Christmas Feast!

I made a huge spread for christmas dinner! My dad is in town... we don't get to see him that often, so I really wanted to go all-out.

Here is what I made:
- 3lb meatloaf (using ground chuck, eggs, italian bread crumbs, fresh chopped Vidalia onions and green peppers, fresh garlic, green onions, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, oregano, rosemary, and white pepper... all baked in a cast-iron skillet!)
- mashed potatoes with the skin on
- oven-roasted corn with butter, sautéed onions, and green onions
- pan-fried parsnips (cooked by my sister!)
- beer bread (using Budweiser and baked in cast-iron with a whole stick of butter on top!)
- Hawaiian bread rolls baked with garlic butter over the top

Everything turned out delicious!  We all succumbed to an intense food coma afterwards while watching Jurassic World.  All-in-all a very successful holiday, from the food to the festivities!

Copycat Chipotle chicken bowl!

It's easy and quick to get the same quality product as you would get at Chipotle!  This is totally customizable as well, so you can simply season the to chicken with whatever spices and herbs suit your craving!

You need:

- boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- prepared rice, with cilantro and lime juice
- spring mix or chopped romaine
- cheese (I like feta or cotija!)
- more veggies  (avocado, bell pepper, corn, black beans...)
- dressing, if desired (I love ranch!)

Take some raw boneless and skinless chicken breasts, and cut them into ~5oz pieces.  Put together a dry rub of whatever herbs and spices you like (I used oregano, basil, rosemary, and powdered garlic... I did not add any salt or pepper because it turned out great, but add them to your taste) and coat both sides of the chicken breasts with your dry rub.

Heat a cast-iron skillet just above medium heat, and preheat the oven to 350°F.  Sear the chicken breasts about 3 minutes on each side; melt some butter in a mug or something as well. Once the chicken is seared, pour some butter over the chicken breasts and around them in the pan, then bake it for ~10 mins.  Take the pan out, flip the breasts and add more butter, then bake another ~10 mins. Once out, let rest for a few minutes and cut into bite-size pieces.

Prepare a bowl with some of the rice.  Add the lettuce, then the chicken, then the other veggies, then the cheese and dressing.

In my opinion, this is even better than Chipotle... and it's not difficult to make!  I am not even very comfortable cooking many meats and this was easy!

Pesto pasta with bacon-wrapped asparagus!

Pasta tossed with red pesto, olive oil, fresh green peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes... served with asparagus wrapped in bacon and roasted in a cast-iron skillet.  Sprinkle some parmesan and romano on top and it is absolutely delicious!

Sun-dried tomato pasta salad!

A quick, nutritious, and relatively light dinner solution for busy people! 

Tri-color pasta (cooked al dente, drained, and rinsed in cold water), green bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil, cut into strips), fresh spinach, shredded carrots, feta cheese, ranch dressing, and red pesto... all mixed up and served with some parmesan on top.  Full of flavor with very little effort!

It is also good with some black olives, black beans, corn... it would also be good with grilled chicken if you want extra protein!

Our first harvest from the patio garden!

Our first harvest from the patio garden!  Oregano, basil, a purple bell pepper, and some broccoli!

We used the purple pepper, oregano, and basil to make dinner tonight! It's so awesome to use fresh things that we grew ourselves. 

Beer bread!

Tried making beer bread, one of my grandma's old recipes, for the first time!

Extremely simple: self-rising flour, a little sugar, cheap beer, and some melted butter on top before baking.  It smells so good!

I made one in a loaf pan and one in a cast-iron skillet!

I don't drink personally, and I usually dislike the taste of any beer, but I loved it when my grandma made it... so I decided to make it as an entry in a bake-off at work!  I will see how people like it (and I will get to taste it) tomorrow!

Trying new things: Quinoa garlic "bread"

Using the leftover quinoa, I made a garlic "bread"!  I had found the recipe on Pinterest months prior, and finally got to try it.

This was one of my less successful newly tried recipes, probably because I have never used quinoa before this week.

I mixed leftover cooked quinoa with eggs, garlic, basil, oregano, olive oil, baking powder, and some shredded cheese... and then baked it with some garlic butter and parmesan on top. It wasn't bad, but I definitely like real bread better, haha. Yay for trying new things!

Trying new things: Quinoa with roasted vegetables!

Quinoa cooked in vegetable broth with tomatoes, green peppers, and zucchini roasted with herbs and olive oil, all stir-fried in the cast-iron with fresh green beans!

This was my first time cooking quinoa, and the texture was perfect! I used a 1.3:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa, and 8 definitely recommend it!

Beer brats with REAL pork and beans!

Giant fresh bratwurst, simmered in Budweiser then seared as the beer evaporated and caramelized, along with Bush's vegetarian baked beans (I use those because I hate the gross chunks of rubbery pork fat in other kinds) doctored up with freshly cut and cooked bacon!

Chorizo and Veggie Frittata!

Fresh chorizo sausage, onions, orange bell peppers, black beans, corn, mixed power greens (spinach, kale, chard, and mizuna), Velveeta, a dozen eggs, oregano, and Cholula!  Cooked partially on stove top and finished in the cast-iron under the broiler. It was delicious!

Reduced-sugar banana bread!

This banana bread only uses half a cup of sugar as opposed to one whole cup... and it is even better than normal! The reduced amount of granulated sugar allows the flavor of the bananas to come through more, yet it is still sweet enough to satisfy... and it is a little better for you too!  Also, adding 8oz of cream cheese (which I add to all of my sweet baked items) keeps the loaf wonderfully moist!

Expanding our garden!

We expanded pur patio garden today, since the green peppers never germinated.  In addition to the "corn salad" (sweet leafy green), we now have purple bell peppers, broccoli, oregano, and basil.  Makes for a nice view for this spring and summer :)

(Better Than) Papa John's Cheesesticks!

Pizza crust, sauced with a mixture of margarine and garlic powder, topped with mozzarella and asiago cheeses!  Tastes better than Papa John's and is way cheaper to make!

Homemade waffle-iron breakfast sandwiches!

Homemade egg patties made with green bell peppers in the waffle iron, hash browns cooked in the waffle iron, and cheese all on toasted oatnut bread! 

Great to make ahead and heat up for a quick breakfast in the morning!

Copycat Taco Bell Breakfast Crunchwraps!

Hash browns, eggs, green peppers, and velveeta, all grilled together inside a flour tortilla! It definitely rivaled Taco Bell pretty closely!

Salad with homemade wonton cheese sticks!

Salad with chopped romaine, peas, black beans, chopped deli-sliced chicken, and honey mustard dressing...  and we made our own mozzarella sticks using string cheese and wonton wrappers!

Veggie quesadillas!

White velveeta, corn, black beans, and green onions, all grilled in a flour tortilla! Simple and delicious.

Chicken tacos!

Fajita-style grilled chicken, fresh-sliced avocado, cheese, just a little ranch dressing, and butter lettuce... all inside taco shells, then wrapped with more lettuce to keep it all together even if the taco shell shatters!

Healthy salad wraps!

Spring mix, crispy chicken, corn, peas, and a little honey mustard... all wrapped in a flour tortilla! 

Simple, easy, and healthy weeknight meal that takes very little time to prepare!

Buttered Noodles, Simple and With Veggies!

Simple and tasty! Its just buttered noodles, margarine, some sauteed peppers and cherry tomatoes with garlic and seasonings. (If you dont want to sautee the veggies roasting is good too.) Then garnish with more veggies and parmesan! Definitely good for a night you don't want to get too involved in cooking, and its quick!

Veggie Fried Rice!

Rice made in a wok... with egg, broccoli slaw, bean sprouts, a splash of soy sauce, and a dash of seasonings!!  This was super tasty, topped with more broccoli for added crunch. Super healthy and filling!  Make a spot for this on your comfort food list.

Pesto pasta!

Sautéed mushrooms, onions, garlic, and bell peppers, stir-fried with rainbow penne and basil pesto in a wok.  Best way to do it to get a nice, even coating on the pasta!

Pasta bake with garlic bread!

Using my own homemade tomato sauce!  With ricotta cheese, bell peppers, mushrooms, and a bread crumb topping.

The bread was made using day-old Jimmy John's bread, covered with a mixture of margarine and garlic powder and baked to golden perfection!