot and very crispy.

Now I am really blushing.......

 

To Michelle at All Home Cooking. All Year Long.  and Andrea The Kitchen Witch ...Thank you from the bottom of my humbled heart!  To be recognized by fellow bloggers is an amazing feeling.  I've said this before, that I only started this thinking it would only be a place I would share my recipes with family and friends.  Little did I know all the interesting people that would visit my site and enjoy it!  I love both Andrea's and Michelle's sites and since I cannot give them this award back (or could I??) I would, in an instant tell you to check out their sites.  I love them both.. Andrea can conjure up some amazing spells...I mean recipes...in the kitchen and Michelle has some wonderful ways to save your family some money.  I love so many of their recipes and am determined to try as many as as I can.

So for receiving this award, there are a few musts...first, to learn more about this award (which is specifically for women bloggers, sorry boys...) here is the link.

Second:  The "Rules"
1. Display the Stiletto badge of honor.
2. Brag about it - post a link to the page to highlight what the award is about
3. Say thanks! Include a link to the friend who nominated you.
4. Share the love-nominate 5-10 more blogs. Leave links to their blogs and leave them a comment so they know they won!
5. Do what you do! Keep at it and keep inspiring others!

Here are my nominees for the Stiletto Award:

Alisa at The Meat and Potatoes Foodie - She's definitely not afraid to try new things...well, except frog legs :)  She's a great writer and an even more amazing cook.  Personal, I'm always drawn to her pasta dishes, but that could just be the Italian in me.

Sook at My Fabulous Recipes - Sook, per her postings, has been on a diet and is really trying to lead a healthier life style.  She has some really amazingly good healthy recipes posted, and some really yummy Korean cuisines too.

Debbie at Mocha Me -  Debbie cracks me up with her stories of her family.. plus she entices me with all those delicious home style recipes she makes.  Check out here Butterfinger cake post...mmmmm....

Georgia at Comfort of Cooking - I just happened to stumble across Georgia's site and I'm so glad I did. Her pictures all look so incredibly yummy and don't forget to check out her informative post on how to boil potatoes faster...I was surprised at the secret ingredient!

Mel at My Kitchen Cafe -I love her recipes, I love her pictures, I love her blog.  Check out her step by step on how to make a chocolate cream angel food cake.  OMG does it look delicious!

I encourage you to check out all of these sites.  I am honored to be in the same category as these fine women.  Thank you once again to Michelle and Andrea..and don't forget to check their sites out too... you will not be disappointed in any of them!  Happy Cooking Ladies!!

Hamburger & Macaroni (aka: Chris's Goulash)

We use to have goulash when I was growing up.  It was not like this, but it was similar.  The recipe that I took this idea from is simply called hamburger and macaroni, Chris labels it goulash.  I looked up goulash on Wikipedia: Goulash is primarily a soup, also existing as stew, usually made of beef, onion, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder. The name originates from the Hungarian word for a cattle stockman or heardsman....interesting :)  In America, it's what most people call a dish they make using miscellaneous leftovers.  No matter if you want to call this dish hamburger and mac or goulash or whatever, you'll want to try it.  It's simple, delicious, and done in under 30 minutes...perfect for a week night meal, especially if you have to feed a family.  You'll get a lot of food for not a lot of money.

Hamburger & Macaroni
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Lawry's)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or 1-2 Tbls dried)
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

Directions:
Beginning cooking the pasta according to package directions.  Pull off the heat and drain 5 minutes before it's done cooking.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oil and onions and cook about 5-8 minutes, or until tender and translucent.  Add the ground beef and cook another 5-6 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium and add the seasoning salt, crushed red pepper flakes, celery seed, crushed tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the cooked pasta and simmer another 5 minutes.  Add the parsley and stir to combine.  Enjoy!  

Creamy Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

I have been craving decadent foods lately.  This dish totally satisfies that craving.  This is not something I would recommend making too many times a month, but if you want to indulge every now and then...mmmmmmmm... take a shot at this recipe.  It is so creamy and rich and comforting.  I'll admit to you that it was so rich and heavy, I could only eat one enchilada.  Believe me, they are so good, one just doesn't cut it. (for your mouth at least..your stomach on the other hand, is well satisfied!)

The pictures might not actually do this dish justice.  I have to admit one more thing, I wanted to eat these so badly I really didn't take a lot of time with the pictures.  All I could think about was digging into them!!  These would be really good with Mexican rice, Chris isn't a fan of Mexican rice, so you just made garlic rice, which is quickly becoming my favorite way to make rice!!  MMMMMMMMMMMMM....creamy ranch...MMMMMM!!!

Creamy Ranch Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from Annie's Eats
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
8 oz. Ranch salad dressing
Flour tortillas (I used 4 large ones and stuffed them pretty good)
2 Tablespoons chopped green chilies (from a can)
1 Roma tomato, diced
Shredded Mexican blend cheese (I used about 1-2 cups)

Directions:
Cut the chicken into bite size chunks or strips.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook the chicken in a saute pan for about 5-8 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink the in middle.  Set aside to cool.

While the chicken is cooking, mix the sour cream and Ranch dressing together.  Pour half of the sauce mixture into a small bowl and add the chopped green chilies.  Add the chicken to the the other bowl and mix to combine.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9"x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Take one tortilla and place some of the chicken mixture into the center of it.  Roll up the tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.  Repeat until all the chicken mixture is gone.  Pour the remaining sauce mixture over all the tortillas.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and tomatoes.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!  

P.S... these were still really, really good two days later for lunch!!! YUM!