Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Erin, it has been so cold in DC lately and I have been miserable. Being from Texas, I am not used to 45 degree weather the first week of October. Trying to stay warm, I finally decided to try a soup recipe I found awhile back. It was warm and hearty and really good!

Ingredients: 

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I used a rotisserie chicken and it was super yummy!)

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 quart half and half

1 14 ounces can of chicken broth

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

2 minced garlic cloves

1 cup carrots, finely shredded

1 cup onion, finely diced

1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoons extra virgin oil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1 pound potato gnocchi ( I had so much trouble trying to find this at the grocery store! I've heard that you can find it either in the gourmet section of the store, or the frozen section in Kroger. At the Safeway in DC, I found it in the pasta aisle next to the pasta)

What to do:

1. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. 

2. Add the flour. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

3. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions.

4. Add in the carrots and chicken to the flour/butter mixture

5. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. 

6. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning;, simmer until soup is heated through.

I served this with a loaf of sourdough bread to dip in the soup and it was fab! Enjoy!

Brunch: Bourbon French Toast

Erin: Brunch is totally my new favorite meal. I love the fact that drinking alcohol (via mimosas) is completely acceptable before noon. Going out for brunch can be a little pricey so I decided to cook brunch at home this weekend. I found this recipe for Bourbon French Toast in my cookbook, "100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know" and it was fabulous! I will be making this again and again!

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon bourbon (I used Evan Williams Bourbon Whiskey from the local liquor store)
1 grated zest of 1 orange (I used 1 teaspoon orange juice)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon butter
Challah Bread (You can use regular bread but Challah is the BEST and totally makes the dish)

Bourbon Syrup:
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 tablespoon butter

What to do:
1. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, bourbon, orange juice, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well
2. In a skillet or griddle, melt the butter over moderate heat
3. Dip the bread one slice at a time into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides and transfer the slices to the skillet
4. Cook over moderate heat until golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side
5. Meanwhile, make the bourbon syrup by combing syrup, butter and bourbon in a small saucepan and heat over low heat for roughly 3 minutes

:)

Main Dish: Texas Chicken Bryan

Grilled Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Lemon Butter Sauce

Erin: I made Texas Chicken Bryan (courtesy of Carraba's) a few nights ago for Sam. I had the day off of work so I thought what the hell. It is definitely not an easy recipe but it's worth it.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
olive oil
4 oz goat cheese
6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
4 teaspoons onion, chopped
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
8 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons white win
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice

What to do:
1. Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper
2. Grill chicken and prepare lemon butter sauce while chicken is grilling
3. Sautee onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter until soft
4. Add white wine and lemon juice, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes
5. Add 6 tablespoons of butter, a little at a time until its melts
6. Add chopped sundried tomatoes and basil and continue to heat for 5 minutes
7. When the chicken is nearly done, top each chicken breast with 2 oz of goat cheese
8.  Spoon lemon butter sauce over chicken breasts and enjoy!


I served Chicken Bryan with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli! Yum!

Main Dish: Meatball Recipe

Erin: I've been so super busy lately that I haven't had time to post any new recipes I've tried. A few days ago, I found a recipe for meatballs that was really good. It was pretty easy and the sauce is amazing!

What you'll need:

2 eggs
1 small onion, chopped
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of cracker crumbs (I used Ritz)

For the sauce,
1 1/2 cups of ketchup
1/4 cup of yellow mustard
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
3/4 cup of brown sugar

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl then add onion, beef, milk and salt. Mix well and then add cracker crumbs
3. Form the mixture into 40 meatballs and place in a 9x13 baking dish and set aside
4. In a small bowl, whisk ketchup, mustard, vinegar and sugar and pour over the meatballs
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour

Mini Lasagna Cups

Ashley, these are so easy and CUTE! I made them for dinner tonight but I think they would be perfect for a party appetizer! And they are so, so good. 

What you will need:

Wonton wrappers (I found them in the refrigerated produce section)

Ricotta cheese

Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese 

Meat (I used ground turkey, but ground beef is good too)

Olive oil

Marinara sauce 

-There aren't any measurements. I just kinda winged it and it turned out wonderful 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F

2. Coat a cupcake pan with olive oil

3. Put the wonton wrappers into each tin and form it into a cup shape

4. Add a dallop of marinara sauce, followed with ricotta, meat, then parmesan cheese

5. Once you filled the first layer, gently press another wonton wrapper in, forming another cup

6. Repeat filling

7. Add mozzarella cheese to the top

8. Cook in oven for 15 minutes

Cookie Dough Truffles

Can you tell that I've been really into desserts lately? Check this out:

What you will need:

2 1/2 cups flour 

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup room temp. butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup milk

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

chocolate candy coating

Directions:

1. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl until fluffy. 

2. Add milk and vanilla 

3. Slowly stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low until well mixed.

4. Fold in chocolate chips

5. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour (this is important because the firmer the dough, the less breakable they become)

6. After dough is chilled, form into small balls on wax paper and chill for another half hour

7. Heat coating according to package

8. Roll dough into coating and let dry on wax paper

9. Refrigerate 

Roasted Chicken with Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

It has been cold and rainy here in DC all week long, far stretch from Texas I'm sure. So I wanted to make something warm and hearty and I decided to make a roast chicken from my cookbook, "100 recipes Every Woman Should Know". It is so simply yet so delicious. It does not require a lot of ingredients but it is tender, juicy and fabulous!

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (approx. 4 lbs)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 2 whole lemons

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Fresh herbs for garnish (Which I actually opted out of because it's so pretty on its own!)

What to do:

1. Position an oven rack in the upper 3rd of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Remove giblets from the chicken, wash it inside and out with cold water then let the chicken drain, cavity down in a colander for 2 minutes.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken breast side down in a roasting pan and pour lemon juice all over the chicken, inside and out. Season chicken with salt and pepper, inside and out

3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times, each in different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. 

4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temp. to 350 degrees and roast uncovered for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, and turn the chicken breast side up. Insert a meat thermometer and return to the oven. 

6. Cook about 20 minutes per pound or until the thermometer reads 180 degrees. I used a 5 lb. chicken so it cooked for around 2 hours total

I paired the chicken with creamy garlic mashed potatoes (recipe follows), steamed broccoli and a bottle of pinot noir. It was fantastic!

Creamy garlic mashed potatoes:

3.5 pounds of russet potatoes (I used potatoes from the local farmer's market. Delish!)

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 cups half and half

6 garlic cloves, minced

6 oz. grated parmesan 

What to do:

1. Peel and dice potatoes then place in a large saucepan, add the salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

2. Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream mixture and Parmesan; stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Ashley, the cake balls were great! The trick is the frosting mixed in with the cake. It makes the cake extra moist and delicious! I've been on the dessert hunt lately, trying to satisfy my sweet tooth and decided to give this a try.

What you will need:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth
3. Add the sugar and vanilla until well combined
4. Slowly add flour
5. Fold in chocolate chips
6. Roll the dough into balls and roll around in cookie crumbs
7. Bake for 15 minutes

The recipe doesn't yield any cookies, so I doubled it.

Orchard Chicken Salad (with a sweet, fruity twist) :)

Erin, how were the cake balls? I've had one before and it was only so-so. You'll have to let me know. So Congress is finally back in session, (as of September 7th) and I am so terrified! I really enjoyed the quiet hallways of the Capitol. I hope it goes well, and I don't get too stressed out! 


 Anyway, I'm always looking for recipes that I can make to take to work for lunch and I thought chicken salad was a great choice. I really like chicken salad with apples so I decided to google it and try to find a recipe that combined the two. I ended up finding a copycat recipe for Subway's orchard chicken salad. It is so good, but it is pretty sweet. I really like it though and from now on this will be my go to chicken salad recipe. 


P.S. Sam bought me a food processor the other day and WOW! It's awesome. It seriously saves you so much money, so this recipe took no time at all. I highly suggest buying one. You can find one that is not too expensive. The one I got was only $40 and it works so well! It is soooo worth it ;)


P.S.S. I'm trying the meatballs tonight! 

Orchard Chicken Salad


Ingredients:

• 3 cups of chopped red apples 
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 4 cups cooked chicken, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup of golden raisins (It took me FOREVER to find raisins at the grocery store today) 
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine apples, celery, chicken, raisins and cranberries in a large bowl.
2. Add celery salt, salt and pepper and mix well. 
3. Stir in mayonnaise 
4. Enjoy! Woo hoo!

Cake Balls

Ash, I tried the buffalo dip. A little spicy for my taste, so I reduced the hot sauce to 1/4 cup and loved it! Just a little side note. So this week was grandmother's birthday and I know it's somewhat clique but I had to  see what all the fuss was about for "cake balls" or "cake pops. I gave it a try.

What you will need:
Cake mix (I wanted to make one from scratch but I just didn't have the time). Any flavor, brand, ect
Frosting (Again, I wanted to make it from scratch, but settled on one already made. Any flavor
Bark/Candy Coating (I found this at Kroger in the baking section)

For reference, I used vanilla cake mix, vanilla frosting, and I bought chocolate and vanilla coating just to mix up the colors a little bit. Make sure you have sprinkles!

Directions:
1. Bake the cake as directed.
2. After about 15 minutes of cooling, crumble it all up. I used a hand mixer to really get it crumbled. Add the frosting and form it into a ball.
3. Put the ball into the freezer for AT LEAST 15 minutes before continuing. Room temperature cake will not form into balls and they will fall apart in the coating. Very frustrating
4. Then form into little balls and roll into coating. I used a fork and just rolled the balls around until they were fully coated.
5. Add sprinkles! The coating dries pretty fast so make sure to do this immediately.
6. I added lollipop sticks to the balls just for extra creativity. The sticks are left over from my marshmallow sticks. Found at Hobby Lobby for 2 bucks