Teriyaki Chicken Thighs with Sesame Seeds

This is a quick and easy recipe for teriyaki chicken. You can either marinate this chicken or prepare it right before you cook. You can have this dish on the table in 30 minutes or less. I whipped this chicken up in no time and served it with couscous and spinach. It was a healthy meal with a lot of flavor. 

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed
• 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  
• sesame seeds, to top

1. In a large ziploc bag, combine teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, kosher salt, garlic powder and ground pepper. Zip and shake well to mix.
2. Place rinsed chicken pieces into bag and shake again to saturate. Marinate for at least 5 minutes {or place in fridge for longer marinating time}.
3. In a large non-stick stove-top skillet over medium-high heat, arrange chicken thighs evenly in pan with marinade. Cook chicken pieces for 8 to 10 minutes on one side, then flip chicken pieces over and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Sprinkle chicken pieces with sesame seeds and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Honey-Dijon Salmon with Walnuts

This is one of my new favorite ways to do salmon. The honey and dijon mustard gave the salmon just the perfect amount of flavor and the walnuts top this recipe off.  The few honey-dijon recipes that inspired me called for butter and bread crumbs, this is a lower-cal version that I put together my way. The olive oil and honey dilute the dijon just enough, so the mustard is not too overbearing and, with the honey, it is the perfect amount of sweet. I will be having this again for lunch today and I am sure I will be making this again very soon, as it was a hit. Just like most of my recipes, this was quick and easy and so, so good.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs salmon, rinsed and cut into fillets {or 4 or 5 pre-cut salmon fillets}
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard {I prefer Grey Poupon}
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp dried parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a shallow baking sheet with foil {large enough to wrap/cover salmon}.
2. Arrange prepared salmon fillets {skin side down} centered on foiled baking sheet. Set aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine Dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Stir until well blended.
   
4. In another bowl, mix together chopped walnuts and parsley.  Mix together while crushing any larger walnut pieces.  
5. Brush each salmon piece generously with honey mustard mixture.  Sprinkle the top of each fillet with walnut mixture evenly. 
6. Wrap ends of foil around salmon fillets to create a tent.  {Scrunch all ends together, securing all sides, making sure foil is not touching the tops of the fish}. 
7. Place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until salmon flakes evenly with a fork.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken-Apple Sausage with Roasted Veggies

Wow, this was good. I was craving this exact dish and to my surprise, it turned out even better than what I thought I was craving. This is one of our new favorites - not only is it full of flavor, it's healthy, and it's what I like to call a 'skinny crock pot' recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:

• nonstick cooking spray
  
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced into wedges
• 2 cups grape tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp pepper
  
• 5 {pre-cooked} chicken-apple and walnut sausages {1 pkg}
• sweet-hot mustard, for dipping

1. Coat a 4 quart {or larger} Crock Pot with cooking spray.
   
2. Combine bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano and pepper in Crock Pot. Mix well until veggies are saturated with olive oil and spices.
   
3. Add sausages to Crock Pot, placing sausages on top of veggies.
   
4. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours, or High for 3 to 4 hours.
5. To serve, place sausage on plate or in shallow bowl. Smother sausage with veggies. Spoon extra juices from Crock Pot over sausages and veggies.
   
6. Dip sausages and veggies in sweet-hot mustard.
   

Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is one of my Mom's famous holiday recipes. She has made this cake for many years, especially around the holidays. It's funny, growing up, I never liked this cake because it had zucchini and nuts in it and I thought that made it 'weird'. {Really, I never gave it a chance}. Now, I can't imagine what in the world I was thinking?! All those years I was just missing out on this amazing cake and I kick myself. I keep telling my kids the same thing, that they are only going to realize what they missed out on later because they are so picky. Although, my kids really enjoyed this cake {I just failed to mention that there is 1 pound of zucchini in it}. You must try this, it is oh-so-good...

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 medium zucchini {about 1 lb}, grated
• 3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 lb {2 1/3 cups} light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 eggs
• 2 squares {1 oz. each} unsweetened bakers chocolate, melted
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For Glaze {directions below}:

• 1 cup confectioners powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
• 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• Dash of salt

1. Grate zucchini to equal 3 cups - set aside.
   
2. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10 inch bundt pan.
   
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ground cloves. Mix well and set aside.
   
4. In a large mixer bowl, {with mixer set on medium speed}, beat vegetable oil and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating each addition until smooth.
   
5. Add melted unsweetened bakers chocolate and blend. Fold in zucchini. Then, slowly beat in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips and pecans. Mix well.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan evenly and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes {or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean} .
   
7. Remove from oven and cool in pan approximately 20 minutes. Use a butter knife to inch around rim of pan to loosen cake.
   
8. After 20 minutes, remove cake from pan and cool on wire rack. Drizzle with glaze {see below}.

Glaze directions {see ingredients above}:

1. Blend sugar with butter, then all remaining ingredients. Drizzle with spoon over cooled cake.
   

Enjoy!

Honey Coated Brussels

Check these little beauties out. They are just as good as they look. Of course, I had to have brussels sprouts on our menu again; I can't stay away from these little guys too long or I will start having withdrawals. This time around, I decided to coat them with honey, to sweeten them up a bit. My husband and I loved it. They have the perfect sweet and salty combo. And, with just enough pepper {if you are daring}, it gives it the perfect spice.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb brussels sprouts, rinsed, ends trimmed and yellow outer leaves discarded
  
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper {or 1/8 tsp if you are not so daring}

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
2. Place brussels sprouts on a shallow baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and honey and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   
3. Toss well, using hands to saturate all sides.
   
4. Place in oven, {uncovered} for 25 to 30 minutes, or until brussels start to blacken and crisp.

Enjoy!

Swiss Chard, Chicken and Bean Vegetable Soup

This is a little bowl full of health. Everyone in our house has been under the weather lately {along with everyone around us}. I was feeling a bit run down myself and I refuse to get sick {mom is not allowed}. So, I decided to nip-it-in-the-bud with a good wholesome bowl of soup and this definitely did the trick.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
  
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups {cooked} shredded chicken {Tip! Buy a rotisserie chicken from the deli and shred}
• 1 {14 oz} can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 {14.5 oz} can stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped {ends discarded}
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Combine chopped onion, celery and carrots. Saute until slightly tender {about 5 minutes}.
2. Add chicken broth and all other ingredients to pot. Stir.
   
3. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 30 to 45 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
   

Enjoy!

Coconut Macaroons

'Tis the season to be busy! My poor little blog has been completely neglected through the holiday season and I do hope I will be forgiven. With the busyness of Christmas, to our travels to Portland to visit family and then to Vegas for a short getaway, I have not made any extra time for my dear little blog that I adore so much. With that said, that doesn't mean I have not been busy in the kitchen, so I will share with you some of the recipes I have made over the past month. And, over the next month, I will re-create some of the amazing foods we were lucky to feast on over the holidays. Between my parents, our wonderful family and friends, we were surrounded with the most delectable meals one could imagine. I am getting hungry just thinking about it. So, back to work. Here is a wonderful recipe I have been dying to try from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, as I have been craving coconut. These macaroons turned out great {and they are so stupid-easy}. These cookies were chewy and oh-so-good, this recipe is a keeper. My resolution this year is all about simplifying everything. Most of my recipes stay true to simple, but are full of flavor and goodness {so everyone will think you've been slaving in the kitchen all day, which will be our little secret}. With 3 kids and a lot of extra-curricular activities going on everyday, I need to make the most of my time in the kitchen, as I'm sure most of you do. We should all live by this 'simple' quote...

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - {Albert Einstein}

Here's to an amazing year full of life, LOVE, family, friends, great health, good food, true kindness, simplicity and much happiness. Happy 2012!!


Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp softened butter

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a large cookie sheet.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Blend.
   
3. Stir in egg whites, almond extract and softened butter. Mix well until blended.
   
4. Using a small ice cream scooper or Tablespoon, drop mixture by rounds onto prepared cookie sheet.
   
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are golden.
   
6. Transfer to wax paper or wire rack to cool.
   

Enjoy!