Spice-Rubbed Roast Chicken Breast

I realize that my posts have become unusually short this past week. I'm just so drained after school day after day that I'm lucky to get dinner prepared, let alone photographed and written about. I apologize for the lack of enthusiasm and abrupt recipe descriptions. Just because I don't rant about how incredible a dish is, doesn't mean it isn't good- or even excellent!

Take this chicken for example: It started out as another plain piece of protein but with a few exotic spices not-so-gently rubbed over its skinless surface, transformed into a dish bursting with flavor. And it happened to be the juiciest piece of chicken I've ever tasted. Pan searing and roasting works wonders!

I haven't lost my enthusiasm for cooking. It's as alive as ever! Probably because I can't do it all the time, I want to cook even more. I never thought I'd say this, but I just don't have the time to prep a gourmet dinner AND study for an exam. As you might have guessed from the continued frequency of my posting, more often than not, dinner wins out.

INGREDIENTS
2 chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 F.

2. Stir together spices and salt and rub evenly all over the chicken breasts.

3. Heat olive oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium heat (until hot but not smoking). Brown chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to middle of oven and roast chicken, until just cooked through, about 12-18 minutes.

(Adapted from Gourmet)

Serves 2.

Roasted Vegetables

This post is really a teaser...an intro into what is to come. As much as I love veggies, particularly roasted ones, they don't make much of a meal by themselves. They've become my go-to side dish. All the work is in the dicing and slicing. Roasting is a cinch. Stick them in the oven and let the heat work its magic. While they are delicious on their own, it's what I devised to do with them that's got me so excited! Coming soon...a Caramelized Onion and Roasted Veggie Pizza! It's possibly the best pizza yet!

INGREDIENTS

1 zucchini, evenly cubed

1 yellow squash, evenly cubed

1 red bell pepper, evenly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, evenly sliced

1 orange bell pepper, evenly sliced

1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red onion, evenly sliced

2-4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Place vegetables and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a roasting pan (I line mine with foil). Roast for 10-20 minutes until veggies are lightly browned and tender.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Serves 6.

Chickpea Salad with Red Onion and Tomato

Beans are so good for you. Eat them. Lots and lots of them. (But slowly at first if you are not used to a high-fiber diet. They don't lie when they say beans can have unpleasant effects. Eventually you will get used to them and they won't bother your system.) And they can be so yummy...take this salad for example. Chickpeas (the cutest bean ever, I'd say) mixed with bright juicy tomatoes and crunchy red onion, fresh chopped parsley, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. That's it! Simple, yet elegant and full of flavor. Give it a few hours in the fridge to marinate before eating. I swear it tastes even better the second day.

INGREDIENTS

1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine chickpeas, red onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for several hours before serving to blend flavors.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Serves 4.

Garlic Chicken

This recipe yields unbelievably juicy chicken! Each bite is bursting with garlic and Parmesan... hidden to the eye by a crunchy bread crumb crust. So simple and so satisfying. If you closely follow the cooking instructions and take your chicken out of the oven as soon as it's done you can't go wrong. You could easily make finger-size, kid-friendly chicken strips following the same directions. Just buy or cut yourself some chicken tenderloins and remember to reduce your baking time. Such a simple recipe...and yet so good!

INGREDIENTS

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used whole wheat Panko)
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the garlic and olive oil to infuse the flavors. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken breasts first in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a greased baking dish.

2. Bake in a 425 F preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the juices run clear.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

B.L.A.T. Bacon Lettuce Avocado and Tomato Sandwich

I've never eaten a BLT without avocado. Is that strange? It just doesn't seem as appealing. I suspect that once you try this you won't go back. This sandwich is very similar to another I previously posted- the California BLT. The difference? This B.L.A.T. has an avocado spread whereas the C.B.L.T. is layered with sliced avocado and contains mayonnaise. Like I said, they're nothing alike. Both wonderful though. If I had to choose between the two? I'd probably go California-style. But if you like your avocado smooth and creamy this sandwich is for you!

INGREDIENTS
1 extra-ripe avocado
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of cayenne pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked
8 slices whole wheat bread
8 leaves romaine or bibb lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, sliced (Beefsteak are best!)
1 red onion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Mash until smooth and set aside.

2. Toast bread. Spread an equal amount of avocado on each slice. Top 4 slices with even amounts of bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion. Cover with second slice of bread. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

(Adapted from Epicurious)

Nutella Brownies

I'm having a hard time keeping up with posts. I've got a virtual stack of recipes awaiting publication. So it's not for a lack of cooking...I'm keeping up with that (a girl's got to eat!). It's the writing about it that slows me down. So occasionally, posts will show up without any comments. In case you were worried-I always come back later to add my spiel (I just had to look up how to spell that one).

These brownies are brownie-licious! Chocolaty and yummy and slightly nutty. (Especially if you sprinkle hazelnuts on top or add them to the batter.) The Nutella flavor didn't come through very strong though- subtle enough that you might miss it. So next go-around I think I'll add more Nutella (perhaps reducing the cocoa and butter slightly). The blog that I got this recipe from (titled Noble Pig) used half Nutella and half peanut butter. A noble idea, but I feared the Nutella would be completely lost in the mix.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup nutella
chopped hazelnuts, for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl combine all-purpose flour, cocoa (sift this in to get rid of lumps), baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. Over low heat, melt butter and stir in sugar and vanilla extract until well combined.

3. To the butter-sugar mixture add eggs, one at a time. Vigorously mix in each egg until well-combined. Whisk in the cocoa mixture until fully combined. Stir the Nutella into the batter (warming it in the microwave for a few seconds will make it easier to incorporate).

4. Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until the center is set. Let cool before cutting.

Makes 1 9x13 pan.

(Adapted from Noble Pig)

Smokey Pulled Chicken

When you want simple, affordable comfort food, look no further. I was craving pulled chicken sandwiches something fierce. (Did my southern dialect fool you?!) Instead of resorting to a bottled BBQ sauce (which is fine for the truly time crunched), I followed this recipe to create my own. Not your traditional taste, but very good. I used smoked paprika, which Dustin felt overwhelmed the other flavors. I liked the smokiness it infused. I'll have to try it with sweet paprika in the future. This is a no-nonsense, throw it in the crock pot and walk away kinda meal. Of course, if you are going to make your own sandwich rolls as I did, you'll need a few more minutes for that.

INGREDIENTS

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. sweet or smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. dry mustard (I used 1 tsp. Dijon)

1 tsp. ground chipotle chile

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used breasts), trimmed of fat

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ground chipotle and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.

2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5 hours.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve.

Serves 8.

(Adapted from Eating Well)

Soft Wheat Sandwich Rolls

Not all of my cooking endeavors are a success. Lately I must be off my A game because I've had several baking fiascos. (Cookies as flat as pancakes, bread with gooey centers, cupcakes overflowing their tins.) But these rolls were a shining success amongst a string of baking disasters. Recipes like this restore my confidence and remind me why I love cooking: the reward of tasting something beyond delicious...that you created!

I can't take too much credit. This is just a fantastic recipe. These rolls serve their purpose perfectly. I've already made two batches and used them for sandwiches, burgers, and just plain snacking. They're soft and silky and light (that with the goodness of whole grain). This is the first time I've baked with bread flour and I really felt/saw/tasted the difference. It provides lift and a "bread-like" texture that all-purpose doesn't impart. I'm converted. When a recipe calls for bread flour I will now obey.

Soft Wheat Sandwich Rolls

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups milk, warmed
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2-2 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Warm milk to 100-110 F. Add yeast and let proof for 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl combine honey, egg, and butter. Add yeast and milk mixture. Stir in whole wheat flour, salt, and 1 cup bread flour. Continue adding bread flour until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, continuing to add flour when necessary, until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

4. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled.

5. Deflate dough. Form into 12 rolls. Place on a lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.

6. During the second rise, preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 10-15 minutes in preheated oven until lightly browned. Brush tops with melted butter after removing from oven. Let cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 rolls.

(Adapted from All Recipes)