You're only 5-7 ingredients away from great food!

[I started this post weeks ago... but better late than never I'd say!]

Refreshed by a weekend of great country music & spa treatments I bring you two excellent and easy dishes.

Goat Cheese Marinara

I first fell madly in love with this flavorful little delight at  Twist: a tapas cafe. My bestie and roomie of some years loved to frequent this joint for a special event or just a guaranteed good meal. It was always the first thing we ordered... no questions asked.
I thought to myself, "Self, this can't be rocket science, let's give it a whirl."
And whirl, I did.

5 Ingredients to d.e.l.i.s.h.

Olive Oil, Basil, Minced Garlic, Goat Cheese, Marinara Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 (I'm pretty sure I did 350, but it's been a while... oops)

Pat your goat cheese into about a half inch thick patty in the center of a shallow dish.

Pour marinara sauce around it like a moat. 

Sprinkle with basil.

Bake for 20ish minutes until a little bubbly.

While it's baking, slice a loaf of good bread.

Make a little paste with the minced garlic and olive oil.
Brush onto some of the bread slices.
Slide these into the oven for about 8 minutes.

Notice how my stoneware is gaining a little character! yay!

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ever need a dinner that isn't the same old thing but also doesn't require much thinking?
I sure do. Adam will tell you he could be happy eating the same four things forever: mac n cheese, quesadillas, fettucini alfredo, chicken parmesan. Not this gal. I need variety... it is the spice of life after all.

7 ingredients to [insert 7 letter word for good food here. Sorry folks, my brain has left the station]

Spaghetti, Eggs, Olive Oil, Parmesan, Chopped Ham, Garlic, Sour Cream

The nice thing is that pretty much this whole recipe is pantry staples. Except the ham. I don't always have ham. But I froze a few slices after the last time I made a little spiral ham and they came in pretty darn handy.

Boil your noodles according to package directions. 

Drain & save some of the liquid. I saved most of it, just in case but you only need 1/2 c. or so.

Heat a skillet, add ham just long enough to warm it up (2-5 minutes).

Add the pasta and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl combine the cheese, sour cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic. Combine well. Add the reserve pasta water to the egg mixture. Combine well. Add all this to your pasta and ... you guessed it, Combine Well.

And there you have it. Spaghetti Carbonara.

Borrowed from Cooking Light

the Start of Grilling Season

With the advent of warmer weather, I put a grilled meal on the docket. But I forgot that we live in Chicago and you can not count on warm weather or sun. Wednesday night in Chicago it was raining and cold. But, bless his heart, Adam fired up the grill and weathered the storm to make dinner.

Grilled Chicken (marinated in Italian dressing, a favorite easy marinade)

Grilled Polenta with parmesan & parsley

Steamed Broccoli

Clearly, I have a sack of polenta to work through now. 

Grilling it was simple enough. Basically, you whip up a batch just the same way you would if you were going to serve it porridge-style (a la last week's recipe). Then pour it into a greased 9x13 and refrigerate it until it is firm. Then slice, brush with olive oil, & grill to perfection.

The best thing about grilling chicken is the leftovers. I mean, seriously, what can't you do with leftover grilled chicken breasts? Just a few old standbys:

• grilled chicken caesar salad
• grilled chicken panini
• grilled chicken quesadillas

On Thursday for lunch I made the most delightful salad. Regretfully I didn't take a pic and it is long gone!

His & Hers Mac n Cheese

We don't generally get into this whole his & hers business. We have one car, one bank account, one calendar, but when it came to making some creamy cheesy baked goodness I had to make a differentiation. 

As previously mentioned, I'm on the next train out of Fatsville so I adapted a classic mac n cheese recipe to fit my dietary needs. Adam, however, is not a fan of the lighter version of classically rich meals so I amped his up to include his new found love of good cheese.

The classic recipe:

melt 1 Tb butter, add 1 Tb flour, stir until smooth (or as I like to refer to this step "roux it up")

slowly add 1 cup milk, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper

Add 1/2 cup cheese,  approx 2 cups cooked mac

top with another 1/2 cup of cheese, bread crumbs, bake until bubbly, voila!

You can double, triple, add, subtract, make it your own this thing till the cows come home.

For mine, I used the single recipe, light/low-fat versions of everything and carefully measured the portions:

Hers: pre-baking

For Adam's, I used 6 cheeses and the "regular fat" versions of everything:

Manchego, Sharp Cheddar, Merlot Cheese, Provolone, Irish Cheddar, Parmesan

His: coming together into gooey goodness before baking

His: Bubbling and piping hot!

Polenta = Dinner Grits

I thought about titling this entry "Grits is just ground up corn" because this clip from Outsourced kept running through my mind when preparing this meal. This package of polenta just made me laugh.

Thursday night, I made Parmesan Polenta and Spicy Sausage Sauce.

It was easy, tasty, and under 320 calories. 

It called for a handful of fresh herbs. I haven't started an herb garden yet (long overdue) so I opted to dry the extras so I didn't feel so wasteful.

Today is my traditional day off, but I only have the morning so I prepped two meals for later in the week. Stay tuned for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas and "His & Hers Mac & Cheese." 

and the last shall be first

This weekend I witnessed a momentous occasion. My sister, Laura Grace Gianeskis, graduated cum laude from Georgia Southern University. She is the first one of my siblings to get that piece of paper and I couldn't be more proud of her.
This encouraged me to wrap up my own educational journey. Believing that I met all graduation requirements as of last semester, I trucked over to my advisor's office this morning.

Um, hi. I think I am done with school, but I was preoccupied with planning a wedding and didn't bother to apply for graduation last semester... or the one before that. 


Embarrassing. Nine years later, I'm finally ready to be done with higher education.
But, I can say for my lil old self, that I did work hard, I did learn, and I did end up student loan debt free (with much help and many jobs).

The meeting went better than expected and I anticipate all this paperwork being turned in tomorrow. Alas, I missed the deadline by 2 days. Seriously? This would happen to me. And okay, no big deal, I'll just apply for the next term. Oh, when is that? NEXT May. Whatev. It's still done.


In other news, the Bulls are in the playoffs. For those of you residing with a man you will understand that this is like living alone temporarily. Well, with the exception of the constant roar of the tv and intermittent outbursts from the other room.

"Hot Sauce!"


What does that even mean?


So, that leaves Buddy & I here in the office, nestled among boxes yet to be packed. And lucky you, we're blogging!

Tonight for dinner I made a calorie-conscious meal in keeping with my new health initiatives.

Borrowed from Cooking Light,

Herb & Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
served with sauteed spinach and whole wheat couscous


1/4 cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 4 oz package goat cheese
4 6 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 10 oz package fresh spinach
Lemon Wedges (optional)


1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket Stuff 2 Tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chicken to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on 1 side or until browned. Arrange chicken on a baking sheet (browned side up); broil for 8 minutes or until done.

4. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, red pepper, and spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

chicken & spinach only 348 calories

Chicken Parm Two Ways

AKA Starting to get Adam to eat leftovers.

My husband has quite a few endearing qualities and some um, well, less than endearing ones (but not many). One of those on the not-so-endearing list is his declaration to never eat a leftover, except in the case of Lasagna which I have convinced him really is better the second (or third) time. So I have to get creative with the leftovers, perfectly portion the entree in the first place, or eat chili by myself for six days in a row.  This entry is the story of creative leftovers. Be advised, there was no trickery involved here. He knew it was leftover but it was presented anew and therefore was a success!

#1: Chicken Parmesan a la Cooking Light Italian

(please be advised I did not measure anything so my rendition is loosely based on this)

1 1/2 cups shredded fresh parmesan
1/4 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup shredded provolone cheese




Preheat broiler. Combine Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg, dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside. 

Combine salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper. Heat throughout stove top or microwave. Pour sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. 

Served with a small side of pasta, garlic bread and a caesar salad. 

Delish.

#2: Chicken Parmesan Panini

Sliced italian bread
Olive oil
Leftovers from last night


Slice last night's chicken.
Assemble: bread brushed with olive oil, cheese, chicken, extra sauce, italian seasonings, cheese, bread. 
Grill until cheese is melted and bread is crispy. 

Adam wanted a little dipping sauce on the side.

I added a little leftover pasta from Monday night.

Adam said this was the best sandwich he'd ever had. I know that's probably not entirely true, but it did solve my leftover dilemma and it was tasty!

Italian Dinner to go

...to go to our living room for the NBA playoffs at least.

The appearance of the sun in the last few days brings fear to most Chicagoans. While we've been bundled up under our down coats and sweaters for the last 6 months or so we've been packing on the pounds. This prompted me to pull out a different cook  book for this week's meals. Tonight's meal is brought to you by Cooking Light Italian.

Ziti Baked with Spinach, Tomatoes and Smoked Gouda


8 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil garlic and oregano, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can diced Italian-seasoned tomatoes , undrained
4 cups baby spinach
1 1/4 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese, divided
Cooking Spray


Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
Preheat oven to 375. 

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper, saute 5 minutes. 
Add garlic, saute 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, cook 30 seconds or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add pasta and 3/4 cup cheese to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Transfer to 11x7 or 5 small dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, bake 15 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown. 

I think my mom and mema would be proud of this dish because they are a big fan of colorful food. It has all the colors, not just my favorites (white, brown, and yellow: carbs, meat, and cheese that is). It was pretty tasty. I think I would spice it up again the next time and Adam really wished it contained sausage. But it accomplished the goal, easy enough and not fatty fat-fat.
The Chicago Bulls are playing as I write this so I trayed the meal up with some italian bread and leftover goat cheese marinara from the weekend and delivered it to the man cave.

In other news: Buddy got a super cute hair cut today and he looks just like his boyhood self.
He and sister Jasmine went to the park in honor of the Springy weather. His grooming salon is closing so after 4 or so years of fantastic hairstyles from her, we'll be following his favorite groomer to a new salon next time. Here are some fun shots from the day:

Before:

Before haircut. He isn't as unhappy as he looks. He just doesn't like cameras. Minutes before this he was smiling at me, I promise.

After. He's so tiny.

Talking about the other dogs... and that squirrel they almost got on the way over here.

Happy to be outside.

Jasmine is not smiling because she is embarrassed after a front tooth was extracted last week. 

Over It.

In more other news we are in the process of buying a condo. It's a short sale so we're in for a lot of waiting.

Stay tuned for "Starting to get organized", "Starting to pack", "Starting to move", "Starting to decorate", and "Starting to be a home-owner". This process is my blog-writing dream. Punctuated no doubt by "Starting to lose my mind."

A success, a failure, and a new invention.

Success: Enchilada Casserole

This recipe came from the cookbook compiled after my bridal shower. 
It reads "From the kitchen of Amy (Hambrick) Pierce. My mom used to make this and we have always loved it! :)"
I was really excited to try a Hambrick family tradition! I vote it a success for being easy, inexpensive, and flavorful.


1 lb ground beef or 2 1/2 c. cooked and cut up chicken 
(I chose chicken, sauteed it with butter, salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder)
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can corn, drained
1 small can chopped or sliced black olives, drained (I omitted this because neither of us really like olives)
Tortilla Chips
1 1/2- 2 c. grated cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef/cook chicken. Strain fat, add enchilada sauce and mushroom soup, corn and olives. Stir together and simmer. Crush tortilla chips in bottom of 9x13 pan. After mixture of beef has simmered for 15 min, pour over chips evenly. Sprinkle cheese and back for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa and sour cream.


To make this more "after work friendly" I cooked the chicken, sauce, soup mixture in the morning and stored it in the fridge. 
After work, I layered chips, fridge mixture, corn, and cheese while Adam threw together a salad.  I think I could have used more chips than just to cover the bottom of the pan to make more of a "crust." Adam opted to stuff this casserole in a tortilla even though I explained the enchiladas-with-a-fork kind of concept. I chose a handful of tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream and "scooped" mine. 


Failure: Italian Paninis


Lucky for me and you blog readers that I tried this one out on Sunday night before I even decided to blog about this because tonight was a capital D disaster. We'll start with the recipe and then I'll explain in painful detail how I failed.

Courtesy of Mario Batali: Coppa, Hot Salami, Ham, Fontina and roasted garlic puree panini (serves 4)


8 slices of thick country bread (I used sourdough)
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. coppa, sliced (I actually used capicola, because there wasn't any coppa at the deli)
4 oz. hot salami - such as pepperoni or picante, sliced (I used a hot peppered salami)
4 oz. Fontina cheese, sliced
4 oz. roasted garlic puree (I just used the jar-o-garlic with a little olive oil as a substitute)
My own special addition, Prosciutto, gotta love it & a handful of fresh basil leaves


Preheat grill pan  (the bottom right pan on the pic above) on medium. Brush both sides of the slices  of bread with EVOO.
Assemble the sandwiches as follows: bread, capicola, salami, fontina, basil, garlic mixture, prosciutto, bread.
Cook 2-3 min on each side between grill press.


Sunday night this worked like a dream and they were delicious.

Tonight was a different story. 
Sunday night I must have been energized by the freshly unpacked groceries or at least thinking clearly since I hadn't spent 10 hours at my desk immediately prior to this culinary adventure. Sunday night I prepped (layed out all my ingredients on a cutting board and gathered my tools). Then, I preheated with the timer on for 5 min while I assembled sammies. Then I put them on the press, was watchful and attentive, and voila! Italian delight. 


Thursday night I preheated, then prepped, then realized the pan was already too hot, tried to turn it down, assembled, threw them on the press, turned around to clean out the sink before my 3 minute flip only to smell burning and find the bread completely stuck to the top of the press. To make matters worse I tore the bread in my attempt to free it from the press. The middle of the panini fell out in my mad attempt to flip and during the time I'm doing battle with the top of the press the bottom has well surpassed seared, if ya know what I mean. My exasperated outbursts brought Adam to my aid. I was on my way to the garbage can with this dinner failure when he calmly suggested that all we had to do was abandon this bread, salvage the middles, and re-assemble. Ahhh.... a voice of reason. 


New Invention:


Two separate yet equal desires brought me to this "invention." 


First of all, let me tell you how much I LOVE to go to the grocery store. I blame Mema. She grocery shops more than any woman should, especially when you are the only one in your house and you pretty much eat oatmeal three times a day. But my Mema loves to go to the grocery store. She loves different stores, finding a deal, stocking up on essentials. Need a can of this? Short a frozen package of that? She's got 4 and she got a deal on them. I guarantee it. Well, the grocery store has become a favorite spot of mine too. When I've been too broke to buy clothes or shoes (many a month in my early twenties obviously) I can spend that grocery money with the same gusto. A little sale paper reading/couponing/mental calculating later and it's pretty darn fun for me. A few weeks back I scored a d-e-a-l on butter. Like, not just a buck off or something, it was $.50 a pound. That is nuts! And what? No limit? I started running back to Adam and the cart who were moving through the cheese aisle with armfuls sputtering "we can freeze this! this cartful of butter is the same amount it usually costs for on box! this is crazy! can you believe this?" Needless to say he did not share my enthusiasm for the butter or the deal. As soon as I got in the car I pulled out my phone and dialed that 727 number so close to my heart. You bet she did. She was as happy about my soon to be freezer full of  butter and my deal as I was. 


So I currently have a lot of butter.


It is equally fair to say that I have a Starbucks problem. I know this is not special or unique because they have done a good job of sucking in most of the country, but I do visit Starbucks once, twice or thrice on a given day. The perfect afternoon complement to my Doppio Espresso over ice is the shortbread cookies. Love those things.


So, I rifled through the recipe book and found a "Basic Shortbread Cookie" recipe I copied from my mom's archives. It was simple and I had all the ingredients in the pantry so I put a batch together in a jiffy.


Basic Shortbread


1 1/3 c. butter, room temp (YES! This used up almost three whole sticks!)
2/3 c. sugar
3/4 t salt
3/4 t vanilla 
3 1/3 c. flour


Heat oven to 275. Butter 9x13 pan, line bottom with parchment (I was out of parchment and it turned out fine). Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2 minutes), add flour one cup at a time beating on low until just combined. Press into pan. Cut into squares. Bake until evenly golden now brown 70-85 minutes. Let cool out of pan. Slice of break bars.


So, you made shortbread cookies? Get over yourself. I know.


I did not let them cool. I pulled two perfect ones out of the middle while they were still soft and warm. 
I sliced a few strawberries very thin and added a dollop of freshly whipped cream. 
Strawberry short-cookies. 


Maybe this has been done many times. Probably should have googled it before I posted it, but I was proud and they were scrumptious. AND I'll be eating shortbread cookies with my espresso for days. I win.