Vodka for dinner??

Yep, that's right, vodka for dinner!! No, not because it qualifies as a grain but because it is a delicious addition to pasta sauce ;) Here is the link to this delectable dish:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Penne-with-Spicy-Vodka-Tomato-Cream-Sauce/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=55262075&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2011-03-20&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipePhoto&me=1

I used Turkey Italian Sausage to make it lower fat and also followed a suggestion to use half and half with cornstarch instead of heavy whipping cream. A little more vodka then the recipe called for was added, hee, hee, but don't worry, the alcohol cooks off (so they say!).  Served with Light Caesar Salad and soft french bread. Not to mention a delicious glass of Rioja wine!! I think I can say that it was "lick your plate" good!!

Feeling extra ambitious last night, I also prepared a lentil and sausage soup to have for dinner tonight (working late). We've had a bag of dried lentils in our pantry for over a year and I decided that it was finally time to cook them. So, next time you see those bags of dried beans for like 89 cents, buy them because you never know when you might be inspired to make them. Thank goodness they have such a long shelf-life!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lentil-and-Sausage-Soup/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=54779815&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2011-03-14&prop28=CompleteYourMeal&prop29=FullRecipe2&me=1
I used turkey sausage, added spinach, and used about 7 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of water. I had a taste of it last night and so far I think it is pretty darn tasty. The lentils are nice and soft and there are enough ingredients that it is meaty and hearty. We have some french bread left over which will also go nicely with this meal. I will let you know after tonight what the final determination is (and pictures).
Have a great Wednesday!!

Sunday night frittata!

Good evening mes amies!
I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I took a break from cooking but still had some good eating! Saturday night we were cordially invited to our friends' home for dinner and were treated to an amazing lamb stew and South African malva pudding. It was all melt in your mouth and to die for and if I am able to acquire the recipes and try my hand at these delectable dishes, I will share my experiences!!
For tonight I thought I was going to utilize my crock pot but did not get an early enough start :(  So, I'd been thinking about doing something creative with eggs and looked up a recipe for a frittata. I don't have an oven-safe skillet so I needed something that I could bake in the oven in a pyrex or something. My internet search resulted in the following recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bacon-Cheese-Frittata/Detail.aspx
I made it with turkey bacon and added turkey breakfast sausage and bell peppers. I wanted it to have more consistency and not just taste like an omelet. I'm happy to say that it was a hit. We had a friend over for dinner who is the equivalent of an adult "Mikey", so I left all the veggies out of one corner of the frittata. Even HE finished his plate so I consider that an accomplishment!! Boyfriend described it as "delicious". I served it with some hashbrowns and english muffins. Consider it breakfast for dinner, and who doesn't like that???
On the TV: Risky Business, classic.
I hope that everyone had a nice weekend, the sun was out in Chicago but the temps still need to come up substantially (35???).
Catch you later!

More leftovers!!

Hello friends,
By the time I finished cooking and eating dinner last night, I was just too tired to write and chose to watch Planet 51 instead and go to bed ;)
So, here is what I created last night:

we had about 5 croquettes left over from the night before so I placed them in a baking dish and made a quick and simple pasta sauce (tomato sauce, garlic powder, parsley, italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and a little sugar) on the stove. I then covered the croquettes with shredded mozzarella cheese and the pasta sauce. I placed the dish in the oven at 350 and baked for about 20 minutes (just to heat the croquettes and melt the cheese). I served them over some cooked penne pasta. Like a Chicken Croquette Parmigiana. Came out really good and I felt pretty accomplished that I was able to get 3 meals out of that roast chicken :)
Tonight I was burned out on cooking and we ordered in (even cooking goddesses need a break!). I will likely not be diving into cooking adventures again until Sunday night (I'm thinking maybe a crockpot meal?). So, until then, have a fabulous weekend!!
Hasta luego culinary amigos!! Good night!

Leftovers!!

Hi everyone!
Tonight I wanted to find something that I could make with the roast chicken that was left from last night. I thought about a chicken salad but felt that was too summery and too lunch-like for a cool rainy night. So I found a recipe for chicken croquettes (like crabcakes but with chicken). Again, not my recipe so here is the link:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Leftover-Chicken-Croquettes/Detail.aspx
Turned out tasty! Boyfriend described them as "tantalizing". A few changes (some based on the reviews):

I added 3 (instead of 2) eggs and baked the croquettes at 350 for ~25 minutes on a foil covered baking sheet (instead of frying so that it would be healthier, also easier clean-up!). The seasonings that I added were: Tony Chachere's creole seasoning, garlic powder, parsley flakes, and a little bit of parmesan cheese. I used my Slap-Chop style chopper to chop the chicken and let me say that it was a bit of a workout to slap that chicken into tiny pieces :) We had leftover brown rice and some multigrain noodles so one of us had the rice and the other the noodles as a side. (The noodles were rotini noodles with some olive oil, parmesan cheese and diced tomatoes) I also cooked up some simple frozen Normandy vegetables to add some color and nutrients!
I think that there are probably several variations that you can make with this recipe, whether with different seasonings, adding sauces, etc.
As usual, I had my trusty glass of chardonnay but tonight I was watching HGTV and their House Hunters and House Hunters International programs, love them!! I felt very accomplished and very relaxed as I actually went to the gym this evening and returned to take a hot shower so I was very at ease by the time I had to tackle my croquettes! Phew, what a day! Well, I'm tired and it is time to hit the hay and dream about what I might explore tomorrow (for starters attempting to get up early to run, yikes!). Till then, sweet dreams!

Baked chicken and brown rice

Tonight's menu consisted of a baked whole chicken and brown rice.
For the whole chicken, I kind of went with my own ideas based on ideas from recipes I've seen online. I sprayed the chicken with our Misto (filled with olive oil), then I rubbed a paste of SmartStart butter spread, Goya Adobo seasoning, fresh ground black pepper, sea salt and rosemary. I rubbed this under the skin and on the outside. I placed a little glob inside the cavity and also placed a few onion chunks and cut celery stalks in there too. (Don't forget to take out the goopy giblet sack!!). I then placed it in the oven at 375 and it took about 1 hour and 45 minutes. (I kept checking the temperature with my meat thermometer so the theme of the night would not become salmonella serenade) Towards the end I took it out and basted it with it's drippings. Came out pretty good, juicy with good flavor, boyfriend described it as "succulent".
Now, the brown rice...if you're anything like me you have struggled to make a decent brown rice. It's always underdone or overdone or brown mush. Well, I discovered a recipe online for a baked brown rice and I have to say that it is the best brown rice that I have ever made and it always comes out good and fluffy. I cannot take credit so here is the link for the recipe: 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html
The only thing that I do differently is instead of adding butter and salt, I Misto the glass dish and then add 2 cups of chicken broth plus 1/2 cup of water. I'm cheap so I buy the chicken bouillon that I make my own broth with. This way adds flavor without added salt or need for butter. Trust me, it turns out great! If not, don't be afraid to share or share some new twists!
I typically cook with a glass of wine and my wine of choice is typically Barefoot Chardonnay. I don't know, it just makes me feel like a Real Housewife or something ;) Hee hee!! Minus the personal chef/nanny/housekeeper!! I watched DVR'd episodes of Chicago Code while cooking (always important to have good visual stimulation on the TV as well), I think it's a pretty good show and not only because I love seeing the city I live in on TV! Not sure yet what will happen tomorrow night but if I'm not too tired to get in touch with my internal Rachael Ray, I will let you all know what my next adventure is!
Good night and good eating friends!

Introduction

Hello virtual friends!! I wanted to introduce myself to you. My name is Ana and I have long been an avid collector of recipes. For a long time I simply collected them and hadn't tried them out. Well, the times they are a-changin' and I have now been actually trying out some of these recipes and making some of my own family recipes. I am not an expert cook, by any stretch of the imagination, I am definitely a novice! I thought that maybe I could share some new ideas for recipes to try, variations on certain recipes, personal experiences and maybe some quirky anecdotes ;) I would love to hear if anyone tries any of these recipes and how it goes and if they have any new twists on them, a virtual exchange of ideas and experiences! So, for those of you that have a lot going on in their lives but want to also try your luck in the kitchen, I hope you check me out! So far I have been staying away from recipes that call for ingredients that are a little too out of the ordinary (i.e., fresh ginger root, things I can't pronounce that are only sold in 1 or 2 stores) or call for some culinary techniques or cooking utensils that are out of my league (so far). So, I try to stick with the basics as much as possible! Here's to seeing what we can all learn and taste!! Buen provecho, bon appetit, buon appetito!!!