A preservative free taco mix!

Who doesn't love tacos? But who wants to take the time to marinade or put together seasonings, when the store has it done for you? The only problem with that is they often contain ingredients such as silicon dioxide (sand), MSG(monosodium glutamate) and sulfites. This recipe allows you to enjoy your tacos with less guilt and pure ingredients. It is great on vegetables and beans as well!

Taco Seasoning Mix

Yields-approximately 3 cups

• 1 1/4 Cups Chili Powder
• 1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Ground Coriander
• 2 Tablespoons Cayenne Pepper

Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Store in an air tight container.

To use: Place 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound ground meat of your choice. Cook until browned and cooked through. Stir to break into pieces. Add 1/4 cup taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water or broth(chicken, beef). Cook until mixture thickens. Top meat with your choice of veggies (avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapenos) and serve with your choice of cheese. Keep this mix on hand to make a quick and easy dinner! Enjoy your taco night without the preservatives!

A sweet n' spicy chicken!

As I'm sure you know, I'm a huge advocate of roasting food to perfection. There are a plethora of ways to roast chicken, but this is my new favorite.This delicious chicken is perfect for entertaining.The skin of the chicken is crispy, caramelized and spicy. If you are not a fan of spice, substitute with paprika or chili powder. This chicken goes fast in my house and it will in yours as well. Its wonderful served with roasted potatoes and a light salad.

Trussed and Patted Dry Chicken

Spicy Cayenne and Honey

Honey Cayenne Mixture

Honey Cayenne Glazed Chicken

Honey Cayenne Chicken

Serves: 4-6      Cook Time:  1 hour   Prep Time: 5 min

• 1 whole 3-4 lb. roasting chicken, patted dry
• 1/2 cup honey
• 11/2 Tablespoons cayenne
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Coating
• salt and papper

Preheat oven to 450F. Loosen skin over the breast by placing your fingers underneath skin and separating skin from meat. Place some of the mixture underneath the skin. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Cover with a thin coat of olive oil. Use half of the honey cayenne mixture to coat the skin. Roast breast side up and baste every 30 minutes until the rest of the mixture is gone. Cook until a thermometer inserted in between the thigh and breast bone reaches 155F.  Approximately 1-1 1/2 hours. Let rest for a least 20-30 minutes before carving. While the chicken is resting it will continue to cook. This is called carryover cooking. The larger the piece of meat, the more carryover cooking will occur, because there is so much heat trapped inside. When the internal temperature reaches 165F the chicken is ready.

Delectable Roast Chicken

An easy and elegant dinner!

Roast chicken is an amazing food that makes a beautiful presentation.  It is super simple to make and the flavor possibilities are endless! Here is the way that I make roast chicken frequently, but feel free to change it to your preferences.

Prepped Chicken

Herb Roasted Chicken

Serves: 6-8   Cook Time: 3-4 min      Prep Time: 5 min

Golden Brown and Flavorful Chicken

• 1 whole chicken
• 3 Sprigs thyme
• 3 sprigs sage
• 1 lemon
• 5 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• Olive oil to coat

Preheat oven to 450F. Place half a lemon, 1 onion cut in half in the cavity of the chicken.  Place the herbs underneath skin of the breasts.  Coat skin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a bed of  celery, onion and carrots.  Cook chicken to at least 160F. It needs to cook for about an hour and half or so. Let the chicken rest for twenty minutes, in order to continue cooking the chicken.  The temperature will continue to raise to 165F.  This will allows the juices to redistribute giving you a juicy chicken breast or thigh.  Enjoy this wonderful dish and impress your guests!

Turkey for Two!

Turkey is a must at Thanksgiving! But who wants to buy an entire turkey for only two people? It is just to much food and such an expense. This quick and easy dish will solve all your problems. If you wish, you can purchase a much larger turkey breast in order to have leftovers. Just remember the cooking time will increase as well.

Turkey Cutlets with Herbed Reduction Sauce

Serves: 2        Cook Time: 25 min        Prep Time: 5 min

• 2 boneless skinless turkey breasts, seasoning with salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 1/4 turkey broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs sage
• 2 tablespoons minced onions
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Heat saute pan until oil shimmers and smokes. Add turkey breast skin side down. DO NOT TOUCH for 3-4 minutes and repeat on other side. Transfer turkey to sheet pan. Place in oven and bake 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

Deglazing with Wine

Adding Herbs and Stock

Final Reduction

Add wine to deglaze the pan. Reduce by wine half and add onions. Next add broth, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and cream. Reduce by about half or until it coats the back of the spoon. Serve with Turkey. Don't forget these classic sides: Stuffing with Dried Cranberries and Herbs and Herbed Infused Mashed Potatoes.

A short cut chicken noodle soup!

Nothing says comfort food like chicken noodle soup. This was the first food my mom would make when I was sick as a child. As I was laying in bed, I could smell the hearty broth and chicken cooking. The warmth of the savory broth and the chunks of vegetables always made me feel better. It became a tradition when I get sick. While at college with a cold or flu, being taken care of was not an option. So I found a shortcut way to make this classic and comforting soup. I changed it slightly from my moms version. But I am still convinced that this soup will cure any cold or flu. This is my go to soup, that I eat all week when I am sick. This recipe can comfort you too. The best part, it takes little to no time to make and tastes great. It is best with homemade chicken stock.

 Soothing chicken noodle soup

Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves: 4-6       Cook Time: 35 min       Prep Time: 15 min

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 4 stalks celery, slice
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
• 6 oz dried egg noodles, cooked and cooled
• 1/4 cup italian parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat stock pot and add oil. When oil shimmers add onion and saute 2-3 minutes. Then add carrots and celery and cook 3-4 minutes more. Add stock and bay leaves. Let simmer until vegetables are cooked. Add chicken. At the last moment add parsley. To plate, place a small amount of cooked noodles in the bottom of the bowl. Then add enough hot broth to fill the bowl.

A classic chicken noodle soup

What to do with all that tarragon!

I don't know anyone who doesn't like a nice chicken salad. This is a lighter version of the traditional. It is loaded with fresh herbs, fruit and nuts. It goes great on a sandwich or over some greens. I added tarragon to this dish, because it is bountiful in my garden right now. If you don't like tarragon, feel free to substitute with dill or basil. Enjoy this light and refreshing salad.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Serves: 4-6           Cook Time: 20 min

Prep Time: 20 min

• 1 lb. cooked chicken breasts, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced small
• 1/3 cup red grape, cut in half
• 1 gala apple, diced
• 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 Cup greek yogurt
• 1 orange, zested
• 3 Tablespoons orange juice
• 3 Tablespoons tarragon, chopped
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lettuce or bread for serving

Directions

Before

After

Combine chicken, celery, grapes, apple, and pecans. Combine yogurt, zest, juice, tarragon, honey and parsley. Combine the chicken with the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 1 hour. Garnish with tarragon, parsley and oranges.

How to make an impressive and quick meal!

This is not really a spring/summer dish other than the fact that is pretty light. It was not something that was planned to be in the blog, but taste suggested otherwise. This dish came about because I did not want to go to the grocery store and just wanted to use up what was in the fridge. I have discovered that some of these meals can be quite tasty. This dish also has the colors of spring and summer with bright greens and reds. It is quick and easy to make and does not involve much prep work at all. The stuffing in this recipe would also work great on portabella mushrooms!

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serves: 2            Cook Time: 25 min              Prep Time: 20 min

• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (8 oz each)
• 1/4 Pound Spanish Feta, crumbled
• 1 Handful of Arugula, chopped
• 1/2 Cup Sun dried Dried Tomatoes in oil, drained, roughly chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. To make the stuffing combine feta, tomatoes, arugula and toss. Season with salt and pepper. In order to stuff the chicken, make a slit horizontally on the thickest side of the chicken. Make the slit about 2/3 of the way through the breasts horizontally. Then split the stuffing in half and stuff into each chicken breast. You may have to be a little forceful to make it all fit.

After the chicken is stuffed

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Next dredge the chicken in flour and shake off the excess. Heat a large enough pan to fit both chicken breasts. Add oil and heat until it smokes. Add chicken on what would be skin side down. Now I know it will be hard but don't touch for 3-4 minutes in order to sear the breast. Then repeat on the bottom side.

TIP- Searing is a very important aspect of the culinary world. In order to sear, you want your pan and whatever fat you use to be VERY HOT! I know it is hard, but leave the item alone. The more it is touched, the less browning will occur. So leave it alone. Searing is important because it sears in the juices of the meat you are cooking. This will help keep it from becoming dry. Once seared, the meat can be braised, baked or roasted.

One more side to go

Once finished place on a parchment lined tray and bake 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 F. Serve over dressed arugula.

Finished chicken served over arugula

Dressed Arugula

• 4 Cups Arugula
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Lemon, juiced
• Season will salt and pepper

Toss arugula in lemon juice, olive oil and season.