Simple Sweet Potato + Eggs

I came across this Easy Sweet Potato + Eggs recipe a couple of weeks ago and was stoked to recreate it!  I even went out and bought a Julienne peeler so I could make sweet potato 'noodles'.  The truth is I really don't like eggs, but I try to eat them every now and then.  This recipe was easy and while obviously one of the key ingredients is eggs there is so much other good stuff in it that I really liked this recipe.

 

Sweet Potato + Eggs

 

Ingredients

1 medium/large sweet potato

2 eggs

2 - 3 slices turkey bacon (or regular bacon)

1 TBS butter (or other cooking fat)

Cheddar cheese (optional)

 

Directions

Cook the turkey bacon and then set aside ~ while the turkey bacon is cooking peel the sweet potato ~ using a julienne peeler, peel the potatoes, making a pile of sweet potato 'noodles' ~ once the bacon is cooked add the 1 TBS butter and cook the sweet potato 'noodles' (if you like, season the potatoes) ~ once the sweet potatoes have softened transfer them to an oven safe or cast iron skillet ~ place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat, set up the oven rack and turn oven on to 'Broil' ~ make two wells for the eggs and crack the eggs into the sweet potatoes ~ sprinkle on the chopped turkey bacon ~ once the eggs begin to cook slightly transfer the skillet to the oven ~ cook for approximately 3 - 4 minutes or until the tops of the eggs begin to cook ~ (option - at this point if you would like to add cheese, remove the skillet, sprinkle with cheese and return to the broiler for 1 - 2 minutes) ~ remove, let cool, transfer to a plate and enjoy!

 

Yum!

Lighter Cheesy Baked Grits

Do you love grits?  I do!  But one thing I have learned is that Northeasterners do not 'get' grits.  It's sad.  They keep trying to make grits something it isn't.  Case in point these were the questions I got when I served cheesy grits and pulled pork the other night ... "are grits like polenta?" "is this dish some sort of corn bread?" "do you think it would taste good with maple syrup?"  Answers - no, no and ew no!  They're girts, and they're fabulous!

 

My parents sent me home from Virginia with two HUGE bags of local stone ground grits.  I've had to get creative because that is A LOT of grits.  I have made chicken and grits, grits for breakfast and even threatened to use grits in place of pasta or rice (however I have yet to do that).  So when I stumbled upon this recipe for lighter cheesy grits (and by a Virginia blogger no less) I knew I had to make them and soon!

 

It you like grits then you will absolutely LOVE this recipe and if you are unsure of whether or not you like grits, or if you have never really tried them before - you should make this recipe ASAP!  The great thing about this recipe is that it uses Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, skim milk instead of whole and reduced fat cheese instead of full - so you get all the creamy deliciousness without all the fat and calories.

 

 Lighter Cheesy Baked Grits

 

Ingredients

2 cups stone ground yellow grits (prepared according to directions)

2 TBS butter (separated)

1 - 1.5 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese (shredded)

6oz. plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage)

1.5 milk (skim or 1% - I used skim)

2 eggs, beaten with a fork

1 TBS Tabasco

 

Directions
Cook the grits as directed (adding 1 TBS of butter) ~ while they are cooking shred the cheese, beat the eggs and measure out the milk ~ once the grits are done cooking transfer to a large mixing bowl ~ mix in the cheese, then butter, yogurt, milk, Tabasco and eggs (be sure to add the eggs last so the mixture has had time to cool) ~ transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking pan ~ bake at 350 degrees for one hour. 

 

Cheesy grits, pre-bake!

 

I completely forgot to take a picture afterwards but they were spot on!  And I personally thought they tasted even better the next day.

Spicy Cajun Chicken Noodle Soup

The other day I was craving soup, but I wasn't in the mood to go the completely homemade route (which includes cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot over night, reserving the broth, etc ...)  so when I found this recipe on a blog I like to read I made sure to pick up the ingredients next time I was at the store.  The recipe came together in no time and was pretty simple for a week night.  To make the prep even faster I used a rotisserie chicken and shredded it a couple days before, put the chicken in a container and froze it until I was ready to use it.  I also used the spicy jalapeño chicken sausage from Trader Joe's (TJs chicken sausage is fast becoming my favorite).

 

Clean & Healthy Spicy Cajun Chicken Noodle Soup

(Adapted from Taylor Made)

 

Ingredients
 1 rotisserie chicken (fully cooked & shredded)
8 - 10 oz pasta (of your choice)
 6 oz. spicy chicken sausage (I used Trader Joe's)
1 white onion, chopped in half
 4 - 5 cloves garlic, chopped in half
3 - 4 bay leaves
 4 large carrots, peeled
 4 stalks celery
 12 cups (3 cartons) organic/free range, low sodium chicken broth
 1/4 - 1/2 TSP cayenne (depending on your desired level of spice)
 1/2 TSP paprika
 1/2 TSP salt
 1/2 TSP garlic powder
 1/2 TSP dried thyme
 1/2 TSP pepper
 1 TBSP olive oil

Directions
 Remove all the meat from the rotisserie chicken and set aside (you can even do this days before and freeze) ~ using a large stock pot or Dutch oven bring the 12 cups of chicken broth to a boil ~ add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, celery and one of the carrots ~ return to a boil and then cover and allow to simmer for about an hour (I didn't have that much time so I let the whole thing boil (covered) for about 30 minutes) ~ once time has elapsed remove the veggies and bay leaves and discard them (there flavors will remain which will make the broth taste even better) ~ once all the veggies have been removed and only the broth remains turn on low heat ~ next slice the remaining carrots and celery and slice the sausage ~ heat a sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil then add the veggies/sausage and spices (cayenne, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder) and cook/sauté the sausage and veggies (you can also cook the sausage separately if you like) ~ once they are cooked add the carrots/celery/sausage to the broth ~ added the shredded chicken and bring to a boil ~ once boiling add the pasta and cook until al dente ~ serve immediately and enjoy!
(Note - if the broth is not as flavorful as you would like it to be, add a couple chicken bouillon cubes.)
 

This soup was REALLY good - we both enjoyed it immensely, however since I cooked the pasta in the broth (instead of cooking the pasta separately and adding it to the broth later) the noodles continued to expand and any leftovers turned into more of a casserole than a soup.  The soup also definitely had a kick to it so it you like spice, it'll be right up your alley! 

Almost finished!

 

Ready to eat!

Crock Pot Red Wine Beef & Onions

I love the crock pot this time of year - honestly I love it all year round but this time of year especially.  There is nothing better than a Sunday crock pot dinner after a day of housework and football watching.  I found this recipe on the blog Taylor Made and I really wanted to give it a try.  It was super simple and the flavor was great!  I served it over brown rice and we drank the leftover wine with dinner!  Now I am not a fan of onions (particularly raw ones) but even though this recipe includes a good amount of them they cook down and provide really good flavor.

 

Crock Pot Red Wine Beef & Onions

Ingredients

1.5 lbs beef stew meat (I used Trader Joe's)

1 large white onion, chopped

1.5 cup red wine

1.5 cans low sodium beef broth (or about 21 oz)

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cooked brown rice, for serving

Directions

Place the beef in the crock pot ~ loosely chop the onions and place in the crock pot as well ~ combine the beef broth, wine and spices in a bowl and pour over the beef/onions ~ stir and cook on low heat for 9 - 10 hours ~ when you're ready to eat use a mesh strainer and drain the broth/wine mixture into a sauce pan ~ place the meat and onions back in the crock pot and turn the crock pot to warm ~ thicken the sauce by removing about 1/2 a cup of the broth/wine mixture and mix in about 1/4 cup flour to make a paste ~ return the paste to the sauce pan and whisk until thickened (I added a little more wine and beef broth at this point too) ~ add about half of the sauce back into the crock pot and reserve the rest for topping the rice (or you could pour it all back in the crock pot) ~ cook the rice, serve and enjoy!

 

The thickening of the sauce is optional - I tend to prefer thicker, gravy like sauces so this worked perfectly for me.  This recipe was incredibly easy, the house smelled great all day and it was the perfect dinner for a cool night.  I forgot to take an 'after' picture because we were too busy eating.  I will definitely be making this again - probably sometime soon!

Beef + Onions + Wine + Beef Broth = Delicious!

A New Kind of 'Mac' & Cheese

Hello from Lansing, Michigan!  On the campus of Michigan State University to be exact.  If you follow me on Twitter (hint hint, maybe you should, Abigail_Lemon) you know I am in Michigan for approximately 30 hours.  This is my first time in the state and even though I haven't been able to explore that much it's always fun to go new places.

Since I've on doing 'The Challenge' and have been staying away from pasta, mac and cheese in the traditional sense has been completely off limits.  I have only eaten pasta once in the last 6 weeks - and that was at an Italian market in NYC where duh, you have to eat pasta.  Now we all know that I LOVE mac and cheese, but let's be honest - mac and cheese does not love me, especially in the waist and love handle area.

Now I am aware that this recipe is not exactly the picture of health due to the cheese but it is low carb, made with coconut milk instead of milk/cream and it's a far cry from eating a plate full of pasta!  I found the recipe here and figured I'd give it a try (I did modify the original recipe slightly).  It was a success!

 

'Mac' & Cheese

 

Ingredients

1.5 bag of frozen (organic) broccoli (I used Trader Joe's)

1/2 pound bacon, sliced into bits

1 tbsp  butter

2 cloves garlic

1/2 - 3/4 can coconut milk

4 oz full fat cream cheese

1 tsp nutmeg

1 TBS flour (for thickening)

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees ~ cook the bacon in large skillet until browned ~ once cooked transfer to plate with paper towels to drain ~ while bacon is cooking steam the broccoli until tender then drain ~ place broccoli in an 8 x 8 baking dish (sprayed with coconut oil) ~ in a small saucepan heat butter over medium heat ~ add garlic and cook until fragrant ~ then add the coconut milk and cream cheese ~ stir frequently until cream cheese is melted ~ add salt, pepper and nutmeg to sauce and mix well ~ add the flour to slightly thicken the sauce ~ chop up the cooled bacon and sprinkle over the broccoli ~ pour the sauce over the florets and then sprinkle the dish with the cheddar cheese ~ bake for approximately 20 minutes, broil for the last 2-5 minutes (make sure you watch it so it doesn't burn) ~ serve and enjoy!

Viola!

 

This dish was a hit and went really well with grilled chiken!  The coconut milk added an element of sweetness that is unique to a mac and cheese-esque sauce.  I will definitely make it again next time I have a craving for mac and cheese but want to avoid the pasta!

Crockpot Pulled Pork

This is hands down one of the BEST things I have ever made.  It was super simple, delicious and the house smelled AMAZING all day.  Since beginning the Total Body Transformation Challenge I have been attempting to eat a very low carb, high protein diet; this also means that I have been browsing new recipe websites and I've become interested in many 'paleo' recipes.  I found this recipe for pulled pork on a paleo friendly site and knew I had to make it immediately!  I ended up finding a 5 LB pork loin on sale at Trader Joes and thanks to Adam's immense spice cabinet we made the majority of the other ingredients needed.  This was also the perfect meal for a rainy football-watching Sunday!

 

Crockpot Pulled Pork

 

Ingredients
For the Pork
1 pork loin (about 5 LBs)
3 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dry mustard powder
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

For the Sauce
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cans tomato paste (6 oz each)
2 TBS lemon juice
3 tsp dry mustard
2 TBS cinnamon
1 TBS paprika
1/4 cup water
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
2 TBS sugar

 

Serves: 6-8

 

Directions

Trim an excess fat from the pork loin ~ combine all the seasoning into a small bowl ~ using your fingers rub the spice mix all over the pork loin ~ spray the crock pot with coconut spray (or Pam) and place the pork in the pot ~ cook on high for 6 hours ~ toward the end of the 6 hour cooking time make the sauce ~ combine all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan, whisk together and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes ~ after the 6 hour cook time is complete drain any excess juices from the crock pot and shred the pork using two forks ~ add as much sauce as you would like and continue cooking on high for another hour ~ serve on a bun or with a salad.

 

 

You will NOT be disappointed by this recipe!  It. was. so. good.  Taste wise it was a cross between Carolina style (vinegary) and Midwestern style (sweet red sauce) - you could taste the sweetness of the cinnamon, the tanginess of the apple cider vinegar and the heat of the cayenne at the end.  It also made a TON of food - way too much for two people but now we have a awesome leftover!

Sweet Potato Tuna Cakes (w/Broccoli)

These were delicious!  I know the combination sounds a little weird and if you are not a fan of sweet potatoes or tuna (like Adam) this is not a recipe for you.  But if you love all the ingredients (like me) this is a very good, healthy and quick dinner!

 

Sweet Potato Tuna Cakes w/Broccoli

 

Ingredients

1.5 large sweet potatoes or 2 medium sweet potatoes

1 can of tuna (I used Albacore White in water)

2 cups of frozen broccoli

2 TBS light sour cream

1 TBS chili powder

1/2 TSP salt

Directions

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes ~ cut into chunks ~ add the sweet potato chunks and frozen broccoli to a pot a boiling water and boil until tender then drain ~ once drained add the sweet potato chunks and broccoli to a mixer ~ add the tuna, sour cream, chili powder and salt ~ mix on high until smooth ~ heat a non-stick fry pan to medium heat ~ while the pan is heating form the sweet potato mixture into small patties ~ heat the patties in the pan and flip until they are browned on either side ~ serve and enjoy!

 

One batch ended up yielding about 8 patties.  I ate four for dinner and took a couple for lunch the next day - they reheated really well!

 

These may not have been the prettiest thing I have ever made but the taste made up for it - they were good!

Weekend Wrap Up

We did A LOT this past weekend - much of which is not pictured.  The summer is beginning to wind down which means it is time for the fair!  I love the fair and look forward to it every year!  Where I grew up the fair was a BIG deal - people would take their vacation week to go to the fair.  There are also quite a number of fairs in the area so on Friday we decided to head to the Altamont Fair.  If you're interested you can read about last year's fair experience here!  Given that it was a Friday night the fair was packed!  And even though we stayed away from the rides and had to battle a couple of lines for our favorite fair food I still had a blast!

 

Warning - get ready for LOTS of pictures of cows!  For some reason I have a thing for the cow barn, it is by far one of my favorite parts of the fair!

 

It was a beautiful night for the fair! 

 

Baby cows!  ... eeer calf

Largest cow at the fair!

Really excited to be in the cow barn!

 

I think this was right after I pet the cow.

Gotta eat a corn dog when you go to the fair!

Saturday we headed up to Manchester, Vermont to do a little shopping!  Elise needed back to school clothes and I was on the hunt for blazers for my upcoming work travels, although after quickly realizing that a decent blazer would run me well over $200 (even at the outlets) I switched the hunt to nice black sweaters.  I ended up getting some pretty amazing deals at the Ann Taylor outlet - $130 dress for $17, yes please!  We ate lunch at The Works an awesome bagel/paninis place in Manchester - I got the 'super chicken' paninis made with all local/organic ingredients - it was fabulous!

Super Chicken Sandwich!

 

After a day of shopping in Manchester we were starving when we finally made it home - which was fine because before we left that day I put together a pesto pizza with clingie mozzarella - thank you Trader Joe's for your awesome pizza making ingredients!  Pizza and a nice salad definitely hit the spot after a long day of shopping.

Yummy pesto pizza!

Sunday we knew we would be spending the majority of the day helping Adam's aunt clean out her attic and basement - so before that we decided to head over to Five Rivers to walk around.  Five Rivers is one of my favorite places in Delmar and a perfect place if you are looking for a quick and easy walk through tons of nature. 

 

One of the many trails at Five Rivers.

Everybody wave!

Looks pretty 'scummy' but still a nice walk!

 

Now it's Tuesday and I already cannot wait for it to be the weekend again - super busy week at work then I am heading to El Paso, Texas on Sunday!

Parmesan Crusted Broiled Tilapia

Happy Monday!  I have a GREAT recipe to help kick off the week!  Two weeks ago I was looking to make something for dinner that wasn't ... chicken.  We eat a lot of chicken - chicken wraps, chicken stews and chicken dinners in general so I wanted to mix it up.  Enter - tilapia!  I really like fish but I am always somewhat nervous about cooking it, I always feel like I am going to under cook the fish and then more often than not I end up overcooking it.  For this recipe though I was spot on!



Parmesan Crusted Broiled Tilapia

 

Ingredients

2 large or 4 small tilapia fillets

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese1/8 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons Mayo (I used light mayo)

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Dill (optional)

Pepper to taste

  

Directions

Turn broiler onto high and adjust oven rack to the top ~ In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except the tilapia and set aside ~ Place the tilapia on a foil lined pan (skin/darker side up) and broil for 3 minutes ~ After 3 minutes remove from the oven, flip the fish over and divide the parmesan mixture over the uncooked sides of the tilapia ~  Return to the oven and broil for an additional 3 - 4 minutes.

 

(Note - during the second round of broiling the excess sauce that fell on to the pan began to smoke a bit (not the fish, just the excess sauce) because of this I would recommend lowering the rack for the second round of broiling)

 

I ended up not taking a picture because to be honest mine sort of fell apart while transferring it to the plate - but regardless it was delicious!  The flavor of the sauce was excellent, the ingredients mixed well and it ended up being a great light summer dish (even though I would make this during the winter as well).  Enjoy!

 

Parmesan Crusted Broiled Tilapia

(This picture is not mine but rather stolen from someone who's fish didn't fall apart in the pan to plate transition.)

Lemon Pasta Salad

For the 4th of July (this post is super late) I was asked to make a pasta salad,  Last year I made an Italian dressing based pasta salad and since I would be cooking for the same crowd I wanted to try something different.  I had come across a lemon pasta salad recipe by Jamie Krell a while ago and thought it looked delicious, so when the picnic on the 4th rolled around I figure it would be just the dish.

 

Lemon Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients

1 pound pasta

(I used tri-color veggie pasta)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chicken broth

2-3 lemons (juice and zest)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 - 1 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese (grated)

1/2 - 1 bag of baby arugula

1 pint grape tomatoes (halved)

1, 10 oz package of frozen peas

 

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside ~ in a medium saucepan saute the garlic in olive oil over medium heat ~ once the garlic is fragrant add the heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest (I juiced and zested my lemons ahead of time), chicken broth and salt/pepper ~ bring the mixture to a boil then lower heat and allow to simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes (the sauce will reduce and start to thicken) ~ once the sauce is thickened allow to cool then in a large bowl combine the sauce with the pasta ~ add the peas, arugula and tomatoes and stir ~ finally all the cheese, combine and serve chilled

 

(Note - best to refrigerate over night and serve the following day)

Lemon pasta salad!

 

The pasta salad was a BIG hit at the picnic and many people asked for the recipe.  I really enjoyed it not only because it was creamy and lemony (both of which I enjoy) but it was also very different from the typical mayonnaise or Italian dressing based pasta salad.

Spicy Roasted Vegetable Mac & Cheese

We all know that I love mac and cheese, I have blogged about the dish on various occasions; but despite my love for the mac and cheese I am always looking for more 'healthy' recipes and this one brings both the spice and the veggies!  I first noticed this recipe on the blog The Comfort of Cooking and knew I had to give it a try.
 

Spicy Roasted Vegetable Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces

1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced

1 small yellow squash, quartered and diced

10 baby carrots, sliced thinly

2 cups pasta (whole wheat or otherwise)

1/4 cup butter, margarine or olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced (approx. 1 tsp)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup chicken broth

2 cups (8 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees ~ bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta ~ while the pasta is boiling chop the red and green peppers, squash, broccoli and carrots ~ once chopped tossed the veggies with a little olive oil ~ spray a large or aluminum foil covered baking sheet ~ place the veggies on the baking sheet, put in the oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until veggies are softened ~ once baked remove from sheet and set aside ~ in the meantime cook the pasta until al dente and then drain.

Meanwhile in a medium saucepan melt the butter/margarin over medium heat ~ once hot add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds ~ whisk in the flour and allow to cook for approximately 1 minute ~ gradually mix in the milk and chicken broth, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened ~ once thickened remove from heat, add the cheese and allow to melt ~ add the red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper ~ once all ingredients are well combined add the vegetables and pasta ~ place the mixture in a large, greased casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes (or sprinkle with 1/4 cup bread crumbs and place under broiler for 3 - 4 minutes of until top is golden brown) ~ Enjoy!
 

This dish was AWESOME but it was SPICY, even for me who likes spice so if you want to bring down the heat a little I would reduce the crushed red pepper and cayenne to 1/4 tsp.  All the veggies definitely balanced out the pasta and cheese sauce, so even though you're eating comfort food it still feels somewhat healthy.

Chicken Spaghetti

I was browsing for recipes on my iPad the other day (not unusual) and I came across the blog Kaitlin in the Kitchen and her Chicken Spaghetti recipe.  It looked yummy and I had been wanting to make a dish similar to this for quite some time so I bookmarked it and this past Sunday I made it, froze it then pulled it out to cook for dinner during the week.  Because I made it over the weekend and then froze it, it was super easy to pull out, thaw, bake and viola - dinner!  Here's the recipe ...

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients
1 Whole Rotisserie Chicken

1 clove garlic, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Tomato Soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 (10 oz) can Rotel
2 Cups (8 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz Spaghetti
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper, just a pinch

Instructions

With the whole rotisserie chicken peel the skin off and set aside, then pick off and shred the chicken you will use for the dish, discard the rest ~ fill a stock pot with water, include the chicken skins (yes you are including the chicken skins in the pasta water) and bring to boil ~ cook the spaghetti, once cooked to al dente drain, pick out the chicken skin and throw away ~ chop the onion, garlic, red and green pepper ~ saute in olive oil until onions are translucent ~ once the veggies are cooked add the tomato soup, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, rotel, salt & pepper and pinch of cayenne ~ mix together and allow to heat through then add the chicken ~ mix then add the cheese ~ once combined add the spaghetti and mix ~ transfer to a greased 9 x 13 pan and then either bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or freeze ~ enjoy!

Cooking up the veggies!

Add the soups!

Here comes the chicken!

Stirring in the cheese!

In goes to the spaghetti! 

Post baking!

We had a TON of leftovers and the dish was actually pretty good!  One note though - if you are planning to freezing it I would cook the spaghetti to a little less than al dente because the more time it sits the more it will absorb the soups.

Vacation Eats

One of the goals of our vacation was seafood - to eat lots and lots of seafood and for me to try lobster for the first time!  We both went into this trip knowing that we probably won't be eating the healthiest but that we would be walking around a lot, hiking and being pretty active.  I love seafood but don't eat it that much because let's be honest seafood in upstate New York simply does not taste nearly as good as the seafood you get on the coast.  We also discovered that New England has a thing for wood fired pizza - twice we ate at places that specialized in wood fire pizza and both were absolutely delicious!

A great app to use when traveling (I have used it for work and personal travel) is the FoodMap app.  The app will tell you if there are any restaurants in the surrounding areas that have appeared on any Food Network shows - Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, Rachel Ray, Best Thing I Ever Ate, etc ...  We used this a bunch and ended up eating at some great places.

 

For our first night in Hampton, NH we headed to Petey's Summertime Seafood & Bar in Rye, NH - as I mentioned before this place was absolutely delicious (in my opinion the best place we ate on the trip) and I would recommend it to anyone who is going to be in the area.

Had to have some of their award winning seafood chowder!

Adam enjoying a beer at Petey's!

My dinner at Petey's - shrimp, fries and lobster on a stick!

 

The next night we ate in Kittery, ME - we had heard that there was an amazing clam hut in Kittery which also happened to be listed on the FoodMaps app.  Bob's Clam Hut had been featured on Diners, Drive-In & Dives and boasts to have some of the best clams in Maine - obviously we had to give it a try.  While Adam got the clams I decided on a lobster roll - lobster rolls are famous in New England and I was told by some co-workers that I had to eat one while there.

Lobster roll at Bob's Clam Hut!

Adam's clams at Bob's Clam Hut!

On our way to Portland Friday morning we took the more scenic route and drove through Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, ME.  I thought it would be pretty cool to stop there, walk around and have lunch so that is exactly what we did!  We decided to eat at Owen's Farmhouse which was supposed to have amazing wood fired pizza.  The restaurant was located in an old farm house (hence the name) and had an awesome rustic feel (drinks were served in mason jars - woot woot!)  There we had some of the most amazing wood fire pizza I have ever had!  We decided on a sausage and hot pepper pizza and oh man was it good!

 

Owen's Farmhouse in Kennebunk, ME

Some delicious wood fired pizza! 

 

When we arrived in downtown Portland one of the first places we went was Two Fat Cats Bakery.  Two Fat Cats has been featured on numerous shows on the Food Network and are famous for their whoopie pies - obviously we had to have one.  Annnnnd we may have gone back the following day for just one more they were THAT good!

 

My new favorite bakery!

Everything in Two Fat Cats Bakery looked delicious!

So apparently gourmet popcorn is the new fro-yo?  Who knew!  While walking around downtown Portland we stumbled upon Coastal Maine Popcorn Company.  This place is a little hard to describe other than you say that it is sheer awesomeness!  Imagine any flavor of popcorn your could imagine - buffalo and blue cheese, red hots (like the fire balls), marshmallow and berry!  There were so many flavors to choose from and you could sample a bunch.  They even had flavor combination recommendations - I ended up getting the buffalo and blue cheese and man was it good!  The company even has a monthly popcorn club that I am somewhat tempted to join!

All the current flavors at the Coastal Maine Popcorn Company - this place was awesome and so unique!

 

After walking around Portland for hours we were starved and ready for dinner.  Since this was technically the last night of our vacation I of course wanted seafood one last time.  We decided on Gilbert's Chowder House which was located right on the harbor and had a great local feel and let me tell you - we were not disappointed!  I forgot to snap a picture of what we ate but I had some more shrimp and Adam had some scallops - both were really good!

 

Last seafood meal in Portland - didn't disappoint!

Before leaving for Freeport, ME and then heading home we ate breakfast at a local coffee shop - I had a bagel and some fruit and Adam ordered a cappuccino which arrived with a pretty neat design on top!

 

 How do they do that?

Places that we ate that are not pictured include - Duck Fat in Portland, ME and When Pigs Fly Bakery & Pizzeria in Kittery, ME.

I'm Back!

I took a little bit of an unannounced blogging hiatus but now I am back and ready to share our recent adventures!  Over the next couple of days I will blog about ...

• Our vacation to coastal New Hampshire & Maine
• Hiking in New Hampshire
• All the delicious food we ate on the trip (there was a lot)
• Joining F.I.T. Albany boot camp - yes I did!
• 4th of July festivities
• And of course a couple of awesome recipes!

See you soon!

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I am eating more and more sweet potatoes lately, and I am liking them!  It was never that I disliked sweet potatoes, we just never ate a lot of them growing up (and maybe I didn't like them back then), but today I am finding them a much better alternative to pasta and white potatoes.  So anyway, the other night I wanted a sweet potato but I didn't want to simply bake it and then eat it with a little butter and salt - I wanted something different!  I looked up a couple recipes online and ended up combining a few of them - the end result was awesome!  The potatoes were sweet and then brought the heat!  I served the sweet potatoes with a piece of fish and some fresh broccoli. 

 

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

 

Ingredients

1 large or 2 smaller sweet potato

2 - 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 1/2 tsp light brown sugar

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

(more or less depending on your desired level of heat)

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp salt

 

Instructions

Wash and then cut the sweet potato (skin included) into approximately 2 inch cubes and place in a shallow baking dish ~ in a small bowl combine the light brown sugar, onion and garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, paprika and salt ~ pour the EVOO over the sweet potatoes and mix until potatoes are coated ~ pour the spice mix over the coated sweet potatoes, distributing easily ~ using a spatula mix the sweet potatoes until they are coated with the spice mix ~ bake at 400 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or under sweet potatoes are tender.

 

 Sweet potatoes pre-cooking!

 

Post-cooking!  Yummm!

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken, Broccoli & Peas over Biscuits

Woah what a title but man was it delicious!  I am a fan of anything you can throw in a crock pot and then 6 - 8 hours later, viola dinner is ready!  Last Saturday we were going to see Superman and I wanted to make sure we had a good dinner before heading out to a nearly three hour long movie, but I also didn't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen - so I set out to find a good crock pot meal.  Now my crock pot doesn't normally make many appearances during the summer months but sometimes it is a great alternative to cooking in a small kitchen sans A/C - the crock pot doesn't release nearly as much heat as the oven or stove.  ISo  found this recipe from Kaitlin in the Kitchen and modified it slightly - I added peas and served it over biscuits instead of rice.  Overall the dish was awesome - easy to make and full of veggies!  This recipe is also very similar to another recipe I recently tried - Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie!

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken, Broccoli & Peas

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts

1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of cheddar soup

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup lite sour cream

1 bag (steamable) peas

1 bag (steamable) broccoli

 

Directions

In the crock pot whisk together the cream of chicken soup, cream of cheddar soup, chicken broth, salt and pepper ~ once mixed add the chicken and press down so it is covered ~ cook on low for 6-7 hour or high for 3-4 hours ~ once the chicken is cooked/time is up, remove the chicken and shred it ~ add the sour cream to the cooked soup/broth mixture and whisk together ~ steam the peas and broccoli then add to the mixture ~ once the sour cream and veggies are incorporated return the shredded chicken and allow to heat for a couple of minutes ~ serve over rice, egg noddles or biscuits!
 

 It was so good that I forgot to take a picture until I was almost finished!
I promise there is a biscuit under there somewhere!