Mango Strawberry Limonata

My wonderful friend, Carrie, over at Carrie's Sweet Life is featuring me as one of her Friday Faves. I'm so honored to be guest posting on her blog.


Please check out my recipe for my refreshing Mango Strawberry Limonata over at Carrie's Sweet Life.

Prosciutto & Gruyere Chicken with a Lemon Mushroom Cream Sauce

Mondays are bittersweet reminders that the weekend is over.

I absolutely love my weekends because I get to spend some quality family time with my hardworking husband and our sweet daughter. I'm still in a daze to say that we have a daughter, and it's been a very blissful journey these past 2 months watching her grow. Unfortunately, Eric has been working some crazy and long days for some big projects all the while Elena and I stay home and play. I know he wishes that he was home with us, but that's why we try to take full advantage of the weekend when he has no work commitments. Mondays really make me wish that Friday was already here again, too.

Most of the time, I'm preparing dinner for myself during the week. If I'm lucky, Eric is sometimes home for dinner, but most times I'm usually packing dinner for his lunch the next day. The days I know that he'll be home for dinner, I really try to make the extra effort to make a comforting and memorable meal. Occasionally, I plan our meals thinking about vacations that I want (Greece) or past vacations that we have enjoyed, too. It's like preparing meals that are inspired from our dream vacations.


This mouthwatering dish of prosciutto and Gruyere chicken with a lemon mushroom sauce paired with a pesto spaghetti was one of those perfect vacation meals. Prosciutto and pesto always brings a big smile to my face because it's a little reminder of our Italy trip that we took together last May. We had eaten plenty of cured meats in Italy and had the best homemade pesto at Agriturismo Frallarenza. Somehow it always unlocks those memorable foodie moments. 

A fantastic comforting meal that will make you forget that it's Monday. Hurry up Friday, I miss you already.

Prosciutto & Gruyere Chicken with a Lemon Mushroom Cream Sauce
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Berry Oven Pancakes

I will have admit that there are a couple of dishes that I had made in the beginning stages of my cooking journey that I had slight troubles. Cooking eggs without burning them, roasting a 14 pound turkey without buying a pre-made one, making a pot of rice (not overly mushy) on the stove (rice cookers don't count) and preparing the perfect pancake without burning them. Some dishes took a little practice to make perfect, but I like to think they were all part of my learning curve for tasty dishes and not disasters in the kitchen. 

Besides, whenever kitchen disasters occurred you should always have a back-up plan. (1): Instruct your husband to pick up some take-out food. (2): Have a frozen meal always stocked in your fridge/pantry.

These berry oven pancakes are practically foolproof for anyone and you will not need a back-up plan. There is no need to watch over them while they bake on the stove, or count the number of bubbles forming on top in order to flip them. They are effortless to prepare because they bake in the oven. You can easily prepare this meal in 20 minutes or less. Make some coffee, bacon and eggs to add more to your meal if you want, too. But these berry oven pancakes are the perfect way to start your morning or end your night.

Simply scrumptious.

Berry Oven Pancakes
Adapted from Back to the Basics
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup each raspberries, blueberries, and sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 3 tablespoons for cast iron skillet
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Maple syrup and confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Gently combine the berries and sugar in a small bowl and set aside while you make the pancakes.

Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and place three tablespoons of butter in the skillet (or use smaller gratin dishes. )

In a bowl of the stand mixer, beat the eggs until mixed. Add the milk and mix. Add the flour, vanilla extract, zest of the orange, and 2 tablespoons melted butter and salt into the bowl. Mix until combined. Whisk by hand if batter looks lumpy, if needed.

Make sure the butter in the cast iron skillet has completely covered the bottom of the dish, and add the pancake mixture. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until slightly puffed and lightly browned.

Cut into quarters and add the berries on top. Drizzle with maple syrup and confectioners' sugar if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Review: A wonderful and simple breakfast or dinner at home. The pancakes remind me of our favorite pancake house where they serve a dutch oven pancake, it's almost like a popover. It's very light and airy and absolutely delicious. We opted this dish without the maple syrup and confectioners' sugar because the macerated fruit was perfect alone on top.

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Soft Sugar Cookies

Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband and I don't celebrate this lovey dovey holiday because my birthday takes reign the first half of this wonderful month. Besides we find ways everyday to say "I love you" without the assistance of this consumer ridden holiday. I really don't mind because I may have had three birthday dinners in my name already! Plus, I still have an awesome dinner planned with my wonderful friends this weekend to celebrate my birthday, too.

These soft sugar cookies are simple to prepare, and one of my favorite ways to use those colorful themed sprinkles. I love adding sprinkles or sanding sugar to cupcakes, but it never has the same effect when you put them on cookies. You have probably seen these particular style of cookies everywhere on the foodie bloggy-sphere. Or mainly because they are similar to the Lofthouse style cookies that you can find at the grocery store. Either way, these cookies are a fabulous way to share your hugs and kisses.

Have something sweet today especially these cookies.

Soft Sugar Cookies
Adapted from The Novice Chef
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:

Cookies:
6 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Frosting:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons milk
Sanding sugar/sprinkles

Preparation:

In a large bowl, whisk 5 cups of flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 4 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at time, mixing until it is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough needs to obtain the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour). Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.

When ready to bake the cookies; preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with silpat (silcone baking mat) or parchment paper. Set aside.

Generously flour your work area and rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using your preferred cookie cutters, cut out with the cutter and transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved.

Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sanding sugar/sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container.

Enjoy!

Yield: 4 to 5 dozen cookies

Review: Tastes just like the store-bought cookies...but so much better! It doesn't taste as sweet, and I love that I can make these cookies for any holiday. Sugar cookies are not my particular forte, and these are simple enough to prepare and frost without the fancy frosting job. I think colorful sprinkles are a way to my heart...and tummy!

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Blackberry Lemonade

It's been a whirlwind of a week, and there has been a bit of a family emergency that has kept me away. Eric's grandmother is currently in the hospital and had a bit of a dizzy spell because she's anemic. The doctors are doing lots of tests to make sure she is okay, but had to undergo a colonoscopy because they were worried about the traces of blood they had found. We are anxiously waiting on the lab results of her latest CT scan and praying for a quick recovery. She is in good spirits and the family is doing everything we can to be there for her.

This was a simple drink that I had made earlier in the week because the abundance of Meyer lemons that I had picked off our tree. Usually when we have lemons - I make lots of lemonade. Lemonade has been one of my go-to drinks since the beginning of my pregnancy, but sometimes I have been a little bored of the repetitiveness of it. This was a refreshing variation by simply adding some muddled blackberries, and they are inexpensive at most grocery stores and farmers markets. I love the gorgeous purple hue that blackberries gave and if you didn't know purple is my favorite color!

It's perfect for entertaining and you can add a little shot of liqueur (rum/vodka/tequila) to make a nice adult version of the drink.

Blackberry Lemonade
Adapted from Food Network
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
6 to 8 lemons (2 cups of lemon juice), plus lemon slices
2 cups water
1 to 2 cups ice
1 cup simple syrup
1 pint of blackberries

Preparation:

Prepare the simple syrup by bringing one cup of sugar and water to boil, stirring until dissolved. Let cool.

In a large pitcher, muddle the blackberries, make sure to smash them completely or it will be hard to sip the fruit through a straw. Stir in the 2 cup of lemon juice, and 2 cups water. Add the ice and lemon slices. Serve in a glass with extra lemon slices if desired.

Yield: 2 Liter pitcher ~ about 6 cups

Review: Refreshing and a gorgeous way to brighten your day. Here's a sweet picture (instragram) of my favorite birthday cousin/twin, and my grandma. They are modeling the flower headbands that I had made while we were in the hospital yesterday. My grandma loved it, and had felt like a little kid. Doesn't she look darling in it? ;-)
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Soft Pretzel Bites

Lately, I have been craving salty foods more than normal. I guess my pregnancy cravings are starting to really pick up and I'm trying my absolute best to stick to eating healthy, exercising and providing nutritious foods for my growing belly. Can you believe that I'm 25 weeks today? For those that are curious, Eric and I aren't finding out the gender of the baby aka cookie. We want our little blessing a surprise come May. My pregnancy cravings haven't been pickles and ice cream or anything weird, but more salty and sour.

I had recently met up with Jessica from Sunny Side Up In San Diego and she had given me some ideas on my birthday cake that I plan on baking next month. I wanted to highlight something from her blog and I fell in love with from her recipe post on soft pretzel bites and a couple other recipes, too.

It's like my pregnancy cravings were instantly honed on her soft pretzel bites. These soft pretzel bites are easy enough for the immediate cook because I have conquered my fear with yeast a couple times in the kitchen. Yeast may have won more battles (failed recipes), but this might pose a little challenge if this is your first attempt with yeast. (Make sure to give yourself some ample time to let the dough rise). Be careful because these little pretzel bites might be addicting, and you can easily make sweet ones by substituting cinnamon sugar instead of coarse salt for the topping. It's a carb lovers dream come true!

Paired beautifully with my buffalo chicken soup, or make Jessica's beer cheese dip.

Soft Pretzel Bites
Adapted from Sunny Side Up in San Diego
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Pretzel Dough:
4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Topping:1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
2 egg whites
2 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
Coarse kosher salt, for topping
Parchment paper and cooking spray

Preparation:

In a measuring cup, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside. (Mixture should become foamy - or you have bad yeast or too hot water).

In the bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugars, and salt on low speed. Turn off the mixer and pour the water/yeast mixture and melted butter into the bowl. Turn the mixer on and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough is too dry you can add extra water, a tablespoon at a time.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Remove the dough from the mixer and shape into a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise for one hour (or until double in size).
Note:*I turn on my oven at the lowest temp at 200 while I am doing my food prep. Then I place the bowl in the oven, and turn off the oven with the door slightly open for 30 minutes, then remove it and place on top of the oven for the remainder of the rising time.*

Towards the end of rising time, preheat oven to 450 degrees and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper and cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the hot water and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and melted butter.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and then knead with hands for one minute. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough into 12 even portions. Now you can pick your shape. For pretzel bites roll each portion into a snake then cut the snake into bite size pieces, about 1 1/2 inches in width.

Dip the pieces in the baking soda water and place on the baking sheet. Dab with a paper towel if there is an excess of water. Brush each pretzel bite with egg whites/melted butter mixture then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until browned.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 3 dozen+

Review: Mmmmm, I loved these little pretzel bites. The good thing about these, they don't need to be perfectly shaped. I love the oddness of the shapes and added just enough salt to my pregnancy liking! My little cookie loves salty foods! These did make a huge batch and I shared a batch or two with my friends.

Foodie Fun Bonus: A couple weekends ago I met up with Jessica while I was in San Diego. It was really great to hang out again since the last time we saw each other was the FoodBuzz conference in SF. We ate some yummy tacos, split a peanut butter sundae at Ghiraradelli and talked endless foodie gossip. It was really great to see her one last time before she departs to China. I really love the foodie support that our food blogging community has, and I wish her nothing but the best for her exciting journey ahead. Mostly, I'll be living vicariously through her exciting travels! Pin It

Apple Pecan Cake

Happy Friday!!

I'm so excited that the weekend is here. Today Eric and I have are finally jumping ship from our current cellular phone plan and we both plan on getting new fancy smartphones. We have been fighting the long battle of not needing a smartphone for awhile now, and we have finally seen that the perks outweigh the need for the phone. These fancy new phones do it all now: email, internet, facetime, GPS, camera, and have all those cool fun apps, too. Oh my, I can't wait. (Instagram and Angry Birds are two apps that I have been coveting for a long time.) Even my own mother-in-law wants to have facetime so she can see her future grandchild at any moment, and I have to admit... that's pretty cool.

To start the weekend right, I love baking something to satisfy those sweet (pregnancy) needs of mine. Currently, apples are a fruit that I have been enjoying alot lately. They last longer than bananas in our house, and I have been eating an apple a day. (It keeps the doctor away right?) For awhile, I was into clementines and I would eat 4 of those in a sitting. They haven't been on sale lately, so I have apples stocked up and I knew this dessert would be an easy fix. This simple dessert combines apples with a little bit of citrus and pecans all into one sweet treat. It would be perfect for breakfast and a cup of coffee to start your day right, or perfect for dessert and a large glass of milk to celebrate stepping into current century of smartphones!

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Apple Pecan Cake
Adapted from Everyday Food
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

1 medium apple, such as Gala or Fuji, peeled and diced small

3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped, plus extra if desired

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon packed finely grated orange zest

3 large eggs

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter parchment.

In a medium bowl, toss apple and pecans with 2 tablespoons flour to coat. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, combine applesauce and yogurt.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy, make sure to scrape down bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions applesauce mixture, and beat to combine. Fold in apple mixture. Transfer batter to pan and smooth top.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Using parchment, lift cake from pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar and extra toasted pecans if desired before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

Review: Simply scrumptious. I loved it best served a little warm for dessert/breakfast, and all of my friends loved the sweet treat. My girlfriend wanted dessert for dinner only! The simple dusting of powdered sugar is all you need, and you can easily use other citrus's if you don't have any oranges. The zest of clementines or lemons would be a great substitute, too.

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Pasta & White Beans with Broccoli Pesto

Meatless Mondays are back in full swing because I'm trying to stay on track for eating healthy and doing my best to save some extra money. It's the after-Christmas cutback that you practice when you bought yourself that really nice pair of Ugg boots and all those extra little gifts for your nephews, nieces, your extended Cuban-Filipino family, your friends and possibly that wow-factor gift for your special someone. It's budget costing and small sacrifices that you make. I may have bought myself a couple extra outfits every now and then while shopping at the stores, too. Oh well, pregnancy clothes that fit are a RARE find sometimes!

More importantly, most of you are adding more vegetables into your diet because that's what your new years resolution is. Eat healthy, and eat something green. Or you can be sneaking extra veggies into your menu planning when your husband isn't looking either. That's what I did with this meal. Eric and I have a love affair with all things Italian, and my husband instantly recognized that I had made pesto for dinner and happily scurried away to prepare the dinner table. Little did he know that he was in for an extra veggie treat. Although, Eric made a little sour face that this wasn't "Pesto" the typical one made with basil, but he happily ate it anyway.

Simple and delicious!

Pasta & White Beans with Broccoli Pesto
Adapted from Everyday Food: January/February 2012
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
10 ounces short pasta, like penne or fusilli
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for serving
1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated and the juice from the lemon (1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 to 3 garlic cloves
1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, boil water and add salt at the boiling point. Blanch the broccoli pieces until tender and bright green (about 4 minutes) and remove instantly with a slotted spoon and place in the food processor. Bring water back to boil and prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, drain and return to saucepan.

In the food processor, add extra-virgin olive oil, cheese, lemon zest and juice, parsley and garlic cloves with the broccoli and pulse until smooth. Make sure to scrape down as needed, and transfer the pesto into the saucepan. Stirring to combine and adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed until it reaches your preferred creamy consistency. I like mine slightly chunky and added 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water. Fold in the cannellini beans and cook the pasta until warmed through. Taste for seasonings, add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Info: Per Serving: 484 calores, 9 g fat; 22 g protein, 82 g carb; 10 g fiber

Review: Light and refreshing inexpensive meal for Eric and I. The only ingredient I didn't have off-hand was broccoli - having a lemon tree and an abundance of parsley is smart meal planning as well. You can easily add some grilled proteins like chicken, shrimp or Italian sausages to the pasta if you're wanting to add more to the dish.
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Breakfast Granola

2012. I am already in love with this new wonderful blessed year. I have lots of things to be happy and thankful for this upcoming year because our precious little cookie will be here before we know it. I can't believe I'm already past my halfway point in my pregnancy and in a short couple of months - our lives will forever be changed.

Most people right around now are making resolutions for the new year, entering fitness challenges, swearing off sweets, swearing off alcohol (if possible), or exercising more. I tried that last year and managed to accomplish of a few of my goals: Italy, exercise and eat healthy. This year is a little different since I have a cookie (bun) in the oven, but I am still managing to stay on my exercise and healthy kick. I'm still riding in my crazy and fun cycle class and cooking homemade meals for Eric and I.

For the most part, I love making everything from scratch. Everything really does taste better when it's homemade and we try to stay away from processed foods and take-out meals. I'll occasionally cook up some frozen ravioli or Kraft mac & cheese, but everything in moderation. Eric and I have managed to cut out all the ridiculous sweeteners, fancy creamers, and the extra stuff from our daily intake. It makes the world of a difference. One of my favorite breakfasts or 2nd breakfasts and sometimes snack of the day is a bowl of Greek yogurt loaded with this breakfast granola. Recently, I had made a batch to share as Christmas goodies and kept a small container for myself. It's easy to prepare, and you can easily substitute the dried fruits with your favorites but apricots and cherries are so ridiculously tasty together.

Start the new year healthy and fabulous!

Breakfast Granola
Adapted from The Pastry Queen
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup vegetable oil (or can use safflower or canola oil)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried apriots, chopped finely
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two jelly roll baking sheets or cookie sheets with aluminum foil.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vegetable oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Stirring constantly until the brown sugar has dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix the rolled oats, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes and sliced almonds. Pour the hot sugar mixture into the bowl and stir until combined.

Spread the oatmeal mixture evenly on the two baking sheets.

Bake for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the granola is a rich golden brown.

Cool completely before stirring in the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container up to 3 weeks, or divide evenly into cellophane/ziplock bags for sharing.

Yield: 5 cups
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Review: Yummy for your tummy and a great addition to your breakfast/2nd breakfast or snack of the day. You can eat it by itself or on top of your favorite yogurt. Maybe I might do all three meals, you can't overdo eating healthy right? I have to feed this growing cookie of mine. 

Here's an updated belly picture from our New Year's Eve festivities. We attended a theme party "Havana Nights" and dressed up to the nines like they did back in the 1950s. I love how black is so slimming on my almost 22 week belly!! What did you do for New Year's Eve? Sleep? Party? ;-) 

Pineapple Chicken Satay

A couple summers ago, my husband and I had visited the beautiful island of Hawaii. It was one of our first big vacations somewhere fun and tropical. We spent 10 days in Oahu, and had the most amazing time with our friends. We went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, enjoyed delicious dishes at Germaine’s Luau, had the best garlic shrimp scampi at Giovanni’s Shrimp truck, drank lava flows all night long, and we even had visited the Dole Plantation. Pineapples seem to trigger all the delightful memories of Hawaii.

Once I saw this dish in my recent Cooking Light magazine, it reminded me of the tropical summer getaway in Hawaii. Fresh pineapples are a sweet fruit to enjoy all by itself, but when paired with savory dishes – it complements them to a tee. This is a fantastic summer Asian-inspired dish and similar to the Chicken Satay dish from Thai restaurants. It’s pretty straightforward to put together for a weeknight dinner. You can prepare the chicken with or without the skewer if it’s easier for you, too.

Sweet and savory, and the sweet breeze of Hawaii.

Pineapple Chicken Satay
Adapted from Cooking Light - June 2011
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
¼ cup lower-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon curry powder
1 pound chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Cooking spray
1 ½ cups diced pineapple
⅓ cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
⅛ ground cayenne pepper

Preparation:

In a small bowl whisk the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and peanut butter together. Warm the sauce in microwave for 30 seconds if needed to combine the sauce. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the sesame oil, curry powder and chicken tenders in a bowl. Toss to evenly coat. Thread chicken onto 6-inch skewers.

Heat a large grill pan with cooking spray. Add the garlic and let it sauté for 1 minute, then add the chicken until no longer pink.

In a small bowl, combine the diced pineapple, sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, and cayenne pepper. Toss to combine.

Serve the chicken with soy sauce-peanut mixture and ⅓ cup of the pineapple mixture over a bed of steamed rice.

Nutritional Factor: Cal: 330; Fat: 119g; Carb 22.7g; Fiber: 2.2g; Protein: 31.2g;
Servings: 4 servings (serving size 2 skewers, and ⅓ cup pineapple mixture)

Review: We loved everything about this dish. The sweet and hot combo is unbelievable - chicken dipped in a spicy peanut sauce and you instantly get cooled down by the pineapple salad. It seems that the pineapple has a way of absorbing the heat and then balancing it with the spicy peanut sauce to produce a superb combination of flavors. Nom-alicious!

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

I’ve been wanting to get out of my lazy summer cooking funk and needed something to jumpstart the blogging/cooking mojo again. I’m part of an online cooking community and there was a recipe swap with Mexican theme for the week. I knew that I had to join and participate. It’s a great place to talk about the ins and outs of food. I’m inspired by fellow food bloggers, captivated by their foodie stories and pictures, and they introduce me to new dishes that I want to make.

My husband and I love Mexican food, it’s probably in our weekly menu once or twice a week…if we aren’t eating out enjoying it. I was totally eager to participate and see what lucky dish I would prepare. Eric and I have a vast amount of Mexican dishes that we love to enjoy and this dish was an instant win for us. We are normally enjoy tacos or enchiladas and we loved the healthy take of these chicken chimichangas from So Tasty, So Yummy.

I made a couple of minor changes because I thought I had everything in my pantry to prepare the dish, so take my advice and take full inventory on your pantry before you grocery shop. Also, fresh picked tomatoes from the garden made for a great addition. These baked chicken chimichangas are full of spicy flavor and totally freezer friendly if you make too much because you can always save the leftovers for another day.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Chimichangas:
2 teaspoons Complete seasoning (Badia)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can diced green chiles
¼ cup chicken broth
6 to 8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Manchego cheese
cooking spray (Misto)

Deluxe Tomatillo Sauce
1 pound tomatillos, about 6 to 8
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream

Preparation:

In a small bowl add the spices and cornstarch together and mix until combined. In a Dutch oven over medium-low heat add the spice mixture, green chiles, tomatoes and chicken broth. Mix until combined, and add the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes. Shred the chicken with two forks and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with misto or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the Manchego cheese. Lay out the tortillas and top each with ⅓ of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortillas burrito style, and place them seam side down on the baking sheet.

Spray the top of the chimichangas with the misto. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly crisp.

While the chimichangas bake, prepare the tomatillo sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine tomatillos, chicken broth, cumin, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender. Return to heat, stir in the sour cream and cook 3 minutes more until heated through.

Place a heaping spoonful of deluxe tomatillo sauce on the plate and place chimichanga on top. Top it off with shredded cheese, a drizzle of mexican crema, fresh diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro.

Review: Definitely a keeper in our weekly rotation, and maybe next time I’ll use pork shoulder for the protein. So Tasty, so yummy is a great way to remember this fantastic recipe swap!

Cuban Picadillo

Picadillo is a traditional dish from many Latin American countries and my homelands as well. It’s the “Cuban Hamburger Helper” because it’s a quick hash-like dish made with ground meat, tomato sauce and the Cuban trinity – sofrito. We typically serve picadillo over a bed of steamed white rice and a hefty serving of platanos maduros. It’s a great and easy meal to enjoy whenever you want a piece of the Caribbean in your kitchen. Also, this is one of my husband’s trademark dishes that he used to make for me whenever he cooked meals for me. He learned this dish from his beloved grandmother who taught him a thing or two about a couple Cuban dishes.

This is not a new recipe on my blog but I figured it was time to update the recipe and the picture as well. In time, I have improved this recipe to my liking and can make this dish at moment’s notice. There are variations of this dish using only ground beef but I find that using two mixtures of protein add extra flavor and variety to the dish. If you unsure of using raisins or green olives in the dish, I would strongly advise to try it out. It brings out the sweet and savory flavors that you will fall in love with this dish.

Que delicioso!

Cuban Picadillo (Cuban Ground Beef)
Adapted from hubby
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork (Or you can use all ground beef)
¾ cup of raisins
½ cup of pimiento-stuffed green olives
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ tablespoons of Olive oil
(2) 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped finely
2 tablespoons of cumin
a pinch of cumin seeds
1 ½ teaspoons of Complete Seasoning **Mainly sold at latin supermarkets**
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:


Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Prepare the sofrito, which is the Cuban trinity, consisting of onions, garlic & bell peppers and let sauté until softened and tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute until slightly golden.

Add ground beef and ground pork to the pan and cook until no longer pink. Add the cumin, cumin seeds, complete seasoning, tomato sauce, dry white wine vinegar, bay leaves, pimentos, and raisins. Bring the heat to a low simmer and cook until picadillo thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chopped cilantro and discard the bay leaves. Serve picadillo over a bed of white rice, and plantains on the side.
Yield: 8 large servings (about 1 ½ cups)

Review: This is a hearty Cuban meal that is always in rotation in our house. It also helps that this is one of the few dishes that Eric doesn’t mind eating for three days straight. Plus you can use the leftover meat as filling for making savory pastelitos. Use frozen pie dough or pastry sheets and add a tablespoon of meat filling, and bake until cooked. It’s another Cuban dish that is always delicious!

Pollo Saltado

French fries are one of my top comfort and oh-so guilty foods that I love to indulge on. I like a large basket of extra-crispy French fries dipped with a mixture of ketchup and sriracha, or from one of my favorite gourmet lunch trucks: Lime Truck style and their infamous Carnitas fries. They have French fries slathered with a ten hour slow-roasted pork topped with guacamole, chipotle-honey slaw and cotija cheese. (Drool). I often find myself dreaming about this dish whenever I’m hankering for French Fries.

I love dishes that are packed with flavor, and give you that time-warping food coma. However, I can’t visit the Lime Truck on a daily basis whenever I’m craving French Fries or go to the drive-thru whenever my hunger food strikes.  I wanted the next best thing - a meal that included French fries. It’s a bit toned down from enjoying a basket of French fries and a classic Peruvian favorite dish of mine. The Peruvian dish of Lomo Saltado has been made previously on the blog, but I have yet to make it with chicken. It’s basically a chicken stir-fry combined with baked French fries and some seasonings and paired along with a spicy jalapeño-cilantro sauce.

Definitely a satisfying and nom-tastic dish made with French fries.

Pollo Saltado
Adapted from my girlfriend, Liz
Ingredients:
Printable Recipe
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Complete seasoning
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup of soy sauce
6 to 8 plum tomatoes, halved and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 bag of frozen French fries
¼ cup cilantro, freshly chopped for garnishment
Aji Sauce (on the side)

Preparation:

Prepare the frozen French fries according to directions. Set aside when complete and keep warm.

Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and bell peppers until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for an additional minute. Mix everything until combined. Add the chicken strips, cumin, complete seasoning, soy sauce and red wine vinegar sauce.

Mix well and cook until chicken is no longer pink about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the tomato chunks and add the cover and cook for additional 5 minutes. When ready to serve, add the French fries and toss everything gently together.

Serve pollo saltado over a bed of white rice and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.

Enjoy with aji sauce on the side.

Review: I love easy to prepare and simple comfort food like this loved Peruvian dish. The aji sauce is a must make when enjoying this recipe, it gives it the lasting kick of spice.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothies

95 degrees days are not pleasant at all. My poor flowers and plants are wilting from the heat, and my spring garden is not so “spring-y” either. This hot heat wave weather has been a bit tiresome and I’m protesting for it to go away already. I’m stuck working in the office all day long and come out to sauna-like weather. Don’t get me wrong I love the hot summer days but only when I’m out at the beach and relaxing the day away.

Sometimes if you can’t make a trip to the beach, bring the beach to you. This smoothie was easy to prepare and add whatever fruit you have on hand. I always have ripe bananas itching to be used, and fresh strawberries which are now in season and on the cheap. I used the leftover jackfruit that I had from batch of Turron that I had made, but you can substitute pineapples, too. I like the tartness of a jackfruit that it brings to the smoothie. One sip is like a tropical getaway to that remote island that you been daydreaming about…well that’s what I think about.

It’s drink-o for Cinco today, right? Well, here’s to the designated drinkers and non-alcoholic drinkers out there! Put your drinks up!

Strawberry-Banana Smoothies
Inspired by Apple a Day
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
1 cup pineapple juice
¼ cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
½ cup vanilla ice cream
¼ jackfruit or pineapple chunks
½ to 1 cup ice
1 banana
1 teaspoon flax seeds

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. Add more ice, if needed.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 ½ cups

Review: A refreshing summer drink, and an instant cool-down from this hot weather. If you haven’t had flax seed before, try adding a little bit to your baked goods or even oatmeal. It adds a little bit of nutty flavor and it’s totally healthy fiber-irffic for you, too.

Banana Kashi Muffins

It’s been one of those typical busy and so-so weeks at our house after a holiday like Easter and Good Friday –  detox time. We ate too much good food over the weekend and need lots of good ole healthy foods. I have been cooking and preparing simple dinners this week for the two of us– tuna salads, pita pepperoni pizzas, and fish tacos. Nothing too fancy, and nothing new to blog about it either. I did manage to bake up some tasty muffins to help kick start our days.

I love finding inspiration from other blogs that I follow, and the wheels started churning when I read Sing for Your Supper’s post about her banana bran muffins. I instantly craved banana bran muffins like a crazy person would and it didn’t hurt that I had a couple ripe bananas waiting to be eaten. However, I didn’t have bran cereal in the pantry, but had a box of Kashi Go-Lean Honey Almond Flax that could be substituted instead. You could easily substitute any other brand of cereal and pulverize it to flour for that extra boost of flavor. (Honey Nut Cheerios, Fiber One Bran, Honey Bunches of Oats, and more could make for some extra tasty muffins).

This is a great way to get a little boost from Kashi or any cereal – it’s very tender and moist on the inside, and crispy and crunchy on the outside. Yum!

Banana Kashi Muffins
Inspired by Sing for Your Supper
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Kashi Go-Lean Honey Almond Flax cereal
1 ¼  cups milk
1 egg
½ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon flaxseed
turbinado sugar, for garnishment

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your muffin pans with cupcake liners or add cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small food processor, grind the cereal until flour-like. Add cereal into the bowl of the stand mixer bowl, and add the milk. Mix until combined. Add honey, egg, flaxseed, bananas and applesauce and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and mix until combined.

Scoop into muffin pans using a medium ice cream scooper (about ½ cup). Add a teaspoon of turbinado sugar to the top of the muffins.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Yield: 18 muffins

Review: These were a hit with everyone at my office, and I didn’t tell anyone what I put in them. No one would have figured that I gave them something healthy to eat, who does that? (I DO!!!) The sweetness of the cereal paired with the healthy bananas gave all of us a hearty and healthy treat. Definitely, the perfect way to start our day.

Cranberry-Nut Banana Oat Bread

I have a slight problem with bananas. They always get ripe too quickly before Eric and I can enjoy them, and I rather use them for a sweet banana bread than toss them out. Who can say no to banana bread? It’s bread. It’s sweet, and healthy for you, too. My go-to recipe for banana bread is my blueberry-banana walnut bread and I wanted something a little different. I instantly found a recipe in one of my cookbooks, and put it together quite quickly.

This is recipe is similar to any banana bread recipe but with a couple additions that I always have handy – nuts and dried fruit. You can easily substitute other add-ins when you make your banana bread like chocolate chips, walnuts, raisins, or nothing at all. I like the extra texture that pecans and cranberries bring to the banana bread. It’s a sweet reminder of my favorite holiday, and a great way to start your day. Enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee or orange juice – it’s the breakfast of the champions.

Quick, easy and always delicious!

Cranberry-Nut Banana Oat Bread
Adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
½ vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
1 ½ cups bananas (about 3 to 4 medium)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs one at a time. Add the bananas and mix to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix until combine. Fold in the pecans and cranberries.

Add the mix to the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!

Review: Scrumptious to the last bite and the lucky taste tasters from my husband’s office got this wonderful batch of sweet bread. This made a very large loaf so I was able to cut it horizontal slices and then vertical slices – which gave me about 20 or so servings of bread, too.

Strawberry-Poppyseed Vinaigrette

I really wanted to share my Anniversary dessert with you today, but I’m not quite happy with the pictures that I have taken. (I’m re-doing the photo shoot.) However, this is the next best thing, this delicious salad dressing. I have been making it for the past couple of weeks and I simply just get enough of it. Most times you only see what I’m eating for dinner, and this is your chance to see my lunch today. Typically, my go-to salad dressing is a good quality olive oil and vinegar, but this vinaigrette is a nice change-up, too. Highly addicting!

Strawberries are coming back in season, and have been on sale quite frequently. It’s been one of my go-to shopping items for the past couple of weeks. Plus, I’m totally guilty of making chocolate-dipped strawberries as a quick dessert, too. This salad dressing is easy to put together, mix all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, to really puree the strawberries to make this tasty vinaigrette. I have made it with champagne white vinegar that I found at Trader Joe’s and that gave an extra sweet tang to it. I also made it with regular red wine vinegar, and it was just as tasty. Whatever vinegar you have on hand, it will make for one addicting vinaigrette.
Light, sweet, and fresh. I love it served over a bed of spinach with fresh sliced strawberries, slivered red onions, pumpkin seeds and crumbled goat cheese.

Strawberry-Poppyseed Vinaigrette   
Adapted from Cheeky Kitchen
Printable Recipe:
Ingredients:1 clove garlic
1 heaping tablespoon, slice of a small red onion
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh strawberries (or raspberries)
1/3 white balsamic vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppyseeds

Preparation:

Place all ingredients (except poppyseeds) into a small food processor or blender. Blend until entirely pureed. Stir in poppyseeds.

Serve immediately over your favorite salad or store for up to 48 hours.

Yield: 2 cups of vinaigrette

Review: Absolutely one of my favorite vinaigrettes to make during strawberry season. Add some grilled chicken for extra protein to make it a light and healthy lunch. This might make for a great addition to your Easter brunch/dinner menu as well!
Side Note: When food styling salad dressings, don’t dress the salad entirely. You want to capture the essence of the dressing, so lightly spoon it over your salad. This vinaigrette looks absolutely gorgeous all by itself when lightly spooned over on top, and the spinach won’t look wilted when taking pictures. (Another tip I learned from food styling!)