Breakfast of Hippies

I tend to live life by the motto, "everything tastes better with avocado and bacon."  Most of you already know this, but I don't know if you truly understand the extent to which I love these two items.  Blake and I most likely keep the grocery store alive and well just from the sheer amount of money we spend on bacon and avocados.  I see nothing wrong with this... it could be something much much worse.

My best friends family, and basically my second family like to go to a restaurant when she comes home, where they have a fantastic California Eggs Benedict.  This is where I got the idea from.  I like to think of it as the "breakfast of hippies" instead of the breakfast of champions.

I found a really easy and quick recipe for a Hollandaise sauce that can be made in a blender at Simply Recipes, so go ahead and click the link and it will take you right to the webpage you need.



INGREDIENTS:
Toast/bread
Eggs
Avocado
Green Onions
Paprika

1.  There really isn't a recipe here, but I would recommend cooking your bacon first, and making the Hollandaise Sauce.  Once the bacon is done, begin toasting your bread of choice.

2.  Place the toast, then bacon, then avocado.  After prepping that, poach your eggs (have the water boiling and ready to go). 

3.  Top your toast with an egg and top with Hollandaise and a sprinkle of Paprika, then ENJOY!

Risotto Summer Salad

Once Blake and I find something we love, we tend to stick with it.  When I first started this venture of cooking and writing about it, I discovered my skill at making salad dressings and our love of salads that don't actually have lettuce in them.  Now that spring is on it's way, I'm getting back in the mood to cook.  (I wasn't feeling it this past month).  No fear, the sun and fresh blooming flowers are officially getting me back to being motivated.  One of the staples of every picnic is pasta salad.  Just the other day, I was trying to think of a unique pasta salad that my mother in law could make for my shower next month. Truly, how many different pasta salads can you make?  Don't answer that.

On my way home from work today, I was thinking about things I already had in my kitchen, and it hit me... Risotto!  It's not pasta, but it's delicious, so why not!?  The cooking process is a bit different, but other than that, go about it the same way you would any other pasta salad you make.  I'll post my ingredients below, but feel free to adapt them to your personal flavors.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Risotto
3 Cups Water
1 Bell Pepper
6 Scallions diced (just the bottoms)
10 Cherry Tomatoes - halved

DRESSING
1 Tbs. Dijon
1 Tbs. Honey
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or anything you like)
Salt and Pepper
1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1.  Begin by adding the 1/2 Cup Risotto and 3 Cups water into a medium sized pot.  Bring to a boil and continue to let the Risotto cook until the water is just below the pasta.  Stir occasionally. You do not have to continue stirring it like you would when you cook Risotto the traditional way, just make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Turn the heat down to low, and put a lid on allowing the Risotto to cook for about 5 more minutes.

2.  While the Risotto is on the stove, mix together the ingredients for the dressing.  Start with the first five ingredients mixing well.  While mixing with one hand, drizzle the Olive Oil in to the rest of the mixture to ensure it is well combined.  Place in the fridge until you are ready to dress the entire salad. 

3.  Once the Risotto is fully cooked,  remove it from heat and spoon into a large heat safe bowl.  Drizzle with 1 extra Tbs. Olive Oil and stir.  Season with salt and pepper, and place into the refrigerator to cool.

4.  While Risotto is cooling, prep the rest of your ingredients.  Cut up the bell pepper and tomatoes, and dice the scallions.  When the Risotto is cooled down to at least room temperature, add in the veggies and the dressing.  Stir together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To help you get in the summery mood, I've attached a beautiful Instagram of my mother's backyard Peonies.  They were in full bloom the other day when I stopped by!

Mini Sweet Potato Gratins

I found this really cool recipe by Martha Stewart (or whoever works for her), where she made potato gratins in a cupcake pan.  I had some sweet potatoes that needed to be used up, so I figured I would adapt her recipe to fit what I had in my refrigerator.  You can check out her original, less delicious recipe here.

Potato Gratins are made with very thinly sliced potatoes, cheese, and cream.  This recipe was so easy, and I snazzed it up by adding a Ricotta cheese mixture and switching up sweet potatoes for Russet potatoes.

INGREDIENTS
1-2 Large Sweet Potatoes (I used one for one pan and had left overs)
1/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp.  Rosemary (dried or fresh minced)
1 Tbs. Heavy Cream per each Gratin
1/4 Tbs. Room Temperature Butter
Salt and Pepper

1.  Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees, and greasing the cupcake pan with the softened butter.  After peeling the sweet potato, slice it as thinly as possible.  If you have a mandolin, you may use that too.  

2.  Begin layering the sweet potatoes into the cupcake pan.  Put two layers in, top with 1 tsp. cheese    mixture and top with salt and pepper. Top with another two layers of sweet potatoes and sprinkle with more salt and pepper and a bit more Asiago cheese.

3.  Continue this process until the cupcake pan is filled. Then, when the oven is ready bake for 30-35  minutes or until the top potatoes begin to turn golden brown and bubbly.  Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Roasted Grape & Goat Cheese Focaccia

Even though it was only a high of 55 degrees today, I couldn't help feeling like it was summer.  The sun was shinning and the birds were chirping.  I decided Blake and I needed to eat something that was summery and light.  Last year, I made something similar, but with cherry tomatoes instead of grapes.  I saw something like this in a magazine, and I really wanted to try it out.  The grapes were just sweet enough, that they played well against the saltiness of the bread and cheese.  And, don't get me started on how easy that bread is! What's better than fresh home cooked bread that you've slaved over all day long? Bread that took no longer than 20 minutes to make! Even if you think you wouldn't like this, I'd recommend you give it a shot.  It'd be a perfect appetizer for get togethers too.

INGREDIENTS: 
1/2 lb. Red Grapes - this amount depends on how much you want to make.
1/4 Sweet Onion - sliced
1 Head Garlic - peeled
5-6 Sprigs Rosemary
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  After washing the grapes and drying them, add them to a baking dish.  Add in the sliced onions, peeled garlic, and rosemary.  Pour enough Olive Oil to cover them generously. Stir to ensure everything is well coated.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  The grapes should begin to soften and the garlic should look slightly roasted. 

BREAD:
Pre-made Pizza Dough - You can find it at plenty of grocery stores
2 Tbs. Butter - melted

2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan                

1.  Put the pre-made pizza dough on a baking sheet.  Poke with holes using a fork.  Pour half the melted butter on top and spread evenly.

2.  Bake 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown.  Take out of oven and top with the remaining butter.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, and enjoy!

Pomegranate Chipotle Chicken

I cannot claim this recipe, as it was actually Blake who cooked dinner.  My good friend ...cough Connie cough....  bought me this amazing Pomegranate Chipotle BBQ sauce from Pamered Chef a while back, and it's been sitting in my fridge begging to be used.   I kept forgetting about it though, and finally this Sunday presented a perfect opportunity.  Blake was in charge of dinner, and he wanted to marinate his chicken.  We only had two options, Pomegranate BBQ or Sriracha.  Although Blake is a Sriracha lover, I'm not such a big fan.  AKA, we went with the BBQ.  He added a few cloves of garlic and a couple tablespoons of spices and off he went. 


INGREDIENTS:
2 lb Chicken Breasts/Tenderloins
1 Bottle Pomegranate Chipotle BBQ Sauce (or whatever kind you like!)
1 head Garlic - peeled
2 Tbs. Chicken Grill Seasoning (any grill seasoning will work)


1.  In a large plastic Zip Lock bag, add in all of the ingredients, allowing them to marinate for at least an hour or so. 

2.  In a large pot, over medium heat, add in the chicken breasts.  Allow them to sear for a minute or two on each side.  Add in the rest of the marinade from the bag, and cover. 

3.  Let the chicken and marinade cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through. 

4.  Remove chicken when ready and set aside.  To make a sauce out of the remaining BBQ sauce, add in chicken stock or white wine.  Allow this to reduce back down.   This will take approximately 5 or 6 minutes.  Pour the sauce on top of the chicken and serve. 

** The garlic will end up like roasted garlic, which is simply delicious!

Chicken Asparagus Alfredo

Blake and I just got back from Myrtle Beach this Sunday.  We went to visit his dad, and thought it was a perfect place to spend Easter.  It was a LONG drive, but we always have a good time on road trips.  The only negative about driving was that we had to eat out ... a lot.  On our way back, we ate every meal in a fast food restaurant.  When we got home, the first thing we said was that we were excited to make some home-cooked food. I'm pretty sure the both of us put on a few extra holiday lbs in only 4 days.  

A few pictures after a day in the sun!

This recipe is similar to the mushroom pasta I just made a few weeks ago.  I bought a Rotisserie chicken a few days ago, and I needed to find something to make with it, so I adapted that recipe and changed up the ingredients.  It was pretty delicious.  Blake didn't give me a rating today, sorry friends!  

INGREDIENTS: 

1 Box Pasta - use whatever you like 

2 Cups Chicken - I just pulled the chicken off of the Rotisserie that I had left over

1 Container Heavy Cream - 16 oz. 

1 Cup White Wine

1 Bunch Asparagus - diced into thirds

1/2 Cup Frozen Peas

1 Cup Grated Parmesan

1/4 Onion- diced

2 Cloves Garlic - minced 

1 Tbs. Parsley Flakes

1 Tbs. Butter 

1 Tbs. Olive Oil 

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Begin by sauteing the onion and garlic in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Use a combination of the butter and oil for sauteing, and make sure to season with salt and pepper.  Once onions have turned translucent, add in the white wine.  Cook on medium-high until wine has reduced to half.  

2.  Add in the heavy cream and stir.  Add in the Parmesan cheese and allow to cook on medium-high until it begins to thicken.  Once cream has began to thicken, reduce heat to medium.  

3.  You will want to cook your pasta at this point, allowing the sauce to continue cooking for about 10 more minutes.  While the pasta still has 3-4 minutes left, add the asparagus, peas, parsley and chicken into the sauce pot.  Stir well and continue cooking until the asparagus becomes slightly tender. 

4.  Using a pasta strainer spoon (AKA a big spoon with holes), add the pasta into the sauce pot directly from the pot they were cooked.  Do not worry about straining separately.  If your sauce looks too thick, add in a spoon full or two of cooking liquid, and it will thin out.  Check if you need any more seasoning, and serve!

Mushroom Pasta

It's been awhile since Blake and I made a nice home cooked meal.  Last week I was house sitting, and this week I had classes and internship that took over my life.  We normally save our weekends for going out to dinner, but this weekend we decided to enjoy the loveliness of our 800 sq. foot apartment. (Can you tell we're ready to move?)

We went to the grocery store without any idea of what we were going to make.  After debating between chicken and pork, we ended up with thin cut chicken breasts (I recommend the thin cut for this recipe because it will cook faster).  I do not like mushrooms, which makes Blake sad.  I refuse to let him order them on our pizza, so today I made an exception and let him pick up a pack.  We decided we wanted to make something with pasta and breaded chicken, and we went from there.  Your mind probably went straight to Chicken Parmesan, but what fun is that? I can honestly say that we went about this with no plan.  We decided half way through making the sauce that we should add cream, and the roasted Garlic that we cooked "just in case" added a wonderful surprise to the dish.

I personally don't think any entree is complete without a dinner salad.  Not only is it a great way to begin a meal, but it's also a great way to get vitamins and fill yourself up a bit.  One of those yahoo updates one time talked about how eating a dinner salad before your meal will help you eat less.  What does this mean??? It means you eat more veggies and less of all that terrible-for-you good stuff.  AKA - Less calories.  With Spring on it's way, this doesn't sound like too bad of a plan.

INGREDIENTS: 
1 Lb. Thin cut chicken breast
1 Large Portabello mushroom- sliced
1 Clove garlic - roasted
1 Lb. Bow-tie noodles
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Panko
1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Sweet Onion -diced
1/2 Cup White wine
1/2 Cup Heavy cream
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan 
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Begin by pounding the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet until it is about a quarter inch thick.  Generally spread the Dijon mustard on one side of the chicken breasts.  Cover with the bread crumb and Panko mixture, pressing it gently so it sticks well.

2.  Heat up the Olive Oil in a large pan.  When ready place two or three chicken breasts into the pan, bread crumb side down.  Let cook for a few minutes or until the bread crumbs turn golden brown.  While cooking, salt and pepper the other side of the chicken breasts, turn over, and cook for another minute or two.  Drain chicken breasts on paper towel, and save for later.

3.  After cooking all of the chicken breasts, add in extra Olive Oil so that you have 1-2 Tablespoons total.  Add in the diced onion, mushrooms, and roasted garlic.  Let saute for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.  Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add in the white wine. 

4.  When the wine has reduced to half, add in the cream and cook on medium-high.  The goal is that the cream also cooks down a bit.  Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese.  Continue stirring until sauce is at a consistency you like.

5.  While making the sauce, cook up the noodles.  Add the noodles straight into the pan with the mushroom sauce.  Stir until the noodles are well coated.  Pile the pasta onto a serving plate and top with chicken breast.

**** Tasty Tip: If your sauce becomes too thick, add in a tablespoon of pasta water at a time.  The sauce will begin to thin out.


BLAKE-O-METER
This recipe received a 9.8!!!!! 

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Question 6 

Q: What is the hardest thing you've ever experienced

A:  

I'm lucky enough to be able to say I haven't had a very hard life.  I'm not sure I always recognized this, but as I grow up I realize how wonderful my childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood has been.  I have two answers for this I suppose.  The first thing that was very hard for me, was when my mother had a medical emergency six years ago.  She was/is fine, but it was one of the scariest things I've ever had to go through.  I always explain to people that it was an out of body experience.  Medical workers walking through the hallways of our home, neighbors asking if we were okay, my father beside himself, but trying to hold it together for me.  As a 19 year old you don't prepare yourself for something like that.  You don't realize that at any moment a loved one could be taken from you.  Instead you live in a "life is great" mentality thinking nothing will ever happen to you. This is, until it does.  

We were lucky, my mom was okay.  She made a full recovery and had to spend only a week or so in the hospital.  That moment made me realize how difficult something like that is and that you should cherish every moment you have with the people you love.  

The second, is Graduate School.  Hands down this has been the most physically exhausting two years I have ever experienced.  Not only do I not know whether my mind is able to take on any more psychological facts, but I so need a break.  When we do have a break, we have projects to work on, so there truly is no rest.  I can't complain, so many people are going through the same thing, but I had no idea it was going to be so hard.  With that said, it is going to be a wonderful experience when I'm done and I'm looking forward to starting up my career.