Homemade Biscuits

Breakfast for dinner is a standard in my house.  In fact, I don't think I have ever made breakfast (sausage gravy, biscuits, bacon, pancakes, waffles, etc) before noon!  My husband's favorite meal is breakfast for dinner, and we indulge about once a  month--even eating it in bed!  (You don't HAVE to have breakfast in bed in the morning....  It's fun!)

{Homemade drop biscuits!}

It's just two of us so to buy a can o'biscuits is a big waste.  We used to buy the frozen Pillsbury Southern Style biscuits.  However, as with much of our food consumption, I have been trying to come up with a biscuit recipe that I can make at home when we needed it because frankly, we needed the room in our freezer!  I did the box biscuit mix thing for a while, but they just didn't live up to Pillsbury standard. 

Anyway--long story short, I created a recipe!  I NEVER tempt fate and create a baked recipe because so much can go wrong, but thankfully, they ended up delicious on the first try!!!  (Kudos to my culinary education--please don't try it at home unless you know what you are doing!!!)  Ben even said they were better than Pillsbury (which is a pretty tall order).  The best part--it's super easy!

{Dough after mixing it up}

Homemade Biscuits

Makes 6 giant biscuits

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Combine all dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined.
3. Add milk and butter and stir until dough forms.
4. Knead dough about 6 times just to get everything nice and mix up.
5. Drop biscuits onto a greased baking sheet.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Bonus--Just mix up the dry ingredients for a 'biscuit mix' substitute!  I have used it in this Apple-Cranberry Bar recipe with excellent results!

You can add different flavorings for a twist like ham and cheddar or gouda and onion or garlic and parmesan....  The possibilities are endless!

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Chicken Salad

This chicken salad recipe came about by accident--seriously it did!  My grandmother made a recipe called Chicken Logs which was a chicken filling wrapped in crescent dough and baked.  Well--the filling was so good that it became our chicken salad!

{I like to sandwich mine between two buttery crackers!}

I'm not a huge fan of mayonnaise-based chicken salad recipes--never have been.  Also, I had never had chicken salad with fruit in it until I started working in the restaurant business.  That's why I LOVE my chicken salad recipe--it's made with cream cheese instead!  The cream cheese makes it creamy and just totally different than what most people know as chicken salad.

{Mixing the chicken, onions, and garlic together}

{Adding cream cheese}

Don't get me wrong--I have had chicken salad with mayo AND fruit and liked it (I am partial to cranberries in chicken salad).  However, whenever I think of chicken salad, I think of my cream cheese chicken salad.

{Finished chicken salad!}

Chicken Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3 cans cooked chicken, drained
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cream cheese, softened

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Serve with crackers or bread.

Intrigued?  Try it!  It's definitely different.  If you would like to try the Chicken Log recipe also, just put the chicken salad inside 2 triangles of crescent pinched together to make a square.  Roll to seal shut, and bake until the crescent dough is done about 12 minutes at 350.Pin It

Spaghetti Squash

I know what you must be thinking: Spaghetti squash?  Is this woman CRAZY!  Seriously--there is a sqaush called that because the 'flesh' of the sqaush comes out in strands--just like spaghetti!

{See?  Isn't that so cool?  (Yes--I am a dork....)}

Although not quite as easy as throwing pasta into boiling water for 10 minutes, this squash is much more nutritous.  Since I try to stay away from refined carbs like pasta, this is a fantastic alternative for me (besides the fact that it is so COOL!).  The sqaush is extremely mild flavored so it goes well with anything and won't give a sqaushy taste.  This is perfect to get kids to eat their veggies!

How do you cook this wonderful vegetable, you ask?  Quite simply--roast it, cool it a bit, then scrap out the 'pasta' goodness!

{Looks so plain}

{Cut it open--you might need a large knife for this!}

{Raw--can you see the 'strands'?}

{Oiled and ready to go!}

{Mhmmm roasted!}

{You can definitely see the strands here!}

Roasting Spaghetti Squash

Makes--depends on the size of squash mine made 2 servings and it was small

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash, your choice in size

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Cut the sqaush in half and scrap out the guts and seeds.
3. Oil and season the insides of the squash and place on a baking dish, inside up.
4. Roast squash for 1 hour depending on the size--the edges should be browned and flesh tender.
5. Take sqaush out of the oven and let cool 10-15 minutes.
6. Take a spoon and scrap out the 'strands' making sure to not burn yourself!
7. Serve with your choice sauce.

Just to test it, I served this to Ben without telling him it wasn't pasta, and he NEVER knew the difference (at least he didn't say anything, and he is not shy!). 

{I served it with chicken pesto sauce}



Are you intrigued?  I definitely recommend it!  I have had it with spaghetti sauce, baked in casseroles, and every which way you can think of; my grandmother loves this squash too (she introduced it to me)!  Yes, you can buy it at the store so go get one and have some fun!

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Favorite Restaurants

I don't go out to eat too often, but when I do, I typically head to my favorites. I do try new restaurants on the occasion especially if recommended by friends and family. I will almost always pick a local restaurant over a chain (unless travelling when local choices are limited). So here are my favorite restaurants in and around Lexington, KY with one in Louisville, KY. I highly recommend these restaurants; they have excellent food and superb service!


Taqueria Aguacalientes--Unfortunately, this restaurant doesn't have a website/facebook I can link, but they are located on Alexandria Drive.  This restaurant is very authentic Mexican food; it was recommended to me by a native Mexican, and now I cannot go any where else because the food is no where near as good as this place!  Ben and I had their fajitas in October; I've had their tacos, burritos, sopas, tortas, etc (haven't had the quesadilla yet...).  The chicken soup makes me feel better when I feel under the weather.  They make everything in the restaurant or buy it from the local tortilla maker or bakery across the street (all are owned by the same family).  Watch out though: some of the waitresses speak a bit English so you might have to dust off the high school Spanish!

Sutton's--The food is mostly Italian with an American twist.  Interesting food (pizza burger, Hot Brown pizza, to name a few!) and fantastic service.  The owner comes to each table to make sure everything is fabulous, and he's made a few recommendations that I have tried and has not failed.  Their bread pudding is TO. DIE. FOR!  I have been commissioned/challenged by a friend to make bread pudding like that, and I won't lie when I say that I don't know where to begin!

Le Matin Bakery--This is a classic French style bakery.  Their sweets are superb!  My family stops by for coffee and cake on the occasion (or else we would be VERY fat!).  In fact, the last few times we were there, we might have had two rounds of desserts....  They also serve lunch items which I haven't tried yet because I can't get past the counter cases full of croissants and cookies and cakes and tarts and tortes!

{How can you walk by that without trying EVERYTHING?!}

Oasis Restaurant--I love Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food (it's my favorite!), and so naturally I would scout around for an excellent place to get some in Lexington.  This place was recommended by a chef instructor, and I have been going there for years!  Excellent hummus, chicken shawarma (my favorite EVER), falafels, tabbouli, and I could go on and on!  The owners are a husband and wife team; one is from Turkey/Lebanon and the other Greece.

The Pub--The pub-like atmosphere, the bar right when you walk in stocked to the brim with various beers, wines, and liquors, and the hearty food all have made this one of my favorite places!  It's a small chain, but it's still very good with unique menus items like Scotch Eggs, Pretzel Beer Cheese Burger, Shepard's Pie, Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips, Tipsy Laird, just to name a few!  A great place to hang out and cut up with friends!

Pho BC--This is a Vietnamese restaurant.  I love the clean flavors of Vietnamese cuisine especially in their soups, which is called Pho in the native language.  When I say 'clean' I mean light and crisp--green onions, lime juice, basil, and cilatnro.  I LOVE pho, and that's all I usually get at the restaurant.  They do have other dishes which I have yet to try.

J Alexander's--This is the restaurant located in Louisville.  My grandmother and I stopped to eat on one of our trips to the city, and we got hooked on the Braised Red Cabbage with Goat Cheese (it was a seasonal vegetable although we wish it was on the menu permanently!).  Whenever we go to Louisville, we stop and eat.  The food NEVER disappoints, and everything is cooked to perfection.  The service is superb!

What are your recommendations for restaurants in Lexington?  I'd love to hear them!

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