Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since I've posted on here. Trying to keep up on two blogs is harder than I thought. However I did come across this recipe on Pinterest the other day and decided to make it tonight. It turned out great, the second time around. Haha I roasted the broccoli in the oven and grilled the chicken on the George Forman. That was the easy part. The sauce was tricky though with the Greek Yogurt that it called for- if the heat is too high then the yogurt won't whisk in all the way. So keep the heat on medium and have your ingredients ready beforehand. The second time around, this worked for me.
Enjoy!

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 cups roasted broccoli florets
8 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plain FAGE Total 0% greek yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan.

Add cooked chicken and broccoli to sauce mixture, followed by the cooked pasta. Toss to combine and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings

4

Lemon Bars

Lemon Heaven. 

So since tonight's dinner was pretty typical (spaghetti pie), I thought I'd share the dessert we made instead. About a week ago, while I was still living in Star Valley, I started to really crave lemon bars. My mom makes the best! I love the warm lemon and chewy outside crust, with just the right amount of powdered sugar on top. So I went to the grocery store and bought three fresh lemons. I was going to make them the next day but then I got my new job and bam! Moved to Salt Lake. So on this free night, my sis and I decided to make them. She had my mom's recipe and off we went. It was so easy and really doesn't take that long (unless you're dying for them, then it seems like it takes forever).

So here is the recipe--love the heck out of them! 

Lemon Bars  

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
4 tbls flour
1 tsp baking soda
6 tbls lemon juice (fresh)
lemon zest of 3 lemons

Crust: Cream butter, sugar, flour and salt. Preheat oven to 350'. Place crust mixture in 9x13 greased pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Filling: Add 4 eggs, 1 3/4 cups sugar, flour, baking soda, 6 tbls lemon juice, and lemon zest together. Beat lightly until combined. Pour over hot crust and bake an additional 20-25 minutes. While warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

                                                                                                              (Image taken from Google)


I would definitely make these the next time you are craving a sweet treat. They are fresh and a great summer treat! Plus they don't require a lot of ingredients.

Enjoy!

"And it was good!" 

Swedish Meatballs

 Ikea Does Them Best.

 Working at a catering company has already opened my eyes to several new delicious recipes. Last night we had three weddings to cater and one of them requested Swedish Meatballs. Jeff (the head chef) mixed up a huge batch and they were To Die For. I asked what the recipe was for the sauce and he said it only requires two ingredients-- Salsa and Jelly (any kind). I burst out laughing because I thought he was pulling my leg (it being my first day and all). And he said no seriously. All you have to do is mix salsa and jelly together and let it reduce down. I have yet to find a recipe that supports his theory but I did come across this little beauty. It's Ikea's recipe for their famous Swedish Meatballs and Cream Sauce. I haven't tried it yet but since I was in the mood for meatballs, I thought I'd post one of the best.

Enjoy!

              "On top of spaghetti, All covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball, When somebody SNEEZED . . ."

                                                                   (Image taken from Google)
Ikea's Swedish Meatballs

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2/3 lb lean ground beef
• 1/3 lb ground lean pork
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1 (10 ounce) can beef gravy
• 1/2 cup 10% cream

Directions:

1. Saute onions in first tablespoon of oil until translucent. Set aside and let cool.
2. Combine breadcrumbs and milk, let soak for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine onions, breadcrumbs, milk egg, meat and seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Form tablespoon of the meat mixture into balls.
4. Over medium heat, fry meatballs in second tablespoon of oil until brown on all sides.
5. In a small saucepan, combine gravy and cream; heat through but do not boil.
6. Serve meatballs with gravy, boiled potatoes and lingonberry preserves.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/ikea-swedish-meatballs-165531#ixzz1uhZl9pVA

Ingredients of cream sauce:

• 100 ml cream
• 200 ml water or beef stock
• Chinese soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp white flour
• salt, white pepper

Method:

1. Swirl the water or beef stock in a pan. (Cook over medium heat.)
2. Add cream and thicken with white flour if preferred. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the meatballs with the sauce, freshly boiled potatoes (I used extra potatoes to make mashed potato), uncooked lingonberry jam and salad.

Read more: http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2011/02/swedish-meatballs-with-cream-sauce-ikea.html#ixzz1uhaNXAIL

"And it was good!"

Apple Chicken

Dinner at Rachelle's!

This week has been full of changes for me. I got a new job in Salt Lake City, Utah and start tomorrow! It's been such a blessing even though I've had to pick up and move my whole life to Utah and leave Derek behind :( But it won't be for too long and we'll be seeing each other often.

Point is, I moved down to SLC today and had dinner at Rachelle's. It was a new dish and after being slightly hesitant of eating cooked apples with chicken, it was actually really good! The recipe is from "Saving Dinner" by Leanna Ely, a great book for quick and easy weekday meals.

So this one's from my sister.

Apple Chicken

1 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add apple slices, saute' 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 the wine and chicken broth, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Mix remaining wine and broth together with remaining ingredients; add to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens.




Serving Suggestions: Baked potatoes, baked butternut squash, brown rice and steamed broccoli.
Serves: 6



PER SERVING
161 Calories; 2g Fat (15.5% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 24 Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 246mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Enjoy!








"And it was good!"

Penne with Grilled Zucchini and Sweet Corn

Hello again! I hope you all had the chance to try the Oatmeal Carmelitas and share with them your friends and family. For tonight's dinner I wanted to make summer dish, since the weather has been warm and sunning all day. I finally feel like summer made it to Star Valley, lets just hope it stays! So I decided to make a spin-off on Rachael Ray's Penne with Summer Squash and Sweet Corn (from Every Day with Rachael Ray June/July 2011). You can find her original recipe here, on a fabulous blog called Taste and Tell. Instead of summer squash though, I used grilled zucchini, which tasted just as great. So this is how I threw it down.

Penne with Grilled Zucchini and Sweet Corn

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
2 zucchinis- halved crosswise and each half cut lengthwise into 3 thick slabs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 15-ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2-3 cloves, I like my dished extra garlicy!)
1 teaspoon parsley
salt and pepper to taste

                                                                    (Images taken from Google)

  

 Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, brush the zucchini pieces with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until nicely charred, about 10 minutes. (Can also fry in skillet if you don't have a grill). When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, corn and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the ricotta, garlic and parsley; toss well. Add the drained pasta and stir in about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more cooking water as desired.

Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

The dish was a hit! The veges were warm and cooked through and the whole wheat pasta added a hearty flavor. Overall, I would make it again on any summer night. It was quick, easy and healthy.
Enjoy!





"And it was good!"

Hola, Carmelitas

Welcome to my first ever food blog! I always wanted to start one but with everyone having their own these days, I didn't know how to make my food blog stand out from the rest. So I thought for a while (more like a year) and came to one solid realization. Each of my siblings loves to cook. We all have a love for food and making all kinds of tasty/savory dishes.

My oldest brother Ryan is great at making things up on the fly. Add some garlic here, throw some BBQ sauce in there and "vua-law!" A delicious dish! He's great at conceptualizing meals as he makes them, enhancing the ingredient's flavors one step at a time. I have always admired his creativity (and his twice baked potatoes). But more of that, to come!

My sister Rachelle has developed her own exotic cooking style. She's a "follow-the-recipe" kind of girl and is so unique with her flavor combinations. She instinctively knows what goes with what. Her salads are too.freaking.die for. Crisp romaine lettuce, baby spinach greens, sunflower seeds, craisins, feta cheese and some amazing vinaigrette that puts any Kraft dressing to shame. Her typical weekday meals consist of dishes from all over, Mexican, Asain, Italian and American. She knows her flavors!

My second brother Ross has had a love for food ever since I can remember. He loves experimenting with different textures and food combinations. When I see Ross in the kitchen, I see an artist painting on his canvas, a musician playing his instrument, a writer with his blank pad of paper. Ross belongs in the kitchen. He creates from inside and masters his recipes from studying and watching others. I always thought he should go to Culinary School simply because when he's in the kitchen, he's happy, and he makes dang good food.

As for me, I developed my love for cooking in college. Don't get me wrong, I have ALWAYS loved food. When I was younger, I remember my mother frequently saying to me during dinner time, "Can you really eat all that?"And with great muster I would always exclaim back, "Oh yes I can!" Little did I know she was probably trying to teach me portion control rather than doubting my ability to down a whole plate of delicious grub (thanks mom, got it now). So once I left home and realized that mom wouldn't be cooking for me anymore, I knew I had to learn for myself how to make good food. I remember one of the first dishes I ever made for a crowd at college was Chicken Parmesan (from a recipe I found in THIS cookbook) and everyone loved it. Since then I have created a wide range of recipes and my palate has been diversified. I love to cook, get new recipes and share my own! So please feel free to enjoy my families recipes and try them out with your own. You just might like what you taste :)

(L-R, Ross, Ryan, myself, Rachelle)

This first recipe that I'd like to share with you is actually from a good friend of mine (okay, not a family member right off the bat, I know, but I just made these yesterday and know she wouldn't mind. Thanks Jenny!) They're called Carmelitas and they are freaking heaven. This is probably the best dessert I have ever eaten simply because I am a HUGE caramel lover. I would chose caramel over chocolate any day. So here you go, enjoy!

Oatmeal Carmelitas

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans chopped (opt)
1 bottle Hershey's caramel topping
6 Tbsp flour

Combine 2 cups flour, soda, sugar, oats, salt and butter. Press 1/2 mixture into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350' for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle chips and nuts on top. Mix caramel with 6 Tbsp flour and pour over chips and nuts. Cover with last of crumb mixture. Bake at 350' for 15-20 minutes.

*Best served with vanilla ice cream

                                                                  (Images taken from Google)

   
How easy is that?! So easy and so delicious. The other great thing is that it makes a ton and can feed a crowd. Perfect for parties and get-togethers. So try it out and let me know how it tastes! It won't disappoint, I promise!

Take care, more recipes to come!

And remember, "It was good!"