Honey Mustard Chicken

I stumbled across this recipe for honey-mustard chicken, and decided to try it out.  The recipe also describes how to make an accompanying baked eggplant dish, but I was not very successful with it; I think I used too large of bread crumbs. Hence, my pictures show breaded cucumber chips instead (recipe not included here).  Please excuse the photo quality – I still haven’t found my camera and am using my phone instead.  Obviously, I do NOT have a fancy phone…

Honey-Mustard Chicken

2 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp each of basil, rosemary, thyme, and pepper

In a bowl big enough to hold your chicken, mix together honey, garlic, mustard, and spices.  Place chicken in the marinade, cover the bowl, place in refrigerator, and let sit for at least 20 min.  Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, and move contents (chicken and any sauce you can get out) to a pan.  Cook on stove (no oil is necessary).  Serve over rice or greens.

Note:  If you are serving over greens, you can use the same frying pan to wilt the greens.  This will add a lot of flavor, as they will be wilted in the honey-mustard marinade.

Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

This is one of the easiest chicken dinner recipes I have made recently, and it turned out great!  I got the original recipe from the ladies over at this blog, but I added a few spices for extra flavor.  I also used fresh roma tomatoes in my dinner, but it seems like using canned tomato chunks would work as well.  Here is my version of the recipe:

Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

4 boneless chicken breasts
4 tomatoes, cubed
1 large can of artichoke hearts
salt, black pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder
shredded mozzarella (enough to sprinkle chicken with)

Preheat the oven to 350° and place chicken in an oven-safe dish.  I use a glass Pyrex dish.  Add the cubed tomatoes and artichoke hearts to the dish.  Sprinkle everything with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and a little garlic powder.  Use enough to add flavor, but don’t overdo it.  Bake in the oven for 45 to 60 min.  A few minutes before it’s done, remove the dish from oven.  Sprinkle with mozzarella, and put back in the oven to melt the cheese.  Serve over rice, noodles, or fresh greens.

Ground Beef with Apples and Raisins

I think this is the only dish I make frequently that contains curry powder.  I’m not a big curry fan, but this meal tastes great!  It’s a little on the sweet side, and therefore great for little kids.

Ground Beef with Apples and Raisins

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1 diced apple
1/4 cup raisins

Put the ground beef and onion in a pan.  Brown the ground beef.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, cover, and simmer for about 5 min.  Serve over rice.

Winter in Nederland

Some days up here can be really beautiful, but others can be downright ugly.

What you can’t tell from the pictures above is just how windy it is. It is ALWAYS windy. It’s quite impressive that the large trees lining the street have grown to be so wind-resistant. They hardly even move in the wind.

Watergate Salad – A Dessert

I really need to start adding pictures to these recipes… this one is hard to describe.  I guess for now, I’ll add a  picture from somewhere around the web (credited appropriately), and replace it with my own later.

source: http://sumeesculinary.blogspot.com/2012/05/pineapple-pistachio-delight-watergate.html

We always serve this at holiday dinners to add something sweet to the table.  I suppose it’s like serving a jello mold, but a little easier to package up, and you don’t have to worry about it looking as nice.

Watergate Salad

1 pkg pistachio instant pudding
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple
4 oz thawed Cool Whip
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Mix dry pudding mix, pineapple, marshmallows, and pecans in large bowl until well blended.  Add Cool Whip; stir gently until well blended.  Refrigerate 1 hour.

Makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each.

Sauerbraten

I guess the best way to describe sauerbraten is as a spiced German pot roast, of sorts.  However, I’m not one for cooking large chunks of meat that I then have to carve, so this is my alternative.  It is probably the easiest – and one of the tastiest – sauerbraten recipes I’ve ever encountered.  I’ve listed the recipe the way I make it using packaged Au Jus mix, instant onion, and brown sugar, but you could always make your own Au Jus (or gravy), chop up your own onion, and omit the brown sugar, if you’re going for a more “natural” meal.

Sauerbraten

1 1/2 lb round steak
1 tbsp oil
2 cups cold water
1 envelope Au Jus or brown gravy mix
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp instant onion
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1 bay leaf

Cube (~1″) and brown meat in oil.  Remove from pan.  Add Au Jus mix (or gravy mix) and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add remaining ingredients.  Return meat to skillet.  IT FOAMS!!! PUT ON VERY LOW HEAT (better still, use a Dutch oven instead of a skillet…). Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours (it’s tenderer this way, but I’ve been known to skimp on the time if I’m running late).  Serve over noodles.

Note: I always serve this over those large curly egg noodles, but I’m sure a lot of different types also taste good.

Orange Pork Chops

Since finals are upon us, I don’t have too much to share by way of outdoor adventures.  Therefore, another recipe:

Orange Pork Chops

6 pork chops
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
salt
1 orange
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
12 whole cloves

Lightly oil 12″ skillet (or Dutch oven); brown pork chops on both sides over med-high heat.  Add water, paprika, pepper, and 1 tsp salt; heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low; cover; simmer about 35 min, turning once.

Meanwhile, prepare orange sauce: grate 1 tablespoon peel from orange, then cut 6 slices.  In 1 qt saucepan over med-high heat, cook orange peel, orange juice, next 4 ingredients, and 1/4 tsp salt until thickened, stirring constantly.  Add orange slices, cover, remove from heat and keep warm.

To serve, top pork chops with orange sauce.

Quick Ravioli Soup

It may not be your traditional “adventure”, but today I made ravioli soup.  I don’t enjoy complicated recipes with strange ingredients I’ve never heard of, so you know this recipe is going to be pretty simple.  Like the title suggests, it’s quick, easy to make, and uses a normal set of ingredients.  I’ve decided to share it on here, just in case anyone else is looking for an easy dinner idea.

Quick Ravioli Soup

6 tsp chicken bouillon
6 cups water
¾ cup each finely diced onion & carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz can diced green chilies
1 ½ tsp basil
9 oz pkg cheese ravioli
1 cup cooked chicken (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Notes:
1) I use “Better than Bouillon” in a jar, found in the soup section by the bouillon & stock.
2) Many grocery stores have a frozen bag of diced carrots/celery/onion blend.
3) I buy the frozen 21 oz bag of mini round cheese ravioli and use ½ if I’m not doubling the recipe; use the whole bag if you double the recipe (if I make it for the whole family, I double it).

In 5 qt pot (8 qt if you double it), add 1st six items and bring to a boil (at high heat).  Add ravioli and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until ravioli looks done – usually takes at least 20 min (I like them when they grow, which is overcooking by some standards). If you’re adding chicken, then add at the end and cook 2 min more to heat through. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

An Albuquerque Sunrise, From the Air

Let’s be honest, I’ve been terrible about posting on here lately. Mostly, it’s because I’ve had a lot of obligations this past month: work travel, friends’ weddings, moving, starting my last class (FINALLY) for my masters degree… the list goes on. But really, all of these things are adventures in and of themselves that could be showcased. Therefore, the silence on this end can really only be attributed to my own laziness. Well no more! From now on, I’m going to start highlighting even the little adventures in life.

Office Flowers

Today I get to look at these in my office. They’re my little bit of outside on the inside 🙂