Man, this cooking thing is tricky to keep up! Don't get me wrong, I love to bake, and I'm learning to love to cook, but it's just too tempting at times when your husband has a per diem where he can bring home dinner at no cost to you.
That said, I've somehow managed to expand my cooking (a little) and made another stab at semi-vegan cuisine. This time I just threw together some quinoa pasta, feta cheese, dill, red pepper flakes, oregano and olive oil along with some Gardein 7-grain Crispy Tenders.
As I mentioned in my last post, Holly from The Healthy Everythingtarian first brought these to my attention. Bless her little heart. These things are PHENOMENAL. They're vegan, but they taste more like chicken than some of the junk I've had from other establishments. Thank you, Holly!Anywho, throw it all together and you've got yourself an easy meal for one. >
Of course, you need something to wash this little entrée down. Might I recommend a Chocolate Martini?
Just be careful - these things pack quite a wallop.I also managed to throw together one other dish: Garlic and Herb Poached Children.
Now I don't have much in the way of directions (it was a lot of throwing this n' that together), but I've put a recipe that summarizes the gist of it at the end of this post.
Now, it's not all about chicken and pasta. Tony and I finally made it to our favorite dim sum spot in Silver Spring.
Love of my life. :)
Oriental East is nestled away in a little shopping plaza in Silver Spring, Md. Sunday brunch starts at 11am, which means you need to be in line by 10:30am. If you're not, you're in for one hell of a wait. Granted, it's worth the wait - bbq pork buns, sesame rolls, shrimp and veggie purses - Oh, it's worth the wait.
This week has been pretty laid back. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Tony and I met up with some friends and drank Check beer and Italian Prosecco. Then, in keeping with our theme, we all headed to Mezze for some Lebanese/Mediterranean tapas. Mezze is in the Fell's Point section of Baltimore and though the service left a little to be desired, the food more than made up for it. I enjoyed an aromatic orzo with roasted tomatoes and a lentil and sausage dish. This was followed by a mouth watering - and HUGE - serving of baklava.
From there we just headed home (no need to be out on the roads with the St. Patty's Day revelers leaving the bar), and did some much needed couch searching. Nothing beats a holiday like some QT with your significant other and one of two needy cats.
Say hello to Lina.
Happy belated holidays, y'all! And happy first day of Spring!!
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Crystal Clear Chocolate Martinis
5 oz good quality vodka
2 oz Crème de Cocao
2 oz Crème de Cocao
Chocolate to garnish
Simpy mix the ingredients (minus the garnish) together over ice. Strain and pour into a tall martini glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings, straws, or chunks.
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Garlic and Herb Poached Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp butter
3 - 4 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup + 2 tbsp chicken stock or water
(The rest of these are rough estimates, so feel free to tweak the amounts to suit your taste:)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sugar
(I also threw in a dash of thyme and basil, but nothing much)
STEP 1: Pat dry the chicken breasts. Season each with salt and pepper.
Dredge the breasts in the flour, being sure to shake off any excess.
Dredge the breasts in the flour, being sure to shake off any excess.
STEP 2: Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over med high heat.
Once the butter has melted and has started to bubble, add both breasts to the pan.
Once the butter has melted and has started to bubble, add both breasts to the pan.
Brown the chicken (about 3 minutes on each side).
STEP 3: Add the herbs and seasonings to the chicken broth. After browning
the 2nd side of the chicken, add the broth to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer
and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
the 2nd side of the chicken, add the broth to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer
and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Enjoy!
fter turn
2 comments:
where do you get those fake chicken tenders?
Oh just about any grocer worth its organic salt should carry it in the freezer section. Look around the same section where they carry anything by Amy's Kitchen.
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