Saw Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken on Rachel Ray and I had to make it this weekend because its really everything Brian loves… chicken, bacon, cheese served with mashed potatoes. Turned out really well. It is a great make-ahead meal because you can assemble the chicken and pop it in the oven 1/2 hour before dinner time.
Brian travels for work. He went on a particularly long business trip this week. I made a “welcome home” dinner tonight. Brian loves ribs, so I made Sugar Ray’s Body Blow Ribs, featured on Paula Deen. Not quite sure whats up with the name, as I did not catch this particular episode, but they were quite good. You need all day to get these ready for their final stage of cooking on the grill, so save this recipe for the weekend.
Next, I made potato salad. I am not a huge fan of potato salad, for obvious health reasons, but every once in a while, I make it for Brian because he loves it. I made Aaron McCargo Jr.’s Classic Potato Salad. I chose this recipe, as opposed to the hundreds of other recipes, because it had eggs in it and because I had most of the ingredients in my fridge. It was good, but next time, I’ll use red potatoes with the skin instead of peeled yukon gold. It needed more texture.
For dessert , I made a recipe I saw on Giada at Home this week… Mini Pineapple Cakes. This is an individual sized portion of a pineapple upside down cake. I have do say… for a doctored packaged cake recipe, this one is fantastic. The cakes looked so elegant, like something you would be served at a restaurant. I drizzeled high-quality hot fudge (shout-out to Boston-based Brigham’s) on top for added elegance. I could not find mini bundt cake pans for the life of me so I just used ramachains and they turned out just fine. This would be a good recipe for wowing guests!
My apologies for the lack of posts. Started a new job, so I’ve been busy… but not too busy to cook! With my new hours and commute I can cook more during the week, but if I want to eat dinner at a normal time, I need to do some of the prep ahead of time. Casseroles/lasagnas are great because I can make them the night before or in the morning and bake at dinner time. Here is a delicious, easy and healthy lasagna for weeknight cooking… Chicken Spinach Lasagna.
Use whole wheat lasagna noodles and good jarred sauce (or even better, homemade). Serve with a mixed greens and sliced fennell salad. Just add wine.
Tonight was my first Beef Stroganoff experience. Brian grew up eating it, so when I had him pick a slow cooker dish for tonight, he chose this childhood favorite. I, of course, chose a Cooking Light slow cooker version of the classic dish. I made it even lighter by using 1/2 the amount of fat-free sour cream (instead of low fat) and no-yolk egg noodles. It STILL got Brian’s approval. Although I had nothing to compare it too, I thought it was a winner. Break out your slow cooker and try it.
Tomato Basil Bread Pudding. Sounds weird, right? Don’t be fooled, its AMAZING. It is a great side dish or savory brunch item. Pair with a salad for a delicious (and colorful) lunch. Make it light by using skim milk and only one cup of Parmesan. Kudos, Giada.
