Chicken on a Stick!
Ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless chicken breast
Marinade:
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup stout beer
3 cloves garlic – halved
Dashes of curry powder
Dashes of black pepper
Dashes of sea salt
Dash of cloves
Few mustard seeds
Veggies:
1 large sweet onion – sliced in large pieces
3 zucchini – sliced
Grape tomatoes
Button mushrooms – halved
Veggie Marinade:
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Dash of sea salt
Dash of fresh ground black pepper
Combine all of the veggies in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar, dash of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Let the veggies sit for at least 1 hour.
Chicken:
Combine all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade in a bowl and add the chicken breast. Marinade in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 hour or up to over night.
After marinating, cube the chicken.
If the skewers are wooden soak them in water before using. Alternate the chicken cubes with the veggies.
Grill on a heated griddle or out door grill.
This dish will be a happy ending to any day.
Enjoy with Lots of Love,
Catherine
xo
Brown Thumb
I had it all planned out. I would plant flowers from seed inside with the girls and watch the miracle of life unfold before our eyes. We would move the baby flowers outside and water them daily. They would feel a sense of ownership of a beautiful, living thing. We would talk about how plants need water and sunlight to grow which would lead into talking about how they need to eat healthy foods to grow. We even painted egg cartons to transplant the flowers.
It was a lovely plan.
Unfortunately, my seeds now look like this:
The egg cartons were also a mistake. We only use washable paint around here which ran right off the egg carton when we watered the doomed flowers.
I am having much better luck outside where I weed and mulch and let nature do her thing.
Wow Factor! Stovetop Baked Beans
Ingredients:
6 Italian sausages – (preferably 3 sweet and 3 hot) chopped
1 – 28 oz. can baked beans (seasoned with bacon and brown sugar)
1 – 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 Jalapeño – chopped with seeds
4 cloves garlic – chopped
1 healthy handful of Italian parsley
1 sweet onion – chopped
1 green bell pepper – chopped
½ cup stout beer
2 tablespoons honey
Olive oil for drizzling
Cook sausages and chop.
In a large frying pan heat a drizzle of olive oil and add the Jalapeño, garlic, onion and bell pepper. Sauté until the onion is clear. Add the sausages and toss. Add the parsley, tomatoes, baked beans and toss. Simmer for a minute and add the beer and the honey.
Simmer on low for 1 hour or longer, the longer the better.
Serve this dish as is or over rice.
These baked beans are sure to cause conversation at your table!
Enjoy with Lots of Love,
Catherine
xo
Wow Factor! Stovetop Baked Beans
Delicious Pizza
Ingredients:
1 pizza dough
Sauce:
1 pint grape tomatoes – halved
2 sausages – chopped (preferably 1 hot and 1 sweet)
Healthy handful of cilantro – chopped
5 cloves of garlic – chopped
½ cup of your favorite salsa
1 long hot pepper – chopped
½ red onion – sliced
4 oz. mozzarella – shredded
Grated Romano cheese
Olive oil
Cornmeal for dusting
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Heat a saucepan with drizzle a little olive oil. Place the garlic, hot pepper, onion, cilantro and tomatoes to sauté until the onion is clear. Add the salsa and sausage. Continue to simmer on low while preparing the pizza dough.
Dust the pizza pan with a little bit of cornmeal. Work pizza dough to fit the pizza pan. Top the pizza with the sauce followed by the mozzarella, grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is a beautiful golden color.
This pizza is a wonderful Friday night dinner with a beautiful side salad.
Enjoy with Lots and Lots of Love,
Catherine
xo
Delicious Pizza
Zesty Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 lb. of lasagna noodles – broken into threes
Sauce:
2 grilled Jalapeño’s – chopped with seeds
7 cloves garlic – crushed & chopped
1 healthy handful cilantro – chopped
1 sweet onion – sliced
1 - 35oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 pinch of sugar
½ tsp brown sugar
Sprigs of fresh oregano – chopped
4-5 Sage leaves – chopped
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Dashes of sea salt
Olive oil
Meat:
4 links of sausage – 2 hot and 2 sweet
Cheeses:
16 oz. of cottage cheese
Zest of 1 small orange or ½ a large orange
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup or grated Romano cheese
8 oz. mozzarella - shredded
Grated Romano cheese
Heat the griddle and place the jalapeño’s on the griddle along with the sausage links. Grill until the peppers become slightly charred. Remove from the griddle, chop and set aside. When the sausage is cooked chop into pieces and set aside.
Heat a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil and place the chopped jalapeño, garlic, onion and cilantro. Sauté until the onion becomes clear. Add the sausage, oregano and sage leaves. Add the tomatoes and the seasonings and simmer on low while preparing the cheeses and the noodles.
Prepare the water for the lasagna noodles. Break the noodles into threes before putting in the water. Cook as directed on package.
Preparing the Cheese:
Place the cottage cheese in the food processor and process until smooth.
Add the orange zest, grated cheese, brown sugar, white sugar, black pepper and a tablespoon of sauce to the cottage cheese and blend again.
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Drizzle a little olive oil at the bottom of a baking dish along with a ladle of sauce. Drain the noodles and layer the bottom of the pan with noodles. Top with a layer of cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella, sauce and grated Romano cheese. Repeat this process until all of the noodles are used up.
Place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven.
This has a unique and delicious flavor that is sure to please the loved ones at your table.
Enjoy with Much Love.
Catherine
xo
Zesty Lasagna
Mushrooms that Eat Diapers
I'm a big fan of cloth diapers. They are cute, functional, easy, and good for the planet, and I want this one to have a nice planet to grow old in:
Well, a world with landfills filled with disposable diapers doesn't sound like a very nice one. Disposable diapers can take hundreds of years to decompose, and we are running out of space to store them. The folks at Real Diaper Association tell us that 27.4 billion diapers a year are used in the United States alone and 92% of them end up in landfills.
Apparently there is a new solution for the disposal of disposable diapers: mushrooms! These mushrooms thrive on the main component of disposable diapers and are actually edible. I'm not sure that I'd want to eat the mushrooms, but I'd love to see the next generation of Diaper Genie pails live up to their magical name and turn dirty diapers into food.
In the meantime, I'll stick with cloth. Did I mention how cute they are?
Rainy Day
In fifth grade my dad took me and some of my siblings to "Take Your Child to Work Day" at the large accounting firm where he worked in downtown Chicago. They had printed banners for every child on their parent's office door and had a kid-friendly lunch buffet that ended with an executive Q&A session. I raised my hand and patiently waited as some older, more studious types asked questions with financial terms I didn't understand. When it came my turn I posed my own burning question:
"Do you work better when it is rainy or when it is sunny?"
The executive paused, laughed and made some joke I didn't understand directed at the adults in the room before moving on to the next antsy child. I was confused, wondering why he didn't have a response. This was something I wondered frequently. Did I like rainy days to be lazy, snuggled up in bed with a good book? Or were they opportunities to let nature do it's work while I got less interesting things done inside? I believed that the CEO of a large company would certainly know himself well enough to answer this question.
A month later, my question landed in a highlights column of the company newsletter. While everyone laughed, I still wondered what his answer might be. I think I finally know my own. The gentle, cleansing sound and cozy darkness make me want to stay in bed with thick socks and warm coffee.
Or stay in my pajamas, make a smoothie, and wrap up in a blanket. With a band-aid on an imaginary nose wound, of course.
Pancakes & Sautéed Apple Breakfast
Ingredients:
Basic Pancake Recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour – sifted
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs – gently beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tablespoons butter – melted
Sautéed Apples:
2 large apples – peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Juice of ¼ lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon – sliced almonds
Sour Cream
For the Apples:
In a medium bowl combine the apples with the brown sugar, lemon juice and sliced almonds. Heat a medium sized frying pan with the butter and add the apple mixture. Sauté the apples on low while baking the pancakes.
Pancakes:
Combine all of the dry ingredients for the pancake batter in a mixing bowl. In a separate smaller bowl combine the eggs, milk, vanilla and butter and stir into the dry ingredients. Stir until rather smooth.
Pour the batter on a hot, lightly buttered griddle. When bubbles form and break open, flip over.
Serve the pancakes with a spoonful of sour cream, topped with the sautéed apples and your favorite syrup.
What a beautiful breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Enjoy with Much Love,
Catherine
xo
Pancakes & Sautéed Apple Breakfast
Quick & Easy Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients:
1 lb. of fettuccine noodles
Sauce:
1 quart of button mushrooms – sliced
6 cloves of garlic – crushed & chopped
1 bunch of scallions – sliced
¼ lb. bacon – sliced
1 tablespoon – butter
16 oz. cottage cheese
2 cups milk
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
Dashes of red pepper flakes
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Dashes of sea salt
Dashes of nutmeg
Olive oil for drizzling
Heat a griddle and place the bacon on the griddle to get crisp.
Prepare the noodles as directed.
Heat a large frying pan with the tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in heated frying pan the sliced mushrooms, garlic and scallions to sauté on medium. Add the dashes of salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes
In a food processor place the cottage cheese with a dash of nutmeg. Process the cottage cheese until smooth.
Add the milk to the sautéing mushrooms and scallions and let simmer on low. Add the cottage cheese and stir. Add the grated Romano cheese, bacon pieces and add the noodles. Toss until everything is combined well.
Plate the Fettuccine Alfredo and top with some extra grating cheese.
This is easy, delicious and satisfying.
Enjoy with Love,
Catherine
xo
Quick & Easy Fettuccine Alfredo
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients:
6 or 7 zucchini’s – shredded
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
½ cup shredded provolone
1 tsp. powdered chicken broth – (such as Vegeta)
Dashes of Sea Salt
Dashes of Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Vegetable oil – for frying
2 cloves of garlic - halved
In a large bowl place the shredded zucchini, flour, eggs, provolone, powdered chicken broth, salt and pepper. Mix together well.
Heat a large frying pan with about ¼ of an inch of vegetable oil and the garlic. Using a teaspoon carefully place the zucchini mixture in the oil. When one side is golden, carefully turn over the fritter, turning only once.
Place the fritters on a platter lined with a paper towel.
These fritters are excellent as an appetizer or simply part of a delicious meal.
Enjoy with Love,
Catherine
xo
Zucchini Fritters
Chicken Strips with A Spiced Mango Dipping Sauce
Here is a dish my daughter, Tammy, helped me prepare last night!
Ingredients:
Boneless Chicken Strips:
2½ lbs. boneless chicken breast, sliced thin
3 sleeves of Ritz Crackers
4 tablespoons Living the Gourmet Dry Herb Rub
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs
Vegetable oil
Dashes of sea salt
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Spiced Dipping Sauce:
3 tablespoons melted butter, salted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 12 oz. bag frozen mangos
A small handful cilantro, chopped
A small handful scallions, chopped
¼ jalapeno, chopped
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
3 tablespoons curry
Salt & pepper to taste
Boneless Chicken Strips:
2½ lbs. boneless chicken breast, sliced thin
3 sleeves of Ritz Crackers
4 tablespoons Living the Gourmet Dry Herb Rub
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs
Vegetable oil
Dashes of sea salt
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Spiced Dipping Sauce:
3 tablespoons melted butter, salted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 12 oz. bag frozen mangos
A small handful cilantro, chopped
A small handful scallions, chopped
¼ jalapeno, chopped
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
3 tablespoons curry
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
In food processor, blend Ritz Crackers, 2 tablespoons Living the Gourmet Dry Herb Rub and a few dashes of salt, until a fine consistency. Set aside in a dish. In separate dish combine flour with 2 tablespoons of Living the Gourmet Dry Herb Rub.
Dredge your chicken strips in the flour mixture, egg wash and then bread crumbs. In a baking dish and drizzle some vegetable oil and place the chicken strips. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a beautiful golden color.
Dipping Sauce:
In a cast iron pan, melt butter and olive oil. Add frozen mangos, cilantro, scallions, marmalade and jalapeno. Season with dashes of curry, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Catherine & Tammy
Chicken Strips with a spiced Mango dipping sauce
Banana Cake
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour – sifted
1 ½ cups sugar
2 packages of instant flavored oatmeal – (I used blueberry and banana flavored. You may use whatever flavor you like)
4 ripe bananas
2½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
½ stick butter – (4 tablespoons)
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.
In another bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and mix well. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and again mix well.
Butter a baking dish and place in oven for about 40 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
This cake is light and goes well with cream cheese and jam.
Enjoy with Love and Many Blessings,
Catherine
xo
Banana Cake
Melon Salad
Ingredients:
1 large cantaloupe – cut up
1 Jalapeño – sliced thin with seeds
½ red onion – sliced thin
1 cucumber – sliced
1 healthy handful of cilantro – chopped
Dressing:
¼ cup vinegar
1 tsp. of sugar
Dash of salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Prepare dressing, pour it over the salad and toss.
This is simple and oh so tasty. It will go perfect with a picnic or any meal.
Enjoy with Love and Blessings,
Catherine
xo
Melon Salad
Southwest Style Chicken
Ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless chicken breast
Healthy handful of cilantro
1 bunch of scallions
4 cloves of garlic - sliced
Drizzle of olive oil
Marinade:
Dashes of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dashes of cumin
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons of orange juice
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
Combine the ingredients for the marinade and place the chicken breast in the marinade. Let this sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Heat the griddle or a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and place the chicken on the heated griddle or pan. When the chicken has become a beautiful golden color on one side, turn it over. Place the cilantro, scallions and garlic on top of the chicken while it grills on the other side. Turn the chicken just once more to give the scallions, cilantro and garlic a quick grill. When the chicken has finished grilling on both sides, plate it. Place the grilled scallions, cilantro and garlic in the center for garnish.
This dish is tasty and is great for grilling.
Enjoy with Love and Blessings,
Catherine
xoxo
Southwest Style Chicken
Red Sauce with Pork
Ingredients:
3 lb. pork loin
1 lb. of your favorite
pasta
Sauce:
35 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 large sweet onion – sliced
1 head of garlic – crushed and chopped
3 stalks of celery – chopped
Handful of fresh oregano – chopped
Handful of fresh sage – chopped
½ cup of red wine
2 bay leaves
Dashes of sea salt
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Dashes of dried oregano
Dashes of red pepper flakes
Grated Romano cheese
Olive oil for drizzling
Heat a large sauce pot with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and celery and sauté until the onion is clear. Add the fresh oregano and sage. Add the pork loin and simmer for about 1 hour, slightly cov
ered. Add the tomatoes and dry seasonings and simmer for about ½ hour, then add the wine and continue to simmer for about another ½ hour.
Prepare the pasta as directed. Plate the pasta and drizzle with olive oil and cover with the sauce and grated cheese. Top with the sliced pork loin, more sauce and cheese.
This is a delicious and rustic meal sure to please.
Enjoy with Love and Blessings,
Catherine
xoxo
~
I would also like to thank Marelie from Cookie Droplets Etc... for extending the One Lovely Blog Award to me! Thank you so much Marelie!
The rules for accepting this award are:
1. Posting a link back to the person who gave you the award
2. Share 7 random things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered blogs
4. Drop them a note and tell them about it
~
7 random things about Catherine:
1. I love dogs
2. I have a toy poodle named Inka
3. I love waking up early in the morning and having a cup of coffee on my porch
4. I love watching old classic movies
5. I enjoy cooking especially on rainy days
6. My favorite game is Scrabble
7. I love Harry Nilsson
~
Everyday, I discover new and exciting blogs. So, I would like to extend this award to all of those wonderful and kind bloggers!
Blessings,
Catherine
xoxo
Red Sauce with Pork
Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb. of wild rice – uncooked
3 cloves of garlic – sliced thin
2 healthy handfuls of fresh cilantro – chopped
3 stalks of celery – chopped
1 Jalapeño – chopped with seeds
29 oz. can of cannellini beans – drained and rinsed
Dressing:
Juice of ½ lemon
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
Dash of cinnamon
Dashes of sea salt
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Cook the rice as directed on package or in a rice cooker.
Place rice in a large bowl and add the garlic, cilantro, celery, Jalapeño and the cannellini beans and toss.
Prepare the dressing, pour over the salad and toss.
Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
This salad makes a wonderful addition to any picnic or just a compliment to a meal.
Enjoy
Baked Polenta with Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients:
32 oz. sack of corn meal
32 oz. ricotta cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
Dashes of cinnamon – not too much, about 3 or 4 dashes
Dashes of sea salt
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
1 cup of grated Romano cheese
½ lb. of salami
¼ lb. sliced provolone
1 cup of marinated peppers - chopped
2 bunches of fresh parsley – chopped without stems
1 head of fresh garlic – chopped
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Drizzle olive oil over a baking pan and set aside as you prepare the cornmeal, as directed. For a richer tasting polenta, use chicken broth or bouillon seasoning in the water. Make enough polenta to line the bottom of the baking dish and to top the ricotta layer.
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the parsley, garlic and marinated peppers. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the parsley slightly wilted.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese, cinnamon, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper, grated Romano cheese and add the sautéed parsley, garlic and peppers. Mix this together well.
Top the first layer of polenta with the salami slices and the provolone slices. Top the salami and provolone with the ricotta mixture and then top the ricotta with another layer of polenta.
Grate more Romano cheese on top of the polenta a dash of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper and bake for about 25 minutes.
This is an easy and delicious meal served with a beautiful side salad and good company.
Enjoy with Lots of Love!
Catherine
xo
Baked Polenta with Ricotta Cheese
The Lazy Gourmet: Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches
The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy by Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin was written strictly for “anyone who dreams of dazzling guests with fabulous home-cooked fare.”
If you are one who dreams of easy-to-prepare dishes, then look no further. The Lazy Gourmet offers a variety of the most appealing recipes from dishes like Prawns in Romesco Sauce, Lazy Cheese Souffles and Apple, Blue Cheese and Walnut Tarts.
You won’t just dazzle, you’ll shine!
Though, despite all the fabulous pages that Robin and Juliana have compiled, I was only allowed to make one. I chose, their juicy and delicious Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches with a variation of my own.
Thank you for the opportunity to review your cookbook!
Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches
Adapted from The Lazy Gourmet
6 sandwich-size Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
Olive Oil – for drizzling
Dashes of fresh ground pepper
Dashes of Sea Salt
1 15 ½ can of butter beans – drained
2 cloves of garlic
Roasted red Jalapeño peppers – (store bought)
Shredded lettuce
Fresh basil leaves
Slices of provolone
Slices of prosciutto di parma
Your favorite sandwich bread
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
In a baking pan place the mushroom caps. Season the mushrooms with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and place in oven for 15-20 minutes.
Drain the beans and place in a food processor along with 2 cloves of garlic and dashes of sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and a few drizzles of olive oil. Give a few good chops, but not too smooth.
Heat a griddle or large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the fresh basil on the griddle. Let the basil get a little crispy and remove it. Place the proscuitti di parma the griddle for a minute and remove it.
Build your sandwich by spreading the bean spread on each side of the bread, then the peppers, lettuce, provolone, proscuitti di parma and finally the Portobello.
This is a wonderful sandwich capable of pleasing the fussiest of “gourmet's”! It was a pleasing dinner for my Mothers Day!
Enjoy with Much Love,
Catherine
xo
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day!!!
I hope everyone has a very beautiful & blessed day!
Blessings,
Catherine
xoxo
"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child."
- Sophia Loren
Warm Macaroni and Barley Salad
1 box of your favorite macaroni
3 stalks of celery with leaves – chopped
1 sweet onion – chopped
1 bunch of scallions - chopped
6 cloves of garlic – chopped
½ cup combination of dried cranberries and raisins
1 large bunch of Italian parsley – chopped
Dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Dash of sea salt
One pouch of instant barley
Olive oil – for drizzling
Dressing:
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons of honey
½ cup of olive oil
Cook macaroni as directed drain and set aside.
Prepare the barley as directed, drain and set aside.
In a large frying pan drizzle a little olive oil and heat. Add the onion, parsley, garlic and scallions. Sauté until the onion is clear. Add the macaroni, barley and raisin cranberry combo to the pan and toss.
In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the dressing, add to the pan and toss.
This is great served warm or cold.
Enjoy with Love,
Catherine
xo
Warm Macaroni and Barley Salad
