Chickity China...

     I have had the biggest craving for a chinese chicken salad lately. It's weird because I honestly haven't had one in as long as I can remember, but for some reason I just can't get it out of my head. It's time to give in. 

     Rather than go for the fried wonton infested version you can find at any chain restaurant I'm opting for my mom's recipe. Unfortunately, her salad does not call for chicken, which I could probably do without - my boyfriend on the other hand will eat two platefuls and then ask me where the "entree" is. You see, a salad without some sort of protein does not qualify as a meal in any man's mind, so here's a TFD: If you are serving this salad to any males - throw in some meat. 

Mandarin Almond Salad

Ingredients:

1 head Romaine lettuce, torn

1 cup celery, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp. flat parsley, chopped

11 oz. can mandarin oranges

1/3 cup slivered almonds, caramelized*

2 baked chicken breasts, shredded

Salad dressing to taste, recipe follows

*TFD: If you want to stick to the healthy approach, toasted almonds also taste delicious in this salad

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Mandarin Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil*

4 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash of Tabasco sauce ~~~ CLH

*TFM: Canola oil can be substituted

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together in a sealable container and let it sit in refrigerator overnight. (TFM: Shake the dressing really well from time to time, so the sugar does not build up).

Crowd Pleaser

     My boyfriend hates maple syrup. I on the otherhand, throughly enjoy it...so tonight I'm making a maple-ginger roasted salmon. Just so you don't think I'm a bad girlfriend for making him eat things he doesn't enjoy I'm going to balance it off with his two favorite things - roasted brussels sprouts and rice pilaf.

Maple-Ginger Roasted Salmon

Ingredients:

¾ cup maple syrup*

2 tbsp. minced ginger

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. salt

1-2.25 lb salmon filet (skin on)

*TFM: Use Grade B if available. It has a stronger maple flavor, with carmel undertones that is better for cooking/baking.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients except salmon in a bowl and pour into sealable bag. Marinade fish for 2 hours.  
Line baking dish with parchment paper and place salmon skin side down. Brush fish with marinade and roast for 20-25 minutes (TFM: Brush more marinade on fish halfway through cooking time, so the fish doesn’t dry out). 
Fish is done once it flakes easily with a fork.
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. brussels sprouts

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt*

½ tsp. ground black pepper

*TFD: Use ¾ tsp. kosher salt before roasting and sprinkle with ¼ tsp. coarse sea salt after roasting.

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
Trim ends off of brussels sprouts and cut in half lengthwise. Mix olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss brussels sprouts in mixture and arrange in one layer on baking sheet. 
Roast 35-40 minutes, until crisp on the outside(TFM: Shake baking sheet every 10 minutes or so to prevent burning).  



BTW, my boyfriend cleared his plate.

Margarita Monday

     My little brother and my Dad came out for their first visit to ChiTown last Thursday through Sunday. We did a lot of eating out. I mean, a lot - deep dish Chicago style pizza (twice), Chicago style hot dogs (Yes "dogs". Plural. Because one wasn't enough), Chicago steakhouse (with all the fixings) and the list goes on. I must have put on a good 10 pounds.

     So, you are probably thinking I’d come to you with a wholesome, healthy recipe for tonight’s dinner, but it just so happens to be Margarita Monday...and my girlfriends are coming over to help me celebrate.

TFM: You can’t serve alcohol without food - everyone will get sick!

     Well Mom, you should be proud because we're pairing our Marg's with Mexican apps tonight. And I'm sure no one there will be feeling sick tomorrow...

Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:

15 – 20 jalapenos

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1 lb thick cut bacon, diced

1 shallot, diced

1 cup of Mexican blend cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fry bacon in skillet until done, then set on paper towel to cool. Drain all of the bacon fat, except 1 tbsp.

Add diced shallot to pan and sauté until tender.

Combine cream cheese, bacon, shallot and shredded Mexican cheese in a bowl and put aside.

Cut jalapeños lengthwise and remove seeds. (CLH: Also remove membrane if you don’t want your poppers hot.)

Fill jalapeños with cream cheese mixture and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes

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Pepper Jack Fondue

Ingredients:

1 lb. pepper jack cheese, shredded

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 bottle of Corona beer

¼ garlic clove, minced

Pinch of cayenne pepper ~~~ CLH

1/3 cup Jose Cuervo Silver tequila

Directions:

Toss pepper jack cheese with cornstarch in a bowl.

Combine beer, garlic and cayenne pepper in saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble.

Reduce the heat to low and gradually stir in the shredded cheese.

Stir in tequila and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

Transfer to fondue pot and regular heat so dip remains warm.

Trendy not Spendy

     I swore I wouldn't give into the whole kale trend, but in all honesty, kale is pretty tasty and you can't deny those health benefits! Along with most trends, this one also comes with a steep price tag. I refuse to buy those teeny weeny bags of kale chips they are selling all over the grocery stores (it's wild what they are charging!), so I'm off to make my own... 

Kale Chips

Ingredients: 

1 bunch kale

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes ~~~ CLH

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pull kale leaves off of stem and tear into small pieces. 

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. 

Arrange kale in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Health Kick

     My boyfriend is a runner and I am, well...not. Every so often, however, he can convince me to join him on a short jog along the lakeshore path. Tonight was one of those nights. Working out always tends to kick those bad cravings (major plus), so tonight I'm just going to whip up a nice protein packed salad for dinner. 

Chicken Summer Salad

Ingredients:

Shredded chicken, recipe follows

½ cup caramelized pecans, recipe follows

1 (6 oz.) package fresh spinach

½ cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced into bite size pieces

½ cup fresh raspberries

4 tbsp. Brianna's blush wine vinaigrette (Brianna's Salad Dressing)

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately.

Baked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken breasts and bake for 25 minutes.

Let chicken cool, then shred into pieces.

Caramelized Nuts

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. brown sugar

½ tbsp. butter

½ tbsp. corn syrup

½ cup nuts, pieces and halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Mix in nuts and stir for 5-7 minutes until fully coated.

Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet and toast in oven for 3-4 minutes.

Allow nuts to cool.

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     To round out the meal, serve salad with roasted garlic and crusty bread. It's extremely simple and tastes soooo yummy!

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic

2 tsp. olive oil

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Cut the head off of the garlic bulb to expose the individual cloves. 

Drizzle olive oil over garlic head and wrap in aluminum foil. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Leftovers. Topped off with Whipped Cream!

My boyfriend and I have made a pact that this month we are going to spend less and try to save money, rather than spend money. I must have forgotten all about this pact today when I purchased two plane flights to California. Whoops! Due to this #majorfail, we're making leftovers for dinner tonight - you know, to save money and all.

Zucchini Parm Casserole

Ingredients:
3 large zucchini and/or squash, sliced into ⅓ inch coins
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
3 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cups of last nights spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Mix bread crumbs and Italian seasoning in bowl.
Coat zucchini with olive oil and dip in breadcrumb mixture, covering both sides.
Place breaded zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 25 min.
Reduce oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a 8x11 inch baking dish, then layer zucchini on top. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top. Repeat until all of the zucchini is used.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly. 

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     Eating leftovers always leaves me a little unfulfilled... bored...sad even. When my Mom made leftovers growing up, I knew I could count on my Dad to fill that void with one of his famous milkshakes. 

Banana Carmel Milkshake

Ingredients:
2 generous scoops of vanilla ice cream
2 tbsp. caramel sauce
1 banana
⅓ cup milk
Whipped cream

Directions:
Add ice cream, caramel sauce and ½ banana to blender and combine until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with whipped creamed and sliced bananas.
TFD: Add spiced dark rum for a kick

Slow Cook Sunday: Italian

I don’t know about you, but on my Sunday’s I like to do absolutely nothing. In fact, I think Mother Nature should create a law stating every Sunday must be grey, cloudy and rainy, so that you don’t feel bad for staying in your pajamas all day watching one made-for-TV movie after another.

Besides Lifetime movies, lazy Sunday’s also makes for the perfect partner to a slow cooker. Throw everything into one pot and let the magic happen. I like to call it... Slow-Cook Sunday. And this Sunday, we're cooking Italian.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced*
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. ground turkey**
1 15 oz. can stewed Italian tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste***
3 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. red pepper flakes ~~~ CLH
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan

* TFM: Smash the garlic cloves with the flat part of a knife to help easily remove the peel.
** TFD: The original recipe uses ground beef. Ground turkey has been substituted in this recipe to accommodate the non-red meat eaters (aka my boyfriend).
*** TFM: My mom used to line up my sisters and I and spread tomato paste on our heads to remove the green tint out of our blond hair (commonly caused from the presence of copper in swimming pools). Does it actually work? I don’t know, but I figured I might as well share.

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pan and heat. Toss in onion and sauté in oil until golden. Add mushrooms and minced garlic. Sauté a couple more minutes. (TFM: Be sure not to burn the garlic, as it will taste bitter.) Add the ground turkey and cook until browned and crumbly.
Transfer the ground turkey mixture into a slow cooker. Add sugar to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes, red pepper flakes for a little spice, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on low for 2 hours. (TFM: If you do not have a slow-cooker available, you can use a large pot. Just make sure to stir it from time to time so it doesn’t burn.)


Pasta

Ingredients:
5 quarts water
1-2 tbsp. salt
1 package of angel hair pasta
Spaghetti sauce, recipe above
Parmesan, grated

Directions:
Bring water to a boil. Add salt. Cook pasta according to box, until al dente.
Spoon spaghetti sauce over pasta and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan on top. 

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     Now, I know it doesn’t sound like making your own garlic bread falls into the lazy Sunday motto – those bags in the frozen aisle are good enough, right? Usually I’d agree with you on this one, but I stopped in to this adorable mom and pop shop in Harbor Country yesterday, Harbert Swedish Bakery, and bought a delicious fresh loaf of sourdough bread that I can’t wait to eat.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
6 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 loaf of bread, cut lengthwise
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat your oven broiler to low.
Use a food processor and combine the garlic, Italian parsley, butter, salt and pepper.
Spread mixture over sliced bread and sprinkle Parmesan on top.
Set bread, spread side up, on an aluminum lined baking sheet and place in the oven under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.

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     As every mother says, “You have to eat your greens”. So, if you’re feeling adventurous on this particular Sunday, I recommend adding a personal touch to your Caesar Salad with some homemade croutons.

Croutons

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread (a few days old)
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the bread into small cubes and place into a bowl. Toss cubed bread with the rest of the ingredients.
Arrange bread cubes in one layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until golden grown. 

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     Also, while in Harbor Country we checked out the local wineries and participated in a few tastings. According to the wine tasting guide I found crumpled in my purse, tonight’s dinner is going to pair perfectly with The Round Barn Winery Weekend Red. Good thing we bought a bottle... or case.