#BookClubCookbookCC: Lemon Chicken and Orzo

So.
It's the last month of the #BookClubCookbookCC project!  I've so enjoyed working with the other bloggers and especially Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla who spearheaded this project!  This month, Camilla hosted, and she invited us to make Greek food and read Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres.

Once again, I haven't read the book.  For whatever reason, there's been a run on the copy at my local library.  I am currently third on the waiting list.  I was fifth when I went to reserve the book.  But I can make Greek inspired food.  We love Greek food.
I'm always looking for new 1 pot meals that go together fast and are delicious.  This one fits the bill.  J and I loved it.  It also comes from one of my favourite sources for recipes, Budget Bytes.  With lemon and feta cheese, it's reminiscent of all the great flavours of Greek food.
I present to you now from Budget Bytes Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo:

Grillmistress: Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken

So.
Remember in January when I Spatchcocked a chicken and roasted it in the oven?  Well, at that time, I bought a couple of whole chickens and froze them for later.
Later finally arrived when we were cleaning out the freezer for the move.
While I was looking for something to do with a whole chicken, I came across this recipe with an interesting marinade that would use the pastes provided to me from Garden Gourmet.  A win all the way around as I tried to clean out my freezer and prepare for the move.
Now I need to buy another whole chicken so I can do this again.
I present to you now from Martha Stewart Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken:

Revenge of the Magazine Challenge: Roasted Chicken Fajita Tostadas

So.
It's Cinco de Mayo today.  I know nothing about this holiday, but think it might have something to do with Mexican Independence.  What I do know is that it's an excuse to drink margaritas and eat Mexican-inspired food according to the interwebs.  For food bloggers, this also means that we post Mexican-inspired food posts.
I can get down with that.
The April 2008 issue of Everyday Food had an article on Lighter Tex-Mex favourites.  I marked 3 of the recipes as things I want to make (these tostadas, fish tacos and stuffed poblano peppers).  Based on the results from this recipe, the others will be delicious too.
I present to you now from the April 2008 issue of Everyday Food, Roasted Chicken Fajita Tostadas:

Secret Recipe Club: Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler

So.
It's time again for the Secret Recipe Club!  When last we left our heroine, she was once again eating carbs and enjoying Pumpkin Muffins.  This month, I took a slightly different tact when looking for a recipe.
The blog I was assigned was one that I am familiar with because we've been involved in other projects together.  I was pleased to have a chance to explore Adventures in All Things Food written by Andrea.  Andrea lives on a farm, has really cute kids, and is crafty.  But she does also cook.
I decided that I didn't want to be just baking again this month.  I mean, I love to bake, and with Andrea's participation in #BundtBakers there were some amazing cakes to choose from (including my favourite cake, Pineapple Upsidedown Cake; or how about Rum Rocky Road??)  But I decided that I wanted to make an entree, so I searched chicken, and came up with something yummy.
When I first told J I wanted to make a chicken cobbler, he looked at me a little oddly.  Like myself, I reserve the use of the word "cobbler" for a fruit dessert.  But with this casserole chock full of chicken and vegetables under a crispy topping, baked in the dish that I would normally make the fruit dish, I am more than willing to make an exception.  But whatever.  When the weather won't warm up, this was a welcome dinner.  On a miserable and drizzly night, we were warmed from the inside out.
I present to you now from Adventures in All Things Food, Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler:

#FreshTastyValentines: Balsamic Roasted Vegetable and Chicken Stew

So.

Welcome back to another issue of #FreshTastyValentine!  Food to tempt your loved ones that is healthy and delicious.  Here's something delicious.  I believe my exact words to J were that we were having a "bowlful of yum" for dinner.
The beauty of Looneyspoons recipes is that they're delicious, made from staples in your pantry, and they work.  When I saw this stew, it sounded wonderful.  With Robert Mondavi as a sponsor of the blogging event, it just made sense to make something with wine.  Bowlful of yum indeed.
I present to you now from the Looneyspoons Collection, Balsamic Roasted Vegetable and Chicken Stew:

Goals for the Year, and a Quick Roast Chicken

So.
It's been a month since I posted.  Yikes.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  I'm either late or early, depending how you look at it.
I fell into the busy excuse over Christmas as to why I wasn't posting, and then it became a habit to not post.  I've also been reading a ton and not really internetting as much (the horror!)
But J and I spent a quiet holiday here on the mountain, eating at home for almost 2 weeks straight.  I don't think we've ever really done that in a good long time!  We had Prime Rib for Christmas and Hot Wings for New Year's Eve, and had chili while watching football until our eyes fell out New Year's Day.  Then I went back to work.
J and I aren't big into resolutions (although I often make a few here around the blog), but we have made a commitment to eating better this year.  He would like to lose some weight, and I know that I could stand to do the same.  Not that either of us are into counting calories or following a program.  There's too much good food out there!
But eating more mindfully isn't a bad idea.  To that end, we've made a few adjustments to our diet, and J's pants are looser already.  That doesn't really change what will happen around here:  it's still comfort food, and the things that are showing up on our table.  But we've made a decision to switch to water as the usual drink of choice around here, and I've made the promise that I will cook fish more often, cook meatless weekly, and incorporate more fresh produce into meals.
Here's what to expect around here in 2016:

1. The Magazine Challenge rolls on, and we're in 2008 now.  I've updated the Magazine Challenge page to reflect this, and have posted the recipes for January/February.  We've found some new favourites through the past few years.  I hope to find more.  I also wonder what I will do with 5 years of Everyday Food when I'm done this.  I'm going to regain the space that they currently take up.
2. I've told J that I want to cook a meatless meal every week.  Meat is expensive, and we eat too much of it to my way of thinking.  He's not so sure, but I've been pinning and reading.  There should be some good things coming.
3. I promised that I will try and cook fish once a week.  I'm still not a fan, but I'll try.  We've had some tilapia recently with a pistachio crust that was really good.  I'm making the Blackened Tilapia recipe from this blog this week.  I'm trying.
4. Blog events!  The next upcoming one is #FreshTastyValentines in February.  It fits in perfectly with what we want to do food-wise.  

So there's the plans, in a nutshell.  But I promised a chicken.
J has eaten salads for a long time for lunch, but we're making them larger, and have been looking for protein that he can add, along with more vegetables (I still take soup for lunch.  I heart soup, especially in this weather).  He suggested a rotisserie chicken, but I refused to spend what the grocery stores were charging.  But when whole chickens went on sale this week, I told him I'd roast a chicken and we could use the meat for his salads, and freeze some for a casserole later, and then use the carcass to make broth.
I found a video on Facebook from Martha Stewart of how to roast the perfect chicken.  I followed it, and it's super easy.  My oven is a greasy mess right now, but I'll clean it when it cools.  The house, however, smells amazing.
I present to you now Quick Roast Chicken:

Secret Recipe Club: Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Chicken Dinner

So.
Last week was Group A's reveal for the Secret Recipe Club.  I made Pumpkin Pecan Scones.  They were delicious.  Then Camilla, who I've worked with on other blogger events, was looking for someone to help out an orphan for Group B.  I thought it would be fun, seeing as my mom was coming for the weekend, and I was sure I could come up with a crock pot meal that I could serve after a day of Christmas shopping.
Camilla gave me the blog Cooking Mimi, and I was off!
Mischa has lots of everyday recipes that all look delicious.  She even has a crock pot category on her blog!  But there was nothing that tickled my fancy.  It hasn't been cold enough to be thinking chicken and dumplings (soon!), and I like my sloppy joe recipe.
But her last post...it looked intriguing.  And exactly like a Sunday roast lunch.  I've been seeing sheet pan dinners on Pinterest, and like Mischa, I finally decided I needed to try one.  So for lunch after church on Sunday, we had this.
I present to you now Cooking Mimi's Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Chicken Dinner:

Son of Magazine Challenge: Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Herbed Couscous

So.
We've been eating a lot of simple meals recently.  There's been enough going on, and we're still trying to eat at home, so there's been lots of indoor grilling and frozen vegetables.  Not that exciting for blogging everywhere.
But have no fear!  I still haven't blogged Thanksgiving!  Or some desserts.  And there's still Secret Recipe Club and the Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew.  Or there are things like this.  Magazine Challenge and last Friday night's dinner.
In making this stuffing, I combined things my husband is suspicious of:  couscous and pine nuts.  I also cooked something that I haven't touched in a while:  boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  This was easy enough for a Friday, but fancy enough to feed to company.  I may make it again.  Even with the pine nuts.
I present to you now from the September 2007 issue of Everyday Food, Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Herbed Couscous:

Secret Recipe Club: Bacon Wrapped Pesto Stuffed Chicken Drumsticks

So.
It's time again for the Secret Recipe Club!  What's that, you ask?  Well, it's a group of bloggers who are all assigned each other's blogs.  We hunt for recipes on said blog, and then all reveal what we made and who had who at the same time.  Fun, right?
I always enjoy getting my blog assignment and planning what I shall make each month.  This month, I had the pleasure of perusing Cindy's blog over at Hun...What's for Dinner?  Cindy is a stay-at-home mom with 2 kids and a passion for baking.  She and I don't live all that far apart, either!  I've also spent a little time on her blog in the past when I've linked up my menu planning with her on a Sunday.
There were so many interesting things to look at, I had a hard time choosing what to make!  I started looking at desserts (again!), and then realized that in the last little bit I've made an awful lot of bread/sweets/carbs for SRC.  I wanted to branch out.  So I started looking at mains, and this just spoke to me.
I have a love/hate relationship with my BBQ.  I love it for its fast and easy food prep, and that there are less dishes by my sink but more in my dishwasher at the end of the night.  I hate that I seem to burn chicken when I attempt to cook anything but boneless, skinless breasts or skewers.  But after reading about these drumsticks, I had to try again.
J wasn't convinced - he's not a fan of things that are burnt off the grill; and between the chicken skin, dripping pesto and bacon, I was sure to have flare ups, but I decided to soldier on because the promise of bacon and pesto in one dish just sounded too good not to try.
I mean bacon, pesto, chicken...how could that be bad?
I present to you now from Hun...What's for Dinner?  Bacon Wrapped Pesto Stuffed Chicken Drumsticks:

Oven Baked Crispy Greek Chicken

So.
It's funny how sometimes you won't like a specific food in certain preparations.  I'm not big on raw tomatoes, but I have yet to meet a tomato sauce I wouldn't eat.  I probably have a longer list of things that I don't like than J, but when I do the cooking around here we don't eat the things that I don't like.  Mushrooms and shellfish don't make appearances on our table because of my tastes, and you don't see turkey very often, seeing as J can't stand it.  But there are a lot more vegetables that I don't like than J.  He's not fond of squash, and doesn't like cucumbers.
You would think, then, that I wouldn't make a dish where cucumber features predominantly in the sauce; and yet I did.  And even more interestingly, J liked it.  A lot.  I was told to make this again.  And it was fantastic.  I would recommend it for the non-cucumber eaters in your life too.
From the 2015 Milk Calendar, I present to you now Oven Baked Crispy Greek Chicken:

#BookClubCookbookCC: Chicken Tikka Kebabs

So.
I posted on Facebook and Twitter recently that I was about to embark upon a new project with some old food blogger friends.  That time is finally here!  I'm so happy to say that for the next year, I will be participating in the Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew for a time of fun, food and good prose.
Hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, this project brings together 11 bloggers around The Book Club Cook Book (Revised Ed) by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.  Each month between now and next July (other than December), 1 blogger will choose a book from the cookbook and invite us all to make food that is inspired by the title of the month.  You can draw on the recipe included in the cookbook, or choose something else that uses the themes and food included in the book.
I've so enjoyed just reading the cookbook!  There are old favourites of books that I have read in the past, as well as books I've never heard of that sound so interesting!  I was thrilled that the first selection was something I was unfamiliar with, seeing as it's the beginning of summer and I needed reading inspiration.  I'm sure that that will continue long after the project ends too.
This month's selection was chosen by our fearless leader, Camilla.  She invited us to "make curry and drink a lassi" with her while reading Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpra Lahiri.

This collection of 9 short stories all have characters who somehow relate to India:  either immigrants to Europe and the US, or US-born characters with Indian heritage.  I so enjoyed the stories, especially Mrs. Sen's and This Blessed House.  There was something about Twinkle and her display of relics that made me smile; just like Mrs.Sen and her stories to Eliot about life in Calcutta.  While most of these stories have a huge food element to them, I took my inspiration from When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine.  In that story, the narrator tells the story of Mr. Pirzada, a man who has come to America to study plants, is invited to dinner by her parents regularly.  I had already started to toy with what to make, and when I saw the phrase "platters of kebabs", I knew what I was going to do.
My making of Indian food is usually based upon browning the chicken and adding a bottle of Patak's Butter Chicken Sauce.  While I enjoy the flavours, I don't often spend the time to make it.  I didn't really think Patak's would cut it for this, and the egg curry was called an "acquired taste", so I didn't think that it was a taste that I would quickly acquire.  I don't like hard-boiled eggs.
As my Facebook friends know, I've been cleaning out my office.  It's been crazy the amount of crap that I have been lugging from house to house.  Crazy, I tell you!  But one of the things I found was a Bon Appetit Tastes of the World that I have no clue how I acquired, nor had I used ever.  I started flipping, and soon found something that sounded good.
I present to you now from Bon Appetit Chicken Tikka Kebabs:

Take Out at Home: Sesame Chicken Salad

So.
If it hasn't been established already, I love quick dinners.  I mean, I like recipes with different techniques that use all of my kitchen utensils, but on a regular basis I'm a quick and dirty kind of girl.  Mise en place just makes sense because while the prep may take a while, when you're finally cooking everything is at your fingertips and ready to go.
You would think as a result that I would embrace Rachael Ray of the early days with her 30 minute meals.  While I watched 30 Minute Meals from time to time when it was on, I found her voice grating, and as time went on her cutesy words annoying.
I somehow acquired a copy of her 30 Minute Meals 2 in my travels.  I'm pretty sure I didn't buy it, and it's not something I would have asked for as a gift, so I'm just not sure.  I've flipped through it from time to time, but really the only things I make from it are the Italian Wedding Soup, Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and Twice Baked Potatoes - all of which are really good.
I decided last week that I should really use some of the cookbooks that are lurking in my cupboard more and so had a flip through 30 Minute Meals 2 again.  I'm glad I did.  I found this.
I present to you now Rachael Ray's Sesame Chicken Salad:

So Delicious: Hot Wings

So.
J and I both like going for wings, but we're getting old.  By that, I really mean that he is turning 50 this year and while he wants to eat super spicy food, it's not always the best idea.  Likewise, I am becoming more fabulous as time passes.
This year for the festival of Bowl games that is January 1, we decided to have wings at home.  Customizably spicy, ready when you're ready.  I went looking (as I am wont to do when I don't have a recipe) on Pinterest for something that would work for a lovely little Buffalo wing we could eat.  What I found was this.  It's amazing.
This does take some prep work, but the wings need to rest for at least an hour after their original coating, so they're the kind of thing you can leave in the fridge until an hour before you're ready to eat and then pop in the oven until they smell done. The messiest part of this for me is cleaning the rack after baking.
That's right.  I said baking.  This is about as healthy a wing as you can pretend to get.  Ignore the butter in the sauce and the skin that's still on chicken and it might be considered healthy.  But that's not the point.  Have I said how great we think these are?  I've made them 3 times.  That's a lot around here when you're not Chicken Fajita Salad or Mexican Bake Thing.
I present to you now from Gold Medal Flour Hot Buffalo Wings:

#HotSummerEats: Honey-Lime Chili Grilled Chicken

So.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that the lovely folks at Gourmet Garden sent me a fantastic box of goodies for participating in #HotSummerEats.  Little Bowls of lightly dried herbs and tubes of herbs currently grace my fridge and my food. I have to admit, Gourmet Garden may have somewhat spoiled me for preparing my own herbs.  It's so quick to squeeze and stir for a marinade or sprinkle over a pizza.
When I opened my April newsletter from the Looneyspoons gals, I found this recipe for grilled chicken.  With my brand new bag of tricks from Gourmet Garden, I was inspired to adapt the recipe for two and for the herbs that I had.  Grilled chicken.  It's perfect for summer.  And this marinade was delicious and fresh.  It's even Looneyspoons, so it's healthy!  What else can I say?
From the Looneyspoons April 2015 newsletter, I present to you now Honey-Lime Chili Grilled Chicken:

Secret Recipe Club: Chicken Fried Chicken Salad with Semi-Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

So.
It's time for another episode of the Secret Recipe Club!  When last we left our heroine, she was in a carb coma from amazing scones in May.  Will she solider on?  Or will she fall asleep?
Thankfully, I didn't fall asleep.  Otherwise, I would have missed out on the deliciousness that was this month's assignment!  My monthly email sent me to Sid's Sea Palm Cooking.
Sid is a Dane who loves things spicy.  I spent a long time poking around to find something that looked delicious and that we would enjoy around here.  There were cookies, and Danish specialties which all sounded delicious.  I finally settled on 2 recipes that sounded lovely.  The second is my kick-off post for #HotSummerEats, so you'll have to come back after 9AM EST to see that sweet treat, but I found this yummy looking salad that I wanted to make.
I love fried chicken.  J likes his chicken boneless.  This was the best of both worlds, plus I hadn't tried frying like this before.  I don't recommend it regularly.  There's a smell that hangs around afterwards - even if you use your hood.  Also, there's the whole pesky calorie thing.  But that's why we put it on top of vegetables.  Right?
I present to you now Sid's Sea Palm Cooking's Chicken Fried Chicken Salad with Semi-Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing:

#TripleSBites: Spicy Chicken Skewers with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce

So.

I don't know what it is about food that can be eaten without utensils, but it somehow seems to me that they belong on a romantic menu.
I went looking for a literary reference that I remembered reading long ago from a Gordon Korman book called Son of Interflux (literary is in the eye of the beholder) where Simon is counseled on what to eat on his date with Wendy.  If I remember correctly (we're talking I read this 25-30 years ago), He's advised to eat salad, and forego the poppyseed rolls because the seeds get stuck in your teeth.
This recipe has neither seeds nor salad. It is, however, a nice meal to share.  A little like fondue, a little spicy and unexpected. J and I both enjoyed these skewers.  The marinade is easy, the dipping sauce is spicy and if you're me, you might consider spreading it on crackers afterwards.
This is also somewhat heart healthy, as it comes from Anne Lindsay's Lighthearted Everyday Cooking.  So there you go.  You're even considering the health of your loved one.  You're welcome.
I present to you now Anne Lindsay's Spicy Chicken Skewers with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Souper Sunday: Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup

So.
My mom gave me a new soup recipe book for Christmas.  It's a great thing, seeing as we have soup here a lot on Sundays.  Soup is easy, makes a lot, and often tastes even better as leftovers.  With this one, it also used up a bunch of vegetables that I'd bought for other things that were lurking in the crisper.  Win-win, as far as I'm concerned.
This past week has been cold.  Bone-chilling, truth be known.  My new position has me standing outside the school meeting the 9 buses that come in each morning and supervising the students that are headed for the middle school campus (there are too many students for the building, and they're in the process of renovating/constructing a new school).  This week was not the week to start bus duty, IMHO.  But dressing for the weather (I have worn all of my wool socks at some point this week), and knowing that there was a hot lunch waiting for me later helps.
While reading about different soups I was interested in trying, I found one that intrigued J using spinach, potatoes, and cheese tortellini.  When I went back and looked through the book for that particular recipe, I came up with 2 that were somewhat similar and yet both contained things that I didn't like or didn't want to buy.  This soup was born out of the mashup of those 2 recipes.
I present to you now, inspired by my new Taste of Home Soups Cookbook, Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup:

Achieving Fangirl Status: Monterrey Chicken Skillet

So.
According to Urban Dictionary, a fangirl is:

 "A rabid breed of human female who is obesessed with either a fictional character or an actor. Similar to the breed of fanboy. Fangirls congregate at anime conventions and livejournal. Have been known to glomp, grope, and tackle when encountering said obesessions."Hugh Jackman: 'ello. Fangirl: SQUEEEEEE! *immediately attaches to Jackman's leg* Jackman: Security!

I'm getting close to the point where I am a total fangirl of Beth and her website, Budget Bytes.  I have to admit I'm not planning to grope her, though...I'm making no guarantees about attaching myself to her leg.  How about just sit in her kitchen and love her process?  Maybe question her a lot about costing out recipes, and how she manages to get some things so cheaply?  Yeah, that doesn't sound obsessive.  
I discovered Budget Bytes not long after joining Pinterest.  I read the "Top 20 for 2012" post, and started trying recipes:  Chicken Meatball Teriyaki Bowls, Black Bean Quesadillas, and beans in the crockpot.  Anything I've made has worked, has been full of flavour, and I've been told that I'm more than welcome to make it again.  What's not to love?
When I saw this recipe on her website, I was a little skeptical about the combination of flavours.  I don't use BBQ sauce a whole lot, and I wasn't sure about the sweet with everything else.  Neither was J.  He asked if maybe I thought I should leave the sauce out.  But I decided to stick with the process.  I mean, I hadn't been steered wrong before.  
Just as well.  The BBQ sauce was a nice touch.  
I present to you now Budget Bytes' Monterrey Chicken Skillet:

#10DaysofTailgate: Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

So.

On Saturdays when we're home for football, J and I often have grazing-type meals with a hot dip, carrot and celery sticks, chips and salsa, and something sweet.  It's even better if the hot something can come out of the freezer to be reheated so there's no real work on Saturday morning before the 12 hour extravaganza that is college football Saturday begins.
These taquitos are perfect for tailgating:  the recipe makes a ton (I got 15 whole small tortillas), uses staples in our house, and are hand-held for snacking.  They'd even transport well wrapped hot in foil.  If you cut the tortillas in half before filling and rolling, they'd be a great appetizer that would serve even more.
When I made these the first time, we enjoyed them with a bowl of tomato soup, but you could also serve them with a salad or carrot and celery sticks as a quick dinner.
Quick, hand-held, delicious.  Who's ready for a football marathon?  From Six Sisters Stuff, I present to you now Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos:

Soup for Sunday: Chicken Parmesan Soup

So.
You know what the problem is with today's public school system?  They are germ factories.  We've been back 4 days, and I'm already sick.  I sat on the couch watching football last night with J, and realized that my throat was getting sore.  I'm now stuffed up and grumbling.  A good patient, I am not.
Cold or no, I'm still responsible for making sure we eat.  Thankfully, I'd already put this soup on the menu for Sunday so that I would have leftovers.  It's a snap to put together, and then cooks itself while you do things; which in my case would be lie on the couch, blog and generally be pathetic.
I love chicken parmesan, but never make it because of the work involved.  Here are all the flavours with little of the pesky work.
Even better, the leftovers are delicious the next day for lunch.
I present to you now a Foxes Love Lemons' Chicken Parmesan Soup: