I skipped posting last week since it was a splurge day. I went to the mall and bought clothes that I’ve only dreamt about for years and amazingly enough I’m wearing them multiple times even in the last week. I got my eyebrows waxed, bought make-up, and just had an overall pampering day. It was lovely. I need to do it more.
Here’s my February Recipe Wrap Up. (In writing this, I realized why I really didn’t post last week. I’ve been cooking up a storm!)
Snacks and Dressings
Cauliflower Poppers (Crispy Roasted Cauliflower from Whole Living Magazine): I remember seeing this recipe years ago thinking Hmmm, maybe. I finally plunged in and did it (without the red chile flakes and adding some black pepper). They were great. My husband devoured them and wants more. It is a great alternative to fries. (Note: I need them really covered in salt or what’s the point?)
Dreamy Creamy Avocado Dressing from Kimberly Snyder: I read her book The Beauty Detox solution this past month. It makes a lot of sense. I’d love to follow it. There’s just no way I’d be a happy person on it. I like food – all food. But I have begun to start all my meals with fruit and vegetables so maybe one day. This dressing is excellent but makes A LOT.
Copy-Cat Homemade Nature Valley Granola Bars from Chocolate Covered Katie: I’m sure I did something wrong. It came out more like granola than bars. But tasted great.
Main Dishes
Avocado and White Bean Wraps from Eating Well: I am trying to find ways to eat all beans and I’m still trying to find a way for white beans. This was alright. It did not mask the white bean taste enough for me, though I loved the spicy slaw.
Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken: This is one of those that I cannot find anywhere, anymore, on Google, on Pinterest, in my recipe database. I thought it was good but maybe not so much since I never copy and pasted it or have a record of it anywhere. I remember covering a baking dish with foil and pouring the mixture (garlic, oil and brown sugar I believe) over the chicken. And baking. At high heat. For 30-45 minutes. So if you didn’t line the pan, you would cry afterward looking at all the burnt sugar, imagining how you were going to clean it. (And if you are me, you would throw it out and buy another pan.)
Kentucky Hot Browns from Southern Living: These have been on my to-make list for years. My husband and I watched Bobby Flay’s Throwdown on these and were captivated. The sauce was really easy (and I halved it for the two of us). These will definitely be going on the menu rotation.
Clean Eating Chickpea Burgers from Clean Eating Chelsea: These are the BEST non-meat burgers I have ever made (and I’ve made a lot of bad ones). Again, it will never taste or feel like a real hamburger but these are full of flavor (and I omitted the curry since I’m not a fan.) I still have a difficult time keeping them in patty shape but it is well worth the effort. I made these twice this month (the second time was a double batch to freeze for lunches. Yes, THAT GOOD.)
Roasted Shallot Chicken from David Lebovitz: This is when my modifications really don’t work out. I did this with boneless skinless chicken breasts. I need to do it with skin on chicken and I will omit the soy sauce next time. It wasn’t awful my way but it wasn’t as great as it could have been.
Slow Cooker Marinara from Budget Bytes: I have always had a love hate relationship with my various slow cookers. The hate part takes place when I sell them on Ebay. The love part is when I realize I was wrong to sell and buy another one. My mother got me a super tiny one a few years ago (for the Thanksgiving Ham) and I’ve found more success with that one than the other three I’ve had. I made this in the little one with 3 cans of diced tomatoes and then finished it up with the fourth can in a cast iron pot in a low oven. It is super easy and tasty though I add a bit more sugar at the end.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos from Chocolate Therapy: Another reason why I’m all for the crockpot now. Quick, easy, delicious and for the two of us makes multiple meals.
Top Secret Restaurant Recipes Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza: Yeast and I do not get along. This is not new. It is just a fact of my life. I still persist anyway. It was edible. The fault was mine. I made the sauce as well and it works well on a pizza but do not try to use it for anything else. It just doesn’t have the flavor. For me it’s not worth making again – I’ll use the Slow Cooker Marinara for everything from now on.
Pepperoni Rolls from What about Pie?: Even already made dough..sigh. I think it’s because I’m not a patient person. I have no problem letting it sit for hours but once I want to roll it, I want it to ROLL. Not sit there like a blob. But it does anyway. Between my husband and I we got it to work. I made this two days after the stuffed crust pizza, um, experiment. These were the heavenly solution. I filled one with chicken, cheddar, and thyme for another meal. They baked up great and tasted amazing. (My husband thinks we should add some ricotta next time.) Thank you pre-made bread dough.
Desserts
Oatmeal Raisin (Chocolate) Cookies from Chocolate Covered Katie: These were super simple to make and I omitted the sugar (even though I love sweet stuff.) I used chocolate chips instead of raisins. They are a healthier cookie that doesn’t taste or feel like chalk. I love this woman.
Lofthouse Cookie Bars from Cookies and Cups: I’ve seen knock off Lofthouse cookie recipes but they all require wait time (see issue with yeast above). And bar cookies are so much less time consuming. I had a hard time getting the dough spread out through the pan but I made sure it was even before popping it in the oven. They came out great. I made the buttercream to go along with it.
Buttercream from Cookies and Cups: I took a Wilton decorating class a few years ago so of course the buttercream recipe I’ve always used was theirs. But it didn’t taste like thick rich BUTTER which for me is the whole point of BUTTERcream. I saw this one and had to try it – and oh my gosh, it is so right. She is right, you must “go now” and make this buttercream.
Fifteen new recipes. Whew! No wonder I’m exhausted.
