Fried Chicken Tacos
We’ve all had friends move at some point in our lives. Sometimes, it works out that it is just to a neighboring community or even a short drive. Other times, we see them change time zones, states or continents. When I was a kid, my best friend/neighbor moved away and it was so hard to say “see you soon.” Our parents were friends though and they worked hard at keeping our friendship alive. Back in those days, we wrote letters, visited occasionally and sent cards to one another at birthdays and holidays. In May of 2017, I travelled to Las Vegas where she currently lives and after a teary reunion, we spent an entire afternoon chatting about our lives. Over thirty years later from being neighbors and there we were, clinking mojito glasses and laughing the way only forever friends can.
Belgian Waffles with Blueberry Meyer Lemon Butter
Happy New Year! I know most people love Thanksgiving and Christmas but for me; New Year’s Eve has always been my favorite. Not because of the prosecco but let’s be honest, that is an added bonus of the holiday. I love looking back at the year and thinking about all of our accomplishments, failures and memories. I love thinking back to what Buggies and Pixie learned whether academically or through life skills. When the countdown to the New Year starts, I am always teary eyed; grateful for another year of health, love, friendships, experiences and memories. Once those big numbers light up and the New Year has begun, I look forward to what the next year will bring for my family and friends. I look forward to setting goals and making plans with the friends and family I am so lucky to navigate this life with. I love looking forward to things like the hubby’s 40th birthday, my mom finally retiring, our 15 year anniversary and so many wonderful things that can happen in a year!
Chicken Papadoris
I love to plan our meals for the week. My 2017 goal is to make/try one new recipe a week and depending on the success (or failure) of the recipe, post it here for you to enjoy. Most of my inspiration comes from reading magazines. My favorites are Bon Appetit and Sunset. I don’t have a lot of time to myself but each month I get giddy when I see one of the magazines in my mailbox. I also use recipe books I’ve saved over the years, things I made forever ago and wrote out on a recipe card, and of course cookbooks. Some weeks inspiration is abundant and I get excited about my ideas. Other weeks I’m uninspired and get frustrated with any book I open.
A few weeks ago, I opened an old recipe binder filled with recipe cards I wrote when we were newly married and found the recipe for Chicken Papadoris. I used to make it weekly and it was a total favorite of the hubby and I. Immediately, I squealed with excitement at the idea of surprising him by making it! I was excited for the girls to try it and for the nostalgic smell of this dish simmering in my kitchen. Both girls LOVED it and it brought back memories of the hubby and I eating by candlelight, drinking two buck Chuck because it was all we could afford and talking about our day.
The curry flavor is not heavy in case curry isn’t your thing. Give it try and let me know what you think!
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 butter
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1-2 cans unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 cups jasmine rice, cooked
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts and cook stirring frequently until evenly toasted. Remove pine nuts and set aside.
- Add butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Stir in chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until no pink is showing and juices run clear. Pour off any juices.
- Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in half of the pine nuts, soy sauce and coconut milk. Season with paprika, cumin and curry powder.
- In a small cup, mix water and cornstarch. Add to skillet and stir until a thick gravy forms. Serve over white rice. Sprinkle remaining pine nuts on top and serve!
BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
You guys.
It’s the the third week of school and the dreaded letter has already come home. The letter that instantly sends parents into a panic. The letter that makes you start itching all over and contemplating whether homeschooling might be a better idea than ever having this damn letter ever come home again. You contemplate whether a pixie cut might look good….on all of you.
I go straight up 72 hour psych hold over the thought of bugs in my hair or the girls hair. After their nightly shower, I’m a head lamp wearing, comb wielding, anti-lice spray lunatic as I scour their heads inch by inch.
Thank goodness we are all clear. Each day the girls hair is coated in anti-lice spray (which is a delicious Rosemary smell so it just makes them smell even more yummy) and pulled back into some headache inducing hairstyle that hopefully deters any jumping bugs from making contact with my kiddos.
Such a perfect food blog subject, right? Like, you are totes excited to talk food now, aren’t you? I promise my recipes are always bug free so give this salad a shot. It’s beyond delicious and is another easy weeknight meal. For the kiddos, just keep the jalapeño on the side.
- 2 cups diced chicken, cooked (feel free to cheat with Trader Joe's Just Chicken or any stores rotisserie chicken)
- 6 cups mixed greens (I love baby kale, arugula and the spicy spinach blend from Trader Joe's)
- 1/2 cup pearl or grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 3/4 cup canned corn, drained
- 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup jack and cheddar cheese blend OR 1/2 cup Crumbled Gorgonzola
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing (in a pinch, I like the Homestyle Ranch or Jalapeño Ranch by Litehouse)
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup tortilla strips
- 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
- This is going to be really complicated... you ready?
- Add salad to four bowls.
- Top with tomato, corn, beans, cheese, cilantro, onions, chicken and jalapeño.
- Drizzle with Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce. Top with tortilla strips and serve!
Mommy Bistro: Chef, Mom and Lice Hunter
Savory Breakfast Waffles
Life has a funny way of throwing a wrench into your plans.
You see, 2017 is supposed to be our year for great things. I’m healthy for once (don’t jinx it!), the kids are thriving in their educations and extracurricular activities, the hubby is skyrocketing in both his careers, I’m hoping for big things to come from Mommy Bistro this year and…. we had plans to list our home.
Sesame Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Pineapple
I’m sitting alone in Starbucks.
There are couples on coffee dates, college students studying, a group of older women chatting and laughing together. The sound of steam escaping from the espresso machine with the soft coffeehouse radio in the background is the perfect backdrop for people watching. Sipping my green tea with stormy clouds outside; the reminder that fall is here and the blistering hot days of summer are behind us.
Avocado Toast
Chrissy Teigan’s new cookbook, Cravings, is all about the food you really want to eat. She dedicates a fanfreakingtastic section of her book to the Shit You Put On Toast.
Pork Potstickers
Over the weekend I was cleaning out some kitchen cabinets and found this little pocket maker that the hubby bought for me as a stocking stuffer.
Meyer Lemon and Shallot Crispy Chicken Thighs
This school year, my good friend Emily of Ask Your Records and I have been hiking in the beautiful hills of our town. What started as brown, dry desert quickly transformed into these green rolling hills filled with wild flowers and new life. I mean, you honestly cannot beat this beauty:
Chicken and Butternut Squash Curry plus The Bone Broth Diet
You guys! I’ve been MIA because I was ASKED TO REVIEW A COOKBOOK! Little ol’ me!!! I was so honored when I got the email (I think I also snorted coffee out my nose ’cause I was so flabbergasted!)