Author Archives for Shannon

Chicken Bites with Tomato Mint Salsa

December 8, 2014
Shannon
1 comment
chicken, chipotle, food, peppers, tomatoes

I was in Atlanta last week for work and every time I travel, I look forward to getting home and cooking. I know several people who just don’t understand that but it’s something that puts me at ease. Also, after eating restaurant food for five days, I just want to eat something that I cooked. Anyone else like that? So, of course, I decided to make chicken. You know, something (not so) new and different. Boring chicken these Chicken Bites with Tomato Mint Salsa aren’t. I’m wowed.

Tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño are broiled in the oven giving them a deep rich, sweetness and then whirled together with chipotles in adobo sauce, cumin and fresh mint and cilantro. The chicken is seasoned with cilantro and cumin giving it a warm, comforting flavor that mixes so well with the bold salsa. This salsa though…my gosh. Even if you don’t want to make the chicken, make this salsa. It’s bold, it’s vivid, and it’s alive. It makes the salsa from my hotel happy hour last week look like sad, pathetic, lame, boring nothingness.

Preheat broiler with a rack set about 4 in. from heat. Set tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning as needed, until blackened, 15 to 25 minutes; as done, transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Peel, stem, and seed chile. In a food processor, pulse vegetables (including blackened parts from tomatoes and onion) and their juices until chopped. Add remaining salsa ingredients and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl.

Cut chicken into 1- to 1 1/2-in. chunks. In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp. oil, the cumin, salt, chopped cilantro, and chicken.

Heat a 12-in. frying pan (not nonstick) over high heat. Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil; swirl to coat. Cook chicken, stirring and turning once, until lightly browned but still moist, 5 minutes.

Stir cilantro leaves into chicken; transfer with a slotted spoon to a platter. Serve with salsa and skewers.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Sunset magazine

Herbed Corn Muffins

December 2, 2014
Shannon
1 comment
bread, cornmeal, muffins, parsley, scallions, thyme, vegetarian

So what do you do when your Thanksgiving leftovers are all gone but yet you still have leftover ingredients in your fridge? Leftovers from leftovers? Ugh! This happens to me all the time when I’m cooking. Really, unless you are making a parsley pesto, who ever needs more than a few tablespoons of parsley? Yet you can only get a big bushel in the grocery store. I hate throwing out herbs but it happens all the time. I’m sorry. I hate to say it, but it’s true. I refused to do it this time and sat down specifically looking for a recipe that I could use these herbs in. Thank goodness for these Herbed Corn Muffins.

Cornmeal batter made with buttermilk (also a leftover in my fridge that I never use up) gets a fresh kicky spirit from three leftovers in my produce drawer: thyme, parsley, and scallions. Oh, and some pecorino cheese! Talk about a perfect use for those random Thanksgiving hangers-on. Considering I always have baking items on hand (for when that cookie dough breakdown occurs), muffins are an easy way to use up leftover herbs because not only are they really easy and quick to make, they freeze so well. You can bake them and put them away for when you want them the next time you make soup or chili. And these muffins have such an amazing flavor from the cheese and herbs, you’ll be so happy that you made them now and have them later. It’s thyme to bake those herbs away, friends. Sorry…I had to. 🙂

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine buttermilk, olive oil, and egg; stir well with a whisk. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and pecorino Romano cheese in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture, and stir just until moist.

Gently stir in green onions, parsley, and thyme.

Spoon into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400°F for 13 minutes.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Pumpkin Cheesecake Smoothies

Well, how was your Thanksgiving? Did you eat too much? Drink too much? I’m happy that I didn’t overstuff or overserve myself and today I feel really good! But despite all the good food I ate yesterday, I didn’t finish it all up with a healthy piece of dessert. So, when I woke up this morning craving something pumpkin, I looked in my refrigerator and decided that I could get some pumpkin dessert flavor for breakfast without a lot of ingredients or calories. These Pumpkin Cheesecake Smoothies were just what I needed!

Pumpkin puree, almond milk, cream cheese, and spices are blended together with a little bit of sweetener making this pumpkin cheesecake in a glass. I love the flavor and creaminess of almond milk but you can use regular milk if you like. I also used a packet of Splenda but if you are a sugar person, go for it. Really, I was a little surprised just how well this turned out. Maybe I should have thought to do this last night after dinner?

Pumpkin Cheesecake Smoothies (makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies)