Not Homemade?

Yep, I got lazy. I made a box cake. It happens to the best of us. There is nothing about this cake that is homemade but it was still yummy!!!!

My first attempt at Kabsa

Well, being the girlfriend of an Arabic guy I had to learn how to make Kabsa. It is a basic arabic dish consisting of a couple vegetables and chicken. So I found a recipe and went to work. It turned out very well and everyone loved it. The recipe is originally from Chef in Disguise.

2 cups basmati rice

1 onion cut into strips

2-3 tomatoes peeled and cut into cubes

1 big carrot shredded

1 green onion cut into strips

1 tablespoon all spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon powder clove

1 dried lime (loomi)

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons salt

4-5 tablespoons olive oil

To cook the chicken

1 chicken cut into 4 pieces (use bone in pieces for more flavor)

2 bay leaves

6-7 all spice berries (or 3/4 teaspoon powdered all spice)

1 stick  cinnamon(or 1/2 teaspoon powdered)

4-5 pods cardamom (or1/4 teaspoon powdered)

1 onion cut into quarters 

Directions

Wash the rice 4-5 times discarding the water every time, drain and set aside.

In a pot or pressure cooker add the  chicken and add enough water until the level  is 2-3 cms above the chicken.

Add the bay leaves, all spice berries, cinnamon, cardamom and onion.

Bring to a boil and then lower the heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes (if using a pressure cooker) if not you need to cook the chicken untill it is done.

In another pot add the olive oil and saute the onions over medium heat until they become almost translucent.

Add the carrot and pepper and stir for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and stil for 5- 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and begin to breakdown.

Add the spice and rice, stir for 2 more minutes.

Add the liquid you cooked the chicken in (you can either measure it, you need 2 cups for each cup of rice or you can add enough liquid to bring the level up to an inch or 2-3 cm above the rice)

Nestle the chicken pieces between the rice.

Cover and cook over low heat until the rice absorbs all the fluid.

Keep the pot covered and allow to set for 15-20 minutes

Uncover,fluff the rice with a fork.

And the sun finally comes out

 {I love candles}

{Dexter likes to lay on tables instead on comfy beds. I think he likes the cold surface, however this means I must wipe down every surface before I eat}

 {I miss the beach..}

{This started growing on my porch and I think its perfect for fall. I love October}

Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe at Pink Parsley and it looked incredible. I thought it would be something fun and new to try! I adapted it just slightly to my tastes. 

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
adapted from Pink Parsley, orginally from America's Test Kitchen

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medim cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
• 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) Gluten Free tortillas 
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Gluten Free One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two

Its my boyfriends and my 8 month anniversary today!!! So I made cupcakes! These were very good!! A little dense because of the change in flour however they were still good! 

I found the recipe at How Sweets Eats' website and I just changed the flour to gluten free baking flour. Enjoy!

One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two

serves 2

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla (yes, a full teaspoon – they are super vanilla-y!)

1/4 cup flour or Gluten free baking flour

1/4 heaping teaspoon of baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 2 liners.

In a bowl, add egg white and sugar and whisk until combined. Add in vanilla and melted butter and stir until mixed. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk. Divide batter equally between the 2 cupcake liners.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until cake is set. Let cool completely, then frost as desired. I ended up making an easy cream cheese frosting consisting of butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and a little vanilla extract. And topped the frosting off with mini chocolate chips. 

Honey Mustard Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

I found this recipe on Cooking and Sens website and it turned out very well! However you really need to cook it longer than she says, I ended up almost eating partially raw chicken. Here is her recipe and i hope you enjoy it!

Honey Mustard Chicken and Sweet Potatoes 

6 chicken thighs, (I used breasts)

2 sweet potatoes, cut into Japanese chaos chunks

2 onions, quartered

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Fresh thyme sprigs

Put the thighs, potatoes and onions in a large bowl.   Whisk the butter, honey and mustard together and pour half over the chicken.   Toss in some thyme and mix.

Place the potatoes and onions in a tajine.   Put the chicken on top and cover.  Roast for 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Remove from the oven and baste with remaining sauce. Cook for another 15 minutes and baste again, returning to the oven for a final 15 minutes.

Try again?

Getting things up and running again!