Herbs

I have been wanting to plant an herb garden for SO long. I always ended up not because of some random excuse, but this summer I was planning on going all out. We stopped at Trader Joes in Vegas on our way out a few weeks ago and I saw this:




There were a few combinations, and I really wanted basil, but I opted for this combo of rosemary, thyme and oregano. I had never used fresh thyme or oregano before so I figured it was about time to try it out.

I have never liked dried thyme and usually leave it out of recipes if they call for it because it's so strong and hay-ish. I had heard Rachael Ray describe fresh thyme as lemony and fresh- and trying it out, she is right! It has a completely different smell and taste than dried thyme. It was a pleasant surprise!

I fully recommend purchasing some herbs- basil is a good starter because it's in so much, and rosemary is great on chicken and in marinades for meat. Let me know how it goes!

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Burgers

Something about a big piece of pineapple on top of a hamburger just sounds so refreshing- After a recent trip to the Trolley, one of my favorite little places to eat in Utah, I decided to recreate it on my own.

What you need:

Grill a chicken breast that's been marinated in teriyaki
Pineapple slices (I used canned rings because the fresh ones didn't look good)
lettuce
some kind of roll or hoagie

I sliced the chicken breast (after letting it rest, of course) and loaded it on a warmed roll with the pineapple slice and lettuce. It was so juicy + refreshing. It's the perfect meal for the warmer weather.

Stuff that looks good

There are so many recipes out there, I figure I can't make them all. Once a week I think I'll post links to what looks good to me. Maybe I'll make some of them, maybe I won't- But for those who are looking for ideas, maybe it will inspire YOU!

Someone showed me these Strawberry Lemonade Bars. A nice twist on the original!

I'm pretty sure I'm going to to have to fit this in one day this week. David LOVES gyros!

Wanna make your own girl scout cookies? I might have to since I haven't seen any little girls at wal-mart...

The Pioneer Woman's recipes always look heavenly. Especially these rosemary dinner rolls.

My new favorite pancakes

I found the best pancake recipe I've ever tried! The best part is that it lets you make a big batch that you can store in your pantry, that way when you want pancakes you just grab a cupful and add the wet ingredients. It's like making your own Bisquick, but these taste a million times better that store bought. Try them! Nigella Lawson knows whats up. All of the recipes I've tried of hers are winners- especially desserts + baked items.

I haven't tried the blueberry syrup that is part of the recipe but I'm sure it's good. We stick to the traditional as much as possible if David has anything to do with it :)

Cilantro chicken quesadillas

I love Guru's but it's a bit expensive. One night Christiana and I decided to recreate their Cilantro Lime Quesadilla so we could enjoy it at home. It was a success! You can mix and match the ingredients but I think the chili powder on the outside of the tortilla really makes it. Here's how to assemble:

Ingredients for 2 large quesadillas (serves 4-ish)

1 bunch cilantro
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 limes
flour tortillas (we prefer the uncooked ones)
1 chicken breast, cooked zn the oven and shredded
2-3 cups of shredded mozzarella and white or yellow cheddar (you can shred as much as you like and combine)
canned corn
black beans

To make the paste that you'll spread on the tortilla, combine cilantro (just the leaves), zest and juice of both limes and garlic cloves in a food processor or blender and blend until it's a paste. I also add a little salt and pepper to this mixture.

Spread the paste on two tortillas. Cover one of the tortillas in chicken, cheese, corn and black beans. Put the two tortillas together and top one side with a little chili powder. Spray your pan and heat. Cook each side of the quesadilla for a few minutes, or until very brown and the cheese is melted. I like to cut mine with my pizza cutter. I served it with the salsa (see below) and sour cream.



We served the quesadillas with Cafe Rio's cilantro lime rice:

1 1/2 cups rice (I like jasmine)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 bullion cubes
3 cups of water


Melt butter in a pot and add onion, celery and rice and the 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro, zest in the lime zest and add the juice of both limes as well. Add the water and bullion cubes. Bring to a boil and cover. Lower heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes.




I also made Kelsey Nixon's guacamole-tomatillo salsa. It was really good with the quesadillas and with chips.

Apple Turnovers

Based on Ina Garten's recipe.


1 1/2 apples, diced into little chunks
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
sprinkle in about teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (leave it out on your counter for a little bit before making the filling)
egg for brushing on top of the dough

Combine the apples, juice, zest, cinnamon, flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and let them sit for a bit. Slice the puff pastry into two triangles by cutting a diagonal line from one corner to the other. Fill each side with the apple mixture and fold the dough over to make a triangle. Use a fork to crimp all unsealed edges together. Do the same until you run out of apples. Brush the top of each with the water or egg and a little sugar if you want. Bake them on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. You want them to be very golden brown all over. I like to serve them with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Bacon Basil Chicken

This meal is one of the first meals I made after getting married. It was inspired by David's LOVE of bacon. It's so easy and really really good. I'm always looking for ways to spruce up chicken, because it is my favorite meat!

Ingredients:

3-4 pieces of bacon, cooked
a handful of fresh basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt + pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Cook the bacon and let it drain and cool. In a blender or food processor combine the bacon (break it up a bit), basil leaves, a few tablespoons of olive oil and a teeny bit of salt and pepper. Blend until everything is about the same size, maybe 45 seconds. You don't want the mixture to be mushy or soggy looking, just broken up into small pieces. Set aside.

Take the chicken and slice a hole in the center. Don't cut all the way through the chicken. Put as much of the bacon basil mixture as you can into the hole. You don't want it coming out, just nice and full. Put the chicken breasts on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish thats been greased. Rub a little olive oil and salt and pepper on top. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, you want the internal temperature to be at 165 in the fattest part of each breast. Don't let it go above 165 because it will continue cooking a tiny bit after you take it out of the oven. Once it's done, take it out and cover them breasts with foil- then let them sit for about 10-15 minutes. This will ensure juicy chicken! I would serve it with broccoli and mashed potatoes. It's a nice flavor change from normal chicken! Plus if you slice it on an angle, the green peeking through the slices of chicken looks really pretty and almost fancy.