Along with the Pepper-Jack Chicken I made for dinner tonight, I tried out a new recipe from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook: Roasted Peppers with Orange Zest and Olives. Overall I liked this recipe, but would probably use a little less orange zest. I cut the recipe in half since it was just the two of us eating, but forgot to half the amount of orange zest I used.
Ingredients:
2 large bell peppers - I used one red and one yellow, julienne style. 1 tablespoon of olive oil3 large garlic cloves - finely chopped 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 12-15 green olives - halved 1-2 tablespoons of capers - drained Grated zest of 1/4 navel orange
Over medium heat, combine the olive oil, garlic and peppers. Once they've softened up, add the red wine vinegar, olives, capers and orange zest. It doesn't really matter how long they cook. The longer they stay on the heat, the more enhanced the flavors will turn out. After the peppers softened, I turned the heat to low and left them on for about 30 minutes while I prepped and cooked the chicken.
For dinner tonight, I first picked the protein: Pepper-Jack Chicken. I then had to decide what sides I was going to pair with it. I opted for Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Peppers with Orange Zest . Since Josh hates sweet potatoes, I baked some oven fries for him sprinkled with a southwest seasoning and paprika. The chicken was an absolute hit! It was superb!
Ingredients:
4 ounces pepper-jack cheese - shredded 2 cups baby arugula - finely chopped 2 large boneless skinless chicken fillets olive oil salt Cajun spice blend - I used Luzianne Cajun Seasoning
It's super easy and really good. First, you just want to combine the shredded cheese with the baby arugula. Then you want to cut a pretty deep pocket into the chicken fillets, being careful not to cut all the way through. Stuff the cheese mixture into the chicken. Brush oil on to both sides of the chicken and then sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning and salt. Throw them into a hot skillet and cook each side for about 8-10 minutes until blackened. Top the chicken with a little more of the cheese mixture and then cover the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is completely melted and the chicken is cooked all the way through. Beware! The entire kitchen will get slightly smokey!
This recipe is meant to be cooked on a grill - outside, and when it's warmer out, I will definitely be sure to do so.
Tonight I made Baked Ziti with Meatballs, a recipe I took off the Food Network website.Typically I’ll look a recipe to reference, and then add or subtract as I see fit.However, tonight I pretty much followed the recipe with a couple of exceptions.Overall, I liked the recipe, but there was not enough heat.I would definitely use my meatball recipe in lieu of this one, and I’d spice up the sauce I used.
Ingredients
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup grated Romano
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used Italian parsley)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1 pound ziti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce (I used 56 ounces, so 7 cups)
3 cups whole milk ricotta (I used 2 cups of fat free ricotta)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I didn't actually use the butter)
The oven needs to be set to 350. Combine the bread crumbs, eggs, milk, 1/2 of the romano cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in the beef. Shape into meatballs. lightly coat with flour. Cook meatballs in an oiled skillet over medium heat.
Boil the pasta and set it aside.
Mix the ricotta with the tomato sauce. Add the meatballs and the ziti. Toss thoroughly. Transfer pasta to baking dish and top with remaining romano, parmesan and mozzarella. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
The first recipe I can remember writing down was for a spinach based pesto bruschetta. I still have this tattered piece of paper complete with stains. While it’s kind of charming and somewhat sentimental, I now have dozens of paper scraps with recipes written on them. They’re not organized in the least, and they're not kept in any one place. So, I’ve decided that creating a food blog for myself was the most organized way for me to keep my recipes and notes all in one place.
A handful of my recipes.
“Angela’s Recipe Box” will contain recipes and menus that I’ve collected. By no means am I suggesting that these are my own creations, although, I do typically stray from composed recipes and I tend to ignore measurements at times. It's my intention to take notes and keep track of any modifications to the recipes that I use in hopes of being able to recreate the dishes in the future!
