Tapas and Sangria Bash

Pin It Now!

Winter in Germany can be depressing.

Cold.

Dreary.

Gray.

Dark.

Ick!

There was a need for some cheering up and celebrating. Spring and summer are such busy months, so I thought it would be fun to get some girlfriends together and have some yummy food, some drinks and catch up on the fun things we had planned for the summer.

I saw a really pretty party on Pottery Barn for a Tapas and Sangria themed party. I couldn't really define what a tapa was, but any mention of Sangria and I'm sold. Thanks to pinterest I was able to gather some lovely ideas to put everything together.



The decor was really simple and summery. I just wanted to vibe to be bright, fresh and summery. I made up some signs in photoshop to add some personalization to the party.



For the menu I made a few tapas myself and then the girls brought some dishes to share.

The girls brought:
-Potatas Bravas ( a traditional Spanish tapa)
-Salmon Bruschetta


-Sopapilla Cheesecake
-Honey Mustard Chicken
-Macaroons
-Blueberry cupcakes with a lemony frosting

I blame the Sangria for not allowing me to take pictures of ALL the food.

I made:
Bruschetta
Made this the night before. The flavor was bursting the next day. I used this recipe from allrecipes.com


Veggie Quesadillas by the Pioneer Woman

These were incredibly delicious!! I sauteed the veggies the night before and also shredded the cheese the night before for easy prep before the party.

Pineapple and BBQ Chicken Quesadillas also by Pioneer Woman
Also incredible!! I cut up the pineapple and had the cheese shredded for this, but I grilled my husband grilled the chicken right before the party. Could have definitely grilled the chicken the previous day. Would have stilled tasted delicious (the leftover were great).

Pasta Salad
I used a recipe for homemade dressing from allrecipes.com Served in individual cups. Just a little detail for entertaining to keep things simple and cute.

Pico de Gallo
I kinda just eyeballed the ingredients and threw this together, sorry no recipe to share.

Sangria
Whoa! Was this stuff STUH-rong or what. The fruit was soaked in rum overnight. Delicious. After one drink we were all feeling happy and lovey.

Besides food and decor a party needs music! I downloaded some spanishy and fun songs on itunes.

Drinks. Music. Laughing. Games. And even karaoke! It was such a fun night. I also downloaded some free printable photo props and those turned out to be quite fun.

[caption id="attachment_1658" align="aligncenter" width="457" caption="I could rock a stache."][/caption]

They added a little glow when the sun went down.

It was a great night. I love girls nights. Can't wait to do it again.

And I leave with what I consider the best picture of the night:
 Sorry fellas. This spicy lady is spoken for :)

Until next time my sweet friends.

xoxoxo

B

Food Matters

Pin It Now! “The reason that one vitamin can cure so many illness is because a deficiency of one vitamin can cause so many illness.” Andrew Saul

We recently watched the documentary Food Matters.  What an incredibly fascinating and life changing film that has been for our family. I thought we were pretty healthy before, but after watching the documentary we have really made a full on lifestyle change. The best way to sum up the concept of the documentary is to share this paragraph from the film-maker’s website:

“With nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and our tendency to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs to treat what's wrong with our malnourished bodies, it's no wonder that modern society is getting sicker. Food Matters sets about uncovering the trillion dollar worldwide 'sickness industry' and gives people some scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally.”

The film elaborates deeply into the philosophy of nourishing our bodies with vitamins and nutritious food as a method of preventing and treating disease and illness. Several leading experts in nutrition lend their knowledge of how exactly food can not only improve, but actually save your life.

Being a mother, I want to live as long as possible to see my kids grow up and to experience life to its fullest. Not only that, it is my responsibility to protect my children from harm. I refuse to feed them food that introduces toxins into their bodies and also provides little to no nutritional value. Aside from a tragic accident or natural disaster, the one thing I can control to ensure we do live a long life free of health complications is to feed our bodies with REAL food.

How many times have you gone to the doctor for some type of symptom and walked away with a prescription? I personally  haven't experienced many doctors who try to find the source of the symptom.  Instead medicine is prescribed to mask the symptoms. Then what? How does the actual cause of symptoms ever get solved?

These are questions people should really ask themselves. We have made a decision as a family that we want to change. It isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. Some people can go cold turkey, while it takes a slower transition for others. We have transitioned to this point.  We have made the decision to eat a 70% raw food diet. For us this means green smoothies for breakfast, raw fruits and veggies throughout the day and a salad for lunch and/or dinner. We still cook food. That’s the other 30%.

Whether you are sick or healthy I encourage everyone I know to watch Food Matters!

Zuzana's Power Balls

Pin It Now!

I've always been a believer of holistic approaches as a first attempt to treating illness and battling disease. It only makes sense that what you put into your body will affect how you feel and how your body functions. Ever since I saw the documentary Food Inc. I have changed the way our family eats. Though we don't cut out processed foods completely, we have made a dramatic change in our lifestyle. It's a gradual process and I feel we are ready to move to the next level of wholesome nutrition by becoming even more discerning with our food choices. I have decided to cut white and even wheat flour out and just use almond flour (for now and will experiment with other types later on). I really want to take on the challenge of  a truly healthy (and maybe eventually Primal) diet.

My first experience with almond flour was today when I made Zuzana's Powerballs. Zuzana is a badass chick from bodyrock.tv. I can say that her FREE workouts are hardcore and will produce results. She is a true health nut. Anyway, on to the recipe! What I really love about these powerballs is how insanely healthy they are and the fact they taste so good you wouldn't really know. The coconut oil adds just a hint of the coconut flavor and because carrots are naturally sweet, the flavors really come together so well.

Every single ingredient in these powerballs has a health benefit:

Honey is a natural sweetner that is high in antioxidants.

Almond flour is low carb and gluten free.

Carrots are also high in antioxidants as well as vitamin A and recent research has found that the phytonutrients in carrots can inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells.

Spinach ( I added this, it wasn't an original ingredient) is of course another well known antioxidant super food. According to the WH Foods (World's Healthiest Foods), spinach was ranked number one for nutrient richness. WH Foods also mentions how in a recent study "spinach showed evidence of significant protection against the occurrence of aggressive prostate cancer."(2011)

Coconut oil Plays an important role in the prevention of diabetes and kidney and gall bladder disease. Mark from Mark's Daily Apple wrote up a great explanation of the health benefits of coconut oil here.

Almonds have so many health benefits to list that it's better to just link the source. Read about all the many reasons these nuts are so good for your body.

Now on to the recipe!  I changed a few things about how I put all the ingredients together and I also added spinach because it has such a mild flavor, yet is so good for you. I honestly couldn't taste the spinach at all. I used our Vitamix blender for making these, but a food processor would work fine too.

First, grind up one cup of oats to form an oat flour.

Then add 2 cups of almond flour to the oat mix and 3 tablespoons of baking powder.

Here is where I did it just a little different. I combined the 4 tablespoons of honey and the 4 tablespoon of coconut oil in a bowl together and mixed them up a little. I then stuck the bowl in the microwave on medium setting for 30 seconds.

Heating up the honey and coconut oil makes the mixture much easier to stir into the flour mix. After taking the bowl out of the microwave I found it was easier to use a fork to mash up the bigger pieces of coconut oil.

Dip your pinkie finger in and have a  taste. mmmmmm.

Add the coconut/honey mix to the flour and stir up. It will be clumpy.

Next add about a cup of carrots to the Vitamix blender and puree until mostly smooth. Then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of spinach to the carrot puree.

If you don't have a vitamix, you can do as Zuzana suggested and cook the carrots until soft and then mash them up with a potato masher and add chopped spinach to the mix.

Add the carrot mix to the bowl and stir well. I kind of mushed it all together with a spoon.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Then roll the dough into balls (I made 20, but it depends on the size you roll). Then take some crushed almonds,  and roll the balls in the almonds.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Then let cool for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Btw, my kids loved these! I had to take the plate away :)

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pin It Now!

These are just the perfect fall time treat! The combination of fluffy pumpkin cake with a just sweet enough frosting is simply delicious. I followed Paula Deen's recipe which is for pumpkin bars, but I turned them into cupcakes and it made 24.

Mmmhmm. Delicious. Would even go great with a cup of coffee in the morning :)

As Paula would say, enjoy y'all!

-B

Grown Up Oatmeal

Pin It Now!

My plan was to make a blog post about some yummy oatmeal I made for breakfast today.  But while eating I reflected on how good I've been feeling lately and one thought led to 500 more thoughts and I wrote up a whole post on what I think the secret to happiness is.  This oatmeal left me feel full, energetic and happy.

I adapted this recipe from the book, How to Boil Water.  A dear friend of mine had recommended it and it's such a wonderful cookbook with wonderful tips and suggestions.

Grown Up Oatmeal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
inch of kosher salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup oats
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
Almonds to taste
Dried fruit to taste (I like cranberries)
Drizzle of milk or yogurt

Directions:
In a sauce pan bring water, butter and salt to a boil.
Add the oats and bring to a boil again.  Then reduce to simmer.
Add dried fruit and cook for about 2 minutes or until oats are done.
Sprinkle in some brown sugar (or drizzled honey would be good).
Add a bit of milk or yogurt and top of with some almonds.

YUMM!!

Enjoy :)

B

Easy Cheesy Tostadas

Pin It Now!

This picture and meal was actually made last summer, so don't think I'm cheating on my health kick!  Since New Years I have been doing yoga and eating much healthier and I'm FINALLY at my pre pregnancy shape. Finally.  Now it's time to tone, tone, tone or these legs will never see the day of light again.   I do feel much lighter and slimmer than I have in a long, long time.  The Body by Bethenny yoga DVD is my favorite yoga DVD ever.  I love it and want to do it all the time.  I highly recommend it.

So this snack or meal, whatever you want to be, probably isn't low carb.  However I wouldn't rule it out as unhealthy either.  It has fiber from the beans and you get your veggies from the lettuce, tomatoes  and avocado is a healthy fat.  The cheese part is the most unhealthy, however in moderation dairy is good for you and a source of calcium.  Am I rationalizing a bit much?  :)

On a cheat day I'd be more than happy to indulge in these delicious (and incredibly easy) tostadas.  Or extra large nachos if you will.

here's what you'll need:
Corn tortillas (or store bought tostada shells)
Vegetable oil
1 can of refried beans
Freshly shredded cheese (can use a mix of cheddar, pepper jack or monetery jack.  Whatever you like)
Toppings of your choice such as lettuce, diced red onion, avocado (guac even!), pico, tomatoes or whatever makes ya happy

If you're using store bought shells, then just heat the beans, spread em' on the shells and add toppings.

OR.  If you want them to taste super good, make your own shells.

Just add some oil to a small pan over med high heat.  Let the oil get hot for a few minutes, but not bubbly.  Using tongs dip the corn tortilla in the oil.  Cook it about 15-30 seconds per side.  Place them on a plate lined with paper towels (to soak up the excess oil) and sprinkle with a b it of salt.

Then added the beans, cheese and remaining ingredients.  I especially loved siracha sauce on these. 

Hope everyone is stickin' to their heath resolutions and sorry if this screws you up at all :)

Becca

Chicken Fajita Salad w/Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Pin It Now! Happy New Year!

We had quite the celebration this year.  Pajamas, food, wii and movies.  Party animals to the core!  haha.  New Year's eve is much more tame these days, but we still had a really good time.  I haven't laughed so hard in a long time because Little Wright and I were playing Just Dance 2 on the wii.  I have zero dancing ability.  Seriously.  None.  But it was hilarious to see her shake her booty and for a few moments I felt like one of the Pussy Cat Dolls.

Midnight was crazy because the entire country erupts in fireworks.  They go all out here too.  None of that pansy stuff they sell back home. 

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Now that the fireworks are gone and the holiday season has officially come and gone, it's time to cleanse and focus.  A few days ago I posted about my New Year's Resolution Part I.  The other part is physical health.  I've done a lot of research on several different diets and what I have concluded is most have a commonality which is low carb, cut out the sugar, cut out processed foods, cut out white starches and reduce your caloric intake.  I want a lifestyle change.  Diets work great, but for me right now I just want to eat healthy and follow the guidelines listed above.  Also I am going to cut out red wine :(  But only until I reach my goal and am ready to maintain.

So most of the recipes I share from now on will be lower in carbs, lower in fat and lower in calories.  I will allow myself cheat days of course and am sure to share those recipes as well :)

Today I had a craving for chicken fajitas and since I don't want to use tortillas I decided a salad would be perfect.  I looked online for a cilantro lime dressing and that's how the chicken fajita salad with cilantro lime dressing was born!  The dressing does use honey, but it would be worth experimenting with a sugar substitute or even without the honest altogether for a more tangy flavor and no sugar.

This is my FAVORITE salad.  I will definitely make this over and over.  It was deelishus!!!

• 1 pound Chicken Breasts


• 1 bag Pre-washed Greens


• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil


• 1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice


• ½ teaspoons Cumin


• ½ teaspoons Chili Powder


• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder


• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder


• ½ teaspoons Sea Salt


• 1-¼ teaspoon Black Pepper


• 1 whole Onion, Sliced Into Thin Strips


• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced


• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Into Thin Strips


• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Into Thin Strips


• FOR THE DRESSING:


• 3 cloves Garlic


• ¼ cups Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice


• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar


• ¼ cups Cilantro Leaves


• ¼ cups Honey


• ½ cups Olive Oil


• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Directions for salad

1) In a bowl mix together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

2) Place chicken breasts in a bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken. Set aside while preparing the rest of the meal.

3) Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil to the pan. Let the pan heat up for a minute or two.

4) Once the cast iron is heated, sautee the peppers and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 min.

5) Remove vegetables to a plate and set aside.

6) Add chicken to the cast iron. Cook 6-8 min per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken to platter and let cool. Remove cast iron from heat.

7) Add bell peppers and onions back to the cast iron and coat with the pan drippings.

Once chicken has cooled, slice chicken breasts and mix with the pepper mixture.

Now make the dressing. (note the dressing can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge)

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
Place garlic, lime juice, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt and the cilantro leaves in a food processor; pulse a few times to blend. Turn the food processor or blender on, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated into the dressing. Season to taste with salt before serving.

For extra deliciousness add some shredded cheese and sliced avocado to the salad.

* Recipe for the chicken fajitas was inspired by and adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/steak-or-chicken-fajitas-63786

The cilantro lime vinaigrette recipe was inspired and adapted from http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cilantro-lime-dressing/Detail.aspx

Enjoy!

B

The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup

Pin It Now!

Thank you Paula for another wonderful recipe!  My one and only complaint about this soup is that I didn't make enough.  Paula's chicken noodle soup recipe is....

Savory. 

 Delicious. 

 Satisfying.

 Warm.

Food for the soul. 

Make-you-feel-better-when-you-are-feeling-sick soup.

And everyone in my house is sick this week.  I think everyone everywhere is sick right now.  It's definitely that time of year for colds.  

It's also that time of year when it starts to get dark early.  Super early.  4:30 in the afternoon early!  Which is not good if you're a foodie photographer.  Most days in the fall and winter are gray  in Germany.  So that in conjunction with dark evenings make for really terrible lighting.  This was my soup picture last night:



I can fix it up a little bit in photoshop:



But it's still not as nice as natural lighting.



And here's leftovers, pictured during the day.  So much prettier in my opinion.  Speaking of leftovers.  This soup is wonderful leftover.  All the flavors mingle overnight and make it even more fabulous.

  I think this recipe will be the soup my kids think of some day when they grow up and are off on their own living down the street and not feeling good.  Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup.



This one is a keeper!

Note* I followed this recipe exactly except I didn't add mushrooms, sherry or parsely (didn't have any fresh on hand).  I used half and half instead of heavy cream because it's what I had. Also didn't add parmesan, but only because I forgot to get some at the store.  Though this recipe tastes great without, I think parmesan would have made this soup even more amazing.  It seems to be a versatile recipe that can be made your own.

The Lady's Soup via Paula Deen

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up


• 3 1/2 quarts water


• 1 onion, peeled and diced


• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning


• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• 4 bay leaves


• 3 chicken bouillon cubes


• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots


• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops


• 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles


• 1 cup sliced mushrooms


• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves


• 1/3 cup cooking sherry


• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves


• 1 cup grated Parmesan, optional


• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional


• Seasoning salt


• Freshly ground black pepper


• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

xoxo

B

Pumpkin Parfaits

Pin It Now!

I haven't made a dessert in a really long time.  Most desserts I want to make involve flour.  And anything that involves flour is an automatic disaster in my kitchen.  I can't bake.  One of these days I think I will try and learn.  But until then I'm cool with stuff that doesn't involve much flour.  Like these grogeous, beautiful and very pretty pumpkin parfaits.

They really are so simple to make.  As long as where you live they sell canned pumpkin.  And where I live canned pumpkin is scarce.  Thankfully my good friend Mama with Flavor was nice enough to give me one of her cans of pumpkin!  I owe her my life now :)

Wouldn't these be beautiful on a Thanksgiving dessert table? Ooooh or for a fall brunch!  Or dessert for a dinner party!

Please make these :)

xoxo

B

Ingredients

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 tsp)


• 1/4 cup cold water


• 1 (15-oz) can pure pumpkin


• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg


• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 2 1/4 cups chilled heavy cream, divided


• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided


• 20 gingersnap cookies, coarsely crushed

• 
  

  Equipment:

  
  
  8 (6- to 8-oz) glasses

• 
  
  Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk together gelatin mixture, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl.


• 
  
  Beat 1 cup cream with 1/2 tsp vanilla until it holds soft peaks, then fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly.


• 
  
  Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream with remaining 1 tsp vanilla until it holds soft peaks.


• 
  
  Spoon about 1/4 cup pumpkin mixture into bottom of each glass, then sprinkle with some of cookies and top with about 2 Tbsp whipped cream. Repeat layers once, ending with cream.


• 
  
  Chill until set, at least 2 hours.

Cooks’ notes: Parfaits can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.

Recipe by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez via Gourmet.com

Lentil Sausage Soup

Pin It Now!

I lived in Hawaii for a year and theoretically living in paradise seems like a grand idea.  Unless you're someone like me who loves seasons.  Especially the changing of the seasons.  Summers are lovely in Germany and fall is simply picture perfect.  I love the change in scenary as the trees and plants transcend from summer to winter with gorgeous shades of oranges and browns and reds and yellows taking over.  The crisp, clean earthy smell that consumes the air makes you crave hearty, warm dinners.  It all constitutes cozyness.

[caption id="attachment_889" align="aligncenter" width="575" caption="Fall in my town"][/caption]

I love that even though colder weather means bone chilling mornings it also means warm comforting foods.   Soups are wonderful for the tummy and the soul this time of year.  While cruising the web for a new recipe I found this from Ina Garten.  (Who, by the way, is my new favorite chef).

Not only was it delicious, but there was a TON left over.  Perfect for freezing and using on a day I don't feel like cooking. And  Lord knows there are many of those days ahead with the holiday season here already!

This is a must try soup.  Serve it with a nice crusty carb :)

Lentil And Sausage Soup via Ina Garten

• 1 pound French green lentils (recommended: du Puy)


• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for serving


• 4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large)


• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)


• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)


• 1 tablespoon kosher salt


• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper


• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)


• 3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)


• 3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth


• 1/4 cup tomato paste


• 1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick


• 2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar


• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

*My changes: I just used the lentils available at my grocery store.  The soup did taste wonderful without the sausage, but as soon as I added the sausage it gave it a yummy smoky flavor.   I pureed the soup and then added the sausage.  I definitely recommend you puree the soup in a blender, food processor or with a hand blender.  Also the addition of red wine seems optional, but I did notice the flavor was much better after I added the wine.

Enjoy!

xoxo

B

Chocolate dipped pretzels

Pin It Now!

I made these for my Halloween Party. These are easy.  They are cheap.  They are quick.  And they are yummy.  Perfection.  Such a great idea for gifts, parties, fundraisers, giveaways...

Here's what you'll need:

1 (11 1/2 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate chips
Pretzel Rods (as many as you would like to make)
Mini pretzels (optional)

1) Use a double broiler to melt chocolate chips until smooth.  Remove from heat but keep chocolate over hot water. Dip half the pretzel rod into chocolate and coat evenly.

2) If using sprinkles, spread sprinkles out on parchment paper.  Roll the chocolate dipped rods in the sprinkles and coat.

3) Place pretzels on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets. Chill in refrigerator until coating sets (15 minutes). Gently loosen from wax paper. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator.

4) optional: If you have a lot of chocolate left over (because you didn't make many rods, like me) then dump a bag of mini pretzels into the remaining chocolate.  Stir very gently.  Then lay the chocolate pretzels on parchment paper and repeat step 3.

tip from Bon Appetite cookbook: If you don't have a double boiler, place a metal mixing bowl atop a saucepan of simmering water—but do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. You want indirect heat, not direct.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Basil Vinaigrette and Grilled Potatoes

Pin It Now! I've been so lazy and unmotivated the last few weeks.  I haven't cooked much of anything.  Mr. Wright has been grilling and we've been living off oatmeal, yogurt and other quickie foods.  It's gotta be because I'm 20lbs heavier than normal, sluggish and totally exhausted all the time.  Only 7 more weeks and then I really won't have time to do anything!

At least the weather has been amazing in Germany.  I love that the seasons are so distinct and normal.  I come from Colorado where spring is just a tease as mother nature shows her ugly face with frequent snow storms and you can't expect regular warm weather until end of May. Just yesterday in Denver they had snow, but it is supposed to be 60 by tomorrow.  Pshhh.  Crazy weather.  But here in Germany its a gradual warm up and each week gets a little nicer.  The trees are blossoming with buds and flowers and there are various shades of green everywhere you look.  The temperature is inching to the upper 60's and its just beautiful and perfect here. 

The nice weather has contributed to my extra boost of happiness and motivation.  I decided we should start eating good meals again and spring is such a fun time to cook!  I love the fresh and colorful ingredients that are in season right now.  I found this recipe from Bobby Flay on foodnetwork.com.

  I changed a few things though.  First instead of using fresh oregano, I used fresh basil because its what I had on hand.  I love  basil and wouldn't make it with oregano anyway.  Second I didn't have fingerling potatoes like Flay's recipe calls for.  Regular old baking potatoes worked just fine. Third the recipe calls for white wine vinegar.  I have white wine and I have white vinegar but didn't have white wine vinegar, so instead used red wine vinegar.  And lastly Flay says to use bone in, skin on chicken breasts.  I did have these on hand, but there was a slight problem.  I purchased organic chicken, but I didn't want it so natural that the hairs were still on the dang thing!  Black, wirey hairs.  I'll spare anymore details and will not post a picture because it is just gross.  So I used some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was still delicious. 

The combination of roasted garlic, honey, basil and vinegar is divine.  The flavors blend so well together.  This can easily be made into a quick weeknight meal because the viniagrette can be made ahead of time.  I actually suggest making it at least a few hours before grilling so the ingredients can sit and meld together.   Grill a few extra breats and you have a gourmet lunch for the next day. This is a definite favorite and I want to make it once a week.  I highly recommend this!

Ingredients

For the roasted garlic-basil vinaigrette:

• 8 cloves roasted garlic


• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar


• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves


• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves


• 1 tablespoon honey


• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


• 3/4 cup olive oil


• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:

• 12 fingerling potatoes or 2-4 baking potatoes, scrubbed


• Kosher salt


• Olive oil


• 4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breasts (skinless, boneless breasts work fine too)


• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the roasted garlic-basil vinaigrette:

Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chile flakes.  For better flavor let sit covered in fridge for a few hours or overnight.

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife inserted comes out with some resistance. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well and when cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise.

Heat the grill to medium.

Brush the chicken and potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer. Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-basil vinaigrette. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil and parsley sprigs.

Best Enchiladas

Pin It Now! Yes you read that recipe title correct.  The best.  As good as if not better than most restaurants.  Mr. Wright said these were the best enchiladas he has ever had.  EVER.  Which means I will be happily employed and have job security for life.  WOOHOO!  Please try these and after eating them first thank Ree Drummond for the recipe and then you can thank me for taste testing the recipe and insisting you try it too.

Prep Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• FOR THE SAUCE:


• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil


• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour


• 1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce


• 2 cups Chicken Broth


• ½ teaspoons Salt


• ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper


• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro


• _____


• FOR THE MEAT:


• 1-½ pound Ground Beef


• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced


• 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies


• ½ teaspoons Salt


• _____


• FOR THE TORTILLAS:


• 10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas


• ½ cups Canola Oil


• _____


• TO ASSEMBLE:


• 3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese


• ½ cups Chopped Black Olives


• 1 cup Chopped Green Onions


• ½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Step #1 – The Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat
Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas
Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Ancho Chili Chicken with Black Beans and Yellow Rice

Pin It Now! My favorite part of this recipe was the yellow rice.  I personally didn’t love the flavor of the ancho chili, but if you like a smoky pepper taste this recipe is for you. 

Recipe per Cuisine at Home:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( 5 oz. each)
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
½ tablespoon ground cumin
½ tablespoon black pepper
2 dried ancho chilis, stemmed, seeded, broken into pieces
1 ½ cups tomatoes, chopped
½ cup onion, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 corn tortilla, torn
1 cup chicken broth
Salt to taste
1) Season chicken with oregano, cumin and black pepper.  Saute in 1 tablespoon oil in large sauté pan over high heat until brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate.

2) Toast chilis in 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium heat, 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, ½ cup onion, garlic cloves, and tortilla; simmer 3 minutes.  Stir in broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and return chicken to pan.  Cover and cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 5 minutes.  Remove breasts; puree tomato mixture in a food processor or using an immersion blender. Then season with salt.  I used an immersion blender and would recommend transferring the sauce to a big pot or else it will splash everywhere!

For black beans
¼ cup onion
1 tablespoon garlic
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1) Saute ¼ cup onion and 1 tablespoon garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir in beans to heat through, then season with salt to taste. 

For the rice
¼ cup onion, minced
½ tablespoon garlic, minced
½ tablespoon turmeric
½ cup dry brown rice
 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
Salt to taste

1)      Saute onion, garlic and turmeric in oil in a saucepan over medium heat 1-2 minutes.

2)      2)  Stir in rice; cook 1 minute, then add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is tender, 30 minutes.  Season with salt.

Serve beans with chicken, sauce and yellow rice.

Tip:  Read through the entire recipe before cooking.  There are a lot of steps, but it isn’t hard if you read through all the steps before cooking.  Prep all ingredients together before cooking.

Nutritional Info: Per breast with 1/4 cup sauce, 1/2 cup beans and 1/2 cup brown rice
Calories: 575 Fat: 26(saturated 4 grams) Carb: 45g Sodium: 373mg Fiber: 8g Protein: 42g Iron: 4mg

Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Parfait with Balsamic Syrup

Pin It Now! Creamy, vanilla, sweet, summery, decadent and just plain scrumptuous.  Found this recipe from Lynda at Taste Food Blog.

The only thing I did different was made homemade whip cream thanks to a certain someone.  And I'm SO glad I did.  It's easy!  Great dessert for impressing guests.  It took everything in me to not lick the entire bowl...you have been warned.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1/3 cup (80 ml.) balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
8 oz. (250 g.) chilled mascarpone cheese(organic if you can find it)
2 cups (500 ml.) whipping cream (recipe below)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 lbs. (1 kg.) strawberries, hulled and halved
6-8 whole strawberries
Fresh mint leaves

Prepare the Balsamic Syrup:
Combine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool completely. (Syrup can be made one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)
Prepare the Mascarpone Whipped Cream:
In a mixing bowl combine mascarpone cheese, whipping cream(see below for homemade recipe), 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
30 minutes before serving, combine strawberries and balsamic syrup in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Toss gently to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Divide half the strawberries among 8 glass goblets. Spoon half the cream mixture over the strawberries. Top cream mixture with remaining strawberries. Top with cream mixture. Drizzle with any remaining syrup.

Homemade whipped cream
Found this on allrecipes:

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.

Poultry Pockets with Sauteed Whole Wheat Pasta

Pin It Now! After watching Food Inc. I have commited to making over the food I cook. (click here to read my rant after watching that movie)   I'm sure there will be times when I may cheat and used processed foods, but for the most part everything I make will come from organic, nonprocessed ingredients.  It's called clean eating and there are so many health benefits associated.   I have noticed a huge difference in the way food tastes when I use fresher, organic fruits,vegetables and meats.  According to Clean Eating magazine to eat clean means to:

Be label savvy
Clean foods contain very few ingredients.  Products with a long list of ingredients are processed and not considered clean.

Avoid processed and refined foods
White flour, white sugar white breads and most pasta.  Opt for whole grain instead.  It actually tastes better!

Shop with a conscience
Consume humanely raised and local meats.

Reduce your carbon footprint
Buy from local farmer's markets and use ingredients that are in season.  It's usually cheaper and also better for the environment.

With that being said I found this lovely recipe in a Cuisine at Home magazine a friend lent to me.  It's easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh spinach (or frozen is fine too)
2 boneless, skinless breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 large tomato slices, 1/2" thick
2 slices swiss cheese
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 oz. dry whole wheat pasta
2 garlic cloves, minced
handful chopped chives (save a few to garnish)
Olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)
1) Saute spinach in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high until wilted; season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and blot dry to remove excess moisture.

2) Begin cooking pasta in boiled salted water according to package directions; drain and set aside.

3) While pasta is cooking arrange chicken.  Layer a tomato slice, cheese slice and 1/2 the spinach on 1 side each prepared chicken breast.  Fold other side of each breast over fillings to enclose, and secure with toothpicks.

4) Saute pockets in 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet as spinach over medium high heat until browned, about 4 min.  Turn chicken over and saute on the other side 2 minutes, then transfer pan to oven.  Roast until chicken is cooked and cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and transfer pockets to a plate. 

5) While chicken is roasted, heat oil in a new skillet coated with nonstick spray over medium heat.  Add drained pasta and garlic, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, tossing to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and add chives.

6) Return pan to the burner over high heat.  Deglaze pan with vinegar, reduce by 1/2, then drizzle sauce over chicken.

Serve chicken on top of pasta and garnish with chives.

Tips:
Be sure to pound the chicken thin enough or else it will take longer to cook in the oven.

This recipe was intended for 2, but could easily be made for more.  Just use 1 breast, 1 cheese slice and 1 tomato per person and adjust spinach as you like.

Nutritional Info.
Per pocket and 1/2 cup pasta

Calories 556 (42% calories from fat); fat 26g (saturated 6g); Chol 102 mg; Carb 32g; sodium 304mg; fiber 10g, protein 49g; iron 7 mg, calcium 402 mg; omega 40g

Information and recipe obtained from Cuisine at Home.

Carne Asada served with a Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad

Pin It Now! Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.  Though this is nothing like the food served at Chipotle, it totally satisfied my obsessive craving.  If you haven't been to Chipotle you're totally missing out.  Best food. Ever.  This dinner was so full of flavor and so delicious that it has allowed me to forget about how much I miss Chipotle.  We'll see how long that lasts.  I found the marinade for the meat over at Simply Recipes.  I love browsing this site for recipes because there is so much variety. The grilled corn, avocado and tomato salad with honey lime dressing is incredible.  You will love it.  I have a feeling I may make this once a week at least. It's fresh, and bursting with flavor and comes courtesy of Jehan Can Cook.

Ingredients

2 pounds flank or skirt steak
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed (best to lightly toast the seeds first, then grind them)
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

1 Lay the flank steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 1-4 hours if pressed for time. (note: I marinated overnight and think that is best)

2 Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thin they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

Serves 4-6.

Grilled Corn, Avocado and Tomato salad with Honey Lime  Dressing

Dressing
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes cut in halves
1 ripe hass avocado, roughly chopped
2 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Grill corn over medium heat for 10 to 15 mins.  The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy.  DO NOT OVERCOOK!!  Cut the corn off the cob and scrape the cob with  the back of your knife to get  the juices.  Set aside and let cool. 

Add all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn.  Mix well  so that everything is coated with the marinade, but be careful not to mash the avocadoes. Let sit for at least 15 min,up to one hour in the fridge.

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Pin It Now!

One of the aspects of living a more balanced and harmonious life is health.  Mr. Wright has been nagging at me for weeks to cook healthy meals.  It's not that I'm against healthy.  It's just that I don't want to always eat healthy.  I'm pregnant and have desires!  I can't eat good cheese.  I can't drink wine.  I can't eat deli meat.  I don't want to have chocolate and ciabatta bread take from me either damnit!  BUT as I was reading about Feng Shui and realizing more and more how  I want to incorporate the philosophy into my life, I decided nutrition and health is a huge factor of feeling balanced.  If I keep junk in my home (chips, cookies, etc) then I'm going to continue to feed my body junk.  And it's not going to be possible for me to feel my absolute best eating that crap.  I am not going cold turkey though.  I'm just going to be making smartER and healthiER choices. 

So along came this recipe I found on allrecipes.com.  I followed it for the most part.  I didn't grill the fish.  Instead I sauteed it.  Using the pan drippings from the tilapia, Mr. Wright added about 1/4 cup butter to the pan then sauteed some shrimp.  To the mango salsa I added a teaspoon ish of honey and let it sit while the tilapia marinated. At first I just served the mango salsa on the fish with lettuce.  Mr. Wright cut up the fish and shrimp and turned it into more of a wrap.  Boy oh boy was it delicious.  I was surprised at how full it made me feel.  I guess I just figured it would be light, but not filling.  It was filling.  And it was great!  The best part of this meal is how good it actually made me feel.  I had so much energy the rest of the night and wasn't too drained to do the dishes or clean up like I usually am.  I think this recipe is a must try for the simplicity and health factors.

Here's the recipe as it appears on allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 tablespoon lemon juice


• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1 teaspoon dried basil


• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets


•  


• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced


• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced


• 2 tablespoons minced red onion


• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro


• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced


• 2 tablespoons lime juice


• 1 tablespoon lemon juice


• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.


2. Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve.


3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.


4. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the tilapia topped with mango salsa.

Bacon Wrapped Cheddar Jalapeno Bites

Pin It Now!

These are great because they are finger food.  And bite size. And  jalapenos, filled with cheddar and wrapped with bacon! MMMMMMMMM.  You will need 1 package of bacon (approx. 12 ounces).  It really depends on how many you plan on making.  For this recipe I made 20 jalapeno things.  You will also needs jalapenos, no more than 2-3″ in size.  I used 10, which made 20 (they get sliced in half).  And a block of sharp cheddar cheese or whatever cheese you prefer.



I forgot to take a picture of this step, so pretend there is a baking tray of 10 pieces of bacon on it    Preheat oven to 400 degree F.  Cook bacon for about 10min.  You don’t want to cook it all the way.  It should still be bendable.
While the bacon is cooking, slice up your cheese.



Then, slice your jalapeno’s in half.  Remove the stems, inner membrane and seeds.  Unless you like super spicey, then keep some seeds in!



Aren’t they pretty?  Mr. Wright thinks I’m weird for calling food pretty.  But he doesn’t love cooking so he wouldn’t understand.  The bacon should be done at some point during your slicing of jalapenos.  Let them cool for a moment while you fill the jalapenos with 2-3 little slices of cheese.  You want them to be cheesy enough because some of the cheese falls out during cooking.




Cut the cheese slices if you need to so they can fit in the jalapenos.  My picture only shows 1 cheese slice, but again I recommend laying 2-3 slice.

Cut the bacon pieces in half. Wrap the bacon around the jalapeno snugly and secure with a toothpick.  Or if you’re like me and don’t have toothpicks on hand, break off the ends of bamboo sticks    Also, be sure they are facing up and not on their sides or else the cheese will drip onto the pan.



And voila!
Ingredients:
10-12 jalapenos (or more if desired)
12 ounce package of bacon (enough for approx.  30 jalapeno slices)
8 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, sliced into 2-3 inch slices
toothpicks for securing
Directions
Begin by partially cooking the bacon. Place bacon strips close together on a baking pan.  I was able to fit 10 slices on my pan. Cook 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.Bacon should still be bendable and not crispy or all the way done. Cut bacon strips in half and set aside.  Drain off excess bacon fat/grease.
Cut cheddar cheese into half-inch slices and cut each slice in half lengthwise and halve again. Set aside.
 Remove tops from jalapenos and slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes (keep seeds in if you want more spice)
In each jalapeno, put in one or two pieces of cheese, cutting cheese to fit.  Wrap with one piece of bacon, tucking end of bacon under jalapeno and secure with a toothpick. Place stuffed and wrapped jalapeno on baking pan. Continue with remaining jalapenos, cheese, and bacon, placing stuffed jalapenos close together.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until bacon is browned. Cool slightly before removing, serve and enjoy