Blackened Chicken

Blackened Chicken Salad

Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts
salad fixings

Blackened Seasoning:
1 TB paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 TB cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder optional just gives it a little sweetness
1tsp basil
1 tsp salt

Side note I normally do this blackened recipe minus the basil and thyme but I was in the mood for a more herb chicken that night lol!

Cut the chicken breasts into halves so you end up with four pieces.

Mix all the blackened seasoning ingredients in one bowl.

Take the chicken breast halves one at a time and coat in the seasoning. The more spicy you like it the more coated you should make them.

Place the chicken in skillet on med-high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. The thicker the halves are the longer they will take on each side.

Let the chicken rest on the cutting board for a few minutes. If you cut it right away all the juices will run out of the meat. After it has rested for a few minutes slice it into thin strips to put on top of the salad.

Prepare your salads how you like. For this one I used a mixture of iceberg lettuce and spinach topped with shredded carrots, cucumber, celery, and soft boiled eggs.

Italian Sausage and Red Pepper Pizza

Italian Sausage and Red Pepper Pizza

Ingredients

pizza dough calories Pillsbury classic can pizza dough= 960

1 red bell pepper calories=20

2 spicy Italian sausage links calories=400

1/2 cup ricotta cheese calories=120

1 minced garlic clove calories =4.5

1 cup frozen spinach calories=30

6 tsp Parmesan cheese calories=75

1/2 cup mozzarella calories=200

 1/2 cup tomato basil spaghetti sauce calories=90

corn meal calories= 110

total calories around 2009.5 if you cut the pizza into 10 slices it would be about 200 calories a slice. If you want to cut the calories down more reduce the ricotta cheese, other cheeses and substitute grilled chicken breast for the sausage. You could also use a homemade crust and cut the calories by a lot especially if you make a wheat crust.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dust a cookie sheet with corn meal to keep the crust from sticking to the pan. If you have a pizza stone use it. Pizza stones make the crust so crunchy and delicious! 

Pat the dough down until you get the thickness of crust you like.

Spread the pizza sauce all over the crust you can use more or less and whatever brand is your favorite. 

In a bowl mix 1/2 cup  ricotta cheese, minced garlic,  and 1 cup spinach.

After you have mixed it all together spread it over the pizza sauce. It doesn't have to be smooth or pretty just try to spread it pretty evenly.

Top the pizza with precooked chopped Italian sausage (I used 2 sausage links cut in half length wise and then to small half moon slices) and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Add your sliced red bell pepper to the pizza and cover with the 1/2 cup mozzarella or whatever other white cheese you like.

Brush the crust with olive oil and bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is cooked and the cheese is melted. If you want a crunchier crust cook longer.

Croissants

Croissants

Ingredients
4 teaspoons instant dried yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup skim milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons skim milk

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes.

Add the bread flour, milk, sugar, melted butter, and salt to the dissolved yeast and water and mix the dough on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour at a time, until the dough is just firm enough to fold a shape.

Shape dough into a ball and loosely cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Flour the surface you will be rolling the dough out on. Roll the dough into a rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet, and then cover it loosely and allow it to rise for 40 minutes.

Round 1- Spread the softened butter on the dough and then fold the dough into thirds. Roll the long, thick rectangle back into the original shape.

Round 2- Spread the softened butter on the dough and then fold the dough into thirds.Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Round 3- Spread the softened butter on the dough and then fold the dough into thirds. Roll the long, thick rectangle back into the original shape.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3 rectangle strips, then cut each strip into 3 squares, and final each square into 2 triangles. 

Pull the tip of each triangle and then roll the croissants up from the base. If you want it to look like a crescent curve the ends slightly.

Arrange each finished croissant on a lightly greased baking sheet with at least 1 1/2 inches between each pastry.

Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are nearly doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons milk together to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash across the surface of each pastry.

Bake the croissants for 12 to 14 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown.

Tikka Masala Recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala

 

Chicken 
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp table salt
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped up into cubes
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (low fat or fat free)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tb ginger

Sauce:
3 TB vegetable oil
1 medium onion diced
2 medium garlic cloves minced
2 tsp ginger
1 TB tomato paste
1 TB garam masala
1 can chopped tomatoes with jalapenos   
1/2 tsp table salt
2/3 C Greek yogurt 
1/4 c chopped cilantro leaves 

Directions:

The sauce can be made ahead, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice.

FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic, ginger, salt, oil and yogurt small bowl. Stir the mixture up and add the chopped chicken to it. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for 30-60 minutes.

 Heat a medium size skillet and cook the chicken mixture until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Combine it at the last minute with the masala sauce. Do not let it simmer in the sauce you want to have 2 layers of flavor and if you simmer it in the sauce it will all taste the same. Serve it on top of basmalti rice.

FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ginger, 1/2 TB curry powder, 1/2 TB turmeric, 2 TB tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

 Add canned tomatoes, and salt; bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This is step where most restaurants put the sauce in the blender and make it a liquid but I prefer the chunkier sauce so I left it as is)Stir in yogurt and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

 










Final product: Add the Chicken to the sauce just before you serve it and stir until it is evenly distributed.

Serve it over basmati rice. 

 

Apple Crisp for Two

Apple Crisp

Ingredients
1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons water

4 tablespoon quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place the sliced apples in a small pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.

Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. 

Crumble evenly over the apple mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until apples are tender. (bigger apple slices will take longer to cook.)

 

Red Potatoes with Pesto and Parmesan Cheese

Red Potatoes with Pesto and Parmesan Cheese

8 red potatoes

2 Tb pesto

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the red potatoes into wedges and drizzle with olive oil in a bowl. Add the pesto and stir until all the potatoes are evenly coated.

Place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

 Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing

I love love love the ginger dressing at Japanese restaurants but none of the stores sell it here. This is the first failed attempt at making it. I will not put soy sauce in it in the future because it makes it visually unappealing to me. It taste exactly the same it just looks gross!

  Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing

4 tablespoons chopped carrots
4 tablespoons ginger chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 Tb lemon juice
1 medium onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend
Stir and shake before each use