I love Goat.....

...Cheese of course! I was looking to use up ingredients on hand (which happen to be some of my faves - herbed goat cheese, chicken, fresh parsley, mushrooms & sun dried tomatoes) I adapted this recipe from Elly Says Opa, to include my ingredients. The creaminess come from the goat cheese, which adds great flavor as opposed to simply adding cream to achieve a similar result. I served it with a spinach salad, enjoy!

Penne with Goat Cheese-Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 (4-5 oz) hot Italian sausages, casings removed I used sweet chicken sausage
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes
a few tbsp of wine or broth (not necessary but it's good for deglazing)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas I omitted
3 Tbsp. fresh basil (more for garnish if desired) I didn't have basil, so I used parsley
1 small (4oz) log goat cheese
salt and pepper
10-12 oz. penne, cooked

Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, and add the olive oil. When shimmering, crumble in the sausage and saute until browned. Add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms and garlic. Once the mushrooms and onions are tender, add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute before adding a few splashes of broth/wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits.

Add the crushed tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer to combine the flavors, 10 or 15 minutes. Add the peas and heat through for a minute or two. Stir in the basil and the goat cheese. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the goat cheese has melted into the sauce. Season to taste if necessary and combine with the cooked pasta.

Yogurt For Dinner???

You bet ya! I love chicken kebabs, so I was excited to try a recipe from my new summer cookbook that I received in the summer exchange swap . The marinade of yogurt, garlic and lemon was so good, I reserved some and drizzled it over the cooked chicken and veggies. I made a couple of slight changes to give it more of a Greek feel and served it gyro style in some grilled whole wheat Greek style pitas. I love good food that's actually for that's good for you!

Chicken and Lemon Skewers

adapted from Easy Summer Food - Simple Recipes for Sunny Days

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain fat free yogurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed I used 4, I LOVE garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tsp ground chiles I omitted

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro I omitted and added 1/2 tbsp dried oregano

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

I added some pieces of green pepper and onion, and red cherry and quartered yellow tomatoes

Cut the chicken lengthwise into 1/8 strips and put in a shallow ceramic dish.

Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, stir well, and pour over chicken. Turn to coat, cover and let marinate in the fridge over night. (I only marinated for about 5 hours, nest time I will over night, and I reserved some to drizzled over the cooked food)

The next day, thread the chicken onto the soaked skewers, zig-zagging the meat back and forth as you go.

Cook on a preheated outdoor grill or under a hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until lightly charred and tender. I also grilled the vegetables at the same time. Let cool slightly before serving.

How I Love Pizza!!!

I can't say it enough - the.best.food.in.the.universe. Nuff said! I love trying new dough, sauce, toppings combinations, so here's another. The only down side to my pizza making is that I am so messy - anytime flour, dough and cornmeal is involved, so is is a big cleanup. I was going to grill it, but the skies weren't so friendly, so I baked it on my pizza stone. This time I experimented and created a new pizza sauce - so good!

Pizza Dough
Dave Lieberman, Food Network

This dough recipe works great for thick crust pizzas and calzones.

1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
1 teaspoon salt

**For my toppings, I grilled and sliced two lean tukey Italian style sausages, some pepperoni, sliced mushrooms, diced red onion, part skim mozzarella cheese & topped with frehsly torn basil.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together yeast, warm water, sugar and olive oil. Let sit for about 3 minutes to fully dissolve and activate the yeast.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
With a rubber spatula, gradually mix the yeast mixture into the flour until just combined and dough barely holds together. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter surface dusted with flour.

Knead the dough with flour-dusted hands until the dough has become smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The surface should be tight and silky and bounce back slightly when pressed.

Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Once doubled, punch the dough down and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Knead each 1 slightly to form a uniform ball. Set aside and cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to rest for 30 minutes.

Cook's Note: Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight once it is divided. Keep covered tightly in plastic wrap or in a sealed food storage bag.

Roasted Garlic Pizza Sauce

6 oz tomato paste
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1.5 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp parsley
1/2-3/4 cup water (depending how thick/thin you want it)
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of roasted garlic

In a bowl, add the tomato paste and olive oil, and slowly stir the water. Mash the garlic cloves till
it forms a paste, and add to the bowl. Add remaining ingredients, spread on dough, or refrigerate.

Check Out My Loot!

I frequent the What's Cooking board (my inspiration for starting a food blog in the first place!) and we do these fun season-themed secret gift exchanges. My gift giver, pepperchik18/Kristi sent me these wonderful gifts - an Emeril potholder with silicone (I just recently ruined my oven mitts, it's perfect), silicone Kitchen Aid tongs, garlic and basil dried pasta, and two summer/grilling cookbooks (one from Williams Sonoma - LOVE that store!)

I look forward to trying some new recipes this week - stay tuned!

Is It That Time Of Year Already????

Yes....unfortunately, football season is just around the corner. Yeah, I'm probably one of the few people (especially in Tennessee) who does not enjoy football. But being married to a football fanatic makes it impossible to avoid - so I've learned to enjoy tailgating (read: eating plenty of good food & enjoying some beer)

So although it's still hot outside, I wanted to experiment with some new ingredients for chili (plus I was craving it!) I added some new spices and more veggies (Jamie didn't even mind them), so this is a healthier version of the chili that I usually make. Go Blue!

Three Chilies Tasty Turkey Chili

I like it hot, so if you don't reduce the amount of ancho chili pepper & powder, or use tomatoes with mild chilies

1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1-2 ribs celery, finely diced
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes with hot chilies
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can black bean, drained, rinsed
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ancho chili pepper
1/2 tbsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp oregano
about 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2-1 bottle of beer (I used Corona)
a couple of tbsp of tomato paste to thicken it up if necessary
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
Plus desired sides or toppings.

Over medium-high heat, add the oil and turkey to a large pot and break apart, cook till meat starts to brown. Add the next 5 ingredients (through the garlic) and cook till meat is browned and veggies are softened.

Add the beer to deglaze the pan and simmer for 5-8 minutes until liquid is reduced. Add all the seasonings, diced and crushed tomatoes. Cover with lid and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Add a little tomato sauce or paste to adjust the amount of liquid, Jamie and I prefer it to have a little more liquid. If you don't, you could also drain the diced tomatoes and reserve the juice to add later if necessary.

Darin and rinse the beans, and add to the pot. Check seasonings, adjust if required. Continue to simmer for another 45 minutes.

Serve with toppings - I like a little fat free sour cream, shredded Mexican 2% or Monterrey Jack cheese, diced/sliced yellow/green onions and garlic bread on the side. Tortilla chips and cornbread are also great things to dip in your chili!

The Beer Can Goes Where????

Jamie had this idea a few years back (I'm sure people have been doing it for years, we had just never heard of it) - he likes chicken, beer and grilling - so why not combine them? So I used to simply take a tall can of beer and stick it up the chicken's rear! The chicken was well - pretty tipsy - it's not fun trying to get the chicken upright after falling and then having to use yet another beer for the chicken instead of my personal use! Since then, beer can chicken stands, grilling trays with liquid reservoirs or other devices are pretty popular, so of course I bought one, and use it all the time.

With my grilling stand/tray, it has a tall cup-like center, so I didn't actually have to use the beer can. I tried a few new things, and it was so juicy and flavorful. With my stand, there's also room around it, so I tossed some potatoes and vegetables around the chicken, creating a complete meal.

Sorry for the dark picture, we ate around 8:30 at night....cheers!

In The Rear Chicken With Beer

4.5 lb whole chicken
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
few sprigs of fresh parsley for potatoes if desired
1 bottle or large can of beer (I used Sam Adams Honey Brown, but I like Heineken too)
1/2 onion, peeled
About 1/2-3/4 cup of BBQ Sauce - I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ
3 cloves of garlic, smashed

Rub:
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1.5 tsp Montreal seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper


Preheat the grill on medium-high heat.

Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Rub the extra virgin olive oil and rub mix all over the chicken, don't forget to add some in the cavity and under the breast skin.

If using a beer can, drink about half the beer, add a garlic clove and some rub mix to the beer. Then carefully stand the chicken on top, using the legs to balance. If using a stand, put about half the beer in the middle liquid holder, and add 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, 1 clove of garlic & stir. Place chicken on top. Put the onion and remaining cloves of garlic in the top cavity of the chicken, just so it peeks out, don't shove it all the way.

My BBQ has three burners, I shut off the middle burner and put the chicken over that one, and cooked on indirect heat.

Toss the potatoes in some EVOO, garlic salt and pepper. Add to the grill (I had the tray area around the chicken that I used, but you could also slice them thinner and wrap in a foil packet and grill for 20-25 minutes)

Baste the chicken every 25 minutes or so with reserved BBQ sauce/beer - I mixed the remaining beer with about another 1/4 BBQ sauce. Turn the potatoes when basting the chicken.

Add some veggies (I used some red and green pepper, cherry tomatoes and red onions), I tossed in the same ingredients as the potatoes. You could also skewer them and put them over the direct heat, which should only take a few minutes.

With a few minutes remaining, I added some freshly chopped parsley to the potatoes.

Cook chicken till it reaches 180 degrees, about 1.5- 2 hours or so. Carefully remove the chicken, let sit for a few minutes, carve & enjoy!

Going Bananas

It was the very first thing I ever baked properly, and turns out wonderful every time I make it - banana bread! This recipe was so moist and banana-y (that should be a word) It made my house smell amazing. Jamie and I enjoyed a couple (or two or three...) slices, then I wrapped individual slices and stored them in the freezer for future quick breakfasts.



Banana Banana Bread
from Allrecipes

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe
bananas
I added 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts & 1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.