Chicken with Sweet Basil Rub!

We eat a lot of chicken, I never knew how to really cook chicken before becoming a consultant with The Pampered Chef! I first learned how to cook it in the deep covered baker (which is AMAZING!!) next was in the grill pan with the press!! The grill pan is part of the executive cookware line and is awesome! My chicken cooks evenly, doesn't stick, is super juicy etc. you know everything you want it to be!!
So here's what I did tonight-

-Grill pan on the stove at medium high heat,
-while its starting to heat pour a little extra olive virgin oil in (a few tablespoons)
-lay chicken
-sprinkle the Sweet Basil Rub all over the chicken! (I say NO NAKED CHICKEN!)
- sprinkle a little Parmesan Garlic Seasoning on the chicken
- put the grill press on the chicken cook for 8 minutes
-lift grill press and flip chicken, return grill press for an additional 8 minutes

It's Done!



The picture is of Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes, sautéed green beans with asparagus and garlic, and the sweet basil chicken!

Cheesy au gratin potatoes!

This afternoon I had my sister in laws au gratin potatoes on my mind. Not knowing how she makes hers I just decided to look up a recipe and make any adjustments :)

Here is what I came up with!

-6 red potatoes sliced with the simple slicer on level 3 thickness or just slice them
-1 onion peeled and sliced on the level 3 thickness
-3 cloves of garlic pressed with the Garlic press
-a little salt and pepper

Place the potatoes, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in the baker and mix it up a little

Next for the cheesy sauce

- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (you can use regular flour this is just what I prefer)
-a little salt (like 1/2 teaspoon)
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 cups of shredded cheese (I used white cheddar and grated with the coarse grater!)

Use a medium sauce pan
-Melt butter over medium high heat
-stir in flour and salt
-stir for about 30 seconds (I used the silicone whisk so it wouldn't scratch my cookware!)
-stir in milk, stir fast for about a minute
-let sit on heat until it starts to bubble, at this time it should be thickened
-add cheese and stir in to melt

-now pour over potatoes, onions, garlic mixture in the deep covered baker
-place lid on the baker and place in microwave for 25minutes! (This would take about an hour and half in the oven! Using something other than the baker!)

This is So good- maybe not the healthiest thing in the world but awesome!

Serves 6 big servings :)

Breakfast for supper!

My new double burner griddle from the pampered chef came in today!!!! I have wanted this for so long and cookware is on host special this month for 60% off!! and of course I made sure to get it!

I had to use the griddle tonight, I couldn't wait! So I decided to make French toast! I couldn't wait to fix enough French toast for my whole family and it ALL still be nice an warm when we sit down to eat! (Normally I would do one piece at a time and by the time I was done the first few pieces were cold!)
And then I decided I wanted bacon tonight, so I grabbed out my late bar pan and laid the bacon out on it an got it all ready for the oven!!
Tonight's breakfast was a huge success in the Wheat house and I was one happy Momma!
Here's the recipe from Allrecipes.com
Recipe Details (ps I really soaked my bread so I just has 8 pieces of bread)


Fluffy French Toast

12 Servings, Prep Time: 10 Minutes, Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Description

This French toast recipe is different because it uses flour. I have given it to some friends and they've all liked it better than the French toast they usually make!

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 thick slices bread
Directions

Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Guacamole !

Just about anytime we have a gathering at my house I am requested to make Guacamole ! And I better have enough to make at least two things of it plus there is never any leftovers!!

-2 avocados
-1-lime
-3-4 cloves of garlic
-Tomatoes (like 1/2 of a tomatos or 8-10 cherry- I honestly just throw them in!)
-Cilantro
-Salt

-Start by putting the tomatoes into the manual food processor & getting the to desired consistency
-press 3-4 cloves of garlic! I love garlic and it has w enough spice so that I don't have to worry with jalapeños!
-chop some cilantro with a knife and throw it in (I use lots- I really love that stuff!)
- now add the avocados (I use the avocado knife and it gets it all out beautifully!)
-sprinkle a little salt
-cut your lime in half and squeeze all the juice into the processor (I use the citrus press- it works great!)

Now process to desired consistency and eat!! Yummy!

Garlic Grits Casserole!

My friend, Becky, sent me a picture on my phone this morning, it was a picture of Garlic Grits Casserole! She said it was one of her favorites! First thing that caught my eye was that she was using some pampered chef stone ware!! 2nd it looked really good! And she sent me a picture of the recipe which sounded great and i love the fact that the Author of the cook book had a little story with the recipe! so I replied to Becky and asked what cook book was she using because i was already in love! I was not surprised when she sent back of a picture of the cover and it was Trisha Yearwood! I will be purchasing it soon! It looks like an amazing cook book!!
Ansley, my daughter, and I are the only ones in my house that eat grits however my motto is- don't dis it until you try it, EVEN if you've had it before, it could totally taste different the next time!! My biggest HOUSE rule is we don't say foods are gross! Even if my husband doesn't like something he puts it on his plate so the kids never really know and they'll give it a try!! So my point is that everyone in my house will be trying this soon! (Read Trisha's little story above the recipe! I love it! She's so right!!) enjoy the pictures that Becky sent to me!! Oh and ps- that piece of stoneware isn't available anymore but this recipe should fit beautifully into pampered chefs deep dish pie plate!!! Also a stoneware product!!

Chicken Pesto Pasta with Veggies!!

I had two different recipes in front of me tonight- one sounded great but called for flour and I didn't really want that and the other called for tons of cheese and cream! All that I love but I was trying make my pasta semi-healthy yet super tastey! While cooking my middle child, Justus, whose four came out of his bedroom talking about how good it all smelled from his room and he couldn't wait to eat! It was a huge hit!! And SO SO easy! So here's the recipe! (Pictures below!!)

-1 box of chicken stock
-1 box of linguini pasta (or whatever you prefer 12-16 oz)
-3-4 chicken breast
-1/4 cup of (EVOO) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-2 table spoons of lemon pepper seasoning
-5 cloves of garlic
-a few spoonfuls of capers
-2 medium carrots peeled with julienne peeler and cut into 1 inch strips (or 1/2 cup of match stick style carrots)
-2cups of broccoli florets (I used frozen and trimmed them up)
-1/2 cup of frozen peas
-1 medium red bell pepper or 5 mini bell peppers chopped length wise and cut into 1 inch strips (I used mini and they were yellow, orange, and red)
1/2 cup of pesto!

Ok here's what to do

Using the The Deep Covered Baker
-Break pasta in 1/2 and put in baker
-pour in stock
-add 1tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning
-mince 3 cloves of the garlic in the baker
Now put it in the microwave for 14 minutes (you may check it 1/2 way thru and stir a little)

While that's in the microwave cook the chicken- I used my favorite grill pan from pampered chef!
-Pour oil in the pan
-Mince 2 cloves of garlic into the pan
-Place the chicken in the pan
-Sprinkle a tablespoon of lemon pepper on the chicken
-Top with a few spoonfuls of capers
-Cook on medium/high heat flip after 7 minutes

Now the pasta should be close to getting thru-
-Once it's out of the microwave add all the veggies (carrots, broccoli, peas, and peppers)
-Stir and pop back in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes!
Once chicken is cooked-
-cut the chicken up
-Return the chicken to the pan
-Pour all contents of the pan (chicken oil, garlic, capers) into the baker!!
-now add the pesto!
-Stir and enjoy!

*note if you're avoiding carbs- steam up lots of veggies in the micro steamer (add garlic and lemon pepper and a little olive oil once steamed)
Then top with the chicken!!


(One more note- The pasta ends up soaking up tons of the broth- I do not drain it at all! The leftover starchy broth will help "marry" all the flavors together!!)

Pasta with Ceci

Rachel Rays pasta with Ceci! That's what was for dinner tonight and it was so good! Everyone had seconds and we have leftovers! (I may add a bunch of beans to the leftovers for some soup!)

Today I was watching Rachel Ray (she's one of my most favorite people to watch cook! I would love to go to her show!!)
On the show she cooked pasta with Ceci! (Che-chi) Or as I know Ceci as chick peas and garbanzo beans! Growing up I loved loved loved these little peas!! And I've had a dry bag of them for a while now waiting to figure out what to do with them.. So I was ecstatic when I watched her show!
I didn't take a ton of pictures and I'm not going to post directions- instead I will just add her link to the recipe! This wasn't a "quick" recipe but wasn't bad either! I just had to soak the peas and instead of the meat she suggest - I did bacon (I cooked this in the oven first on my large bar pan! 425 degrees- lay bacon on large bar pan and cook 20-30 minutes depending on crispness you want!) I will be making this again! (Oh and Dustin and the kids had fresh grated Parmesan cheese, I didn't and it was still good! You could leave out the bacon and use vegetable stock and make it vegetarian!)
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/pasta-ceci/