Creative Cousin

Boo!  Did I scare you?  I just wanted to get your attention to share these super creative Halloween treats.

 

Look at these amazing Halloween dinner ideas that my cousin made when I was in DC last weekend:

 

Jack O' Lantern Peppers stuffed with turkey, cheese, onions, seasonings, etc.

 

Green Beans Casserole with Ritz Cracker Tombstones.  Scary delicious!

 

It's not too late to make them for tomorrow night's dinner.  Spook and delicious - the perfect All Hallows Eve combination! 

Diveats - Potato & Broccoli Puree

If you're like me, you sometimes struggle with ideas for interesting side dishes for dinner.  First world problems, I know.

 

Prepare to add a new side dish into your bag of tricks - Broccoli Puree (click the link for recipe)

 

I was just going to serve this alongside my chicken with dinner.  However, it ended up making so much and had a consistency that so resembled mashed potatoes, that I just decided right then and there to make it a little bed for my chicken to lay it's dead breast.

 

 

Chicken breast w/ Toast points, served on a comfy bed of Broccoli Puree

 

My husband declared that it looked so good, "It deserved a glass of wine with it."  I'm pretty sure he just wanted an excuse for a glass of wine, but I'll take it!

 

The only modifications I made were to add garlic powder for a little more flavor.  I also can pretty much guarantee that a little dollop of butter in the mix would taste divine, but I didn't try that this time.  Maybe next time, when I prepare to hibernate for winter.

Diveats - Mushroom "Pizza"

Have you ever made a mushroom pizza?  OK, maybe that's not really a real thing, but it should be!

 

With just a few simple ingredients you can make a personal size pizza for one.  Only it's not really pizza.  It's even simpler and totally healthy.

 

So simple.  So easy to make.

 

I made myself a mushroom pizza recently by marinading a portabella mushroom cap in Italian dressing for about a half hour.  Then I baked it at 350 for about 12 minutes.  Next I added tomato slices on top and baked for another 5 minutes. 

 

Finally, I layered on a few slices of fresh mozzarella and baked for another 5 minutes or until the cheese was slightly melted.  I also broiled it on high for a minute or two after that to try to achieve a golden brown color on top.  I succeeded for the most part.

 

Melty Cheesy Yummy

 

I have made this one other time and added pesto.  Might I say that pesto makes a world of difference.  It really takes it from pizza-reminiscent to this-is-so-good-I-am-in-no-way-wishing-this-"pizza"-had-an-actual-buttery-crust.  So I'd obviously recommend adding pesto!  I was just out this time.

 

Nothing revolutionary here, but it sure is an easy mid-week dinner that you can whip up in a figure-friendly flash!  Try it!

Diveats - Party Pork Tenderloin

I just realized I've never shared my all time favorite recipe on Diva Says What.  What a travesty!  It's the best thing ever.

 

It's called Party Pork, but sometimes I just make it for a party of two on any given week night.  It's always a good time to celebrate!

 

It takes 24 hours of forethought, because you need to marinade it for 24 hours to truly let it shine.  But other than that it's really easy.  And delicious doesn't even begin to describe the flavor.  It's all about the sauce baby.

 

Here's the recipe:

 



Can you tell I've used it a few times?



I always, always pair it with this rice.  It's so substantial and beautiful and is really good at sopping up the luscious sauce.

 

 

 

Here's the sauce.  I always take the marinade that I've had the pork in and re-use.  I just bring it to a rolling boil to kill an raw-ness and then simmer it for the entire time that the pork is baking - About 45 minutes at 350, depending on how much meat you use.  I usually just use one tenderloin for two of us.

 

The sauce is boss, baby!

 

I was going to take a picture of the whole kit and caboodle but, as usual, I ate it too fast.  I guess that makes me an over aggressive fatass!  But I did remember half way through to take this picture, which does NOT do this meal justice.

 

Served with wild rice and asparagus.  And bad lighting.

 

No lie, I'd serve this to the Queen.  It's that sensational.  I just got to have leftovers for lunch and besides the little hiccup of me burning the crap out of my tongue on the rice, it was such a nice midday treat.

 

When you buy pork tenderloin it seems expensive because a package is about $18 (non-organic).  But two come in a package.  If you use one per meal, that's really only $9 for two people for meat.  That's no more expensive than 2 organic chicken breasts!  Furthermore, most of the other ingredients are standard pantry items that you can throw together in a flash, just add lemon juice!

 

Here's the legible recipe for Party Pork Tenderloin:

 

*Note - I always just make half of the marinade because it makes SO much sauce.  1/2 of the recipe below makes enough marinade for 1 or 2 tenderloins, in my opinion.

 

1.5 - 2 pounds pork tenderloin

Marinade:

- 1.5 cups of salad oil (I use olive oil, don't know what exactly salad oil is)

- 3/4 cup of soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons dry mustard

- 1 tablespoon black pepper

- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

- 1.5 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (I omit b/c I don't like parsley and hate buying big bushels of herbs only to use a fraction of it)

- 1 clove garlic, crushed

 

1. Combine all ingredients for marinade and pour over meat.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees or prepare outdoor grill.

3. Drain marinade from pork and reserve.

4. Place tenderloin on rack in broiler pan or on grill.  (I just use a baking dish)

5. Cook, basting frequently for 30-45 minutes or until desired degree or doneness.

 

Diveats - Bourbon Chili

Last weekend I made a new-to-me chili recipe that was very tasty and unique:

Brian's Bourbon Chili (found in Country Living Magazine)

I've never used bourbon in any recipe and I've definitely never put orange juice or butter in a chili, but there's a first time for everything, right? Well, almost right. I didn't put butter in it because that just seemed a little bit overboard.

Peppers and Onions and Garlic, OH MY!

What a difference a spice (or 5) can make! What glorious color.

Top it with chive sour cream and freshly grated cheddar?  Don't mind if I do!
 

When I opened that bottle of bourbon to make this recipe it really made me long for Christmas time.  Not because I drown my Yule Tide sorrows in the bottle.  Just because it reminded me of this recipe for homemade Egg Nog.

The only other exceptions I made besides omitting the butter were adding Great Northern beans instead of Garbanzo Beans, and making chive sour cream instead of mint sour cream.  Chives are really the only herb I like.  Don't even get me started on flat leaf parsley!

This chili was so unique and delicious because, after an hour of simmering, you could really taste the bourbon in each bite.  Not in an alcohol way, just a taste way.  It made for a one of a kind flavor.

This recipe is highly recommended by the chef blogger!  Now that there is finally a little chill in the Fall air, why not give it a try and make a big batch??

Soup for You!

After getting way too excited to see an advertisement for this in a magazine recently, I finally remembered to actually buy it at the grocery store yesterday. 

 Campbell's Chunky Kickin' Buffalo-Style Chicken Soup.

 

Hooray for lunchtime!

Yum!  It's so good and it even has a creamy color to it...yet there's no cream.  It's really amazing what they can do with food dyes these days.

 

The nutritional stats aren't that great (lots of sodium and only 10 grams of protein per container) but the whole thing only has 260 calories in it.  That's the beauty of soups if you find the right ones - So many spoonfuls, so little calories.

 

I wouldn't eat it everyday because it already feels like I've been chewing on a salt lick after having it today, but I bought two so I might as well have it tomorrow too!  Maybe it's OK some days to have 66% of your sodium before 1pm. 

 

When it tastes this good, why not?!

Crock Pot Chicken With Salsa

 Last night I had my first homemade crock pot meal and it was so easy and delicious.  I am definitely going to make this a regular thing.

 

Technically this wasn't the first crock pot meal I made.  Just the first one I ate.  I attempted eggplant curry a couple of years ago and it was so terrible I had to throw it all out.  Which in hindsight is not at all surprising, as eggplant curry sounds absolutely terrible.

 

My dad gave me this pot a few years ago.  He got it from Lowe's for $10.  Great deal!

But also very small.

I'm almost no bigger than a pen!

Due to the size of the pot I didn't make as much of the wonderful chicken as I would have liked.  But I fit 3 chicken breasts (6 halves) in this time and that was a great place to start.

 

The recipe is so simple: Chicken breasts, a packet of taco seasoning, and a half or whole jar of salsa, depending on how much chicken you have.  I used a half of a jar and then saved the rest for garnishing on my burrito bowl.

 

This is the chicken after about 7 hours on low.

 

No arm muscle needed.  Just touch and it basically falls right apart.

 

I barely even had to put effort into shredding the chicken after 7 hours in the  crock pot.  It was so moist and easy to shred.  I am definitely going to try this with more chicken and even some beef to created that succulent shredded stew meat texture.

 

I put all of this chicken on a bed of shredded lettuce with sauteed peppers and onions, avocados, black bean and corn, and salsa and sour cream.  There's not picture of the final product because, gasp, I ate it too fast.

 

Three chickens breasts, plus all of the other toppings listed above, made 5 meals!  Talk about stretching a breast!  Now I'm saving money and have a yummy lunch to look forward to for the rest of the week.

 

Crockpots 4eva!

Diveats - Stuffed Artichoke Halves

Last night I made up my own recipe.  And it made feel very proud!

I present to you -

Stuffed Artichoke Halves w/ Cream Cheese, Candied Onions, Toasted Pecans, and Honey Stuffing

I served it alongside chicken with pesto and french bread with bruschetta on top (light on each because they are such intense flavors and because pesto is alarmingly fattening).  I was worried the sweetness of the artichoke filling wouldn't go with the bold Italian flavors of my meat and bread toppings, but it went together pretty well.

I do think it would have gone better with more subtle flavor of meat, perhaps a pork chop or chicken with no topping. 

I never, ever use honey because a) I don't love it and b) it's super sugary.  But we got a cute little jar as a wedding favor recently so I thought this would be a great chance to pop it open. 

Here's how I made it:

1) Squeeze the juice of two lemons in a large pot of boiling water.  After trimming the tops off of the leaves and cutting off the rough exterior of the stem, add the artichoke (I just used one and split it with my main squeeze), and boil for about 15-20 minutes, or until you can stick a fork in the vegetable and it go in and out with ease.

2) Drain the artichoke upside down and cool slightly until you are able to handle it.  Then cut if in half.  Using a paring knife, cut the purple, hairy, and rough part in the center of the artichoke then scoop out with a spoon.

3) For the filling - I combined 1/8-1/4 cup of caramelized red onions, 2 Tablespoons of dry roasted pecan pieces, 1 Tablespoon of plain breadcrumbs for body, 1/4 cup of light, room temperature cream cheese, and a large drizzle of honey.  I combined all these ingredients together and filled each artichoke half with as much of the mixture as could fit.

4) Bake artichokes with filling inside at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until the mixture is warm and gooey.

Serve with whatever you like or eat plain!  The thing I love about this dish is the amount of possibility.  You could stuff an artichoke half with pizza-like fillings, sharp cheeses and meats, onions, nuts, oh my!  There are so many options. 

My picture above doesn't do it justice, but when prepared right the artichoke sure can be a beautiful, elegant thing!

Diveats - Eggs in Clouds

Last night I made something strange for dinner.  Strange and beautiful.

Using this recipe from Rachel Ray magazine, I made Eggs in Clouds.

It was so unique and really easy to make. 

First, whip together 4 egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Then fold in scallions and cooked bacon.

Place 4 mounds of the mixture on parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Form a deep well in the center of each mound to form a future home for egg yolks. 

Then bake for 3 minutes at 450 degrees.

I didn't make deep enough wells so some of my yolks spilt down the sides, but the taste was unchanged.

Speaking of the taste, next time I make these I will use a mixture of cheddar and pecorino ramano.  I thought using just the pecorino resulted in a delicious taste, but it was just a teensy bit too rich for my taste.  I think cheddar would tone it down and make it taste more like comfort food.

Then place a yolk in each egg white bed and bake for another 3 minutes, or until yolk is set.

Serve with toast and hot sauce and enjoy!

Diveats - Goat Cheese, Sundried Tomato, and Basil Stuffed Chicken

I basically invented a recipe last night. If you can call mixing up 3 ingredients inventing.

Which I believe you can.

In a bowl I mixed up some chopped sun dried tomatoes, half a small log of goat cheese (about 4 ounces), and about 4 chopped basil leaves.

I pounded out 2 chicken breasts to make them thinner and more supple/easier to work with.

Then I stuffed half of the mixture into each breast, rolled it up, and secured it with a toothpick.

Bake the chicken breasts at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes and you have got yourself a cute rolled up meat treat stuffed with lots of tasty goodness just waiting to get out and into your mouth.

Season with S&P.

I served the chicken with a piece of garlic bread and a mixed green salad with Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe here). I can't believe I've never made this dressing before. It was so simple and delicious and fresh tasting. I made one modification by not adding Parmesan to the dressing and instead adding shaved slices on top.

FYI - the portions weren't as small as they look, that is just the world's largest piece of garlic bread.

So simple, so elegant, so tasty. So my original, patented recipe ;)

Diveats - Chicken Braised with Red Wine Vinegar and Tomatoes

Last night I made this recipe from Fine Cooking:
Chicken Braised with Red Wine Vinegar and Tomatoes

It was the best recipe I've made all year! And really not that complicated.

I started with the ingredients below.

The recipe instructs you to put the chicken in a bag with flour, salt, and pepper, then shake.

I've never shaken meat up in a bag before... What fun!!

Lightly coating the chicken in flour added so much flavor to the chicken and really thickened up the sauce.

And adding flour, chicken, and cast iron together makes for one smoky combination! My smoke detector went off 2 very loud and annoying times.

It's very sensitive. The first week we had the house I think I set it off at least once a day.

But it was well worth it for the finished product. This was so delicious and rich tasting.

The only modifications I made were that I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, added basil and parsley instead of just basil, and sprinkled parmesan cheese on at the end.

Next time I make it I will only partially drain the tomatoes because I think the sauce could use a tad more liquid. And I will definitely be making this another time.

Please try this! It is such a delicious treat and, when served with garlic bread, combines pretty much all of my favorite flavors. Thanks Fine Cooking for a wonderful dinner!

Diveats - Smoothies

I've been making such amazing smoothies recently that it's almost scary. I really might have missed my calling as a Smoothista!

Look at that creamy perfection.

Let me tell you how I do it/Humor me.

In a blender, add about 4 ice cubes, and a frozen banana.

The frozen banana is KEY to this being essentially like a milkshake (yea, you read that right!). Just make sure to break the banana in chunks before you freeze it so it blends easier.

Then add about 3 frozen strawberries and a half cup of milk. Sometimes I add more depending on how big I want the smoothie.

Blend, stir, blend, push everything toward the bottom, blend, stir, and blend until it becomes totally smooth and chunk free. Then put in a cup, marvel at the fact that you made this totally luscious and 100% healthy smoothie, and eat it!

I also add some peanut butter to my spoon so that I get a little nibble with every spoonful of smoothie. I feel like peanut butter gets lost in smoothies if you blend it in, and peanut butter is something that needs to be tasted! So lacing the spoon with PB is my solution to getting lots of little bites.

I also usually add blueberries to the top, but this morning there was no room. My cup runneth over!

Look at that froth! It's just as good as a milkshake and 100% better for you!

Thanks for listening :) Sometimes things are too awesome to not share with the world.

Diveats - Potato Skins

Tonight my husband went to a man party. I thought it would be fun to send him with some potato skins. I've always secretly wanted to make them but not-so-secretly not wanted to be stuck in a house or at a party with them.

I lack a little thing called self-control. BREAKING NEWS!

I used this recipe.

I baked these bitches up for an hour at 350.

Scooped the crap out of the middle. That wasn't very fun, but I managed.

The recipe calls for a mixture of the following ingredients that you then brush on the skins on the inside and outside.



Pretty maids all in a row. Basted and beautiful.

Closeup: Are you drooling? I was at this point. But not into the potato skin. Don't worry.

Bake them on each side for 7-8 minutes. Then add cheese and bacon and bake for 2 more minutes to melt cheese.

Awesome toppings. Terrible cheese mess.

Final product:

Droooooooool. I hope the guys like them!

Diveats - Homemade Baked "Fries"

I wonder why more people don't bake their "fries". Sure, it takes a little bit longer. Sure, they aren't really "fries" if you don't fry them. But they are awesome, healthy, and you can dip them in stuff. That is a trifecta of YUM in my book!

One of the best things about this method is that you can practice portion control. Not that anyone would ever want less fries. But we all know it's better for us. So you can use half of a potato instead of a whole one.

Did you know that a medium plain, cooked potato only has about 160 calories in it? That's a lot of fries/potato sticks you can have for not many calories.

The amount pictured below is just 1/4 of a very small potato. Next time I'm going much bigger!

Just cut up a potato into the desired size, place on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and sprayed with cooking spray so the potatoes don't stick, season with your favorite spice or salt, and bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until they reach desired crunchiness.

Soon they will start to look like this with hints of crispiness nad a few slightly burnt edges. Yum!

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce - Mine is Light Ranch. Because I'm an American. And because I pretend to think it makes it healthy because it's light.


Then eat them all. And repeat. There's plenty more potato to chop up!

When it comes to at-home dining, there's just no excuse to fry when you can bake!

Diveats - Eggplant Gratin (In Mini Dishes!!)

I feel like I haven't cooked anything epic recently. Which is unfortunate and annoying, because I have made some attempts recently. One of which was a recipe for short ribs that I spent 3 days making, took 40+ pictures, and burnt the hell out of my hand for, and they were, in a word, terrible. Terrible as in, inedible. Not just not up to great standards.

This recipe was much better. Although I still want to make them again with my own adaptations to make them even better. I made this recipe for Eggplant Gratin by Barefoot Contessa in some very petite and inexpensive Le Creuset dishes I found on sale at Williams Sonoma.

Start with an eggplant. I don't know how much it weighs when sliced, I just went with one. Beautiful, no?

Then make this incredible sauce.
As usual with with Ina's recipes I nix the fatty fatty ingredients and just use what I have and what doesn't make me feel like I am going to die on the spot from heart failure. That meant in this recipe that I nixed the half and half for skim milk and omitted the full-fat Ricotta for goat cheese, because I had it and because I like it much better.

(Enter a complex story about my former obsession with manicotti at Elizabeth's Pizza in Greensboro, NC and my affection for track suits as a pre-teen. Long story short, I ordered my usual manicotti, it came piping hot, and somehow got spilled down the sleeve of my track suit, trapping itself in my sleeves and forever ruining my taste for ricotta stuffed shells.

The recipe and the episode of Barefoot Contessa says to fry the eggplant slices like this...




Until they look like this:

I found that to be too greasy and would probably even steam them next time before adding them to the dishes. Then the fun starts.

Layer with eggplant, marinara, more eggplant and Parmesan cheese, and then the sauce.

And then more cheese. Don't forget, this is an Ina recipe after all!

I put mine in a baking dish because I just knew that cheese mixture was going to explode over in some fashion. Indeed it did.

And then I baked it until it became golden and crispy and luscious like this:

Once again, at a different angle:

T'was glorious. But also was too greasy. Like I said, next time I'm going to steam them for a less greasy outcome.

I mean, I have to make this again. I bought the dishes on sale, but it was $6.99 a pop. I have to make at least $13.98 worth of deliciousness to make myself feel OK about buying the mini dishes.

It's a tough job, but some whitey's gotta do it!