Roasted Cauliflower

I know you probably saw cauliflower and decided to skip this post, but don't! This was actually a pretty tasty, spicy little side and  recipe I would try again!

Here's a link to the pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383108961/

and the actual recipe: http://remcooks.com/2012/02/02/roasted-cauliflower-with-red-chile-cilantro-lime/

Actual Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 large head Cauliflower
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Red New Mexico Chile Powder (substitute Ancho Chile Powder if you don’t have Red New Mexico)
• 1/2 tsp crushed dried Red Chile
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds toasted and ground
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/2 Lime, juiced
• Salt to taste

** I substituted regular chile powder for Red NM Chile Powder and ground cumin for the seeds. I never like to buy an expensive spice I will only use once!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F. Separate the florets from the Cauliflower.  Put them in a bowl with the garlic, chile powder, crushed chile, cumin, salt & olive oil and toss gently to mix together and coat well. Spread the seasoned Cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until tender, stirring occasionally. Dress with lime juice and stir in chopped cilantro and serve.

Ingredient Availability-3
The original recipe is full of unique ingredients I don't keep on hand, but there are pretty reasonable, simple substitutions you can make (as noted above)
Ease on the Waist Line-10

This is super healthy and quite spicy!
Prep Mess-7

Very little to clean up
Overall Difficulty-EASY
Overall Taste- 6.5
Pretty good for a veggie but a little too spicy for my taste. I'll have to reduce the amounts of red pepper and chile powder next time.
Hubby Rates It-6

When I asked him this, he asked if he should rate it based on how it was for cauliflower or compared to anything else he wanted to eat...he came up with 6. So, hubs doesn't like cauliflower...good to know.
Ease of Clean Up-7

Before

All Seasoned up

Out of the oven

Add cilantro and lime

Serve it up!

On the plate with sweet and spicy chicken!

I served this with Spicy Honey Chicken so it was an overall spicy night at our table! I'll review that recipe soon!

A Quick Note on Ranch Dressing

I have seen this post floating ALL OVER my Pinterest lately....

"I love ranch, but it's not so good for you, until now. This whole jar of ranch is only 1.75 grams of fat and 255 calories! 1 cup dannon oikos plain greek yogurt, 1 packet hidden valley ranch mix, 1/2 cup 1% milk. Whisk together, chill 1 hour before use. Perfect consistency and tastes better than bottled!"


I tried it- it WAS NOT as good ranch made with mayo and had a really bitter taste. I added in some miracle whip which almost made it edible but I won't be doing it again.  If you're going to have ranch, just bite the bullet and have ranch... just my thoughts.

Sweet Pepper and Sausage Pizza

We had a Sunday night- pizza night tradition when we lived in Dallas. I love pizza. Like the "I'm pretty sure my neighborhood Papa John's is feeling the revenue hit because we moved" kind of love for pizza. I actually debated whether I wanted to proceed with building our home out here once I realized there were no pizza delivery options. AT ALL.

So, for awhile, we have been trying different brands of frozen selections, and though Digiorno comes closer than any other to tasting anything like my beloved Papa's, it just wasn't cutting it. Desperate times call for desperate measures so I scoured pinterest for a homemade pizza option and found this little beauty.
Pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383284271/

Now, this recipe involved a homeade crust...and when I started craving pizza on Sunday afternoon, I just didn't feel like I had the patience or self-control to watch dough rise for 2+ hours....so I pretty much LOOSELY used this recipe as an inspiration for toppings and made my own version.

Here's a link to her recipe:http://joythebaker.com/2012/09/spicy-sausage-and-sweet-pepper-pizza/

Here's what I did:
(makes 2 pizza's)
2 Boboli ready made pizza crusts
3 packets Boboli ready made sauce (this has a little bit of sweetness to the flavor, much like PJ's)
1 package hot pork sausage
1 package mile pork sausage
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
LOTS of Mozzarella and a little parm. cheese

Crumble the sausage and cook in a deep skillet until browned (fully cooked,no more pink showing)
Drain on a plate with paper towels
Wash peppers and remove core and seeds. Slice peppers into long strips
Layer crust with sauce, cheese, toppings, more cheese
Follow baking instructions on the crust package
DEVOUR!!

This was actually pretty amazing pizza for using store bought crust and sauce and so easy to throw together on a Tuesday night.  So glad I made 2 and can't wait to eat our leftovers later tonight! I served this with a little green salad and tried out the "ranch dressing made with greek yogurt thing." I'll write another post about that...

Official Numbers (even though this wasn't an official, by the book Pinterest recipe)

Ingredient Availability-7
Easy to find but all specially purchased for this dish
Ease on the Waist Line-4

It's pizza....and sausage...so it's awesome...but
Prep Mess-8

very little mess
Overall Difficulty-EASY
Overall Taste- 9.5
Loved this. Will definitely make again
Hubby Rates It-9
He's not a pepper fan but he actually didn't pick them all off!!
Ease of Clean Up-8

Sorry I don't have pics of this! I will add some next time I make it...maybe tomorrow...maybe tonight...mmmmmm...pizza....

Kale Salad with Maple Poppyseed Dressing

Let's be honest, this is a dressing recipe. No one wants to eat kale, but the "super food" boasts so many health benefits that if you can find a way to choke it down, it's definitely worth it. This dressing was definitely pretty good and made the kale almost tasty...until you get to the texture and feel like you're eating straight from a tree with the leafy, grassy....anyway, this was supposed to be about the dressing!

Link to Pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383239760/
Link to Recipe:http://www.simplebites.net/two-simple-salads-for-winter/ (there's another salad at this link too, but it had zero appeal to my taste buds so you will not see me reviewing it!)

Recipe

• 1 bunch kale, washed and dried
• 1 teaspoon Dijon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:

In a small glass jar, combine Dijon, salt, maple syrup, vinegar, and lemon juice. Finely chop garlic or grate with a microplane and add to the jar. Top with lid and shake well.

Add poppy seeds and olive oil, cover and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use. May keep up to three weeks if kept chilled.

May I take a moment to introduce my sous chef?? 

Tear kale, toss with dressing and add dried fruit or nuts or other desired add-ins.

Isn't he the most talented sous chef you've ever seen??

I added in a little of this.

The finished table- see tiny dressing bottle!

Ingredient Availability-7
I had to buy pure maple syrup and a few other things that weren't normally on hand in my kitchen
Ease on the Waist Line-8

This number varies based on the amount of dressing you use!
Prep Mess-9

Hardly any mess at all
Overall Difficulty-EASY
Overall Taste- 5
This would be a good dressing on another type of green- I just really didn't like the kale!
Hubby Rates It-2
Is anyone surprised?
Ease of Clean Up-8

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

YAY! Two hit recipes in one week...way to go pinners!! Keep the good ones coming!

One night this week, we had some left over meat to eat so I decided to make this cheesy side dish to go along with it!

This recipe was a hit!!! I mean, what's not to love about cheese and rice with hidden veggie's inside?

Link to Pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383043630/
Link to Recipe:http://bunsinmyoven.com/2012/06/28/cheesy-zucchini-rice/

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated (I used my food processor but a cheese grater would work well, too)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• splash of milk, as needed

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover.
4. Cook, covered, for 15 - 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from the heat and add the butter, grated zucchini, cheddar, and garlic powder. Stir until well incorporated. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
6. Stir again and add salt and pepper to taste and a splash of milk if you'd like to thin out the texture a little bit.

Ingredient Availability-10
Ease on the Waist Line-6

Veggies give it a few points, but really it's cheese and rice with a little green :)
Prep Mess-7
Pretty easy to prep- one dish and a grater!
Overall Difficulty-Easy
You can do this one! Follow the directions exactly and it will turn out well!
Overall Taste- 9
I'm a sucker for cheesy broccoli casserole and this was as good or better!
Hubby Rates It-9
We hardly had any left, and it was just the two of us!
Ease of Clean Up-7

My only possible suggestion on this would be to use mild cheddar instead of sharp. The sharp cheddar was a very strong flavor and kind of overpowered the freshness of the zucchini! 

Shredded Zucchini

The finished deliciousness...I think I'll go eat some leftovers now...all these pics are making me hungry!

Enjoy!!

Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe is pinterest test kitchen tested, mother and mother-in-law approved! For the sake of full disclosure, I have to admit that I pinned this one quite awhile back and I have made this recipe a few times. It is always a hit, but also always comes out  little differently than the time before. I've made it for the hub's when it was cold outside, for my mom while she was recovering from knee surgery, and this week I took the leftovers to my mother-in-law who, in some strange cultural confusion, is the only one in her family who likes chicken and dumplings. All of them have enjoyed this dish, and, GET THIS, MY MOM asked ME for the recipe after she tried it. Maybe you don't understand why that's a big deal, but trust me, as the daughter of a a home economics major, this speaks volumes.

So here you go- I definitely recommend that you try this one!
Link to Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966381579448/
Link to Actual Recipe: http://eatathomecooks.com/2009/07/homemade-chicken-and-dumplings-its-easy-really.html

Original recipe with my adaptations:

about 3 cups cooked chicken**

6-8 cups chicken broth

2 cups flour

2 Tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. baking powder

salt to taste (I just shake some in)

about a cup of milk

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender.  Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork  until the dough forms a ball. 

If your dough is too flaky or not forming a ball, add tiny splashes of milk until it sticks!

Heavily flour a work surface.  You’ll need a rolling pin (or some adaptation of a rolling device) and something to cut the dumplings with.  I used a rubber knife but a pizza cutter also works!  

Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin.  Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″.  It’s okay for them not to be exact.  Just eye ball it.  Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil.  Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them.  The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth.  Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting.  Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!

** My favorite way to get the "cooked chicken" step taken care of is to use chicken breasts in the crock pot. I throw them in (sometimes frozen, sometimes thawed) with some celery tops, chopped onion and whatever seasoning I'm feeling (season salt, lemon pepper, garlic powder, whatever). I add water to cover the chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. Shreds with a fork and you can also use the liquid as homemade chicken broth!

In the crockpot- just strain out the veggies and you've got natural chicken broth! WAY better than the store bought!

Ingredient Availability-8
Pretty simple, basic baking ingredients+ chicken and broth
Ease on the Waist Line-6

I don't think you can really call anything with "dumplings" in the title healthy, but it's soup, so that's not that bad :)
Prep Mess-4
Anytime you have to heavily flour a surface, there's gonna be a mess! And this requires a lot of kitchen gadgets (pastry cutter, pastry knife, rolling pin etc.)
Overall Difficulty-Medium
I've found that overall, making dough is not the easiest thing to do, but this recipe is definitely do-able for most!
Overall Taste- 9
This is a delicious taste of home....I love it when I'm sick, in cold weather, or anytime! Good ole, traditional comfort food!
Hubby Rates It-9
He is always game for this recipe!
Ease of Clean Up-4

Again, lots of gadgets to clean up, but worth it!

Roasted Okra

As we speak, I'm currently cooking up another pinteret recipe to review and share but I had a few minutes to burn so thought I would write and quick and simple review of a quick and simple recipe: Roasted Okra.

My Pinterest account is not allowing me to view my boards right now (there's a conspiracy theory in the back of my mind that someone at Pinterest is trying "Zuckerberg" my blog idea), so I did a search and found it floating around on someone else's Pinterest space...

Link to Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/280278776779996461/

Link to Actual Recipe:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-okra/#

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 18 fresh okra pods, sliced 1/3 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, or to taste

Direction

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Arrange the okra slices in one layer on a foil lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Always wash you veggies first!!










Accuracy of Recipe- 10
It's hard to mess up olive and salt and pepper to taste....

Chop off the stems

Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper (or do it as the recipe states...do as I say, not as I do!)

Ingredient Availability-10
I like that it used very few ingredients and I found fresh, locally grown okra at the store. It's in season, get it while it lasts!
Ease on the Waist Line-10
Veggie- Good, Olive Oil- Good. Paleo and human diet friendly.
Prep Mess-9
Pretty much toss it in a bowl then put it in a pan
Overall Difficulty-EASY
Again, Okra, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste...if you can't do this one, you might want to retire from kitchen experiments and try watching Top Chef Masters for your foodie fix.
Overall Taste- 7
I really like okra, and this tasted like good okra. I do have to say it is not "better than fried" or "just like fried" as claimed...come on people, you're not going to get okra better than fried!! Who are they kidding? Deep South folks, can I get an Amen?
Hubby Rates It-8
He liked it but would have preferred it a little crunchier (my fault, I didn't want it too crisp so took it out of the oven a little early.)
Ease of Clean Up-8

Overall, this is a great, healthy side dish to make while in season- if you really like crispier, make sure you use a roasting pan and leave in until it reaches desired crunchiness (but before it becomes "blackened"). 

More later....back to my current experiments!

"Melt in Your Mouth Chicken"

Because I often buy chicken breasts in bulk from my local discount warehouse store, I'm always on the lookout for a good weeknight chicken recipe. I've seen the "Melt in your Mouth" chicken recipe all over Pinterest and thought it would be a good recipe to test out early on the blog and, if it was great, might even become a staple meal for our house.

I'll start with the basics on this one...
Link to Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383239617/
Link to Actual Recipe*: http://www.food.com/recipe/melt-in-your-mouth-chicken-breast-37336

melt in your mouth chicken breast: 
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 c greek yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper
spread mix over chicken breasts, bake at 375 for 45 mins

*It should be noted that Pin recipe calls for nonfat greek yogurt where the actual recipe calls for mayonnaise. I followed the pin instructions and used the yogurt.

Accuracy of Recipe- 4
I think this dish could be greatly improved by using less salt/season salt and reducing the cook time. I followed the recipe and my chicken was dry and overdone and very salty.
Ingredient Availability-9
I like that it used very few ingredients and none were rare or hard to find.
Ease on the Waist Line-7
The use of the non-fat yogurt really lightens up this dish from the mayo version. Also, the quantity of cheese used is very reasonable so I would guess this is a somewhat low-cal dish.
Prep Mess-8
I mixed all ingredients and coated the chicken in a ziploc bag so my cleanup was just tossing the bag and cleaning my casserole dish.
Overall Difficulty-EASY
The prep time for this was less than 5 minutes. Super easy weeknight option
Overall Taste- 5
Like I said, could have been greatly improved by a shorter cook time and less salt
Hubby Rates It-5
He expressed that it had potential but missed the mark
Ease of Clean Up-8

I would be willing to try this recipe again but it definitely needs some work.
MY SUGGESTIONS:
Reduce season salt to 1tsp
Reduce cook time to 30-35 minutes (maybe 25 if using thin chicken breasts). Check chicken for done-ness after 30 mins by cutting through the thickest part of the meat and making sure it is cooked through. Also, mix all ingredients in a ziploc bag and throw in chicken to coat. Transfer to your baking dish, then spread remaining mixture on top (pics below)

Ready for the oven

I served this with Roasted Okra and Kale Salad with Maple Poppyseed Dressing...reviews of these recipes coming soon!

Weekly Recipe Preview

I'm taking my Sabbath Sunday off from the kitchen but I just got back from the grocery store and got my menu all lined out for this week's recipe trials!!

Here's what you can look for this week on the blog!!

Breakfast Banana Muffins
Pumpkin Monkey Bread
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Kale Salad with Maple Poppyseed Dressing
Cheesy Zucchini Rice
Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breast
Roasted Okra
Salad with Low Fat Ranch Dressing (made with Greek Yogurt)

Check back later in the week for reviews of these recipes...and maybe a few surprises too! Please leave comments if there's a specific recipe you'd like to see on the blog!

Cini Minis

In light of my introduction, I thought my first official test kitchen post should be about this morning's Cini Mini recipe! I'll rate each recipe on a scale of 1-10 (1 being the worst, 10 being the best) in the following categories:
Accuracy of Recipe
Ingredient Availability (easy to find/normally on-hand ingredients vs. hard to find specialty items)
Ease on the Waist Line
Prep Mess
Overall Difficulty
Overall Taste
Hubby Rates It
Ease of Clean Up

I'll also include some pics of how my recipe turned out, tips and observations on the overall process, and whether or not I would do it again...Please feel free to request any additional ratings/categories you'd like for me to provide and report on! This blog is intended to be helpful to you so let me know what you want to hear from the test kitchen!

Cini Minis
Link to the pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966381966115/
Link to the actual recipe:http://lifestooshorttoskipdessert.blogspot.com/2010/12/mini-cinnies-bite-sized-cinnamon-rolls.html

Mini Cinnies - Bite Sized Cinnamon Rolls (adapted fromYou Made That?)

Recipe:

Ingredients

1 can of Pillsbury crescent rolls

4 T brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1 T butter

1 T flour

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 t milk

Directions:

Use half of package at a time so the dough stays cold.

In a small bowl mix together a tablespoon of slightly melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour. Open crescent rolls, take half of dough and separate at the vertical seams. Press the diagonal seams of dough together so that the dough is smooth. Spoon half of the cinnamon mixture onto dough, roll short side up then continue with the remainding dough. Cut 2 inch slices and place all the rolls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

When rolls have cooled, mix powdered sugar with  milk. Add more sugar/milk to get frosting to the consistency of your liking. Drizzle the sugar over the rolls then let dry. 

Accuracy of Recipe- 10
I followed this recipe exactly and thought the proportions of everything were right on.
Ingredient Availability-10
I had everything I needed for this on-hand without a special trip to the grocery store.
Ease on the Waist Line-4
They get a few points in this category b/c they are super small portions...but then again, I ate about 10 so that negates that! Definitely an indulgent breakfast treat...not recommended for everyday consumption!
Prep Mess-6
I used the same cookie sheet for prep that I baked on and 2 small mixing bowls.
Overall Difficulty-EASY
If you own an oven and a cookie sheet, you should be able to do this.
Overall Taste- 8
These were pretty good sweet, gooey treats for a Saturday brunch!
Hubby Rates It-7.5
His exact words were "If a 7 is what I was expecting it to taste like, it was a little better than that."
Ease of Clean Up-4
These were truly sticky buns and stuck big time to the cookie sheet. Also, I drizzled the icing while they were still on the cookie sheet and had a big sticky mess to deal with. I had to soak the cookie sheet for awhile to get it cleaned up. To prevent this in the future, I would have covered my cookie sheet with tin foil before starting the process. Would have made the clean up a lot easier!!

The dough separated into rectangles, smeared with cinnamon mixture

Rolled it up into long rolls (see right) then sliced it with a knife

Baked exactly 10 minutes- next time I might reduce a little because I like them gooey!

Served with scrambled eggs (made our favorite way with a little Tony's Cajun Seasoning mixed in before cooking) and, of course, milk to wash it down!

Case in point, this was my cookie sheet after the fact! Cover with foil before you start and spray with a little cooking spray and it will greatly reduce the mess and clean up time!

I would love to hear what Pinterest recipes you want to see reviewed and hear your feedback on the categories! Until next time...Happy Pinning!

A Lake, a Cini Mini, and a Big Idea

It was a typical Saturday morning in the Spencer cabin.  After feeding our six month old son, our family of three set out on a little walk down the road to check in on the progress of our home we are building. A few months ago, we left the bright lights and big city of Dallas to move to the piney woods of East Texas. My husband grew up in the area and had a job opportunity that was too good for us to pass up, so, after much deliberation, we decided to completely change our way of life and build a house on a lake in the country to raise our family and settle down in.

As fortune would have it, my in-laws have a little cabin on the lake about 1/2 a mile from our future home site and graciously offered to let us bunk here until our home is completed.  The scenic view, amazing sunsets, and on site petting zoo (our son loves to look at the donkeys and goats!) have made the 20+ minute drive to the closest grocery store more than worth it, but with our most accessible "dining out" option being a Dairy Queen about 15 minutes away, I've definitely spent a lot more time in our little cabin kitchen than I did before!

I've always enjoyed experimental cooking and trying new recipes, but I've also been disappointed more than a few times with the outcome of a new dish. When I discovered Pinterest, my excitement for new recipes was renewed...until I started trying to make some of my most delicious looking pins and found big holes in the recipe process, strange ingredient requirements or super long cook times, and just overall bad tasting food! 

On this particular Saturday morning, hubby decided to go on a swim and run while I returned to the house to make us some brunch. While searching my cabinets, I remembered a cini mini recipe I had pinned recently and decided to give it a shot. I found all the ingredients in my pantry (a rare thing actually as I'm not the best at keeping everything stocked!) and began cooking.  As I was whipping up the bite size cini bites, I found myself taking mental notes about ways I might do things differently if these turned out well and I made the recipe again. I thought to myself, I need to make a comment/note on all the recipes I make about whether I liked them or not so I can go back and reference it when I cook it again. Or maybe I can compile a separate board of recipes I've tried....and then it hit me...maybe I will start a blog where I can document the recipes I try and share it with others who have the same pinterest interests that I do!  So, here it is...my personal Pinterest test kitchen. I will try recipes from Pinterest, review and rate and give tips for making cooking, eating and cleaning up that recipe as enjoyable as possible.  

My hope is that this new little blog will be both interesting and helpful to those who stumble upon it (or seek it out.)  I would also welcome requests from readers to test recipes they are interested in so I can do the dirty work for you.  I love to cook, eat and write so my excitement level about this whole project is pretty large.  Your comments, suggestions, and sharing of this little idea are welcome and encouraged :)  Let's get to cooking (and pinning, and eating....and maybe someday....even some crafting).