What's Cooking Wednesday: Picatta

I made this last night and immediately knew I had to share it. It. Was. SO. Easy. 

Chicken Picatta 

First off, I made basic chicken cutlets. Thin sliced chicken coated in flour (seasoned with salt and pepper) then in eggs and the dipped in panko breadcrumbs mixed with Trader Joe's onion seasoning. I then pan fry (in my must-have always pan!) I set the cutlets aside on a paper towel on a plate (helps be less greasy) 

After the cutlets are done, I put some garlic (maybe a tablespoon) and minced shallots (one large shallot) into the pan I cooked the cutlets in along with a little butter (1-2 tablespoons). Cook for about a minute. I then added in a cup of white wine and the juice of one lemon squeezed. I let it bubble, maybe 2 minutes, add in a pat of butter (about a tablespoon), let that melt and simmer the flavors together. I toss in some capers and a few slices of lemon then add the cutlets back in for one minute to absorb some sauce. Serve over any pasta. 

I seriously cannot get over how easy and delicious it was! 

What's Cooking Wednesday: TJ's Grilled Cheese

When I make a basic grilled cheese, I use white bread, american cheese, and spread mayo on the outside of the bread for the perfect sear.

 
When I make grown-up grilled cheese, I do the following. And it's oh-so-good.

Trader Joe's Grilled Cheese 

(named this because I get all my ingredients from Trader Joe's) 

Tuscan Pane bread

Gralic spread

Toscano cheese

Pickled jalepenos

Butter

Place butter in the pan to melt. Spread both pieces of bread with the garlic spread (inside the sandwich). Grate the toscano cheese onto one side and top with pickled jalepenos. Place other piece of bread on top (garlic spread inside). Grill in the pan and add more butter when you flip to grill the opposite side for an even grill. Enjoy!

Fair warning, it's got a bite to it with the jalepenos but it's soooooo good!    

What's Cooking Wednesday: Pasta With Peas

People often give some whole sob story and random background info when they share a recipe. Me? That drives me batsh*t. Hence why you'll see a picture and a recipe and that's it. You're welcome. 

Pasta With Peas 

half a box of spaghetti or linguini (about 6 ounces) 

olive oil 

garlic

peas (one cup of cooked peas)

parmesan

eggs

lemon zest and juice (one lemon)

salt and pepper 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente. 

Cook the peas while pasta cooks (I just microwave a steam bag) 

Take 2 egg yolks and whisk them a little, set to the side. 

Drain the pasta and toss if with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Save a cup and a half of the pasta water. 

Put 1/3 cup of olive oil into the pasta pot you just used. Add in 5 gloves of garlic, minced. Cook barely one minute. Toss the pasta back into the pot with the garlic. Give it a swirl. Add the pasta water back in. Give it another swirl. Turn the heat off and add in the 2 whisked egg yolks. Swirl it a few times to give it a good mix. 

Then add in the cup of cooked peas and 1/2 cup to 1 cup of grated parmesan (to your liking) and swirl it a few times. Add in the juice of one lemon and the zest and swirl it a few more times. 

Salt and pepper to taste and done. Dinner in under 20 minutes. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Blondies

 I could give you a whole story about these blondies, but no one wants stories. They want easy, quick recipes. So here you go! 

White Chocolate Cherry Blondies 

1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick melted butter
2 eggs
Mix those together. 
Fold in 1/2 cup brown sugar. 
Add in any other items (I use half a jar of cut up cherries and 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips but you can also use cut up candy bars, chocolate chips, etc)
Pour into a baking dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. 
You're welcome. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Sunday Breakfast

I'd love to say we do this every Sunday, but we don't. Who would I be kidding, really?! 

Whenever we have an abundance of oranges (or any citrus actually) I juice them. We then have to have a REAL Sunday breakfast ;-) 

Our go to scrambled eggs, toast with Alouette cheese spread, maple bacon, and fresh tomatoes chopped and drizzles with olive oil and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt and pepper. 

A quick scrambled egg recipe for you this week: 

Whisk four eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk and a dash of truffle oil. Add in a tablespoon of fresh diced chives and slowly scramble over low-medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Serve softly scrambled with all of the accompaniments. Enjoy! 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Spicy Watermelon Margarita

Everyone deserves a good drink now and then. And this baby has been on heavy rotation in our house this summer! 

Ingredients: 

2-3 cups of watermelon (pureed)

1/2 cup tequila

splash or shot of triple sec

dash of simple syrup (if you don't have any, use honey) 

splash or shot of lime juice

sliced jalepenos

In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients with some ice, shake, pour into your favorite glass. 

I like to have mine on Taco Tuesdays. Or Wacky Wednesdays. Or Thirsty Thursdays. Who am I kidding, I like to have it any night of the week! 

And our dinner this time was taco bowls without the tacos! Some seared steak marinated in lime, black beans, corn with carmelized onions, and fresh avocado salad. Yum. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Easy Alfredo

I could not believe not only how easy this sauce was to make, but how delicious it was. I should've baked bread to go with it to slop the sauce up too!

I sautéed some shrimp to go along with it but any protein or vegetables would be delish. 

Ingredients: 

2 tabelspoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter (judgement free zone here people)

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 cup of chicken stock

1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

salt and pepper for taste

1/3 to 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (same amount as your cream)

Heat a skillet at medium and melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the garlic for barely a minute to release the flavor and sizzle a bit. Add the stock and cream and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Lower the heat then add in the parm to melt. Once the sauce is melted together, add in your cooked pasta of choice. Toss thoroughly then top with some more parmesan because you only live once! 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Best Banana Bread EVER

There's about 147,693 recipes for banana bread out there and they all claim to be the best. So, just add me to the list. Ha! 

In all seriousness, this has a secret ingredient you'd NEVER guess and it made my banana bread exceptional. So, it's time to share with the world. 

Ingredients: 

2 large bananas, mashed 

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1/2 cup mayo (secret ingredient!)

Optional: 1/4-1/2 cup pecan pieces and 1/4-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used both this time) 

Preheat over to 350 and spray loaf pan with cooking spray. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, egg, and mayo. 

In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugars. 

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture slowly mix. Don't overmix it because you want it to be soft and moist when it's done baking. Towards the end of mixing, add in the pecans and/or chips. 

Bake for 75 minutes and let it cool before slicing. I like it over the next few days toasted with some fresh butter. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Egg Salad

Seems easy, and it is. But here's my secret to my delicious egg salad. 

Ingredients: 

8 eggs 

3 tablespoons mayo (olive oil mayo is my go to) 

1 tablespoon grainy mustard 

fresh dill (about a tablespoon) 

Boil your eggs. I've found putting the eggs in the pot, filling with cold water, bringing the water to a boil, then turing it off and letting the eggs sit for 15-20 minutes give me the perfect hard-boil. But, it's a work in progress. I slowly run cold water in my kitchen sink and peel while under the water. 

Dice the eggs and place in a bowl with the mayo, mustard, and fresh dill. Mix and enjoy. 

I love this egg salad on a bagel for some reason. When I have it on a bagel, I often sprinkle it with everything but the bagel seasoning too for an added pop of flavor! 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Baked Feta

A friend of mine shared a recipe from Grilled Cheese Social for baked feta and hers looked so good, I had to take a twist on it. 

Ingredients: 

a block of feta (do NOT use crumbles)

a pack of cherry or baby tomatoes 

GOOD olive oil 

salt and pepper 

honey 

garlic 

Line your pan with parchment paper or spray with Pam. 

Place your feta in the center. 

In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with 3-4 tablespoons of GOOD olive oil, a few tablespoons of minced or thinly sliced garlic,  and a good amount of salt and pepper (to your liking). Pour tomatoes and juices around the feta in the pan. Drizzle the feta with some honey. 

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes then raise the temp to 450 and bake another 10. 

I served it with a loaf of crusty bread and the next day we had it for breakfast with eggs on fresh biscuits. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Watermelon Paloma

Summer is here and that means watermelon aplenty! Oftentimes, when we get a whole watermelon, we struggle to finish it. So I take a chunk of it and puree it with plans for cocktails. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of watermlon, pureed

2 shots of tequila

drizzle of honey

squeeze of fresh lime

splash of seltzer (like Pellegrino) or sparkling water (like lime LaCroix)

splash of orange juice (if wanted)

Take all ingredients, place in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.

Pour into your favorite glass and top with a slice of watermelon for decoration. 

So easy yet so delicious. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Tzatziki

I cannot believe I finally put together a recipe that I love but also is easy and simple to make! 

Ingredients: 

4 pickling cucumbers (I have them growing in my yard, otherwise use 1 English cucumber) 

1 1/2 cups sour cream (you could also do Greek yogurt but I only had sour cream)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon dill

2 tablespoons GOOD olive oil

dash of salt and pepper to taste

Using a grater, grate the cucumber on the smallest or second smallest side onto a paper towel. When done grating, squeeze as much water out as you can. 

Put the cucumber in the bowl along with all of the other ingredients. 

Mix gently but completely. 

Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably 4 so the flavors all marinate together.

I like to have it in my fridge to put on top of Greek taco bowls or burrito bowls or even just dip chips in it. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Pink Drink

Now, if you're a Starbucks visitor, you know all about the pink drink. If not, be prepared for a summer drink surely to be refreshing and delicious. 

Super easy, simple, and for the price of a trente pink drink at Starbucks I'm going to teach you how to half a dozen at home for the same price. 

Ingredients:

Ocean Spray white cran-strawberry juice

Trader Joe's vanilla coconut milk (any coconut milk really)

Trader Joe's strawberries in syrup. 

Take your glass, add some ice. Put in a spoonful of strawberries and another spoonful of the syrup from the jar. Fill glass halfway with the coconut milk then stir. Then fill the other half with the juice and stir again. 

Bam. Pink drink. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Peach Chicken

I found a recipe on Half Baked Harvest that sounded so good so I decided to tweak it. And, according to my husband, this is "the best thing you've ever found on the internet" so let's just call that a win. 

Peach White Wine Chicken

3 chicken breasts, cut in half thin to be thin cutlets

4 TBLS olive oil 

2 TBLS fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup flour

2 TBLS lemon juice (I cheated and used the bottled stuff in my fridge)

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 1/2 cups white wine, I used Sauvignon Blanc

2 TBLS honey

3 peaches (slice and peel, I didn't peel and wish I had)

fresh basil leaves, torn

6-8 ounces fresh mozzarella

Preheat over to 450. 

Place chicken cutlets in a large ziploc bag with the lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, and some salt and pepper. Shake it up and let it sit. 

Take a large oven-safe skillet and cook the bacon in it. Make sure it's crispy. Drain the bacon on a paper towel but don't pour out the grease, you're cooking the chicken in it!

 Take each piece of chicken out and gently toss with flour to coat them. Then put each cutlet in the bacon grease pan to cook, roughly 6-8 minutes each side. Make sure they brown BEFORE you flip it. 

Remove the chicken and add in the white wine plus 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water depending on how much you want to dilute the wine. Stir to pick up the chicken bits from the bottom of the pan for 1-2 minutes then add the chicken back in. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Add in the bacon then put the cut peaches and chunked or torn fresh mozz into the pan. Drizzles the honey over the pan. Place the skillet in the over for 8-10 minutes or until the mozz melts and bubbles and the peaches show signs of carmelization. 

Take it out of the oven and enjoy. We served it over rice but I wish I had some crusty bread to eat alongside it because the sauce is SO GOOD!

What's Cooking Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Brisket

My signature dish. Without fail. It's what I'm known for. My brisket.

Now, before you get overwhelmed at the thought of making a brisket, allow me to calm your nerves. It is NOT difficult, it's just a teensy bit time consuming. With that being said, here we go.

I originally made it from the Joy of Cooking classic recipe but have since modified it over the years. Sometimes I make it with more of a kick, and sometimes I make it sweeter. Regardless, it is VERY hard to f**k up so consider this a possibility for any group dinner you have coming up.

Sweet and Sour Brisket

3-4 pound brisket

Garlic

Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil

5 pounds (at least) of onions (best to use a mix of yellow, sweet, purple, and shallots)

Red wine

Beef stock

Chili sauce (I always use Frank's Red Hot) 

Apple cider vinegar

Brown sugar (dark is best but I almost only have light in my pantry)

Bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

While that preheats, slather the brisket with salt, pepper, and garlic. I puncture the brisket in 10 spots and shove a whole garlic clove into each puncture. I'd say 2 solid tablespoons of salt plus 2 solid tablespoons of pepper. Then sear the brisket. in 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil. 

I use a roasting pan on top of 2 gas burners on my stovetop for the entire process and it has actually worked out very well. You can also sear the brisket on a grill too, which is what we did before we had a gas stove. 

I toss in whatever fresh herbs I have on hand when I make this. It varies with what's in my fridge or in the summer what's growing in my garden. If you don't have fresh herbs, no worry at all. It's still delicious. 

When the brisket is seared on both sides, remove it from the pan. Add in a few more tablespoons of oil and toss in ALL OF THE ONIONS. It doesn't matter how thin or thick they're sliced but make sure they're sliced! Keep whatever herbs were in the pan with the onions too. The flavors will get married even more! 

Once the onions have started to get carmelized and brown in color (but not ALL THE WAY) it's time for the sauce. Add in half a bottle (yes, I know) of red wine and a full box of beef stock. Stir around a bit and scrape the bottom of the pan for yummy bits. Let that got for just a few minutes then add in 1 cup of chili sauce, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 to 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, and 4 bay leaves. Give it a stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste your sauce and adjust your flavoring to your liking. 

Add the brisket back into the sauce and onions, toss some fresh herbs (if you have any) on top and cover it with foil. Bake until tender to your liking anywhere from 2-3 hours. 

When it's done, remove it from the oven. let it rest.

Remove the brisket from the pan and thinly slice it then place the slices back into the pan. 

Here's the MOST important part. Cover the pan and put it in the fridge overnight to soak it all up. 

The next day, remove the pan from the fridge. Let is come to room temperature. Reheat in the over for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. 

I promise, you'll never look at brisket the same again. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Eggplant Stacks

You'd never know I had no idea what I was doing when I made these. Seriously. A few weeks ago I made Ina Garten's roasted eggplant parmesan and it was SO good. I didn't have all of the ingredients to make ti tonight, so I made this instead!

Eggplant Stacks

1 eggplant, sliced moderately thin

1 tomato, sliced thin

carmelized onions (leftover from dinner last night for me)

tomato sauce (I used Rao's)

shredded parmesan cheese

a creamy cheese, such as alouette 

oregano

olive oil

salt and pepper 

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Slice eggplant and spread on a greased sheetpan. Spread olive oil (I used a basting brush) on both sides of the eggplant and sprinkle heavily with salt and oregano. Do this on both sides and spread them to be one layer on the pan. Roast at 400 for 15 minutes then flip them and roast for another 10 minutes. 

While those roast, slice the tomatoes and gather your cheese. 

When the eggplant is done, on the same pan, place one piece of roasted eggplant. Then one thin slice of tomato. Then a tablespoon of sauce. Then a tablespoon on parmesan cheese. Then some carmelized onins. Then some creamy cheese. Then another slice of eggplant. And do that three times. Add some extra parm to the top of the third layer. 

Put the stacks back into the oven for 5 minutes to let the flavors melt together and the cheese on top to bubble. Then they're done. 

Enjoy! 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Cookie Brownies

Brookies. Slut Brownies. Whatever they're called they're freaking delicious. And so dang easy. 

Cookie Brownies

Cookie dough

Oreos (or other sandwich cookies) 

Peanut butter

Brownie mix (plus oil and eggs as needed per box directions) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take a brownie bar pan (I just got that cool Pampered Chef pan that makes every brownie have an edge and used that) spray with Pam and put raw cookie dough in the bottom of each section. You can also use a cupcake pan. Press the dough into the bottom. 

Take an Oreo and spread it with peanut butter than put it on top of the cookie dough.

Make the brownie batter according to directions on the box. 

Top each Oreo with brownie batter filling just shy of the top. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the pan. 

Try REALLY HARD to not eat them all at once. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic scapes. They only grow a short period of the early summer but I love getting my hands on them to make this delicious and EASY pesto. 

Garlic Scape Pesto

12-15 garlic scapes

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1/3 cup of almonds (pine nuts are better but SO expensive and I didn't have any)

1 TBSP lemon juice

salt and pepper

Put it all in a blender or food processor and let it mix! That's it. 

Put it on sandwiches, in pasta, in eggs or an omelette, or even add it to a cheese board!

What's Cooking Wednesday: Squash Coucous

We received 2 squash, one butternut and one acorn, in our Misfit Market box and I had no clue what to do with them. So I scoured the internet looking for ideas and found a quinoa salad and decided to tweak it to my own liking. 

Squash Cousous

2 squash (I used one butternut and one acorn) 

Couscous

Feta

Parlsey

Red wine vinegar

Pistachios

Heat oven to 450, cut squash in half, seed them and remove the centers, brush them with a mixture of 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar then sprinkle a tablespoon of brown sugar over them. Cook skin side down for 30 minutes or until tender and carmelized. 

Cook couscous according to box directions (I use chicken stock instead of water) 

When squash is finished and slightly cooled, chop into chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. Add cousous. Add 1/2 cup of shelled chopped pistachios, Add 1/2 cup ish of feta cheese. Add a handful of chopped parsley. Add in 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix and serve. 

That's it! 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Stuffed Peppers

I received Ananheim {poblano} peppers in my Misfit Market box recently and was at a loss for what to make with them. Alas, I threw a random recipe together and it turned out delicious! Check it out. 

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

3 large peppers

Carmelized onions (we always have a dish of them in our fridge, I make them once a week and use them throughout the week)

Roast chicken (leftovers)

Black beans

Corn salsa (jar from Trader Joe's)

Cream cheese

Cheddar cheese

Chili onion crunch (from Trader Joe's)

Scallions or chives

Cilantro 

Lime juice

Preheat oven to 400. Cut peppers in half and put in a greased baking dish. 

Add ingredients to a bowl. I used half a chunk of cream cheese, a cup of shredded cheddar, 1/4 a jar of corn salsa, a cup of carmelized onions, 2 cups of cooked chicken, a cup of black beans, a heaping tablespoon of chili crunch, a handful of scallions and cilantro, and 2 limes squeezed. I then mixed it all up and filled the peppers. I baked about 15-17 minutes until the cheese melted and it was hot all the way through. 

Top with sour cream (if you like, I love!) and another squeeze of lime. 

We can't wait to make this again!