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Yogurt-Marinated Tandoori Chicken Kebabs

May 7, 2012
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In an effort to get fit for my wedding next year, I’ve been trying hard to eat healthy. And even though that means giving up some of my favorite comfort foods and best recipes, it also opens windows for new recipes and cooking with new flavors and ingredients. I made this recipe up based on some kebabs I’ve had in Indian and Lebanese restaurants. It’s delicious, quick and easy!

Marinating the chicken in a yogurt mixture keeps the meat tender and juicy while grilling. I found a Tandoori spice blend at World Market and I used Madras curry powder for a warm and smoky flavor.

If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for about an hour, fully submerged, before you skew your ingredients and start grilling.

I added grilled onions and I meant to use red bell peppers but forgot them at the grocery store, hence why you don’t see the in the photos. But overall this recipe is great to pair with Indian or Mediterranean flavors and its super easy and inexpensive. I paired it with tzatziki and a Greek salad and it was light, yet full of great flavors.

Recipe:

    • 1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, divided
    • 1 tablespoon Tandoori Spice Blend (Cost Plus World Market)
    • 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoons plus salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces
    • 1 red onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
    • 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces
    • Six 8-in. skewers

Combine yogurt, tandoori seasoning, curry powder, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, seal bag, and shake to coat. Let marinate 20 minutes at room temperature.

Thread chicken, onion and bell pepper onto skewers and discard marinade. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (you can hold your hand 1 to 2 in. above cooking grate only 3 to 4 seconds). Grill kebabs, turning once, until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve.

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from → Grilling, Main Dishes

Design Inspiration: Slate Grey Room Color

April 17, 2012
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So once again, I apologize for the delayed post but I recently purchased my first home with my fiance, Dan in New Orleans and we’ve been busy moving. I’m not trying to brag but the house is AMAZING with a gorgeous backyard and pool and I am so excited to share it with you. And you know what owning my own house means….design projects!!!

I have so many ideas in store that my blog may turn from food heavy to design heavy for a while, but I promise to fill it with great ideas. The first project on my list is to paint my master bedroom from the currently god awful tangerine mess that it is into a beautiful slate grey with white and black furniture and accents. This room from Elle Decor gave me inspiration for the color and I’ve always loved Hollywood Regency style so I will be adding touches of glam with lacquer white mirrors and accents and white bedding. I can’t wait to show you the before and after! But you have to stay tuned until my parents get here in June to help me paint…

In the meantime, be prepared for more great pie recipes as I begin practicing pies to make for my friend’s wedding… S’mores, Strawberry and Peach, Oh My!

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from → Decorating, Home and Garden

Broccoli Cheese Soup

March 4, 2012
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I know what you are thinking…”More soup!!?” But I promise this will be the last soup for a while. In an effort to get in better shape for my upcoming wedding next year, I’ve been eating a lot more healthy so this cheesy, creamy soup was one of my last hurrahs before a significant diet change. I LOVE Broccoli Cheese Soup and I saw this on the Pioneer Woman’s blog and decided it would be a good one to try.  I followed this recipe fairly closely (as you know, I typically make variations) but I added more cheese, salt and pepper, because I felt it needed a hint of more flavor. I suggest adding the seasonings and tasting as you go to make it fitting to your taste buds.

The soup starts out like any normal soup base, saute onions until they are translucent, then add seasonings and vegetables following by stock, water or cream. Once the broccoli was in, I used my hand held immersion blender (one of my new favorite gadgets) to get the soup to more creamy consistency. I left in chunks of broccoli because I like the texture. You can also put it in a blender.

This soup may not be the best for a diet but it hits that comfort food spot that is warm, cheesy goodness. It’s also very cheap and east to make. Enjoy!

Recipe

  • 1 whole Onion, Diced
  • 1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
  • 1/3 cup Flour
  • 4 cups Whole Milk
  • 2 cups Half-and-half
  • 4 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets
  • 1 pinch Nutmeg
  • 3 cups Grated Cheese (mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Etc.)
  • Small Dash Of Salt (more If Needed)
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Chicken Broth If Needed For Thinning

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.

Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. You can also transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender, return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning.)

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from → Soups

Brownie Heart Cupcakes

February 14, 2012
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I’ll admit it, I love Valentine’s Day: it’s just another excuse for me to bake. I saw this Brownie Heart Cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart and it’s been on my long list of things to try. I think this is one of my top 3 favorite cupcake recipes I’ve ever made. Not only are they adorable, but they are surprisingly very easy and delicious! Gooey chocolate cake with a crispy brownie surface and topped off with sweet buttercream frosting. You owe it to yourself to try these!

Recipe:           

  • Vegetable oil, cooking spray
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 12 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • Basic Buttercream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment, then spray parchment.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until chocolate melts.

Attach bowl to mixer, add sugar, and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Spread remaining batter in square pan. Bake until set but still soft, about 18 minutes. Let cool in tins and pan on wire racks.

Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Cut out 24 hearts from brownie in pan using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Top each cupcake with a brownie heart.

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from → Desserts, Holidays

Mexican Turkey Soup

January 22, 2012
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Even though the weather has been relatively warm and beautiful down here in New Orleans, I have still been in soup mode. There have been a few chilly winter days down here – even a few nights where I had to bring in my herbs – so even a couple cold days have been incentive for me to whip up some great soups.

This recipe is very similar to Mexican Tortilla Soup and I based it on an Ina Garten recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup. But instead of using chicken, I used my leftover turkey from the holidays. Don’t worry, I made this back in November so I haven’t kept my leftover turkey for that long.

The base starts out like any basic soup but then you add tomatoes in puree, fresh jalapenos, cumin and coriander for great Mexican flavors. I add some of the seeds from the jalapeno for more heat because I like mine extra spicy. But my favorite part is the toppings! Add freshly chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese and generous chunks of avocado for a delicious and balanced meal in a bowl! Buen provecho!

Recipe

  • 3 Cups Shredded Turkey Meat
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
  • 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
  • 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
  • 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 1/2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
  • 1 6 oz. can whole corn kernels
  • 1 8 oz. can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
For the garnish
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 Avocado, chopped into thick chunks
  • Sour Cream
  • Crushed tortilla chips, about 1/4 cup for each bowl

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded turkey, corn and black beans and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

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from → Soups

Peanut Butter Bon Bons

January 1, 2012
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Happy New Year! This holiday season has been a whirlwind for me with getting engaged, traveling home to California twice and of course cooking! I apologize for not sharing more of my recipes with you this past month but when you are cooking for 20 with several small children running in and out of the kitchen, sometimes it’s hard to stop and take decent photos.

I made these Peanut Butter Bon Bons based on this recipe from the Neely’s on the Food Network. They were good but very dense and rich and I recommend adding butter to the recipe. Take a look at this traditional Buckeye recipe which includes butter. Both recipes are simple and do not require a lot of ingredients – just some time to roll and decorate all the balls. They are very cute and make great bite-size desserts for entertaining.

Recipe:

  • 1 (18-ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar together until smooth and stiff. Beat in the vanilla extract. Shape the peanut butter mixture into 20 (1-inch) balls and place on a waxed paper-lined sheet tray. Place the tray in the freezer for 1 hour.

Add chopped chocolate to a small bowl set over gently simmering water. Stir to melt. Remove chocolate from heat. With 2 forks, carefully dip the chilled peanut butter balls 1/2 way into the chocolate, let excess drip off, and lay onto the waxed paper-lined sheet tray.

With a fork, swirl some decorative chocolate across the top of each bite. Place in the refrigerator for the chocolate to set and the peanut butter to solidify, about 30 minutes. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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from → Desserts, Holidays

Pet Pose Of The Week

December 5, 2011
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My boyfriend walked into our room today to find Mr. Whiskers in this position. What a piece of work!

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from → Pets
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