Grilled Basil Chicken Breasts

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this marinade for chicken breast. I usually let the chicken sit overnight till dinner the next day or in the morning till dinner that night. Something about the red wine vinegar really tenderizes the chicken. The fresh basil really shines through the recipe and works great with an Italian side dish. Mike isn’t a big chicken fan because of how it can get so dry when being cooked BUT this recipe he loves. It is absolutely tasty and keeps the chicken very moist. I found the recipe from Pam at For The Love of Cooking. She uses skinless chicken thighs instead but it clearly works with skinless chicken breast as well.

Grill Basil Marinated Chicken Breasts
Adapted from For The Love of Cooking

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (I used a garlic oil)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a zip lock bag add the oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Whisk together and gently place the chicken in the bag. Close the bag and squish everything together. Place in the fridge for 3-12 hours under a plate incase there is a hole.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking. Heat an indoor grill pan or your outdoor grill. Cook chicken over a medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Cook chicken till juices run clear and no longer pink in the middle. Rest meat for 5 minutes before serving.

Buon Appetito,
Fallon

Light, Chocolaty.. Cake Brownies!

   

I decided I have a real difficult time making the same brownie recipe. I just always want to try a new recipe! These brownies were quite fabulous and all done in 1 big bowl. Nice right?

They are followed with a chocolate frosting but I don’t normally like a brownie with frosting. Too rich for my taste buds. After baking up the cake brownies, they perfumed the house beautifully and baked up perfectly. I let them completely cool before cutting them into squares. I realized these aren’t an average brownie and was really like a cake brownie. The frosting would of been a good idea but my boyfriend told me they were perfect. He enjoyed them best when they were warm, fresh out of the oven, even after I let them cool off for a few hours. One of the girls at work that had requested brownies said a sprinkling of powdered sugar would of been nice. Oops.. next time. ;)

I would use this recipe more for an actual sheet cake, then for brownie type of eating. What do you think? You actually can’t go wrong either way. Make sure you use good cocoa powder, so the chocolate can really permeate through and light up those taste buds. I like the Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa powder. For fun instead of adding cows milk, I used some dark chocolate almond milk. That really enhanced the chocolate flavor and made the cake brownies extra moist.

Cake Brownies
Adapted from Better Home & Gardens

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Direction:
Grease a 15x10x1- inch baking pan and set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl microwave butter on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted. You can also melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; remove saucepan from heat. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder until combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, beat lightly just until combined.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; whisk together. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition. Stir in the nuts now if adding.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Baking in 350 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 2 hours on a wire rack.

If you are interested in adding No-Cook Fudge Frosting to the top of your cake brownies the recipe for them is on the Better Home and Garden website.

Enjoy,
Fallon

Oatmeal Cookies Make Everything Better

I always find the best way to release stress is to bake! There is just so much working out and therapy shopping I can do, that sometimes just getting into the kitchen makes me think more of what I’m making then what is going on in my life! I’m trying to clean out my Augusta kitchen before I move. Getting rid of all the sugar, flour and baking chocolate products I purchased. I take all the baked goods to my crew at work and they love it! People in the south appreciate delicious, home baked goods.

As I’m cleaning out my Augusta kitchen I’m thinking of all the changes I’m going to initiate once I’m back in Las Vegas. Sticking to a HEALTHY eating plan. Which my diet is very good and I believe in moderation. It’s just the added sugars that are killing my healthy eating habits. I’m going to stick to healthier alternatives to baking if I do want to make something. I’m going to make substitutions to recipes if needed as well. I think this will help me expand more on my healthy eating and finding healthier and delicious ways of making a baked good a little bit better for you. Ashley at The Edible Perspective does an awesome job of incorporating healthier, less processed, organic ingredients into her baked goods.

These cookies aren’t healthy but they aren’t going to kill your calories or sweet tooth. I made them smaller, so you could have 2 cookies and not feel guilty. I used spelt flour and whole grain rolled oats in placed of the traditional white flour and slightly processed oatmeal. I added in a mixture of dark chocolate and peanut butter chips. They were delicious and the several dozens I baked were gone within 2 days. I think they liked them? I know I liked them! You can find the original Oatmeal Chip Cookie recipe from Better Home & Gardens, while below I made some changes like using more cinnamon and no clove and unsalted butter with an addition of sea salt.

Oatmeal Chip Cookies
Adapted from Better Home & Gardens

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 cups spelt flour
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions
In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, vanilla and salt until combined. Next beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer and stir in any remaining flour. Stir in rolled oats and the dark chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Drop dough using a small cookie scoop 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

My cookies baked for 9 minutes each round and were perfectly golden brown on the edges. The oven in this kitchen gets really hot and tends to cook/bake everything quicker. I’m not use to using an electric stove, so I always have to time everything!

Enjoy,
Fallon

Barefoot Contessa Weeknight Bolognese

Here is a classic Italian dish that the Barefoot Contessa transformed into a simple, quick and delicious dinner. Bolognese is a rich beef sauce slowly cooked with a vibrant, dry red wine and towards the end a luscious serving of heavy creamy is added. This is a rich and hearty meal. While the Barefoot Contessa tweaked it to make it doable during a weeknight, I tweaked it to my own likings. Anyone can use ground sirloin but using completely grass fed beef kicked this meal up a whole other level. The beef was so rich and tender, it almost tasted like butter in my mouth. My sauce may not look very rich and creamy because I refused to buy heavy cream just for 1 meal. That is something we don’t consume unless I’m making a very decadent dessert. I opted to use some organic milk instead to round it out slightly. I did make sure not the skimp on the red wine. That is what made this meal a winner!

Weeknight Bolognese
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 pound 100% grass fed ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided (umm make sure you have a glass for yourself!)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound dried pasta, rigatoni or penne was my choice
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
Splash of milk
1/2 cup freshly ground parmesan cheese
4-5 tablespoons whole milk ricotta cheese

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits.

Okay so 2 glasses.. one for me and one for Mike!

I’m not a huge cab fan, but this was delicious for a budget friendly wine.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil and the pasta. Cook according to the box directions, making sure the pasta is al dente.

The best pasta!

While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the basil, cream and remaining wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into the large serving bowl. Add the sauce and parmesan cheese and toss well. Serve hot with a tablespoon of whole milk ricotta cheese on top.

Along with our bolognese I roasted up some broccoli with salt, pepper and olive oil. I always like to bulk up on a vegetable and use less pasta. I like when I can get best of both worlds!

His..

 
Hers! Oh yes.. the ricotta was dreamy in this dish. We ate at Spago
almost 3 years ago and we both ordered the bolognese and it had
the creamiest ricotta cheese on top. Totally brought back those
memories with this dish.

Make this for your family or loved ones because it is absolutely delicious. I’m sure the heavy cream would of made the dish extra special but honestly we didn’t miss it. I also didn’t have nutmeg on hand and I wish I did because that always adds a nice flavor. I ended up topping our pasta with some whole milk ricotta cheese instead and let the warm sauce melt it into our pasta. Now that is delicious!

Buon Appetito,
Fallon

Cupcakes…

UPDATE: So I guess ya’ll want to know the names. That would be nice of me right? HEHE!

Okay so I’m just going to let the photos speak for themselves! If you are ever in Augusta, GA you need to go Downtown to Sundree’s Urban Market and pick up some Delightful Bites Cakery cupcakes! One of the best foodie finds by far. None went to waste.. that is for sure!

 
Left photo: Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and Black Forest with chocolate cake and vanilla butter cream.
Right Photo: Banana Split with strawberry cake, banana butter cream and chocolate fudge drizzle.

Left to right: Yellow cake with chocolate butter cream, Chocolate cake and
peanut butter butter cream

  
Right Photo: Yellow cake and vanilla butter cream

My all time favorite.. Carrot cake! So moist, very carroty and the best cream cheese frosting.

She also makes a killer red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting but there were none the day I bought some. That is another all time favorite LOL. They are honestly all delicious. The lady knows how to make great cupcakes.

Love and cupcakes,
Fallon

Hominy Grill + More

Continuing on with my birthday adventures in Charleston, SC it is now time to move onto the food. Don’t forget to check out my post about Ft. Sumter as well.

We stayed at the historical Ashley Inn Bed and Breakfast while in Charleston. My first time ever staying at one and it was definitely something to get use too. Lets say it was an experience. This place was from 1832… I was a bit weird out by the older fixtures like in the bathroom and the wooden floors. Oh and what was really icky was the fact that the AC kept dripping water. Not cool! But other then that, the place was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the breakfast out on the deck was awesome! They also do happy hour from 4-6 with complimentary wine and appetizers. That was the best part!

 
Hey it is 5 o’ clock!

 

 
Our cute little bed! Until the AC started dripping water..

Since we only had 1 full day in Charleston, we only ate out once for a really nice dinner which was my birthday dinner at Hominy Grill. Other then that we stopped at a bar and grill downtown and when we went out we would grab some beers and apps to enjoy. As for snacks and desserts.. my cupcakes were the star!

    

I kept going back and forth on where to have my birthday dinner. Being a huge foodie, I wanted something local and original. Charleston has a lot of fine dining restaurants and a lot of seafood. I don’t eat seafood and I wasn’t in the mood for a super fancy meal. I wanted something fun and umm low country? I’ve never had a TRUE southern meal and Hominy Grill took an original twist on southern meals. They were also featured on a show called Man vs. Food. Who else watches this show? Love it!!!

Waiting to get our table!

There was so much to offer I didn’t know where to start! I wanted to try a little bit of everything. They started us with some boiled peanuts. Have you ever had these? They remind me of mashed potatoes. LOL

We ordered 2 appetizers, She-Crab Soup and Homemade Red Pepper Jelly with Goat Cheese and Crackers. I didn’t dare touch the soup but I was all on the cheese and crackers. Their jelly was amazing, wish they sold it!

Apparently they call She-Crab Soup because of the roe added to it.

As for our meals I randomly went with their Pecan Crusted Porterhouse Pork Chop with Spiced Peach Sauce. It just sounded real good and it was. Mike ordered their fish of the day, red snapper. As for sides, I couldn’t believe how many they had to choose from. Probably about 10-12 choices. At this point I knew I wanted to have their eggplant side (it was baked with tomatoes and bacon) but I was curious if I could just get a slice of corn bread as my other side. They told me it would be extra. I already had enough food and knew I wouldn’t be able to eat the whole thing, so I just got white rice. Mike ordered the eggplant side and mashed sweet potatoes.

Overall our meals were good but not great. They wouldn’t do anything extra, like with the corn bread. Also Mike asked our waitress without me knowing if they do anything for birthdays. She said they don’t do anything special but if we order dessert they can put a candle on it. Mike came back to the table to tell me what he tried doing because he just got up out of know where! I told him I would NEVER be able to eat dessert after appetizers and our meal. So we declined but we heard their buttermilk pie is spot on. Oh well!

In the end I’m glad I went to a place different then I’m use to but it isn’t a place I’d go back to if I visit Charleston again. It was good but not great. Maybe I’m just a picky person?

Oh and I think I mentioned cupcakes in this post. Yeah they are coming up next!

Always,
Fallon
(I used my digital camera. Still scared to take the DSLR out in public.)

In a Jiffy Curry Chickpea Burgers

(This post is originally from July 19th, 2010.)

Whenever I see something curry in the blog world it definitely gets my attention. It is a new spice I've introduced to my pantry and I'm loving it! Like when Ashley from The Edible Perspective posted her recipe for Curry Honey Hummus that was the first time I ever experienced curry. Just recently Angela at Oh She Glows took her jiffy burger recipe and transformed it into a Curry Chickpea Burger.


In a Jiffy Curry Chickpea Burgers
(Adapted from Angela, Oh She Glows)

Ingredients:
15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinse
1/2 cup regular oats
10 baby carrots or 2 carrots ( I used 11 baby carrots for good luck.)
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1-2 tsp water
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp parsley flakes
3 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside. *I used a pizza stone, I left it in the oven while it was preheating to give the burgers a nice crunchy outside.*

Love the colors.

In a food processor, process the oats, carrots and all the spices/seasonings for 30 seconds or until somewhat smooth. Now add in the chickpeas for 1/2 cup increments and coconut oil, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. If the mixture is still a bit dry, add a teaspoon or two of water to have everything come together smoothly.


Once the chickpeas are mostly processed and smooth, take the mixture and place in a medium sized bowl. *I left mine in the food processor, don't forget to remove the blade if you do this.* Stir in the sunflower seeds and pepita seeds.


Wet your hands and shape into patties. Makes about 6-8 patties. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip over for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy as a burger or on top of a delicious salad!


And a delicious salad it was. I had made a tomato, radish and artichoke heart salad earlier with an orange champagne vinegar. Topped on a bed of romaine and a generous portion of crumbled goat cheese, this salad was popping with flavors! The curry chickpea burgers were the perfect topping to this salad. While the burgers cooked, it also toasted up the nuts that left a great flavor to counteract with the sweetness of the carrots and the tang of the curry spice.


I'll be making these again because they took minutes to put together and minimal kitchen mess!

Fallon
PS: I think this is the year I'll be getting a new camera. Can you see how poor quality some of my photos have been lately? Blurry, grainy.. It is driving me nuts!

Ft. Sumter Charleston, SC

During my birthday weekend in Charleston, SC we did the boat tour for Ft. Sumter. My boyfriend is an army officer and has always been a huge history buff. I knew he would really like to do this. So we did. This was probably the HOTTEST weekend in Charleston. The humidity was sky crazy high, the sun was bright and I couldn’t stop sweating the whole time. I had to carry around something to pat off my sweat. LOL. I may look miserable in these photos and hence wearing my hang out clothes because my boyfriend insisted I’m better off being covered up since I’m so white. I don’t tan and my skin would of gotten eaten alive, minus the mosquitoes. Let’s just say I couldn’t wait to get on the boat in the super cold AC and to finally shower back at our B&B. Water never tasted so good!

If you don’t know anything about Ft. Sumter my best explanation is that this is where the first shot of the Civil War began. It was really cool to be on this land and how they had salvaged what they could. All that brick is original and the building use to be much higher. I really had a kick with the American flags. I thought that was really interesting seeing how the stars evolved along with how many strips are now on the flag. Kind of brought back memories from my high school history days!

This was the docking station before heading on the boat.
Charleston, SC is a beautiful city.






My favorite photo, approaching Ft.Sumter.


We are almost there!






Inside Ft. Sumter

 


Only appropriate!




All the different flags. Mike loves when they wave in the air like this.

By this time I was DONE! We still had like 30 minutes to go and we
stayed inside the museum with AC. It was so hot out there, no joke!
They need a lemonade stand on Ft. Sumter. ;)

We made it back to our B&B where we relaxed, I ate a cupcake or 2, showered and headed out to a low country southern dinner at Hominy Grill. Photos coming soon.

Always,
Fallon