Photo Credit: George Toruño
Food with Friends
Photo Credit: George Toruño
Tag: food
Guest Post – Southwest Egg Rolls
I invite you all to check out my latest Guest Post on Recipe Chatter!
Guest Post – Recipe Chatter
I am pleased to share my latest guest blog post with Recipe Chatter. Take a cruise on over to their site to check out my recipe for Weeknight Chicken Broccoli Casserole. Let me know what you think!
Drinks After Work
Work. After nearly 9 months I am back to the grind and to be honest, I missed it quite a bit. The structure. The routine. The responsibility. I have to admit, the social butterfly in me needed to get back into the swing of things & meet new people.
This got me to thinking of what people do after work. For so long we either went straight home to take care of an ailing parent, or our commute left us so tired we sometimes skipped dinner and went straight to bed. Now that we both work so close to home and are only responsible for each other and our rambunctious cat, dinners out and an adult beverage here and there are sounding quite nice!
I see people sharing their pics of after work drinks, whether out at a restaurant or at home. They share their beers, wines & cocktails. Im not a beer drinker. Ive had some in the past but its not a favorite. I dont drink regulary, typically only on occasions & that usually consists of celebratory shots or the occasional cocktail. My daily go-to beverages are water, iced tea or coffee but everyone says the benefits of wine at dinner is something I should consider. So I am considering wine…but where do I start?
Over the years, my hubby and I have tried a few different types. You can probably tell that they weren’t a big hit otherwise they would be a staple in our home and I wouldn’t be asking for your help. See, I need guidance. I want feedback on wines. All types. Whites, reds, rosés…blends, sweets & sparkling.
- What do you like?
- Do you have a brand you love?
- How often do you enjoy a glass or two?
- What made you decide to try wine?
- Do you have a suggestion for a newbie?
I want to know…I want to learn. I want to be the person a year from now who says, ‘Last night I curled up on the sofa with a glass of wine & my hubby.’
Game Day Goodies
Its Superbowl Sunday! Time for the big game and big food. Along with the snacks for the pre-game munchies, I made a 7 pound pork roast. Nothing fancy. Just hearty and delicious, fork tender pork ready for game day finger food…tacos.
I dont typically measure when I season large cuts of meat. I usually eyeball it and this time was no different. I took salt, pepper, dried rosemary, and minced dried onion and added it to a large cup. I mixed it well and used it as a dry rub. I took 2 cartons of low sodium Swanson’s chicken broth and poured it into the bottom of my roasting pan. Bright & early at 7 am, this bad boy was popped into a 500 degree oven for 30 minutes before the temp was dropped to 300 degrees.
As it roasted, I brought out the lighter snacks than I normally put out. Its usually sandwiches, wings & lil smokies but this time I kept it small since its just the two of us. Chips, pretzels, dip, salsa, potato salad & veggies. Still a lot to munch on but not nearly as heavy.
After 7 hours and a house filled with the aroma of mouth watering deliciousness, it was time to tear into this juicy beast. I probably should have taken more pics of the tacos and toppings…but its time to grub so use your imagination.
Hope you are all enjoying food, family & fun today.
Happy Superbowl Sunday from Cappuccino Connected!
3 Quick Weeknight Chicken Dinners
Its time to start thinking of dinner and I am tired of leftovers. I have boneless, skinless chicken breast and want to try something new. Where do I turn for inspiration? Pinterest of course!
The first one I came across is this carb loaded masterpiece from Singing Through The Rain. Loaded chicken & potatoes…I mean come on! Excuse me while I drool.
Another casserole option (notice a pattern here?) is this parmesan chicken bake from My Kitchen Escapades. If your mouth isnt watering, it will be…just look at this deliciousness!
We may have found the winner winner chicken dinner option! OH MY GOODNESS! This recipe is from Pinch Of Yum and they deliver more than a pinch. I may have to make His & Hers trays…not sure I would share.
I dont have quinoa on hand (gasp!) but after reading the recipe, I can swap it out for brown rice to keep the fiber content high and the calories limited to about 400 per serving.
To amp up the veggie percentage, I want to try out these cauliflower tater tots. Dont they look like you can eat loads of them? No? Just me then. Ok…moving on. Well I cant take credit for these. I found these at Farm Fresh To You.
So…what are you making for dinner?
Ore-Ida® Totchos Recipe
I was allowed to participate in an opportunity that included complimentary Ore-Ida® Tater Tots and thought I would share a yummy recipe with you. As a big fan of biscuits and gravy, I thought I would step it up with the tater tots and make Ore-Ida® Totchos & Gravy with bacon.
*DROOL*
Take your tots and either pan fry or bake, whichever you prefer since they are good both ways. In a saucepan, add 2-3 tablespoons butter and 2-3 tablespoons flour. Its the start of a rue so dont worry when it clumps. It thins out as you slowly add the milk…about 1 cup give or take a tablespoon. Season with salt & pepper and stir til it thickens. Pour over the prepared tots and top with crumbled bacon.
*DROOL AGAIN*
There are lots more recipes on the Kraft site but of course mine is your favorite, right? *wink
30 Quick Meals Using Rotisserie Chicken
Its a weeknight, after a long day at work or keeping busy dealing with life, you are tired but its dinnertime. Tired of tearing a leg off the deli chicken and calling it a meal? How about looking like a rockstar using that same chicken? Print this…keep it in a safe place. You are gonna love me for finding this gem from Tablespoon…30 meals you can whip up using a rotisserie chicken!
I stumbled upon this list as I was pinning (go figure!) and I can see myself making many of these delish combos. Unlike other lists, these are hearty yet common dishes with a comfort food kick. Nothing too gourmet so its not intimidating. Looking at some of these, you would think they took hours when they dont take long at all. I mean look at these…mouth watering!
Want a pasta dish? Try the tetrazzini or the ziti. Looking for something more like a casserole? Bake the chicken noodle casserole or the chicken pot pie. How about the quick veggie bake or even the breakfast option frittata? Everyone likes pinwheels…imagine a fun chicken pinwheel meal.
With the last days of 2015 wrapping up quickly, these meals will help ease the stress at meal time. Check out Tablespoon for all the yummy recipes and enjoy!
Citrus Marinated Chicken
In keeping with all of the yummy goodness I received from Chef Merito, I wanted to try out a new marinade. I was planning on making baked chicken with veggies so I grabbed the chicken marinade and some lemon pepper seasoning and got to work.
I got a tray and added 8 chicken thighs, poured the chicken marinade over the top. I tossed each piece to coat evenly & let it marinate for about 90 minutes.
As I waited for the yumminess to marinate, I chopped celery, onion, potatoes and added baby carrots to another tray, poured in some grapeseed oil and seasoned with salt and lemon pepper.
I popped both in the oven at 350 for an hour. I took the chicken out, turned each piece over and put back in the oven. I took the veggies out, tossed them around and put them back in too. About 45 minutes later, I took the chicken out and moved the veggies to the top rack and let them toast for about 20 minutes longer.
I served both with brown rice and the hubby enjoyed it so much, he took it to work for lunch. Now I know where the term ‘winner winner chicken dinner’ started!
Test Kitchen – Chef Merito Meat Marinade
Not sure why, but I have always favored dry seasoning over marinades. That’s not to say I have never used a marinade, but the recipes that float around in my head tend to require dry rubs. I wanted to try new flavors and my first venture was a success!
For dinner, I marinated two top sirloin medallions in the meat marinade by Chef Merito. No salt, no pepper. Just the marinade. Frankly, that is all that was needed.
I placed the frozen steaks in a one gallon freezer bag and added enough of the marinade to cover both. I folded the bag over to get as much air out as possible and placed it in my refrigerator to thaw and marinate for a few hours.
I poured the marinade into my pan and added the two steaks. I didn’t add any salt or pepper when I began cooking the steaks because the aroma was already amazing! You can see for yourself, there is plenty of seasoning in the pan. I seared them on both sides, reduced my heat to medium and let them cook til the liquid reduced about half way. It was done in 10 minutes. Depending on the size of your steaks, it could take longer. These were about the size of a deck of cards so it was pretty quick.
I served it over white rice that was pan fried with grapeseed oil and salt before adding water to cook down. The oil allows a nutty flavor to come out that you miss when eating steamed rice.
The marinade is going to be a staple in my pantry for sure. I also have the chicken and fajita marinades now so stay tuned!
Cappuccino Connected 