CEiMB Late Edition – Cobb Salad

Work has been insane these last two weeks. Thursday night I got home around 11, Friday night 9, and last night 8:30. Today I was able to work from home. That gave me the opportunity to enjoy this week’s Ellie pick for dinner.

I planned to grill the chicken before watching the finale of Next Food Network Star (what did you think, did you want Melissa or Jeffrey to win?). Surprisingly, the grill was out of gas but I was too lazy to swap out the spare tank. So I whipped out my grill pan and made the chicken on the stove. Then it was a snap to put together the delicious dressing, chop the avocado and crumble the blue cheese. I skipped the ham (don’t eat it) and the hard boiled eggs (not a fan).

This was a quick and easy salad, perfect for a weeknight dinner or impressive as a weekend picnic at the beach or park. For me, the dressing was the best part.

This wonderful salad was chosen for us by Gabi at The Feast Within. If you’d like to try this one out, you can find the recipe here.

CEiMB – Lobster, er, Chicken Roll

This week’s Craving Ellie in My Belly pick is compliments of Duffy at Lonely Sidecar. She is hands down one of my favorite bloggers. If she hadn’t picked this week, I probably would have skipped since I’m allergic to shellfish and I’ve been down with the flu. But I decided to get creative and see what I could do with this recipe, while staying true to it so it was recognizable (unlike my usual Ellie recipe makeovers).

Just kidding. The closest this comes to Ellie’s recipe is that I made a sandwich. A chicken sandwich, with capers and mustard mixed in. Served not on a roll but on a bagel.

It was a really tasty sandwich, until I noticed the texture of the chicken. See, it was left over from making stock, so it had boiled for 4 hours. Why was I surprised that it was mushy?

Sorry Duff, I wiffed on your pick. I wish I could have used lobster instead of mushy chicken. Maybe next time I’ll try salmon.

If you’d like to check out the real recipe, you can find it here or here.

Time for a nap.

CEiMB – Lobster, er, Chicken Roll

This week’s Craving Ellie in My Belly pick is compliments of Duffy at Lonely Sidecar. She is hands down one of my favorite bloggers. If she hadn’t picked this week, I probably would have skipped since I’m allergic to shellfish and I’ve been down with the flu. But I decided to get creative and see what I could do with this recipe, while staying true to it so it was recognizable (unlike my usual Ellie recipe makeovers).

Just kidding. The closest this comes to Ellie’s recipe is that I made a sandwich. A chicken sandwich, with capers and mustard mixed in. Served not on a roll but on a bagel.

It was a really tasty sandwich, until I noticed the texture of the chicken. See, it was left over from making stock, so it had boiled for 4 hours. Why was I surprised that it was mushy?

Sorry Duff, I wiffed on your pick. I wish I could have used lobster instead of mushy chicken. Maybe next time I’ll try salmon.

If you’d like to check out the real recipe, you can find it here or here.

Time for a nap.

CEiMB – Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Cous Cous

Craving Ellie in My Belly is a group that is cooking from and blogging about The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. Ellie’s recipes are healthy and easy, and generally are winners at the dinner table. Last week, I got carried away with modifying the recipe, including leaving out the star ingredient. It worked out well, but I felt a little guilty.

This week was going to be different. I was going to make this dish (chosen by Marthe of Culinary Delights) without substitutions or omissions. I was excited about the recipe and couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything different with it.

Then, I was taken hostage by aliens.

They liked their chicken breasts thick and juicy. They liked doubling some things, but not others. They were saucy, garlic loving aliens. They said they wouldn’t hurt me if I followed their orders. This is what they made me cook:

They told me to start by heating a pan and adding some olive oil, followed by chicken breasts. Then they had me turn the chicken, and cook it on the other side. One of them stuck a probe in and it registered 160 degrees. So far so good. 

They gave me a plate for the chicken, then handed me a huge pile of roughly chopped garlic. It must have been 6 or 7 cloves of garlic. I sautéed the garlic, then added a mountain of spinach; it looked like two bags worth. One of them poured a little water in so the spinach would wilt a little faster. I had to put the wilted spinach on another plate. 

Then they had me add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. More water, and a whole can of diced tomatoes. I protested these recipe modifications, but they got very angry so I thought it was best to go along with what they wanted. They told me to reduce the tomato mixture until about half of the liquid evaporated.

Mysteriously, they opened the microwave and pulled out fully cooked cous cous! Before I knew it, they had plated the chicken and urged me to taste it. 

Wow! Those aliens know their stuff! The reduced balsamic vinegar added a sweetness that counteracted the garlic. This was a great plate of chicken. I looked up to ask them a question, but they were gone. Maybe they were off to another kitchen, maybe even yours, to show off another easy, tasty weeknight dinner. If they come to your home, don’t be afraid, they won’t harm you.

But they also don’t help with the dishes.

CEiMB – Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Cous Cous

Craving Ellie in My Belly is a group that is cooking from and blogging about The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. Ellie’s recipes are healthy and easy, and generally are winners at the dinner table. Last week, I got carried away with modifying the recipe, including leaving out the star ingredient. It worked out well, but I felt a little guilty.

This week was going to be different. I was going to make this dish (chosen by Marthe of Culinary Delights) without substitutions or omissions. I was excited about the recipe and couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything different with it.

Then, I was taken hostage by aliens.

They liked their chicken breasts thick and juicy. They liked doubling some things, but not others. They were saucy, garlic loving aliens. They said they wouldn’t hurt me if I followed their orders. This is what they made me cook:

They told me to start by heating a pan and adding some olive oil, followed by chicken breasts. Then they had me turn the chicken, and cook it on the other side. One of them stuck a probe in and it registered 160 degrees. So far so good. 

They gave me a plate for the chicken, then handed me a huge pile of roughly chopped garlic. It must have been 6 or 7 cloves of garlic. I sautéed the garlic, then added a mountain of spinach; it looked like two bags worth. One of them poured a little water in so the spinach would wilt a little faster. I had to put the wilted spinach on another plate. 

Then they had me add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. More water, and a whole can of diced tomatoes. I protested these recipe modifications, but they got very angry so I thought it was best to go along with what they wanted. They told me to reduce the tomato mixture until about half of the liquid evaporated.

Mysteriously, they opened the microwave and pulled out fully cooked cous cous! Before I knew it, they had plated the chicken and urged me to taste it. 

Wow! Those aliens know their stuff! The reduced balsamic vinegar added a sweetness that counteracted the garlic. This was a great plate of chicken. I looked up to ask them a question, but they were gone. Maybe they were off to another kitchen, maybe even yours, to show off another easy, tasty weeknight dinner. If they come to your home, don’t be afraid, they won’t harm you.

But they also don’t help with the dishes.

Barefoot Bloggers – Chinese Chicken Salad

This week’s Barefoot Blogger recipe was chosen by McKenzie at Kenzie’s Kitchen. I LOVE Chinese chicken salad, but this one was definitely with an Ina twist. Instead of the chicken being served on a bed of Savoy cabbage, it was combined with asparagus and red bell pepper strips in a peanuty dressing.

I have been preoccupied of late with preparing for a small party I’m throwing this Saturday and so I missed Tuesdays with Dorie this week and Craving Ellie in My Belly last week. I’m throwing my new kitchen a party. So many of my friends and co-workers wanted to see it that it seemed like a fun idea.

With all my planning, I didn’t plan to get a cold. Yes indeed. So all my food prep will involve wearing a mask and even more hand washing than normal.

But I digress. Given I’m busy and was just starting to get sick last night, I took a shortcut with this recipe. I bought a rotisserie chicken instead of roasting the breasts. I cut the oil in half, and added crushed red peppers. I cut out the salt entirely.

It was…OK. I hate saying that about an Ina recipe because every other one I’ve tried has been knock me over good. I think it needs more vinegar and ginger, or perhaps I shouldn’t have reduced the oil so much. Sorry, McKenzie, it was a great pick but I think the peanut butter was a bit overwhelming, maybe because I used natural peanut butter.  

Check out what the other Barefoot Bloggers did here.

Barefoot Bloggers – Chinese Chicken Salad

This week’s Barefoot Blogger recipe was chosen by McKenzie at Kenzie’s Kitchen. I LOVE Chinese chicken salad, but this one was definitely with an Ina twist. Instead of the chicken being served on a bed of Savoy cabbage, it was combined with asparagus and red bell pepper strips in a peanuty dressing.

I have been preoccupied of late with preparing for a small party I’m throwing this Saturday and so I missed Tuesdays with Dorie this week and Craving Ellie in My Belly last week. I’m throwing my new kitchen a party. So many of my friends and co-workers wanted to see it that it seemed like a fun idea.

With all my planning, I didn’t plan to get a cold. Yes indeed. So all my food prep will involve wearing a mask and even more hand washing than normal.

But I digress. Given I’m busy and was just starting to get sick last night, I took a shortcut with this recipe. I bought a rotisserie chicken instead of roasting the breasts. I cut the oil in half, and added crushed red peppers. I cut out the salt entirely.

It was…OK. I hate saying that about an Ina recipe because every other one I’ve tried has been knock me over good. I think it needs more vinegar and ginger, or perhaps I shouldn’t have reduced the oil so much. Sorry, McKenzie, it was a great pick but I think the peanut butter was a bit overwhelming, maybe because I used natural peanut butter.  

Check out what the other Barefoot Bloggers did here.

CEiMB – Chicken with Mango Barbeque Sauce

Somehow, my internal calendar broke down for this one. I was together enough to buy all the ingredients but I mysteriously forgot that I needed to cook them until I woke up this morning. Uh oh.

Fortunately, Ellie’s recipe is pretty easy to put together, and I was able to make the mango barbeque sauce before work. After work, I opted for slicing the chicken breasts rather than pounding them. The grill is still buried behind construction materials in the garage, so these had to be sauteed in a pan and finished in the oven. Even so, this was easy and quick once the sauce was made. And good news: the sauce is even better if you make it in advance. I tasted it right after I made it and it was OK, but not thrilling. After it hung out in the fridge all day, it was delicious! I used less sauce for the marinade than Ellie called for, but only because I wanted more to put on the cooked chicken.

This yummy pick is courtesy of Aggie at Aggie’s Kitchen. Thanks, Aggie! My only regret is I wish it was mango season, so the mango would contribute its exotic aroma and taste in a more impactful way. 

Check out what the other Craving Ellie in My Belly bloggers did here. And definitely check out the book The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. It’s chock full of yummy recipes that are healthy and delicious.

CEiMB – Chicken with Mango Barbeque Sauce

Somehow, my internal calendar broke down for this one. I was together enough to buy all the ingredients but I mysteriously forgot that I needed to cook them until I woke up this morning. Uh oh.

Fortunately, Ellie’s recipe is pretty easy to put together, and I was able to make the mango barbeque sauce before work. After work, I opted for slicing the chicken breasts rather than pounding them. The grill is still buried behind construction materials in the garage, so these had to be sauteed in a pan and finished in the oven. Even so, this was easy and quick once the sauce was made. And good news: the sauce is even better if you make it in advance. I tasted it right after I made it and it was OK, but not thrilling. After it hung out in the fridge all day, it was delicious! I used less sauce for the marinade than Ellie called for, but only because I wanted more to put on the cooked chicken.

This yummy pick is courtesy of Aggie at Aggie’s Kitchen. Thanks, Aggie! My only regret is I wish it was mango season, so the mango would contribute its exotic aroma and taste in a more impactful way. 

Check out what the other Craving Ellie in My Belly bloggers did here. And definitely check out the book The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. It’s chock full of yummy recipes that are healthy and delicious.

CEiMB – Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Craving Ellie in My Belly is headed to Greece this week! I’ve never been to Greece but this is a great way to experience some of the flavors without throwing down a wad of cash or eating my weight in baklava.

Ali at The Healthy Hostess (check out her blog, you’ll love it!) picked this recipe just for us, and I was excited because I still had some feta leftover after we made the baked shrimp with tomatoes a few weeks back. Feta isn’t my favorite cheese but I’m trying to develop a liking for it. These peppers gave me another opportunity.

I’m not a beef lover. In fact, I ate no meat at all for over 20 years. It was just three years ago that I started eating chicken and turkey and beef every once in a while. So I decided to substitute ground turkey for the beef. Why is it that packages of ground turkey weigh exactly 1.25 pounds? I mean, most recipes call for a pound. I piled the extra ground turkey in the bowl and dumped in the other ingredients. The nagging voice in the back of my head was whispering “saute the onions, saute the onions…” but I ignored it, as I usually do. And I regretted it, as I usually do. 

I decided to go natural, and donned a pair of gloves and mixed the ingredients with my hands. I mixed them really, really well. Rookie mistake. Unless you like solid stuffing in your peppers. Yeah, me neither.

This recipe was pretty easy to put together. I added powdered garlic and smoked paprika for extra flavor and wish I had added more. The flavor was a little understated, but all in all it was good. If I make this recipe again, I think I’ll move the flavors to Italy, using a little mozzarella cheese in place of the feta and using homemade tomato sauce instead of the canned tomatoes. Oh, and I’ll be more careful about overmixing the meat. 

If you’d like the recipe, you’ll find it here. And check out what the other CEiMB members did here. They’re a great group who really inspire me.