Top 11 Recipes...Ever

Well, maybe not EVER.

But how about the top 11 recipes on Sunshine and Jellybeans?

In case you were wondering, 11 is my favorite number.

That's why it isn't the top 10.

Click on the name of each recipe to go to the post (and don't forget that at the bottom of each post, there is a link to the printable recipe for your convenience!)...

Try them all!

Let the drumroll begin...

11. Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

 

Or Canadian Bacon and Pepper-jack Cheese Mini Frittatas, or Bacon, Cheddar and Jalapeno, or red pepper, mushroom, and onion, or...the possibilities are endless!

10. Deviled Eggs (with a kick!)

 

This one kind of surprised me...not that I don't think that these are little bites of delightfulness - because I do. They are a great twist on your every-day deviled eggs! It's just that they never seemed to get much attention when I first posted the recipe. But it has slowly climbed it's way up into the top 10!

9. Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry for the crappy picture...next time I make these I will post new pics. This is a recipe that I keep going back to over and over again. Another one that is pretty customizable, and very, very good.

8. Macaroni and Cheese a la Steph

I made this recipe again last night for the kids. It's definitely a keeper. Gooey, cheesy, creamy deliciousness. And did I mention it is kid friendly? Score. (Thanks Steph!)

7. Finger Lickin' BBQ Chicken

 

This is a classic. What else can I say? Who doesn't like BBQ chicken on the grill???

6. Chicken Parmigiana

YUM. I want this right now. The key to this recipe is the crushed up croutons...and a great marinara sauce... which is still a work in progress for me. Steve and I made and canned some this winter that was amazing...but of course I didn't measure anything or write anything down. I'm working on it. But anyway - this Chicken is fabulous and is definitely one of my favorite recipes.

5. Chicken Noodle Soup

The ultimate comfort food. However, the key to this recipe is this:

4. Homemade Chicken Stock

Trust me: homemade chicken stock is the key ingredient to taking your homemade soup to the next level. It's just better. And better for you. I know that it is time consuming, but try to make it in large batches, so that you can freeze a bunch to use later. Mmmmmm Mmmmmm good.

Are you starting to get excited for the top 3??? ME TOO!

Where is that drum roll???

3. Spicy Chicken Tostadas

 

I pulled this recipe out of my ass. Steve kept going on and on about this Tostada Ensalada that he had at a restaurant and loved. And Steve doesn't get very excited about food...not the way I do, anyway. So I asked him to describe it to me, and I got a relatively vague answer (because people who aren't obsessed with food don't mentally deconstruct every meal that they eat away from their own kitchen). But the idea of tostadas got stuck in my head, and when I finally went to make them, this is what I came up with. DELICIOUS. Keep reading for the key ingredient...(hint: it's the #1 recipe)

2. Pulled Pork and Creamy Coleslaw

This one is kinda unfair, because it's two really good recipes in one post. I don't know why people keep coming back to it - if it's the Pulled Pork or if it is the coleslaw...but I hope it is for both. Because the Pulled Pork isn't complete without a big spoonful of coleslaw on top...trust me. And don't forget the pickles! This is a go-to crowd pleasing lip smacking belly satisfying recipe for any season. Family friendly. And the crockpot does a majority of the work. How can you beat that??? 

And now...the moment you've all been waiting for!

The number one recipe in the world in the country of all time on this blog...

1. Spicy Shredded Chicken

 

Awwwwww yeah. It really shouldn't surprise you. There have already been two recipes on this countdown that have this as the key ingredient (#9 Chicken Enchiladas and #3 Spicy Chicken Tostadas). And don't forget that you can also use this chicken to make tacos, quesadillas, nachos, or my Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup! How versatile is that??? Go ahead, double or triple the recipe. Make a huge batch and freeze the rest for later use. And - if you don't feel like grilling it, make it in the oven. Of course the grill is the best way to do it because of the lovely flavor it imparts, but if you are in a bind, just cook it in the oven at about 375 degrees, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.

Thanks everyone! Try one or all of these recipes very soon, and don't forget to ENJOY!!!

Recipe Revamp: Chicken Stir Fry

Happy Spring Everyone!

Steve and I spent a lovely weekend with my family up at the cabin last weekend.

It was just what the doctor ordered.

I actually got sunburned.

Seriously.

It was the last hurrah before the ice starts to melt.

The next time we go there, it will be by boat.

I'm ready!

But in the meantime, how about a yummy recipe for Chicken Stir Fry?!?!

If you need any further proof that I am a nut job, read the original post here.

Yikes.

As a note: You can sub in whatever vegetables you have on hand - asparagus, zucchini, water chestnuts are all good substitutions. Also - to switch things up, instead of using hoisen sauce (which is a like a sweet asian bbq sauce), you can sub Thai sweet red chili sauce. It will give it a totally different (but delicious) flavor.

Also - 1 cup equals 16 tablespoons. 1/2 cup equals 8 tablespoons. Just so you know!

Here is the recipe without all the crazy talk.

Yay - can you tell that the days are getting longer here in the frozen tundra? I actually have some natural light to take pictures in!

Chicken Stir Fry  (serves 6)

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, divided plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup hoisen sauce, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to make it spicy!(optional)
• 2 - 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 5 cups mixed vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used onion, bell peppers, pea pods, carrots and broccoli)
• 3 - 4 cups cooked white rice (or brown rice, if that floats your boat)

Marinade the chicken in the ginger, garlic, 4 tablespooons of soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of hoisen, the crushed red pepper, and the sesame oil. Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

While the chicken is marinading, wash and cut your vegetables and make your rice according to package directions.

Mix the remaining soy sauce (4 tablespoons), the chicken broth, and the corn starch in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium high heat.

Add the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. Remove to a separate bowl.

Heat another tablespoon of oil (if necessary) and throw in the veggies, stir fry until crisp-tender.

Add the soy/broth/corn starch mixture and the chicken to the veggies. Turn the heat down to medium low and stir around to coat until the sauce gets thick. Yum.

Serve over rice (make sure to spoon some yummy sauce to put over the top too) with extra soy sauce as needed.

Enjoy!


Printable Recipe

Recipe Revamp: Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Come to mama.

This is one of my all time favorite dishes.

The flavors are just amazing and it is a great change from traditional Italian pasta salad.

But don't get me wrong, I love traditional Italian pasta salad too.

Just wanted to clear that up so there weren't any hard feelings.

I made this last week for the 100th time, and I realized that the original post about it was confusing and disjointed (why doesn't that surprise me???), so I thought I'd post a new, organized recipe.

As mentioned in the original post, this recipe was an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe, which was revamped by the Pioneer Woman. I chose to use less olive oil and more vinegar than PW though (surprise!). I also sometimes add rotisserie chicken.

It's a "Must Try" recipe if you love sun-dried tomatoes.

Yum - these are a few of my favorite things...tomatoes, fresh basil, and kalmata olives. Look at those colors! During the winter, you may have a hard time finding yummy cherry tomatoes, but don't fret - you can leave them out if you have to.

Making the sun-dried tomato dressing in the blender...

Major YUM.

This one doesn't have cherry tomatoes, but has the addition of rotisserie chicken to make it a delicious one-dish meal.


Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad (serves 8)

• 1 package of rotini pasta
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
• 1 cup (loosely packed) basil, chiffonaded 
• 4 ounces pitted kalmata olives, drained and chopped (you can  use more or less to taste)
• 10 ounces sun-dried tomatoes packed in extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 - 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups of rotisserie chicken, chopped (optional)

For the dressing:

Put the sun-dried tomatoes and the oil they came in to a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, red wine vinegar and black pepper.

Puree, adding more olive oil as necessary (up to 1/2 cup).

I would recommend putting this in a jar in the fridge for a couple hours to let the flavors combine, but you don't have to.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water.

Combine the pasta, tomatoes, basil, olives and dressing in a large bowl - stirring to combine. Add half of the Parmesan cheese, stir to combine.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, serve and ENJOY!

Please note: If the leftovers become dry, you can add more red wine vinegar and olive oil to moisten.

Printable Recipe

Grilled Salmon with Blackened Seasoning and Gilled Asparagus

Happy Spring!

How ironic that I woke up to 2 - 3 inches of fresh snow this morning...

In an effort to eat healthier (have a mentioned that I am in 2 weddings this summer?), I bought a big, fat, red, wild-caught salmon fillet and some perfectly ripe, in season asparagus at the grocery store a week or so ago (yes, I am behind in my blogging).

You can't get much healthier than that, right?

The weather has been pretty gorgeous (until last night), which means that the grill has been calling my name...but first I had to overcome a challenge.

Steve doesn't like salmon.

Let me rephrase that.

Steve doesn't like COOKED salmon.

He loves the raw salmon that we eat at the sushi bar...but he thinks that cooked salmon is yucky.

I agree with him that some fish gets stronger and more fishy tasting the more that you cook it - like salmon and tuna...which  is why when we cook tuna, we buy high grade tuna, sear it and eat it rare.

But salmon? I wasn't sure if it was safe to undercook salmon.

Plus, I was craving the full flavor of a grilled piece of fish.

The compromise?

Blackened seasoning.

Click HERE for a delicious, basic recipe for blackened seasoning (and some other delicious marinades and rubs - perfect in time for grill season), or you can buy the premade stuff (I would recommend Chef Paul's - he is the pioneer of Blackening fish).

Traditionally blackening includes dipping the meat in butter, then the blackened seasoning, and then pan frying the meat in hot butter in a cast iron skillet...delicious, but not quite as healthy as I was going for...plus it can stink up your house.

My recipe is more heart-healthy, but still gives an excellent flavor that even fish snobs will love.

The verdict? Steve really enjoyed the fish and said it was by far the best way he had ever eaten salmon.

End of story.

What are you waiting for?

And don't forget the humble (yet delicious and nutritious) asparagus recipe at the bottom.

Grilled Salmon with Blackened Seasoning (serves 4)

• 2 lb wild-caught salmon fillet, skin still on the bottom
• 1/2 lemon, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of blackened seasoning (homemade or store bought)

Rinse salmon fillet and pat dry. Place skin side down on a plate or in a baking dish.

Squeeze the lemon evenly over the top of the fillet, then drizzle the fillet evenly with olive oil.

Rub blackened seasoning all over the parts of the fish that do not have skin (the top and sides).

Let the fish rest while you preheat the grill to 400 degrees.

Put the fish skin-side down on the hot grill, and cook about 6 - 8 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and the top is starting to get flaky.

Please note: keep a close eye on the fish while it's cooking. If you have smaller pieces, or a hotter grill it will take less time

If desired, remove skin before serving (skin should easily peel off once fish is cooked).

Serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe


Grilled Asparagus (serves 4)

• 1 bundle of fresh asparagus, washed and woody ends removed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a zip-top bag.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees

Place asparagus in a grill pan and grill for 4 - 6 minutes, or until crisp tender.

Please note: you can also roast these in a 400 degree oven for 4 - 6 minutes instead.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Canadian Bacon and Pepperjack Cheese Mini Frittatas

 

These were even better than the Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

I used the same recipe (click on the link above for the recipe post), except that I subbed Canadian Bacon for Ham, and Pepperjack cheese for Swiss. I also added some crushed red pepper and it gave it a nice little bite. 

These are so easy and good, and they keep in the fridge for a few days so you can reheat them and eat them as a super fast weekday breakfast. 

The worst part about these is trying to clean the pan. I greased these muffin cups with butter and they still stuck. Any suggestions?

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Kempton Update

Kempton had his second surgery last Wednesday.

I picked him up from the vet on Friday at noon.

Much like his 1st surgery, he was really whiny and obviously in pain.

This time seems to be worse than the first time though.

The whining has lasted a lot longer (or at least it seems that way), his incision looks scarier, has more bruising around it, and seems more swollen.

The surgeon said that we need to take things even slower this time around because he will take longer to heal.

The good news is that I have managed to keep his cone on this time, so hopefully his incision will heal a lot faster, with less scarring.

Hopefully he will start feeling better soon - I will keep you posted!

I mentioned in my last post that last week we were blessed with some warm, sunny, spring-like days.

One of the nights we had a fire on the deck and ate BBQ chicken and coleslaw.

It was wonderful and made me anxious for spring.

Today it is freezing cold, with 40 mile per hour winds and snow.

Mother nature is such a tease.

Anyway!

I had one leftover chicken breast, and a little bit of coleslaw, so I made this sandwich.

It is modeled after my Pulled Pork sandwiches, with the addition of pepperjack cheese.

Holy delicious, Batman.

Here's the food porn:

If you don't already have a grilled BBQ chicken breast, you could substitute rotisserie chicken or just regular chicken breast instead.

As usual - check out the printable recipe at the very bottom of the post for a photo-and-rant-free version.

Yeah, baby.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (makes 2 sandwiches)

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled
• 2 whole wheat hamburger buns
• 2/3 cup of creamy coleslaw
• 2 tablespoons BBQ Sauce
• 2 ounces pepperjack cheese, sliced
• 2 medium sized dill pickles, sliced thinly

Cut each bun in half, place cut side up on piece of aluminum foil on rack in oven. Turn the broiler on low and leave the oven door cracked. Check frequently (don't walk away). When buns start to get crispy, add pepper jack cheese to the bottom halves of the buns. Continue to broil with the door cracked until the cheese is starting to melt and the buns are getting slightly brown.

Slice the chicken breast thinly (warm it up if it's not warm already). Divide the chicken in half between the 2 buns.

Top each with 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1 pickle and 1/3 cup of coleslaw.

Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

Recipe Revamp: Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken

Last week, we were given a gift in the middle of a long, cold, snowy winter - 5 days of warm, spring-like temperatures.

It was even sunny a couple of the days.

We just had to break out the grill.

I had a craving for this light, lemony pasta with grilled chicken. I hadn't made it since last summer.

There were three of us.

I made enough for 6.

There were no leftovers.

Enough said.

Here is the link to the original recipe post from last August:

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken

I added cherry tomatoes that I had on hand that needed to get used.

I also noticed that this time the lemons made a lot more juice...they must have been perfectly ripe. This just means that I had more sauce this time and was able to use just over a half of a package of pasta.

I added some salt and pepper, and a little more basil and white wine to the dish as well.

It was so good and absolutely perfect to break up the winter blahs.

Take a look:

YUM.


Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken (serves 6)

For the chicken:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• Juice of one lemon 
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• 1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a zip top bag and let marinade for at least one hour.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

Cook chicken indirectly until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

For the pasta:

• 1/2 package of angel hair pasta (about .5 pounds)
• 4 lemons, juiced (remove any seeds that fall into the juice)
• 1 bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed, then cut into 1.5 inch pieces
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, washed
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup of basil, julienned
• 2/3 cup of dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup of olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Melt butter in the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat, saute garlic and asparagus until asparagus is crisp-tender.

Add wine and tomatoes, cook for another minute.

Stir in  lemon juice, olive oil and basil.

Add cooked pasta (half at a time, to make sure you have enough sauce...I had more than enough), cooked chicken, and Parm cheese. Toss to combine.

Garnish with extra basil leaves and Parm cheese.

ENJOY!

Printable Recipe

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Artichokes, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Roasted Red Pepper

For superbowl this year, I made these appetizers:

Antipasto Sausage Skewers

One of the parties we went to had a theme of "Food on a Stick", and I immediately thought of these delightful little skewers that I saw a while back.

I made a double batch because we had two parties to go to, and well, obviously.

Fortunately, I had over a dozen skewers left over (no room for antipasto skewers when there is Buffalo Chicken Dip at the party!!!), and my friend Gina recommended that I use them to make pasta.

YES PLEASE!

The pasta turned out delightful, and the flavors were amazing.

Steve bought the Italian sausage links from the meat counter at my favorite grocery store, and we grilled them before cutting them into bite sized pieces. It gave the meat a wonderful smokey flavor and I would highly recommend grilling them, although you could get away with cooking them in a pan as well.

I used red wine because that's what I had open, but you could use white instead.

This was super easy because I already had everything cut up and prepped, but I wrote the recipe as if you were starting from the beginning - it is a lot of prep work, but would totally be worth it.

Try this, soon.

That's an order.

Please excuse the pictures...it's very dark in Northern Minnesota in February...

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Artichokes, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Roasted Red Peppers (serves 6)

• 8 oz Italian Sausage links, grilled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups of artichoke hearts, quartered
• 2 cups of sun-dried tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups of roasted red peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of fresh basil
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (15 oz)
• 1 cup of dry wine (white or red)
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 12 ounces of your favorite pasta (I would recommend short pasta like penne)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender.

Deglaze the pan with wine, cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add sausage, artichokes, tomatoes with all the juices, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers and basil. Heat through.

Toss in the pasta, top with the Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!! 

Printable Recipe

Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

Individual little savory muffin delights, these frittatas are easy and convenient. They can be made ahead and taken as a quick weekday breakfast, or used as part of a more elaborate weekend brunch.

They are also highly customizable. I used ham and swiss cheese, but you could use bacon and cheddar cheese, you could leave out the meat to make it vegetarian, add vegetables, onions, herbs - the possibilities are endless!

Make sure that you grease the muffin tin really well - I used butter and the frittatas still stuck on the bottom a little. 

Reheat by throwing the microwave for a minute!

Enjoy!

 This is the muffin tin I used - it makes six large muffins. If you have one with smaller cups, this recipe would make more than six frittatas.

Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas (serves 6)

• 12 eggs
• 1 cup of diced ham
• 3/4 cup of shredded swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup of milk, half-n-half or heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Generously grease a muffin tin with butter, set aside.

Beat the eggs with the milk in a large bowl.

Divide the ham and cheese equally between the muffin cups, then pour the egg mixture equally over top of the ham and cheese. Top with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until the top is starting to brown. Note: cooking time will vary depending on the size/number of the muffin cups you use.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Red Curry Coconut Noodles

This is a delicious change from our regular weeknight meal rotation.

Actually, I don't have a weeknight meal rotation. I just cook whatever sounds good to me, and try to mix it up a couple times a week so that I have some new material to post here.

But this curry was a delicious change from the things we had been eating.

Steve was a little skeptical when I showed him the recipe, but he ended up loving it.

He ate most of the leftovers himself. 

It makes a TON. You could easily cut the recipe in half.

He even tried feeding it to his kids...not so much. They've come a long way since they started eating with me, but they aren't big on the Thai cuisine yet.

But that's ok! Because eventually I will turn them to the dark side.

This is also one of those recipes that is really adaptable, which I love because I rarely make the same thing twice.

Did I mention that once the initial prep work was done, it was super easy and fast?

Although if you don't cook Thai very often, some of these ingredients might be a bit foreign to you.

Don't panic - you can find most of them at your regular grocery store in the Asian aisle.

As always, feel free to ask questions in the comments section (at the very end of the post), and I will get back to you. 

I loved that we use the solid "fat" from the coconut milk to cook the chicken in...it imparts flavor as well as removes the need for any other "fat" such as butter or oil. 

This is another Tasty Kitchen recipe...I adapted it from Nika

Below is the recipe as I made it (yes, I changed things). I wanted more spicy, coconut-y broth so I added more liquid. I also added more ginger, cilantro and curry paste (because I love it) and more Thai Chili Sauce, because I love that too and I like lots of flavor!

Give it a try!

Red Curry Coconut Noodles (serves 8 - 10) adapted from Nika on Tasty Kitchen

• 6 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 2 cans of coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, minced
• 1/2 cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• 32 oz fat free, low sodium chicken broth
• 1 (8 oz) package of rice noodles 
• 1 yellow onion, julienned 
• 2 red bell peppers, julienned
• 2 cups of broccoli slaw
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon

Open the cans of coconut milk, scoop out the "solids" and place them in a large dutch oven over medium heat (reserve the rest of the liquid). Once the pan is hot, add the curry paste and ginger. Saute for 1 minute.

Add the chicken and saute until cooked through. Add the remaining coconut milk, the Thai chili sauce and the chicken broth. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

Add onion, peppers, broccoli slaw and rice noodles. Return to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the rice noodles are cooked through.

Add the cilantro and remove the pot from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve, adding some yummy broth to each bowl.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe 

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Fontina Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Sweet mother of deliciousness.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is one of my all-time favorites.

And who doesn't like a grilled cheese?

Especially one made with fontina cheese.

Yum.

The soup recipe is a revamp...I originally posted it here, but it was confusing and without pictures.

It is adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.

...that's right, the Barefoot Contessa.

I love that woman.

Anyway, here is the food porn and recipes.

The ultimate comfort food!

Yes, I realize that I say that about everything.

That is because food in general is very comforting to me, so comfort food is especially comforting...

...nevermind.

Just eat it.

 I realize that this recipe calls for ridiculous amounts of fresh basil (4 cups), but just trust me on this, ok?

 

 Oh, you know I had to add Fontina cheese to the soup too! But you could also use Parmesan.

If that doesn't get your tastebuds watering, I don't know what will.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (serves 6) adapted from Ina Garten

• 3 lbs ripe tomatoes (preferably roma tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup, plus one tablespoon olive oil 
• 6-8 cloves of garlic (left whole)
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 4 cups basil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 quart low sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon 
• 1 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes (I use San Marzano) 
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes in half, throw into a large zip-top bag. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper.  Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet, making sure tomatoes are cut side up.

Roast for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, add one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter to large dutch oven or soup pot. Saute onions over medium heat until tender.

Add roasted tomatoes and garlic (including all of the juices) to dutch oven. Add broth, basil, bouillon, thyme and can of tomatoes.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until there are no large chunks of garlic or basil. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Check seasonings, add more salt, pepper, or sugar as necessary.

Serve garnished with your favorite Italian cheese!

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Fontina Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (serves 4)

• 8 slices of your favorite artisan bread (I used rosemary-olive oil)
• 8 ounces fontina cheese (or other melt-able cheese)
• 4 tablespoons butter

Butter the outside of all 8 slices of bread. Add 2 ounces of cheese to the inside of 4 slices of bread. Top with remaining 4 slices of bread (remember - butter out, cheese in).

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches (working in batches if necessary), cook for 3 minutes or until the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown.

Reduce heat to low. Flip sandwich and cook other side until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Balsamic Chicken Pasta

Oh yum.

As I write this, I am wishing that I had some of this pasta to eat.

So, so good.

Easy.

Highly customizable.

Awesome.

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, it is by the lovely Natalie at Perry's Plate.

You can see the original recipe here.

As usual, by the time I was done with it, it was almost unrecognizable (although I would be willing to bet the original version is delicious too...I just can't seem to leave well enough alone).

The first time I made it, I doubled the recipe, used rotisserie chicken, added asparagus, subbed feta cheese for the goat cheese and mozzarella cheese, subbed spaghetti for linguine, and added extra balsamic vinegar.

The second time I made it, I used bucatini pasta (I had some left over from a dish that Lyndi made the night before), rotisserie chicken, extra balsamic, dried basil instead of fresh, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

I don't know which one I loved more.

The bottom line is, it's good no matter what.

My only suggestion is to use high quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Take a look at this:

This was the first round. Yum.

And here was the second round. I know you can't really see it, but there is tons of grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in there.

I want to eat this now.

Here you go - make this for dinner tonight!

(See bottom of post for printable)

Balsamic Chicken Pasta (serves 4) adapted from Perry's Plate

• 8 ounces of your favorite long pasta (angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, bucatini)
• 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken (I used rotisserie) 
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped or chiffonaded
• 1.5 cups of cheese, crumbled or shredded (goat, Parmesan, feta, mozzarella, or a combination)
• 3 tablespoons high quality balsamic vinegar
• 6 tablespoons high quality olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: 1/2 bunch asparagus, woody stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside. 

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain all except for 1/2 cup of pasta water.

While pasta is cooking, saute garlic and red pepper until tender (if using asparagus, add it for the last 2 minutes of cooking).

Add chicken and basil to pan with veggies.

Stir in oil and vinegar.

Toss with pasta and cheese, add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Recipe Revamp: Chicken Fajitas

As I have mentioned before, while going back through old posts I have noticed several recipes that either have no pictures, have crappy pictures (most), have really confusing recipes, or don't have specific ingredient amounts (some of you are thinking, "So what's new?" He he he).

I don't really want to remove these recipes from the blog. Athough most of them were posted during a time when I was under a huge amount of emotional stress...and probably under the influence of wine...they are authentic pieces of me and what my life was like at the time - blurry, fragmented, rambling, random. 

So I'm just going to "Revamp" the recipes as I make them again and again, and add new and improved pictures when I can.

I never set out to start a food blog...I just wanted a safe place where I could vent and tell my side of the story...and if family and friends wanted to pop in every once in a while to see what was up in my world, they could.

Then I found that cooking was a great creative outlet for me, and that it was easier for me to have a post about cooking, intermingled with my commentary than it was to just drone on and on about my personal problems.

Last month I had over 900 hits here on Sunshine and Jellybeans.

It was my highest month ever. Normally I average around 500 hits a month.

I realize that compared to most of the cooking blogs I read, this is minuscule. I would be willing to bet that most of them average several thousand hits a month.

But it's a lot for me, and it kinda makes me proud (and a little freaked out).

I also realize that this isn't a very traditional cooking blog. Most cooking blogs are strictly cooking, with a picture here and there or a once-in-a-while mention of the blogger's private life instead of regular (and very personal) posts. I'm sure that this is annoying to some people ("Quit f-ing TALKING and give me a RECIPE!"), but it's therapeutic for me and I hope that some people like the more personal aspect of it.

Anyway...

Now I'll quit f-ing talking and give you a recipe.

You can click here to view the original recipe, as well as a recipe for Spanish Rice.

I made these fajitas on the stovetop, but I ALWAYS recommend cooking the meat and veggies on the grill. It really makes a huge difference. The recipe has instructions for both.

I always put way too much stuff on my tortilla, and then I can never get it closed. I usually just end up spreading my fixin's out over the open face tortilla and eating it with a fork.

Chicken Fajitas (serves 6)

This recipe is for chicken fajitas, but you can easily substitute beef, pork, or shrimp. Also - feel free to use other veggies such as cherry tomatoes or zucchini.

• 2 lbs of chicken breasts
• 2 bell peppers, cut into strips
• 1 small onion, cut into strips
• 1 lime, cut in half
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of homemade or store bought fajita or taco seasoning (see my recipe here)
• 8 - 12 flour tortillas (you can sub corn tortillas)
• 2 tablespoons jarred jalapeno, minced
• 2 tablespoons juice from jarred jalapenos
• your choice of fixins: lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, taco sauce, black olives

Cut your chicken breasts into strips, and toss it with the juice from 1/2 of your lime, a generous handful of cilantro, 1 tablespoon of your fajita seasonings and 1 tablespoon of juice from your jar of jalapenos. In a separate bowl/bag, toss your cut up peppers and onions with the juice from the other 1/2 of your lime, a small handful of cilantro, the remaining tablespoon of fajita seasoning and the remaining tablespoon of jalapeno juice. Marinade both for 30 minutes to 2 hours.



To grill:
Preheat your grill to 375 degrees while the meat and veggies are marinading. Put meat and veggies on skewers (separately), or in separate grill baskets (we usually skewer the meat, and then put the veggies in a grill basket coated with oil).

Cook chicken and vegetables, stirring every couple of minutes until chicken is cooked through, and veggies are soft and starting to brown, about 5 - 10 minutes.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm on grill for a few minutes. 

To cook on stovetop:
Add marinaded chicken and vegetables to a large skillet (including all the juices). Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in oven for a few minutes.

Top warm tortillas and filling with your choice of fixings.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Mmmmmm...I love New Years Eve.

Anything that has to do with eating tasty treats and drinking champagne can't be bad, right?

I've got a double whammy this week - tonight I am hosting a get-together for my friend Tara, who is visiting from LA.

And then tomorrow I am hosting New Year's Eve dinner.

I haven't even thought about what I am going to cook for Friday night yet...I believe that my brother is bringing a venison tenderloin to cook on the grill, and then there was some talk about crab legs...and I've been craving risotto...

But right now I need to focus on tonight's party.

It should be a pretty laid back, everyone-bring-an-appetizer-to-share type of evening.

I am making my Deviled Eggs (with a kick!), and Buffalo Chicken Dip. Obviously my pledge to eat healthy(er) is not working out so well.

In my defense I wanted to make dishes with some protein, since there won't be a proper dinner.

Er...yeah...that's it!

Plus I have been craving Buffalo Chicken Dip for months. 

I'll try to take some pics and put a post up about it next week.

Until then - have a SAFE and HAPPY holiday weekend.

If you are looking for something to make for your NYE party, check out the categories to your left.

I am still working on getting the printable recipe link on all the food posts, but I probably have 50% done (see the very bottom of each post and click on "Printable Recipe")...here are a few of my favorites that I would recommend:

In charge of the appetizer? Deviled Eggs and Buffalo Chicken Dip just not your thing?

How about:

Citrus and Herb Shrimp

Jalapeno Popper Dip

or - if you can get your hands on some tasty tomatoes - this delicious Tomato and Basil Bruschetta!

Need a main course?

How about this elegant and delicious Chicken Parmigiana?

 

Feeding a crowd or on a budget?

Try this sweet and savory (and easy!) Pulled BBQ Pork with Creamy Coleslaw!

Or, why not have a FIESTA with my Spicy Shredded Chicken stuffed inside of a Tostada or Enchiladas?

Browse through the categories - there is something for everyone!

Here's to a very happy and healthy 2011!

Cheers!

xoxoxoxo

~Lindsey

Meaty Lasagna

The answer to your question is yes.

I do weigh 6,000 pounds due to all of the hearty comfort food that I have been consuming.

I promise that after the new year, I will try to post something healthy.

There is no point in even pretending like I am going to eat healthy before then.

Please note: for this recipe I used uncooked lasagna noodles. If you are going to cook your noodles first, do not use cottage cheese. Use ricotta cheese because it is less runny (though quite a bit higher in calories...not that we are counting).

Having homemade (or store-bought - I won't tell) marinara sauce on hand makes this recipe a cinch to throw together.

Yum.

It doesn't get much more comforting than lasagna.

Meaty Lasagna (serves 8**)

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage (spicy or mild, whatever your preference)
• 8 cups marinara sauce
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 24 oz cottage cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 lb grate mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb uncooked lasagna noodles (you probably won't use the whole box...save the rest for next time!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown beef and sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat. Throw the onions and garlic in the with the beef for the last few minutes of cooking. Drain grease.

Add marinara sauce to saucepan and stir to combine. Heat through.

Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg in a large bowl.

In a large lasagna pan, put enough meat sauce on the bottom of the pan to cover it (about 2 cups). Place uncooked noodles in a single layer on top of sauce. On top of noodles, spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Place about 2 cups of meat sauce on top of mozzarella cheese, then another layer of noodles. Put remaining cottage cheese mixture on top of noodles, followed by remaining meat sauce and then top with remaining mozzarella cheese (and additional Parmesan cheese if desired)*.

Cover with aluminum foil, place on top of a baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove aluminum foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbly and brown.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

*If you have a deeper lasagna pan (or if you don't use any meat), you could probably do a third layer. Mine was almost overflowing so I could only do 2 layers.
**This recipe is easy to cut in half if you want to use an 8" x 8" baking dish instead of a 9" x 13". Cut all ingredients in half except for the egg - you can still use a whole egg (plus, how do you cut an egg in half? Don't answer that.).

Printable Recipe

Chicken Parmigiana

Yummy Yummy Yummy.

Chicken Parmigiana is one of my favorite dishes of all time.

It's a bit labor intensive...especially if you make your own marinara sauce (which I did), but totally worth it.

It's comfort food that is fancy enough for company.

Come to mama.

Make this very soon.

If you have leftovers, you could make it into a Chicken Parmigiana hoagie!

I didn't include a marinara sauce recipe below because I'm still tweaking it.

You can use your own favorite recipe, a jar of premade, or below are a couple of my tomato sauce recipes that would also work:

Roasted Tomato Sauce (this is yummy and probably the closest thing to my marinara sauce that I have on the blog)

Spaghetti and Meatballs...from scratch (this is a little more labor intensive, but a yummy recipe to make for someone that you love)

Also - this recipe will give you a generous amount of coating for the chicken breasts...you could easily make 6 breasts with this amount of egg wash, flour and bread crumbs. Or you could cut the recipe in half if you were only making 2 or 3 breasts.

Chicken Parmigiana (serves 4)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 eggs, beaten with two tablespoons of water
• 1 cup of crushed croutons (I used cheese and garlic croutons, Italian would also work well), you could also use Italian style breadcrumbs, but the croutons have a wonderful texture
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• 6 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (see above recipes)
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Place chicken breasts in a large zip-top bag. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound breasts until they are thin. This will help them cook uniformly (is uniformly a word?). 

In one bowl (I use a pasta bowl) or plate, combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder .

In a second bowl/plate, put eggwash (beaten eggs plus water).

In a third bowl/plate, combine crushed croutons, Panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning and basil.

Dip each chicken breast first in the flour mixture, then in the eggwash, then in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to coat both sides. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Warm your marinara sauce on the stovetop in an oven-safe pot or dutch oven (I used my Le Creuset).  Make sure that the pot is large enough to fit all of the chicken breasts because this will be the vessel that you will be using to finish the dish.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan to medium heat. Add the coated chicken breasts to the hot oil (working in batches if necessary), and cook until the bottom of the breast is starting to get nice and brown. Flip over and repeat on the other side.

Place browned chicken breasts on top of the marinara sauce in an oven-safe pan, sprinkle each breast generously with Parmesan cheese. Place the dish uncovered into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until sauce is hot and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Plate by adding some noodles, topped with a chicken breast and some extra sauce. Finish with more grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe