Roasted Potatoes

I adapted this recipe from one of Martha Stewart's recipes. It is super easy and oh so yummy! I served these with pan fried turkey breasts and peas.

Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
1/4 pound small yellow potatoes
2 tbsb olive oil
seasonings to taste

Directions:
Boil potatoes in a large pot of water and a dash of salt until potatoes are fork tender (~20 minutes)
Coat a rimmed cookie sheet with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Drain potatoes and place on a cookie sheet.
Using a fork gently press down/smash each potato.
Brush the remaining olive oil over the tops of each potato.
Season with your favorite seasonings (I used a 20 blend seasoning mix from Costco...one of the best buys ever and some sea salt)
Bake in 450 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are a golden brown color. The skin should be slightly crispy.

Pork Chops and Fried Rice

This is a recipe that my mom made while I was growing up. I actually had to call her today to make sure I remembered the recipe correctly. Another really easy recipe with lots of flavor. The key here is to make sure not to over cook the pork chops.

Pork Chops and Fried Rice

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
1 cup uncooked rice
3 eggs
3 tbsp chopped cooked bacon
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
season to taste (garlic powder, onion powder, pepper)

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rice and boil rice for about 14 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Lightly season pork chops with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of soy sauce.
3. Brown pork chops on both sides and set aside.
4. In another pan, scramble eggs, then add cooked bacon (I used precooked bacon found on the salad dressing isle), rice, and green onions.
5. Season mixture with soy sauce and any additional seasonings. I usually just taste it until it's seasoned enough.
6. Pour rice mixture into a 9x13 glass dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Flatten rice in dish and place pork chops on top.
7. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until pork chops are no longer pink.

Boudin Stuffed Chicken Breasts

One of my favorite foods is boudin. My dad has been making lots of homemade boudin and brought some over the last time he and my mom visited. I really wasn't in the mood to grill outside, which is the way we normally cook our boudin, so I had to think of another way to cook the boudin. As I researched on the internet I came across a Manda recipe for boudin stuffed chicken breasts. I adapted it slightly adding a little more seasonings and it came out delicious! Hope you enjoy.

Boudin Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, pounded out to get an even thickness
2 links of boudin, removed from the casing
1/2 can cream of chicken
Seasoning to taste (just salt and pepper works here)

Directions:
1. Mix the boudin and cream of chicken in a small bowl
2. Lightly season both sides of the chicken and place a couple of spoonfuls of boudin on the chicken.
3. Roll the chicken with the boudin inside and secure with toothpicks
4. Grill (I used an indoor grill pan) the chicken for about 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink. Make sure you flip the chicken over several time to ensure even cooking.

**Next time I make this I am going to wrap the stuffed chicken breasts with bacon and then cook them.

Fried Chicken with Mac and Cheese

I'm babysitting a friend's daughter and she loves chicken tenders and macaroni. I decided to make fried chicken tenders with mac and cheese for her. Definitely an "unhealthy" meal but I'll make up for it the rest of the week (hopefully). This was my first attempt at making a sauce for the mac and cheese instead of just putting cheese on the pasta. It came out good but still needs some tweaking.

Fried Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken tenders
~ 1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
Oil
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, place in a large bowl and cover with buttermilk. Sometimes I add a little hot sauce to the buttermilk to add a some heat. Let sit for about an hour.
2. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Season heavily with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. If you like a little heat you can add cayenne pepper as well.
3. In a large skillet, over med-high heat, heat enough oil so that the chicken tenders will be covered when placed in the oil.
4. When oil is hot, (test with a little water-if it bubbles it's ready), Coat chicken in seasoned flour and add to oil. Cook until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and drain on paper towels. You may need to work in batches.

3 Cheese Mac and Cheese



Ingredients:
1/2 box (1/2 pound) whole wheat penne rigate pasta
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fontina cheese
1/2 cup monteray jack cheese
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large bowl toss cheeses together to mix.
4. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth and slightly bubbly. Whisk in milk and stir in seasonings. Let come to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, stirring to prevent lumps. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cheese mixture. Stir to combine
5. In pasta pot, Stir together pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half pasta into baking dish. Cover with 1/2 remaining cheese. Pour remaining pasta on top and cover with remaining cheese.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Increase heat to broil and cook 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

Baked Garlic and Green Chili Cheese Grits

Being a southern girl I grew up on grits, both for breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, I remember getting ready for school and my grandma having a bowl of grits and toast ready for me when I got to her house. For dinner, after a fishing trip my mom fried the fish and always served them with grits (my favorite part of the dinner!) This is a slightly different version from the plain grits that my mom used to make. They are delicious. And if you are one of those who have never tasted grits before this recipe is for you. Once you try them you will fall in love with grits!

Not the best picture because I took this the day after. I'll update the next time I make this dish.

Baked Garlic and Green Chili Cheese Grits


Ingredients:
3-4 cloves of garlic
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 cups regular grits
12 ounces cheese (any cheddar, I used sharp)
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs (beaten)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
8 ounces white cheddar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Roast garlic cloves for about 20 minutes or until soft.
Meanwhile, bring chicken broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a boil.
Remove garlic from cloves and set garlic aside.
Add grits to boiling water, whisking to prevent clumps. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
Add cheese and milk and stir until combined.
To add eggs you will need to temper them first. To do this take a spoonful of grits and add it to the eggs. Stir to gradually heat up the eggs without "cooking" them.
Add egg/grits mixture to the rest of the grits. Add butter, green chilies, and garlic until combined.
Pour grits into a greased 4 quart casserole dish.
Cover with white cheddar.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until set.

Creamy Chicken and Rice

One of my favorite foods is rice. I love it with just about anything so I am always looking for new recipes that can be served with rice. This dish is fairly versatile. You can play around with the vegetables and seasonings to change it up to suit your taste buds.

Creamy Chicken and Rice


Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in strips)
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 cans cream of chicken
1/2 can peas
1 tbsp parsley (dry or fresh)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
tony chachere's

Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and tony chachere's
2. Over medium high heat, heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and saute until soft (about 5 minutes)
3. Add chicken to skillet and brown on all sides
4. Add chicken broth and cream of chicken. Stir to combine. Add parsley. Reduce heat to low
5. Let chicken simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
6. Add peas. Serve over cooked rice.

Copy Cat Chuy's Dip

If you're like me if you go to Chuy's in Houston you can't help but order their delicious Creamy Jalapeno dip. It's one of the best dips in town! This dip is a copy cat dip and tastes just as good as the real thing! Hope you enjoy!

Creamy Jalapeño Dip

Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 (1 oz) pack dry ranch dressing mix
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 cup pickled jalapeños
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. lime juice

Directions:
Whisk mayonnaise, milk, sour cream, and ranch dressing mix.
Use a food processor to combine green chilies, jalapeños, and cilantro.
Add mayo mixture to food process along with the salt, garlic powder, and lime juice.
Mix to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors combine.
Serve with tortilla chips.