Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese with Parmesan Black Pepper Arborio Rice Pilaf

     So, I was trying to go for a Chicken-Orzo salad..... I thought I had Orzo... turns out, that isn't so. 

Therefore, I decided I would use this Arborio rice I had sitting in my pantry.

Summer has decided to grace Alaska with its presence... we shall see how long it lasts... we have had a few gorgeous days, and it has been a loooooong time coming! 

BreeAnna and I the other day were saying who would've thought that in our rebellious teen years we would be the ones saying we would want to live in Salt Lake City..... 

Annnywho.. back to my summer salad. I love summers for the reason I feel that I can make a simple yummy salad and call it good for dinner.

For the Chicken:

Ryan felt the need to buy Saute Express packet things when he was mezmerized by them at the store. 

turns out, I really liked it, we used the Garlic and butter ones... super easy

So, melt the saute express, I used a grill pan... cook chicken on both side, I cooked mine fairly high to get a little crisp on the outside. Once finished, let cool and cut into bite size pieces. 

Salad:

I used my favorites

Mixed Greens

Tomato

I roasted a Red Bell Pepper

Feta Cheese

Red Onion

I tried a new dressing that was a light Caesar Vinaigrette 

Parmesan Black Pepper Arborio Rice Pilaf

This was very tasty, I halved the recipe for Ryan and myself... seeing as this is totally not healthy

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice, rinsed in a colander until water runs clear

• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• Salt, to taste

1. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rice; stir to coat. (Can turn off heat and let stand several hours.)
2. Add broth, cover, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until stock is absorbed and rice is creamy and soft with a little "chew" at the center, about 12 minutes. Stir in cheese and pepper; add salt, if necessary. Serve hot.

Blackened Halibut Salad

Halibut is one of the great fishes of Alaska. I am no fisherwoman... but my friend Melissa's family is big into fishing, so she was kind enough to bring me some yummy Halibut.

We have been having a lot of salads lately, so I thought this could be a good way to re-mix a salad.

While shopping we found some local Alaskan Blackened Halibut Seasoning (Talkeetna) not sure if you can buy it online, but just using your favorite blackening season and you'll do great. This one is perfect because it had a great kick to it that isn't too overwhelming for Ryan's pallet.

We used a grill pan... well Ryan used a grill pan.

Put some oil in it... get it as hot as possible. 

Generally you don't need to cook halibut too long.... 

There is a fine line between done and over done.

Sear the first side for about 5 minutes, turn over sear the other side.

When fish is done, chop into bite-sized pieces and let cool for a few minutes.

For the salad.

Spring mix 

Tomatoes

Red onion

Sunflower Seeds

Almond salt and pepper mixed nut things

Pea Pods

Carrots

Toss together and enjoy

Chicken Tabbouleh with Tahini Drizzle

Friday night I made hamburgers, and I thought this would be a tasty side-dish. 

In this particular circumstance I didn't use the chicken, I just wanted the Tabbouleh salad.

I've made other Tabbouleh that has a different "dressing"if you will. 

I just love the Tahini Drizzle though, not sure why.

So, this is a tasty dish for either a light main course with the chicken, or as a salad.

Now, dependent upon your taste buds... I just used one pack of mint...was not a cup.. I don't like the mint overpowering the other flavors, personally.

Also, depending on what brand of Tahini you buy, some seem to be stronger than others, so in the past I have added more lemon juice to the dressing mix.

Overall, do what fits for you, and you may need to play around with it a little.

Enjoy!

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked bulgur, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups chopped tomato 
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup chopped green onions 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
• 1/4 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt 
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water

Preparation

1. 1. Combine 1 1/4 cups water, 1 cup bulgur, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes (do not stir) or until the liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Place bulgur in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.
2. 2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Sauté for 4 minutes on each side or until done; shred chicken. Combine bulgur, chicken, tomato, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl; toss gently.
3. 3. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, tahini, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad.

Avocado Bruschetta

BreeAnna is visiting and she wanted to make this appetizer for us. It was delicious!

Here is the recipe 

2 Ripe Avocados

1/4 c Parsley chopped

1/4 c Cilantro, chopped

1/2 shallot, finely diced

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

Olive Oil, enough to bring everything together

salt and pepper to taste

6 slices thick Italian bread

1 garlic clove, peeled and diced 

Cut the Avocados in half; remove pits; and cut into cubes

Combine avocados, parsley, cilantro, shallots, vinegar, honey and olive oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper.

Brush olive oil on slices of bread, and grill on each side a couple minutes until toasted.

Rub the cut side of the garlic clove on grilled bread slices. Spread avocado mixture on bread and serve immediately. 

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Spring Onions and Thyme

I was unable to find Spring Onions... I googled them, and apparently, they are like green onions, only larger.. and instead of using green onions, I ended up using shallots.... I know, makes no sense.

I have been wanting to make this for a while because we have some goat cheese in excess.... 

Overall, the recipe is quite simple, just sounds fancy. Seeing as I am not the best at stuffing my chicken,  I basically just put a slit into the chicken and then used toothpicks to secure the chicken back together.

Definitely going to be making this again, I enjoyed the pan sauce that is drizzled over it. I will also say we used 3 chicken breasts, instead of the 6 the recipe calls for, it was about 1.5 lbs of chicken... we didn't quite use all the cheese mixture.... it was SOO good. 

To go with our delicious dish, I made roasted fingerling potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts and BreeAnna made a very tasty Avocado Bruschetta! 

I will post those recipes in the blog.

This would make a great Sunday family dinner... it will leave you STUFFED!

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/3 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon fat-free milk 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. 1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, parsley, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.
2. 2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket; stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. 3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
4. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.

Chicken Bellagio

I thought I had posted this previously, but in looking at my bookmarks, I noticed it wasn't in my blog. so, here it is.....

This is a dish from The Cheesecake Factory, I myself haven't had it, but I saw this on pinterest an thought it looked tasty! 

It turned out GREAT! I made the pesto linked below, uses basil and pine nuts, I quite enjoyed it.

Ingredients

• ½ to ¾ cup of pesto, divided (see our homemade pesto recipe here) or use your favorite jarred pesto
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1 cup of flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 tablespoon butter
• 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 package linguini pasta
• ¼ cup finely minced shallots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 shaved slices Prosciutto, cut into one inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano, divided
• 1 cup arugula

Instructions

1. Prepare pesto according to this recipe.
2. Cut chicken into 1” wide by 2” long strips.
3. Mix egg whites, lemon juice, oregano and 2 tablespoons of pesto and stir to combine. Place in a quart zipper seal bag along with chicken strips and marinate for 30 minutes.
4. Toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan over medium heat for about five minutes until lightly browned. Do not overcook.
5. Mix the flour salt and pepper. Dip the marinated chicken strips in the flour and coat on both sides.
6. In a 14” sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat until hot and frothy. Add chicken strips in single layer and cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or just until cooked through. Cook in two to three batches using an additional tablespoon of butter and oil if needed. Remove to platter and hold.
7. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
8. In the same pan over medium heat, sauté the shallots until translucent; about 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add chopped Prosciutto, parsley and toasted pine nuts and cook for one more minute.
9. Add cream and 3 tablespoons of the pesto. Add salt and pepper only if needed and stir to combine. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese until melted into the sauce. Save the rest for serving.
10. Add the cooked chicken into the sauce and gently mix to combine.
11. To serve, mix two to three tablespoons of the pesto with the cooked Linguini and place on a serving platter. Top with the chicken and cream mixture. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese (more if needed) and top with the arugula. Or serve pasta, chicken and sauce directly onto serving plates and top each plate with Parmesan and arugula.

Venezuelan Empanadas

Venezuelan Empanadas 

Here is another Food Network Magazine Recipe I found, Ryan saw it and immediately decided we should try it. 

I knew it would be something a little difficult, but I thought it would be worth it. 

Outcome:

Worth it.

I am going to add an additional recipe for dough, I had MAJOR issues with the one below that Food Network called for. To be honest, I have never really made dough other than maybe once or twice for a pizza or something, so clearly I am no expert. What happened to me was it just all fell apart! I tried adding shortening to see if it would help, tried more water... just made it worse. So, if you want to try and see if this recipe would work for you, go for it. The recipe I ended up using is just a basic flour recipe. If you choose to use this one, make sure you roll the dough VERY thin. 

I read you can buy pre-made frozen ones at Latina markets, or people say they have used pie crust as well. 
I also added potato, I had some left over in my pantry and thought it would be a good addition. I also added a leek... because I had it... :)

All in all, I cleaned my kitchen about 5 times between pre-clean up and I am one who cleans as I go, then having to re-make the dough! Other than that, it was not too hard to make, does take a lot of time, although most of it is just waiting for the meat to cook.

Another note: if you do decide to use the flour recipe, make sure you double it, we have a ton of meat mixture left over, but on a good note we are going to try and make Burritos! Which I totally think sound great! (maybe even better)

I will let you know. 

The sauce was quite tasty too!

They tell you to use a pan and the oven to fry these.... I went a totally easier way and used the fry daddy... I do take issue to using the oven method... particularly because I feel as though it could be very messy and dangerous! Taking a pan with frying oil in and out of the oven seems danger, danger, danger! I would the one who spills and burns myself. 
Ingredients:
For the Fillings:
1 1/2 pounds beef blade roast, cut into 4 pieces, trimmed
4 bay leaves
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, diced
1 scallion, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons sazon completa (Spanish seasoning blend, found in the spice aisle)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Freshly ground pepper

For the Dough:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for greasing and frying
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups precooked cornmeal (such as P.A.N. brand)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Sauce:
1 1/4 cups cilantro (leaves and stems)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


Directions
Make the filling: Place the beef, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon salt and water to cover in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the meat is almost falling apart, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and shred with a fork; cool. Reserve the broth.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and shallot; cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion, paprika, sazon completa, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the beef and 1 cup of the reserved broth and cook over medium heat until thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Make the dough: Mix 3 1/2 cups hot water, the sugar, vegetable oil, butter and salt in a medium bowl until the butter melts. Stir in the cornmeal and flour until a soft dough forms, then knead on a clean surface until the dough comes together. Shape into 12 balls, using about 1/2 cup dough for each.

One at a time, sprinkle each dough ball with water, place between two pieces of lightly oiled heavy-duty plastic wrap (a cut resealable bag works well) and roll into a 7-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of plastic and place 2 to 3 tablespoons filling in the center of the dough. Use the bottom piece of

plastic to fold the dough in half over the filling and press to seal. Trim into a half-moon shape with a knife or press down with the round edge of a bowl. Remove the plastic and place the empanada on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet until a deep-fry thermometer registers 365 degrees F. Fry the empanadas in batches until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet; keep warm in the oven.

Make the sauce: Combine the cilantro, olive oil, avocado, bell pepper, scallion, vinegar and garlic in a blender. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper and puree until smooth. Thin out the sauce with up to 1/4 cup water and serve with the empanadas.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/venezuelan-empanadas-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Alternative Dough Recipe:

ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

Chicken and Dumplings

I'm not sure why, I really enjoy Chicken and Dumplings. The reason being that it is interesting to me s because I don't like biscuits, I don't like soggy bread and that is virtually what dumplings are... strange, I know, but I can't explain it. 

There is one place I love their biscuits and gravy (Eggs in the City in Salt Lake City, if you are ever there omg they are the BEST)

I spent a lot of time trying to find a good recipe; I found a lot called for Cream of Chicken soup, which I didn't think sounded authentic or that great. I wanted something from scratch and that would have great taste. Most recipes don't call for many ingredients, which I think is great about this dish, you can get a lot of flavor from just a few items. 

The most difficult part of the recipe, for me, is the making of the dumplings. It is hard to not make them too dense. The recipe I used, she suggested using a little bit of corn meal to kind of break them up and make them less dense. Mine turned out okay, I will say make sure they are cooked all the way through. Ryan had ants in his pants and kept saying "your dumplings are done" "don't you think they're done already" finally I just let him be right and much to my annoyance, they were not done. For whatever reason Ryan thinks them being not quite done is a good taste... I don't. So, for your own tastebuds, cook them the full 15 minutes. 

I enjoyed this recipe, thought it was pretty dang good. One thing I would do that wasn't mentioned in the recipe is drain the fat that is collected after cooking the chicken. Using chicken thighs makes for a lot of fat... I drained a little bit, but the stew/broth whatever you want to call it was too greasy. Next time, I would drain all of the fat, or most. I understand it is supposed to add some flavor, in my opinion all it does is adds calories and the taste of oil on your lips. 

This is definitely one I will be making again, She uses leeks instead of Celery, I used a mix. I am a huge fan of celery, I thought the leeks did taste great, but I don't know that they should replace celery. I would use both next time. 

I hope you enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken Stew
3 lbs     bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and legs are the most tender)
1 teaspoon     salt 
1/2 teaspoon     pepper
2 tablespoons     vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick)     unsalted butter3 cloves     garlic
2     leeks (light green and white parts only) – or celery
1     large onion
1     carrot1 teaspoon     salt
1 teaspoon     fresh thyme leaves, minced
5 tablespoons     unbleached all-purpose flour
5 cups (1250 ml)     unsalted chicken broth (or water) 
1/4 cup     whole milk (or 2%)
1 cup     frozen green peas

Dumplings
3/4 cup     all-purpose flour
1/4 cup     cornmeal
1 teaspoon     baking powder
1/2 teaspoon     salt
2 tablespoons     unsalted butter or Crisco shortening
2/3 cup     buttermilk
1 tablespoon     parsley, minced 

Prepare the chicken stew:  Slice the leeks (or celery, if using) length-wise and then dice into pieces. Dice the onions and carrots. Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces and par-fry the chicken until golden and crisp on both sides (about 4 minutes on each side). Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the crisped skin. Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pot and crisp the remaining pieces of chicken and set aside.

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Mince the garlic, add to the pot and toast lightly for a few seconds. Add the diced carrot, leeks and onion, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Sweat the vegetables for about 5 minutes until they are softened. Stir in the flour until the vegetables are coated. Add 1/2 a cup of the chicken stock to create a thick mixture. Add the remaining 4 1/2 cups of stock to the pot along with the milk.  Arrange the chicken pieces in the bottom of the pot. Cover and simmer for about 40-50 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. 

Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bones and shred the chicken. Discard the bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. 

Prepare the dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the butter (the mixture will be crumbly). Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture until incorporated. Mix in the parsley. Set aside for a few minutes — the baking powder will begin to activate the batter causing it to puff up. 

Return the stew to a simmer and stir in the peas. Drop the dumpling dough by tablespoons on top of the stew. You should get about 16 dumplings in total. Leave a little bit of room around each dumpling to allow the dumplings to puff up and expand as they steam.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook the dumplings for about 15 minutes until the dumplings have doubled in size. Serve immediately as the dumplings will begin to sop up the juices of the stew. To save time, the stew can be made ahead of time and refrigerated but make the dumpling batter right before you intend to use it and bring the mixture up to a simmer before dropping the dumplings in. For leftovers: If, after refrigerating the stew, the dumplings have absorbed most of the moisture, simply add a little water (and salt if necessary) to the mixture to loosen it up before reheating.