Spicy Sesame Honey Chicken

Well this weekend was pretty awesome!  I had the chance to meet with other bloggers from the Southern Blog Society, specifically Danielle from Lou What Wear, Beth from Seersucker + Saddles, Grace from A Southern Drawl, and Heather from Her Kentucky.  All were wonderful and so knowledgeable.  Being a blogger newbie, I had a ton of questions, and I soaked in so much knowledge.  What does that mean for this little blog?  Lots of changes!  I'll be working on a new layout, business cards, logo, contests/giveaways, and guest posting for some other blogs!  So EXCITING!!!!

So about this recipe--made it several times because the hubby would eat it all before I could take a final picture!  This is from a man who "hates Asian cuisine"--just saying....

 {Spicy Sesame Honey Chicken}

 {Pouring marinade over chicken}

 {Marinating chicken}

Spicy Sesame Honey Chicken

Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame seed oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon chili flakes (can cut this if you don't like it too spicy)
1 onion, sliced
2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons chicken broth
Cooked rice and/or steamed vegetables

1. Mix honey, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and chili flakes together until combined.
2. Place chicken and onion in a container; pour honey mixture on top of chicken and onion.
3. Marinate chicken overnight.
4. Pour chicken and sauce into a crock-pot.
5. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
6. Remove all liquid from crock-pot and place in a sauce pan on the stove on medium.
7. Mix cornstarch and chicken broth together in a small container.
8. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce pan; heat until sauce is thickened.
9. Serve with cooked rice and/or steamed vegetables.

I hope that you had a fabulous weekend also!  Here's to an awesome week!

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Seasoned Oyster Crackers

This recipe has been in my family for YEARS!  We borrowed it from a family friend, and this stuff is addicting.  Seriously--you can't just eat a little bit.  These are a party favorite in my family or a "just because" especially since it's so cheap to make!

 {Seasoned Oyster Crackers}

 {Gathering ingredients}

 {Pour dressing over crackers}

 {Crackers will look oily when you first pour the dressing on, but after 24 hours, all you have left is the seasoning!}

One year ago:  Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Seasoned Oyster Crackers

Makes 20 oz (fills about a gallon container)

2-10 oz bags oyster crackers
1 cup vegetable or grape seed oil
1 package Ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place oyster crackers in a container.
2. In the measuring cup with the oil, add the spices and stir until well combined.
3. Pour dressing mix over crackers.
4. Close container and shake to coat all the crackers.
5. Let crackers set overnight to absorb oil and flavors, shaking container every few hours (no specific times just a few times).
6. Serve.

Do you have a favorite snack that your family can't get enough of?  I'd love to hear it!

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Bacon and Green Onion Risotto

Sometimes life calls for some decadence like this risotto.  Totally not part of my diet, but you know what?  Making the hubby happy is a bit more fulfilling.  Plus, I didn't eat too much, and I shared with family!

 {Bacon and Green Onion Risotto}

 {Cook Arborio until the grain becomes clear}

 {Add broth one ladle at a time and allow the rice to absorb it fully in-between additions.  That gives it the creaminess without the extra calories from heavy cream or milk!}

Bacon and Green Onion Risotto
adapted from my recipes

Serves 8

6 cups chicken broth

1 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
Reserved bacon fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
2 bunches green onions (about 10 each), sliced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or Romano will work too)
Salt and pepper

1. In a pot, heat chicken broth until it begins to steam.
2. In a large sauce pan, heat bacon fat and olive oil until hot.
3. Add rice, thyme, and garlic to the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes or until rice grains become clear.
4. Using a ladle, fill it up and add to rice.  Allow rice to absorb liquid, and then add another ladle.  Repeat until rice is tender and has a thick sauce (from the rice starch).
5. Add green onions, bacon, lemon juice, butter and cheese.
6. Stir until combined and melted.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If rice gets too thick add more broth--or milk)
8. Serve. 

Don't step away from this rice because it absorbs the liquid quickly!  I love the creaminess this gets without all the added calories of cooking rice in heavy cream.  Plus, bacon, cheese, and onion is a classic combination.  I served this with the Garlic Pepper Roast with Gravy.

Happy Wednesday!

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About the Town: Saul Good

**I know that I said that I don't go out to eat often, but I have eaten at so many fantastic local places (and been back more than once!) that I felt I needed to share with my fellow Lexingtonians!  So any time I go out to eat, and the food/service is great, I'll review it on here.  I go back more than once, you know, for research purposes.  I am not paid for this, and all opinions are my own!**

I hit it big last week, not just going to one favorite local place, but two!  Last week, I talked about Bourbon n' Toulouse, and this week, I'm all about Saul Good.

Saul Good is locally owned and operated pub that just grew to a third location!  I've only been to the one on Nicholasville Rd and in Hamburg.  The decor is gorgeous, and the food is divine!

 {Saul Good in Hamburg}

 {Lettuce Wraps}

 {Pear Sangria}

{Rosemary Chicken Pizza}

Saul Good has a rotating menu which seems to change every 3-4 months.  However, items like their Chicken and Waffles, Buffalo Chicken, and pizzas seem to stay (which is good because I love them!).  I've been several times, and I have always ordered something different and loved the food.  The service is phenomenal!  A manager ALWAYS comes by to check on you.  They have a decent happy hour and seasonal drinks too!  I've even had their Nutella Hot Chocolate Cake (delicious!).  My mom is obsessed with their shoestring fries.

If you are looking for a good place to eat, head over to Saul Good's!

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Food for Thought

{Tetons and Snake River by Ansel Adams}

An unexpressed feeling is like a rubber band being stretched to its limit.  The longer you hold on to the feeling, the more the tension grows.  Eventually, something have to give, or the rubber band is going to snap.  When that happens, someone is going to get hurt.  What you feel is important and expressing it is an important step toward healing yourself and someone else.  

~Iyanta Zanzant

It's been an emotionally and physically exhausting week.  I have some feelings that need expressed to a certain individual, but I am trying to give myself time to heal a little bit before I talk about those feelings so I don't lose an important relationship I have in my life.  I'll probably spend the weekend drafting a letter for them.  Will I send it?  I'm not sure.

Otherwise, I will be resting and enjoying the sunshine on Saturday because it's looking like Sunday is going to be yucky weather-wise.

I hope that you had a fantastic week and have an even better weekend!

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Garlic Pepper Roast with Gravy

It's wordless Wednesday....  Except for the hubby who said "why don't you make hearty food like this more often instead because this is awesome?"....  What can I say?  He's all about the meat and potatoes.  I will admit, this was wonderful on a cold day (hopefully not too many more on the horizon!)!

 {Garlic Pepper Roast with Gravy}

 {Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the roast (left) and then shove garlic cloves in the slits (right)}

 {Coat roast in pepper (fresh ground is the best!)}

 {Take the liquid from the roast, make a roux and thicken the sauce into gravy}

Garlic Pepper Roast

Serves 4

1-3 pound beef roast
6-8 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons ground black pepper (fresh preferably)
1 cup beef broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour

1. Cut slits into roast and stuff garlic into each pocket.
2. Pour broth into the bottom of a crock-pot.
3. Place roast on top of broth.
4. Sprinkle with ground black pepper.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
6. Pour all liquid out of crock-pot.
7. Heat butter in saucepan.  Add flour to make a roux cooking for 3 minutes.
8. Add cooked broth to roux and heat until thickened.
9. Pull roast out of crock-pot and slice.
10. Serve a slice of garlic pepper roast with gravy.

I'm a gravy girl, and this made delicious gravy.  In fact, I *might* have drank the leftovers....  I have no shame when it comes to gravy!

What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to food?

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About the Town: Bourbon n' Toulouse

**I know that I said that I don't go out to eat often, but I have eaten at so many fantastic local places (and been back more than once!) that I felt I needed to share with my fellow Lexingtonians!  So any time I go out to eat, and the food/service is great, I'll review it on here.  I go back more than once, you know, for research purposes.  I am not paid for this, and all opinions are my own!**

You know those local hole-in-the-wall joints?  That's where you will find me!  I love eating local, and I haven't done an About the Town in a while (in fact not at all in 2014!).  So here we go!

My mom took me here after a friend of hers who hails from Mississippi (and makes a mean gumbo!) goes to Bourbon n' Toulouse when he is homesick because it's good Cajun/Creole food.  Wouldn't you know it?....  The food is delicious!  In fact, they have a Cajun Garlic Bread that I replicated because it was so delicious!

 {Front door and sign}

So to the food!  I've had several different dishes, but my favorite it the Black Bean with Cajun Sausage.  I always get a 1/2 and 1/2 order with my favorite and another to try.  I've never been disappointed!  Not only that, but you get the food in no time.  I think the longest I had to wait was 5 minutes because they were making more garlic bread.

{Menu board}

Bourbon n' Toulouse offer several gluten free and vegetarian options too.

 {Black beans and Cajun sausage}

 {Red beans and rice}

Just so you know, those are half orders pictured above.  It's a large amount of food for a great price!

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Creamy Green Bean and Mushroom Salad

Hello Monday...  It's a St Patrick's Day Monday, and although I had every intention of making an Irish meal out of potatoes and some bangers (sausages) I found at CostCo before today so I could post it, life got in the way.  Actually, I was obsessing over my mom's new puppy (check out my Instagram feed at agirleatsworld for a video of her cuteness!)....  So instead, I present this delicious salad (it's green!) instead.

 {Green Bean and Mushroom Salad}

 {To dry saute mushrooms, just place them in a pan over high heat.  The mushrooms will cook and release liquid that has a highly concentrated mushroom flavor!}

 {Add remaining ingredients and serve immediately.  This is a hot (temperature not spice) salad!}

Creamy Green Bean and Mushroom Salad
from simply recipes

Serves 4

1 pound green beans, fresh or frozen
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
1 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

1. Put 2 quarts of water, salted with 1 tbsp of salt, in a pot to boil while you cut the mushrooms and onions.
2. Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and dry sauté them until they begin to release their water. Sprinkle them with a little salt. Once they have released most of their water, remove them to a bowl and set aside. 
3. Add the green beans to the boiling water, and time them for 5 minutes, or until just tender. (No need to defrost frozen beans.) 
4. Add butter to the hot sauté pan. Once the butter has melted, add the onions. Cook until the onions are beginning to brown. 
5. As soon as the green beans are cooked just tender, strain them. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the onions, then add the green beans. 
6. Remove from heat. Stir in the sour cream. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. 
7. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

I've noticed lately I've been doing a large amount of veggies and salads.  No reason and completely unintentional, but strange nonetheless.

I hope that you have a great St Patrick's Day.  I'll be eating those bangers and drinking a Guinness tonight!  What are you doing?

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Food for Thought

{Overlook at Red River Gorge}

Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.  

~Thich Nhat Hanh

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Ratatouille

When I say that my family pays in food, I am being very serious.  Circumstances beyond my control have left me without a car so no way to get to yoga on nights the hubby goes to class.  My mother is gracious enough to volunteer to drive me (when she goes), and so I am paying her back by feeding her twice a week.  Pretty good deal if you ask me!

I made Ratatouille the first night she was over, and she loved it!  This recipe makes a large enough quantity that she took some home, and I still had leftovers!

 {Ratatouille}

 {Layering vegetables}

 {Sprinkle Parmesan or Romano cheese on top}

 {Serve with garlic bread to complete this meatless meal!}

Ratatouille
from food.com

Makes 8 servings

2 large onions, sliced
1 large eggplant, cubed
3-4 zucchini, sliced in semi-circles
6 cloves garlic, cut into large chunks
2 green peppers, de-seeded and cut into strips
2 cans diced tomatoes (or use 2 large fresh tomatoes)
2-6 oz can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)

1. Layer half of vegetables in a large crock-pot in the following order: onion, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, green peppers, tomatoes.
2. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle half of spice mix over vegetables in the crock-pot.
4. Dot with one can of tomato paste.
5. Repeat layering process with remaining vegetables, spices and tomato paste.
6. Drizzle with olive oil.
7. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
8. Serve sprinkled with cheese. 

This is a great recipe for a Meatless Monday (or any day!).  It's very hearty and healthy!  Do you have any beloved meatless meals that I can try?  I'd love to hear some!

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Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

I've been wanting to make this salad for a few months (as in back in the fall).  Better late than never right?  I'm glad that I finally did because this salad is so delicious!  I brought some to a dinner with my family, and I was told that I am not leaving with it (that happens a lot with me....)!  It's a good thing I set some aside for myself at home!

I'm hitting the challenges early this month with a challenge to make a vegetarian soup or salad for No Croutons Required.  (I have another challenge or two in the works!)

 {Roasted Sweet Potato Salad}

 {Roasting the sweet potatoes and chili flakes}

 {Adding an acid, like lemon juice, to raw onions takes the bite out of them (aka onion breath)}

 {Mix remaining ingredients while waiting for the sweet potatoes to cool}

 {This salad is best after setting overnight so the flavors really combine}

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
from Pinch of Yum

Makes 8 servings

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite-sized chunks
2 teaspoons chili flakes (less if you don't like it too spicy)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
3. Toss sweet potato chunks and olive oil together until well coated.
4. Place sweet potatoes on foil.  Sprinkle chili flakes on top.
5. Roast potatoes 30-40 minutes or until tender.
6. Meanwhile, mix beans, garlic, pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl.
7. In a small bowl, mix red onions and lemon juice together and leave for 5 minutes.  This mellows out the onion.
8. Cool sweet potatoes.
9. Add the sweet potatoes and onion mixture to the bean mixture.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Allow to set overnight for best flavors, but it can be served immediately.

We were starting to get nice weather this week, and with that, comes the much anticipated Spring Cleaning!  I clean not only my house but my cabinets, fridge and freezer!  You'd be amazed what gets shoved in the way, way back.  So along with washing the curtains, moving large furniture to vacuum underneath, cleaning the baseboards, etc, my cabinets, fridge, and freezer will get completely emptied, wiped down, and recipes found/made for all the odds and ends.

Do you include your cabinets, fridge, and freezer in your Spring Cleaning routine?

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Tuesday Tip: Cleaning a Crock-Pot

After grabbing a cleaned crock-pot (the hubby so graciously washed), I was hit by this smell.  The crock-pot was clean, but it smelled like there was still food inside!  Not good!

{Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Slow Cooker is on stands now!}

I bought a Better Homes and Garden Slow Cooker cookbook (so many helpful hints and tips PLUS I want to make about 75% of the recipes--so go get one!).  As fate would have it, that afternoon, I read about how to clean your crock-pot from smells and hard stains.   So I've tried it a couple of times, and it actually works!  It's easy and simple, and the cleaning supplies are in your kitchen right now!

Smells

Mix 2 cups baking soda with 1 cup water (should be a thick paste that can easily be spread).  Spread along all inside surfaces of your crock-pot and allow to sit for 20 minutes.  Rinse, wash, and use!

 {Mixing the paste on the left and applying it on the right}

Stains/Discoloration

In a clean crock-pot, fill it halfway full of warm water.  Add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the water.  Turn the crock-pot on low.  Leave the vinegar water in the crock-pot for 8-10 hours (or overnight).  Cool. Wash before next use.

 {Use vinegar to get rid of stains and discolorations from minerals in your food and/or water}

What did all of this result in?  A good-smelling, almost-brand-new-looking crock-pot!!!  I do have to say that I have been cooking in it about 4 days a week for the last year, so she needed some TLC!

{Clean crock-pot}

Now I bet you are itching to go home and make your crock-pot look as awesome as mine came out!  How often have I cleaned it like this?  Only when it was needed.  Otherwise, soap and warm water does the trick!

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Lima Beans in Garlic Butter Sauce

I had these at a local restaurant, and my family loved them so much, that we went home and made them the next day.  So simple yet so delicious! 

{Lima Beans in Garlic Butter Sauce}

Lima Beans in Garlic Butter Sauce

Serves 4

1 pound Lima beans, frozen
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced

1. Place Lima beans and broth in a saucepan and heat until steaming.
2. Steam beans for 3-5 minutes or until done.
3. Add butter and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately.

Have I done this more than once?  I most certainly have!  Will I do this again?  Without shame!  Have you ever replicated a dish that you had in a restaurant?  If so, please share!

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Food for Thought

 {Dogwood Blossoms}

The most terrible of weapons is the word, which can ruin a life without leaving a trace of blood, and whose wounds never heal.

~Paulo Coelho

I've been thinking a great deal on words and how they are used.  Not just myself, but with others as well.  Words can build someone up to the highest of highs, but they can also devastate someone.  Take Masaru Emoto's water experiment as an example--words are powerful.

How do you use words?

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Mediterranean Succotash

I've never really had succotash before, but this Mediterranean version sounded really good.  No surprise that it was!  I have a regular succotash recipe to try in the summer with fresh vegetables.  This is great as a main dish especially for a Meatless Monday.  I'm trying to be Meatless on Mondays, but the hubby doesn't think it's a meal unless there is meat... *sigh*  I bake him some chicken to go with it usually.  I'm excited because I have a ratatouille recipe to try!

 {Mediterranean Succotash}

 {Getting the succotash ready}

 {Cooked succotash}

 {Topped with feta and extra parsley for presentation}

Mediterranean Succotash
from my recipes

Makes 8 servings

1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-15 oz cans cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained (aka white kidney beans but use Great Northern if you can't find any)
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup feta cheese, optional for serving

1. Place first seven ingredients (through black pepper) in a crock-pot for 6 hours on low.
2. Add in parsley and lemon juice and cook another 30 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with feta cheese sprinkled on top.

Do you try to go meatless on a regular basis?  Did you know beans are a good source to get that "full" feeling?  I'm not too adventurous to try tofu--yet!  I might sneak it in when the hubby is not looking....

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Spice It UP!!! Yogurt

I know what you are thinking--yogurt is just good for a snack or breakfast.  Sorry to say, friend, but you are sorely mistaken.  Yogurt is pretty awesome in more than just that capacity!  Did you know that yogurt softens tough meats because of the acidity and the bacteria found in yogurt?  Pretty cool!

{Generic Greek yogurt--I'm not brand loyal generally}

Yogurt is believed to have originated in the Middle East and Central Asia region as a way to preserve milk from their animals; they also dried yogurt as an easier means to transport it.  This is why it's a base for many dishes in this region compared to European cuisines.  In the Middle East and Central Asian countries, they marinate their meat in yogurt and make dipping sauces with the yogurt.  (source)

Yogurt is most known for its pro-biotic qualities (aka helps with digestion tract by making sure the bacteria are good and healthy).  However, not all yogurts are created equal as far as bacteria goes.  The following distinction is found on World's Healthiest Foods:

Since measurement of living versus dead bacteria in a yogurt can be complicated, most companies also report the live bacteria content of their yogurt in terms of "cfu" or "colony forming units. CFUs are best thought of as viable bacterial cells that capable of multiplying and forming larger colonies of bacteria. It's also worth noting here that in scientific notation, the number one million (1,000,000) is typically written as 10⁶. So you might see a phrase like "10⁶ CFUs" on package information about yogurt. This phrase tells you that the yogurt contained at least 1,000,000 viable bacterial cells at the time when it was manufactured. The National Yogurt Association (NYA) has adopted this 10⁶ CFU standard for any fresh yogurt displaying its "Live and Active Cultures" (LAC) seal. 

Yogurt also has several more nutrients like protein, vitamin B, calcium, etc (source and source)

{Live and Active Culture label}

Yogurt comes in many, many different forms from flavored to plain, low-fat to full fat, Greek to non-dairy, even regular to smoothie!  It's whatever you want!  Personally, I prefer Greek style yogurt especially when cooking or baking; it's not as sweet and has more protein than regular yogurt.  I drink a cultured milk smoothie called Kefir (can be found in the health food section of most Kroger stores) which is like thinned yogurt for breakfast every morning.  The label refers to Kefir as the champagne of dairy, and in fact, it should be slightly effervescent meaning that the bacteria are alive and working.

 {Kefir comes in several flavors, but these are my favorite.  Kefir is great for lactose-intolerant people and people who don't want to drink milk or eat dairy (like myself)}

You can make yogurt at home.  I've never tried to do so, but I have seen those kits and thought about it.  If you feel like trying, I would suggest this website and this one too!

Now for the good stuff--recipes with yogurt!  I have made some sweet recipes, but mostly they have used yogurt to marinate the meat or make a dipping sauce.  I have a few more yogurt recipes that will hopefully work out so watch out for them in March!

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Butter Chicken
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt
Chocolate Mousse
Chicken Shawarma
Garam Masala Chicken
Healthy Cupcakes
Healthy Muffins 
Lemonade Popsicles
Pork Souvlaki Kebabs
Quark (savory yogurt sauce)
Tikka Masala
Tzatziki (Middle Eastern Garlic Sauce)
Yogurt Bites

Do you use yogurt for anything besides as a snack or breakfast?
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