paella...six months later!

 

it's hard to believe that six months ago ben and i were getting ready to walk down the isle. to be honest,  with thanksgiving week coming up i didn't even realize six months of wedded bliss had already flown by! benjamin came home with a bottle of grenache spanish wine and all the wonderful ingredients for paella. it was just as delicious as i remember it six months ago in our cooking class in barcelona...and on our new china to boot.

what ya need:

1 pd. shrimp

2 chicken breast

1 cup orzo

4 cups seafood stock

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 yellow onion

1 clove garlic

olive oil

salt & pepper

drizzle some olive oil onto a warm skillet and add unpeeled shrimp. 

cook on each side for 4-5 minutes or until pink.

remove shrimp from skillet and add diced onion, garlic, red and green pepper.

add 1 cup of orzo to the onion, garlic and pepper mixture. mix well and allow flavors to come together.

add diced chicken breast. mix well and allow chicken to cook for 8 - 10 minutes. pour in seafood stock and place shrimp on top. allow paella to cook for 30 minutes. add salt as needed. 

ENJOY!

pairs nicely with gazpacho, almond & parsley soup and shrimp 

ceviche salad...and of course a good red wine. 

thankful butternut squash, lentils & goat cheese

 

with thanksgiving right around the corner everyone is starting to think of things they are thankful for. i'm thankful for my family, friends, pups & health...just to name a few.  i'm also thankful for this butternut squash, lentils & goat cheese side dish i plan on introducing to my family this thanksgiving supper. it's healthy, delicious and super easy. the perfect side dish..among your side dishes this thanksgiving day feast. 

what ya need:

1 butternut squash

1 cup lentils

1 cup goat cheese

olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

salt

soak 1 cup of lentils in water for 10 minutes. 

 

place your butternut squash on a cutting board, peel and de.seed. then cut into cubes and season with paprika, cumin and salt. place into a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

once your lentils are finished soaking and your squash is in the oven, cook your lentils in boiling salted water for 20 minutes.  rinse, then drain and cool.

flip the squash on opposite side and allow to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

in a large mixing bowl combine squash, lentils and goat cheese. mix well and plate. add a sprinkle of goat cheese on top for garnish. ENJOY!!

chile rellenos casserole

 

okay, so this is a pretty labor intensive casserole dish but well worth the effort and wait. it's the perfect recipe for your supper club or a big group. getting the work finished early and putting it in the oven, allows you to clean up the kitchen and visit with friends while the casserole's cooking. although poblano peppers are considered mild peppers, this dish still has a kick to it. so make sure your guests enjoy a little spice. i added lettuce and a bit of sour cream and guacamole to minimize the heat.

what ya need:

8 poblano peppers

1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion

1 clove garlic

shredded mexican cheese

chorizo..or sausage

6 eggs

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

salt & pepper

shredded lettuce

sour cream

guacamole

set the broiler on high and place your peppers onto a baking dish. place into the oven and allow peppers to cook for 4 minutes on each side. skin should be bubbly and brown when finished. place peppers on cutting board to cool and then peel without ripping the pepper, so you can stuff them later.

while the peppers are cooking, slice your onion and garlic and add them to a skillet with olive oil. cook the onion and garlic for 10 minutes until the onion is translucent. add the diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. then simmer for 15 minutes. 

once you peel and get the seeds out of your poblanos, cook your chorizo or sausage in a skillet for about 8 minutes. place your sausage and mexican cheese into a mixing bowl and stuff your peppers.

pour your onion, garlic and diced tomato mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish. then place your stuffed peppers on top. sprinkle a layer of mexican cheese on top.

whisk together 6 eggs, baking power and flour. add a little flour at a time so it will mix well with eggs. pour mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle some more cheese on top. salt & pepper to taste.

place into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. shred some lettuce and place on top along with sour cream and guacamole. ENJOY!

chicken macaroni

 

giada is one of my favorites on the food network. a close second to ina in fact. she makes great pasta dishes, hot & cold, and this one is extremely easy and always a crowd pleaser. this is a variation of her chicken rotini (which is a much smaller type of pasta) that i opted to replace with macaroni. makes for a great supper and leftover lunch later in the week.

what ya need:

organic chicken breast x2

1 can diced tomatoes

macaroni pasta

scallions

parsley

butter

garlic

bread crumbs

parmesan cheese

wash your chicken and cut into bite size cubes. add to hot skillet with butter and garlic. cook for 8 minutes, then put the scallions in with the chicken. allow chicken to cook and flavors to come together for another 5 minutes or until chicken is golden brown.

cook macaroni in a pot with salted water for 8 - 10 minutes. drain pasta and add to mixing bowl. add your parmesan cheese, parsley, can of diced tomatoes and salt & pepper. mix well and place into your baking dish.

 

since we didn't have breadcrumbs, i made my own. i put two pieces of bread into the oven on broil for 2 minutes on each side. then placed them on the cutting board and sliced very thin pieces in each direction. 

sprinkle the bread crumbs on top along with a few slices of butter. add salt & pepper to taste and place into a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. ENJOY!