JJ’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie!

I LOVE pumpkin pie. Maybe it’s because I was born the day after Thanksgiving, I don’t know, but I love it. I decided I was going to try and make the perfect pumpkin pie. Well, perfect to me. I don’t like them when they are overly sweet and I like the pumpkin to stand out.  I read all kinds of recipes and experimented a little and came up with this recipe. If you’re a pumpkin pie fan like me, give this a try. I served it with a scoop of ginger ice cream on top and it was perfect!

Ingredients:

1. 1 can of pure pumpkin (or 2 cups of pureed pumpkin like butternut squash)
2. 1 (8 ounce package) reduced fat cream cheese (softened)
3. 3 tbs sugar
4. 1/4 tsp salt
5. 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
6. 2 eggs
7. 1/2 stick of butter (melted)
8. 1 cup milk
9. 1 tsp vanilla
10. 1 pre-made pie dough (thawed)
11. 1 pint ginger ice cream (Haagen Dazs Five ginger)

heat oven to 350° place dough in a pie dish (or use the tin it comes in). lightly press dough into pie dish. cover with a piece of foil and press into pie so dough is covered. bake for 10 min. remove foil and bake another 10 min.

add cream cheese into mixing bowl, beat until creamy. add pumpkin puree and keep mixing. add sugar, salt and pumpkin spice. scrape sides of bowl and keep mixing.

in a small bowl mix together eggs, butter, milk and vanilla add to mixer  and beat until everything is well combined and creamy.

pour filling into prepared pie shell and bake for 50-60 min. let cool. serve with a scoop of ginger ice cream on top. Deelish!

Unique Thanksgiving Feast

I’m not a traditional person by any means, nor am I a big turkey fan, or anything from a can for that matter. Thanksgiving is always around my birthday too, so I tend to cook what I like! I’ve taken a few of my favorite things and put a JJ spin on them to make for a very Unique Thanksgiving Feast.  (serves 4-6 people)

The Menu-

• N.Y Strip w/a Red Wine Cranberry Chutney,
• Whiskey Whipped Sweet Potatoes w/Chipoltle Peppers,
• Green Bean & Crimini Mushroom Casserole
• Dark Chocolate Candies

The Ingredients-

Steak & Cranberry Chutney: 1 bag of fresh cranberries, 1 small red onion, red wine, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick (or powder), whole nutmeg, cracked black pepper, 4  N.Y strips (or you’re favorite steak).

Whiskey Whipped Sweet Potatoes: about 4 sweet potatoes, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 stick of butter, cream, ground nutmeg, chipoltle peppers in adobe sauce, 1/4 cup of whiskey.

Green Bean Casserole: 1/2 lb. fresh greenbeans (trimmed), 6 strips of bacon, 12 crimini mushrooms, parmesan cheese, aged smoked guoda cheese, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 shallots, 3 garlic cloves, exta virgin olive oil.

Red Wine Cranberry Chutney: 1pkg fresh cranberries, diced red onion, 2 cups red wine, 2 cups of water, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cinnamon stick, fresh ground nutmeg, cracked black 1 tbs peppercorn and salt.

• throw everything in a pot and let it cook down over medium heat. cover the pot to bring the berries to a boil quicker (this also helps when the berries start to bust from making a mess). once it comes to a boil, uncover, lower heat and let berries simmer. stir occasionally until it thickens. (about 30 min)
• be sure and make the steaks last since they take the least amount of time to cook. salt & pepper steaks and grill to desired done-ness.
• serve the chutney over the steaks.

Whiskey Whipped Sweet Potatoes w/Chipotle Peppers-

• cut up yams into pieces, put in a pot and cover with water. toss in a few garlic cloves smashed and peeled. once yams are tender.
• drain out water and pour potatoes into a bowl. add 1/2 stick of butter, 1/4 cup of cream and freshly ground nutmeg (about 1 tsp.). give 3 chipoltle peppers a rough chop and add to bowl, add a few spoon fulls of the adobe sauce. pour in 1/4 cup whiskey! use a mixer and whip yams until smooth and creamy. add more cream if needed.
• Transfer Whiskey Whipped Sweet Potatoes w/Chipotle Peppers to a serving dish.

Green beans & Crimini Mushroom Casserole-

• boil green beans in pot of salted water until tender. chop up strips of bacon into small pieces. heat large saute pan over medium heat, drizzle w/olive oil add bacon. let cook stirring occasionally, until crispy. remove from pan and place bacon on a paper towel.
• drain some of the bacon fat out of pan and return to low heat. add a few drizzles of olive oil. slice 3 shallots and finely chop 3 garlic cloves, toss in pan. finely chop 12 crimini mushrooms toss in pan. add some cracked black pepper and a small amount of salt. (it’s probably okay not to salt this because the bacon and cheese are both salty). mix it all together. (don’t worry it there is browning in the bottom of the pan.)
• in a food processor grind up pieces of parmesan & smoked guoda (or grate the cheese).
• drain green beans and add to pan, crumble in bacon and give it a mix. sprinkle in cheese, about a cup. mix in 1/8 cup of heavy cream and let simmer about 10 min.
• Pour into a casserole dish. grate parmesan cheese over the top and crumble in some bacon for garnish.

The biggest hit is my Dark Chocolate Candies! I serve them after dinner with some champagne. These are very simple to make…

• Use your favorite kind of chocolate candy bar. I prefer Lindt 70-80% cocoa. break 4 chocolate bars up and put in a double boiler pot over medium heat. roughly chop 1/2 cup almonds, add to chocolate (or your favorite nuts), roughly chop 1/4 cup dried cherries & 1/4 cup blueberries, add to pot. add 1 tsp of cinnamon & 1 tsp cayenne pepper. Stir everything up until chocolate is melted. pour mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and smooth out, dust with coarse salt. let cool & harden back to candy (works best in fezzer).cut or break into nice sized chunks and ENJOY!

Light Curry Rice Pilaf w/ Chicken

Ingredients: 1 fennel, 2 carrots, 1 yellow onion, 2 celery ribs, ginger, 1 jalapeno. 2 cups vermicelli, 1 cup basmati rice, pine nuts. 1 lb chicken breasts or tenders, chicken stock (for cooking rice).

1.    chop veggies, place in a large bowl and set aside: chop the top and bottom off the fennel. make several slices lengthwise down the fennel (similar to dicing an onion) then slice across into bite size pieces. dice onion, peel carrots, slice in half lengthwise, then chop into pieces. thinly slice celery ribs. with a spoon scrape the skin off ginger (remove knobs on ginger to make it easier to clean), slice ginger into thin pieces lengthwise and then slice across into small pieces. cut open jalapeno, remove seeds and chop into small pieces.
2.    season chicken breast w/ lemon pepper and salt. (only use salt if lemon pepper is salt free)
3.    heat pan over high heat and coat with olive oil. place chicken in “hot” pan and let it cook on each side for 5 min.
4.    prepare rice as stated on package only substitute chicken stock for water and add 2 tbs of curry powder and a few pinches of salt to pot.
5.    remove chicken from pan and coat pan with a little more olive oil.  turn heat down to medium. add vermicelli and pine nuts to pan. toast until the vermicelli starts to turn brown. add veggies, season with salt & pepper and 1 tbs of curry powder. mix together.
6.    slice chicken into bite size pieces and add back to pan with veggies. pour in 1/2 cup of chicken stock to pan. turn heat down to low, cover and simmer about 5 min.
8.    scoop curry rice into pan with chicken and veggies. mix together and serve.

I’m not a big fan of curry but the hint of curry in this makes this dish savory and delicious. It’s also quite beautiful in presentation with the yellow curry rice against the colorful veggies.  If you love curry use a good quality curry and up the amount.

Easy homemade chili for beef franks

1lb. lean ground beef, 3 garlic cloves, 1 sm. yellow onion, 3 tbs tomato paste, 1/4 cup chili powder, 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, 1 can crushed tomatoes. , salt & pepper (optional: worcestershire sauce, a few diced fresh roma tomatoes)

1. brown meat in a sauce pot or dutch oven over medium heat. add salt & pepper and chili powder to meat. mash the meat up so it’s fine not chunky. (use the back of a wooden spoon)
2. finely chop garlic and onion, add them to pot. (opt: add diced tomatoes to pot.) mix in tomato paste. drain fire roasted tomatoes and pour into pot. pour in crushed tomatoes. (splash in a few dashes of worcestershire sauce.)
3. let cook for 20 min. on medium heat, letting all the flavors meld together, stir chili occasionally. lower heat to low and let simmer until ready to serve. (the longer the chili cooks the thicker it will get.)
4. makes 4-6 servings

Fill up a  thermos with Easy homemade chili and take it to your next tailgating party to jazz up the traditional hotdogs. It will be a hit! (an insulated thermos is not only good for keeping liquids cold but also for keeping soups and chili warm when on the go.)

options for putting it all together!...

• either on a grill or in the broiler, cook the dogs and or sausage. for the broiler set oven to 400 and cook on one side for 5 min. turn and cook another 3-5 min.
• place hot dog buns in an oven dish. squeeze in your favorite condiment. remove dogs from oven or grill.
• place dogs in bun, spoon chili over dogs, cover with grated cheese and place in hot oven. (lower to 350) about 5 min. or until cheese has melted.

Finishing in the oven helps toast the buns and gets the cheese nice and melted. Serve pickled jalapenos or hot sauce (valentinos) on the side for a little added kick. this chili is very fresh tasting and much better than the canned stuff! it’s even better the next day too!

Veggie Stew w/Spicy Italian Sausage

A refreshing and flavorful stew that’s of course, simple to make.

Ingredients: box of chopped tomatoes (or can), spicy italian sausage, yukon gold potatoes, celery, carrots, white onion, garlic cloves,  corn, fennel seed, fresh oregano, sage and basil, salt & pepper.

1. heat stock pot up over med. heat and drizzle with a little olive oil. add six links of sausage (casing removed). break up sausage while it’s cooking.
2. add 1 tsp of fennel seed to pot. chop 4-6 potatoes into bit size pieces, add to pot and salt potatoes. mix everything together.
3. roughly chop 2 carrots, 1/2 onion and 3 celery stalks, put into food processor. toss in 3 peeled garlic cloves. process until veggies are finely chopped. add to pot.
4. pull oregano off stems, about 2 tsp., and add to pot.
5. chop up some sage and add to pot. about 2 tsp. as well. mix everything up, add a little salt & pepper and let cook for about 15 min.
6. add chopped tomatoes to pot and allow stew to simmer on low heat for about 30 min.
7. add 1 cup of frozen corn (or fresh if you have it) to pot. pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and keep simmering. 15 min. more.

Serve with garlic bread and it’s a meal!

Next day stew is the best too.

JJ’s Ultimate Juevos Rancheros

Ingredients: eggs, bacon, small white onion, green onion, green bell pepper, 1 can fire roasted tomatoes w/garlic, grated cheddar cheese, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, tortillas, salt & pepper.

1) in a frying pan fry bacon. drain on paper towel.

2) dice 1/2 of green bell pepper and white onion.

3) drain some of the grease from pan but save a few tablespoons. add to that, a few tablespoons of olive oil. turn heat down to medium, fry eggs in same pan. salt & pepper eggs and cook until the eggs whites are opaque, flip eggs and then gently remove from pan onto a plate.

4) in the same pan add, green bell peppers and white onion. season with salt & pepper. sweat for about 10 min on medium high heat.

5) stir in, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper. pour in fire roasted tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.

6) add eggs, gently back into pan. turn heat down to low. cook for a few more minutes then turn off heat.

7) heat tortillas either over gas burner or microwave.

Serve JJ’s Juevos Rancheros on a plate w/tortillas and bacon. garnish w/cheddar cheese and green onion.

For a Cocktail: mix together 1 cup of vodka, 1/4 cup limeade, 1/4 cup tomato juice (i like clamato juice), a few dashes of hot sauce. pour over ice. add some cracked black pepper on top of each glass and sprinkle with salt.

Guinness Battered Fish w/Creamy Smashed Potatoes

This was sooo delicious and the fish just melts in your mouth. For the fish I used Opakapaka “pakapaka” and Cod. They didn’t have the best selection of fish that day. Talapia would be great to use for this recipe but I’m writing it exactly like I made it the first time. The reason I use Guinness for the beer batter is because I made this on St. Patrick’s Day, so I had quite a bit of Guinness on hand. It works great and made the batter a rich maple color.

Ingredients: vegetable oil, beer, flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, white fish, yukon gold potatoes, garlic, aged cheddar cheese, milk, butter.

1. quater4-6 potatoes, put in a pot and cover w/water. bring to a boil over med. high heat, add 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 tbls of salt. cook for about 20 min. until fork tender. grate cheddar cheese, about 1/2 cup, set aside.
2. in a big bowl, mix together; 2 cups flour, 1 tbls salt, 2 tbls cayenne pepper & 1 tbls baking powder. pour in 1 bottle of Guinness beer(cold) and whisk together.
3. heat 1/2 gallon of canola or vegetable oil in dutch oven or soup pot (not cast iron) over med. high heat, until oil reaches 350. cut 2-4 fish fillets into even strips.
4. lightly dredge fish strips in flour or cornstarch. shake excess flour off and dip into batter. lay fish into hot oil and let batter set. turn fish over and let cook until golden brown. (it will be a dark amber color because of the Guinness) about 2 min. work in small batches. do not over crowd fish sticks.
5. remove from oil and let fish drain on a baking rack with sheet pan underneath.
6. drain potatoes. add 1 tbls spoon of butter and a splash of milk. lightly smash potatoes, either with a fork or a potato smasher. add more milk if needed to make potaotes creamy. mix in cheese and salt & pepper to taste.

Serve Guinness Battered Fish & Creamy Smashed Potatoes with malt vinegar. For a cocktail try a Black Velvet. Mix half guinness and half champagne in a champagne flute.

3 Cheese Chicken Spaghetti

My Chicken Spaghetti was inspired by my Aunt Becky. She makes an amazing Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti. I’m not recreating her recipe because hers is perfect. I just based the chicken and cheese on hers. Yet another family member inspiring me! Thanks Aunt Becky

Ingredients: chicken tenders, yellow bell pepper, crimini mushrooms, onion, garlic, peas, tomato paste. smoked provolone, cheddar and mozzarella cheese (use any 3 cheeses you like), milk, butter flour. sage, basil and whole wheat pasta (or regular).

1. heat a large pan over high heat, drizzle w/olive oil. salt & pepper chicken tenders. once pan is hot start placing chicken in. let it cook for about 5-7 min. each side.
2. finely chop mushrooms, and dice bell pepper. remove chicken from pan and lower heat to medium. add mushrooms and bell pepper. dice 1/2 onion (or 1 small) and add to pan. chop 3 garlic cloves, add to pan salt & pepper veggies. add 3 tbls. of tomato paste and lower heat to low.
3. boil water for pasta and cook until desired tenderness. (set aside about a cup of pasta water)
4. bechamel sauce: in a small pot add 2 tbls. of butter and 2 tbls. of flour, over med. heat. whisk together until flour & butter have melted together. add 1/2 cup of milk. keep whisking. (optional, grate in some nutmeg) add a little salt and pepper. sauce will start to thicken. grate the cheese, about a 1/3 cup. add to bechamel sauce and turn off heat. (sauce should be thick enough to coat spaghetti but not too thick. dillute sauce w/pasta water if needed.)
5. add 1 cup of peas to the pan w/veggies. tear chicken into pieces and add to pan, mix it all up. add spaghetti to the pan, pour bechemal sauce over spaghetti, chop some fresh sage & basil and mix everything together.

DONE!

Lemon Pepper Chicken & Brocolli Stirfry w/Cashews

My latest cravings according to my body is broccoli. I’m not a big fan of the veggie either but my body has decided it needs the little green floret so I shall obey! Of course I have to make broccoli yummy and here is one of my latest attempts.

Ingredients: long grain white rice, red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, garlic salt. chicken tenders, lemon juice & zest. broccoli, green bell pepper, garlic, eggs, soy sauce.

Marinate chicken for about 3 hours before making. Pour 1/3 cup of lemon juice in ziplock bag. Add 2 tbls of lemon pepper, 1 tsp of garlic powder into bag. Place chicken in bag and give it a good shake. Place in fridge.

1. Rice: heat a pot over med. heat and drizzle w/olive oil. pour 1 1/2  cups of rice into pot. add 2 tsp of red pepper flakes,1 tsp of garlic salt and 1 tbls of lemon pepper. toast rice for about 5 min. cover rice with hot water, about 3 cups. let rice come to a boil and then cover and lower heat to low.
2. heat wok or large non stick skillet over high heat. drizzle w/olive oil and lay chicken tenders in. cook for about 5 min. on each side.
3. while chicken is cooking, chop 2 broccoli florets into small pieces. (you can thinly slice stalks of broccoli to use in stir fry too.) chop 1 bell pepper into small bite size pieces. thinly slice 2 garlic cloves.
4. remove chicken from wok and add in broccoli and bell peppers. cover with a few pinches of red pepper flakes and sprinkle w/garlic salt. cook veggies for about 10 min. stir everything up a few times.
5. push veggies to the sides of wok and add 3 eggs to the middle. let the eggs cook for a few min. then slowly mix everything together. turn heat to low. take 2 handfuls of cashews, crush them in hands and drop into wok. add sliced garlic.
6. chop chicken into bite size pieces and add to wok. turn heat back up to a med. and let chicken finish cooking.
7. make a well in center of wok again (push everything up the sides) and scoop rice into center. add zest of lemon and drizzle a little soy sauce over wok, mix everything together.

Veggie Wrap

It’s spring again, time to drop the fab five lbs left by winter. The other 10 that remain is another story Try this delicious veggie wrap for something light but filling. Great for the hot days to come.

This recipe was inspired by my trip to Lebanon many years ago. It’s Lebanese style mixed with some Californication.

Ingredients: whole grain tortilla, avocado, hard boiled egg, kalamata olives, cucumber, lettuce mix, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper.

1. lay tortilla out on a plate or cutting board. tear a handful of lettuce mix up and lay on tortilla.
2. slice 1/2 of avocado, then make slices down the middle length wise. scoop out w/spoon and lay on top of lettuce. squeeze lemon juice on top.
3. slice 1 hard boiled egg in half lengthwise then into slices. place on top of tortilla.
4. cut 1 cucumber in half, then slice about 5 pieces off, add to tortilla.
5. slice a few kalamata olives and toss over tortilla. drizzle w/olive oil and season w/ salt & pepper.

Roll tortilla up and enjoy this really simple, light and delicious Veggie Wrap.

Veggie Wrap

Chicken & Shrimp Pasta

This is a light and fresh tasting pasta dish that’s full of flavor! There’s not to many ingredients so it’s really simple to make as well. It’s great the next day for leftovers.

Ingredients: whole wheat penne pasta, chicken tenders, large peeled shrimp, lemon, green & red bell pepper, garlic, shallots, butter, extra virgin olive oil, lemon pepper

1. bring pot of water to a boil for pasta. lay shrimp out(about 1lb.) and squeeze lemon juice(1/2 of lemon) over shrimp, season with lemon pepper and set aside.
2. heat large skillet up over med. high heat, coat with olive oil. season tenders (about 1 lb.) with salt & pepper and place in pan. cook about 5 min. on each side.
3. slice bell peppers in half lengthwise, cut in half across and thinly slice into strips.
4. flip the chicken and let cook for about 5 min.  add pasta to boiling water. add bell peppers to pan with chicken.
5. peel and slice 2 shallots, chop 4 cloves of garlic. remove chicken and add 2 tbs of butter and 2 tbs of olive oil to pan. add shallots and garlic and mix everything together.
6. push veggies around the sides of pan and lay shrimp in. flip shrimp when they start to turn pink (takes about 1 min.). lower heat to low. chop chicken tenders into pieces and add back into pan.
7. take pasta directly out of pot with a pasta spoon and add into pan with chicken and shrimp. add 1/4 cup of pasta water, 3 tbls. of lemon zest and the juice from 1 lemon. mix everything together. SERVE

Spicy Chicken Sausage and Lentil Stew

Ingredients: dry lentils, habanero green chili chicken sausage, green bell pepper, white onion, garlic, fresh sage, fennel seed, coriander powder,cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chicken stock.

Soak 2 cups of lentils in water for about 3-5 hours before cooking. (in a warm place is best) Lentils will soak up a lot of the water. This process helps lentils cook quicker.

I basically cooked this stew in layers all in one pot. Start with infusing spices in olive oil…

1.    cover bottom of pot with olive oil. heat over low heat. add in 1 tsp fennel seed, 1 tsp coriander, 2 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder. mix spices together in olive oil.
2.    Dice onion (1 sm. onion or 1/2 of larger onion) toss into pot with olive oil infusion. season with salt & pepper, kick heat up to med. and mix it all up.
3.    dice green pepper, add to pot. take 2 sausage links slice in half lengthwise, slice in half again lengthwise, then dice sausage, add to pot, stir.
4.    chop about 4 garlic cloves, add to pot. chop 6-8 leaves of sage and add to pot. drain lentils and add to pot. cover with 4 cups of chicken stock. cover pot and lower heat to low. let simmer 30 min.

Add more stock if lentils soak up to much of the liquid. I like mine a little thicker. Eat and Enjoy!

Strawberry French Toast

I knocked the socks off my boyfriend and daughter, AGAIN! This french toast was super yummy and even kinda healthy. Don’t tell my family that. I didn’t even use bacon. The heels of bread and stale bread is perfect for french toast so if you have some bread you’re about to throw out, make Strawberry French Toast!

Ingredients: fresh strawberries, whole grain bread, powdered sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, eggs, milk, cinnamon stick, almond extract, butter.

1. core strawberries, give them a rough chop, place in a bowl, cover with 2 tbs. of sugar. (do this the night before and the strawberries will be extra sweet. )
2. strawberry syrup: in a small pot over low heat, melt 4 tbs. of butter, drop in a few splashes of almond extract and a cinnamon stick. add strawberries to pot and another tbs. of sugar, mix together, cover and let simmer. stir occasionally.
3. mix a few eggs and about 1 cup of milk in shallow dish. add 1/2 tbs. of cinnamon, 1 tbs of canola oil and a pinch of salt. whisk together.
4. heat griddle or non stick pan for french toast, over med. high heat. slice bread in half then place, as many slice that will fit, in egg batter. cover bread with egg batter and place on hot griddle. let french toast cook for about 5 min. each side until it’s golden brown. adjust heat if needed.
5. place french toast on a plate and cover with strawberry syrup. pour a little maple syrup on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I served my Strawberry French Toast with a fried egg, over medium, on the side. The yolk from the egg added a delicious sauce to the plate. It was a big hit! I fried the eggs in a few tbs. of olive oil and a pat of butter, flipping them once. season with salt & pepper.

For a cocktail: in a champagne flute pour in a splash of amaretto a splash of o.j. and top off with prosecco.

The Happy Eater…

Mediterranean Steak Salad

I’m on a roll. Another really tasty dish out of JJ’s kitchen. This dish started with some N.Y. strip steak I had marinating in worcestershire sauce for a couple of days and ended with some mixed olives out of a salad my boyfriend had left at my house. I think the olives were nicoise olives and picholine olives. I added some kalamata olives as well. I also pitted the olives. A lot of times it’s hard to find fancier Mediterranean olives pitted but I can’t stand biting down on a pit! It’s not hard to get the pit out. All I did is break the olive with my fingernail than pull it apart to get the pit out. Of course you can use an olive pitter too. I kinda wanted the olive to be broken up so I used my hands. Also be sure and take steak out of fridge to take the chill off before cooking, about 20 min.

Ingredients: N.Y strip steak, spring salad mix, avocado, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, olives, parmesan cheese.

1. Heat grill pan up over high heat.  place steaks on grill. let them sear about 5-10min. on each side, until they are dark and crispy on the out side. Turn off heat and let the steaks rest.
2. In a bowl pour in 3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tbs. of fresh lemon juice, season with salt & pepper. Whisk together.
3. Add pitted olives and cherry tomatoes, a small handful of both, to bowl. Add 1 avocado, cut into bite size pieces. Add lettuce on top of that. Toss everything together. Use a peeler and shave in pieces of parmesan cheese.
4. Slice thin pieces of steak up. Lay salad on a plate and lay pieces of steak on top.

Have a glass of your favorite red wine and you’ve got a healthy and flavorful meal!

Chicken Tender Salad

Another delicious salad out of JJ’s kitchen. I soaked the tenders in buttermilk for about 2 days, but you can get away with a few hours.

Ingredients: 6 chicken tenders, 2 cups buttermilk, flour, olive oil, 1 bag of salad mix, tomatoes, avocado, 1/2 lemon, 1tbs. red wine vinegar.

1. heat 1 cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
2. pour about 2 cups of flour on a plate and season with salt & pepper. dredge marinated tenders through flour.
3. place tenders in hot oil. fry for about 3-5 min each side, until golden brown.
4. drain on a rack. don’t over crowd skillet. cook in batches if needed.
5. in a bowl mix 3 tbs. of olive oil, 2 tbs. of lemon juice and a splash of red wine vinegar. whisk together until creamy looking. add 1 avocado sliced up, and sliced tomatoes to bowl. season with salt & pepper.  lay greens on top of that then toss everything together.

Serve greens on a plate and lay sliced pieces of chicken tenders on top.

Comfort Food Pasta

I had some random ingredients leftover from other meals and came up with this yummy pasta dish. It’s got all the good stuff for a meal full of comfort.

Random Ingredients: 1/2 box whole wheat penne pasta, 1 red bell pepper, 1 red onion, 3 spicy fully cooked sausage links, peperoni slices, 4 cloves garlic, 2 cups tomato sauce.

Cheese sauce: 2 tbs of flour, 2 tbs of butter, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of grated cheese. (the cheese i had: drunken goat cheese, cheddar and provolone. use whatever variety you like).

1. boil water for pasta. (add pasta once water comes to a boil)
2. heat a large pan over med. high heat. slice pepper in half length wise. remove seeds then slice pepper into thin strips. drizzle pan with olive oil, add bell pepper to pan. slice onion into thin strips and toss into pan. sprinkle with salt & pepper.
3. cut sausage links in half length wise and then cut at a bias into bite size pieces (a similar shape to the penne pasta). toss into pan. take a few handfuls of peperoni and  slice into strips, toss in pan. peel garlic cloves, thinly slice and toss into pan. mix everything together and turn heat down to low, add in tomato sauce.
4. cheese sauce: in a small pot over med heat, melt butter. add in flour and whisk together for a few min. add in a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of cracked red pepper and 1 tsp of black pepper. pour in milk, whisking as you pour. keep whisking until sauce thickens. about 5 min. turn off heat and add in grated cheese. stir until cheese has melted. (if sauce is to thick add a little pasta water to thin out)
5. remove pasta from water with a slotted spoon and pour directly into pan with veggies and sausage. pour cheese sauce on top of that and mix it all together.

Serve with a salad and Enjoy.

Kitchen Closed

Cooking JJ’s Way is closed for remodel.

Breakfast Tacos w/Cajun Sausage

Ingredients: eggs, louisiana cajun sausage, butter, green onion salt & pepper, grated cheddar cheese

1. heat a non stick pan over medium heat. dice sausage into small pieces. toss into pan and let sausage brown.
2. in a bowl whisk eggs together (about 6 eggs. depends on how many mouths you are feeding). and chop a few green onions.
3. add 2 tbs of butter to pan w/sausage. mix it all together. pour eggs in over sausage and season with salt & pepper. add in green onion and stir it all together until eggs are scrambled. heat tortillas up.
4. fill tortilla with egg & sausage, top with cheese and serve!

You can spice this up with louisiana hot sauce also.

Quick & Easy Jambalaya

Ingredients: 1/2 lb. chicken tenders, 1/2 lb. shrimp, 2 cajun sausage links, 1 cup rice, 1 lemon, 1 1/2 cup chicken
stock, 1 green bell pepper, 1 yellow onion, 1 jalapeno, 2 carrots, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.

First I marinated the chicken in the zest and juice of lemon and 1 tbs of lemon pepper. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or over night.

1. heat large pan over med high heat. drizzle pan with olive oil. place tenders in hot pan. let sear on ea. side for 5 min. remove from pan.
2. slice sausage into bite size pieces and toss into pan. chop onion, bell pepper and carrots into bite size pieces, toss into pan. slice jalapeno and toss into pan, add red pepper flakes and season w/ salt & pepper, give it all a mix. let cook for about 10 min.
3. peel and rinse shrimp (if in shell). season w/ a little lemon pepper and set aside. pour rice into pot and mix together. chop chicken into bite size pieces and add back into pot. pour in chicken stock. lower heat and cover. let simmer about 20 min or until rice is tender.
4. add shrimp very last. just before rice is done, about 15 min into cooking, place shrimp in pot. sorta push shrimp down into pot. cover again and let cook 5-10 min more.

Fajitas!

Ingredients: 1 green bell pepper, 1 poblano pepper, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 wht. onion, 1 portobella mushroom. 1 lb of flap steak or flank steak, 3 limes, 2 tbs. smoked paprika, salt & pepper.

Marinade: season steak with salt & pepper and then rub smoked paprika into the steak. place in a ziplock bag and squeeze in juice from limes. place in fridge for 4-8 hours.

• heat grill pan over med. high heat. start chopping veggies into thin strips. remove seeds from peppers. once pan starts to smoke drizzle with a little olive oil and start placing veggies onto grill pan. keep chopping veggies and adding to pan. season with salt & pepper.

• with tongs, turn veggies and let cook for about 10 min. until they’re nice and tender and have started to carmelize. remove to a plate and cover with foil.
• place marinaded flap steak on hot grill. let sear about 3-5 min on ea. side for medium pink center. it’s thin steak so it doesn’t take long to cook. remove from pan and place under foil. do this is 2 batches if you have a small grill pan.

• heat tortillas over gas stove. set aside. place meat on a cutting board and slice into strips against the grain.

Plate it up with just the meat and carmelized veggies. Or serve on the side, grated cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado. Also try my fresh salsa with this!

Ginger and Lime Chicken Stirfry w/Fresh Mint

Here’s a delicious recipe for a stirfry that’s tangy light and very refreshing to eat! It’s full of protein and natural goodness from the fresh ginger.

Ingredients: fresh ginger root (i used about 1/8 cup or 2 tbs. it’s hard to measure), 2 limes (juice & zest), 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 green bell pepper, 1 sm white onion, 2 sm carrots, 3 eggs, 1.5 cups jasmine white rice, 3 cups chicken stock, fresh mint, green onion.(optional veggies: feel free to substitute any veggies you like in this like, asparagus, or any color bell pepper or onion)

Start things off by marinating chicken for 1-5 hours. Cut chicken breasts into cubes, place in resealable bag. Zest lime and add into bag then squeeze juice from lime into bag. (If lime isn’t very juicy use 2 limes.) Season with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red pepper flakes & cracked black pepper. Squeeze air out of bag, seal and place in fridge.

1. rice: heat pot over med heat. drizzle with oil, add rice. while rice is toasting peel ginger. slice ginger into discs then slice discs into thin pieces, add to rice. mix together and pour in chicken stock. cover with lid once it comes to a boil lower heat to low and cook until rice is tender. about 20 minutes.
2. heat large non-stick pan over high heat. drizzle pan with canola oil and add chicken to hot pan.
3. while chicken is cooking slice all the veggies into bite size pieces (bell pepper, carrot, onion). add veggies into pan and mix everything together. drizzle a little soy sauce in (or a few pinches of salt). lower heat to med high.
4. push everything around the edges of pan and crack eggs into center. season again with salt & pepper. let eggs cook for a minute then mix everything together.
5. turn off heat. push everything to the sides of pan again and scoop rice into middle. roughly chop mint and green onion and add into pan. mix it all up again. finish with squeezing a little more lime juice on top.

Serve with some sliced tomato and cucumber on the side.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Salad

What’s for lunch at Cooking JJ’s Way? A Lemon Pepper Shrimp Salad!

It’s quite simple to throw together. I had peeled deveined shrimp (med size), an heirloom green tomato, avocado, cucumber, some goat cheese, lemon, salt & pepper and lettuce.

(peel and devein shrimp) squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon over shrimp season with salt & cracked black pepper. heat a saute pan over med high heat. drizzle with olive oil lay shrimp in pan. flip over when they start turning pink. takes about 3 min all together. turn off heat and squeeze a little more lemon juice over top.

place lettuce in a big bowl and squeeze lemon over it. season with salt & pepper and give it a quick toss. lay sliced tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and goat cheese on top. season with a little more salt & pepper. lay shrimp on top and pour juice from pan over salad.

Maia’s Favorite Breakfast

My daughter loves Ramen noodles. She would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But I don’t go for that! There isn’t enough nutrients for her growing body. To make us both happy, I came up with this recipe. She gets Ramen for breakfast and I add some healthy ingredients.

Ingredients: 1 celery rib (the center rib with the leaves works great), 1 small carrot, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup shelled edemame, 2 thin slices of smoked salmon, 3 eggs, 1 package chicken flavored Ramen, sunflower oil (olive oil is fine). parsley

1. place Ramen in small pot and cover with water. pour packet in and add edemame. heat over med. high heat. once water starts to boil turn off heat.
2. heat skillet over med. heat. finely chop carrot and celery. drizzle oil in pan and add carrot and celery. give smoked salmon a rough chop and add to pan. finely chop garlic, add to pan. mix it all up.
3. crack eggs into pan, season with a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. break yolks and mix everything together in pan.
4. with a pasta spoon or slotted spoon, pull Ramen out of water and add to pan. finely chop parsley and add to pan. mix everything together a few more min. until Ramne is coated with eggs and veggies.

Pile it in a bowl and Eat!

Napa Cabbage Soup

My friend, Arcella has been trying to get sick just so she can have some of my homemade soup! I usually make my delicious Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for sick friends but Arcella said she was craving cabbage soup. I said, no problem girl I’ll make you some cabbage soup. (not telling her i’ve never made cabbage soup before.) Good thing the soup came out better than delicious and she is definitely feeling better!

Ingredients: 2-3 small bunches napa cabbage, ginger root, green onion, 2 small carrots, 2 garlic cloves, 1 celery rib. about 4-6 cups of chicken stock.

1. if using frozen homemade chicken stock place frozen stock in a pot and heat over med. heat until melted.
2. peel carrots and ginger. to remove skin from ginger run a spoon up and down it. cut bottoms off cabbage and place in a bowl of water to remove any dirt. set on a paper towel to dry.
3. heat pot (4 quart) over med. high heat, drizzle with olive oil. slice carrot in half lengthwise and then into thin pieces across, add to pot. slice ginger in half lengthwise and then across into small pieces, add to pot. slice celery into thin pieces, add to pot. mix it all up and season with salt & pepper.
4. pat dry cabbage leaves. separate the outside bigger leaves from the smaller ones. starting with the bigger pieces first, start at the rib of cabbage and slice up until you get to leafy part, add the ribs to pot. toss in the smaller pieces from the center of cabbage to pot and tear in the bigger leaves.
5. roughly chop garlic cloves, add to pot. season with a little more salt & pepper and mix together. (add a pinch of cayenne for a little extra kick) simmer for about 5 more min.
6. lower heat to low and pour in chicken stock. chop 2 green onions and add to pot. cover and let simmer for about 10-15 min. That’s It!

Late Nite Snack

This is one of my favorite snacks, anytime of the day really, but I make it mostly for a late night snack. I usually keep things like sausage links, goat cheese and apples on hand because they have a pretty long shelf life. Even goat cheese will last for about 2 weeks when it’s stored properly. I buy tomatoes weekly because I use them so much.

Ingredients: cajun style andouille sausage, apples, heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper.

• heat sausage in either oven broiler or toaster oven on about 400° for 10-15 min. until sausage gets a nice crispy outside. in the meantime…
• slice tomato into 2 in. thick slices. lie on a plate or serving dish. slice goat cheese and lay on top of tomatoes. slice apples into similar pieces as tomatoes.
• remove sausage from oven and slice into 2 in. bite size pieces. arrange apples and sausage on the plate and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. season with salt & pepper.

FishStick Salad : )

The fish monger had the most beautiful giant catfish filets and I just had to have some. They usually have the catfish nuggets but I prefer the whole fish. That way I can control the shape and size. And like I said, these were beautiful! I love catfish. Probably because it reminds me of my childhood. When I would got visit my grandmother in east Texas, we’d always go have catfish at Caddo Lake. These catfish fish sticks remind me of that delicious catfish and I didn’t even deep fry them!

Breading: cornmeal, flour, eggs. red pepper flakes, salt & cracked black pepper.

• heat oven to 400°
• set up breading station. season cornmeal (about 2 cups) with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (1-2 tbs.). whisk 3 eggs together and use about 1/2 cup of flour for dusting. slice catfish filets in half lengthwise. then slice across into 2 in. strips. (slice fish at a bias)

• lay fish strip in flour and lightly coat. dip it in egg, then cover with cornmeal. lay it onto a cookie sheet. repeat until all fish is breaded. drizzle top with olive oil and place in oven. cook for about 20 min. until golden brown.

• serve over a bed of lettuce tossed in a little olive oil and salt & pepper. options for salad: add tomatoes, avocados and queso fressco to lettuce. finish it up by squeezing lemon juice over it all. also, i added a little ranch dressing to my fish sticks. try making it with plain yogurt and ranch seasoning for a healthier take. it’s delicious!

 

Dark Chocolate Candies

Dark Chocolate Candies

• Use your favorite kind of chocolate candy bar (plain). I prefer Lindt 70-80% cocoa. break about 4 chocolate bars up and put in a double boiler pot over medium heat. roughly chop 1/2 cup almonds, add to chocolate (or use your favorite nuts), roughly chop 1/4 cup dried cherries and 1/4 cup blueberries, add to pot. add 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp cayenne pepper. Stir everything up until chocolate is melted.
• pour mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and smooth out, dust with coarse salt. let cool and harden back to candy (works best in fridge or freezer).cut or break into nice sized chunks and ENJOY!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Whenever family or friends are feeling under weather, whip up a batch of this Chicken Noodle Soup and they will be feeling better in no time! Try using rotisserie chicken or chicken tenders if you prefer white meat.

Ingredients: 4- 6 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade), 1/2 package egg noodles, 1 lb. chicken, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots (if carrot is large use 1), 2 garlic cloves, 2 green onion.

1. in a pot, bring water for pasta to a boil. add pasta and let cook until al dente, drain water out and set aside. it will cook more in the soup.
2. heat large pot over med. high heat, drizzle with olive oil. if using raw chicken, slice into bite size pieces. add to pot, season with salt & pepper and let chicken brown. (if using rotisserie chicken or already cooked chicken skip to step 3.)
3. slice carrots, and celery into small bite size pieces, toss veggies into pot. season with salt & pepper and mix everything together.
4. finely chop garlic cloves add to pot and stir again. (add already cooked chicken now.)let everything cook together for about 5 min.
5. pour chicken stock into pot. add noodles to pot. chop green onion and add to pot. let soup simmer for about 10 more min. and that’s it!

Serve to a friend in need of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup or enjoy on a cold winter night.

Tip: if using frozen homemade stock. place frozen stock in a pot over med. heat and let it melt while preparing soup.

Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

Make your chicken stock from scratch and keep it in the freezer for homemade soups or to use in rice instead of water. When you’re at the store picking up a rotisserie chicken for a quick dinner, pick up a few extra ingredients to make a stock with the leftover chicken.  It’s easy and rustic and much better than a box or can to make stock with leftover rotisserie chicken.

Ingredients: leftover rotisserie chicken (bones and all!), celery, carrots, onion, garlic, whole peppercorn, salt.

1. in a stock  pot place leftover chicken in pot. cover with about 6-8 cups of water. heat over high heat.
2. chop top and bottom off celery, add to pot (save rest of celery stalks for snacking or cooking with).
3. chop tops and bottoms off carrots and add to pot. save the rest of carrots for later use. (tip: buy the bulk carrots with their green leafy tops for stocks. just break off the the leafy tops and add that to stock pot.)
4. slice 1 small onion in half and add to pot. (peel and all)
5. smash 4-6 garlic cloves and add to pot. (peel and all)
6. add 2 tbs of whole black peppercorn and 2 tbs of salt to pot.

Let stock come to a boil then turn down heat to medium cover and let it cook for about 30-45 min. Turn off heat. Place a large bowl in the sink and set a strainer inside it. Slowly pour stock into bowl. (you may have to do in 2 bowl if your bowl is not big enough.) Lift stainer out and shake out excess liquid. Discard chicken and veggies from strainer. You now have homemade chicken stock! Pour stock into containers and store in freezer. I use 12 oz plastic containers.

Lebanese Mezze

I’m taking it back to my roots today. Cooking it up  Lebanese style in JJ’s kitchen. I won’t be posting recipes this time though. These are family secrets passed down for 3 generation! However, the Lebanese Mezze is one of my most popular request from clients. This is no simple task either. Especially when preparing it on my own (it takes me about 3 hours). Growing up there were always plenty of hands to help. I find myself missing my Aunts when making this! Shout out to my Aunts for teaching me the family recipes.

Here’s a few photos of what went down in the  Cooking JJ’s Way kitchen….

prep for grape leaves                                    rolled grape leaves (wara xariic)

prep for tabouli                                                tabouli

hummus from scratch                                     kibbee