I started a new job last week which I’m absolutely loving. Problem is, I forgot how exhausting a new job is — Having your mind ON constantly to absorb everything, meeting a million new people and trying to remember their names, figuring out what in the world you’re doing. Throw in the fact that in general, my new job is far more demanding than my last job, I’m trying to figure out a balance between life and work.

We love gnocchi especially for a quick & easy weeknight dinner! Homemade is definitely better, but there is some good shelf-stable gnocchi out there which is super handy to have on hand since gnocchi boils in about 2 minutes. This recipe is our go to favorite. We eat it without spinach too if I don’t have any. I’ve tried it with peas which is okay but the spinach is definitely better. Garlicky goodness.

Garlic Chicken & Spinach Gnocchi

1 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 (17.5-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi
2 large cloves garlic, minced (~1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped spinach

Cook the gnocchi according to directions. Meanwhile, heat ~1 teaspoon of olive oil and add diced chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned. Add minced garlic and cook until softened & fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add remaining olive oil (~2 teaspoons), butter, drained gnocchi, salt & pepper. Cook until gnocchi are golden brown on the bottoms. Use a spatula to flip the gnocchi. Add the spinach, tossing frequently, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

I love summer time grilling. Quick, easy and delicious dinners in a matter of minutes. I frequently marinade chicken after dinner for the next day so when I get home from work, all I need to do is fix up some veggies to toss on the grill along with the already prepped chicken. Its fabulously easy, especially since hubby is the one who controls the grill. Summer time is my break from the kitchen

This chicken though has quickly become a favorite. Served up with some cous cous & some fresh veggies… its makes a perfectly delicious dinner. Its also delicous on a summer field greens salad. And its particularly good with some quality honey. I recently won some Bee Raw Honey from Blake Makes so I’ve tried this recipe a few times with their Wild Raspberrry Honey. The raspberry flavor is delicious with the balsamic vinegar! Definitely a winning combo!

Speaking of balsamic vinegar, lets talk quality. I didn’t think I’d be able to tell the difference between a quality aged balsamic vinegar and a cheapy mass produced balsamic vinegar. Spend as much as you’re willing because I promise you’ll notice a difference. The more aged the balsamic vinegar is, the richer the flavor will be. If you’re balsamic vinegar doesn’t have an age on it, its likely to be less than 3 years old. The standard ages for balsamic vinegar are five years, eight years, twelve years, 25 and 50 years; getting more expensive with age of course. Its definitely worth it to spend a little more money.

Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp quality balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste

Pound chicken breasts to even thickness, approximately 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thickness. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. In a large dish (or ziploc bag), combine oil, vinegar, honey, and garlic salt. Add chicken to large dish. Allow to marinate 2-3 hours, or overnight. Grill until cooked throughout. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from Good Things Catered

We have a couple weeks of spring left before it will be too hot to enjoy dining on the deck. I’m really not ready for another ridiculously hot Texas summer but considering the fact that its already in the mid-80′s and we haven’t even reached May, means that 90/100 degree weather is just around the corner. Sigh.

When grilling season lands upon us, we tend to eat grilled chicken several times a week so I’m always on the hunt for new ideas and flavor inspiration. Of course we have our favorites like Lemon Pepper Chicken and Parsley Grilled Chicken, but its always nice to mix it up a bit. The inspiration for this recipe came form a post I saw on Joyful Abode. Do you have a particular flavor combo that you really love? Feel free to share/link to a recipe! I’d love some recs!

Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken Rub

1 lb boneless & skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp mexican oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 – 1 tsp kosher salt (adjusted to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil

Pound chicken breasts to even thickness. Mix chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, garlic powder, salt & olive oil in a small bowl. Rub into chicken. Chicken can be grilled immediately or wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerated for use within 24 hours. If refrigerating, allow chicken to come to room temperature before grilling.

Grill until browned on both sides and chicken is firm to the touch but not hard, keeping in mind that you want to flip the chicken as few times as possible. If desired, check the internal temperature (USDA recommends 165°F for chicken breasts). Actual cooking time will depend upon thickness of chicken breasts and how hot your grill is. Remove from grill and allow to rest 3-5 minutes before serving.

Spring is upon us. We’re hitting temps in the 80′s already. Sigh. I have a feeling that we’re in for a short Spring this year and a long hot summer. I’m not ready. I hate Texas summers. I dread it every year! But for now, I will try to enjoy what remains of decent weather for the year. One of my favorite parts of spring is all the fresh foods. Lots of salad and grilled food. Lots of dinners on the deck. I love that about Spring. Chicken salad always makes me think of spring. So fresh, especially with the bit of lemon juice. Its delish.

I used to make my chicken salad with all mayo but for starters, that’s fattening. Second, it creates a heavier taste to me. I stated playing with the ratio of yogurt to mayo and decided that half and half works best. You could easily change the ratio however you’d like adding more mayo or yogurt as desired. I’ve tried using all yogurt and wasn’t a fan because well it tasted like yogurt & chicken. Half and half is balanced just right to keep it from tasting overly like mayonnaise and overly like yogurt. I love it. Fresh and light. Enjoy!

Chunky (Lightened Up) Classic Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch dice
3 Tbsp mayo
3 Tbsp greek yogurt
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 – 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt & black pepper to taste

Combine diced chicken, mayo, greek yogury, celery, lemon juice & onion powder in a bowl. Mix well to coat chicken evenly. Season to taste with salt & freshly ground black pepper. Chill until served.

Better for you hamburger helper — that’s what we decided this recipe was. Reminiscent of hamburger helper but without all the preservatives and ingredients you can’t pronounce. Creamy, cheesy, and delicious! I could probably live off this pasta for lunches for weeks on end. Its so good! I love recipes like this that become instant favorites and kitchen repeats as a result of cooking out of the pantry when you haven’t been grocery shopping in awhile. Do you have some favorite meal that are a result of just cooking out of the pantry?

You could easily use ground beef of course in this recipe, but we actually prefer the turkey flavor! With some wheat pasta and lightened up cream cheese and sour cream, its not too bad for you! Its a perfect weeknight meal! Delicious, quick & easy!

Creamy Taco Mac

1.25 lbs ground turkey
8 oz dry pasta + 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
4 Tbsp mild taco seasoning
3 oz cream cheese *
1/2 cup sour cream *
salt & pepper
cheddar cheese (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta per directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water.

Over medium heat, brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese and sour cream. Give it a good stir until cheeses are melty and incorporated.  Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, as desired. Top off with cheddar cheese for extra cheesy goodness.

* I have successfully tested this recipe with low fat cream cheese & sour cream.

I love how quick and easy this dish is. Its perfect for a week night, especially since its a one pot dish!

Red Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans

2 Tbsp canola oil
1.25 – 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Tbsp ancho chili powder, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions, or 1/3 cup cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 cup salsa, such as Roasted Tomato Salsa

Cut the chicken breast into 1″ pieces. Heat the oil in a medium-large heavy pot (with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add chicken to hot oil. Season with with salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp of the ancho chili powder. Cook over medium-high until browned, 5-6 minutes. Remove to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.

Add the diced onion and rice to the pot. Stir for several minutes, until the rice turns from translucent to opaque. Add minced garlic and remaining ancho chili powder. Cook one minute, and then add the broth and salt to taste. Stir well. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Add cooked chicken along with drained beans. Re-cover and cook 10 minutes longer.

Test kernel of rice for desired doneness; cook more if needed. Top off with chopped green onions (or cilantro). Remove skillet/pot from heat and let it stand 5-10 minutes.  Serve with salsa, if desired.

Source: adapted from Elly Says Opa, originally from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

We usually have these served up with some egg drop soup (made with egg substitute cause eggs make me sick!) or wonton soup. Its a quick, easy delicious meal. The leftovers are also fabulous for lunch!

Looking for some other fab dishes to pair with this? Try some Veggie Fried Rice or Veggie Lo Mein.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

3/4 lb lean ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)
4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp srirachi sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
3 oz mushrooms, diced

butter lettuce leaves, washed & dried

In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium when thoroughly browned. Add diced onions & bell peppers. Stir frequently until softened. Add the garlic, soy sauce, srirachi sauce, ginger, and white pepper. Stir occassionally adding mushrooms. Cook a few more minutes until mushrooms are softened. Remove from heat. Serve hot in lettuce leaves.

So here’s the first of many tasty grilled chicken recipes. This is a simple delicious dinner for a weeknight or really any occasion! Absolutely delish!

Parsley Grilled Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp minced fresh italian parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
salt to taste

Pound chicken breasts down to uniform thickness and place in large bowl. Lightly coat chicken in olive oil (~1 tsp or more). Season chicken breasts evenly with remaining ingredients. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes or more. While grill heats, remove chicken from fridge and allow to rest at room temperature. Grill until browned on both sides and chicken is firm to the touch but not hard keeping in mind that you want to flip the chicken as few times as possible. If desired, check the internal temperature (USDA recommends 165 F for chicken breasts). Actual cooking time will depend upon thickness of chicken breasts and how hot your grill is. Serve hot.

Even more excitedly, this year’s Thanksgiving feast was chosen by the editors of foodbuzz to be a part of the foodbuzz 24,24,24 event which is a live blogging event featuring 24 meals, in 24 hours, on 24 different blogs around the world! It was really hard not to let the cat out of the bag a few weeks ago when I found out. I’m so excited to be participating in the November event! Definitely go check out what the other 24,24,24 featured bloggers have done!

Planning your first Thanksgiving can be overwhelming, especially if you have a personality like mine. Without a doubt, I’m a planner and a perfectionist. Even though I had the menu picked out weeks ago, I knew exactly when each dish should go in the oven, and I had the shopping done. I was still anxious. What if I burn the turkey? What if it tastes horrible? What if my oven breaks? I can’t help myself! And I can’t help you with that sort of anxiety. But I can help you get all your ducks in a row! I can’t imagine how I could have pulled off this Thanksgiving without the planning I did (and I didn’t get it done at 2pm like planned but we were all sitting down to eat at 2:30 so I didn’t do too bad for my first try!). So here I am to share some helpful tips with other first timers such as myself. You can keep these in mind for next year, or really these would be helpful when planning any meal for company!

Its critical to plan your menu in advance, especially for a meal like Thanksgiving! With so many dishes needing to be cooked at the same time, you have to coordinate cooking times and oven temperatures. You ideally want to choose recipes that are close in temperature so you can make adjustments and cook it all together. Unless you’re blessed with a wonderful kitchen with multiple ovens! I unfortunately do not, I’m not even blessed with decent counter space! But with all that in mind, I started out by putting our wonderful menu together:

Thanksgiving Feast, Texas Style!

Cajun Roasted Turkey
Tamale & Green Chile Cornbread Dressing
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Green Bean Bundles
Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Carrots & Mushrooms
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Chutney
Dinner Rolls

Dessert
Pumpkin Roll
Pecan Tassies
Apple Pie
Icebox Cake

So now what? You’ve got the menu planned but it doesn’t stop there! There are some other things to consider and plan for!

• Consider what kind of turkey you want (fresh turkeys should be ordered in advance, and frozen turkeys will require planning as they take time to defrost). Check out this Turkey Guide. We ordered a fresh turkey from a local butcher)
• Make a grocery list from menu several weeks in advance and double check your list twice to make sure you’ve got everything covered (this saves you from having to run out on Thanksgiving day!)
• Clean out the pantry & fridge! You’ll be bringing home a lot of groceries and you need to make room.
• Stock up on shelf stable items one to two weeks in advance and make a run to the grocery store or farmer’s market a couple days before Thanksgiving for all the fresh veggies, bread, etc.
• Plan a time line. Consider how long each dish needs to prep and cook. Review each recipe twice (or more)! You don’t want to suddenly realize the day of your event you should have started the night before! And if you’ve familiarized yourself with your recipes, you’ll be calmer the day of!
• Check to make sure you have all the proper cooking equipment and enough serving dishes for everything
• Print and/or make copies of all your recipes. You don’t want to hassle with having 4 or 5 open cookbooks
• Prep/chop as much as you can the day before a big event. Things such as dicing onions, peppers, celery for stuffing can be done in advance. What does that leave you the day of? Simply combining it all and throwing it in the oven!
• Make all baked goods the night before. These hold up very well and it greatly frees up your kitchen time the day of the event
  

So where are the recipes?? I know that’s why you’re here! Well you’ll find the turkey and dressing recipes below. I was inspired by a hometown restaurant, Z’Tejas for the dressing recipe. The recipe was shared by my fellow blogger at Slightly Cheaper than Therapy. I substituted roasted Hatch green chiles for jalapenos and scaled back the cilantro which I’ve shown below but pop over to her blog to check out the originals. I’ll be honest and say its not my favorite cornbread dressing of all time. The family raved about it though so I was definitely in the minority. I do have to say though, I liked it enough to go back for seconds It was different and I loved the color! It was worth blogging about!

The green bean casserole… well it was my disaster. It should have been good. But I had overcooked the green beans for the bundles when I blanched them the night before so I was worried about overcooking the green beans when I blanched the 2 pounds of green beans for the casserole. I ended up undercooking them and didn’t know it til it was too late. It was the crunchiest green bean casserole I’ve ever had and the sauce didn’t really thicken up like it should have. Oh well. I guess they couldn’t all have been winners my first thanksgiving

The green bean bundles however were a huge hit. Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe to share yet. I’ll work on measuring and bringing you a recipe soon. But you can’t bean bacon wrapped green beans covered with brown sugar, garlic & butter!

All the roasted veggies got all around raves. Not many had had roasted veggies before which was surprising! They’re a fave in our house though and so simple! This particular recipe for roasted carrots & mushroom came from my fellow blogger, Kalyn. She has a great blog for those watching their waistlines (new year’s resolutions anyone?), particularly south beach dieters. These were a huge hit and so very simple! I meant to add pearl onions but with the help in the kitchen and everything going on, I got distracted. But we’ll definitely be eating these in the future so I’ll give the onions a try another time.

The sweet potatoes were a huge hit. But again, I don’t have a recipe to share as of yet. I threw in some butter, cream cheese, cinnamon and nutmeg and then topped them with chopped pecans and marshmallows. The side y were fabulous. I don’t even like sweet potatoes that much and I think these were actually my favorite dish! So I’ll be working on recreating the recipe to share. I need to make these much more frequently!

And of course the biggest and most important recipe of all… the turkey recipe! It got all around raves from everyone, myself included. None of us had ever had a brined turkey before. We’re all used the smoked varieties, but this was fabulous! I loved the seasoning and it was so moist! I wish I had bought a larger turkey; we’ve already taken out all the leftovers! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I can’t wait to do it all over again! I’m so thankful for all the blessings in our lives. I hope everyone had as fabulous of a holiday as we did! And stay tuned because Christmas is just around the corner which means the surplus of baked goodies is about to come a knockin!

Cajun Roast Turkey

Brine
2 c water, plus more water to cover the turkey
1 c kosher salt
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
Ice cubes for cooling

12-14 lb turkey, giblets removed
1 onion, quartered
2 Tbsp cajun seasoning
1 lemon, halved
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 c unsalted butter
1/2 c all-purpose flour

To make the brine: In a large saucepan, combine the 2 cups water, salt and sugar and set over high heat. Cook, stirring, until the salt and sugar are completely melted. Fill the saucepan with ice cubes to quickly cool the brine. Put the turkey in a large stockpot, heavy plastic bag or cooler large enough to hold the bird when covered .Add enough cold water to cover the turkey. Add the cooled brine and the onion. Add more ice if you are brining the turkey in a cooler. If brining in a stockpot or plastic bag, place in refrigerator. Leave the turkey in the brine for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

To bake the turkey: Preheat oven to 325°. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse under cool water in the sink, and pat dry with paper towels. Place it on a greased V-shaped roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Pat the Cajun seasoning evenly all over the turkey, inside and out. Place the lemon and garlic in the turkey’s body cavity. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir the flour into the melted butter and pour over the turkey, taking care to cover the whole bird. Bake the turkey, basting about every 30 minutes for 3-4 hours. The turkey is done when the legs are loose in their sockets and an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 175° to 180°. Remove from oven and let rest for about 30 minutes before carving.

Source: Adapted from The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman

Z’Tejas Sweet Corn Cornbread
Yields two 10″ skillets

1 1/2 c stone ground corn meal
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 c plain nonfat yogurt
1/3 c plus 1 Tbsp canned creamed corn
1/3 c plus 1 Tbsp frozen whole kernel corn (thawed)
3 large eggs
1/3 c plus 1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all dry ingredients together and set a side. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk all wet ingredients (including corn) together. Then add dry ingredients to form a batter. Spray a 10″ cast iron skillet with nonstick spray or melt 1/2 a stick of butter. Fill with 1/2 the batter. Bake at 400° (375° for convection ovens) for about 20 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cornbread; toothpick should come out relatively clean but still a little moist.

*If using this for the Tamale Dressing, make at least one day in advance and allow to dry out.

Tamale and Green Chile Corn Bread Dressing

One recipe of Sweet Corn Cornbread, crumbled into quarter sized chunks
6 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 red peppers, steemed, seeded & chopped
2-3 poblano peppers, steemed, seeded & chopped
3 roasted Hatch green chiles, steemed, seeded & chopped
1 Tbsp fresh sage or 4 tsp of dried
1 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 c crushed corn chips
1 1/2 c frozen corn kernels (thawed)
12 pork, chicken or beef tamales, shucked and chopped into 1″ chunks
3 c chicken stock, heated
3/4 c canned creamed corn
Salt & Pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, all chilies, sage and oregano. Sweat the vegetables (sauté until about half way cooked). Transfer to bowl with cornbread. Mix in cilantro, corn chips, kernel corn, creamed corn and heated chicken stock. Stir well. Mix in tamales, being careful not to break up the chunks. Add salt and pepper. If stuffing is too dry for your tastes, add a little melted butter.

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 13×9×2 baking dish. Pour mixture into baking dish and cover with foil. Bake approximately 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until top is browned.

Oh and I need one of those fat remover thingies that doesn’t require chilling broth first… a little too much grease from using drumsticks! Hubby had no complaints though

Smoky Braised Chicken & Gnocchi

2 pounds chicken drumsticks
kosher salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 c chicken stock
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 yellow onions, cut into wedges
1 pound gnocchi (refrigerated or shelf-stable)

Heat oven to 400° F. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt & pepper.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and add broth, paprika, and onions. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the gnocchi and continue cooking until the gnocchi are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Real Simple