Sake Glazed Chicken & Edmame with Crunchy Purple Potatoes

First, I must admit that this isn't the greatest picture, sorry I am not a photographer! But I assure you that this dish is amazing! I LOVE sake! One night when it was time to start dinner I decided I wanted to make something with my delicious sake. To start I browned some chicken in a little veg & sesame oil. Once it is browned I took it out & put it onto a plate. To the skillet I added sliced onions, cooked them until they were tender & then added some sake & agave nectar(or you could you a little honey or sugar). I let that simmer for a few minutes, & then added a little soy sauce, veg broth, ginger, & threw in the edamame. After that cooked for a couple minutes I put the chicken back in, put a lid on it & let it simmer while I made my purple potatoes! Purple potatoes were something I had happened to buy the day I first created this dish bc I thought they would be fun to make something with. So I decided to slice them up really thin & fry them in a little veg oil..yes I made purple potato chips!! I salted them as soon as they were cooked & crispy. To serve this I made brown rice & mixed in some black sesame(I love they way it looks) I put the chicken & some of the sake glaze on top & sprinkled a couple purple chips on top! This dish will drive your taste buds crazy! Its sweet, salty, soft, crunchy……. & of course FABULOUS

Spectacular Stuffed Shells

For most people when they think of stuffed shells, they think of meat & lots of cheese….YUM!  Well, this stuffed shells recipe is not only healthy,  but hearty, & DELICIOUS. My mom made these all the time when my sisters & I were little to get us to eat spinach. Well it worked & we LOVED them!
    To start I made my marinara sauce(or you can use whichever kind you want), Next, I boiled my large shells & drained them. Put oil in the water while they cook so they don't stick together. I then cooked some frozen spinach in the microwave, & once its done & squeezed the spinach out to get rid of all the water & moisture. In a bowl I put the spinach, some fat free cottage cheese, oregano, a little grated parmesan, & s some salt & pepper.
  To get them ready to bake  I took a dish & spread a little sauce all over the bottom. I then started stuffing my shells one by one & set them in the dish. I drizzled a tiny bit more sauce on top  & then I baked them for about 20 minutes, or unitl they're bubbly.
   Not only will your family love this dish, but they"ll feel satisfied & you won't have to feel guilty!
Bon Appetit!!!

Chicken & Green Bean Stir Fry

You ever have one of those nights where its dinner time, you never went to the store, & you have no clue what you're going to make & what you're going to use??? I actually like those nights! I feel like I'm Food Network's Chopped & I don't know which ingredients I'm going to have to make a dish with. I usually start these night by looking in the fridge to see if theres anything I NEED to use before it just gets wasted & thrown out. Next, I scavange through my pantry to see what kind of fabulous dish I can create. Let me just say, some of the best dishes I ever created were products of these "Chopped" nights.

 Tonight I had chicken(always have that). I also had some green bean that were about to be thrown out. So those 2 ingredients were my inspiration. When I open my pantry I saw jasmine rice & hoisin sauce so I immediately knew an Asian dish would be served tonight! First I chopped up the chicken & sprinkled a little soy sauce & ground ginger on it, mixed it together in a bowl & set it in the fridge to marinate. About 30 minutes later I tossed the chicken in a little corn starch & browned it in a skillet with a little veg oil. Once it was browned I took the chicken out & threw in the green beans, some chopped onion, & chopped carrots. Once those had cooked a few minutes I put some soy sauce, hoisin sauce, & a little rice wine vinegar in the skillet & then put a few red pepper flake in & put the chicken back in. I put a lid on it & let it simmer. I cooked my rice & voila! I topped it with some chopped scallions & sesame seeds! Its was sweet, salty, & DELICIOUS! 

Pupusas with Curtido!!

Pupusas....strange name? maybe. Delicious? YES! Pupusas are a traditional Salvadoran dish. They are homeade tortillas usually stuffed with a meat, bean, or cheese combo. They are also usually served with curtido with is a spicey/vinegar based slaw(no mayo!). For my pupusas I started with a boneless pork roast,(cut into large chunks) sprinkled it with adobo seasoning & seared it in a little oil. Then to the pan I added some chopped onion. orange bell pepper, green bell pepper, & fresh garlic. Once a little browned I added some beer, a little more adobo seasoning, & put the lid on it & let it simmer all day.
   While that simmered I made my curtido. Into a bowl I dumped a bag of shredded cabbage, a bag of shredded carrots, some chopped scallions, oregano, salt, pepper, & white vinegar...thats it! I then covered it & out it in the fridge to marinate.
  Now, back to the pupusas... I drained the pork/pepper mixture, put it into the food processor, & added a little queso blanco(tastes like mozzarella), & sharp cheddar. I pulsed it until it looked like baby food. Then it was time to make the tortillas which are made of just corn flour,salt, & water(follow the directions on the flour bag). Grab small handful of dough at a time & roll it into a ball. Then, press your thumbs into the ball of dough & spoon some of the pork mixture into & mold the dough back over the mixture & then flaten. I then heated the pupusa in a little oil in a skillet. brown  on both sides & serve with curtido on top! Let me just say....YUM!!!! Very simple dish...very delicious dish!!

Chickpea Piccata!!!!!!!

If I were asked what my "last meal" would be, I'd tell you in a heartbeat it'd be chicken piccata. Its my favorite! Its lemony, buttery, capers......LOVE it! Well, the other week I came across a recipe for chickpea piccata in a vegan cookbook I knew I had to make it. I'm not gonna lie, I was worried how piccata could be piccata without butter. Well my worrying was for NOTHING! So simple...... I browned some sliced shallot, & garlic in a little evoo & then added panko breadcrumbs(if you don't know about panko..find out!) Once the breadcrumbs were nice & toasty I added veggie broth, dry white wine, salt, pepper & dry thyme. Once it reduced I added chickpeas, capers, & fresh squeezed lemon juice. I also made some quinoa(find out about that too, if you don't know) To serve this I topped the quinoa with some baby arugula & then spooned some of the piccata on top. This meal was beyond FABULOUS! I can't wait to make it again!!

Enjoy Life Chewy Bars!

Another FABULOUS food find!!! I'm always on the hunt for great new snacks/foods that my son can eat. He's allergic to dairy, eggs, & peanuts...which is in EVERYTHING! This weekend I came across these chewy bars at the grocery store & read the box(always doing that now) & This Brand "Enjoy Life" makes only allergy friendly foods! All their stuff is dairy, egg, nut, soy, wheat, & gluten free...How perfect is that?!?! I bought the caramel apple flavor & the very berry & they are AWESOME! The caramel apple is my favorite, but more importantly my son LOVED them & my daughter likes them also! Its so much easier in my house when we can all enjoy the same foods/snacks. I highly recommend  these chewy bars & I can't wait to try some of this brand's other goodies!

Blood Orange & Black Pepper Sorbet

I know, I know the name of this may not sound so inviting, but I promise you it is WONDERFUL & refreshing, & delicious!! First I made a simple syrup(sugar & water) & threw in several slightly crushed peppercorns. I brought it to a boil & then let it simmer until all the sugar was dissolved. I then added some freshly squeezed blood orange juice, & a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice & let it cool off in the fridge for a couple hours. Once it was chilled I strained it to get out all the pieces of pepper & poured it into my ice cream maker & let it freeze. This sorbet was so good & refreshing my son loved it & my daughter asked for seconds! The pepper taste is so subtle, but GOOD! I will definitely be making this again soon!