Lemon, Herb, Grape tomato, and Garlic Chicken Pasta

Our oven is fixed! Luckily it was a cheap part to replace. Yay for the oven! Just yesterday I baked whole wheat bread. Even though it didn't rise as much as it probably should have, it still tasted delicious. I will do a post on that soon. :)

Relay for Life volunteering will be starting up again soon. I enjoy volunteering and might try to find another organization to volunteer for during my gap year. I am still looking into masters degree programs and hope to find an online degree that I would enjoy. I am leaning towards sustainability, but none of that is final.

Nothing too thrilling to mention to be honest. So I shall get on and talk about the food! =D

This dish requires a little prep the night before, but could be made with only two pans. One to cook the chicken in and a pot to boil the pasta (then drain it) and make the sauce in. I did use dried basil instead of fresh since it was what we had on hand. I hope you love the flavors of garlic, lemon, and thyme as much as I do!

Lemon and Herb Chicken over Pasta with Garlic Gravy and Cherry Tomatoes 

(from Goddess of Scrumptious)

Ingredients:

• 500 grams spaghetti (I used 1 box), cooked al dente

Chicken Marinade:

• 1 pound skinless and boneless chicken breast (or 1 lb of any type of chicken that is de-boned, skinned, and uncooked), sliced into 1 inch chunks
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use 1 tsp.)
• Zest of 1 lemon (use your zester on the lemon peel until you see white, then stop!)
• Juice of 1/2 of the zested lemon
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil + 1 TBSP to cook chicken in
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

Garlic Gravy Sauce: 

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of unsalted butter
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 TBSP all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock 
• 1/2 TBSP dried basil (or 1 TBSP fresh basil, chopped)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (not the kind from the green container!)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley, optional (can sprinkle over the dish to garnish when the pasta is done)

Instructions:

1. The night before you plan to make this recipe, prepare your chicken and get it marinading. Mix the cut chicken, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and cracked black pepper until it is well blended. Seal it in a bowl with a lid, a marinading container, a ziploc bag, or anything else that will cover and keep the chicken safe. Place the chicken in the fridge overnight.
2. On the day of, boil water and cook your pasta to al dente according to the box directions. 
3. While your pasta is boiling, pull out your chicken and saute it 1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil until cooked. This should take about 4 or 5 minutes. Once cooked, set your chicken to the side.
4. Drain your pasta.
5. Start on the garlic gravy. Put the pan/pot over medium heat and add 1/4 cup butter and 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil. 
6. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant and soft. (not browned)
7. Whisk in the flour and let cook for a minute. 
8. Add chicken stock and simmer until thickened. Once thickened, add basil and season with salt and pepper.
9. Add the sauteed chicken and the cooked spaghetti to the sauce. Toss together. Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.
10. Add the cherry tomatoes and garnish the pasta with parsley. Serve the dish with extra parmesan on the side. (You can keep the tomatoes and parsley on the side for picky eaters)
11. Enjoy!

Servings: approximately 5 or 6 servings

I left the tomatoes on the side because of my brother being picky. This recipe could have corn, asparagus, scallops, shrimp, or other items used in it as well. This pasta is delicious and the flavors oozed comfort. I hope you try this delicious dish and enjoy it as much as we did! 

Love it? Hate it? Want to make it? Let me know what you think with a comment below!

As always...

Bon appétit!

Homemade Baked Corn Dogs

This week so far... mehhhh. I did find a new song that I enjoy. It is called Gangnam Style by Psy and it has a cool dance to go with it. It is a great upbeat song! 

Currently our oven's bake setting does not work. It will broil and the stove top burners will work, but the bake function will not. It randomly decided to die and the temperature plummeted to 100 F when I was baking my bread. >.< Not cool, oven! I tried to finish the bread in the toaster oven and had bread with a mushy center and a very brown top. I picked out all the mushy parts and ate them since I don't mind doughy goodness. My other loaf of soda bread was much better than loaf number two (when the oven died).

I went shopping at Target today and found activity books for my cousins to be distracted with on Thanksgiving (which will at least keep them out of the kitchen). I spent more than I was hoping to, but that is Target for ya. Haha. 

The recipe I chose to blog about today is something that is easy and quick. Many families keep hot dogs and many of the other ingredients on hand. Only a bit of pre-planning would be required to have everything needed on hand. Definitely an easy meal and perfect for this busy time of year. 

Baked Corn Dogs (from Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of corn muffin mix, 8.5 oz each
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), melted
• chili powder, to taste
• 2 tsp. cumin, or to taste
• cayenne pepper sauce, to taste
• 2 scallions, finely chopped (I used a little bit of dried onion)
• 8 jumbo pork or beef franks

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F or 220 C.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine the muffin mix and flour. Add in the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Mix in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper sauce, and scallions. (your batter will be quite thick and sticky)
3. Prep your cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease it.
4. Set up an assembly line to make the dipping process easier. Put the dish of hot dogs first, then the corn muffin mix, and finish with your cookie sheet. 
5. Dip the hot dogs into the batter and make sure they are fully covered before transferring to your cookie sheet. Use your fingers to cover any spots that you missed. (1/2 inch or less of coating will be best)
6. Repeat step 5 until all of the hot dogs are coated and on the cookie sheet. Wash your hands.
7. Put the corn dogs into the oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until evenly browned.
8. Let your corn dogs cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!

Rachael Ray suggests serving these with her Sweet Relish Slaw Salad and potato chips. We served the corn dogs with fresh veggies and fruit. Serve this dish with whatever best fits your family.

Love it? Hate it? Want to make it? Let me know what you think with a comment below!

As always...

Bon appétit!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Life's been interesting lately.

 My tutoring job didn't work out, which was sad. I have been looking into baking and cooking programs that wouldn't completely break the bank, but have found that many are quite costly. I did find one school that is in the UK and is only one year long. I suppose I shall put it on the "dream" list. I've also been trying to think about if I would like to get my Master's degree or not. If I did go for it, I would need a TA or a job that could help with the cost. I've also been exploring opportunities for careers since I am still somewhat clueless.

On a less serious note, it is strange to not be back at school and dealing with band practices. I have instead had time to start planning for Thanksgiving dinner, wandering the farmer's market, and planning out family meals. I know that I need to tweak my resume and get out in the workforce, but the thought of a dull job just cracks any sense of motivation. I hope I am able to find a job that doesn't bore me to tears! I also tried organic vanilla milk this week. It was pretty good, but I wish the vanilla flavoring wasn't there, haha.

I have also started trying to eat super healthy (and we also had leftover whole wheat flour from another recipe), so I decided to make these cookies. I was skeptical, but after tasting them, I can see why the recipe was rated so high! These cookies are different from the regular cookies, but they don't taste tremendously different. My sister even said that they were good cookies. The only downside was that I used milk chocolate chips, so my brother will not touch them. Oh well. You can't win all battles, right?

In case you are curious and want to know the recipe, I have included it below. I am not saying that these cookies are exactly healthy, but they are slightly healthier than the normal chocolate chip cookie, for sure! I have slightly altered the recipe, but not significantly.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies (from All Recipes)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sifted whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour (plain flour for my foreign friends)
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups semisweet chips (I just used the whole 8 oz. bag)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F or 190 C.
2. Grease your cookie sheets or prep them with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until well incorporated and smooth. Stir in the vanilla and the eggs.
4. In another bowl, combine the flours, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
5. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet mix, stirring well after each addition. 
6. After all the dry mix has combined with the wet mix, fold in the chocolate chips and the walnuts.
7. Drop by the spoonful onto your prepared cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.
9. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them. Let the cookie cool completely before placing into an air tight container for storage. 
10. Enjoy your cookies!

What do you think? Do these cookies sound good?

Love it? Hate it? Want to make it? Let me know what you think with a comment below!

As always...

Bon appétit!

Apple Dessert

Hey there! I have returned! Woo. The family cruise was enjoyable and Key West was awesome. However, there is no place like home. The only downside to being home is the fact that reality is kicking in. Many of my college friends are getting ready to move in and I am.. well... not. I have a tutoring job for the school year, but my parents do not consider that enough of a job. I am being tossed job listings and told to find a second job. Goody. I really don't have a problem with work if it is something I am passionate about, but busy work bores me. Guess I will be in for a bigger dose of reality, huh? Haha.

This odd transition is one of those things that probably trips up many new college grads. I have considered going to grad school or perhaps getting a bakers certificate or going to a 1-year cooking school, but right now all of these items are too costly. I want to start my own at-home baking business, but that was vetoed by my mother. Guess that will wait till I have an apartment then. I don't quite know what I would go to grad school for if I went. I was thinking business, entrepreneurship, or perhaps communications with a focus in Myers Briggs stuff. I could even go for my associates in entrepreneurship at the community college and choose something else for my masters degree. I just have a lot of options and it is a bit overwhelming. For now, I will continue to enjoy baking and cooking and search for a 2nd job to start saving money.

Well, now that everyone knows about the weird college transition phase, it's time for a recipe. This recipe is one that I created when I was in college and could only use a microwave. It's simple and requires ingredients that most people probably keep in the house. It's simple, easy, and delicious!

Microwave "Apple crisp"

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, peeled (if you want them peeled), cored, and cut into chunks
• 2 Tbsp. oatmeal, uncooked
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
• couple pinches of cinnamon, or to taste
• 1 - 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Combine 1/4 cup water and the apple chunks in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then check the apples and water level. There needs to be a small amount of water at the bottom to help the apples cook. If needed, microwave up to 1 minute more.
3. Add the oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
4. Microwave another 45 seconds.
5. Stir and enjoy! 

You can add other toppings like nuts, seeds, or dried fruit if you would like. Another delicious addition would be vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream. Mmmm. I found this to be delicious by itself, but feel free to play with the recipe! The microwave times are approximate because every microwave is different. You also could just dump it all into the bowl and microwave till the apples are soft and the oatmeal is slightly cooked, if you wish.

Love it? Hate it? Want to make it? Let me know what you think with a comment below!

As always...

Bon appétit!