Bacon Egg Cups

Credit: Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body
Receipe: http://www.fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com/2011/04/bacon-egg-cups/

Cochran Review: We served these to our guests over the holidays with English muffins and fruit. Easy, tasty, and great! Perfect for serving several people bright and early in the morning. Upon suggestion within the reviews, we cooked the bacon a little bit before lining the muffin cups. This step could easily be done the night before. Leftovers warmed up easily. So, perfect to make over weekend to have quick week day breakfast available. Enjoy!

Dirty Shrimp in Butter Beer Sauce

Credit: EdsGirlAngie via Food.com
Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/dirty-shrimp-in-butter-beer-sauce-79606

Cochran Review: This was a family favorite! I served it over angel hair pasta and everyone couldn't get enough. Enjoy!

Turkey & Barley Soup

Credit: skinnytaste.com
Recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/09/beef-barley-soup.html?m=1

Comments: Making this for dinner tonight. I'm substituting beef with ground turkey. Stay tuned.

Turkey Pot Pie

Credit: Carla Hall, The Chew
Reciepe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Thanksgiving-Carla-Hall-Turkey-Pot-Pie

Cochran Review: Hoping to make this tonight.

Pumpkin Cookies

Credit: Cookies and Cups
Recipe: http://cookiesandcups.com/2-ingredient-pumpkin-cookies/

Cochran Review: These are so easy and so yummy! They'll satisfy your cookie and cake craving. Fair warning, they expand while baking. So, make the cookies slightly smaller than you want them to be when putting them on the cookie sheet before baking. We decided not to do the icing and throw some chocolate chips in them. Yum! Enjoy!

Here's a picture of our cookies:

Mini Turkey & Veggie Meatloaves

Credit: One of my best friends, Marianne, found this through Perdue
Recipe: http://m.perdue.com/recipes/details.asp?id=143&titile=Mini

Cochran Review: This is my 100th post! Crazy to me that I've posted so many recipes! Thank you to all of you for having interest in what I'm cooking! My blog gets over 1,000 hits per month, which I find very humbling.

We are having these cute little mini turkey meatloaves for dinner tonight. I decided to throw a broccoli bunch and a carrot in the food processor to mix into the loaves. I like to sneak extra veggies in for our family in dishes like these where they go undetected.

These were good. My son (almost 2) helped with dinner. So, we served it with mac n' cheese. I don't know if it is because Thanksgiving is around the corner of what, but I'd like to try something fun and different with this. I'd like to put green beans in the food processor and mix with the turkey, seasonings, cheese and add stuffing instead of bread crumbs. Then I'd serve it on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzle with gravy. I may have to try this soon! LOL! Enjoy!

Here's a pic from our dinner:

Braised Chicken Pumpkin

Credit: Michael Symon, The Chew
Recipe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Braised-Chicken-Pumpkin-Michael-Symon

Cochran Review: I was a little nervous my husband would weird out about pumpkin. So I used half pumpkin & half sweet potato. It wasn't weird at all. Very flavorful & yummy! Also, I substituted sweet peas for collard greens. I think next time I'll use kale. Fair warning, this makes a ton! So make for a large group or plan to freeze. Enjoy!

Pic from our meal:



Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip No Dairy Ice Cream

Credit: Disney Jr
Recipe: I didn't look up the recipe exactly. I just saw a commercial for it and made it up as I went along. I cut up 4 bananas in 1/2 inch slices and freeze. Once frozen, place bananas in food processor or blender and mix till smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. I used natural peanut butter. Then add a handful of chocolate chips. Mix until ice cream consistency.

Cochran Review: This is so yummy, and totally satisfies an ice cream fix without added sugar or dairy. Enjoy!

Fall Party Food & Decorating

A month or so ago I was watching The Chew, and Clinton Kelly had such a cute idea for a cheese selection display. I looked and can't find the idea online, so I don't have a link to share. However, I hosted two parties last month and made my own version. It was a huge hit with my guests, and I want to share with all of you. So easy, too!

First, I went shopping for fresh fruit, dry fruit, various cheeses, and crackers. Then I asked for paper bags from my local grocery. I cut the large rectangular sides out and taped them together with the grocer's name on bottom. Then I cut small pieces of wax/parchment paper to place on top of the bag, but under my cheeses. From there I cut the cheeses and fresh fruit. Then I arranged my snacks on the paper bags, labeling all of them with a sharpie marker right on the taped bags. Ta dah! I very approachable and casual cheese and fruit spread!

 

 

I decorated the tables with gourds drilled with candle size holes in them. I then placed candles in the holes and lite them. So cheap, easy, festive, and pretty! Careful to only to this a day in advance... they molded very fast. 

 

 

Slow Cooker Beer Chicken w/ Beer & Bacon Quinoa

This one is a combination of a recipe found on Pinterest and a creative moment on my part.

Slow Cooker Beer Chicken

 



Credit: LaaLoosh
Recipe: http://www.laaloosh.com/2012/07/09/crock-pot-beer-chicken-recipe/

Cochran Review: Easy to make and decent flavor. The flavor is good and can be eaten as is, but isn't so overwhelming that you can't make the leftovers into a new meal. I shredded the chicken and made quesadillas the next day.

The chicken made a very yummy au jus. I strained the au jus and served it to the side to be poured over our chicken and quinoa. I think next time I might by hoagies to have chicken french dip sandwiches with leftovers!

Pic of our au jus:

Beer & Bacon Quinoa

 

 

Credit: Jen Cochran, me!  :)

Recipe: Make quinoa as directed on side of box. Instead of water or broth, I used a bottle of beer, plus a little water to make up the 2 cups. Cook bacon on side to a crispy consistency... I used 4 thick cut pieces. Let bacon rest and cool. When quinoa is done, crumble bacon and mix with quinoa.

 

Comments: I wanted something to go along with the chicken recipe above. Beer chicken sounds very manly to me and so I thought, hmmm... what else do men love? Bacon! I think the quinoa was the star of this meal! We had chicken leftovers, but gobbled all of the quinoa up. Enjoy!

 



Sausage & Kale Soup



Credit: Taste of Home
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sausage-and-Kale-Soup

Cochran Review: It is simmering on the stove now. Super easy to put together and smells wonderful on this cold, rainy day. We will let you know. -- This was great! I used turkey sausage, but followed the rest. Hearty, tasty, easy to make, and pairs well w/ fresh made bread! Enjoy!

Picture of our meal simmering:



Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Credit: Hodgson Mill (recipe on side of pasta box)
Recipe:
1 12oz box Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Penne
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed
2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1-2 tsp hot sauce
1 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup low-fat bleu cheese salad dressing
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp bleu cheese, crumbled

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, combine paprika, salt, garlic powder and pepper, sprinkle over chicken stirring to coat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add chicken to skillet and saute, stirring frequently, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add hot sauce; cook 1 minute. Remove chicken from skillet. Add remaining teaspoon of oil to skillet; add celery and onion and saute about 2 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, dressing and milk in a small bowl. Add to vegetables in skillet. Add chicken. Stir constantly and cook until heated. When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add contents of skillet to pot and mix well. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with bleu cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Cochran Review: I made a few substitutions in an effort to make this healthier and we do not like bleu cheese dressing:
- Sorry Hodgson Mill, another whole wheat pasta was on sale. So, I ran with that.
- I upped the garlic powder from 1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp.
- I used Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil from Wildtree instead of vegetable oil.
- I sliced the red onion in large slices instead of chopping it so we could remove them easily. We like the flavor of onions, but do not appreciate the texture.
- I replaced mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
- Instead of bleu cheese salad dressing, I used a block of brie (w/ rhine removed) and some feta crumbles.
- We topped it w/ leftover feta crumbles instead of buying bleu cheese crumbles, and additional hot sauce.
- I didn't combine the spices and then put them on the chicken. I put the oil in the pan, the chicken, and dumped spices as I measured them. It saved a step and worked fine.

This dish was SO yummy! We really enjoyed it and would love to have it again. I used 2 teaspoons of hot sauce and I wouldn't even say it had a kick... in fact, I would say 2 teaspoons is very kid friendly. So, we topped our dishes after they were plated with a few more shakes of hot sauce! Yum! I served it with raw celery and carrot sticks. The recipe states it serves 6. I'd say it serves 3 adults, unless you have larger sides than I offered. Enjoy!

Pic of our meal is the picture shown above.



Pumpkin Pancakes



Credit: High Heels & Grills
Recipe: http://highheelsandgrills.blogspot.com/2012/09/pumpkin-pancakes.html

Cochran Review: After a tough night of teething with our son, my husband told me to go back to sleep as he got up with our son. Super husband moment! He looked up this recipe on my Pinterest board, took our son to the store to get ingredients, and I woke to the smell of these delicious pumpkin pancakes, bacon and coffee! Heaven! The pancakes were moist, fall like, and wonderful just like you would hope! I imagine he made them just as directed... my husband is a wonderful cook by number sort of chef. Meaning, he follows recipes precisely. Unlike me. I get distracted by creativity. You should definitely give these a try! Enjoy!

Here's a pic he took for my blog before I woke! Another super husband moment!



Garlic Chicken Stir Fry w/ Quinoa, Peppers, & Basil

 

Credit: Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa box

Recipe:

1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa, prepared w/ chicken stock, according to package directions

2 cups Trader Joe's Chicken Broth

1 1/2 pounds Trader Joe's Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders

4 Tbsps Trader Joe's Olive Oil

1 Small Onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

20 leaves fresh sweet basil, julienne

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into one-inch pieces. Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add onions, bell peppers; saute for one or two more minutes; add garlic and saute until peppers become slightly limp, but still bright, about one to two minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat; add basil and quinoa. Toss until basil wilts, garnish with Parmesan Cheese. Serves four.

Cochran Review: So, last night I was night feeling adventurous in the kitchen. Just thawed some boneless, skinless chicken breasts (from Aldi) and planned to make Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa. When taking the quinoa box out of the pantry this recipe caught my eye. I have basil and peppers in my garden, so it was a no brainer.

Substitutions:

- I used 2 cups of chicken broth I made last week when making slow cooker chicken tacos.

- I used 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken from Aldi.

- I used 4 Tbsp of Wildtree Roasting Garlic Grapeseed Oil instead of Olive Oil. What's Wildtree? Check it out here http://www.mywildtree.com/sherryr/

- I didn't have an onion. So, I used Onion Onion Seasoning Blend from Tastefully Simple.

- I only had two medium green peppers ready for harvest in my garden. So, I ran with those.

- I used 20 basil leaves from my garden and chopped them up. No idea if it is sweet basil or not.

- Totally forgot to garnish with Parmesan, but topped with Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Premium Soy Sauce.

I put the grapeseed oil in the pan, seasoned both sides of my chicken with salt and pepper, and cooked till chicken was done. I cooked the quinoa and chicken broth at the same time as the chicken in a separate pot. Then I threw in the diced peppers and onion seasoning to start cooking as I sliced the chicken. Threw the chicken back in the pan with the peppers and onion seasoning. Threw the chopped basil in the cooked quinoa. Mixed it all together, plated it, and topped it with soy sauce! Yum! Seriously low effort, under 30 minutes, affordable, and very tasty! Totally cured my salt craving with the addition of soy sauce. This was great reheated for leftovers, too! We will be having this again! Enjoy!

Pic of our dish is the picture shown above.

Clinton Kelly's Pappardelle with Summer Vegetables and Ricotta

Credit: The Chew's Clinton Kelly
Recipe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Pappardelle-Summer-Vegetables-Ricotta-Auberge-du-Soleil-Resort

Cochran Review: Bleh! How's that for an official food blog review? LOL! OK, in all fairness to Clinton, I didn't have cherry tomatoes (my plants have stopped producing) and I didn't have Arugula (lettuce). So, maybe that makes a huge difference. I also had to swap out pappardelle noodles for egg noodles. I don't think this was a big deal tho. Clinton even recommended it on the show. I substituted egg plant for tomatoes and I think that's where I went wrong. I haven't done a lot of cooking (OK, none) with egg plant and was interested to try it. I think this wasn't the best recipe for it though. The dish was OK, not a lot of flavor, after cooked fresh. However, warmed up was awful! The veggies got rubbery and were not edible. If you give this dish a shot, I recommend going with tomatoes or something that provides that acidic flare. We won't be trying it again. Oh well, I told my husband, one bad dish out of a hundred isn't bad, right? Ha ha ha! This is where I usually say enjoy, but I think I'll end with good luck.  ;)

Here's a pic of our dish:

Chinese take out with a healthy focus

Guess who didn't make dinner last night? Me! We ordered Chinese take out per my husband's pleading to satisfy a recent craving. Is your jaw off the floor yet? :)

Why am I blogging about take out on my food blog, you may ask. Well, since our son was born we have done our best to keep eating healthy, but sometimes sleep deprivation and time have made eating out and sweets appealing more often than my waistline can handle. I'm really trying to stay focused on a healthy lifestyle again. Usually, I think all indulge and no smart choices when we decide on take out. What's the point, right? However, this time I agreed to take out, but did some research about making healthier choices before my husband got home.

Having a healthy lifestyle is about cooking at home, exercise, and making intelligent choices when you indulge while eating out. I found my research very eye opening and thought you may, too.

References:

• http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/healthy-chinese-food
• http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Order-Healthy-Chinese-Takeout-24048436

Worst:

• Crispy
• Egg Rolls
• Spare Ribs
• Sweet & Sour
• Fried Rice

Best:

• Soup
• Chinese Vegetables
• Dim Sum/Dumplings
• Steamed, or other safe words Jum, Chu, Kow, & Shu
• Stir Fry - ask for light on oil

Top Soups

1. Wonton
2. Egg Drop
3. Hot & Sour

Top Meals

1. Moo Goo Gai Pan
2. Kung Pao Chicken
3. Beef & Broccolli

Tips:

• Ask for your food to be cooked Stock Velveted (in vegetable stock as opposed to oil). This can save 150-300 calories and 15-30 grams of fat.
• Always ask for half sauce. The ideal sauces are hot mustard, hoisin, and oyster. Sauces like sweet and sour, BBQ, General Tso's, etc have a lot of corn starch, which pack on the pounds.
• Have some fun, and use chopsticks! This will result in less sauce consumption and eating slower... all great things for eating healthier.

Hope this helps you next time you decide to enjoy take out! Enjoy!

Daphne Oz's Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Credit: The Chew's Daphne Oz
Recipe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Chicken-Sweet-Potatoes-Daphne-Oz

Cochran Comments: I did all of the chopping and work this morning after breakfast, but I would recommend preparing your meat and veggies the night before if you have to be somewhere (ie work) in the morning. It took me about 30 minutes from starting the prep work to firing up my slow cooker. Pretty easy, tho. I peeled the sweet potatoes. The recipe doesn't really specify, but the pic above doesn't show skin on and I'm not a big fan of sweet potato skin.

I don't have Curry Powder on hand. So, I researched a substitute. I found a conversation on Yahoo Answers stating the following for a substitute:

• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander powder
• red chili powder, to taste
• optional: pinch of nutmeg, pinch of cardamom powder, pinch of cinnamon

I only needed a teaspoon of curry powder. So, I didn't follow the amounts exactly. I just kind of sprinkled the above seasonings over the chicken in the slow cooker. However, I don't have turmeric either. So, back to substitute research, and found mustard powder per healthdiaries.com.

Well, the reviews on the recipe site are right, there's a lot of liquid leftover. I too would probably cut the original liquids in half to start this meal. There was so much liquid, I'm not sure the amount of cornstarch recommended really made a difference in thickening. I didn't add more, because I didn't want to add to the calories. Waste not, want not! I actually strained the leftover sauce and I'm gonna try to use the now broth in place of water or chicken broth the next time I make quinoa. I'll keep you posted about this.

First bite words, "Woo! Bring on the back heat!" The first bite was a little alarming, but it was never too much for my husband and I. Our almost two year old doesn't quite care for hot food as much as we do yet, and he has a sensitive stomach. So, I chickened out and gave him plain chicken.

The flavor was great, the textures were great, and good news! The flavors and textures maintained for leftovers! Yay!

I didn't make the spinach side recommended in the original recipe. I served 2 & 1/2 bags of baby spinach to my family already this week. I knew they were probably over it, because I (the vegetable lover) was. So, I got some fresh green beans from my local produce stand. I put 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan, 2 minced garlic cloves, and heated it up, but didn't brown it. I cleaned and cut the tips off the green beans, and threw the beans into the pan with oil and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes. Since my main dish had some soy sauce in the base, I decided to add a bit to my green beans. Maybe a tablespoon or so... to taste. Cook a little longer. I like to cook green beans down a little bit so they soften slightly from their original texture, but still have some crunch. You can't cook fresh green beans incorrectly. Their safe to eat fresh or mushy. So, just use your judgement to your liking, and enjoy! Right before plating the beans I folded some sesame seeds into them. Again, to your liking. Hope your family enjoys this dish as much as we did!

Caramel-Apple Pork Chops

Credit: Taste of Home - Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Caramel-Apple-Pork-Chops?Login=JoinLogIn

Cochran Review: I had pork steaks in the freezer already, so I substituted. The whole meal can together in under an hour. It was very easy to make, and was very tasty! Not too sweet, but sweet enough my husband said he didn't have as much a need for dessert after. Notice his use of need instead of want. LOL! Enjoy!

Leftover news.... I'm a big fan of cooking enough for leftovers, but I didn't enjoy this meal as a leftover. The flavors and textures seemed to just mush together over night. So, the next day it was just one blah flavor instead of the enjoyable layed flavor and texture we experienced the day before. I would still like to have this meal again, but I won't make enough for leftovers.

Bacon Corn Cavatelli

Credit: Michael Symon via The Chew

Recipe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Bacon-Corn-Cavatelli-Michael-Symon

Cochran Review: I'm addicted to The Chew on ABC! It's so entertaining! Check it out! Yum! Yum! Yum!!! This meal was SO easy and cheap to make, but still really brought the flavor! We loved it! I did a few things different, of course:

• Cavatelli is not carried in my grocers w/o special ordering. Since I didn't plan for that timing, I substituted Cavatappi. It's a fun noodle! I'd like to plan ahead next time and try Cavatelli... I don't think I've ever had it.
• I picked the tomatoes fresh from my garden. I didn't quite have enough cherry tomatoes ready, so I also chopped regular tomatoes. Also, my husband doesn't care for tomato texture. So, I chopped finely.
• EVOO - My Aunt Sherry sells Wild Tree products. I love cooking with the Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil as a substitute for EVOO. If you're interested to see what it is or would like to order, here is her site: http://www.mywildtree.com/sherryr/
• Bacon, my husband LOVES bacon! 1/4 pound is about 4 thick slices, which isn't enough for hubby. So, I doubled it. It didn't seem like bacon overload, but I used the whole box of noodles (slightly more than called for).

That's it! This dish is so easy I made it in under 45 mins with a nearly two year old's "help". Thanks for joining us for dinner, and enjoy!

Here is a picture of our dish. I know Chef Symon is a declared Iron Chef and all, but I'm gonna go ahead and say my pic looks tastier! hehehe:

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado & Feta Cheese

Credit: Recipe Girl
Recipe: http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/04/02/spinach-salad-with-chicken-avocado-and-goat-cheese/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRecipeGirl+%28The+Recipe+Girl%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

Cochran Review: Well, as a first time veggie farmer, I learned about spinach plants "bolting" this week. Meaning the temperature went up and the spinach plants began to flower and wilt their leaves! Ahhh! So, I had to pick all of my leaves quick and get eating! I found this recipe and gave it a go. So glad I did! Yum! I changed a few things for no other reason than I didn't feel like going to the produce stand or grocery.

Here's what I changed: I substituted red bell pepper for the tomatoes, pecans for the pine nuts, & Feta cheese for the goat cheese. I added chives from my garden.

In regards to the dressing, I used red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar, because it is what I had on hand. I used Schnucks (local grocer) Whole Grain with Garlic Mustard.

This meal came together quick and easy for me since it was right after Memorial Day. My husband grilled a lot of corn in husk and meats on the charcoal grill. So I used that corn and chicken in my salad. I completely recommend having a summer grill meal and using those leftovers in this salad to make a new meal. I questioned the corn, but went for it. I was not disappointed! This is a great light, hot summer day meal. Hope you enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Credit: Stick A Fork In It

Recipe: http://forkinit.blogspot.com/2010/09/crockpot-barbecue-chicken.html

Cochran Recipe: Need an easy meal for a busy day tomorrow. This is the winner. Stay tuned!

Oven Roasted Potatoes



Credit: Sweet Peas Kitchen

Recipe: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/07/24/oven-roasted-potatoes/

Greek Salsa Chicken

 

Credit: Sweet Peas Kitchen

Recipe: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/02/08/greek-salsa-chicken/

Cochran Review: Trying this week. Stay tuned!

Chicken Spinach Noodle Casserole

Credit: Real Simple
Recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-noodle-casserole-00100000075552/index.html

Cochran Comments: I have several of these ingredients left over from last week's meals. So, we are going to try this some time this week. I think I'll try to substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream and skim milk for whole milk. Stay tuned!

French Toast & Bacon Cupcakes

Credit: Mama B Blog
Recipe: http://mamabblog.com/2011/06/french-toast-and-bacon-cupakes.html

Cochran Review: I whipped these up this morning. You can tell a mama is responsible for this recipe, because it is oh so easy! I keep whole wheat flour on hand at home. So, I used that instead of white four. Other than this change, I followed the recipe. I'm getting ready to ice the cupcakes shortly. Unfortunately, my meat loving husband ate up all of the bacon I precooked. So, I'll need to pick that up during my weekly grocery run today. However, I couldn't resist trying one hot out of the oven! So, I iced one and we dug in! YUM! We got more of a cinnamon roll taste than french toast. Maybe it is the wheat flour or the lacking bacon. We will try again with bacon and let you know... if they last!! Cinnamon roll, french toast, whatever it is, there's no arguing in our family that it is pure yummy!!

So, just tried this with bacon! And it is AH-MA-zing!!! Oh so good! Thanks for joining us for breakfast! Enjoy!

Here's a pic of our cupcakes:

 

Blackened Chicken & Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Credit: Sarcastic Cooking
Recipe: http://www.sarcasticcooking.com/2012/03/15/blackened-chicken-and-cilantro-lime-quinoa/

Cochran Review: Although the recipe came from Sarcastic Cooking, there's nothing sarcastic about my family's love for it! Quick, easy and yummy! Just the way dinner is meant to be!! LOVED the Greek Yogurt/Avocado dressing to top the meal! It was a nice touch since the chicken seasoning packed a little heat (not too much tho; my 16 month old enjoyed it). The quinoa was very flavorful, too.

Here is a pic from our meal:

Storms passed through right as I was cooking, and we lost power for 3 hours. Another reason I was so grateful the meal cooked up easy and quick. So, we enjoyed our family dinner over candlelight, which was very fun! Thanks for joining us for dinner! Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Credit: Picky Palate
Recipe: http://picky-palate.com/2010/09/13/cheesy-chicken-and-wild-rice-casserole/

Cochran Review: We had this for dinner last night. The dish tastes fine, but it was a lot of work and a lot of dishes. Everything in the recipe requires precooking: shredded chicken, vegetables, and rice. Luckily, this was a planned Sunday dinner. So, my husband was available to help. If you're not standing over this meal, it's not cooking. There isn't much it does on its own. As a mom of a busy toddler, these meals are a bit cumbersome. I think you could fancy up a boxed rice meal with chicken and bake topped with cheese to get the same minimal work, but same flavor dish. Also, if I were to make this again, I'd either add more chicken or not use so much rice.

This is how I made my shredded chicken:
- 6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts (only 2 for this recipe. I made more for another recipe this week)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups of water
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
I threw all ingredients into the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. Let chicken cool. Then shred/pull apart with fork.

Here is a picture from our dinner:

Thanks for joining us for dinner! Enjoy!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Credit: Cookie + Kate
Recipe: http://cookieandkate.com/2011/black-bean-sweet-potato-enchiladas/

Cochran Review: We had these tonight for dinner tonight! Yum! Yum! Yum! Very good dish. I LOVE meals that say throw the ingredients in a bowl and mix! Doesn't get easier than that!!

A few things I changed up:
- I shredded chicken from last night's dinner (Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken) for my husband who insists on having meat with every meal.  :)
- It is a warm day today. So I decided to cook the sweet potato on the stove top in a pan with coconut oil instead of bake them. The less I have the oven going, the better.
- I chickened out. I omitted the Red Pepper, Jalapeno, and Serrano peppers. I planned to feed this to my 16 month old, and was not up for being awake all night due to his tummy hurting. I think they would add a nice kick, tho. So, do it and let me know!  ;)
- Also, I thought I had a jar of green salsa at home, but I didn't. So, I used what we had left of a jalapeno cilantro salsa on the bottom of the dish. I didn't have enough to top the enchiladas, but I had extra stuffing. So, I threw the extra stuffing on top with the cheese.

Even with my few misses, changes, and additions, this meal tastes great and was easy to make! I'd be happy to have it again and maybe add a little more kick. Enjoy! Thanks for joining us for dinner!

Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

Credit: Eating Well
Recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wine_tomato_braised_chicken.html

Cochran Review: This is for dinner tonight! After doing the prep work, I can honestly say I'm excited for dinner! This is a meal that requires a minimal amount of prep cooking before you toss it all in the hot tub. The prep cooking and clean up took me about 30 minutes. So for all of you working 8-5 chefs, I recommend following in tip at the bottom of the recipe to make this part ahead. Also, they offer alternatives for the wine for those of you who prefer. I used Barefoot Chardonnay in our meal.

Some things I did different:
- I used 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the bone in thighs in the recipe.
- As I've mentioned before, my husband has a texture issue with tomatoes. So, I used 23 ounces (15 & 8 oz cans) of tomato sauce instead of the canned tomatoes.
- The bacon I used didn't produce very much fat/grease. So, I added a tablespoon or so of coconut oil to the pan before the onion.
- Also, I threw a 5th piece of bacon in, because, well, why not!  :)
- I didn't thaw my chicken first. I turned the slow cooker on high with the frozen chicken inside while I prepped the sauce. I've decided to leave the chicken and sauce on high for the first hour and then I intend to kick it down to low until dinner (about 4 hours).

OK, so this meal wasn't awful, but it wasn't great. The flavor smelled more than it tasted. We didn't hate it, but it isn't something we will remember about to have again. Maybe the few things I did differently altered the recipe too much, but we won't be having this again. If you give it a try and find a way to doctor it tasty, let me know!

Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

Credit: Mommy Savers
Recipe: http://www.mommysavers.com/2012/03/chocolate-chip-pudding-cookies/

Cochran Review: So, so, so yummy and easy! I threw these together after dinner last night. I used Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Chips, Nestle Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Chips to make up the two cups of chocolate chips in the recipe. I also added about a 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts. They were great last night and I can't stay out of them today! Enjoy!

Pic from our kitchen:

Honey Heinz 57 Chicken

Credit: Heinz 57 & Jen C
Recipe: I saw an idea on the back of a Heinz 57 bottle to mix a bottle with 1/4 cup of honey to create a chicken grilling sauce. So, I spiced it up a bit, and we really enjoyed it!

5 thinly sliced chicken breasts
1 bottle of Heinz 57
1/4 cup of honey
1 Tbsp of vinegar
6-8 drops (to taste) of Chipotle Tabasco Sauce

In a small bowl, mix honey and Heinz 57. I had trouble getting all of the sauce from the bottle. So, this is how vinegar joined the party. Pour about a tablespoon of vinegar into the Heinz 57 bottle, put the lid back on, and shake to loosen the rest of the sauce. Pour into small bowl. I didn't want our meal to just taste like chicken with Heinz 57 on it, so I spiced it up with a few drops/dashes of Chipotle Tabasco Sauce. Mix all together. Split sauce in half to use half during grilling and the other half for dipping, if desired.

Grill chicken over medium heat 4-6 minutes. Brush with sauce mixture, turn over and grill an additional 4-6 minutes. Or until chicken is done.

Cochran Review: This turned out really great. We don't typically use a lot of sauce with our meals, and this made A LOT of sauce. So, we have over half left over. Next time, I would either make more chicken or less sauce. I guess it is nice to have at the ready in the fridge, tho.  :)  The chicken turned out tender and juicy. The sauce has a sweet & spicy flavor to it without too much spice. You could make it more or less by adjusting the Chipotle Tabasco, of course. Enjoy!

Pic from our meal is above.

BBQ Pork Steaks

Credit: Allrecipes.com

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/barbecued-pork-steaks/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=pork%20steak&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Cochran Review: Giving this a go this week. Stay tuned.

Spicy Seafood Stew

Credit: myrecipes.com
Recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/7-ways-with/ways-to-cook-tilapia-10000001642487/page5.html

Cochran Review: Want to make this soon! Sounds yummy!

Skillet Tilapia Fillets w/ Cilantro Butter

Credit: myrecipes.com
Recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/skillet-fillets-with-cilantro-butter-10000001142036/

Cochran Review: Planning to have this week. Stay tuned.