Chicken Dance

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I feel almost BAD about telling you how delicious and how extremely EASY this dinner was!   It tastes like you slow cooked these babies, but truthfully, it is so easy you will have time to do a happy dance!  You would think that's why I named this post what I did, but it was actually in reference to the salsa on the chicken.  Eh.  Either way - you'll be happy you made this for dinner!

SALSA CHICKEN

1 pkg chicken thighs

sea salt

pepper

1 small jar salsa of your choice

shredded cheddar cheese

Season chicken thighs with sea salt and pepper on both sides.  Divvy up the salsa among the chicken, plopping it on top of each one.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Yep.  That's it.

NOTES: I served mine with roasted broccoli because I'm the low-carb girl, but you could always cook up some Spanish rice to go with it.  I also use organic chunky salsa from the natural foods section of my local grocery store.  

Party Preserves

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This night was all business, so how could it have been SO FUN?!?  This was a seven-course meal made by yours truly for our Guest Services Team Captains for our home church, Crossbridge.  It was a Summer Dinner Theme because well, it was in the summer.  This picture was part of the amuse bouche, which had a cheese board, a black currant preserve brie wheel, canapes, and potato latkes.  It was all so 'amuse-ing'.  See what I did just there? For the sake of this particular post, I will give you the brie wheel recipe because it was a HUGE HIT, not to mention really, really pretty. 

BLACK CURRANT PRESERVE BRIE WHEEL

1 wheel brie cheese

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

1 cup black currant preserves (or any seasonal preserves of your choice)

1 egg

1 tsp water

Place the cup of black currant preserves in the middle of the puff pastry in a circle, eye-ing the size of the brie and trying to keep the circle to about the same size.  Place the brie cheese on top of the preserves and very gently close up the puff pastry to a tight "present", sealing the edges together and cutting off any excess.  Turn over so that the seal is on bottom and place on a prepared baking sheet.  Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl, and baste all over the puff pastry.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with crackers, celery, or just drop a whopping spoonful into your mouth by itself!

NOTES:  I used the scraps of the excess to make a decoration by cutting out a butterfly with a cookie cutter. I placed it on top of the puff pastry prior to basting with egg wash.

How to Tune a Tuna

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This was a Sunday Supper night (hence the bread allotment for The Hubster!).  I decided to go with an Asian theme and did a teriyaki tuna steak with soy-sauce roasted Chinese broccoli and savoy cabbage and Japanese milk bread.  It was one of the best Sunday Suppers ever (and also one of the easiest)!  Prefer low-carb?  Eliminate the bread.  (But I wouldn't recommend it!)

TERIYAKI TUNA STEAK

4 tuna steaks

Teriyaki sauce

2 tbs Chinese five-spice

sea salt

pepper

Turn your broiler on to high.  Dab both sides of the tuna with your favorite teriyaki sauce.  Evenly distribute the Chinese five-spice among the tuna steaks, sprinkling on both sides.  Sprinkle both sides with sea salt and pepper to taste and place on a prepared baking sheet.  Broil for three minutes on each side and remove from oven.  Baste a little more teriyaki sauce on top and let rest for two-to-five  minutes.

NOTES: Organic Teriyaki sauce is hard to find, so use your favorite, but check the ingredients label for MSG elimination.  This is also fantastic refrigerated overnight and sliced into a salad!

SOY-SAUCE ROASTED VEGGIES

1 bunch Chinese broccoli

1 small head savoy cabbage, quartered

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

soy sauce

sea salt 

pepper

On a baking sheet, place your vegetables.  Sprinkle all over with evoo, soy sauce, a LITTLE sea salt (see notes), and pepper.  Toss with your hands.  Bake at 350 for fifteen minutes for crispy veggies, and 20-25 for softer veggies.  If you are cooking with the tuna steaks, use the boiler while the tuna steaks rest and broil for 2-5 minutes.

NOTES: Soy sauce is SALTY so easy on your sea salt.  Remember: you can always ADD, but you can never take away.  I use the organic soy sauce I found in the natural food section of my local grocery store.  For palate contrast, I put some raw heirloom cherry-and-grape tomatoes on the plate.  Plus it just looks purty.

JAPANESE MILK BREAD

I used the recipe I found HERE

NOTES: Because the dinner was so fast-and-easy, I started this bread when I got home from church to make certain it was ready when the dinner was.  I schmeared it with tons of sweet, beautiful butter for Adrian.  He asked me to marry him again.  It's THAT GOOD.

'Choke On It!

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One of my most favorite things in the universe is artichoke.  This particular night we paired it with the crab we caught on our beach-camping trip and a kitchen-sink salad.  (Crab recipe will come at a later post.  Friend of ours gave us the most AMAHZ recipe I will share!)  Artichokes are super-duper-good for you: they are from the thistle family and are a good source of niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper, and a very good source of dietary fiber (not to mention low-carb!), vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and manganese.  (YAWN.)  THEY ARE JUST PLAIN DELICIOUS!!  This is my go-to way of making them just about every time, and you won't be sorry if you try it.

CITRUS BAKED ARTICHOKE

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1 whole artichoke

sea salt

pepper

juice of 1 citrus fruit (orange, lemon, lime)

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

Snip sharp edges from artichoke, peel stem with vegetable peeler until all nubs and points are removed, and quarter.  Cut top off smooth.  With a paring knife, carefully cut the prickly thistle out of the middle so there is a slight divot, as shown above.  Lay on baking sheet and one at a time, pick up by stem and squeeze citrus juice in between leaves and then onto stem.  Do the same with the evoo, sea salt, and pepper - in that order.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tender.  Then rip the 'meat' off of each leaf with your teeth until you hit the gold nugget that is the tender artichoke heart.  Sweet love of all that is good......you're welcome.

NOTES: Great as a side, or on its own as a snack!

Flaco Taco!

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SO!  Flaco Taco Breakfast Casserole.  In Spanish, that means Skinny (Taco Breakfast Casserole).  I made it for the Worship Team one Sunday morning, and it got pretty rave reviews, and that's a tough (or should I say spoiled?) crowd!  ESPECIALLY if the word 'skinny' is in it, hidden as it may may (try to) be behind a Spanish word-blanket.  

FLACO TACO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 small pkg ground turkey

1 pkg your fave taco seasoning 

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1/2 small onion, diced

cooking spray

1 dozen eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tomato, diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped coarsely

4 tortillas, chopped into about 1/2-inch pieces (I used organic low-carb to help the "skinny"!)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbs cumin powder

1 tbs paprika

sea salt

pepper

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

Preheat oven to 400.  In heavy pot (I use muh cast iron Dutch oven, of course), sprinkle enough evoo to cover the bottom and heat on medium.  Once heated, place ground turkey and onion in, and cook through.  Add your favorite taco seasoning with a splash of water and mix well (see notes).  Turn off heat.  Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray (see notes).  Into the pan, add your eggs, milk, tomato, cilantro, tortillas, cheddar cheese, cumin powder, paprika, and sea salt and pepper to taste.  Mix WELL by scrambling it all together with a fork until liquid is smooth and other ingredients are distributed evenly.  Bake in your preheated oven for 25 minutes.

NOTES: Try to find the taco seasoning with no MSG or chemicals.  If you can't locate organic or (real) all-natural, you can mix a tablespoon each of cumin, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder, and then a teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper.  I try to use organic ingredients whenever possible for clean-eating, and my cooking spray is included.  I buy the organic evoo local store brand.  It's fairly-priced, too!  If you want - and I think you do -  you can garnish with some sour cream and hot sauce.  WOO!

Love Stack!

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I love food.   And there are some foods that bring back sweet memories for me.  A beautiful antipasto is one of them.  (Yes, I just described an antipasto as 'beautiful')  The array of Italian meats and cheeses, the colorful tomatoes, carrots, and zucchini, the tangy marinated artichoke hearts and pop of garbanzo beans that add texture to the tray?  Oh, yes, My Friends.  SWEET MEMORIES.  Well, I wanted to try something a little different; something easy with less fuss, and something that would taste like that beautiful memory, while creating a new one.  THIS??  This is GENIUS.  It has all the antipasto flavors, resembles a lasagna, and tastes like a slice of heaven.

ANTIPASTO SALAD STACK

1/4 pound sliced salami

2 carrots, ribboned

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, shredded into ribbon-like pieces

1/4 pound smoked provolone cheese

1/2 container grape tomatoes, quartered

1 large zucchini, ribboned

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, juice/oil reserved for dressing

home-made balsamic (or your favorite store brand)

1/4 pound sandwich-sized pepperoni

1 jar garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

1/4 pound sliced mozzarella cheese

FOR DRESSING:

1 cup mayonnaise

juice/oil reserved from jar of artichoke hearts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

parsley, chopped, for garnish

In a square baking pan, layer salami, carrot ribbons, and Romaine ribbons,  On top of that, layer the provolone cheese grape tomatoes, zucchini ribbons, and artichoke hearts.  With a light hand, barely drizzle the balsamic dressing over this layer.  It is now time to layer the pepperoni, garbanzo beans, and red onion (see notes).  For the final layer, place your mozzarella cheese on the top, and then gently-but-firmly press down on the entire salad stack.  Cover with foil or non-stick cling wrap and place in the fridge.  At this point, you will need something heavy to place on top - I used my gallon of milk, which fit perfectly into the square pan.  Let this sit for at LEAST an hour.  Meanwhile, mix your dressing ingredients and refrigerate as well.  When ready, slice CAREFULLY into squares - oh-so-carefully so as not to disturb the meat layers and have them slide around.  Take your spatula and plate one of those beauties.  Pour your dressing on top and garnish with the parsley.  A knife and a fork helped me put each bite into my mouth while keeping the layers in tact.  And oh!  The MEMORIES!

NOTES:  You can substitute any deli meat and cheese you like, as well as the veggies.  TOTALLY replaceable with whatever you like!  It's also low-carb for those of you that care about that part.  They key here is the stacking and pressing.  Also, my Aunt Frannie said if you are one of those people that don't like the bite in the red onion and want to take it out, soak it in cold water for ten minutes after slicing.  

Want to see how easy this was in real-time?  Click HERE to see!

I NEED A HERO

Our cousin was coming for dinner.  This would not normally be an issue for me, except the man works for Chili’s in management.  He eats all kinds of food, all the time.  So I really wanted to make something different and tasty.  After much consideration with The Hubster, we decided a hero would save the day!  So I went all Eye-talian on him, and made (turkey) sausage and peppers for the filler, and home-made curly fries to go with it.  Mamma-MIA!!  They.  Were.  DELICIOUS!

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

SAUSAGE & PEPPER HEROES

2 pkgs turkey Italian sausage links

2 red bell peppers, sliced

2 yellow bell pepper, sliced

4 green bell peppers, sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

sea salt

pepper

Italian seasoning

garlic powder

cumin powder

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

4 hero / hoagie rolls, middles cleaned out

smoked provolone cheese slices

Preheat oven to 400.  Place sausage links on a prepared baking sheet and place in the oven until cooked through, and maybe a little brown and caramelized on the sides.  Set aside and let cool.  Meanwhile, in a heavy pot (I use my Dutch oven, of COURSE!), sprinkle enough evoo to cover the bottom and heat over medium-high flame.    Add peppers and onion, and sprinkle a little sea salt and pepper over the top.  Then LIBERALLY sprinkle Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and cumin powder over the top.  Toss with a wooden spoon and WALK AWAY.  Well, I mean, keep an eye out, of course, but as tempted as you will be to stir those peppers, please don’t.  For a beautiful sear and not a steam cook, let them sit.  Only toss or fold every-so-often.  Slice sausage and add to the pepper party.  Let cook another two minutes or so.  Add a little more Italian seasoning and stir.   Pile them into the hero roll, layer with provolone cheese and let sit in the oven warmer until the bun is a little toasted and the cheese is melted.  Serve with the addictive curly fries below and you’ll have some verrry happy eaters!!

NOTES: As the low-carb girl in the house, I ate mine sans the roll.  WORTH IT.  For the hero, though, I take a regular brown lunch bag, cut it with oh-so-cute scissors for a nice edge, roll and stick the hoagie in.  Adorable and practical for catching any rogue pieces as you eat!

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

HOME-MADE CURLY FRIES

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potatoes

canola oil, or some other high-heat oil

sea salt

In a heavy pot, heat about an inch of canola oil on medium-high heat.  With a spiralizer, twist your potatoes, one at a time, into the twisty fries.  After each one is cut, add to the heated oil until cooked to desired crispness. We like ours ker-ISP!  Scoop out with metal slotted spoon and lay on paper towel.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Repeat with one potato at a time until you have the amount you want, and you will want A LOT.  Serve next to hero of your choice.  Or TO the hero of your choice!

Lettuce Grill...

This salad is hearty, fast, and easy - and is PERFECT for summertime!  The Hubster was craving this chicken Caesar salad, where even the lettuce is grilled!!  What's that you say, Crazy Lady??  I know, I know.  But TRUST ME.  This??  This is goooooood...

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR

2 heads Romaine

cooking spray

2 pkgs chicken tenders

red onion, sliced thin

Parmesan shavings

sea salt

pepper

garlic

DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbs Worcestershire

2-3 cloves garlic

2 anchovy fillets or 1 tbs anchovy paste

1/3 cup milk

pepper, to taste

Sprinkle indoor or outdoor grill with cooking spray.  Season chicken tenders on both sides with a sprinkle of sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cook about 2-3 minutes on both sides.  Remove from grill, set aside.  DO NOT CLEAN YOUR GRILL YET (see notes). Cut Romaine heads in half length-wise.  Spray grill with cooking spray again and lay each head on grill, cooking about 1 minute on each side.  Remove from grill and chop coarsely.  Place in bowl and chop your chicken tenders into chunks about 1/2 inch, and then place onion on top of chicken.  Place on top of lettuce.  Place all dressing ingredients into your blender or food processor and shoosh it up until smooth.  Pour over salad and mix up, making certain to sneak at least one piece of chicken as you do.  Garnish with Parmesan shavings, and if you're like us, you'll serve it with some table white and make "this tastes so delicious" noises as you eat.

NOTES: Grill the lettuce right over where you grilled your chicken for full-on flavor.  I try to use organic ingredients whenever possible for clean eating, but in this recipe, there are so many flavors going on, you won't notice if you can't find organic ingredients.  FO' REALZ.

Wanna see this in real-time?  Go to my YouTube Channel HERE!