Chicken, Spinach & Goat Cheese Pizza and The Frederico

We have been enjoying some beautiful summer evenings as of late.  Afternoons have reminded me of our Hawaiian vacations.  Hot sunny days...afternoon thunder and lighting storms...skies open back up to beautiful blue and breathtaking sunsets.

As you recall, we love to make our favorite Frederico summer beverage to bring us back to our Hawaii memories. Since we cannot find pre-packaged "POG" juice (Passion, Orange, Guava) here on the mainland, I found a perfect alternative to still have that tropical flavor!  Nothing like the most wonderful chilled beverage on the patio to end your day.

The Frederico

1 part, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

1 part, Makers Mark or Gentleman Jack Bourbon

1 part, orange juice

2 parts, Welch's Dragon Fruit Mango juice

2 parts, Welch's Passion Fruit juice

ice

cocktail shaker

Pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake well and serve over ice.

Sip responsibly...enjoy!!

This week I started receiving my subscription again to "Cuisine at Home", that I recently renewed and I'm pretty excited about it!  I had a rare opportunity (again) to sit on the patio with my coffee (no Fredericos at 8:00am, thank you very much), the boys taking their post-kibble nap next to me and my latest Cuisine issues.  I pulled out my post-it note pad and started tagging my new recipes to try out.

This grilled pizza really caught my eye and it definitely did not disappoint either.  WOW!!  I would never have thought to put honey on a pizza, but the combination of it with the goat cheese was off the charts good!  This was the perfect date night dinner at home for us, or you could also cut it up into small pieces and serve as appetizer to guests.

Chicken, Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza

Courtesy of Cuisine at Home, July/August 2016

Combine:

4 oz. goat cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. milk

2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Bake:

1 purchased thin-style pizza crust or pizza size naan

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Toss:

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup fresh baby spinach

1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup each, thinly sliced kalamata olives and jarred roasted red peppers

Red pepper flakes to taste

shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with baking stone.

Combine goat cheese, milk, tarragon, honey, zest and garlic;  season with salt and pepper.  

Bake pizza crust on baking stone until bottom starts to brown and crips, 3-4 minutes.

Remove pizza crust from oven and brush with 2 tsp. oil.  Spread goat cheese mixture over crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border.

Toss chicken, spinach and shallots with 1 tsp. oil; season with salt and black pepper.

Top pizza with chicken misture, olives and roasted red peppers; season with pepper flakes.

Bake pizza until toppings are heated through, 4-5 minutes, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

One Year Ago: Artichoke Gratin

Two Years Ago: Grilled Vegetable Salad

Fireworks Cookies and Cream Cookies...Happy 4th of July!

Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful Happy 4th of July!  Thank you to all of those who have served and continue to serve to protect our Nation!  We continue to pray for your safety and blessings.

Once again Pinterest saved the day for our annual Fireworks Picnic this year and my much needed dessert.  I didn't care what, who or how, I needed chocolate this year!!  We are headed back to our favorite golf course to enjoy our sunset picnic dinner with the girls, play a little paddle ball, relax and enjoy the show.  Not only do these festive cookies bring the chocolate...they bring fun colors and deliciousness with every bite!  I know this because I taste tested about 13 of them before I packed up for our evening...just wanted to make sure they were acceptable to serve to our guests, of course.

Fireworks Cookies and Cream Cookies
Courtesy of Inside Bru Crew Life

1 vanilla cake mix
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups Oreo cookie chunks (14 chocolate cream-filled)
3/4 cup red, white & blue M&M's divided
1/2 cup red, white & blue sprinkles, divided

Mix together the cake mix, butter, egg, and vanilla until soft dough forms.  Add the cream cheese and mix again.

Stir in the cookie chunks, 1/2 cup M&M's, and 1/4 cup of the sprinkles gently.  Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Set out 2 cookie sheets and line them with parchment paper.

Roll into 24 even dough balls.  Press the remainng M&M's into the tops of the dough balls.  Add extra sprinkles to the tops of the dough balls.

Place the dough balls on the cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool for 2 minutes, before moving them to another piece of parchment paper.  Let the cookies cool completely and store in a tighty sealed container.  Makes 24 cookies.

One Year Ago: Traeger BBQ Beef Ribs
Two Years Ago: Apple Pie Cake

My husband's famous Potato Salad...this will be an awesome side to our BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders tonight!  He also got to experience first hand how difficult it is to photograph food!!

Lemon Bundt Cake for The Birthday Girl

The other day I was in a waiting room passing time for my upcoming appointment. I started thumbing through the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens and noticed a feature they call "BHG throwback".  The title 1944 caught my eye...the year my mom was born.

Today is her birthday...Happy Birthday Mom!!  This collage was made by my grandmother in one of her great scrapbook/photo albums she made for me.  I love seeing all the fun photos of my mom and me, especially all the different fashions and hairstyles from "back in the day".  As you recall, I shared with you my quest to duplicate my mom's Sunday Night Pot Roast a few years ago.

My mom also is a fan of lemon flavoring and has her sweet tooth moments.  In her honor today, I made a new lemon bundt cake, from the BHG magazine I was perusing through that day.

I even purchased a new fun shaped bundt pan to test out...super cool designs.  I forsee a lot of bundt cake experiments in the future.

Lemon Bundt Cake
Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens, May 2016

3 eggs
1-1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 Tbsp. lemon extract
2 Meyer lemons or lemons, zested (2 tsp.)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Lemon Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
Meyer lemon juice or lemon juice (about 2 Tbsp.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Coat a 10-inch fluted tube pan with nonstick spray for baking.  In a very large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk, oil, butter, extract, and zest.  Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt.  Whisk until smooth.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove cake form pan; cool.  Drizzle with glaze.

For the Lemon Glaze; in a bowl stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice (enough to make drizzling consistency).

After glazing the cake, sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. lemon zest over cake.

This is what happens when I get too busy to photograph a 

recipe right after it is completed.  My family thought they

needed to "test it out" before I published it...and I thought

my dogs were bad!!

Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake and Rocker Chick

For Father's Day this year, I decided to ditch the usual golf gifts for my husband and treated him to concert tickets to two of his favorite bands;  Styx and Boston.  They happen to both be playing the same venue and night in Denver which resulted in the best date night ever!

I am a girl of the 70's and 80's.  I grew up with big hair bands, big speakers and a lot of rock'n roll! My very first concert was Motley Crue in San Diego when I was 14 years old...I remember it like it was yesterday. Watching Tommy Lee spinning around with his entire drum stage like a roller coaster (while playing a solo set) was like nothing this small town Alaska girl had ever seen!  Super Cool!!

My husband and I had an abosolute blast watching both bands and I got to release my inner rocker chick once again (yes, even at 50 years old)!  Both bands were like listening to them as if time had never passed...awesome, just awesome and so much fun!  Pure talent from both bands and a show that we will cherish for a very long time.

Many years ago I had a friend I worked with who was an avid concert goer in the L.A. scene.  She and her guy friend started collecting memorabelia at the concerts they attended;  drumsticks, pics, song set lists, etc.  They would just go up to the stage after the concert and get whatever they could find, then go home and make a CD of songs (pre iTunes days) that were played during the concert.

She got me started on doing the same thing and we now have a collection of souvenirs as well.  I tried my hand at getting the set lists for both bands that night but struck out...however, I chatted it up with one of Boston's roadies and he was nice enough to hand over both bands' itinerary for that day.  Well, it's not a set list, but it's something for us to remember the most amazing night ever!

Another favorite of my husband's is Chicken Marsala. He absolutely loves this dish.  In the past I have made him Mushroom Marsala Ravioli and Steak Marsala.  This time I thought I would try out a new version of Chicken Marsala...I stumbled on the recipe in Pinterest, of course and now it's one of our go-to favorite casserole dishes.

Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake
Adapted from of www.adashofsanity.com

*These portions below make an 8"x8" baking dish - I doubled this recipe for a 9x11 baking dish.

1/2 pound penne pasta, boiled to al dente and drained
2 Tbl. olive oil
6 Tbl. butter
3 Tbl. flour
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half (or heavy whipping cream)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
1 chicken breast, cut in half, grilled and sliced
4 ounces of pancetta, diced (or small cubes)
12 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely minced

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 8x8 square (or 8x10 oval) baking dish with non-stick spray.  Cook pasta as directed and drain.

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan, add pancetta and cook until slightly crispy on both sides.  Add mushrooms and garlic, cook until mushrooms are tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour.  Gradually stir in Marsala wine and boil for 2-3 minutes to cook out the alcohol.  Slowly stir in chicken broth.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat.  Stir in half-and-half, grated cheese, chicken, pancetta and mushrooms.

In a large bowl, add pasta and chicken mixture together; toss gently to mix well.  Spoon into prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese.  Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until hot in the center and to is slightly golden.

**You may also broil the top with the oven on low for 3-5 minutes.

Enjoy and Rock On!!

Farm Spinach Salad with Peppers and Capers

Remember a few months ago I shared with you my conspiracy theory on Invasion of the Body Snatchers at my house?  Well, the other morning as I was enjoying the early sunrise fresh air and a cup of coffee out on my patio, my suspicions came true!

I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.  This giant stalk has magically shown up overnight in the corner of our yard.  I have no idea what this plant (or creature) is!

It is about three feet tall and does not resemble anything else in our yard or the neighborhood for that matter.  Now perhaps I am a little behind on my landscaping duties and weeding, but really? What the heck is this thing?  All I know is...it's outta here ASAP, before it snatches my body too!!

Anyway, I digress...

Last month was our 19th wedding anniversary.  The actual day came during the middle of the week, so we really didn't feel like going out on a "school night", as we say.  I was up for trying some new recipes and playing with new ingredients.  I found a tasting menu dinner for my inspiration, from a world renowned restaurant in Boulder called The Kitchen.  Their focus is on farm-to-table menus with tastes of the season, served family style.

I decided to try my hand at recreating their seasonal menu with my own spin for our special dinner that night.

Anniversary Menu

 Farm Spinach Salad - Spinach Leaves, Parmesean, Capers, 

Bell Peppers & Peppercorn Dressing

House Made Tagliatelle - Bacon, Asparagus, Sunchoke Cream & Parmesean

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Almonds - Fingerling Potatoes, Crimini Mushrooms

Orange Olive Oil Cake - Orange Coulis & Pistachio Chantilly

I have to admit, I was pretty excited about how everything turned out...(check back to see future posts for remaining recipes soon). Wonderful fresh ingredients with so many different layers of flavors... and let's just face it, anything that I put capers in, I get the "Wife of the Year" award!

Cure Farm Spinach Salad
Courtesy (and adapted from) The Kitchen, Boulder

Spinach Leaves, stems off
Shaved Parmesean Cheese
Capers, drained
Orange, Red and/or Yellow Bell Peppers, thinly sliced
Peppercorn Dressing (your favorite brand)

In a large salad serving bowl, toss all ingredients until well combined and serve on chilled salad plates.

** The Kitchen also incluced (Radishes, thinly sliced and Fennel, thinly sliced) in their menu's salad version. A little too strong of flavors for me, so I opted to keep them out and the salad was still amazing.  If you like radishes and fennel though, I'm sure it would also be terrific.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Popsicles and Strawberry Moon

This week marked the official start of summer with the annual Solstice and a "Once in a Generation" viewing of The Strawberry Moon.  We are typically early to bed in our house, so I didn't get to see the actual Strawberry Moon in person.  I did however get to witness these mesmerizing twin rainbows after one of our early evening storms that have been showing up like clockwork.  I love seeing Mother Nature's beautiful artwork.

...and speaking of strawberries, these frozen yogurt popsicles are out of this world yummy for summertime.  Since half the country is having record breaking high temperatures this week (including us), these little treats will instantly cool you down.  I was super excited to find these molds last summer...I love how it has the catch (drip) tray within the handle.  As hot as it has been, they may try to melt in your hand before you can finish them off.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Popsicles

1 cup strawberries

1 banana

1/2 cup Greek, vanilla flavored yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1 Tbl. honey

In a blender, add all ingredients and process until smooth.  Pour mixture into popsicle molds.  Place in freezer for approximatley 6-8 hours, until fully frozen.

That's it...couldn't be any more simple!  Enjoy your summer!!!

One Year Ago: Alma's Mac and Cheese

Two Years Ago: Grilled Caesar Salad with Shrimp

Grilled Lemon Chicken Flatbread Wraps and Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, stepdads, grandfathers, brothers, and uncles...may it be a wonderful and relaxing day to all of you out there.

I was blessed to have received a very special gift and dad.  God Bless him...He came into my mom's life at the most perfect time but unfortunately got me at my worst possible time...teenage years.  I don't know how he put up with my moods and attitude but thank God he never gave up on me.

He has forever been the most thoughtful, gracious and giving man I have met.  Always willing to lend a hand to anyone that needs it and never asks for anything in return.

He is known to my girls as "Papa".  Papa has spoiled them with love, memories and special gifts whenever he visits.  He gave them their first bright red 3 wheel'n tricycle.  He has taken them for visits to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out their very own pumpkins and also experience the petting zoos during Apple Days Festivals.  One Easter week he showed up with the most precious stuffed bunnies that moved and told stories...cutest gift ever!

He also introduced them to "Ben Franklin" at a very young age...and I don't mean sharing the history of being one of the Founding Fathers...I mean sharing a $100 bill...with each one of them!  They light up like a Christmas tree with smiles from ear to ear.   Like I said...spoiled!

One time when my mom was out of town, I tried to be the responsible young teenager lady and make dinner for my dad and brother.  I was fairly new to the whole cooking responsibilities and tried my hand at "Shake'n Bake" chicken.  Apparently, as the story goes, it was not one of my finest dishes and quite inedible. Well, what can I say, girl's gotta start somewhere....

Today, I like to think that I have improved on my culinary skills since then.  Here's a chicken dish that I think my dad would approve of.  It was a really easy and great dish for dinner.  I served it with baked onion rings...anything with onion rings a dad would like, right?

Grilled Lemon Chicken Flatbread Wraps with Spicy Garlic Sauce
Adapted from thecozyapron.com

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed into bite-size pieces
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
pinch of black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 Naan flatbreads (or pita bread
mixed salad greens
sliced tomatoes
diced zucchini
diced cucumber
crumbled feta cheese
Spicy Garlic Sauce (recipe below)

Place the cubed chicken into a medium-size bowl, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil;  add in the garlic, plus remainder of ingredients up to (and including) the paprika, using your hands , toss all the seasonings/spices very well to coat the chicken.

Using 4 skewers, skewer the chicken so that there is equal portions of meat on each skewer, and allow the chicken to marinate for about 20 minutes, or even better, overnight.

When ready to grill, place a grill pan over medium heat (or use your outdoor grill), and drizzle in a little oil;  once the oil gets hot, place the chicken skewers into the pan, and cook them for about 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally so that they get a bit charred on all sides or until cooked through;  allow them to rest, lightly covered with foil for about 5-10 minutes; then remove the chicken cubes from the skewers and set aside.

To assemble, add a little drizzle of the Spicy Garlic Sauce onto the flatbread, followed by greens, sliced tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber and one skewer of lemon chicken. Drizzle a little more of the sauce over chicken and top with a few bits of feta cheese.

Truth be told, I could probably take on a sheet pan of those

onion rings, dipped in this sauce and not even apologize for it...

the sauce is that good!!

Spicy Garlic Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2-3 tsp. sriracha (or Frank's Hot Sauce)
1 tsp. salt
pinch of black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Add all ingredients to medium-size bowl.  Whisk together until completely smooth and creamy.  Let fuse and get those ingredients happy for about 30 minutes, covered in refrigerator before use.

One Year Ago: Alma's Mac and Cheese
Two Years Ago: Grilled Caesar Salad