Roasted Chicken & Homemade Stuffing

2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp basil

1 tbsp caraway

1 tbsp fennel seeds

Preheat oven to 350.  First I rinsed the chicken with cool water and placed in a dish breast side down.  Next I cut the bottom on the chicken skin and folded over the sides.  I mixed the dry ingredient's above in a bowl and then rubbed it on the chicken and placed kabob stinks in the chicken to hold the skin back in place.  Next boil two cups of water and added the bouillon cubes.  Once the cubes were dissolved I added it to the bottom of the baking dish.  Next add the caraway seeds and fennel seeds to top of chicken and in water.

Place in oven for 1 hr 15 mins.  When the timer goes off, take out of oven and bast with liquid in bottom of dish.  When basting put the liquid under the skin that you cut before you placed it in the oven.

I don't have a meat thermometer, I know insane, so I have to slice the chicken to verify that the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear.  I cooked this baby for about two hours.  Before I carved it I let it sit about 20 minutes and let the juices redistribute.

Now for this amazing stuffing...After getting the chicken in the oven I recruited my little helper to tear the fresh bread.  He did a fantastic job!!

You'll need:

4 multi grain dinner rolls

4 large white rolls

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrots

2 cups finely chopped kale

1/2 cup mushrooms

1 tbsp rosemary

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp dill

1 tsp thyme

4 tbsp olive oil divided

Tear bread into bite size pieces.  Once all bread is torn, place in large plastic bag (I reused the one that the rolls came in) drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil in the bag, the garlic salt and the dill.  Shake bag like crazy to evenly coat.  Next place all the bread on a cookie sheet and place in the already heated oven with the chicken for 15 minutes.

These toasted bread crumbs were so good I could have just eaten these with some olive oil and balsamic.  Yea, they were that good.  But don't eat them all, we need some for our stuffing.  If my sister was here she would have eaten the whole pan.  She loves bread.

 While these cool, get the other 2 tbsp of olive oil heated on the stove and add the celery, carrots, kale, mushrooms, rosemary and thyme.  Cook over medium heat until tender.  Set aside till the chicken is done.

Doesn't this look amazing!  It smelled even better with the rosemary and thyme.

When the chicken is done cooking, set aside but remove the water that was put in before and place in measuring cup.

You're putting it back in the measuring cup because you need 2 cups.  Of course, some of it while cooking evaporates.  So measure what is left and add water to equal your 2 cups.  Only 1/4 of a cup evaporated,from mine.  Add the liquid to a large pan on medium heat.  Add the vegetable mixture.  Once it starts boiling, take off heat and add the toasted bread. Stir until all the liquid is absorbed and all bread has been added.  Cover with lid and let sit while you carve the chicken.

Amazing...Enjoy!!

Meatloaf Minis & Fries

My family and I love meatloaf.  But as much as I love meatloaf, I hate the hour of so that it takes to cook.  With these minis though, the time's cut in half.  Grab you cupcake pan and get to cooking.

1 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp seasoning salt

1 tsp bay leaves

1 clove minced garlic

1 tbsp caraway

2 tbsp cocktail sauce

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all ingredient's together in a bowl.  Generously spray your cupcake pan with Pam.  Fill pan to the top with meat.  If using ground beef do not fill to the top with the meat mixture.  The grease from the beef spills over the side if you overfill.  If using ground turkey, it is very lean and can be filled to the top with the mixture.  Place in oven for 25 minutes.  Brush tops with barbecue sauce the last 5 minutes of cooking.

I have never cooked with Caraway before.  I have actually never even heard of it.  Have you?  This is an amazing spice. It's a very smokey taste, and smells very woodsy.

For Fries

8 potatoes cut length wise

1 tbsp bay leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp steak seasoning

1 tbsp ground cumin

Place all ingredients in large bag with potatoes.  Shake to evenly coat.  Spray cookie sheet with Pam before placing potatoes on sheet.  Cook at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  If you like more crispy fries, like I do,  place the broiler on for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Loaded Burgers

So a few nights ago I found this great picture of burgers wrapped in bacon and pineapple on pintrest.  I thought this was a perfect opportunity to include my amazing homemade burgers.

1 lb 93/7 ground beef

1 egg

2 tbsp tarter sauce

1 tsp dill

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

4 slices pineapple

8 strips turkey bacon

Mix all ingredients together in beef with your hands.  Patty up into four burgers.  Place a slice of pineapple in the middle of a patty. 

Wrap two slices of bacon around the patty.  Gently press into beef on underside.  Cook burgers on a medium heat.  Place burgers on grill with the pineapple up first for ten minutes.  Flip after ten minutes and cook an additional ten minutes.

These turned out really wonderful!  These will defiently become a favorite in our home.

Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner In About An Hour

I have to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of turkey.  Gasp...What?  I know.  Someone who doesn't like turkey?  So in my Thanksgiving dinner I'm making chicken.  The real white meat!  In my kitchen tonight I made this delicious and fairly healthy meal.

Yams are usually made with loads of butter, brown sugar and calories.  While they do taste amazing, my hips don't appreciate the extra calories.  So I tried to come up with an idea to substitute the butter and sugar.  I've got it...PEARS.  These were fantastic.  Here's what I did.  You'll need:

1 29 oz can unsweetened yams

1 16 oz can pears

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup small marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375.  Open and drain the pears and yams.  In oven safe dish spray pam.  Add yams.  Run a knife through the pears until they are finely diced.  Add the pears to the yams and stir.  Place in oven and cook for 35 minutes.  Pull out and add the marshmallows.  Put back in over for an additional 10 minutes.  Once you pull of out the oven add the cinnamon to the top of the marshmallows.

For the chicken you'll need:

8 chicken drum sticks

2 tsp poppy seeds

2 tsp crushed mint

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Before I rubbed the seasoning mixture on the chicken drum sticks I removed the skin.  Heat the grill to medium and add the chicken.  Cook about 15 minutes and flip on four sides.

The chicken was great.  The mint with the taste of smokey barbecue flavor was very unique.

The stuffing was a mix from a box but instead of the butter I added apple sauce in place of the butter. 

The green beans were just frozen and I steamed them.

 And there you have it.  Thanksgiving dinner in about an hour!!

Ready....Set....Start Your Grills for Pork Loin

 

This pork tenderloin has quickly become a family favorite.  It's moist, juicy and so low in fat.  And it's surprisingly cheap.  It's only about 3.99/lb.  This was 1.35 lbs and will feed our family of three easily.

Preheat your grill while you get your rub together.  For the rub you'll need:

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp basil

1 tbsp cumin

Mix all ingredients together.  Rub directly on your pork loin.  With grill placed at a medium temperature, cook pork on one side for 25 minutes.  Turn pork and cook for an additional 25 minutes.  I typically cook 30 minutes per pound.  Included in that 30 minutes is the resting period of the meat.  The last 5 minutes add barbecue sauce if you like.  Once you remove from grill, let it rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.  This will redistribute the juices.  I never use to let my meats just sit before cutting into them.  What a difference it makes!!

With this pork I also made up a very simple pasta salad with tomatoes.  It was sure delicious.

You'll need:

6 ounces of wheat angel hair pasta

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 cups diced tomatoes

2 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp rosemary

1 tsp dill

2 tbsp butter

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.  Wait for the pasta to be completely done before starting to cook the tomatoes.  If you cook the tomatoes before the pasta is done, the tomatoes become soggy.  After the pasta is done cooking, just turn off the water and let it set in the hot water to keep it hot.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Once butter is melted add the tomatoes, rosemary and dill.  Cook for about 7 minutes or just until tomatoes are hot.  Drain the pasta and put in bowl.  Toss the pasta with the olive oil, garlic salt and balsamic vinegar.

Homemade Tacos

These are amazing, good for you and oh so fast.  Yummy tacos.  My family and I eat tacos about once a week.  We LOVE them!  Here's my easy recipe for tacos.

What you'll need:

1 lb ground turkey or lean beef

1 can diced tomatoes (not drained)

2 bell peppers

1 can black beans (not drained)

1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning (see recipe here)

9 corn or flour tortillas

Olive oil

1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 water

Brown the turkey or beef.  When the meat is almost cooked add the bell pepper chunks.  When the meat is fully cooked add the black beans, canned tomatoes, taco seasoning and water.  Simmer mixture over medium heat for about 20 minutes.  Mixture will seem very watery but all liquid should be absorbed in that 20 or 25 minutes.  If using corn tortillas, heat 1 tsp of olive oil and place one tortilla in pan, warm both sides and place on paper towel.  Cook the remainder of the tortillas.  Add some of the meat mixture and top with cheese.

Serve with a fresh salad and top the salad with a sweet salsa.

It's amazing!!!

Enjoy.

BBQ Pork Ribs on a Gas Grill

Never have I cooked pork ribs.  I am going to admit something that I'm a bit ashamed of...I don't like to eat any meat that I have to gnaw it off the bone.  My husband on the other hand loves, ribs and chicken wings and chicken legs and such.  Because I am the primary cook, poor Shawn never gets meat off a bone. 



This summer though I have been coming out of my shell a bit.  I have been experimenting with all sorts of foods this summer and have come up with some pretty amazing tasting meals.

So yesterday at the store, while on a hunt for a different dish I came across a rack of pork ribs.  In my cart, the ribs went.  As I drove home I consulted with my sister as to methods on cooking ribs.  She instructed me to sear the rack on both sides and then cook it on low for about 45 minutes.

I also inquired about a friends recent post on facebook on her dry rib rub.  I had never hear of such a thing.  A dry rib rub?  Okay!!  She sent me the recipe that she used. 

Then this afternoon, I did some quick searches on the Internet.  I found lots of bewares for cooking ribs on gas grills.  Most of the reading material warned about cooking your meat too fast and on too high of a heat.  After some brainstorming, I was ready to put together my own rub and recipe for my ribs.



1 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp dill, 1 tsp crushed red peppers, 1 tbsp garlic salt, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp pepper



1/4 cup brown sugar



Place meat on cookie sheet.  After mixing all ingredients together rub mixture on raw ribs. 



Set temp of grill to a medium heat and cook on both sides till brown.  This rack was 2.33 lbs. 
It was a smaller rack of ribs so it only took about 7 minutes on each side. 
After browning both sides, place ribs on top rack in grill and keep grill at medium heat. 
Begin cooking bones side down.  Cook for about 20-25 minutes. 
Turn when bone side begins to become slightly blackened.
 Flip the ribs meat side down and continue to cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Brush on Bar-B-Que sauce on both sides.  Cook an additional
5-10 minutes on each side but turning the grill down to a low heat and
still keeping on the top rack.  When ribs are done, turn off the grill
and let rest on the grill with lid closed for 10 minutes.

Cut and enjoy!!

Noah sure enjoyed them!!

I think we have ourselves a happy camper.

Chicken Kabobs on the Grill

Anyone who cooks on a regular basis knows that we can get stuck in a rut quite often. I'm always searching the internet and cookbooks for ideas for new dinners. I do have one problem though when it comes to following directions; I don't!! I have a hard time following directions. I never follow receipies. I always have to add my own indegridents and my own twist on receipies. I just like exploring others ideas and then branch off in my own direction.

After quite some time of searcing for some other options for dinner, I realized that I had not made chicken kabobs in like, FOREVER!! One advantage to not following receipes is you always have what you need. This is what I have come up with for amazing Chicken Kabobs.

6 chicken breasts

1 large bellpepper

4 large red potatoes

1 large zuchinni

2 ears of corn

2 cups fresh pineapple

1 tbsp garlic salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp dill

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 bottle light Italian dressing

12 wooden skewers

Wash and poke holes in potatoes. Put them in the microwave for a few minutes. You do not want to cook potatoes completely. You just want to be able to cut then easily with a knife into large chunks. I cooked four potatoes in mircrowave for 7 minutes. Cut chicken and zuchinni in large chunks. marinate chicken, zuchinni and potatoes for a few hours. While that is marinating soak the wooden skewers for a few hours in cool water.

After items above have been marinating for a few hours cut up the rest of the veggies in large chunks. But the bellpeper and pineapple. Cut the corn into about 2 inch chunks. Also after I cut the corn I took a meat theromomter and poked a large hole through the center of the corn. It's pretty difficult to put a hole in the center of the corn with a flimsy wooden stick.

Put all items on wooden skewers in ramdom order.

Mix olive oil, rice vinegar, dill, pepper and garlic salt into a small bowl. Brush over kabobs.

Turn grill on to medium. Place kabobs and turn a total of four times every four minutes. I turned mine a fifth time thinking that they weren't quite done, but they would have been perfect if I took them off the grill after the fourth turn.

I served the kabobs over brown rice. Instead of making the rice with plain water though I put two chicken boulion cubes in the water.

I topped off my creation with fresh diced tomatoes for some added color and flavor. These were divine! I will be making these chicken kabobs in the very near future.