Valentine's Supper

I like to eat and put a lot of thought into meals. For Valentine's Day, I wanted something that Kevin and I could both make and something that he would really enjoy. We had filet mignon, lobster tails, grilled okra, potato wedges and for dessert, a delicious chocolate pie!

We bought some thin mints on Saturday morning so I thought a pie crust made from thin mints would be just the right thing. This is a box of crushed thin mints with half a stick of melted butter pressed into a pie dish.

 I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Pots De Creme for the pie filling.

1 bag of semin sweet chocolate, 4 room temperature eggs, a pinch of salt, a cup of hot coffee and a tablespoon of vanilla. Blend Well.

We coated the filets in olive oil, salt and pepper and same for the okra. For the potato wedges, we cut russet potatoes into wedges and covered them in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and roasted them for about 30 minutes. For the lobster tails, we broiled them with butter and lemon pepper.

Cinnamon Raisan Bread French Toast

Nothing says brunch like french toast. I bought some Cinnamon Roll Bread from Trader Joe's and we decided to make French Toast with it. You take about 2 eggs, 2 cups of milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla and a dash of cinnamon and mix it really well in a shallow dish. Let the bread soak in on both sides and then cook on a skillet. We had this with bacon and fruit. Phenomenal breakfast!

Burrito Bowl

I had originally planned a post about french toast but I will save that for another day because oh. my. gosh. my meal from last night was for the books. It was on the healthy side of life but the extra fat was not even missed! I went to Trader Joe's while I was in Birmingham and picked up some Organic Riced Cauliflower. I didn't know what to expect. I let the bag thaw in the fridge during the day. The bag says to pour the cauliflower into a skillet until excess water has cooked off. It was just like rice! The cauliflower was not soggy in the least bit. I added the "rice" to a mixing bowl with drained and rinsed shoepeg corn and black beans. I chopped about two tablespoons of fresh cilantro and mixed well. I also sprinkled in some taco seasoning and about 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.

 I sliced some chicken breasts and added it to a skillet with coconut oil and sprinkled taco seasoning on top and cooked until completely cooked through. I added this to the mixing bowl and combined it all until you got some of everything in each bite. I had planned to top this with some diced avocado but I got too excited and forgot.

I broiled two corn tortillas to make chips and had that with some fresh salsa. Delicious, satisfying and healthy!

BBQ Salmon and a great salad

I was recovering from surgery last week so I spent the week with Kevin. We tried to eat some what healthy during the week. Kevin has a fabulous little gadget: a stovetop smoker. You put woodchips in the container and put the pan and drip tray on top and add the meat and almost cover it all the way. When it starts to smoke, you cover it and cook to your desired liking. We cooked salmon on it and it was amazing. We used applewood chips and the scent resembled bacon. We smoked the salmon for about 20 minutes. We sprayed the pan with cooking spray and coated the salmon with barbecue sauce. We had this with a salad: mixed greens, mandarin oranges, craisins, bacon pieces, feta and the star of the show, Trader Joe's sweet and spicy pecans

 

And the finished product:

It was a top notch meal, full of flavor. We also had roasted potatoes and cleaned our plates! 

Awesome Salad

I love a good salad with yummy toppings. This is by no means a healthy salad but veggies are better than no veggies. I chopped up a roma tomato and also some red onion and put into a bowl (I used a small mixing bowl) and topped with lots of fresh ground pepper and pink Himalayan sea salt and some garlic powder. For the dressing, I drizzled with a little olive oil (Hojiblanca from Oli. O) and balsamic vinegar (Traditional from Oli. O) and I topped this with iceberg lettuce torn into tiny pieces. I put a plate over the bowl and gave it a few good shakes to mix well. I chooped some chicken into bite sized pieces and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and sauteed in a little bit of butter and olive oil. I drained this for a moment and then threw it on the salad. Now for the best part. I sliced some goat cheese, dredged it in an egg wash and then covered in panko and then fried it in a little olive oil. So amazing.

Here is the finished product. It's not a pretty salad but man, it hit the spot.

Chicken Chili

With snow expected (ha!) I wanted something warm and comforting so I thought chicken chili would be the perfect cure for the wet, cold day. I found a recipe on Smitten Kitchen for chicken chili. She posts the best recipes and has such great commentary. I have adapted her recipe for one tasty chicken chili.

1 lb chicken breast
1.5 lb chicken thighs (this was the smallest package I could find. I looked for 1 lb)
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons jalapeño juice
1 1/2 cans of water (crushed tomato can)
Splash of olive oil

In a large pot over medium heat, drizzle olive oil in pot and heat. Add chopped onion and cook for about a minute, stirring. Add garlic and stir until combined. Throw in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and let cook for about 2 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Add back to pot and simmer another hour. Top with whatever toppings you like! We chose sour cream, cheddar cheese, jalapeños and Fritos.

Bacon Egg Cups

Such a simple and delicious breakfast! Bacon egg cups are a breakfast that I make from time to time that require little effort. I wouldn't even call this a recipe.

Take slices of bacon and line them in a muffin tin. I like to bake them a little before I add the eggs and then drain some of the grease. Crack the eggs into the middle of the bacon and continue cooking until you've reached the desired doneness. Sprinkle whatever toppings you'd like! Hot sauce, green onion, cheese! Whatever your heart desires!