Thursday Things

You know where oatmeal doesn't belong? In cookies.



And why is it at work today that all I had to eat was this apple when all I wanted was a cake doughnut?





This is my work space, by the way. Also known as my cubicle. Just thought you might like to picture where I live for 8+ hours a day.

This weekend. Angels Landing at Zion's National Park. Every time I tell people I am going to hike it they suddenly look very concerned and say, "Ohhh, be careful!" Thanks, that doesn't make me the least bit nervous. My new found anxiety and my extreme fear of heights is going to make this hike very eventful.

Still, I can't wait!

Chicken kabobs and couscous-a 20 minute meal

If you are looking for a quick meal that is deeelux, I'm pretty sure this is it.

I got the idea to make chicken kabobs the other day when I was reading Real Simple magazine (my favorite) and saw a picture of them in there and squeeled "Chicken kabobs!!! Yes!" Because I was in a food slump and wanted something new to make.

I didn't follow the recipe from Real Simple because it called for cumin and I have recently decided that cumin tastes like barf. However, one look and I was hooked on making this meal and when I get hooked on a food idea there is just no stopping me. I just know that I am going to be pure joy and sunshine when I am pregnant someday. I can only imagine the horror those food cravings will inflict.

Ahem. Back to the meal and passing over my being knocked up in the future, the kabobs were amazing for 4 reasons: 1. they took 20 minutes from prep to out of the oven (25 if you're slow), 2. the meal cost me approximately $8 for all the ingredients, 3. it was out of the norm (see food slump comment above), and 4. it turned out stinking delicious (oxymoron??). The chicken was juicy and tender and the veggies were full of flavor and perfectly cooked--soft but not mushy with a hint of crispiness.

 

I seasoned my chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, but I think it would be really good with lemon pepper too. Just thinking out loud here.

Enjoy.

Chicken Kabobs and Couscous

Ingredients

• One chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 medium sized zucchini
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 bamboo cooking skewers
• 1 box couscous, prepared according to box directions (I used Far East's Roasted Pine Nut Couscous--I highly recommend it. Making couscous yourself is impractical.)

Directions

1. Take a chicken breast and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Sprinkle the cubes with all the seasonings except salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Slice the veggies into 1/2 inch slices.
3. Assemble the skewers in any order you'd like. I chose the 'zucchini, green pepper, chicken, zucchini, red pepper' pattern.
4. Lay out the skewers on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Broil for 5 minutes then flip the skewers over and broil for an additional 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (I ended up cooking mine for 15 minutes, flipping them three times. However, my oven is ancient and my broil does not get very hot.) While the chicken is cooking, make the couscous.

Monkey Bread

This is what happens when the only bundt pan you own is shaped like a castle. It seemed like such a great idea at the time... castle shaped cakes! So great!

I'm having second thoughts on my initial enthusiasm as I often find myself wishing for a nice round, normal bundt pan. Those turrets are tricky, man. No matter how much non-stick cooking spray I put on those things, cake refuses to come out of there cleanly. 

Oh well. Still tastes good. Like this monkey bread. No monkey bread was harmed by the fact it was cooked in a castle pan. In fact, it was juicy, dripping in caramely-tasting goodness. Highly addictive. 

Enjoy!

Monkey Bread

For the Bread:

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1.2 TBS sugar
• 1/2 TBS salt
• 1 TBS shortening
• 2 TSP yeast
• 1 cup + 2 TBS warm water

Directions: 

In a large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, shortening, and yeast until well mixed. Add warm water. Knead with bread attachment of an electric mixer for 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Add enough of the remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.

Knead dough by hand for about 5 minutes until smooth and springy. Place in a bowl, cover with towel, and let rise in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.

Once dough has risen a bit, pull off pieces of dough and roll them into ping-pong sized balls.

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon. Pour these into a 1 gallon ziploc bag and shake to mix evenly.

Place dough balls into the ziploc and shake to coat evenly in the cinnamon-sugar mix.

Spread the now-coated dough balls out evenly in the bundt pan.

Melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook butter and sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until completely blended, smooth, and a golden brown color. Pour this mixture over the biscuits.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to  cool in the pan for 15-30 minutes (or less if you're like me and can't wait). Once cool, flip the pan over on to the plate and dig in.

The Perfect Pizza Crust

Not to be dramatic, but this is perfect pizza crust.

Pizza is a staple in my home, no joke. I make pizza for dinner at least once a week. Twice this week since I made Thai Chicken Pizza yesterday for dinner then loved it so much I made it again tonight.

When you're eating pizza this often, insanely delicious crust is a must.

So I searched and tested and cried and searched and ate and gained 5 pounds and then I found it.

The perfect pizza crust. Its yummy and easy. Minimal rising.

Enjoy!

The Perfect Pizza Crust

• 1 3/4-2 cups bread flour (bread flour is a MUST!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dry active yeast

1.  In a small bowl combine the warm water, yeast, honey, and olive oil. Let yeast proof for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, and oregano. Add the yeast mixture once it has proofed. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. 
3. Let rise for 10 minutes over the warm over (as it preheats). Roll out in a circle and place on a cornmeal sprinkled pan.
4. Cover with toppings and bake at 475 for 15 minutes.

Yesterday Tidbits

Yesterday, in no particular order, I...

1. Cleaned the house. (Like anyone cares about that.)

2. Made my first pillow ever. I like it, but am not sure yet if I looooove it.

3. I fishtailed my hair.
4. Went to Cafe Rio with a friend.
5.Watched Andrew play Speed Racer on the Wii. This is how I watch him: "Oh watch out! Here he comes! OOOOH OUCH! Yeah! You got him! HURRY HURRY HURRY HURRY! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yep, that's me, #1 fan.

  6. Went to a Jazz game and sat on the 16th row thanks to tickets I was given at work.

Obviously a pretty great Saturday. I mean, any day you braid your hair is automatically noteworthy.

Raspberry and Cream Cheese French Toast

It is Saturday morning and I am procrastinating x2. My kitchen trash can is sitting outside in the 20 degree weather because it smells like something died in it. It's been there since yesterday and I'm supposed to be cleaning it out right now, but that's not in the cards for today. I can just tell. I'm secretly hoping Andrew will get tired of having a make-shift trash can (aka plastic bag) sitting on our kitchen floor and he'll go scrub the thing down. I'm pretty sure the cards aren't predicting that either.

Annnnd (procrastination #2) I got a sewing machine, fabric, and a box of sewing necessities and it is time to get down to business--there are pillows to be made people! However, I am a little intimidated to begin without the company of my mom. That's right, I need my mommy. I've never sewn without her looking over my shoulder to tell me if I am doing it right.

Watch out world, Jocelyn is cutting the cord. Maybe. If I actually get up the nerve to get started.

Ah, but cooking. There is something I know how to do. Beware, that stuff photoed (that looks like it shouldn't be a word but there is no red squiggly so I am keeping it) above is seriously rich. Andrew and I ate one "sandwich" each and then could go no further. That could have something to do with the copious amount of heavy cream, powdered sugar, and cream cheese that went into this.

That one sandwich though... seriously good.

Restraint does not concern me.

In fact, the next time we make this I would blend the cream cheese with some powdered sugar because after a bit, the slightly tart taste of the cream cheese was not melding with the super sweetness of everything else.

Raspberry and Cream Cheese French Toast

• 1, 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
• 12 slices day old brioche, challah, or any other thick bread
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 3 eggs. beaten
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (or light cream or milk)
• 1/8 cup powdered sugar
• 3 TBS sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean
• dash of salt

1. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar. Spread cram cheese mixture evenly over one side of each slice of bread. Top half of the slices of bread covered with cream cheese with raspberries. Top with remaining bread slices, cream cheese side down, to make "sandwiches." 
2. Combine beaten eggs, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl.
3. Dip each sandwich in egg mixture, turning carefully to coat both sides.
4. Place sandwich on a greased skillet and cook over med-high heat until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes, each side).
5. Serve topped with raspberries, powdered sugar, and whipped cream.

Ok, I'm off to make pillows. If I ever finish they will be showcased here, just you wait.
P.S. please come wash my trash can.

baked alfredo tortellini pasta with grilled chicken and roasted tomatoes

I made that for dinner. I imagined it up in my head at work and I came home and made it.

Then I took a few pictures. They all came out looking like a heap of hot mess.

After that I ate two plates worth even though I was full after the first plate.

Bienvenu à ma vie.

P.S. How was your thanksgiving? Mine was beautiful. Exhibit A, B, and C:

Anyway, here's how I made the stuff I was talking about before:

 Baked Alfredo Tortellini Pasta with Grilled Chicken and Roasted Tomatoes

Total prep and cook time: 25 minutes

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 roma tomato, diced and seeds removed
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• 1 cup pasta (I prefer penne)
• 1/2 cup tortellini
• alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Boil water. Once the water boils, add the pasta. When the pasta has 1 minute until it is done (after about 13 minutes of cooking) add the tortellini for 1 minute. Drain.
2. Take 1 chicken breast and cut off all the sick parts (you know what I am talking about, veins, white flubber sickness, etc.). Pound the chicken until it is flat-ish. Generously sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. 
3. Turn the oven on to broil.
4. Grill the chicken on a grill pan for about 5 minutes over medium heat then flip it over and add the diced tomatoes to the pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
5. Place the pasta in a buttered 8 inch casserole dish. Add the alfredo sauce and mix well until evenly coated. Top with chicken and tomatoes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly over the top on the pasta and chicken. Broil for 5 minutes until melty and bubbly.
6. Eat and enjoy.