Quick & Simple Mint-Cucumber Raita

15 May 2014

This week I decided to make a delicious Chicken Biryani, which I couldn’t serve without a side of delicious, cooling, raita! I have attempted raita, and its cousin tzatziki, in the past–but just couldn’t seem to get them as thick and creamy and flavorful as I would have liked. This time, I decided to use the highest quality greek yoghurt that I could find, so the base of the sauce was instantly as thick and creamy as possible, then drained every last bit of water from the cucumbers I could so the sauce would stay like that, and not thin out. Not only was this raita finally the perfect texture I had been looking for–but the seasonings, spices and added mint were the perfect blend of flavors. It was delicious served alongside the Biryani–but would also be a delicious accompaniment for any spicy curry, chicken tikka masala, or stuffed naan. What are some things that you like to serve with a raita?
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Brazilian Hotdogs

1 May 2014

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My husband lived in Santa Maria, Brazil for two years when he was younger, serving a church mission, and while he was there he discovered Brazilian hot dogs! He has made them for me countless times over the past decade we have been together {not to make me sound old or anything!} And every time he does, he tweaks the recipe ever so slightly to improve it. Today they were SO spot on delicious, that we decided to write the recipe down so we can make them this way every time! We added pommes frites, but you can make these quickly and simply without, and even add peas or corn, which is a pretty traditional thing to do! Has anyone else out there tried Brazilian hot dogs before? How do you eat them?
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Chicken Bryan Risotto

29 Apr 2014

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Those of you who know me, or have followed my blog for some time, are aware of two of my addictions– 1. To Carrabba’s Italian Grill and 2. To cooking risottos– so it was only natural for me to create this Carrabba’s style Chicken Bryan Risotto. Their Chicken Bryan is their most popular chicken dish–with a lemon butter sauce, goat’s cheese and sundried tomatoes on top, it has the perfect combination of tangy, tart, salty, sweet and citrusy! It’s divine. I decided to make my absolute favorite, creamy, cheesy heavenly risotto recipe, and combine the Chicken Bryan with it into one DELICIOUS dish. I was imagining it to be pretty spectacular, but, it turned out even better than i’d hoped! It’s rich, creamy and cheesy with the perfect balance of sweet, and tart and salty! I know it’s quite a bit of work, but it’s oh so worth it!
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Crispy Almond Chicken with Pineapple-Apricot Sauce

29 Apr 2014

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The other night was one of those nights where I just needed to pull together a fast, simple dinner–using whatever random ingredients I had on hand, because I hadn’t gone shopping in a while. I had some pineapple-apricot preserves to use, and remembered the delicious sauce I made for my brisket on St. Patty’s. A little while ago I stumbled on my favorite chicken recipe of all time! A carabba’s parmesan chicken–it’s juicy and tender, crisp and crunchy, a little cheesy, and perfectly seasoned; so I thought i’d play around with it, and add some almond slivers, to make an almond chicken recipe. To me, almonds and apricots are just a delicious, classic pairing. I always find it ironic that the meals I think long and hard about, and carefully plan for, sometimes turn out horrible, and the recipes I spontaneously pull-together on the spot turn out SO delicious!! I know the sauce sounds a little weird–pairing two things you would NEVER think would work together, but you’ll just have to trust me that these really do!! The almond chicken came out even better than the original–with a little added flavor and crunch, and the sweet, zing-y pineapple-apricot sauce on top, was perfect with it! {I’m using my favorite made up word again!} Maybe I should just let the pictures do the talking! I hope you guys love this recipe, because it’s one of my family’s new fave’s!

Salmon with Coconut Lime Sauce

27 Apr 2014

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This week my little guy asked if we could have salmon for dinner, and since he rarely makes requests that don’t involve mac n cheese or pb&j’s, I jumped at the chance to make it! My instinct was to default to my mothers classic lemon and butter recipe–but I decided to get out of my cooking comfort zone and try something a little bolder and more creative–and came up with this coconut lime recipe. It was sweet and salty and citrusy, and probably the best salmon I have ever made! I am absolutely in love with this recipe, AND so were my whole family! It’s so rare to find a recipe that both my husband and I and my kids all love–so this is definitely one I will be keeping close by! It’s healthy, quick, easy, elegant and delicious! I wanted to serve it up with some rice–but I forgot to put it on in time, so I defaulted to my favorite orzo recipe. I also decided to serve some delicious parmesan asparagus fries with them– {recipe to come!} Let me know in the comments some of your favorite things to serve with salmon! I hope you guys love this recipe as much as my family does!