Garlic Chicken

I made another super easy dinner last night that was really tasty and super fast to prepare.

About 30 minutes before you want to eat start a pot of rice and fifteen minutes into the rice cooking salt and pepper both sides of six boneless, skinless chicken thighs and peel one whole head of garlic. See that isn't so hard! Place about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil into a skillet and heat over medium high heat (you have to judge this) place the thighs in the hot skillet and brown on one side for four minutes then turn over and brown on the other side for four minutes more. Pull the chicken out of the skillet and add the whole garlic cloves and stir them around and caramelize them. Don't burn them you want them to have a nice toasty color.

Then put the chicken back into the skillet with the garlic and add about 1-1 1/2 cups of white wine (depends on how much sauce you want) and put a lid part way on the pan. Cook for another four minutes check the liquid in the pan...That's it! Your done!

Make a nice healthy green salad and serve it with the chicken and rice.

Yum! This was another winner, or so I was told.

I hope everyone's week got off to a good start, and I hope the rest of your weeks go smoothly.

Sunday Soup

Yes I know it was Super Bowl Sunday yesterday and I should have been somewhere watching the game and stuffing my face with little meatballs cooked in chili sauce and grape jelly and slathering queso on corn chips, but to be perfectly honest...I don't like football, and thankfully the bf doesn't either. Instead we tackled a home project that I have wanted to get done for some time...Hopefully we will get closer to being done tonight. In the midst of trying to get some work accomplished yesterday I had to make dinner and since we had a very hearty dinner the night before I decided to make soup for dinner.

What you need to make this simple soup are 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (or sausage of your choice), 1 large onion, diced, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 large carton (32 oz. or 48 oz.) chicken broth or stock, Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional), 4-5 small red potatoes skin on, cleaned and cut into cubes 1 cup half and half, 3/4 of a bag of baby spinach, stems removed, 8 oz. of prepackaged sliced mixed mushrooms sauteed before adding to soup. Shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese (optional).

In a large pot, cook the sausage over medium high heat... breaking it up into pieces as it cooks. drain fat.. removing all but about a tablespoon. If your sausage doesn't have much fat add a little olive oil. Dump the onions on top of the sausage and stir... cook until the onions are almost soft ... about 4 minutes or so... add the garlic and stir well.. cook for another couple of minutes. Add the broth and bring to a low boil... add the potatoes and bring to a low boil again... reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender... about 15-20 minutes. Then add the spinach in handfuls and the mushrooms... stirring gently. When the spinach cooks down. Add the half and half and let soup get hot, but do not boil! Serve immediately with shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese at the table.

I had made a some bread yesterday in anticipation of this dinner along with a mixed baby greens salad with dried cranberries and goat cheese dressed with a light balsamic & honey dressing.

There would have been more photos to go along with this meal, but I was cooking with a little headlight strapped to my head and it just wasn't happening. Hopefully that hole is gone this week...tonight preferably.

Have a great week everyone.

Warmer Weather

It is official spring is finally here and hopefully the nice weather will stay around for the remainder of the week. I have got gardening to do (what little of it you can force me into) bicycling that needs doing if I am going to continue to shed weight at a snails pace (lol...I can live with that), and lighter recipes to try and tell you about.

A couple weeks back I was desperately looking for some sort of side that was easy, spicy and good for you. I had spied this easy recipe from Eating Well and I decided to give it a try. Chipotle Cheddar Broiled Avocado Halves INGREDIENTS 2 ripe but firm avocados, halved and pitted, skin left on 1/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 1 small chipotle chile in adobo (see Tip), minced (about 1 teaspoon), or to taste 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus 4 wedges for serving Pinch of salt. DIRECTIONS Preheat broiler to High. Place avocado halves on a baking sheet. Thoroughly combine cheese, chipotle, lime juice and salt in a small bowl. Evenly divide the cheese mixture among the avocado halves. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat source until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Cheese and Chipotle mixture in bowl.

Honestly I could eat them just like this with a little salt.

Simply broil in the oven until lightly browned and bubbly. Super good, seriously easy and simply tasty.

So with Spring means lovely outdoor evenings, entertaining and delicious food. One of my go to pick up nibbles that you litteraly can put together with just a little time is fresh strawberries with goat cheese filling. Take some very soft goat cheese and sweeten it slightly with a little honey or sugar ( I prefer honey ) by mixing it with a mixer. Core a bunch of strawberries and pipe into each one some of the goat cheese filling. Put on a pretty tray and refrigerate until needed. Wonderfully refreshing, tasty treat.

Real crowd pleaser.

Yum!

With Easter around the corner I have a menu to plan. I don't think we will have any guests for Easter dinner but you never know. The only thing I know for sure is the main course this year will be leg of lamb.