Recipe… Tyler Florence’s Roasted Sweet Potatoes… QUICK, EASY & IMPRESSIVE!

EYES-ROLL-BACK-IN-YOUR-HEAD-GOOD! A fabulous recipe from Tyler Florence… just gotta love that guy! After you make these sweet potatoes the first time this will be in your stack of favorites forever. Healthy sweet potatoes, olive oil, honey, a wee bit of salt and that’s it! Who doesn’t love a recipe that’s quick, easy and tastes like you spent some time?! We used to have baked sweet potatoes, but they take a good hour to bake, and sometimes it’s too hard to wait that long. I wanted something that would be done by the time the chicken came off the grill… so it had to be a little snappier than an hour. Tyler cuts his sweet potatoes into 1″ chunks, and it takes about 30 minutes. If I put the oven on convection it’s even quicker. And if I need it even quicker than that I cut them up a little smaller. This recipe never disappoints. One thing I do, that Tyler doesn’t mention is to lightly toss (to coat) before putting in the oven, and flipping once about halfway through the roasting process. they get gooey and brown and just fabulous! I also didn’t drizzle with olive oil at the end, I didn’t think it needed it, and didn’t want to add the extra fat/calories… My photos… and Tyler’s recipe with a link to the Food Network (for easy printing) below…

Scrub and peel… (clearly these aren’t peeled)

Cut into 1″ pieces. I cut in half longways, then each half cut in half longways, then cut into 1″ chunks

Drizzle the honey…

Drizzle the olive oil… then sprinkle a little cinnamon and pop it into a hot oven! TADA! Look at the first photo again… Heaven, right?

Here’s the recipe from the Food Network (click to get the printable version):

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence – Prep Time: 15 minInactive Prep Time: — Cook Time: 30 min  Level: Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.

Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

SERVES: 4 (SIDE); Calories: 304; Total Fat: 15 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Total carbohydrates: 41 grams; Sugar: 24 grams; Fiber: 5 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 216 milligrams

Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_34948_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The Best Baked Chicken Breasts… Quick, Easy and sooo good!

Ina Garten’s recipe for baked chicken is the easiest and the tastiest that I’ve found. To smell that chicken in the oven, ahhhh… whip up some mashed potatoes, or some sweet potatoes, quinoa, rice or just some veggies and you have yourself a meal fit for a king! It gets deeply brown like fried chicken. The skin gets crispy… Ina says she bakes the chicken on the bone and WITH the skin, then peels the skin off before eating (which is mighty hard to do, let me  tell you!).

This is all you do.

Buy however many chicken breasts you want (or other parts, but time may be different).

Put heavy duty foil on a cookie sheet (something with a rim to catch the grease).

Olive oil on the chicken, rub it around, coat both sides.

Salt and pepper.

Oven at 350 degrees. Bake 45 minutes to an hour OR until the temperature of the chicken reaches 180 degrees. If they’re small it could take about 30 minutes. Ours are usually close to a pound each (I KNOW!)… hefty for sure!

The. Best. Ever!

Shown above with sweet potatoes… recipe coming soon! Catch you back here tomorrow!

I bet you would like this about now…

Did you set your clocks forward an hour last night? I’m thinking this breakfast (from the Marston House in Wiscasset, Maine) looks pretty darn good about now… hot biscuits, homemade granola, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee, ahhhh, COFFEE!! Go grab a cup! Have a great day!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Ahhh, the smell, the taste, the beauty! Christophe Artisan Chocolatier – Charleston, SC

Christophe Artisan Chocolatier

When you walk by the Christophe Artisan Chocolatier on Society Street, (right off King Street near DUMAS), you will smell a heavenly scent of chocolate. Not any chocolate, but the finest, most beautiful chocolate you have ever seen (or tasted)! If you don’t live near Charleston, SC check out their website, you can order online! Fred picked me up one of these sweet treats for Valentine’s Day, and it was perfection!

This is my favorite, the dark chocolate sea salt caramel bar. Oh la la! The chocolates that Christophe creates are works of art! I encourage you to stop by his shop if you’re in the Charleston, SC area! You won’t be sorry! Wonderful french pressed coffee, and all kinds of treats… On Second Sunday’s on King Street they have a few tables set up outdoors, it’s wonderful!

Go. Enjoy. Chocolate makes you happy and it’s good for you

90 Society Street
Charleston, SC 29401
843.297.8674

Contact by email at: cpaume@christophechocolatier.com

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Pasta Recipe: Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce – OH HEAVENS!

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce by Cooking Light (Image and Recipe)

Yet another fabulous recipe from Cooking Light magazine! This one will blow you away! I saw this in the magazine and quickly tore that page out and set it on my desk… MUST. GET. MUSHROOMS. I had everything else… We had this last night and oh, were we ever happy!

First, the recipe:

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Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

Print 

Put this Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce recipe together in less than 25 minutes, probably without a trip to the store. It’s adaptable to your pantry–if you don’t have egg noodles, use another kind of pasta, and if you’re out of tarragon, try basil, oregano, or thyme.

Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2012

• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 ounces uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced exotic mushroom blend (such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow dish. Combine 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Note:This recipe originally ran in Cooking Light November, 2006 and was updated for the November, 2012 25th anniversary issue.

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I had taken step by step photos of this recipe, but since this recipe is so self explanatory I don’t think they were necessary. DO take time to read through this recipe a few times AND have all your ingredients ready to go (chicken dusted with flour, oil in pan, garlic minced (I used microplane), mushrooms sliced if you didn’t buy pre-sliced (I didn’t), wine measured, chicken broth measured,  1T flour measured, salt and pepper set out, tarragon chopped and ready. Oh, and water boiling for pasta… parmesan on counter so you don’t forget My recipe that was in the magazine says SUPER FAST 20-minute cooking. To that I say… No. Way. Unless you’re Cat Cora I don’t see how you’re going to pull that off… then again, I was taking photos of each and every step… and I bought cremini mushrooms that I had to clean and slice… I didn’t have chicken broth so I made a cup of chicken bouillon and only used half). So maybe it’s possible… next time I will see! Also, I didn’t have a chunk of parmesan, I only had grated which tasted great and worked fine but… the shaved parmesan pieces would have added a nice elegance. Next time, maybe even more mushroom, they were wonderful!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Wine + Food… Feb 28- Mar 3, 2013!

Well, the Charleston Food + Wine Festival will be starting soon, do you have your tickets? This is a hot event here in Charleston. If you’re in the area, I highly suggest you check it out!

Here’s a blip from their website:

Discover the distinctive flavors of the Lowcountry and uniquely Charleston experiences while interacting with and learning from the country’s best chefs, authors and beverage professionals. With over 80 events over the course of the Festival weekend, there is truly something for every person and every taste!

Click for  TICKETS… Also, keep up with all that’s going on, read their  BLOG ahhh, really there is so much on their website you need to check it out! It shows the local chefs, as well as all the other chefs that will be in town…

I truly think there is something for everyone!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via…

Recipe: How To Make Beef Stew: Quick & Easy!

For those of you out there who have never made a beef stew, I’m going to show you a quick and easy recipe… In the photo above… I look like I have control with one tiny piece of bread (whole wheat at that!), right? Truth is, I took all these photos while cooking (which is similar to juggling in my opinion), by the time it was ready, LETS EAT is what came to mind… and we did. I think I had two bites left and said HHHHHHIIIIIIIIEEEEGGGGHHHHH! I forgot to take a PHOTO! Poor Fred. Every time I make a recipe that ends up on this blog he watches a tornado with a camera in the kitchen, then a crisis afterwards because I FORGET TO SHOOT THE LAST PHOTO, good grief, the most important one! Lo and behold, there was one slice of bread left… enough to make me look dainty. Ha.

Ok, on to the recipe… click HERE for the printable recipe (minus all the photos)…

Ingredients: 1 # stew beef, carrots (4-6 should be good), 4-6 medium potatoes (I used red and did not peel, but that’s up to you), 1 onion, chopped (I used slices to try, but it cooks down so you really can’t tell), salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, olive oil and beef broth.

Start by chopping the carrots, potatoes and onions, I usually cook this for a few hours so the veggies will be done and the meat will be tender.

In a plastic zip bag or on a plate, add a few spoonfuls of all purpose flour (I always use unbleached), add salt and pepper.

Roll the pieces of stew beef around so that they’re coated in flour, this will help thicken the stew slightly.

Heat some olive oil (or canola oil) in a heavy bottom pan.

Drop the flour coated beef stew pieces into the hot oil to brown (not cook all the way through).

Once the meat has browned, move it off to the side…

Now, toss in the onions. stir them around until they’re translucent…

Once onions are translucent, stir to combine.

Now is the time to add some beef broth and Worcestershire Sauce (at this point you can also add some red wine if you like). You can use all beef broth or part beef broth and part water. The amount will depend on how many veggies you added… you’ll want to almost cover it… Stir it around and loosen up all those tasty brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of your pot. They add some heavenly flavor!

Now add the potatoes and carrots, salt and pepper and any other seasonings you might like…

Now it’s ready to cook! Turn the heat on medium high until it comes to a slight boil (where you see bubbles), then turn it down to low and simmer. I usually do this with the lid off most of the time… or I’ll crack it so steam can escape if I don’t want the liquid to reduce any more…

Something that gives soups and stew some nice flavor are the center pieces of celery, you know, the ones with all the leaves… toss them in whole, and you can pull them out when it’s done. It adds a nice flavor.

And that’s it! This is a great dish to make on a cold day, keeps the kitchen nice and warm. You can serve this with warm bread and a salad… or all by itself! Enjoy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to make homemade hot chocolate mix!

Hot chocolate. The epitome of comfort food during the cold months. There is nothing better then a warm mugful of the tasty treat that satisfies your need for warmth, sweet and chocolate craving all in one fell swoop!

I have previously posted how to make Hot Chocolate from scratch (using milk). It’s a treat, a real treat!

But… if you’d like to make  a hot chocolate mix (like the store brands) that is healthier (because it’s minus the strange ingredients) that you mix with water, just like the pouch you buy at the store, Alton Brown from the Food Network came up with a recipe to make it quick and easy.

This recipe received five stars by all those who reviewed it… that’s the highest… how convenient to whip it up yourself!

This recipe received FIVE STARS

Hot Cocoa

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown - (Food Network) - Yield 5 1/2 cups of hot chocolate mix

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• Hot water

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.

Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk.

How easy is that?!  Catch you back here tomorrow!

Lobsters… SET THEM FREE… oh, wait a minute…!

This is a photo I shot while in Maine. When I used to see this (as you do all over) I used to dream about setting them free, ha ha… Then one day I was watch Alton Brown on the Food Network, he was talking about the similarities of lobsters and… one of my biggest fears… la coockaracha’s as I like to call them, it doesn’t sound so greasy, so downright creepy (oh I just know I’m going to have a nightmare tonight!)… cockroaches. Lobsters and cockroaches are in the same family.

Set them free?

Nope… Maybe don’t squish ‘em, but hey, definitely don’t set them free!

Maybe, toss them in a macaroni and cheese… like this recipe from Ina Garten?! Hee, hee.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to make an organized grocery list – Save time… Save $$

Life is so much easier when you’re organized. I swear it is! When I make a grocery list I always write things in the same order. It saves time when you’re in the store. I make my list by SECTION (i.e. Dairy, Produce, Meat, Frozen Section, Regular aisles), and I always put the categories in the same order. I put an *asterisk* if I have a coupon for that item so I remember to pull it out of the envelope AS I PUT IT IN THE SHOPPING CART.

MOST of the time I write out the menu for the week. I simply cannot go grocery shopping if I’m not sure what I’m making. Sometimes you have to be flexible and have a few handy back-up menu ideas just-in-case. You save money and time when you make a list and FOLLOW IT… yep, the “and follow it” part is key. There are lots of grocery list templates online and sold in various locations. My simple list still works best for me. If you have coupons, it’s nice to write your list on an envelope, stick your coupons inside (for the items on your list). I normally don’t carry around a big stack of coupons, I go through them and pull out the ones I might use. I say might because a deal is only a deal if it’s something you use.

Here’s a link to a template that you can print and use until you get the hang of it. It’s little things like this that save you time (and money!). I hope this little tip helps someone out there… it took me quite a while before I started doing it this way, but have been doing it for the past 20+ years and it never fails. If I have several stops to make in a day (i.e. grocery store, Trader Joes, Target) I will write each store out in the above order. Makes shopping quick too!

Catch you back here tomorrow!