Chicken Basil Parmesan Burgers

This looks absolutely amazing!!!  I love Framed Cooks.  Kate is a phenominal cook and takes the best photo's of her food...and life.  Please check out her blog and follow her, you will love it!

10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter);

~ 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves

3/4 cup marinara sauce

12 ounces ground chicken (white meat)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon grated onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1. Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

2. Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

3. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

4. Place each burger on a slice of toasted bread. Ladle some sauce on top and cover with basil leaves. Top with another slice of bread and serve immediately. With lots of napkins!

Enjoy!

Dove Delight Cookies

I have yet to make these, and really shouldn't since I have recently been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes...but may have to make these for a pot luck of something where they will go fast and I will not have to eat the rest of them with lots of milk...sigh, oh how I want to though!  (Can you tell I LOVE Dove chocolate...)

1 ½ cups DOVE® Brand Milk Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped SNICKERS® Bars

 1. Melt chocolate in a bowl on top of a double boiler or in the microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add the sugar, butter, eggs and almond extract. Stir in the flour, baking powder and SNICKERS® Bars, blend. 

2. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. 

3. Cool on the cookie sheet.

Enjoy!

Un-bourbon Chicken

This dish was easy and fast to make.  Great for a weeknight dinner.  I added about double the pepper flakes and the kids thought it was a little too spicy...I think they were still full from their McDonald's cheeseburger at 3:30 this afternoon and didn't want to eat if you ask me!  My fault for spoiling their dinner...I thought it was delicious served with Jasmine rice, left over sauce over the rice and some corn.

2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, or 6-8 pieces whole chicken thighs, legs or breasts
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, or 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

1. Slow Cooker Preparation: Put chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Cover with remaining ingredients. Cook 6-8 hours on low. Remove chicken and shred or cut into chunks. Return to slow cooker and stir to combine. Serve over rice and top with more crushed red pepper flakes.

2. Baked Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the sauce ingredients (garlic, ginger, red pepper, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, soy sauce) in a saucepan. Heat over medium high heat until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Arrange the chicken pieces in a baking dish or casserole and pour the sauce over top. Bake for 45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes, baste the chicken a few times with the sauce.

Enjoy!

Killer Carne Asada

So this is like THE best carne asada recipe I have ever made!  My family ate it up fast with barely any left overs!!!  I was so sad about that part...Thank you Life's Ambrosia for your wonderful site!!!  Please people click on over and check out all the wonderful recipes Des has!!

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped fine
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for frying tortillas
• 1.5 pound flank steak
• 4 – 6 taco shells or tortillas
• lettuce
• diced tomatoes
• cheese
• sliced avocado

1. In a bowl combine garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, salt, cumin, chili powder and olive oil. Whisk to combine. Place steak in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over steak and marinate for at least 2 hours but not more than 8.
2. When you are ready to cook the steak, preheat oven broiler. Place steak on a baking sheet. Cook steak 8 – 10 minutes. Use tongs to turn over (you don’t want to pierce it with a fork it will release the juices) and cook another 8 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
3. While the steak is resting cook your tortillas. Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet. Cook tortillas one at a time for 30 seconds on each side and then fold over to form taco shell. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
4. To assemble the taco, place a few slices of meat on the taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and avocado. Serve.

Photo from Life's Ambrosia.

My New Juicer!

So when I got paid I decided to finally get myself a Jack LaLanne power juicer!  I have been wanting to juice for a long time now, but never took the plunge...I was always thinking it would not be too tasty.  I haven't tried too many mainly veggie juices yet, but have tried a few fruit combos and added veggies in with them.   Mmmmmmm :)   Man have I been missing out!  I love the fact that I am getting way more fruits and veggies in my diet and raw at that.  Eventually I would like to go on a month long juice fast, but as of now my Obgyn doesn't think it is the best idea...yep, I am pregnant!  Almost 15 weeks now!  In another month I will find out if it will be a boy or a girl.

 So onto one of my favorite juices so far...

Orange Carrot Juice

1/2 lemon, peeled
1 orange, peeled
1/2 mango, seeded and peeled
1 apple, stem removed
2 1/2 carrots, tops and roots removed, halved
1/2 banana (do not juice!)

Place fruits and veggies in your juicer in order listed, juicing each one separately. DO NOT JUICE THE BANANA! It will ruin your juicer. Because of the low juice content it will clog up your machine. After you have juices the carrots, transfer juice to a blender and add the banana. If you would like it more like a slushy add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of ice to blender and blend well. Drink within 15-20 minutes for optimal nutritional benefits. As always, enjoy!

You have to come on over to Fake Ginger's blog and check these out!  I love, love, love Mexican Hot Chocolate so I know these have to be awesome! 

(Photo from Fake Ginger)

My New Kitchen!

Our new home finally closed so that means I have a kitchen again!!!!  Lol, now back to cooking regular meals instead of fast food and easy heat stuff... :)  Got a bunch of new recipes I want to try out too!  So look for something soon :)