{Cilantro Flavored Rice}

Posted on April 9, 2011

We eat rice as our side more than anything else, so I like to find new ways to serve it. It seems like I always have Cilantro in my Fridge and we love the Cilantro Lime Rice but I wanted to switch it up a bit…This is really tasty, I love the added garlic and onion flavor.

1 cup long grain rice

2 Tbs olive oil

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbs chopped onion

1 garlic clove

about 9 sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the rice and onion, let that cook for about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, six cilantro sprigs chopped and garlic. Season with salt. Cover and turn down the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes until fluffy. Serve with a little extra cilantro if desired.

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{Indian Butter Chicken}

Posted on April 8, 2011

I heart Indian food! I love finding new Indian recipes. The flavors just combine so well together. And I love making things that you just don’t see everyday, it makes dinner so exciting to me 🙂

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup half-and-half

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

Jasmine or Basmati rice to serve with

Chopped fresh cilantro for extra garnish

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and ginger. Stir often while cooking until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Cook stirring, constantly for another minute.

Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and add tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and add the half and half. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and add the chicken pieces and the salt and pepper. Stir. Keep the sauce at a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened.

Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into chunks and stir into the sauce until melted. Serve the chicken and sauce over hot rice. Garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro, if desired.

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{Chicken Stroganoff}

Posted on April 7, 2011

This is a very tasty low fat recipe. We all loved it!

4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 ounces egg noodles

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup low-fat sour cream

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

Fry bacon; crumble and set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir till chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium; add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cook and stir 3 minutes. (Pour off excess liquid if needed).

Return chicken and crumbled bacon to skillet.

Mix together sour cream, flour, salt and pepper. Whisk in the broth until sauce is smooth.

Stir sauce into chicken mixture, briefly bring to a boil then reduce heat & simmer for 2 minutes.

Adjust salt and pepper as needed, stir in the parsley and serve over noodles.

1 comment

{Fresh Strawberry Pie}

Posted on April 5, 2011

I am jumping a little ahead with the Summer-time foods, but I just can’t help it. I love fresh strawberries more then any other berry, and fresh strawberry pie is my favorite!

1 9 inch pie crust, baked

2 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

1/2 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and corn starch; make sure to blend corn starch in completely. Add boiling water, and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mix, and stir until smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Place strawberries in baked pie shells; position berries with points facing up. Pour cooled gel mixture over strawberries.

Refrigerate until set. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

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{Grilled Chicken with Lemon Pasta}

Posted on April 3, 2011

This pasta was great! The key is to grill the chicken if you can and make sure it is really marinated. It just adds so much extra flavor to the pasta and goes really well with the fresh lemon flavor. Delish!

1 pound dried penne

2 chicken breasts, Marinated (recipe below)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tsp dried parsley

2 lemons, juiced

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Chicken Marinade:

2/3 cup vegetable oil

6 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 Tbs soy sauce

2 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the above ingredients in a large dish add the chicken and let marinade for at least 4 hours.

Once the chicken is all marinaded. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente. Drain well. Put the pasta in a large bowl.

While the Pasta is cooking, grill chicken on a grill until done. (You could also fry them in a pan) Cut into strips.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a saute pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until fragrant. Add to the bowl of pasta. Squeeze in lemon juice, add parsley and shredded parmesan cheese. Mix all together.

Add chicken to the warm pasta and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in dried parsley. Add the juice of 2 lemons and mix. Before serving top with Parmesan.

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Cheesecake

{Amazing Cheesecake}

Posted on April 3, 2011

This is my first time ever making a REAL Cheesecake. I went and bought myself a springform pan (something I have wanted for along time) and then found a great recipe that I slightly adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, a blog I just LOVE. It turned out perfect. My only advice is that you make this when you have company or for someone else. It is dangerous to have something this good all to yourself 🙂

For the Crust:

3 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 40 squares)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

For the Filling:

2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of about half a lemon

1 pint sour cream

To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides on the pan, use your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle slightly, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake’s center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours but I found it tasted best after setting over night. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. I served mine with fresh Raspberries and some Whipped cream. DELISH!

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April 2011