Balsamic Fig Chicken

Making this new recipe tonight from Cooking Light... I've been craving figs so we'll see how it turns out. I will report back!

Balsamic Fig Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried figs (or can use fresh)

Preparation

1. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to medium; add butter to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and figs. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1 cup (about 3 minutes). Add 1 tablespoon thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve sauce over chicken.

Grades + Weekly Menu for 3.26

Happy Monday everyone! Hope yall had a great weekend and enjoying some spring weather. We didn't do much - saw Hunger Games on Friday and finally settled on a lightweight stroller. This is a huge deal, by the way. Deciding on a stroller. It takes up WAY too much brain capacity and it takes WAY too much time and effort. There are just so many options, and you have to decide if you want to recline, if you like the sunshade, if you are ok with the collapsing functionality. Does your brain hurt yet? Anyway, SUPERADO! Sunday we went to a delicious cajun restaurant for brunch and caught up with a friend from Paris and her finance. It's been fun reaching out and going out with new people.

Ok. Enough beating around the bush. I BARELY passed this week. I got a 3/4  - 75% - on exercise and a 5/6 - 83% - on cooking. We looked at a house yesterday at 5, so I couldn't cook the short ribs like I was anticipating. We went out for sushi instead. Poor us. 

I'm going to keep the same goals for this week. Until I'm consistently hitting the goals, I won't revise them.

So without further ado - this week's menu. I have most of this stuff on hand which is great! Love it when my grocery bill is only $40 for the week.

Monday: Short ribs with chipotle pepers
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Honey Hoisin Chicken Wings + rice
Thursday: Shepherd's Pie
Friday: Salmon with blue cheese and balsamic reduction
Saturday: Out (as a reward if we don't eat out any other night :)

I was sort of stumped for this week's menu. Need to make a list of old standby's that haven't made an appearance lately. What have yall got going on this week?

Random Fact - Eli wins the internets!

Eli's post on Tres Leches has the most all times views on this here little blog. I think that's a sign. We should all try to make it! Beth, Louise - project for Chicago visits!


That is all.

I bregrudgingly present: my weekly menu

This week, looking at food online just isn't interesting. I'm totally uninspired and feel like eating mac and cheese all week long. Which reminds me. Lou - you owe us your mac and cheese recipe!

I'm forcing myself though because we're just coming off of a weekend out and about, and are going to be traveling a lot in April. Need to save calories and money by eating in. So, blah blah blah, here's the menu.

By the way- We should have a Sunday night report card. I guess first we need goals and objectives. Ok, my goal this week is to cook/eat-in 6 times and go to the gym 4 times. I'll announce my grades on Sunday. What do yall think??(Right before hitting publish, I revised my gym goal down from 5 to 4. No judging.)

Mon- Cauliflower Soup and leftover Coconut-Basil Chicken Curry
Tues- Spicy Orange Chicken
Wed- Fajitas. I haven't made these in years, but used to all the time in college. I'll post the recipe after I make them.
Thurs- Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Greek sauce and pita
Friday- Baked Shrimp in tomato and feta sauce

Pickled Onions

I apologize in advanced for the vagueness of this recipe. DEAL WITH IT! Just kidding. It's incredibly easy and fluid and substitutions are welcomed and sometimes necessary and that's ok.

You need an old jam or mason jar with its lid. You also need to make these about a day in advance. They stay good in the fridge forever. They're pickled. Indestructible!

This recipe depends on the size of your jar. You're going to fill it all up.

* Onions, quartered and sliced
* Habaneros
* Apple cider vinegar
* Garlic, minced

- Prep your onions and peppers.
- Add the onions, peppers, and garlic into the jar
- Cover all the way to the top with apple cider vinegar
- Put lid on the jar
- Use the jar as your maracas and dance to La Cucaracha
- Set out in the sun for a couple of hours *you can also microwave for 2 minutes (without lid) or store it in a warm place (above your toaster) for a bit. Or skip the warming phase all together. I do that sometimes too.
- Store in the fridge

Some notes:
1. This is honestly what I do. I use an old Bonne Maman jelly jar, so it's not very big: Cut up one onion, add about a teaspoon of minced garlic, fill to the top with whatever vinegar I have on hand, and add about 10 dashes of hot habanero sauce. Then I leave out on the counter near my toaster for a couple of hours. Feels warm there. Then I put in the fridge and use whenever.

2. Like I said, I have used habanero hot sauce in the past and it works fine! If you need these onions and don't have peppers on hand, don't sweat. Hot sauce also works.

3. I don't always have apple cider vinegar. In fact, I almost always use white vinegar. Any type works.

4. I haven't added amounts because it depends on how big your jar is, how spicy you like it, and many other personal preferences. Perhaps a good place to start is 1:1:1. One onion, one habanero, one garlic clove. Adjust accordingly if you like spicy.
5. Some people add sugar. I never have, but some do.

6. When you're done with the onions, SAVE THE LEFTOVER VINEGAR! That is deliciously pickled and flavored. Just cut up some new onions, peppers, and garlic and top off with more vinegar if needed.

Life.is.good. A pork shoulder recipe

So much to celebrate! Beth is engaged (yay!) Louise is back from Africa (yay!) Elisa is back from Aruba tonight (yay!) and the cat is out of the bag on a surprise with Cristina so I don't have to pretend to be good at secrets anymore (yay!). All the stars seem to have aligned with my loved ones and that makes me happy.

In not-so-yay! news, we put an offer on a house and should hear back any second on whether it's ours to keep or just another heartbreak. I have a feeling that they'll pass, but we're hoping for a miracle.

On to the recipe, which was indescribably good. There are no words. There is only a picture of a hunk of meat.



Pork shoulder was on sale the other day at Peapod. I didn't have any plans to use it, so I threw it in the freezer and forgot about it for a while. When I decided to cook it, it took about two full days to thaw. That's a lot of meat so it just needed some time. I popped it in around noon on Sunday, and let it cook all day until dinner time. Definitely a good recipe for lazy weekends when you're not planning on going out or if you're working from home during the week. Below is the loose recipe I followed. I'm sure a pepsi can or two thrown in would be amazing too. I'll try that next time.

* Pork shoulder
* Minced garlic
* Olive oil
* 1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
* 3 lemons' juices

- Preheat oven to 450*
- In a bowl or a jar, mixed together garlic, olive oil, and peppers (I was at the end of my minced garlic jar, so I used the remaining garlic and it's juices and threw the other ingredients into the jar, shook it up, and voila!)
- In a dutch oven, place the pork shoulder, fat side up
- Pour the marinade over the pork. Get all up in its bidness. Don't be shy. Really rub it in.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the pork.
- Pop the pork in the oven, sans lid, and let it cook on high heat for 20 minutes.
- Drop the temp to 250*, put the lid on the dutch oven, and let it fly. I cooked it for about 5.5 hours and it was perfect. No peeking.

We shredded it up and ate tacos - corn tortillas, greek yogurt, pickled onions (recipe to follow). I can see this going in many different directions though. Put some bbq sauce on it and make pulled pork sandwiches. It made a crazy amount of pork, so either call your friends or be prepared for leftovers. Beth, stock up on eggs.

Turkey meatloaf sammy

I made turkey meatloaf last night and it was so good that we needed to eat the leftovers for dinner again. We never do that! Leftovers are strictly for lunches (or 1am snacks in Ryan's case) in this house. So I was thinkin and thinkin about what to do with this meatloaf besides a regular sub. And then BAM! Best idea ever...

- Leftover turkey meatloaf
- Rye bread
- Spicy mustard
- Swiss cheese (freshly sliced, not in a plastic package)
- Caramelized onion

We assembled this goodness and panini pressed it and O. M. G.

Ryan made an Asian cole slaw to go with it. But my sammy was the star of the show.

Updated: Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake

This chicken sausage pasta bake has been in the rotation for years. I honestly don't remember where the recipe came from or when we first made it. A google search led me to this Ra-Ray recipe which could be it. As I've mentioned before, it's one of our trusted go-tos and it makes so much, the leftovers are great to have around. 


Because of the busy week I wanted something super easy, and I realized I had on hand all the ingredients for the Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake, except for the ricotta. I did have goat cheese leftover from a long time (I'm to embarrassed to say how long ago, but the expiration date was still good!!). It was so much better with goat cheese. It turned it into something different, and a little high brow, even? If casseroles can be high brow.... Whatever I love casseroles. Just keep me away from the mega-Walmarts if that's where my love of the casseroles will take me. They're just so good. So go make yo'self some. 


PS- HAPPY BETHDAY EVE!!!


Below again is the recipe and I've added in the goat cheese substitution. 


* One onion, chopped
* One bell pepper, chopped (I use green bc they're more nutritious, but red are sweeter)
* One package of chicken sausage like Aidelle's, cut into bite size pieces
* One can of diced tomatoes (I use the kind with peppers)
* Red pepper flakes, to taste (I use a lot)
* Ricotta cheese, approx 1/2 cup OR 1 package of crumbled goat cheese
* One package of short pasta like Fusili
* Parmesan cheese for topping

- Preheat oven to Broil
- Put water to boil and cook pasta per packaging instructions to al dente
- Saute onion and bell peppers until soft
- Add chicken sausage. Cook until heated through
- Add in tomatoes and red pepper flakes and stir to heat through
- Add in ricotta/goat cheese and stir to combine
- Prep baking dish with cooking spray
- Pour in al dente pasta, then cover with the sausage/tomato/cheese mixture, and top off with parmesan cheese
- Broil uncovered for 10 minutes