Dinner is served!

I love to cook. I love to try new and healthy recipes. I also really like making up my own recipes and experimenting with foods. So one of the things I plan to do on this blog is to share with everyone some of the recipes I try and create. Tonights dinner was AMAZING and I'm going to tell you allllll about it!

First though, let me say that I typically eat things in phases. Most of the time (except when I eat sandwiches for some weird reason), I first eat the thing I don't want the most. So typically - this is the veggie ;). And I move in order of what I don't want the most ending with whatever I really really wanted to eat. This pattern is almost always veggie, protein, carbs. I realize sometimes this is the incorrect way to eat because I should eat what I really want first and not eat the stuff I don't want to save calories - but since I portion everything I eat at home anyways, I figure my method works! Tonight's meal was so good it was protein, carbs, veggies!!

1. First I ate the protein. Baked sundried tomato chicken.

 

• Chicken breasts
• Sundried tomatoes
• EVOO
  
• Every day spices: black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
• Italian seasoning
  

This is a recipe I made up. I've done it two ways -  I've marinated everything together overnight and tonight I just made it and threw it all in the pan and baked it! I butterfly the chicken breasts - so this is actually .75 of an entire breast. Season both sides of the chicken with EVOO and spices. Then top with chopped sundried tomatoes (I used ones in oil but you can use reconsistuted also) and baked at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Voila!

2. Next I ate mashed chick peas. This is an idea I got from Rachel Ray - but I made it a little differently. Imagine warm hummus!

 

• EVOO
  
• Garlic
  
• Canned chick peas (drained)
• Chicken stock
  
• Tahini
• Lemon zest/juice
• Cumin
• Everyday spices - black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
• Feta

I started with a tiny amount of EVOO in the bottom of a sauce pan and added garlic. I grate my garlic because I really hate mincing garlic - but do as you like. You only want to infuse the oil with the garlic flavor before you add the peas. Open and drain a can of chick peas and dump them into a food processor and pulse until they are mashed. Add into the pan with olive oil and garlic and pour in a little chicken stock. Don't be afraid of the peas looking a little soupy - they will absorb the chicken stock and dry up a bit. I kept the stock next to my pan and added every so often. Next add tahini, lemon zest, a little juice and cumin. I then let this cook down some and just seasoned to taste. After it tasted great and was warm - I took it off the stove and topped with a little more olive oil and feta cheese. YUMMY! (FYI this made three servings for me).

3. Finally my favorite thing in the entire world right now: carmelized cabbage.

 

• EVOO
• Cabbage
  
• Black pepper
  

This is my favorite thing in the entire world right now. I CANNOT GET ENOUGH. I've done this by roasting the cabbage in the oven at 400 degrees. I've also done this over the stove (like tonight). Basically you just chop and cook until it starts to get carmelized and crunchy. Even if you think you don't like cabbage - just try this. You have no idea how good and nutty it tastes.

That's my dinner people! Looked amazing huh? OH it was. I am definitely eating this again for lunch tomorrow :)

Night!! - LLB