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One-Skillet Simple Roasted Chicken Dinner

05 Tuesday May 2015

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I just came back from a short trip to Vancouver, Canada. For a few days, I walked around the city and ate. And drank. And then I walked some more and ate more food. There was the Korean hot pot, the Japanese blossom sushi roll, the Mediterranean spread, and the chocolate hazelnut croissant. And these are just the highlights.

Back at home, the refrigerator didn’t offer much in terms of produce. But there was a package of frozen chicken breast halves, some potatoes, carrots, and a few sweet peppers. There was also a grumbling stomach and the desire to eat a few healthy, wholesome meals.

One skillet chicken dinner2

With this, I present you this super simple and super satisfying meal of One-Skillet Roasted Chicken Dinner.

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1.5 pounds baby red potatoes
6-8 mini sweet bell peppers
1 jalapeno
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for the chicken.
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless (this will work awesome with chicken thighs and legs)
fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary
lemon slices

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place a cast iron inside the skillet.

2.  Combine vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.

3.  Transfer the vegetables in a single layer to the preheated skillet. Top with chicken breasts. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and top with lemon slices. Tuck herbs around the chicken.

One skillet chicken dinner3

4.  Roast in the preheated oven until the chicken registers at 165 F and the vegetables are tender, 45 to 60 minutes.

And that is all. Roasted, juicy chicken with a medley of vegetables. Eat it hot as it comes out of the oven the first night. Second night? Chop it up, stir it up, and make a roasted chicken salad out of this.

One skillet chicken dinner

Banana Zucchini Bread and Muffins

19 Sunday Apr 2015

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banana zucchini bread and muffins (11)

Confession time. I don’t like bananas. Maybe it’s one of the reasons I’m not a fan when I get called Anna Banana. The riper the banana, the less I like it. The overwhelming aroma, the dark brown spotted skin, it all makes me want to run away.

But then there’s banana bread and banana muffins, that make it worthwhile to have an overripe banana in your kitchen. For this project though, I’ve combined the sweet, soft banana with the crunchy, fresh zucchini in a recipe that yields one loaf of bread and 12 muffins. Perfect, isn’t it? If you wish, turn this into 2 loaves or 24 muffins. You’re the boss!

banana zucchini bread and muffins (4)

Banana Zucchini Bread and Muffins

Ingredients

4 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Beat eggs, sugars, oil, apples sauce and vanilla extra in a bowl. Stir in bananas.

3.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to the egg mixture and stir to combine.

4.  Fold in zucchini and walnuts.

5.  Transfer half of the batter to a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Transfer the remaining batter into a greased 12-cup muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven until the toothpick inserted into the bread/muffins comes out clean, about 50 minutes. The timing for the muffins might be less, be sure to check earlier. Cool on a rack.

banana zucchini bread and muffins (9)

And that’s all folks! Now you have bread and muffins to eat up, share and enjoy. These are quite good on their own. Do try the bread sliced, toasted and buttered (with either regular butter or peanut).

Borscht ~ Russian Vegetarian Beet Soup Recipe

03 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by in Recipe, Russian, Soup, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Borscht Russian Beet Soup Recipe

Before I begin with the recipe, I do admit to the Russian name of the soup not having a “t” at the end.  But this is in English, so we will stick with Borscht.  Now, I have grown up eating this hearty, ruby red soup prepared lovingly by my Dad.  In fact, I just ate a bowl at my parents’ house tonight, and it was as usual, the best.  But sometimes, I want to make borscht at home, and this is my quick, one-pot version of my dad’s recipe.

The are numerous of recipes for borscht out there, with each family using their own particular technique and a set of ingredients.  But for the most part, there are a few must-have ingredients: beets, cabbage, and carrots. The rest?  It’s up to you!  I was out of potatoes, but normally would put those in as well.  Celery, celery root, and even zucchini are great additions to the soup.

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Borscht ~ Russian Vegetarian Beet Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 beets, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 carrots, diced
4-6 cups of water (can substitute vegetable broth or chicken/beef stock for a non-vegetarian version)
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
1-2 teaspoons of sugar

Serve with: Russian black bread, dill, sour cream

Directions

1.  Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook for 10 minutes.

2.  Add beets to the onion and cook for another ten minutes.

3.  Add garlic and carrots and cook for another five minutes.  At this point, you can also add a few tablespoons of tomato paste.

4.  Pour in water (or stock), making sure the vegetables are covered by a few inches.  Bring to a boil.  If you were using potatoes, you’d add them now, and cook half way through.

5. Lower the heat to medium and stir in cabbage. Cook just until the cabbage is wilted.

6. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and sugar.

Soup is ready!  Add a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped herbs (dill, parsley, even cilantro).  I often serve it with fresh grated garlic for an extra kick and a dash of hot sauce.

Borscht Russian Beet Soup Recipe13

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Brine Your Chickens!

20 Thursday Feb 2014

Posted by in Allrecipes.com, Chicken, Cooking, Recipe, Video

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I have a confession to make.  Yesterday I made my first brined chicken.  For someone who has been cooking for quite some time, it’s honestly shameful.  Why have I roasted whole chickens without brining them first in all the previous years?  This overnight brined chicken was ridiculously juicy, tender, and flavorful.

Roasted Chicken Brine Recipe

I got to test the brining method on the set of Allrecipes.com video studio, using the Simple Chicken Brine recipe.  The recipe was indeed, simple.  A mix of water, salt, sugar, soy sauce and olive oil.  I resisted adjusting the recipe by adding extra seasonings and herbs, but will experiment the next time I decide to brine.

The whole chicken bathed in the brine overnight, then got rinsed and patted dry.  I stuffed it with lemon, fresh thyme, onion and celery before getting it into a hot oven, seated on a bed of more onion and celery.

Roast the chicken in a 400 degrees F oven for about an hour – depending on the size.  Make sure the internal temperature registers at 165 degrees F.  Allow the bird to rest, loosely covered with foil, to keep warm, before carving.  One of the benefits of brining, is even a bird that might be slightly overcooked, will still be juicy.

If every chicken I ate came out looking so beautiful and delicious, I’d be a happy girl!

Keep an eye out for a video to show you how we made the brine.

Would love to hear your experience in brining – do you have a favorite recipe to share?

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Savory French Toast

24 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Recipe

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Savory French Toast

Before I grew up into loving sweet French Toast, enjoying the custard soaked thick slices of challah bread, sometimes dusted with confectioners’ sugar or dunked into heated maple syrup, I remember gobbling up bites of Savory French Toast.  I was still a child, and if memory serves me correctly, this dish was prepared by my Dad for special weekend mornings.  I’m sure my Mom has made that as well a time or two.

This is my take on this childhood recipe – Savory French Toast.

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 tablespoons half & half

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 Brioche slices

1 tablespoon olive oil

Serve with: smoked salmon, cucumber and tomato salad

Directions

1.  Whisk together eggs, half & half, milk and the spices.

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2.  Coat brioche slices in the egg custard.

3.  Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

4.  Cook brioche  3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.

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If you are looking to add more flavor, consider sprinkling the toast with grated Parmesan cheese and watch it melt!

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Oatmeal Cookies with Golden Raisins and Toasted Walnuts

24 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Allrecipes.com, Baking, Cookies, Dessert

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Want a cookie?  How about a soft oatmeal cookie studded with golden raisins and toasted walnuts?  Hard to say “no” to that!

Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts and Golden Raisins3

This cookie combination was a third installment in the tradition of morning birthday cookies for the Artist.  He’s been on the oatmeal kick lately, so these have seemed to fit in quite perfectly.  The latest copy of the Allrecipes.com magazine ran a story on the most popular cookie selection, and I found the recipe for the Soft Oatmeal Cookies.  I halved the recipe and added the fruit and nut.  These were a hit!

Oatmeal Cookies with Golden Raisins and Toasted Walnuts  (Makes 2 dozen cookies)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 oatmeal (I used extra thick, old fashioned)

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions

1.  Beat together butter and sugar until creamy.

2. Add in the egg and beat together.

3. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Incorporate the dry ingredients slowly into the butter mixture.

4. Mix in oats, raisins and walnuts.  At this point, I refrigerated the dough overnight so it would be ready to bake in the morning.  You can bake the cookies right away.

5.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

6. Scoop cookies on parchment lined baking sheets an inch apart and bake 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack (directly with the parchment paper) and let cool.

Now all you have to do is sing “happy birthday” and pour in a cup of milk or glass.

Happy baking!

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I would definitely bake these again.  Chewy, sweet, healthy-tasting, with a nice crunch from the walnuts.  This recipe lends itself to many variations – how about pecans and dried cherries or pistachios and dried apricots?  Give these a try!

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

18 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by in Cupcakes, Dessert, Holidays, Recipe

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carrot cake cupcake recipe

It’s hard to believe that my young brother just turned 25 years old!  Time flies, people grow up, mature, and become adults that you are proud to call your friend.

For his birthday, my brother requested Carrot Cake Cupcakes with raisins and walnuts.  I took this opportunity to use my wonderful orange KitchenAid and bake something delicious for the whole family to enjoy.  For the recipe, I adapted Ina Garten’s carrot cake cupcakes.  Modifications: 12 cupcake yield, reduction of sugar and oil, addition of baking powder, change in baking directions, toasted walnuts.  The frosting was cut in half and dressed with clementine zest.

I must admit, I was rather nervous waiting for the cupcakes to finish baking and once I removed them from the oven, my fears did not diminish.  But!  These were truly fantastic – moist, just sweet enough, with a wonderful texture variance of raisins and crunchy nuts.  The frosting with the addition of clementine zest played nicely along, lending just enough sweetness and decadence.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/5 cups grated carrots (I used organic, with skin on, grated in a food processor)
1/2 cups raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
1 tablespoons flour

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
zest of 1 clementine or orange

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 12-cup cupcake pan with liners and lightly grease with cooking spray.

2.  Beat together sugar, oil and vanilla until evenly incorporated.  Beat in one egg at a time.

3.  Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

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4.  Mix carrots, raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon of flour.  This will keep the mix-ins evenly incorporated with the cupcake batter.

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5.  Add half of the dry ingredients to the sugar-oil-egg mixture and mix just until blended.  Blend in carrots, raisins and walnuts and then add the rest of the dry ingredients.

6.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups.

7.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes are medium-brown and the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely on the wire rack.  I removed the paper from cupcakes right before frosting.

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8,  For the frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla.  Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar (you might want to sift if first so it incorporates easier).  Once the frosting is of your desired consistency and sweetness (you can add more sugar), fold in clementine zest.  Frost cupcakes as desired.  I fit a piping bag with a star tip and filled it with frosting, trying a few different designs when it came to decorating.

carrot cake cupcake recipe

If the frosting gets too soft, you can refrigerate it briefly.  I chilled the cupcakes for an hour before serving to allow the frosting to set up slightly.  These would be beautiful garnished with candied carrots or toasted walnuts.  Mine came garnished with candles and a “happy birthday!” song.

By the time the cupcakes were baked, cooled and frosted, it was too dark to take any decent photos.  Sadly, I took a few with my phone on the bathroom floor.  The good news, there are a few cupcakes safely tucked in inside the refrigerator – I will attempt to take photos tomorrow!  Sweet wishes.

carrot cake cupcake recipe

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Apple Walnut Pancakes with Cranberry Sauce ~ Breakfast Recipe

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Dessert, Recipe, Uncategorized

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apple_walnut_pancakes_cranberry_sauce_breakfast

Pancakes for breakfast? Yes, please!  Last weekend I decided to upgrade the traditional “eggs-for-breakfast” and make pancakes instead.  Rather than making them plain or over-the-top-pumpkin-spice variety, I decided on the Apple Walnut Pancakes with Homemade Cranberry Sauce and based the recipe on one of my favorites for Apple Bacon Pancakes I have done in the past.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 apples, grated

1/2 cup chopped roasted walnuts

Directions

1.  Whisk dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.  Stir in apples and walnuts.

2.  Heat a large pan over medium high heat and lightly grease with oil or butter.   

3.  Use a measuring cup (1/4 c) or a small ladle to make pancakes.  Cook the pancakes for 4-5 minutes on each side. You will notice the edges drying out and bubbles appearing on the surface of the pancakes – that’s when you know it’s time to flip!

4.  Add butter or oil, as needed between the batches.  Serve the pancakes hot, with a drizzle of honey, yogurt and homemade cranberry sauce.
And speaking of cranberry sauce, it has got to be one of the easiest things to make yourself in the kitchen!  Simply combine fresh cranberries with organge juice, zest of oranges or mandarines, a little bit of grated ginger and sweetener.  You can use sugar or honey, to taste.  I like mine on the sour side and don’t use too much of either sweetener.
The combination of hot pancakes with cool yogurt and cranberry sauce will surely win you praise with your breakfast companions.
I have been eating the leftover of the cranberry sauce and yogurt for breakfast, as a parfait, tossed together with chia seed granola.  Bon appetite!