Lemon, Chive & Chicken

We found this recipe on the cookography blog. It's a great site to check out with tons of great tasting options.

Ingredients:
Some sort of pasta
2 chicken breasts
1 bunch chives
1 lemon
2 Tbs olive oil

Directions:
1.Bring water to a boil for the pasta. Don’t forget some salt. Cook the pasta.
2.Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally so that they are half as thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3.Cook the chicken filets over a medium-high heat with a little bit of oil. It should take 3-4 minutes per side to cook the chicken.
4.Zest the lemon, removing as little of the white part as possible. Juice the lemon into a large bowl and add the zest and olive oil.
5.Finely chop the chive and add them to the bowl. Chop the chicken width-wise into bite size strips. Add the chicken in with everything else.
6.When the pasta is done, drain and toss in the bowl with all the other stuff.



Review:
Kevin loved this. I thought it was just ok. I obviously used too much pasta (1 lb. of farfalle.) If I make this again I'd want to use pre-cooked chicken strips just to make this even easier. I might try this again, but I didn't love it enough to put it into our regular circulation of meals. It's the first recipe we found on cookography that we didn't think was the best thing in the world. On a scale of one to five: 3.5

McBride's Dirty Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb bulk sausage of desired heat
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion
2 bell peppers cut into 1” pieces
1 diced jalepeno pepper (optional)
2 stalks thinly sliced celery
1 1/2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
Cook rice according to directions
Cook sausage over medium high heat until brown
Add garlic and onion. Cook until onion is tender
Add bell and jalepeno pepper. Cook until peppers are tender
Add celery and red pepper flakes. Cook 2-3 minutes
Add rice. Stir well. Serve hot.



Review:
This is an old standby for us. We make it at least every other week. The recipe comes from our friend Wes, though we've tweeked it a bit to our own liking. It has a lot of flavor, color, and texture. We like to add crushed red pepper to it to make it a little spicier.

Tortellini Caesar Salad

From: www.tasteofhome.com

Ingredients:
1 package (19 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups torn romaine
1 cup seasoned salad croutons
Halved cherry tomatoes, optional

Directions:
Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, milk, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and garlic.

Drain tortellini and rinse in cold water; transfer to a large bowl.

Add romaine and remaining Parmesan. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Top with croutons and tomatoes if desired.
Yield: 10 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (prepared with fat-free mayonnaise and fat-free milk and without tomatoes) equals 144 calories, 4 g fat (0 saturated fat), 14 mg cholesterol, 318 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 8 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.
Tortellini Caesar Salad published in Quick Cooking July/August 2000, p29



Review:
It turned out pretty tasty. Next time, I would do more than just run the tortellini under cold water. It wilted the letuce quite a bit, I would probably refrigerate it for a few minutes before putting it in the salad. Also, I might cut back on the dressing just a little bit. The salad turned out a little soggy.

It had great flavor though! I would definately make this again with just a few changes. Even Kevin liked the dressing and he doesn't usually care for creamy or caesar dressings. I was also surprised at how filling this salad way. It would be great at parties, picnics, or to go along with holiday dinners.

Flank Steak Santa Fe

Tonight we tried Flank Steak Santa Fe, a recipe we found on www.tasteofhome.com

Recipe:
Ingredients
3/4 pound bulk spicy pork sausage or uncooked chorizo
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups unseasoned croutons
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 beef flank steak (1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 jar (16 ounces) picante sauce or salsa verde
Additional picante sauce or salsa verde, optional

Directions:
Crumble sausage into a large skillet; cook for 6-8 minutes over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain.

Cool to room temperature; stir in the eggs, croutons, onions and parsley.

Cut steak in half horizontally to within 1/2 in. of end; open steak and pound to 1-1/2-in. thickness. (this part was rather difficult since the steak we had started out thin.)

Spread with sausage mixture. Roll up, jelly-roll style, beginning with a short side; tie with string. (we didn't have string, so we used skewers)

In a large skillet, brown steak in oil. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spread picante sauce over steak.

Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until meat is tender. Garnish with additional picante sauce if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 403 calories, 26 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 131 mg cholesterol, 909 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 28 g protein.
Flank Steak Santa Fe published in Country April/May 1997, p49


Review:
Would we make it again? No, and here's why. It was difficult to make, took a long time, and wasn't that good. It was decent, but it didn't wow me. There are way too many other steak recipes out there that are much less complicated.

About Me

I'm a producer at a local TV station, which means I have a strange work schedule. Sometimes I sleep during the day and eat dinner for breakfast. Likewise, I sometimes get home around the time most people are waking up and I'm ready for dinner at 8:00am. It makes for a weird eating schedule, for sure.

When it comes to food, I get bored easily. Some people can easily eat the same things each week, but I love options. There are no "taco Tuesdays" or "pizza Fridays" in this house.

For years, I've been trying different recipes and saving the ones I like. The problem is, there's no organization to my madness. I have recipes in the computer, recipes on paper, recipes in my internet explorer favorites, recipes in books...you get the idea.

I am in no way, shape, or form a chef. I don't even know if I'd call myself a good cook. In fact, my husband does a lot of the cooking in this house. I also don't consider myself a "foodie." While I enjoy good food, I'm not sure my pallate can really determine the difference between certain things.

I've created this blog not for the general public (though, I certainly hope you enjoy it,) but more for myself. I plan to use it as a way to organize the different recipes I've tried. I hope to review them and make notes of what I do and do not like.

I'll try to always provide links or information on where I found the recipe. My biggest goal is to keep the blog updated. If you know me, you know that I've made several "blogging" attempts and repeatedly failed at them.

Enjoy!
-Green Like the Color