So for this recipe I was skimming through the "What's in Season" section of the food network and came across a recipe using apples and onions. Not exactly my idea of awesome but I thought it was worth a try. Zack likes most things apple related so I figured I'd give it a shot.
Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chicken-with-apple-onion-and-cider-sauce-recipe2/index.html
So as far as things I'd change, I can't really say there's anything I would change. It was a really great meal. The onions added a great sweetness. Is that the difference between red onions and other onions? That they're sweeter? I'm not entirely sure. Let's see... according to wikipedia, red onions have a mild to sweet flavor. They're also apparently the most often to be consumed raw. Gross. No thank you. Shockingly the wikipedia page for the various types of onions so that's all I've got. But that's ok.
The only thing I'd change about this recipe is simply that once it's close to done, you may want to add some salt/pepper to it. I thought it was alright but Zack was saying it was missing something, but then when we added the salt and pepper it was like - wow, this is good! So I guess it did need a bit of that, but that was it. Other than that I'm pretty sure I stuck to the recipe exactly. Also, I made it with some of the long grain rice, and the rice soaks up the sauce really well and that was delicious!!! I could've made that sauce just to serve it with the rice. Screw the chicken! Anyway, it was very good. Thanks food network kitchens. You know what's up!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Katie's Chicken Recipe
So I asked a few friends to submit recipes they were trying and loved. Or hated and wanted me to know about it. The first friend to send me a recipe was Katie. She had explained the recipe to me before but now that I see it written out it looks extra delicious. I can't wait to try it. I'm actually trying a pork thing with pecan's tomorrow so I'll probably wait a week or so to try this one, but it'll be soon and I'll update this post with what I thought of it. Katie though, thinks very highly of it, and based on previous eating experiences at her house, I believe her. haha.
I should also add that Katie is new to the cooking scene. I believe she told me that prior to moving in with Jason she was pretty much just eating boxes of macarroni and cheese when she had to fend for herself, so this is a long way for her so soon! Anything stuffed always seems like it's going to be a difficult dish for me but if Katie can do it, so can I! Also I think the recipe came from a Betty Crocker cook book, but Katie added some of her own touches to it.
Cheese-stuffed Chicken
3 to 4 Boneless chicken breast (1.5 - 2lbs)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts
2 slices, cooked and chopped OR 1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
Paprika
Ranch dressing (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut fat off chicken, cut a pocket into the chicken breast from end to end careful not to cut completely through the breast
Combine the cheeses, bacon and peanuts into a bowl, stir well. Pack the mixture into the pockets, try and pull the top piece over to somewhat close the pocket.
Place into baking dish, sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and paprika
Cook uncovered for 50-55 minutes.
If you want drizzle ranch dressing over chicken once it is done.
Tips from Katie: depending on how much chicken you have will really depend on how much cheese you use. I tend to use more cheese than the recipe calls for and I make sure the chicken breasts are completely stuffed. Whatever mixture I have left over I will spread on top of each breast once they are in the pan, along with the salt, pepper and paprika. 53 minutes in my oven cooks them perfectly. And I highly recommend using the ranch dressing on them once they are done. This is Jason's favorite dish I have made him thus far. Enjoy!
I should also add that Katie is new to the cooking scene. I believe she told me that prior to moving in with Jason she was pretty much just eating boxes of macarroni and cheese when she had to fend for herself, so this is a long way for her so soon! Anything stuffed always seems like it's going to be a difficult dish for me but if Katie can do it, so can I! Also I think the recipe came from a Betty Crocker cook book, but Katie added some of her own touches to it.
Cheese-stuffed Chicken
3 to 4 Boneless chicken breast (1.5 - 2lbs)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts
2 slices, cooked and chopped OR 1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
Paprika
Ranch dressing (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut fat off chicken, cut a pocket into the chicken breast from end to end careful not to cut completely through the breast
Combine the cheeses, bacon and peanuts into a bowl, stir well. Pack the mixture into the pockets, try and pull the top piece over to somewhat close the pocket.
Place into baking dish, sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and paprika
Cook uncovered for 50-55 minutes.
If you want drizzle ranch dressing over chicken once it is done.
Tips from Katie: depending on how much chicken you have will really depend on how much cheese you use. I tend to use more cheese than the recipe calls for and I make sure the chicken breasts are completely stuffed. Whatever mixture I have left over I will spread on top of each breast once they are in the pan, along with the salt, pepper and paprika. 53 minutes in my oven cooks them perfectly. And I highly recommend using the ranch dressing on them once they are done. This is Jason's favorite dish I have made him thus far. Enjoy!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Gnocchi with Michael Chiarello
Just to warn you of what I'm starting here, I thought what with all my new recipes I'm trying, why not tell people how they were? You know, if I liked them, what I would've done to improve it, etc. So without further adieu, I bring to you my first of what could be many, or extremely few blog posts. haha.
I found the recipe on my favorite recipe site, the food network.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/warm-basil-gnocchi-salad-with-carpaccio-of-tomatoes-recipe/index.html
I actually recently learned that I can't stand Michael Chiarello (thank you Top Chef Masters for helping me understand his wretchedness). However, the man knows how to cook - so why not follow his lead. Zack's been bugging me to try this weird potato concoction so I thought 5 years was long enough to be told to do something - I'm trying it!
So as far as things I'd change about this recipe - well for one, I'd just say to make a more olive garden like salad. The carpaccio tomatoes weren't really my thing. I need more in a salad than tomatoes and lettuce. Especially since I don't even like tomatoes that much.
I also totally forgot to add the parmesan cheese! I thought it would be a horrible mistake but after adding it, I think I could've left it off. It made it healthier and I didn't feel like it added much to the dish. Maybe ricotta would have, but I HATE. HATE. HATE. ricotta cheese in anything other than lasagna. period!
Things I'd leave exactly the same - the vinaigrette. I'm shocked to say I really liked it. I hate most things lemon but this was really good. It didn't even taste that lemony. That was probably thanks to the massive amount of pepper I put in it as well :) mmmmm.... pepper!
As for the MAIN ingredient - I made the gnocchi as instructed, and according to Zack, it was cooked perfectly. I guess perfectly for gnocchi means it should taste like an uncooked bread dough? I was not a fan. I mean, would you serve uncooked dough as a dish?? No one would eat it. Well, Zack did, but he's not really a good judge of what not to eat. He eats a lot :) God love him for it because lord knows I've made some mistakes in the kitchen! haha.
Zack didn't like the whole gnocchi with salad idea, so he in turn, made a salad and separately put the gnocchi in a bowl with some gravy, which he said was fantastic. So maybe that's really how you eat gnocchi? I tried his too and again, had that uncooked dough feeling, but covering it in gravy, not too bad!
Things that would make/made this dish better - would be to pan fry the gnocchi. I mean, if gravy makes everything better, pan frying it makes everything gloriously better. Zack offered to fry some up, with the second half of hte recipe and I'm glad he did. I was imagining that they'd taste like fried mashed potatoes and THAT sounds delicious to me! Once again, I was totally and 100% correct. These taste like fries mixed with mashed potatoes or something. It was amazing. You can never go wrong with salty fried potato products.
What I didn't like most about this dish was how complicated it is to make. It's pretty much like making your own pasta - guess how many times I've done that - Never, thank you very much! Nor do I intend to... unless I just did? Is gnocchi pasta? I don't even know what it is honestly. Some kind of creation of it's own. But frying it was good. That's all that matters.
I think my next recipe is going to be some slow cooker jambalaya. Now, I've eaten a LOT of jambalaya, but never have attempted making it, so it should be an interesting endeavor.
Warm Basil Gnocchi Salad with Carpaccio of Tomatoes
I found the recipe on my favorite recipe site, the food network.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/warm-basil-gnocchi-salad-with-carpaccio-of-tomatoes-recipe/index.html
I actually recently learned that I can't stand Michael Chiarello (thank you Top Chef Masters for helping me understand his wretchedness). However, the man knows how to cook - so why not follow his lead. Zack's been bugging me to try this weird potato concoction so I thought 5 years was long enough to be told to do something - I'm trying it!
So as far as things I'd change about this recipe - well for one, I'd just say to make a more olive garden like salad. The carpaccio tomatoes weren't really my thing. I need more in a salad than tomatoes and lettuce. Especially since I don't even like tomatoes that much.
I also totally forgot to add the parmesan cheese! I thought it would be a horrible mistake but after adding it, I think I could've left it off. It made it healthier and I didn't feel like it added much to the dish. Maybe ricotta would have, but I HATE. HATE. HATE. ricotta cheese in anything other than lasagna. period!
Things I'd leave exactly the same - the vinaigrette. I'm shocked to say I really liked it. I hate most things lemon but this was really good. It didn't even taste that lemony. That was probably thanks to the massive amount of pepper I put in it as well :) mmmmm.... pepper!
As for the MAIN ingredient - I made the gnocchi as instructed, and according to Zack, it was cooked perfectly. I guess perfectly for gnocchi means it should taste like an uncooked bread dough? I was not a fan. I mean, would you serve uncooked dough as a dish?? No one would eat it. Well, Zack did, but he's not really a good judge of what not to eat. He eats a lot :) God love him for it because lord knows I've made some mistakes in the kitchen! haha.
Zack didn't like the whole gnocchi with salad idea, so he in turn, made a salad and separately put the gnocchi in a bowl with some gravy, which he said was fantastic. So maybe that's really how you eat gnocchi? I tried his too and again, had that uncooked dough feeling, but covering it in gravy, not too bad!
Things that would make/made this dish better - would be to pan fry the gnocchi. I mean, if gravy makes everything better, pan frying it makes everything gloriously better. Zack offered to fry some up, with the second half of hte recipe and I'm glad he did. I was imagining that they'd taste like fried mashed potatoes and THAT sounds delicious to me! Once again, I was totally and 100% correct. These taste like fries mixed with mashed potatoes or something. It was amazing. You can never go wrong with salty fried potato products.
What I didn't like most about this dish was how complicated it is to make. It's pretty much like making your own pasta - guess how many times I've done that - Never, thank you very much! Nor do I intend to... unless I just did? Is gnocchi pasta? I don't even know what it is honestly. Some kind of creation of it's own. But frying it was good. That's all that matters.
I think my next recipe is going to be some slow cooker jambalaya. Now, I've eaten a LOT of jambalaya, but never have attempted making it, so it should be an interesting endeavor.
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