Honey and Spice and Everything....TASTY!!

There are combinations of flavors that once combined, belong together for life. Peanut butter and chocolate, cinnamon and sugar, italian roast coffee with caramel macchiato creamer. And to round out that list for me, is sweet and heat!

This week our local grocery store had chicken thighs at a pretty low price so I picked up a couple packs. Since starting weight watchers in 2011 I have come to enjoy chicken thighs over chicken breasts because they have more flavor and don't dry out as easily as the breasts do. If my local grocery store doesn't have the skinless ones on sale, I'll buy the regular and de-skin them myself. It really only takes about 3 seconds per thigh.

Anyway...I wanted to use a package of the thighs and wanted to make something with a little spice to it but that was sweet but not too sweet. I made this chicken and paired it with some perfectly roasted red skin potatoes and vegetables and found a new favorite that I'm sure will become part of the regular rotation at my house.

Honey and Spice Chicken Thighs

6-8 chicken thighs, skins removed

1 tspof sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to adjust the heat level)

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 c. honey

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Mix all dry seasonings together and set aside. Mix apple cider and honey together and set aside.

3) Cover a baking sheet with foil (makes cleanup easier) and spray with a good coating of cooking spray.

4) Lay chicken out on the sheet and rub each piece with the dry rub you've created with the spices. Flip and do the other side. 

5) Spray each chicken piece with a little cooking spray and place in the oven. Cook for 12 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 12 minutes.

6) After you've flipped the chicken and its cooked for the 12 minutes for that side, remove from oven and baste each piece of chicken with the honey mixture. 

7) Place under the broiler and continue to baste the same side every few minutes to allow that honey to "glue" itself to each piece of chicken. 

8) Remove the chicken and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.

*After I pulled the chicken out, I tipped the pan and poured the pan drippings into a small bowl. When plated, I spooned a little bit of the pan sauce on top of each piece of chicken and served with oven roasted potatoes. A nice fresh steamed vegetable or noodle would go great also. 

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Mexican Tamale Chicken Pie

I would venture to say that if you asked ten people what their idea of comfort food is, the most popular answer would be chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf. I will say that, before I laid my eyes on this recipe, that those are the first things that would come to mind also. But I also love a good cornbread. 

I never thought of mexican food as comfort food. 

Until last night.

Last night, I made the most delicious comfort food that has ever come out of my kitchen. I wanted flavor, I wanted heat, I wanted sweetness....

So I began with this recipe that I found on Pinterest but I changed it up just a bit to fit our taste and to accommodate my daughters taste buds also. After all, I wasn't going to prepare a potentially life changing dish and give her kitchen scraps. LOL. After the previous night's macaroni and cheese disaster, she deserved to have something wonderful. So did Shawn and I. When I say macaroni and cheese disaster, I mean, we couldn't stand more than a few bites of the stuff and the rest of the pot went in the trash. It was gross. But I don't want to start thinking about that. Lets focus on the deliciousness of the meal I am sharing with you today.

How does a sweetly heated corn bread topped with seasoned chicken and gooey cheese sound? Sounds delicious right? I promise you, this was! 

To make this a bit more healthier, substitute with fat free milk, egg whites and a reduced fat cheese.

Mexican Tamale Chicken Pie

(photo courtesy of www.pinchofyum.com)

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. cornmeal

1 T baking powder

2 T taco seasoning, divided

6 T unsalted butter, melted

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 c. 2% milk

1 can cream-style corn

1-4oz can chopped green chiles, drained (if you buy whole just cut them up really small)

1-10oz Melissa's Enchilada Sauce

2 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped into small bites

1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Garnishes: cilantro, light sour cream, Queso Fresco (crumbling cheese)

1) Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, 1 T. taco seasoning, butter, milk, and corn in a bowl until just combined. Add in chilies and stir a few times.

2)  Grease a glass round pie dish and pour cornbread mixture into it. Bake on 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until is just set and lightly browned on the top.

3) While cornbread is cooking, toss the chicken with the remaining taco seasoning until coated. Add more if you want.

4) When the cornbread is just done, pull it out of the oven and poke lots of holes into with a fork. Don't worry if the cornbread sticks to the fork. I sprayed my fork with cooking spray to help it not stick to the fork.

5) Pour enchilada sauce (you amy or may not use 10oz, adjust accordingly) over the holey cornbread and allow it to soak in. Top with seasoned chicken and shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

6) Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh cut cilantro, a dollop of sour cream and queso fresco crumbled on the top of it.

Not only is it delicious, it is a beautiful dish!  Disfrute de su comida, Voy!! (enjoy your meal, ya'll)

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Easy and Delicious Roasted Cauliflower

Prior to finding some inspiration on Pinterest for roasted cauliflower, I had only eaten those delicious white trees raw. My mom makes a very lovely cauliflower salad and we had it at picnics and such growing up. But I had never before eaten cooked cauliflower. I was browsing Pinterest a few months back and saw a lot of recipes for roasted cauliflower and curiosity struck. It was, by fate, because I had ribs cooking and was looking for a side dish that was delicious and easy. This fit the bill.

We wer delightfully surprised at how wonderful this was. And it really is simple and quick. When a recipe is delicious AND easy, it's a winner in my book.

I hope you enjoy this!

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

*yields 4-6 servings when served as a side dish

1 medium sized head of cauliflower, rinsed and bulb removed, cut into bite sized florets

3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1/3 cup olive oil (maybe a tad less)

3 T fresh lemon juice (about half of a large lemon)

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 T grated parmesan cheese

1) Heat oven to 450* and put cauliflower into a large bowl that you can mix in.

2) In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and better and whisk until combined. The lemon juice will turn the olive oil into a thicker consistency.

3) Pour mixture over cauliflower and stir until it is all coated.

4) If you wish to, line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the cauliflower in a single layer on the sheet and top with parmesan cheese.

5) Roast at 450* for 25 minutes, stir half way through.

When it comes out, I like to sprinkle a little more cheese on the top of it and serve immediately while it is hot for the best results!

If you have leftovers (which I highly doubt you will) to reheat, place under the broiler for a few minutes, stirring often to avoid burning.

*photo and recipe (slightly altered) from www.oneperfectbite.blogspot.com



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Lazy Day Enchilada's

I have a soft spot for Mexican food. It's not due to a vacation to Spain or Mexico, or because my family has Spanish blood. Hell...it's not even because I know how to speak Spanish. Lol.

I guess Mexican/Spanish cuisine is my favorite because of all the flavors. As you'll begin to see, I love foods that pack a lot of flavor and make my tastes buds dance! Because of the richness and complex flavors of Mexican cuisine, it inspires me. And that is why I believe it is my favorite. Rounding out my "top three favorite foods of all times list" are Italian and Lebanese.

Anyway...I love the simplicity of crock pot cooking. I was in the mood for enchilada's but wanted to do something different. So, I got to work in the kitchen and came up with an enchilada that mimicked a lasagna and called on my crock pot to help me.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did!

Lazy Day Enchilada's

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 medium sized red onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1- 15oz can chili beans, drained 

1-10oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 T cumin

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

8 whole wheat tortillas (soft taco or fajita sized)

1 Cup Melissa's Enchilada Sauce

cilantro and sour cream for garnish

1)  Turn crock pot on high.

2) In a large pan, cook beef over medium heat for 5 minutes.

3) Add in onion, peppers and garlic and sauté until beef is cooked through and onions are semi-tender.

4) Add in beans, tomatoes and all other seasonings and cook for 10 minutes.

5) Your crock pot should be up to temp. When it is, throw tortilla's under your ovens broiler (or at 400*) until they are slightly crispy. I did this because I was afraid of having soggy tortillas.

6) Put tortillas down to cover the bottom of the crock pot. Depending on the size of the crock pot you are using, this may just be one or could be 1 1/2. Just cover the bottom.

7) Spoon 1/4 of the beef mixture onto the tortilla, then cover with 1/4 of the cheese. And repeat until the top layer is the beef mixture (don't add the rest of your cheese yet).

8) Pour enchilada sauce over the beef then top with remaining cheese.

8)Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Everything is already cooked but this just helps to marry the flavors, melt the cheese, and cook those tortillas.

When ready, spoon onto plates and garnish with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream!! Go ahead and put more of that wonderful enchilada sauce on for good measure!

(because my boyfriend and I love our enchilada sauce a bit spicy, we don't add it to the crock pot since my daughter has a more sensitive tongue. We will spoon it on our individual servings and tastes just as wonderful as it would if it was on there the whole time)

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Enchilada Sauce

I decided to post the recipe for my enchilada sauce separately from the recipes I use it in and post so that its easy to find and I only have to type it once. I will link back to this in the recipes that call for it.

In a nutshell, I think that canned enchilada sauce is a complete abomination to a true enchilada sauce. Its runny, flavorless, and has way too much salt in it.

I have spent some time tweaking my homemade enchilada sauce and have come up with one that my family loves and is completely adaptable for different palates.

I hope you enjoy this and you'll find that canned enchilada sauce will no longer be sufficient!

Melissa's Homemade Enchilada Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped/minced

3 T chipotle chilis, in adobo sauce, chopped

2 cups tomato sauce

1 can fat free chicken broth

2 tsp. chili powder

2 T ground cumin

2 T minced onion

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

*not sure how many 'servings' this yields but it makes a good amount. We keep it in the fridge and have it on hand for other mexican-inspired dishes throughout the week or to add to left overs*

1) In a medium sized sauce pan, heat a drop of olive oil and add garlic and red onion and saute on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye out so that the garlic doesn't burn. 

2) Add in chipotle peppers and cook for a minute or two. Do not wipe off the adobo sauce on the pepper. Scrap whatever sauce is left on the cutting board after chopping these into the pan also

3) Add in all other ingredients and bring to a boil. 

4) Reduce heat and allow the sauce to thicken, while stirring occassionally to make sure it is not burning. 

Until you get comfortable making this sauce, start off with less chipotle peppers than called for and add as you wish. If you are sensitive to heat, just a teaspoon or two of the sauce (rather than the actual pepper). This sauce can be as mild or hot as you wish, by adjusting the amount of peppers you add. Regardless of the side of the heat scale you fall on, the result is a deep red sauce with a rich smokey and slightly spicy sauce that will make your taste buds dance. And remember, the flavors get more prominent as it cooks. If it is too spicy, add a small drop of honey and stir. Increase the honey until the heat level is back to your liking. Honey will remove the heat without effecting the flavor (this works for any dish, by the way!)

(photo courtesy of www.classycook.com)

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Stuffed Pepper Soup

One of Shawn's all-time favorite meals is stuffed peppers. And its specific to who makes them. They have to be Cheryl's stuffed peppers. I will side with him that they are pretty darn good. Ok...they are awesome. There!

So I was cruising through the food section on the app that I am addicted to these days (you know the one) and saw a recipe for stuffed pepper soup from The Country Cook's blog. I was inspired but knew that I could make a few changes to it to make it my own and more in line with the stuffed pepper flavor that our family loves.

I got all the ingredients ready and started making it and could tell that by the smell of the kitchen, that it was going to be darn tasty. And it was!!! I even took some over to my dad for dinner that night (because he hadn't' eaten and he wanted to see the new car Shawn and I bought). He was very hesitant of a soup inspired by a meal but yesterday I got a text that said "Soup was TASTY! Share the recipe please". Well Dad, you got it!!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. As written below, it is for a stove top, but can easily be adapted into a crock pot method. At the end of the recipe will be how to do it in the crock pot.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (29 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes, preferably seasoned with garlic and oregano

1 can (14oz) tomato sauce (or Italian Sauce)

1 - 14oz can beef broth

2 cups cooked rice

1 T. white sugar

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried oregano

1 T. dried minced onion

salt and pepper, to taste

shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for garnish (optional but strongly suggested!!)

1) In your large stock pot, brown your beef for 4-5 minutes. Add your peppers, onion, and garlic and continue to cook until cooked through.

2) Drain off grease and put back into the pot.

3) Add in garlic powder, oregano and minced onion.

4) Stir in canned tomatoes, beef brother and tomato sauce.

5) Add sugar and salt and pepper and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to cook for two hours.

6) Add in your rice during the last 15 minutes and serve.

You can choose to cut the cooking time down but I believe that a good flavorful soup comes from allowing it to cook on low for a few hours. If you choose to make this a quick soup, add in your rice with the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes and serve.

*To make this in a crock pot, follow the directions as written through step 5. You'll put all the ingredients into the crock pot set on low and cook for 4-6 hours. When you come home, add in the cooked rice and turn on high for 30 minutes or so. Then serve.

I garnish mine with a good pinch of cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Dinner is served!

*recipe adapted from www.thecountrycook.net, photo courtesy of www.ziplist.com)

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Delectable Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have had my share of baking woe's in my lifetime. I've under cooked, over cooked and flat out burnt many of cookies in my days. I've also been on a never-ending journey to find that perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. The kind of cookie that tingles every taste bud on your tongue, is a little crunchy on the outside and super soft and chewy in the middle, the perfect amount of chocolaty gooeyness and not too sweet, and one that never lets you down. I have tried dozens of recipes on this journey and every single one has been a let down for one reason or another.

I am so happy that my search came to an end one night when an impromptu craving for chocolate chip cookies struck. I thought, this recipe seems like it has potential so lets give it a whirl. I tried to keep myself from being too excited because I didn't want to be let down like so many times before. All I was hoping for was a cookie that would satisfy my craving and nothing more.

Friends, let me tell you....I have now unpinned every other recipe for chocolate chip cookies on my pinterest page. This is THE ONE. It is everything that I wanted in a chocolate chip cookie and then some. I have made them three times now and each time they turn out so perfect. And the bonus is that the recipe yield almost 3 1/2 dozen nice sized cookies!

I encourage you to give this cookie recipe a try. I would be surprised if you don't feel the same way I do about this one. It is by far the most delicious chocolate chip cookie I have EVER had!!

The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie

(photo courtesy of www.twotwentyone.net)

3/4 C. Salted Butter, softened/melted

1/4 C. Vegetable Oil

1 C. White Sugar

1 C. Light Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Pure Vanilla

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. and a dash of Salt

3 C. Flour

2 C. Milk Chocolate Chips

1) Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees. If you're oven runs hot or cold, adjust accordingly.

2) Cream the slightly warm melted butter with the white and brown sugars.

3) Add vanilla and  the eggs and beat until the eggs are incorporated and the batter looks fluffy. 

4) In a small bowl combine the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Add this to the wet mixture slowly until combined.

5) On a slow speed or with a spoon, fold in the chocolate chips. 

6) Chill cookie dough for 30 minutes to firm it up (this will help with the presentation also)

7) Once chilled, roll the dough into 1-1 1/2 inch balls and put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place 2 inches apart. Make the dough ball more tall than round if that makes sense. This will prevent the cookies from turning out flat

8) Bake for 8-9 minutes, but keep an eye on them. When they are just slightly brown on the bottom, take them out of the oven and remove from the pan immediately.


There are a few keys to this recipe: 1) when you use slightly warm melted butter versus the room temperature softened butter, it will help to melt the sugar granules. 2) The dash of salt is key. Just a dash or a pinch. 3) use Pure Vanilla not the imitation junk. It will make or break any baked good but will be the difference between a home run and a strike out. 4) Chilling the dough sort of sets it. It will help achieve the slightly crispy edge and soft inside that is key to any good cookie.

(this recipe is a modified version of the recipe at www.twotwentyone.net)

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Better-Than-A-Rib-House Ribs

This title is pretty ambitious, I know. But I wouldn't steer you wrong. If you like tender, fall off the bone ribs with a great BBQ flavor, you have to try this recipe. It is so simple that, the first time I made it, I was hesitant because I didn't think it would live up to the promise. So, believe me, I understand what's going through your head right now. But trust me....you've got to give this recipe a try! I paired these ribs with my delicious roasted cauliflower and side salad.

Better-Than-A-Rib-House Crock Pot Ribs



3 lbs Pork or Beef Ribs (use what you prefer)
1/2 c Water
1/4 c Cooking Sherry
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
Liquid Smoke, just a shake or two
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Garlic Powder, a few sprinkles
BBQ Sauce

1) Season the meaty side of the ribs with salt and pepper and garlic powder.
2) Cut into sections small enough to allow them to stand up in your crock put. I have two crock pots and for this one I use the deeper less round one. I hope that makes sense.
3) Pour water, sherry, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke into the crock pot.
4) Stand the ribs up (make them look like a picket fence)
5) Pour your favorite BBQ sauce over the ribs (about a half cup). It will kind of "melt" down as they are cooking to coat all the ribs in the crock pot
6) Cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can cook on high for 3-4 hours but I recommend 6-8 for the low and slow method. It makes a big difference.

When they are done, I usually coat them with a little bit more BBQ sauce and serve!!

For my homemade BBQ sauce, check out the blog!

*this recipe was adopted and tweaked from www.teamhess.blogger.com

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