Cooking Challenge 1: Braising

Yesterday, I announced the start of monthly cooking challenges on the blog!Here is our first cooking challenge!

Braising

  Braising is usually the preferred method of cooking a normally otherwise tough piece of meat in a small amount of liquid to make it tender.  This is good for those of us on a tight budget than can not always afford the more expensive piece of meat. 

    If you are interested in participating in the cooking challenge, please sign up for  the newsletter below to get all of the rules, and links to recipes and instructions!  I hope you are interested in the challenge and want to take part!

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Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders/ New Feature

 

Do you have a picky child, or in my case young adult.  Do they say they will not eat chicken? I think I may have the recipe to help change their mind! It did mine anyways.

My son is 16 and will not eat chicken. I made this the other night and he absolutely loved it and I was floored.

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders

 

This is another recipe that does not have exact ingredients!

• Chicken tenders
• Dijon Mustard (honestly any type of mustard will do) 2 or 3 Tablespoons
• Pretzels about 3 cups
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl of a food processor or plastic bag with rolling pin  crush pretzels (you do not want it into total crumbs, just into smaller pieces). Salt and Pepper both sides of your chicken tenders.

In one bowl add Mustard

In another baking dish add pretzels

Using a pastry brush, brush a light coat of mustard on both sides of chicken. Using your tongs, roll each tender into the pretzels and place on either a foil lined baking sheet or a baking sheet with a cooling rack ( this is recommended so that your chicken does not get soggy on one side!) Cook 15-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through!

Monthly Cooking Challenge

I am excited to announce a new feature and hope you guys will join in! I love cooking.I am far from chef but always looking for ways to be a better home cook! That is why, starting tomorrow will have a monthly cooking challenge. I will post the cooking technique that I want to conquer that month. I will give links to tutorials and links to recipes. Sometime during the month I will choose a recipe using the technique and attempt to recreate the recipe . The end of the month, I will right a post about my experience, with the recipe I used. Here is where I would  like you to get involved. When I post the new challenge, if you would like to join up, I will send you a link to a newsletter to sign up so I can send you the official rules, links to the tutorials and recipes. At the end of the month, I would like you to right a post about your experience with the technique and your recipe and linking up with my party!

You can pick and choose which challenges you would like to participate in, by subscribing and unsubscribing from the newsletter .  I hope that you will join in because the more that join, the better the party and hopefully this will help you also to be a more confident cook!

Pesto Chicken Sandwich/ Pesto Round 2

 

I love left overs, but eating the same thing day after day without changing it up a bit can be a little boring! The key to keeping it from being boring is to change your left overs into an entirely different dish!   This sandwich is perfect for that leftover chicken !   This is not an exact recipe and you can cater it to your taste, but I had leftover pesto, chicken and spinach and this is what I came up with!

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

• leftover grilled chicken breast strips or chunks,

      I used Tysons precooked grilled chicken strips!

• pesto
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• onion sliced.
• spinach
• Ciabatta Bread

Turn on your broiler. In a bowl mix chicken and pesto (adjust to taste). Fill the bottom of the bread with your pesto chicken mixture! Pile cheese on top of chicken and place on a baking sheet!  Place under broiler until cheese melts. Pull out of oven and place spinach and onions on top! 

linked up to melt in your mouth monday

Homemade Spinach Pesto

I love pesto! I do not, however, like store bought pesto. I am not sure why, I think  it is too strong for me. I wanted to make my own, but the grocery stores around here only sell those small packs of basil and it would cost a fortune to use those so I decided to use spinach! All I have to say is yummy, it is delicious.
Homemade Spinach Pesto



Printable Recipe

1/3 a bag of spinach (just eye ball it)
3 cloves of garlic (if you do not like a real garlic taste, I would go with 2, I love garlic!)
1/2 cup of walnuts toasted
1/3 cup of water
2/3 cup of shredded parmesan (just used the kind in the bag)
1/2 lemon juiced
3 Tablespoons of  olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste!
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree!


   This stuff is good on sandwiches, or pasta, or use as part of a crostini!  Heck, I was just eating this plain
Speaking of food processors!

     I bought a black and decker 7 cup food processor at sears over Christmas and I love it. I knew I would because I had a 10 cup one and used it until it fell apart. This one was on sale for only 25 dollars and I know I will wear it out.
 I would love a Kitchen Aid or Cuisinart one but don’t have the big bucks for those. If you are looking for a really nice food processor without spending a ton of money, check out  Black and Decker. (my own opinion, not getting paid)I know many people think food processors are just another appliance, but you can do so much with this. You can slice, and shred (now I sound like an knife commercial , use it for pizza dough  and pie doughs. I am not one to spend money on something I can’t multipurpose.

Awesome E-book and Valentines Day Ideas

I posted this on Facebook , but I am sure most of you have not seen it because of how quickly things change but  if you are looking for a an awesome Free (for right now) e-book recipe book, please check  Dinner and Wine for 20.00 or Less. The recipes look delicious and very inexpensive, I have already seen a few I will be trying very soon. For every recipe, they give some inexpensive wine suggestions. With valentines day sneaking up on us very soon, this would be a awesome way to make a very inexpensive valentines dinner. I promise, I am not getting any compensation at all, it is my own opinion!

Speaking of Valentines day, I have set up a valentines day pinterest board, if you are looking for something special to create for your loved one please follow my board here


Here are a couple of things I have pinned, will be adding more!

Source: confessionsofacookbookqueen.com via Beverly on Pinterest

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Beverly on Pinterest

Muffin Tin Gratin

I am sorry it has been so long since post. I have been so busy lately. So much has happened in my life. My grandmother ended up in the hospital a few months ago and they found she also had brain tumors on top of the Alzheimer’s so she was sent home with hospice where she lasted about two months and passed away in October.  I was very blessed though, she was in no pain and I was able to be with her when she passed.

I have always been ocd all of my life, but have been pretty good at keeping it in control, but the last few weeks it has been really acting up. I believe it has also been mixed with some depression.  I ask you all to pray for me. 

I saw these on pinterest and decided to make them! Oh they are so easy and delicious and are wonderful for portion control!

 

Muffin Tin Gratin

·       1 Russet Potato washed and sliced thin

·       Heavy cream (1 Tablespoon per muffin tin)

·       Salt and Pepper

·       Mozzarella Cheese (about 2 or 3 Tablespoons per muffin tin)

·       Melted Butter or Spray Oil 

Muffin Tin

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In muffin tin spray with non stick spray or brush melted butter. Place two slices of potato, salt and Pepper and 1 Tablespoon of cheese. Continue layers until the tin is full, the top layer place 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream and then top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Continue on to however many tins you want to make! Bake for 30 minutes or until potato’s are tender and cheese is melted.

 

Sharp Chedder Baked Mac and Cheese.

I love a baked Mac and Cheese. I am not one in love with those that are real milky and american cheese type, nor do I like a boxed Mac and Cheese.  Give me a baked mac and cheese with real cheese and I am happy. My problem with some of the baked ones I have tried is they are too dry. I have been working on a baked mac and cheese for a while and I really believe I have found the one.  This one uses the Cabot's Extra Sharp cheese!  If you have never tried it, it is a must. Once you have eaten this brand you will never want Kraft again and it is actually cheaper.

Sharp Cheddar Baked Mac and Cheese!
Sharp Cheddar Baked Mac N Cheese

• 1 and 1/2 blocks of Cabot Sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
• 1/2 Parmesan
• 1 Tablespoon and 1 tsp of grainy mustard
• 6 cups of milk
• 6 Tablespoons of Flour
• 6 Tablespoons of butter
• 1lb pkg of elbow macaroni
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan .

Cook macaroni according to package. While macaroni is cooking, in a saucepan on medium heat,melt butter and whisk flour and butter for a couple of minutes . Next slowly add in milk whisking as you go to make sure that you get all the flour and milk mixed thoroughly. Next add mustard, salt and pepper. Continue stirring and cooking until mixture gets thick. When mixture has thickened add all of your cheese and combine thoroughly, cook on low about 5 more minutes. Add in your macaroni and pour into prepared pan and cover with topping and extra cheese.

• Topping
• 1 cup of Italian Style Bread Crumbs
• 3 Tablespoons of butter melted
• 1/2 block of Cabot cheese for topping
• 
  
• Mix bread crumbs and melted butter and spread over top of macaroni and cheese and then top with the extra cheese.

Bake approximately 40 minutes.

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Thigh's Frozen veggies

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Grilled Fish and veggies

Friday:  Grilled Pork Chops and Veggies
Saturday: Crockpot Country Style Ribs