Settling In

Slowly but surely, Dusty and I are settling into the adorable town of Chester. After 5 straight days of packing and eating out for every meal (the kitchen was packed up), we are thrilled to be in our new home. On Thursday, the movers showed up at 9:00 am to load up our tiny "hobbit hole" of an apartment with this giant thing...

Seriously?!?!? Really?!?!?

Was that necessary?

Our poor neighbors. There was no where for this humongous truck to park, so they had to block some driveways. Let's just say the truck had to get moved a few times to let out some angry neighbors : /

But hauling and loading only lasted about 1-1/2 hours because our apartment was small and ready to go. After that Dusty and I hit the road in our separate cars, following each other through miles and miles of farmland to head up north to our new home.

Once we got to Chester we were greeted by one of the hospital administrators and she handed us over the keys to the house we will renting. When I opened the door, this is what I was greeted with....

My dream kitchen!!!

If you don't recall, this was my previous kitchen....

Nasty! I couldn't wait to say good-bye to that dark-tiny area!

Since we have moved in, I have been spending a ridiculous amount of time in my dream kitchen. But can you blame me??? Overall, I am so excited to be living in Chester. Everyone so far has been incredibly friendly and welcoming. It's crazy, we have been doing more socializing in these past 4 days than we ever did in Billings for the 2 years we lived there and Dustin and I are absolutely loving it! 

On another note, today was Dusty's first day on the job. It was so nice that he was able to walk home for lunch and when he comes home tonight, the lucky guy is going to have his favorite brownies waiting for him!

Life is fantastic and exciting right now! I am so thankful to be joining such a wonderful farming community, as well as living closer to family and friends. I look forward to sharing even more recipes and my experiences of life here on the Hi-Line. 

Almost-Famous Caramel Sauce

If you are from my hometown or the Ravalli County area of Montana, then there is a 90% chance that you know what this recipe is.....

It's the recipe of the homemade caramel sauce from the local county fair and football concession stand at the high school football games!

I have always wanted this recipe and finally I have it! It's so ridiculously easy and instantly reminds me of all the fun times at my high school football games and the county fair. I was the weird kid at the fair that didn't go for the rides, I went for the food. Boy Scout elephant ears with butter and cinnamon/sugar, homemade orange julius drinks, ridiculously long hot dogs and this caramel sauce with sliced apples. Yummmmm. Good times. Good times.

I know this week I have been eating "real food" but this week is also a special celebration....it's Caramel Week! To celebrate all things sweet and creamy, me and my blogging buddies, the Theme Weavers, have come up with a weeks worth of seriously delicious and super creative ways to make, bake and use caramel! Get your sweet tooth ready for a ton of fantastic recipes involving caramel....you have been warned!

On the line up for the week of all things caramel includes....

~Monday~
{Comfortably Domestic} Crockpot Dulce de Leche
{Kvetchin' Kitchen} Caramel Apple Pie
{La Petite Pancake} Caramel Banana Bread Pudding

~Tuesday~
{Decadent Philistines Save the World} Salted Caramel Pork Loin with Shaved Brussel Sprout & Apple Salad
{Bakeaholic Mama} Chewy Milk Dud Brownies

~Wednesday~
{Inside NanaBread's Head} Chocolate Alfajores with Salted Vanilla Bean Caramels
{Comfortably Domestic} Alfajores Caramel Sandwich Cookies
{The Girly Girl Cooks} Almost Famous Caramel Sauce (this post!)
{Climbing Grier Mountain} Dulce de Leche Milkshakes with Caramel Drizzle

~Thursday~
{Tenaciously Yours} Popcorn Crunch Sundae
{Kvetchin' Kitchen} Red Wine Caramel Sauce

~Friday~
{Country Cleaver} Pear Caramel Mini Cheesecakes
{Munching in the Mitten} Caramel Cake

~Saturday~
{Comfortably Domestic} DIY Dulce de Leche Coffee Creamer 

Did I not warn you???? These ladies are my favorite and are so incredibly creative. Did you realize you could use caramel so many ways!?!?!

If you are looking for a great made-from-scratch recipe for caramel sauce, this is going to be your go-to recipe. Once you make this recipe, you can use it to make all the other wonderful recipes provided by the Theme Weavers, or you can just simply drizzle it over ice cream or enjoy it with sliced apples (my personal favorite)!

Almost-Famous Caramel Sauce

-1 cup Butter (2 sticks)
-1 cup Light Corn Syrup
-1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
-2 cups Brown Sugar
-1 tsp Vanilla Extract

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Heat over medium-low heat and stir the ingredients until all is melted and blended together. Once incorporated, add in the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Continue stirring until the mixture begins to boil. When it begins to boil, let the mixture boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat.

Serve warm over ice cream or with sliced apples and ENJOY!
{Store the caramel sauce in an airtight container and it will keep for 3 weeks}

Eating "Real"

This past week I have been suffering from a massive head cold. It's been nasty and I've been living on the couch for the past few days. Besides being sick with this common cold, I haven't been feeling my best lately. Ever since we found out that we would be moving to a small town that is 90 miles to the nearest anything we have been eating out a lot trying to enjoy our favorite spots in town to dine before they would be a distant memory. I have a feeling that my recent poor eating habits have something to do with me becoming sick.

On Saturday, as I was laying on the couch with wads of tissue surrounding me, Vick's vapor rub under my nose, an ice pack on my nose and nasal spray clutched in my hand due to my massive nasal congestion, I decided to watch "Hungry for Change" on Netflix. If I had to watch another minute of the NFL draft I was going to go insane, so I thought this food documentary couldn't be any worse than 7 hours of NFL draft. What I didn't expect was how good the movie was going to be and how much it opened my eyes. It definitely got me thinking about my own health and what I'm putting into my body.

Just for curiosity sake I also checked out the "100 Days of Real Food" blog I had heard about a long time ago. I read a couple of her articles and started reading their journey of eating real food for 100 days. This all got me thinking and curious.....how would I feel if I cut out white sugar, white flour and white rice? What would it be like to cut out processed foods? 

I decided to experiment this week prior to Dusty's graduation on Friday/Saturday to see if I could cook and eat "real food." I wanted to see how the grocery bill would differ, if I would start feeling better and also, how would Dusty react. Would he still love my cooking???

So far and luckily, yes! Dusty didn't even know I was changing up our way of eating until I finally said something to him at dinner time. I swapped out whole-wheat tortillas instead of regular flour tortillas and he said my quesadillas were delicious. Score! Besides that, he has barely noticed any changes.

Also, the grocery bill was the exact same, if not a little bit less! 75% of our groceries were veggies/fruit which cuts down on grocery costs, so I was able to splurge and get wild caught fish and some organic produce. I was so proud of our cart when we were checking out. It felt really good!

Here is the menu I planned out for Sunday through Wednesday for this week....

~Sunday~
Breakfast: Fruit Smoothie
Lunch: Salad with organic goat cheese and homemade vinaigrette
Dinner: Broiled Tilapia with Tomato Caper Sauce with roasted broccoli and carrot fries

~Monday~
Breakfast: Plain Chobani Greek Yogurt with Honey & Blueberries
Lunch: Salad with goat cheese, hard boiled eggs and sliced apples
Dinner: Veggie Quesadillas

~Tuesday~
Breakfast: Cottage Cheese & Fresh Pineapple
Lunch: Leftover Quesadilla
Dinner:Chili Lime Shrimp Skewer with Butter Garlic Quinoa and creamy honey buttered corn (from Picky Palate Cookbook)

~Wednesday~
Breakfast: Plain Greek Yogurt w/Honey and Blueberry
Lunch: Salad with goat cheese, hard boiled eggs and sliced strawberries
Dinner: Smokey Spice Rubbed Grilled Salmon w/Black Bean/Corn Salad

Snacks: Banana, Carrots, Apples, Strawberries, and Watermelon

On Thursday through Sunday, Dusty's parents will be in town to attend/celebrate Dusty's graduation from his Master's program, so I didn't plan any further for the week. I gotta say, so far everything has been tasting great and I look forward to trying this more "hardcore" once we get settled up North after our big move.

Have you every tried eating "real food" or participated in the 100 days of real food challenge? Or even 10 days?

I'm curious and excited to see how my body is going to feel after sticking to it for a while!

Going Country

I feel like a broken record when I say this but....nursing school has taken over my life and time has gone by so fast! Has it really been since February since I last posted on here???? Dang. Can it be summer break yet? I miss cooking, food photography and my blog friends!

Good news is that in less than a month I am free for the summer! Which means that in about 2 months I will get to meet up with my favorite ladies in the blogging world at Blogher Food in June for everything food and blogging. I can't wait!

The real reason I'm posting today is because something crazy has happened to Dusty and I in the past month. We have been keeping it under wraps for the entire time and haven't really talked about it until now...

Dusty and I are moving in May up to the Hi-Line of Montana!

Dusty applied for an administrative position at a critical access hospital up on the Hi-Line and this week we found out he got the position! We couldn't be more excited and I couldn't be more proud of him. It's been a constant celebration this whole week since he found out.

It's going to be such a huge change because we are moving from a city population of over 100,000 to a town of just over 700 people. Plus we are going to be 90 miles to the nearest city which means I need to get a Sam's Club membership and a large freezer chest so we can stock up! I honestly can't wait though because everyone that we have met in the town so far has been so welcoming. It is going to be so much fun to be apart of a small community and get involved.

One of the things I'm actually really excited for is the adorable home we are going to rent through the hospital. The kitchen is awesome and has tons of natural lighting....perfect for food blogging!!! Plus we actually get to paint the walls, which will be a first in a rental and we can finally get our first dog!  So if you know of anyone who has doberman pinscher or german shepherd puppies, let me know! Also, there is only one restaurant in town, which means we are going to be saving a lot of money not eating out and I need to start stocking up on ethnic cuisine cookbooks since I'm going to be doing way more cooking :)

I seriously can't wait to move up to the Hi-Line! It's going to be quite the adventure for the two of us. The only complication is that I'll still have one more semester of nursing school in Billings, so figuring out the housing for me for that last semester is going to be interesting. I'm hoping that I can just stay in the dorms on campus (did I just say that???) so that it will be simple and easy. We will see!

Fun things are in store for Dusty and I....a move, Dusty's graduation, a new job, a wedding (which is 99 days away!) and maybe even a new puppy if we can find one! 

 

{Photos courtesy of LMC website and Google!}

Seriously Easy Risotto

Have you ever attempted making risotto? It's the one culinary dish that absolutely terrifies me. Why does risotto scare me so? I blame Food Network.

I distinctly remember watching Next Food Network Star a couple summers ago and the challenge one week was for the contestants to cook a celebrity dinner with Wolfgang Puck as the guest of honor. One of the contestants absolutely screwed up the risotto so bad that Wolfgang stood up from the table and insisted on taking the poor contestant back into the kitchen to teach her how to make risotto the right way. That scene seriously intimidated me into making risotto. (Watch it here)

So call me crazy, but I decided to make my very first risotto for Dusty on Valentine's Day. The secret to the risotto is that I cheated. I made a foolproof, idiot-proof, can't-mess-up, seriously easy baked risotto from Ina Garten. Dusty and I have seriously got a foodie-crush on Ina's cooking. Every single thing I've made from her has been wonderful. I was so impressed by her easy Parmesan Risotto, I had to share it with you!

Easy Parmesan Risotto by Ina Garten
{4-6 servings}

-1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
-5 cups Chicken Stock (divided)
-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1/2 cup White Wine
-3 tbsp Butter (diced)
-2 tsp Salt
-1 tsp Pepper
-1 cup Frozen Peas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt, and pepper, and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Add the peas and stir until heated through.

I told you it was easy! Go make this for your family and friends and impress them!

Recipe from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)

Valentine's Day Menu

Aaaugghhh! It's starting to happen again. School is getting insane and free time to make yummy new creations is decreasing.

Must. Fight. This.

My first Senior semester of nursing school has kicked off with a bang! I spent last week on ATU and had a blast. Previous semesters we were only assigned one patient, now we get to pick our own patients and we get to have two! Juggling the two patients and having more responsibility with freedom is awesome! I'm totally loving it. On Wednesday I get to spend 12 hours at the ICU and can hardly wait because I'm so excited! I seriously can't wait to be a nurse.

Don't worry. I'm not a total loser. My life isn't just school. It's also working on Orthopedics, cooking, baking, date nights with Dusty, shopping and....The Walking Dead.

Ok. Maybe I'm kinda lame right now. But oh my gosh! The Walking Dead is on Netflix, which means Dusty and I watched 2 seasons in like 3-4 days. Nerd alert! 

Well, that pretty much sums up where I've been the past week or two. Work, school, homework, and watching an obscene amount of zombie killing on Netflix. Also, I've been planning one of my favorite meals of the year besides Turkey Day.....Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is the one day I like to go all out and show off my culinary skills to Dusty. Since good seafood is a luxury in Montana, I love to make something fishy and fancy for the big day of love. I found these beautiful babes at Costco this weekend....

And they are going to taste so good broiled with a lemon-chive butter and served over a creamy parmesan risotto with roasted green beans! It will be my first attempt at making risotto, so wish me luck!

While I'm spending my 12 hours on Wednesday in the ICU, Dusty is in charge of making a Red Velvet Cake with the classic frosting. On our first V-day spent together 5 years ago, Dusty surprised me and made a Red Velvet Cake for me. I know it's the typical Valentine's Day dessert, but it sure is special to me!

If you are struggling to think of something special that has some WOW-factor, then I've got the perfect Valentine's Day menu for you....

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Impressive and fancy!

Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

Seriously seductive ;)

Roasted Asparagus

The perfect side dish!

And finally, the most delicious and decadent dessert...

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Glazed Strawberries

This dessert is super impressive, but so easy!

What are you making for your sweetie? Are you eating out or staying in? 

Super Bowl Round-Up

Guess what....Super Bowl is only one week away! While Dusty will be all wrapped up in the big game, I'll be over in the corner eating my delicious football food and paying attention only during the commercials. Just like every other Super Bowl Sunday for the past 24 years of my life.

Besides the commercials, I love the seriously awesome grub I make for the big game. It's a total blow out of all things cheesy, good and/or sinful. I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to make yet, but I know it's going to be amazing and big game worthy.

Are you hosting a Super Bowl Party?

Do you want something more exciting than just chips and salsa???

Here are my go-to Super Bowl dishes that will be a game winner and crowd pleaser!

-BBQ Venison Wontons

-Death By Cheese Dip

-Shrimp Cocktail Dip

-Honey Dijon Chicken Wings

-Football Spicy Wings

-Huckleberry Glazed Chicken Wings

-Balsamic Onions & Prusciutto Pizza

-Homemade In-N-Out Animal Fries

-Jalapeno Poppers

-BBQ Macaroni Salad

-Best Brownies Ever

-Homemade Snicker Bars

-Pig-Out Cookies

-Bloody Caesar

-Huckleberry Fizz Cocktail

-Julie's Famous Daiquiris

Looking through this list of food, drinks and treats makes me that much more excited for next Sunday!

Hearty Vegetable Mexican Soup with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread {Soup Week}

Happy Soup Week!

I made some soup for you.

Some really healthy, hearty, and flavorful soup!

Not to mention, some of the best cornbread you have ever tasted in your life!

This week in the blogging world, my favorite group of ladies have gathered together to bring you a week full of delicious soups and such that will warm you up. 

So many soups! Which one to make next?!?!

Check out these links throughout the week to see the wonderful soup creations these talented ladies have created....

Monday

Me!

Katie of Hill Country Cook: 3 Bean & Spinach Soup + Le Creuset GIVEAWAY!

Kirsten of Comfortably Domestic: Broccoli Cheddar Soup & Bread Bowls

Tuesday

Madeline of Munching in the Mitten: Garbage Soup
Mads of La Petite Pancake: Gnocci Pesto Soup 

Wednesday

Megan of Wanna Be A Country Cleaver: 40 Clove Garlic Chicken Soup with Parmesan Croutons

Lauren of Climbing Grier Mountain: Sunchoke Soup with Gorgonzola and Honey Crostini

Thursday

Carrie of Bakeaholic Mama: Beef Bourguignon and French Baguettes

Monica of The GromMom: Coconut Curry with a lot of Aloha

Friday

Kat of Tenaciously Yours: Eat Live Run’s White Chicken Chili

Allison of Decadent Philistines: Arizona Mountain Soup with Cornbread

Saturday

Anne of My Sweet Heart: Pink Prosecco Soup

Jeanne of Inside NanaBread’s Head: Shrimp Bisque and Mayo Biscuits

Beka of Kvetchin’ Kitchen: Creamy Mushroom Soup

Don't all of those look fantastic!?!?

Such a great selection of wonderful soups!

Hearty Vegetable Mexican Soup

{Serves 4-6}

-1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

-1/2 Yellow Onion-diced

-1 Medium Zucchini-diced

-1 Medium Yellow Squash-diced

-1 Red Bell Pepper-diced

-4 ounces sliced Mushrooms

-1 tbsp minced Garlic

-15 ounce can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

-14 ounce can Diced Tomatoes

-1 cup Fat Free Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

-1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro

-1 tbsp Lime Juice

-1 tsp Cumin

-1 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder

-1/2 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese & Green Onion (for garnish)

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, zucchini, squash, red bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook and stir until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Then add in the rest of the ingredients (chickpeas to pepper) to the dutch oven. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a simmer until hot. 

Serve the soup into individuals bowls and garnish with sour cream, cheese and green onions.

Recipe Adapted from Picky-Palate 

Now let's not forget about this guy!

This cornbread is truly amazing and perfect with this soup.

You are going to love it!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

{Makes 9}

-1-1/2 cups Flour

-1/2 cup Cornmeal

-2 tbsp Sugar

-1 tbsp Baking Powder

-1 tsp Salt

-1 cup Milk

-2 Eggs - lightly beaten

-1/2 cup Butter - melted

-1-1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese - divided

-1 Green Onion - chopped

-1 tbsp seeded and diced Jalapeno Pepper

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, eggs and melted butter. With a spoon or spatula, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the lumps are just dissolved. Gently mix in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, green onion and jalapeno pepper. Allow the mixture to rest in the bowl for 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F) and grease a 8x8 baking pan. 

Pour the batter into the baking dish, smooth the top and sprinkle on evenly the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack and cut into 9 equal squares. Delicious! Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Winter Time Comfort Foods

After a freakishly warm December, the nasty snow and freezing winds of winter have finally arrived. I hate it because snow = stuck car. I drive a Ford Focus and it always gets stuck and slides around. Living in Montana means I have developed amazing defensive winter driving skills. But seeing how I hate using my amazing defensive driving skills, I like to be a homebody as much as I can and stay off the the roads.

So when it's freezing outside and snowing, I like to cuddle on the couch with Dusty and my blanket and eat hearty comfort foods that warm the soul.

Here is a collection of my favorite winter time comfort foods...

Cheesy Chili Mac

Cottage Pie

Butter Chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

Turkey Meatloaf w/Cranberry Glaze

Apple Pork Loin

Creamy Mustard Roasted Salmon

Tuna Casserole

Broccoli Soup

Creamy Asparagus Soup w/ Roasted Garlic & Chive Chevre

Creamy Chive Mashed Potatoes

Fancy Potatoes

Gooey Caramel Rolls

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes

My Mom's Coffee Cake

Sausage Gravy w/Biscuits

What are your favorite comfort foods? 

Stay warm!

Fancy Potatoes

Nursing school started up again this week. Good-bye free time! Good-bye life. It's been fun while it lasted. After looking through the course syllabus for my classes, I don't think this semester going to be hard, but it's going to be busy. Very busy.

I'll have class all day on Monday and Tuesday, clinicals on Wednesday and Thursday, and then two 12 hours shifts of work on Friday and Saturday. That means I get Sundays to grocery shop, do laundry and homework. Sounds fun, right? No wonder there is a nursing shortage. They sure make it hard to become one!

With this in mind, my weekly menu-planning has become very strategic and now I have gotten Dusty involved. I plan the meals for the nights I can cook and he plans for the nights that I work. Let me tell you what, after a 12 hour shift at the hospital, it is awesome to walk in the door to a home cooked meal made by your man. I'm a lucky girl.

On the menu this week:
Sunday: Roast Chicken, Sauteed Carrots & Fancy Potatoes
Monday: Chili with Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread
Tuesday: Leftover Chili & Cornbread
Wednesday: Fish Tacos & Mexican Rice
Thursday: Shrimp Penne Vodka Pasta, Salad & Garlic Toast
Friday: Tuna Casserole (made by Dusty)
Saturday: Leftover Casserole

Last night (Sunday) I made the most delicious Roast Chicken. I don't know why I never roast chickens on a regular basis. They are so easy to cook and seriously amazing. What I loved just as much as the roast chicken were these Fancy Potatoes...

Tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, these fancy potatoes look and taste really impressive on your dinner plate! 

Fancy Potatoes

{Serves 4}

-8 medium sized Golden Potatoes (approximately 2 pounds)

-2 tbsp STAR Olive Oil with Roasted Garlic

-2 tsp Kosher Salt

-1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

-1/2 tsp dried Rosemary

-Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut the bottoms off one side of the potato so that they lie flat. Make 1/8" slices across the potatoes, but don't cut all the way through! Only cut down about 1/4" from the bottom. 

Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl and add the olive oil, salt, pepper and dried rosemary. Using your hands, rub the potatoes down with the olive oil and spices and also so that it gets between the potatoes slices. Place the potatoes on the greased baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes until tender and crispy on top. Enjoy!

Variations: You can substitute the roasted garlic olive oil for regular EVOO or you could omit the dried rosemary and use STAR's Olive Oil with Fresh Rosemary instead. These potatoes are really versatile!

Recipe Adapted from Ina Garten, Food Network

Peanut Asian Noodle Salad

Somehow this week I ended up eating a ton of seafood. I didn't plan on it, but it happened. I'm not complaining or anything because it was fantastic and delicious!

On Monday I made a penne vodka pasta with shrimp, then on Tuesday I went to a seriously fun and amazingly good sushi party. A bunch of my nursing school friends got together and made homemade sushi. We made everything from nigiri, sashimi to soft shell crab rolls with lime and honey. Oh my gawd it was to die for! My friend Rosa is the queen of sushi and I learned so much from her. It was a blast!

Then on Wednesday, Dusty and I went out to Bistro Enzo for his birthday where we both had the dinner special, which ended up being seared scallops with a trout-corn risotto and an avocado, tomato, lime chutney (so good!).

Since I menu plan each week, it also just so happens that I planned for Thursday (last night) to be Asian-Panko Salmon with this Peanut Asian Noodle Salad....

I absolutely love this side dish! 

It's perfect to serve along with salmon or chicken. If you want to have it as a main course, you could easily roast some shrimp or cooked chicken, and toss it in the salad.

Peanut Noodle Asian Salad

{Serves 4 side dish or 2 main course}

-6 oz Spaghetti

-1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

-1-1/2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

-2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

-1 tbsp Sesame Oil

-1 tsp Honey

-1/2 tsp minced Garlic

-1/4 tsp fresh grated Ginger

-2 tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter

-1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds-divided

-4 ounces Sugar Snap Peas

-1 Red Bell Pepper-thinly sliced

-1 Green Onion-thinly sliced

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente in a large pot of salted water. Once cooked, drain and set aside. 

While the noodles are cooking, bring another pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the sugar snap peas in the boiling water for 4 minutes until crisp tender and then shock them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain and set aside.

To make the peanut dressing: 

In a small bowl combine the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, peanut butter and 2 tsp of toasted sesame seeds. Whisk the ingredients together and set aside.

To serve:

In a serving bowl combine the spaghetti noodles, sugar snap peas, red bell peppers, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, green onions and peanut dressing. Toss to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

*Recipe Inspired & Adapted by Ina Garten, Food Network.com

The Perfect Omelet

Yesterday morning when I woke up and made breakfast, I didn't expect that I would be making the most perfect omelet I have ever encountered in my life.

Like I had said in my previous post, I bought two new Barefoot Contessa cookbooks that I absolutely love. The recipes are earthly, sophisticated, elegant and simple, yet challenging. Everything I love about cooking. I've read them both cover-to-cover and have incorporated a handful of her recipes into my weekly menu planning already.

When I saw the recipe for Omelet for 2, I instantly knew that I must make it since I only cook for two on a daily basis for Dusty and myself. Rarely do you find a recipe for two! Such a rare creature in the culinary world! Everything is for 4, 6 or 8 servings, which means I'm constantly doing math and division on a daily basis.

So back to yesterday.

Dusty and I slept in because it's Sunday, and that is what you do on Sunday. I rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast and approximately 30 minutes later I pulled my omelet out of the oven. I snapped this picture for Instagram, not knowing what I was just about to encounter....

The perfect omelet.

I split the omelet in half, gave Dusty his half of the omelet and took a bite of mine. After only one bite, I knew I was in for something amazing so I ran over to the window to get another picture with my iphone. I kept thinking, I must share this recipe! I don't care how nice the photo looks, I gotta do a post on this omelet! The world must taste this omelet!!!

Thanks to Ina Garten and her wonderful Omelet for 2 recipe, I was a culinary goddess in Dusty's eyes that morning. He kept singing my praises all morning and gave me a huge kiss just for making him the best omelet he has ever had in his life. I pretty much felt like a rock star and I want all of you to make this omelet for your loved ones so that you can be culinary gods/goddess's for your family too!

I'm not kidding. This omelet is goooood! The eggs were fluffy, but not to eggy. The cheese was cheesy, but not too cheesy. The flavors from the potatoes, bacon, jalapeno and two types of onions were just absolutely perfect. What I love most is that the ingredients are so simple and pretty much everyone has them in their refrigerator already!

Do yourself a favor and make this omelet for breakfast! You are going to love it. 

Omelet for 2: by Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa At Home

{Serves 2}

-1/4 lb Bacon

-1 tbsp unsalted Butter

-1 cup medium-diced Yukon Gold Potatoes

-1/2 cup chopped Yellow Onion

-1 tbsp minced Jalapeno Pepper

-5 extra-large Eggs 

-2 tbsp Milk or Cream

-1 tsp Kosher Salt

-1/2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

-1/4 cup chopped Scallions, white and green parts

-4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese, diced, plus grate cheese for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bacon crosswise in 1-inch pieces. Cook the bacon in an 8 inch ovenproof saute pan over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan. Add the butter to the pan, then add the potato and yellow onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. Add the jalapeno pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the scallions and diced cheddar. When the potato is cooked, add the bacon to the pan and pour over the egg mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and eggs are almost cooked in the center. Sprinkle with a handful of grated Cheddar and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan.

*Some changes I made to the recipe...
I used salted butter, shredded (not diced) cheddar cheese and large eggs instead of extra-large. Also, I used a 10 inch pan because that is what I had. The changes I made to the original recipe were delicious and perfect because I worked with what I had in my kitchen. That's what cooking is all about! 

If you want the recipe to serve more than 2, you can easily cut it into thirds or fourths. I would just maybe serve the omelet along with a fruit salad, sliced oranges or strawberries to go along with it.

 

I can't wait for you to make this for breakfast!

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Glazed Strawberries

Happy New Year Everyone! 

This is my first recipe post for 2013 and believe me, it's a good one.

Dusty and I went up north to spend Christmas and New Years' with Dusty's family on the farm for the past couple of weeks. We had so much fun hanging out, relaxing and eating so much food! While we were there we spent a day in the "big city" where we did some post-Christmas shopping and went to go see some new release movies. The boys went to see Django and us girls went to see Les Miserables.

Before the movies started we decided to kill some time at the neighboring Barnes & Noble. As usual, I made a bee-line for the cookbook section (go figure, surprise-surprise!) and purchased two Ina Garten cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa At Home and Foolproof. I absolutely love these books and have spent the past few days reading her books like a novel. I've read them cover-to-cover and can't wait to cook everything! Her recipes are so simple but elegant, which is my absolute favorite style of cooking.

One of the recipes that caught my eye was the Panna Cotta with Balsamic Berries from that At Home cookbook. I have previously assisted in making panna cotta when I use to assist in culinary classes, but never made it myself. Plus, I just recently posted a recipes for Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Berries. This recipe looked divine and I wanted to add my own twist and changes to it....hence, Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Glazed Strawberries!

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Glazed Strawberries
{Serves 4}

-1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
-1-1/2 cups Heavy Cream
-1 cup Vanilla Bean Tillamook Yogurt (or any other vanilla yogurt)
-1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or 1 Vanilla Bean)
-6 tbsp Sugar
-1 pint fresh Strawberries-sliced
-1 tbsp Star Fine Foods Balsamic Vinegar
-1-1/2 tsp White Granulated Sugar

In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 tsp of gelatin powder onto 1-1/2 tbsp cold water. Stir to combine and set aside until dissolved, 10 minutes.

In a bowl, stir to combine 3/4 cup heavy cream, yogurt, and vanilla bean paste. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 3/4 cup heavy cream with the 6 tbsp of sugar. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, remove the saucepan from heat and add in the gelatin from the small bowl and stir to incorporate and dissolve.

Pour the hot cream mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour evenly into 4 small ramekins and place in the refrigerator to chill. Once chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

1 hour before serving the dessert, slice 1 pint of strawberries and place them in a bowl. Combine the strawberries with 1 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar and 1-1/2 tsp of sugar. Gently stir to combine so that the strawberries soak up all the juices and flavors.

When you are ready to serve, run a butter knife around each dessert in the ramekin and dip the bottom of ramekin into a bowl of hot water. This will loosen the panna cotta from the ramekin and allow it to easy release. Invert each ramkin onto small individual serving plates. The panna cotta should easily release onto the plate, but you may have to help it out and jiggle a little bit.

Surround the panna cotta with the balsamic glazed strawberries and serve!

Your guests are going to be so impressed with this dessert!

Recipe Inspired & Adapted from Ina Gartens Barefoot Contessa at home