Zuppa Tuscano

We don't go out to eat very often, but when we do, it's usually one of two places. The first place is an awesome local mexican restaurant, where I think they serve crack in the cheese dip and you can taste the tequila in your margarita. It's very addictive! The other place we go is a big box restaurant, but they have some good comfort food: Olive Garden!!! Since their salad never looks appetizing, I always order soup. My favorite soup there is Zuppa Tuscano. It is soooooo good, especially in the winter months. So, I looked up several recipes until I found the perfect one. This soup tastes just like the Zuppa at Olive Garden. So, I want to share it with everyone! I've already cooked it twice this week!

Here's what you will need:

2 lb ground Italian sausage

3 tsp crushed red peppers

2 large diced white onions

8 Tbsp bacon pieces

4 tsp garlic puree

15 cups water

10 cubes of chicken bouillon

2 cup heavy cream

4 lb sliced Russet potatoes

A bunch of kale

Shredded Italian cheese (optional)

 This makes about 15 bowls of soup, so if you don't want extra, half the recipe. BUT, this soup is so good, that you will probably want more, so I put the extra soup in ziploc bowls and put them in the freezer for later. My family ate all of them within 2 days!!!

In a pot, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft. (You can also cook this in a pan and transfer it to a pot).

Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.

Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

(In a separate pan) While the potatoes cook, sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a pan. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while the potatoes are cooking. (If you don't want to dirty a pot and a pan, you can cook the sausage in the pot before you saute the bacon, onions, and garlic)

Add heavy cream to the pot with everything in it and cook until thoroughly heated.

Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve.

I also add a little cheese to the top of the soup for a little extra something.

Enjoy!!!

Caribbean Tangy Pineapple Chicken

Tangy, Tender, Sweet, Savory.....What more can I say about this fabulous Caribbean Tangy Pineapple Chicken Recipe I cooked last night. It is a yummy mixture of chicken, pineapple, bell peppers, and the sauce is a mixture of soy, lime, coconut, and honey flavors.

The entire family loved this recipe!

Here's what you will need:

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (lightly pounded)

8 halved pineapple slices or two cans of pineapple chunks

1-2 chopped up bell peppers

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 -1 cup of soy sauce (to taste)

Ground Red Pepper (to taste, depending on how spicy you want it)

Minced Cilantro

Crushed Red Pepper

4 cloves of garlic or garlic powder, to taste

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 lime (juice only)

1 Tbsp Coconut Extract

3/4 cup honey

First, cut up the bell peppers.

Next, mix the honey, water, lime juice, coconut, red pepper, and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Saute' the pineapple or pineapple chunks in oil over medium heat until slightly browned and set aside.

Next, rub the chicken breasts with garlic and dredge them in flour until well coated.

Saute the chicken in the leftover pineapple pan juices until browned (about 2-4 minutes on each side).

Next, pour in the honey mixture and the bell peppers to the pan with the chicken.

Simmer for 12-15 minutes until the mixture turns into a glaze.

Make sure you turn the chicken at least once.

Garnish with cilantro and crushed red pepper.

You can also serve it over rice.

A few tips to cook this recipe:

When you cook the chicken, it doesn't have to be done when you're browning it. This is just to brown the flour coating.

Never bring the recipe to a full boil, or it may burn and not turn out right.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Fried Rice

I LOVE Chicken Fried Rice. This is a simple and fast recipe!

Here's what you will need:

3-4 eggs

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable oil

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large chopped onion

2 minced garlic cloves

4 cups cold, cooked rice

8 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Beat eggs with a whisk in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat very little oil in a medium size frying pan over medium heat and make an omelette using the beaten eggs. Turn out onto a plate to cool. Fold, coarsely chop, and set aside.

In a bowl, toss chicken strips with the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over high heat in large frying pan and stir-fry chicken until lightly golden, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion has softened.

Add 2 tablespoons more vegetable oil and when hot, stir in the cooked rice and green onions, tossing and mixing thoroughly until very hot. Sprinkle with soy sauce and mix evenly. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cooked egg.

If desired, garnish with additional sliced green onions.

Enjoy!!!!

Asparagus and Lemon Chicken with Rice

We LOVE chicken, AND asparagus!!!! What better way to pair chicken and asparagus than with some Rice, Peppers, and a lemon zest!!! Here is the recipe I cooked today for Asparagus and Lemon Chicken with Rice!

Here's what you will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breast (1/2 inch cubes)

Salt and pepper

4 minced cloves of garlic

green bell pepper, de-seeded and diced

1/2 lb. asparagus cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 1 tsp. of lemon zest

1/2 cup water, white wine or chicken stock

3 cups cooked rice

First, cut up the bell pepper and de-seed and dice it. Next, either start some water to boil or steam the asparagus, or place it in a steamer microwave bag.

After you cut the chicken into pieces, add the oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium to high heat. Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Next, Stir in the garlic and bell pepper.

When the asparagus is steamed to where it is almost cooked, put it in with the chicken.

Cook the chicken with the asparagus for a minute then stir in the lemon zest or lemon juice. If you use the lemon zest, add 1/2 cup of water, white wine, or chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately over hot rice.

Enjoy!!!!

Dijon Baked Chicken with Rice and Broccoli

At my house, we love chicken. So, I have many recipes to cook chicken. One common theme with these recipes is Rice!!! Chicken and rice just go together!!

Last night, I marinated the chicken and today, I cooked Dijon Baked Chicken with Rice and Broccoli.

It was Delicious and EASY! If you want to try it out, here's what you will need:

2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon curry powder

3 tablespoons chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Asian-style hot chili garlic sauce

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

3 cups water

5 cups frozen broccoli florets

1/8 teaspoon cavendars seasoning

You will need to marinate the chicken the night before you cook it. Place the chicken in a pan to marinate. Combine curry powder, red pepper, cavendars, honey, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and hot chili sauce in a bowl and mix. Pour evenly over the chicken and flip the chicken a few times so it's well coated. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and start cooking the rice according to the instructions on the bag. Cook the chicken for about 45-50 minutes and halfway through, flip it over.

While the chicken and rice are cooking, you can cook the broccoli. I like to add some cavendar's seasoning to the broccoli and steam it in a pot. However, you can also use a steamer bag in the microwave.

When everything is almost done, add a little cooking spray to a small pan and saute the onions. When the chicken is done, add the extra marinade to the onions and reduce to a glaze. Take the chicken and place it on a bed of rice. 

Add the cooked broccoli on top of the chicken, then cover it with the onion glaze.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Teriyaki with Ginger Rice

One thing I love is cooking chicken on the grill. Especially when it's marinated overnight.

The chicken turns out lightly seared but still juicy. There's one word for it: DELICIOUS!!!!

I tried a new recipe tonight and wanted to share it with y'all! It's Chicken Teriyaki with Ginger Rice.

You will need:

Grilling Pan

Pot with lid to boil rice

Glaze Brush

Saucepan

Large Ziploc Plastic Resealable Bag

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoon garlic powder (or you can use chopped, peeled, or grated garlic)

About 3 tsp. of ginger (divided)

5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (about 2-3 lbs)

Canola cooking spray

2 cups conventional wheat or white rice

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups water

2 bunches green onions (or you can use scallions)

In a large bowl add the brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. garlic, soy sauce and ginger and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Put the chicken into a large resealable plastic bag with the marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat your grill on low and place the grilling pan on it to preheat too!

Remove the chicken from plastic bag and set aside on a plate. Pour the marinade leftover in the bag into a saucepan over medium heat and reduce by half. When the glaze is done, it should look something like this:

With a cooking glove, take the hot grilling pan off the grill and spray it with canola cooking spray. Arrange the chicken on the grilling pan and cook for approximately 5-8 minutes.

  

Before you flip the chicken, brush the glaze liberally with the marinade. After you flip the chicken, brush the other cooked side with the remaining marinade.

In a medium pot combine the rice, ginger, salt, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, then fluff. Turn off the heat and let the rice absorb the rest of the water.

Here is what the chicken will look like when it's done:

After the chicken is done, add a peice of foil to the grilling pan. Cut the ends off the green onions and place them on the foil on the grill.

Cook the green onions until they are wilted, or about 2-4 minutes per side.

Put the rice on a plate and top it with the chicken. Garnish with grilled green onions and serve!

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!!

My Perfect Salad

I'm in LOVE with salad! What do you think of when you think of the perfect salad.

I like to start out with spinach! I like spinach better than lettuce or romaine because it has more vitamins, minerals and fiber! And, I just think it tastes much better!!!

Next, I cut up some bell peppers.

And add them to the spinach.

Next, I cut up cucumbers........

And tomatoes...........

And add them to the salad.

Sometimes I even add some olives!

To top it all off, cheese and bacon bits is a MUST!!!

And, of course, I LOVE to add a little ranch.

And, I can't ever just make one salad.

So, it's one for now, 16 for later!!!

I would love to know, What are the ingredients in your perfect salad???