it's a great day to celebrate granny

this is one of those glorious weekends 

where not much is 'scheduled'

and things are pretty laid back

yesterday morning anthony worked while i had lunch with a friend and ran errands

we had vodka pasta for dinner (yay indulgences)

today is church (at 4.30 pm. being part of a church plant is awesome that way)

and tonight we celebrate anthony's granny's birthday

(i believe there is brisket involved)

i have a gift to wrap

and worship rehearsal to get to

hope you're having a lovely day

xo

recipe of the week: ny deli mac & cheese

adapted slightly, but pretty much rachael ray's recipe (found here)

ny deli mac & cheese

1 pound pasta (i typically use elbow macaroni)

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon or so of italian seasoning

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup skim milk

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz mild cheddar cheese

1/4 cup spicy deli or german mustard

1/2 pound pastrami, chopped roughly

6 slices rye bread

cook pasta according to package directions. 

meanwhile, heat a large skillet or saucepan and add the butter and italian seasoning.  when butter is melted, whisk in flour and cook for a minute before adding the chicken stock, milk and mustard.

 toast up the rye bread slices

 then pulse them in a food processor

 remove and set aside in bowl, then also chop the pastrami in the food processor

 shred cheese and mix well

 once liquids on stove have heated through, stir cheese* in a figure eight motion until melted and smooth
*but reserve just a bit of the cheese 

 add pastrami

 place cooked pasta in baking dish

 pour cheese mixture over noodles

 yum

 top with toasted rye crumbs

 add reserved cheese

 bake at 400゜ until browned and bubbling

and watch your husband enjoy :-)

recipe of the week: greek chicken pasta

we love greek food

we love pasta

so when  i found this recipe for greek chicken pasta, i decided to try it.

upon reading the recipe, however, i decided to take what i liked about it (the artichoke hearts and feta cheese, namely) and create a new recipe based loosely on it.

here's what happened

greek chicken pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

salt, freshly ground pepper, greek seasoning, oregano

1 sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound of chicken, cut into cubes (i used boneless skinless breasts)

1/2 cup white wine (this is how much was left in the bottle in my fridge...so use more or less depending on your preference)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes with oregano, basil and garlic

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

1 container feta cheese with mediterranean herbs (or reserve a bit for sprinkling on top)

penne or bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package directions

begin by heating your olive oil and spices

 toss in the onions and garlic, saute for 5 minutes

 add the cubed chicken and a second round of spices (including a whole lot of greek seasoning)

 add the white wine, and cook down for about 3 minutes

add the chicken broth, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and feta

 simmer sauce together for at least 15 minutes (enough time for the pasta to cook)

 it smells and looks amazing after that time...

 serve up over your warm & freshly cooked penne, sprinkle with reserved feta

 enjoy!

 (assuming 6 servings, pasta included)

*in the future i will likely marinate the chicken first, perhaps in lime juice and greek seasonings. i dislike chicken that is bland, and it just didn't have the great flavor of the sauce to me. however, leftovers were a little better in that regard, so i'll be playing around with this a bit!

(click this button and find more yummy recipes!!)

recipe of the week: thai chicken pizza

i'm into easy food.
don't get me wrong.  i'm also into cook for hours but it's totally worth every moment food.
but this particular recipe falls into the first category.  easy.  cheap.  quick.


thai chicken pizza


1 pound of chicken breasts, cooked through and shredded
1 jar of peanut satay sauce (you'll find it in the asian section of most groceries. i got mine at trader joe's.)
1 ball of pizza dough
mozzarella cheese (i use about a cup)
1 carrot, shredded
3 or so green onions, chopped (green part only)
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
however much cilantro you want
thai basil if it's in season (it wasn't here :-( )


begin by combining your shredded chicken and satay sauce

 then roll out your dough on a floured surface.

 (this is a good time to play with the dough if you dare)

then roll the dough into a shape. i chose the rectangle this particular evening because it's waaaay easier than a circle for me.

 top with the chicken satay mixture

  and the cheese

 and veggies (i didn't have red onion this night...oops!)

  bake at 375 for about 12 minutes (depending on your oven of course)

 and enjoy!  

i cut 12 pieces of this pizza.  assuming a serving size of 2 pieces (which is what i usually have) here's what you're looking at according to myfitnesspal.com