Simple and delicious

"Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing." 

~Oscar Wilde

Growing up, my family would often eat the boxed sides made by Rice-A-Roni. These were always delicious, and there was never enough. Now that I'm cooking on my own, I found these to be a little out of my price range for regular consumption. Right now I have more time than money to work with, so I figured I should try to make a rice pilaf on my own.

Turns out it is really simple to make and simply delicious to eat.  Also, it is easy to make in large quantities to have leftovers or to feed a crowd. My favorite part is that the basic version can be made with things already on hand.

In addition to my homemade rice pilaf, I made lemon herbed chicken breast. This is a great meal for a weeknight and it's easy enough to dress up for company. Read my notes for ideas on how to do that. :)

Enjoy!


Rice Pilaf and Lemon Herbed chicken

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
0.25 cup olive oil
0.25 dry white wine or white wine vinegar
2 tsp. italian seasoning mix
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. lemon juice
0.25 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Mix thoroughly. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Place chicken in a shallow oven safe dish. Cover with remaining marinade. Bake in 450 degree F oven for about 35 mins or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make rice pilaf:

2 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice
a spirnkle of lentils
2 cups chicken broth

In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute over low heat until they are translucent. Add parsley, salt and pepper, and rice. Toss rice in skillet until just starting to brown. Turn heat off.

Add mixture from skillet and chicken broth to medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat low to simmer and cover. Allow rice to simmer covered for 15 mins. Then turn heat off and fluff rice.

Your chicken should be about done by this time. :)

Author's note:
If you want to make the rice pilaf fancier, add things like cranberries to the mixture while sauteing and continue as normal. Really any sort of diced fruit would work. Bacon would also be fun to try :) Leave suggestions in the comments!!

Sister's Inspiration

"One of the best things about being an adult is the realization that you can share with your sister and still have plenty for yourself." ~ Betsy Cohen

My sisters are wonderful people. And they love and support me in many ways. And while they may be better at music and math, I am turned to for crafty answers. When I mentioned my blog to my older sister the other day, she asked if I could make a mimic of Starbucks Chocolate Meringue Cookies. I told her I'd see what I could do.

Now I love chocolate. Pure simple chocolate. Milk or dark, with delicious additives or not, a piece of chocolate is hard to beat for me. That being said, most chocolate based desserts I do not like. Brownies in particular hold no happy place in my heart. But chocolate cookies are wonderful. They take that chocolate flavor and add a little magic. Who can resist?!?

Now meringues are special too. They kind of remind me of cotton candy the way most just melt in your mouth. For those of you who aren't aware, meringue refers to a mixture of egg whites and sugar, whipped until it looks fluffy. The only real trick I know for meringue is that the humidity on the day it is made matters. Always bake meringues on a dry, sunny day.  The meringue won't stiffen and harden properly in moist weather

Now these aren't your traditional Meringue Cookies. They are kind of a hybrid between real meringues and traditional chocolate cookies. Really, the best of both worlds. Hope you enjoy! :)

Chewy Fudge Meringues

3 cups of powdered sugar
0.5 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cornstarch
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
0.25 tsp. salt
4 egg whites
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
0.25 tsp. cream of tartar


Mix cocoa powder, cornstarch, and half of the sugar in one bowl.

Melt chocolate in a separate bowl.

Place egg whites in a third bowl. You can separate these when the eggs are cold, but then wait to continue until they are room temperature. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, remaining sugar, and salt. Whip until thickened and cream in color

Gently add sugar mix, stirring in until just mixed. Then stir in melted chocolate.

Drop batter on to pans in teaspoons, spread far apart. Pans should be lined with parchment paper ( or a slipmat) and buttered.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 mins.

Let cool slightly and remove from pan. :)

Breakfast Anyone?

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." ~ J.B. Priestly

Lately I've been seeing all these recipes for baked oatmeal, and I'm getting a little tired of eating the oatmeal in the little microwave packets, so I thought I'd give making some a try. I've never made baked oatmeal before but the idea of making some ahead of time and having awesome homemade breakfast all week sounded great to me.

I also happen to be in the middle of my now annual "Oh my goodness PLUMS!!!!" insanity. See, up until a few years ago when I started college (ok well 5 years ago), I swear I had never seen or eaten a plum. My family was on a cross country drive to move me into college for the first time when we stopped at a rest area that happen to have a farm stand. There were plums and I tried them and fell in love immediately. They are so sweet without being overly so and incredibly juicy.

And so I thought to combine these endeavors. I give you Honey Vanilla Plum Baked Oatmeal

Honey Vanilla Plum Baked Oatmeal
 2 cups rolled oats
0.25 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
0.5 tsp. salt
2 cups skim milk
1 egg
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 diced plum
2 tbsp. honey


Mix oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix milk, egg, butter, vanilla, and honey together.

In a greased 8" pie pan, evenly distribute 2/3 of the finely diced plums. Then spread mixture from the first bowl on top, and cover with the mixture from the second bowl. Make sure all oatmeal mix is covered with the milk mix. Scatter remaining  plums over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins or until the oatmeal is set.

Doubling this recipe will fill a 9x13 pan and feed a crowd.

Simple Warm Meal for the Cool Days Ahead

"Nature's first green is gold." 

~ Robert Frost

We have a wonderful farmer's market here in my city. It's year round and has many vendors. It runs most of the day Saturdays and there are even food and drink vendors to grab a bite to eat while you're there. They play music too. I highly recommend you check out your city or area and see if there are local farmer's markets near you.

While I was there Saturday, I was impressed to find a perfect mix of late summer and early fall flavors. I picked up some plums (a recipe with them coming soon!) and berries, as well as sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  I love Butternut Squash Soup, and with the fall temperatures beginning to set in, I couldn't wait to make it. The quote today is from one of my favorite poems, and I thought of it while contemplating of all the enjoyment the warm colors and flavors fall bring me. Butternut squash is definitely one of nature's golden gems. Here's my recipe below:

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

2 lb Butternut squash, chopped
1 small red potato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 onion diced
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 cups Chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chilli Powder
1 tsp. curry Powder
Dash of nutmeg
dash of red pepper flakes
Dash of thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan saute garlic and onion in oil on low heat until translucent. Add squash, potato, broth, water and bay leaf to pan. Simmer until fork tender (about 15 mins).

Turn heat off, remove bay leaf and discard. Place all other pan contents in a blender. Add milk and spices. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

I love to serve this with a spinach salad and/or french bread with a slice of cheese broiled on to it. Swiss or Gruyere work well with the soup. To do this just place bread with cheese on it in the broiler for about 5 mins or until cheese is melted and toasted brown on the edges.

Modification of Other People's Awesome

" Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another." ~ Voltaire 

I often browse Pinterest to find ideas on what to make when I'm bored of the same old things. The following is a significant modification of a recipe I found here, but I never would have thought of putting this meal together without finding it there first :) Particularly the cheese in a sauce idea instead of just sprinkling on top and mixing in.

I love spicy food. No matter what kind of spicy, I can't get enough. Curries, hot wings, salsas, BBQs . . ..  you name it. To me, spiciness adds a richness and depth to cuisine, particularly when just hinted at amongst other flavors. My favorite thing is to mix various flavors of spiciness together in one dish. That's what I did here.

Chicken Bacon Rice Fusion

0.5lb bacon diced
15 oz boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
0.5 tablespoon black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed in garlic press
1 can of diced tomatoes (make sure there are no italian spices pre-added)
2 jalapenos, fresh (can substitute with other pickled ones)
1 habanero hot pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
0.5 cup chicken broth
0.5 cup milk
1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Before starting any of the other directions, it is important to have all ingredients prepared and on hand. Be sure to dice bacon, chicken, onion, peppers, and garlic before beginning. If you are not sure on the spiciness, coring peppers before dicing will lower the heat in this dish

In a medium saucepan  mix water, rice, and 1 tsp. salt. Cover. Bring just to a boil then turn heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 14 mins.

In a large skillet or wok, cook diced bacon for 3 to 4 mins or until cooked. Transfer bacon to large plate, but leave grease behind in pan. Add chicken to pan and brown until all pieces are cooked through. If needed, add canola oil to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste while chicken is cooking. Transfer chicken to plate with bacon.  Add garlic, onions, and peppers to pan and cook until they are translucent and soft (peppers won't be translucent). Again, add oil if needed. 

Once everything is cooked, turn heat low and mix in the cooked rice (which should now be done), canned tomatoes, and the meats from the plate. Turn heat off.

In the same pan the rice was cooked in (or another similar one), melt butter on low heat until it foams and froths  Then add flour, cayenne, and a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Mix quickly with a spatula and a paste will form. Quickly add chicken broth and milk. Allow to simmer and thicken for a few mins. When sauce has clearly thickened, mix in cheese until melted into sauce. Remove from heat.

Pour cheese sauce over the rest of the meal, and volia! Dinner is ready!


*** For reference, the cheese sauce made in this recipe is made with a roux (pronounced like the end of Kangaroo). The paste made of the melted butter and flour and spices is the roux. Similar pastes can be made of any kind of cooking oil, butter, or grease and flour and spices. They often form the bases of gravies and cheese sauces***

Let's Try This Again, Shall We?

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." 

~ Nelson Mandela

Ever feel yourself continually drawn to the same craft or hobby again and again? I always liked the idea of blogging. I still feel like my knowledge is well suited for it. I just didn't quite stick to what I wanted to do last time I tried this. So here goes attempt #2.

Re-introduction: I intend to use quotes to guide each kitchen or craft adventure, trying to post once a week on average. Today, I'm just going to rehash something basic: Brownies. Now while I love chocolate, I generally do not like brownies. I've experimented with several recipes until I came up with this one for brownies I cannot resist. They are perhaps a little untraditional, but certainly not to be missed!

Cinnamon Chili Brownies

1.25 cups flour
0.25 cups cocoa powder
0.5 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
2 cups of sugar
0.75 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, chili powder, and half of the cinnamon.  Mix well. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla. Beat with spoon until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients; mix well.

Spread batter evenly in 13 X 9 inch pan. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon.

Bake in 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Brownies are ready when edges are just set and center is still soft.

I personally like these sprinkled with a little powdered sugar fresh from the oven.

*** NOTE: These come out a little light on the chocolate flavor, rich on the others. If you want more traditionally chocolaty brownies, double the cocoa powder called for. ***