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If there is actually anyone out there following my blog, I'm going to be temporarily halting posts due to me not being able to put in the full effort that you guys deserve!  As of late, I have pretty much just been posting recipes and not including much else.  I owe it to myself and to you all to wait until I have adequate time to dedicate to the blog until I start up again.

Thanks!

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Orange Rice

This recipe comes from the newest addition to my cookbook collection.  I got it from an antique store Nick and I went to a few weeks ago, despite the fact that there is nothing antique about it!  It just happened to be sitting on a table full of other cookbooks, of course I had to look through nearly the whole table until I found the perfect one.  It is the Low-Salt Cookbook from the American Heart Association.  I was paging through the recipes and found myself wanting to try nearly all of them!  Because the recipes are all about reducing the sodium in your diet, they use a variety of herbs, spices, and other flavorings....something the average American's palate is not used to!  I think this book is great at showing how easy it is to cook with herbs and spices to give flavor to dishes without adding salt.  The first recipe I made was the Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Orange Couscous (except I used rice instead).

The recipe looked intimidating at first with a long list of ingredients, but was fairly simple to whip up considering you just throw most of the ingredients into the crockpot and let it go! The slow cooker chicken and sauce turned out sweeter than I was anticipating, but makes sense because the recipe includes cinnamon, brown sugar, dried apricots, dried plums, raisins, balsamic vinegar, and sweet white wine (probably should use dry next time!).  At the same time it has a spicy kick because there is cayenne pepper. The other ingredients were ginger, cumin, carrot, onion, garbanzo beans, garlic, and chicken.

First start by spraying a crock pot with nonstick spray, then layering in the chopped onions and carrots (1).  On top of that layer the cubed chicken (2), and on top of that the chopped apricots, plums, and raisins (3).  Don't stir the mixture.  In a separate bowl, mix vinegar and flour until smooth, and then add the wine.  Whisk in the rest of the seasonings (brown sugar, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper) and mix well. Pour this mixture over the crock pot ingredients and cover without stirring (4).

Cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or on low for 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours.  When the time is up, add the rinsed and drained garbanzo beans and stir.  Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes until they are fully heated through.

In the last half hour before the crock pot is done cooking, start your rice by combining the rice, orange juice, and water in a frying pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.  Simmer for the designated amount of time on the package.

Serve chicken mixture over a bed of orange rice.

For the full recipe and nutrition information, click HERE.

I want to share this song that I have always enjoyed from the movie Uptown Girls.  It's called "Charmed Life" by Leigh Nash.

Thanks for stopping by!

Gotta Have Another Slice, Banana Bread

Dear Lord, I think it is almost gluttonous how much I loved this banana bread after making it and trying it for the first time last week.  Of course it started out by having a few too many bananas that got over ripe, and also just happening to have all the other ingredients needed for this recipe from my boyfriends grandma. I had a big slice an hour after it came out of the oven, and wouldn't you know it I found myself digging for a second slice within the half hour. I felt like I could have eaten the entire loaf right then and there.  It was THAT good. The crisp outside with the soft and moist inside...plus it's a flavor bomb!  I'll just skip to the chase and say you seriously need to try this bread if you are at all a fan of banana bread.

For the recipe and nutrition information, click HERE.

Here is "Stars" by Fun. Hopefully one you haven't heard yet if you've only heard the singles. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Caprese Pasta with a Kick

So simple, yet so delicious.  I guess you could say this is a sort of spin on lasagna.  But there are definitely distinct differences.  You see, I had these gourmet type rigatoni noodles, made from tomato, spinach, carrot, and red beet, and have been saving them since Christmas (thanks again Katrina! :D).  It was something like THIS...Maccheroni, though, instead of Misto. I had been thinking all along that I wanted to stuff them...with something...just didn't know what!  Well, cheese is always a good option I think.  But once I started cooking the noodles, I noticed they were some that were broken and torn, and it would be a very delicate and trying task to stuff every single one of them. :P So instead I made a pasta bake and just mixed the cheese WITH the noodles rather than IN the noodles! It turned out very tasty.

This is perfect to make in the summer with fresh tomatoes, basil, and spinach from the garden.  The tomatoes aren't quite ripe yet here, so I just used some store bought ones.  After they are washed and dried, mix together the basil and spinach.  Chop the mixture finely.  Also dice the tomatoes and strain them to get most of the juice and seeds out (perhaps Roma tomatoes would work nicely). Place the tomatoes, spinach, and basil in a large bowl, adding the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg, and red pepper flakes (if it's garden season you could try jalapenos or another hot pepper instead!).  Pour the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish.

Spread 2 cups of spaghetti sauce (or your own homemade pasta sauce) over the noodle mixture.  Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning blend, and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. For the full recipe and nutrition information, click HERE.

The song today is "Code Monkey" by Jonathan Coulton. (PS-If you're reading this Matt, it's your theme song :P Nick says so. Haha.)

Thanks for stopping by!