eaten: chicken cacciatore

Its the first week and already I have made two new recipes! My gung-ho attitude will fizzle out, I'm sure. This goal is for more of an average per week. 

So Steve and I were watching Cutthroat Kitchen and the chefs were challenged to make Chicken Cacciatore. I've had that dish before but it has never come on my radar as a go to home cooked dinner. I immediately jotted it down--mentally--as something I'd like to give a try. I turned to my trusty pinterest and found a couple of intriguing recipes. I mixed a few together and came up with something pretty good. 

Helpful tip: When searching for new recipes, don't just look at the ingredient list. Make sure and read the instructions. That way you know if you'll even have time/energy to attempt it. How disheartening is dinnertime when you realize you should have marinaded that meat or it has to simmer for 50 minutes.  

So this dish came together easily and had a lot of flavor but I would change the following for the future. I do intend on making this again with tweaks because not only was it easy but it has a lot of veggies in it--and they tasted great!

• Make sure and season the uncooked chicken breasts before cooking. I didn't do that and they were bland. The sauce was flavorful but when you put bland chicken in terrific sauce, the whole combination suffers. Salt and pepper are your friends!
• Next time I am adding mushrooms!
• Its supposed to be kind of like a thick stew but mine was really wet. I wonder if it was because I used chicken broth instead of wine and it didn't really cook out? So next time I will only add 1/4 cup broth and then add more as needed. We also served it over rice and maybe if we had it coating pasta instead it would have been better. That didn't really affect the flavor as much as the experience of eating it. 
• I brainstormed another solution to the too wet issue. Maybe instead of crushed tomatoes, I will buy two cans of stewed tomatoes (14oz each), drain them and puree them. I'll experiment and then report back. 
• Helpful Tip: If you have a few minutes in the middle of the day, try and prep all your vegetables. I never regret taking 20 minutes in the afternoon to cut everything. Dinnertime is usually when everyone is crawling all over me or the kitchen is a hot bed of yelling and babies stealing chemicals from under the sink, so anything you can do ahead of time is great.

Chicken Cacciatore

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs chicken breasts, I used 5 breasts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, who really measures oil? :)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (see comment above)
• ½ cup red wine, I used chicken broth (see comment above)
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ tablespoon dried parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.Brown the chicken in a large skillet over medium-heat until cooked through. I cooked the whole dish in my dutch oven.
2. Add the olive oil, onion, peppers, crushed tomatoes, red wine, carrots, garlic cloves, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper, dried thyme, and dried parsley.
3. Allow the mixture to simmer over medium-heat for at least 40 minutes.
4. Serve with pasta, rice or any starch you love. 

Picture from and Recipe as adapted from Galonamission

Rating is out of 5

Steve Rating: 3

Beckie Rating: 4

eaten: Indian Butter Chicken, Fluffy Couscous and Garlic Naan

Well its New Year's Resolution time! I'm really excited to try some new recipes. I did this one a couple of years ago and made it about 6 months and I loved all the new family favorites I was able to find. So here we are again. I will be sharing what we've loved here on my blog. Hey, maybe I'll start blogging again...

New Years's Resolution: try one new recipe each week
Goal: get out of my cooking rut, get excited about cooking/menu planning and get the whole family to try new foods

First up Indian Butter Chicken. I love Indian food but we don't have the opportunity to eat it a lot because it is not super kid friendly. And maybe I'm lazy... So I found a recipe on pinterest that wasn't too labor intensive and had a limited amount of ingredients (ie: I already had most of the spices). One thing I have learned with trying new things, its easy to get overwhelmed quickly. All that effort, expensive ingredients and then no one even likes it? What a waste of time.

Here are the thoughts I had about each recipe and see our ratings below each recipe:

• So I have made the couscous before, its so easy and turns out great. Plus its yummy and fluffy. Its a great change from rice although you could totally serve this with rice. And its a tiny pasta so it might be easy to convince your kids to eat it. Henry called it rice bits. 
• The naan bread is not too hard either, you just have to start early and don't get frazzled at the end if you are trying to make them hot right before dinner. I also have used both a grill and a flattop gridle to make these and both work great. The griddle pan doesn't seem to make as many air bubbles as I got on the grill. Also a great tip is to melt some butter and add crushed fresh garlic. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then brush that garlic butter on the hot naan. Heaven! I halved the recipe for our family for one dinner and we ate all of it. 
• For the chicken you just have to remember to get it in the marinade the night before. It comes together really easily. The sauce looked kind of bright orange and splotchy-not very appetizing. Once I mixed in the cream it looked lovely and exactly like the picture. 

Butter Chicken
Recipe from Recipetineats

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

• ½ cup plain yoghurt, full fat
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp tumeric powder
• 2 tsp garam masala 
• ½ tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper powder 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.5 lb / 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces, I used chicken breasts

Curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee 
• 1 cup tomato puree 
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup cream (full fat or light) OR for a lighter version use ¾ cup light cream + ¼ cup milk (low fat) (I used half and half)

To serve

• Rice/Couscous
• Coriander/cilantro (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Optional step: for an extra smooth sauce, combine the Marinade ingredients (except the chicken) in a food processor and blend until smooth. I didn't do this because I didn't see it until just now)
2. Combine the Marinade ingredients with the chicken in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.
3. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large fry pan. Add the chicken coated in the Marinade and cook for around 3 minutes, or until the chicken is white all over (it doesn't really brown because of the Marinade).
4. Add the tomato puree, sugar and salt. Turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Do a taste test to see if it needs more salt. Stir through the cream, then remove from heat.
6. Garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves if using. Serve with basmati rice.

Rating is out of 5
Steve Rating: 4 (He didn't give me this but since he went back for seconds :))

Beckie Rating: 4

______________________________________

Fluffy Couscous

recipe from melskitchencafe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups couscous
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until some of the grains are just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl.
2. Melt the remaining two tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and broth and bring to a boil.
3. Pour the boiling liquid over the toasted couscous and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let it sit until the couscous is tender, about 12 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Rating is out of 5
Steve Rating: 4

Beckie Rating: 5

_____________________________________________

Grilled Naan

recipe from Steven Raichlen

INGREDIENTS

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and rolling
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the water and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the egg, milk, salt and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of water. Add 4 cups of the flour and stir to form a dough that is soft and pliable but not sticky. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if it seems very tacky. You can do this by hand on a floured work surface, in a food processor or in a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
2. Rub 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and brush the top with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Punch down the dough and pinch off 2-inch pieces; roll them into smooth balls. Place the balls on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with a lightly dampened kitchen towel. Let rise again until puffy, about 30 minutes.
4. Light the grill. When it's hot, place a rolling pin, cutting board, bowl of flour, the melted butter and a brush near the grill. On a lightly floured cutting board, roll out a ball of dough to a 5-inch round. Gently slap the dough from one hand to the other to stretch it into a 7-to 8-inch oval. Stretch the oval into a traditional teardrop shape and immediately lay it on the hot grate. Grill the naan until the bottom is crusty and browned and the top is puffed and blistered, about 40 seconds. Brush with butter. Invert the naan and grill the other side until lightly browned, about 30 seconds longer. Grill the remaining naan the same way. Brush each naan with more butter as it comes off the grill and serve piping hot. Serve whole, or cut each naan into 3 wedges to serve the traditional way.
5. Rating is out of 5
6. Steve Rating: 5
7. Beckie Rating: 5

Sandy Creek Beach: The Last Time

I can't even begin to tell you how homesick I felt going through these pictures. Sandy Creek holds such a special place in my heart. The hours we spent here, the friends we made here, the pure happiness of this place. I'm actually tearing up. The quiet beauty of the trees and the sky.  Oh how I miss this place and I don't know if we'll ever find anything quite like it.

July 2015: The Fourth and Stone Mountain

In July we got ready to say good bye to Georgia. It makes me sad just going back and looking through all the pictures. We wanted to make sure we hit up all our favorite spots one more time and also see anything we hadn't done yet. 

 But first popcorn! We all love popcorn. I just love this picture of Vivian, she is scrunching it and making a huge mess and having so much fun. 

 Handsome climber at the splash pad!

 On the 4th of July our ward had a float in a local parade. The theme was Families Are Forever. Vivi and I walked in it (or strolled in it) and Henry and Steve watched. Henry chickened out at the last minute and just wanted to spectate. We handed out lots of pass along cards and printed copies of the proclamation, also the primary threw lots of candy. It was really fun and a super small town experience. Plus in the south at a parade it is perfectly acceptable to hand out religious materials. 

Oh and two floats behind us was the Daughters of the Confederacy. They had a cannon and everything. They shot it off towards the North. You can't make this stuff up people. 

 Vivian and I finally had the chance to wear our matching red and white stripes. Thanks for the great picture, Chelsea. 

 We enjoyed a delicious hot dog buffet, some sparklers and fireworks at our friends the Clanton's house. 

 Every summer we read along with the summer reading program, this year Vivi participated and each kid read 50 books. They each won a free meal to Raising Canes and stickers and a free book. 

 We will read books for free chicken!

 Yummy table. Kids are disgusting. 

 We had been to Stone Mountain once the first year we were in Georgia but it was the holidays and it wasn't that great. Well we had yet to see the laser show. We arranged with some friends to brave the stifling heat and catch the lights. But first, silly pictures!

 We were so happy to spend the evening with some of our favorite people. Aaron, Sara, Emily and their kids. The kids had a great time running around until the show started. Turns out all you need is a field and some music to have fun. This evening was a wonderful reminder of how much I do not miss the humidity. We were all sweating through our clothes. So hot. We were also mid-apartment hunting and I was awaiting a phone call about an apartment. Its kind of crazy to remember how stressful our life was there for a bit. 

 The Presidency of the Confederacy

The laser show was pretty good. Lots of local love for sports teams, confederate history and of course Dixie. Ah the south really is charming with its local flavor. And by flavor I mean hicks. 

Girl's Trip: Hilton Head, SC

It was high time for a girl's trip and after quite the drama we decided on Hilton Head in neighboring South Carolina. Man I love spending time with my ladies. It was fun to pack up some of MY favorite things for the weekend. 

Beauties at the beach! 

Emily, Robyn, Me, Lillie, Katy, Wendi and Sara

And that is as far into the ocean as I will go. I love the beach--like the sand but I do not like the ocean. I am a pool girl to the core. We spent a windy afternoon just chatting on the shore. We brought lunch and got a little burned. 

Out to dinner. Girl's trips are the best opportunity to dress up a bit. I score my new dress at Belk for $10! Its a little big but I'll take it in. 

We waited for a long time luckily there weren't any kids to entertain. Seriously, we waited for over 2 hours for a table. 

The next day we packed up and got ready to head back to Athens. But first a stop at the pool. One last relaxing moment before back to real life. Alligators! We didn't see any but I was ready not feed them if I did. 

Life is perfect poolside with a Diet Coke and a hilarious book. On the trip I started the second book by Jim Gaffigan, Food: a Love Story. I couldn't stop laughing out loud. So funny. 

I'm so happy to have had the most amazing friends while we were living in Georgia

Atlanta: FLIP Burger and High Museum of Art

 We headed into Atlanta to enjoy some delicious burgers, onion rings and see some art. Ever since I found out that Richard Blaise, Top Chef winner and Atlanta resident had a burger joint, I had to get there. I think Vodka Battered Onion Rings might be my new favorite things. Yum. It also reminded me of why eating out with kids kind of stinks. 

 Then we explored the High. They had a Mo Willems exhibit showing his sketches and how he got started writing and illustrating children's books. Henry loved it and I loved showing him how the artist's process works. Lately he gets so upset when he makes mistakes, it was nice to show him that even great artists need to erase. 

 Break dancing through the abstract rooms. Yeah we were the loudest and craziest people there. But I think it is so important to expose my children to culture. 

 Don't let Henry drive the bus!

 Outside the High and all over downtown there was an installation of spinning yarn interactive art things. The piece is called "Los Trompos." Henry loved spinning us and being spun. 

 The next day Henry created his own art piece and we hung it up museum style. He even wrote out an accompanying name plate describing his work "Henry Clark with pencil and marker." Its an abstract Mario.

Something stuck from the experience!

Snake Day

 The Sandy Creek Nature Center hosts a Snake Day every year. We didn't find out about it until our last year in Athens. It didn't disappoint. I was blown away by the creativity put into this event and all the snakes they had--like over 200. The theme was "Snakes in the Movies" hence the golden statue and the cameras below. 

 This python was HUGE and his name was Bubbles. Henry was obsessed with him and came home and made a snake named Bubbles that he played with and kept in a box for weeks. 

 This baby alligator was named Darth Gator. How cute!

 We got to do lots of fun movie activities like avoid snakes on a plane, cross over a pit full of snakes balancing on a log (Indiana Jones), try and shoot a basilisk (Harry Potter) and I don't remember what this one was but Henry had to use the snake catcher to round up a slithery friend. 

 Steve loves snakes and was the only one brave enough to hold one. 

And then we went and got slurpees because it was June in GA and freaking hot.

Oh and Vivi was there too but she was in her stroller.