Two for One Attempt

I’ve started my Master’s program on Tuesday, August 21. It has been extremely eye opening. For one, it’s a lot of reading and references that are necessary for my field, which I am totally new to. All the scientific articles I have to keep track of and the vocabulary that I have get down, immediately, for fluency checks. It’s a little daunting, but nonetheless, exciting, and I’m feeling VERY good odds about this challenge.

As you can imagine however, I’ve been very busy. Not only did I start school myself but my client started high school. And I’ve been trying to get a lay of the land there, making new friends, seeing how teachers do things over there, checking out the dress code and what’s deemed “appropriate”  (a lot!).

In any case this means that I have been neglecting my readers, as well as my stomach. Although the minimal posts will probably continue for a good two years (length of my lovely Master’s Program) I’ll try to give you what you rightfully deserve. Yums!

As the title might hint, I was going to try for two easy-peasy recipes. I thought to myself I could just use up all four of my chicken breasts into one recipe, but then I’d be eating the same thing for lunch for four days, and that’s not okay with me. Too boring, and I’m anything if not boring. So I thought, splitting up the recipes would be a great way to use up all four chicken breasts (by the time they go bad), and also entertaining my stomach during the week. The first, was a white chicken chili, and the second was a chicken piccata.

I quickly learned my time wasn’t that flexible. Therefore, I could only make one, the chili, before the other chicken sadly, went bad. Anyway, live and learn… now I know to make two recipes, same day, and not to squaller about with homework, and chores. Silly girl

White Chicken Chili

• 2 thin chicken breasts, organic
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tbsp of olive oil, or any oil of your choosing
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of kidney beans, drains and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen sweet corn kernels (because I love me some corn)
• 1/2 block of cream cheese (use low-fat if you prefer, but I think those things are plain disgusting)
• 1 cup of chicken stock, low sodium**
• 2 tbsp course sea salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper, white or black (I used black to offset the creaminess of the corn)
• 1  tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1-2 tbsp chili powder (add more or less depending on your taste)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• a dash of nutmeg

Boil chicken for 30 minutes. You might want to check it at 30 and add more time if your chicken is thicker, but I used the thinly sliced breasts at the market, so 30 minutes was just enough time*. Take out of the water and shred with two forks.

In a dutch oven, about 3-4 qts large, add in the oil and cook the onion. Cook for 5 minutes without stirring. When the onions have gotten some brown bits at the bottom of the pan (brown, but not quite burnt), add in the wine to deglaze the pan. Cook down for another 2 minutes then add the spices, salt and pepper.

 

 

Make sure the onions are coated in the spices before adding the chicken, beans, stock, corn, and cream cheese. Everything in one pot, how convenient for later clean up.

Stir to break up the half-block of cream cheese, then cover, cooking for 10 minutes. Uncover, and turn the heat up the med-high, and cook another 13 minutes or so, till some of the liquid evaporates.

Serve with my cilantro- lime rice, or any rice you’ve got prepared for a filling lunch. Or without any side, it’s delicious either way!

Yields roughly 4-6 servings, depending on hunger.

*Remember that we’ll be cooking it further with the rest of the ingredients so if it’s a little pink in the center it’s okay.

**This is a runnier chili because I like adding my own liquid to the dish depending on taste. If you like it thicker, add more beans, or use less stock, about 1/2 cup.

Spinach and Cheese Baked Manicotti

There are days when I don’t want to be homemade. I don’t want to make everything myself, and marvel at how much better everything tastes. I also have days were making you’re own tomato sauce just seems like it’s too much of a hassle, even for me. Even adding extra oregano is a chore.

However, I do still have to eat. And on the days that homemade is too demanding I got for my partly-storebought-home-assembled dishes. This manicotti dish has almost nothing in it that’s homemade, and perfectly original, it is however, delicious, easy, and takes only 15 minutes to put together.

For the Filling:

• 1 24 oz bag of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 bar of cream cheese
• 1/2 lemon, juice and zested
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp of ground cloves
• 2 tbsp of granulated onion
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic

• 1 box manicotti pasta, cooked and left to cool slightly
• 1 large can of Heinz tomato sauce, in any flavor you like. I used garlic and herb
• 1 cup mozerella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Add all the filling ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Set aside.

Prepare an 8×8 inch square dish. By prepare, I mean, simply add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce to the bottom instead of oil. This will keep the manicotti from sticking and also keep it moist.

Stuff the manicotti, by using a teaspoon, and slowly adding the mixture into the hole. If this doesn’t work, you can always open up the manicotti and stuff it that way, and then close it back up. The stuffing should keep it together, because it’s very sticky by itself, thanks to the cream cheese.

Cover with tomato sauce when all manicotti is stuffed and in the pan. Sprinkle with mozerella and parmesan cheese, to your preference. I usually prefer tons of cheese!

Bake in over for 25 minutes, till cheese is melted.

Berry Cheesecake Muffins

Over the weekend I picked up May’s edition of Taste of Home magazine. They had this special all star edition from some competition they had. The recipes are incredible. And require a lot of fresh ingredients, which is what I’m looking for as of right now.

These muffins are great, really moist and the cream cheese filling is to die for!

Delicious even in the muffin tin

For the Batter

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup 2 % milk
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Filling

• 1 package cream cheese (8 oz), softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 carton fresh raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups)

For the Streusel Topping

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cold butter

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk. Combine the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon; gradually add the creamed mixture just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups one-third full.

For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth. Fold in the berries. Drop a rounded tablespoonful into the center of each muffin.

For topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut into the butter until crumbly. Took me about 3 minutes or so. Sprinkle over batter (at this point, the muffin tops will be full).

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. My muffins puffed out a bit but after cooling for a few minutes (about 5) they collapsed into themselves and were flat on top and lovely. Cool  before removing from pans to wire rack, to finish cooling, about 4 minutes or so. Served warm is best. Refrigerate leftovers (though I didn’t till the day after, to keep them at room temperature and they were fine).