Tag Archives: recipes

Snackin’ with Sarah Sellers: Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

January 23, 2013 By in Snackin' with Sarah Sellers Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

Season 12 of American Idol is moving right along and I’ll be whipping up themed snacks every week for Yahoo! Music’s Lyndsey Parker and her Reality Rocks blog.

Tonight the auditions are landing in Charlotte, North Carolina so of course, I had to make something super southern and comforting. My friend Melanie told me about a popular snack in Charlotte that combines biscuits and salty ham. Usually Country Ham would be used but prosciutto is a perfect substitute if you can’t find it in your local supermarket.

The saltiness of the prosciutto, creaminess of the pimento cheese and sweetness of the biscuits all marry together perfectly. Give it a try…your taste buds will thank you!

Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

Ingredients

Biscuits
Adapted from Homesick Texan

Makes 12-15 biscuits

  • Two cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 stick butter, cold (8 tablespoons)
  • 3/4 heavy cream

Filling

  • 1 pound shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend
  • 3 heaping tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 block cream cheese
  • 1 small jar diced pimentos
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, diced
  • 2oz package prosciutto di parma, cut each slice in half

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cut the stick of butter into pieces, and work into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.

Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

Add the liquid, mixing until a bit loose and sticky. Pour dough out on a floured surface, and knead for a couple of minutes. Dough should be smooth and no longer wet. You can sprinkle more flour on the surface if you find it’s sticking.

Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

Roll out dough until it’s 1/4 of an inch thick.

Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

Using a small round cutter cut out your biscuits. Place on a greased baking sheet close together, and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

While the biscuits are baking mix the cheese and next 4 ingredients, through the jalapeños, in a large bowl until the mixture is a nice, creamy consistency. If the mixture is too dry add more mayo or jalapeño juice.

Cheesy Prosciutto Biscuit Bites

Remove the biscuits from the oven. Using a serrated knife cut the biscuits in half. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the pimento cheese mixture onto the biscuit, top with a piece of prosciutto and the top of the biscuit.

Bon Appétit!

Snackin’ with Sarah Sellers: Mini Sausage Calzones

January 17, 2013 By in Snackin' with Sarah Sellers Tags: , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

Mini Sausage Calzones

Last night season 12 of American Idol premiered with it’s usual dose of drama, sob stories and of course…the new judges! While Mariah and Nicki were turning it on for the cameras I was cooking up my premier recipe for this year’s Snackin’ with Sarah Sellers.

All season long I’ll be making themed recipes for Yahoo! Music blogstress Lyndsey Parker and her Reality Rocks blog. So for tonight’s episode in Chicago I’m keeping with the Italian theme with my Mini Sausage Calzones.

IMPORTANT TIP: Don’t skimp on the cheese!! I was worried about stuffing the dough with too much filling that they lost that cheesy flavor we all associate with a hearty calzone (don’t worry I adjusted the recipe). So don’t be afraid to go crazy with the cheese!

Mini Sausage Calzones

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 can refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
  • egg white
  • marinara for dipping
  • parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.

Mini Sausage Calzones

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Sauté the bell pepper and onion until translucent.

Mini Sausage Calzones

Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink. Add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and sauté for one minute until fragrant.

Mini Sausage Calzones

Combine the mozzarella, Parmesan and dried thyme in a small bowl and set aside.

Mini Sausage Calzones

Spread the pizza dough on floured surface and cut into 8 pieces.

Mini Sausage Calzones

Top with the cheese and sausage mixture. Fold dough over and lightly press edges together with water. Bake until golden brown, around 15-20 minutes.

Mini Sausage Calzones

Serve with the marinara sauce garnished with the chopped parsley.

Bon Appétit!

Skillet Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Herb Pasta

September 27, 2012 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , 3 Comments

I decided to take a break from music tonight and get reacquainted with my kitchen. A shameful 23 days has past since my last meal post and tonight was the perfect night to bring you guys a new recipe.

Things have been so crazy the last month and I was completely drawing a blank on what to cook. Thankfully, Food Network was reading my mind and served up one of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time. I added my own little flair to the pasta and it turned out to be the quickest and tastiest pasta I’ve ever made.

Skillet Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Herb Pasta

Recipe adapted from Food Network’s Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Pasta

  • 8oz Penne Pasta
  • 1 tbsp rosemary leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced (make sure it’s a juicy one)
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper
  • 1/4 kosher salt
  • 1/4 black pepper
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmigiana reggiano
  • drizzle of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting cook the pasta until al dente. Lightly drain and return to the pot. Mince the rosemary and parsley together and stir into the pasta with the remaining 6 ingredients.

Serve each chicken breast with a drizzle of sauce, veggies and the pasta.

Bon Appetit!

Lobster Rolls in Dallas? Hell yes…gimme some!

September 4, 2012 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments

A few years back I wrote about a unique find near the DFW airport, Lobster Harvest. This my friends is where Lobsters come to retire, where the weakest links find their way on my plate for a fraction of the cost. Now keep in mind, we are not in Maine, and today’s soothing 106 degrees reminded us all that for us here in Texas, summer is far from over.

Even though we’re hundreds of miles away from fresh succulent lobster doesn’t mean it isn’t here for us to enjoy. So since you all made Discounted Lobster in Dallas? one of my most popular posts I thought I would step it up a notch and tell you where you can buy delicious, plump, and slightly more expensive lobster.

Central Market never fails to amaze me. Between an abundance of the freshest produce in Dallas you can find an array of exotic fruits, any type of stuffed, seasoned and picture perfect meat and of course, the freshest seafood I’ve seen in the city. I haven’t sampled all of the many fish markets in the metroplex but out of the few I’ve tried, I always find my way back to Central Market.

On that note it can get pretty pricey for a normal week night meal, BUT every week like a mini present in my Inbox I receive their weekly specials that always have a seafood special. Lobster is on that list quite a bit ranging from $5.99 for a lobster tail or per pound for fresh Maine lobster.

I apologize in advance for the redundant recipe (not really) but I can’t resist a plump lobster roll when I see $5.99 a pound. So for those of you in the DFW area check out Central Market, subscribe to their newsletter and prepare to not be disappointed.

Lobster Rolls 2012

Serves 4 small rolls or 2 large

  • 1 pound fresh steamed lobster meat (around two 1.5 pound lobsters)
  • 2 tbsp green onions, diced
  • 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • juice from half a lemon
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • hot dog buns or rolls

Remove the freshly steamed meat from the shells and rinse. Pat dry and chop into bite size chunks. Toss in a medium size bowl with the green onions, parsley, lemon juice and mayo.

Season with the salt and pepper according to taste.

Toast the buns and fill with the delicious meat!

When I’m making lobster I want to taste the full flavor of the meat so I avoid crowding it with too many ingredients.

Bon Appetit!

Tomorroats: A Quick, Simple & Healthy Breakfast

August 21, 2012 By in Heaven to My Taste buds Tags: , , , , , , 4 Comments

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Can You Stay For Dinner?, and I had to share. I love the idea of mixing your breakfast together the night before with a few simple ingredients, putting it in the fridge then voila, you have breakfast when you wake up. The only mistake I made was using Steel Cut Oats instead of Old Fashioned Rolled Oats…use the rolled oats, it will result in a less chewier experience!

When I pulled the oats out of the fridge the next morning I just topped them off with a drizzle of honey, blueberries, a sliced banana and a dash of cinnamon! Delish!

Tomorroats

  • 1/2 cup dry old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
  • 1/4 cup water

At night (before bed), mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, stir and serve. No need to heat them, no need to dirty another bowl. Simply mix in your desired toppings. I went with honey, blueberries, banana, and cinnamon!

Serves 1

Nutrition (for oats, yogurt, and water only): 200 calories, 5 grams protein, 5 grams fiber

Bon Appetit!

Shrimp with Tomato, Basil & Peppers

August 1, 2012 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Matt and I made the brave decision to tackle the Advocare Herbal Cleanse for 10 whole days. Now at first, I have to admit that I didn’t really see it as that big of a challenge. Unlike the dreaded liquid cleanse you actually get to eat whole food on this one. What’s not to love about fruits, veggies, chicken and fish….fast forward to day 9. My palette is screaming for variety…a sip of wine…a slice of cheese smashed in between a loaf of bread. Le sigh.

The good news is I survived and feel pretty damn good. A full recount of our last 10 days will go up tomorrow. Until then, I had to post this ridiculously healthy, simple and delicious shrimp recipe!

Now excuse me while I go steam some more veggies….

Shrimp with Tomato, Basil & Peppers

Ingredients

  • no fat olive oil cooking spray
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, julienne style
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, divided
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus extra for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 1 small tomato, seeds removed and chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and lightly coat with the olive oil spray. Saute the onions and peppers until soft. Add the garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, black and red pepper, all of the thyme, lemon juice and the chicken stock. Saute until the chicken stock has slightly reduced.

Season the shrimp with the remaining salt and pepper and drizzle with some of the fresh lemon juice. Add the shrimp to the onion mixture and cook until nice and opaque. Stir in the tomatoes and basil and remove from the heat.

Serve along side a crisp romaine salad with creamy chunks of avocado, tomato, sliced onion, red pepper, fresh lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bon Appetit!

Basil Fruit Tarts with Creamy Yogurt

July 22, 2012 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

For most of my life I’ve loved summer. What’s not to like? Long days, ice cream, warm nights on the lake, fresh fruit, swimming pools….then I moved to Texas. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Lone Star State, but damn it’s hot. Thank god this summer hasn’t been remotely as excruciating as the last, in fact, it’s reminded me of all the reasons I love summer.

Basil is one of my favorite herbs to grow. It’s super easy and produces an abundance of fresh basil the entire spring and summer season. So  when the heat started to pick up I wanted to put some of the beautiful leaves to use before the sun burned them all up. Oh and lets not forgot all of the amazing fresh fruit on hand!

I made two versions of the tarts, one with yogurt and one without, but for the sake of this post I’m sticking with the yogurt tarts…delish!

Ingredients

Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 sprig basil (5-6 leaves)

Tarts

  • 8 tart shells
  • 1/2 cup light n’ fit vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 cup blackberries
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup kiwi, quartered
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
  • 16 small basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small saucepan heat the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and basil. Let the simple syrup rest until cooled and the basil has infused into the liquid. Strain into a small bowl and set aside.

Pierce the tart shells with a fork on the bottom and sides of the tart shells to prevent puckering. Bake until lightly golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Remove the shells from the tins and spoon one tablespoon of yogurt into each shell. Fill with the fruit and drizzle with the simple syrup. Top with two sprigs of basil.

**Side note: you could also mix all of the fruit together in a large bowl with the simple syrup then fill the tart shells.

Bon Appetit!

Creamy Orecchiette with Herbs & Shrimp

July 5, 2012 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

I’ve been on a major salad kick the last few weeks and have been trying to avoid my true loves, Mexican food and pasta. All the leafy greens and chicken have got the job done but the pasta craving hit me pretty hard the other night. Like all “master dieters” will say, instead of fighting the craving I decided to give in and opt for a guilt free, summery pasta to quench my carb craving.

I adapted the recipe from Cooking Light’s Orecchiette with Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing with just a few minor changes. It wouldn’t be dinner in my house if we didn’t eat past 9pm so needless to say I was starving by the time the pasta was done. I ate it hot (which was delicious) but I would definitely suggest letting the pasta cool (for 20-30 minutes) or refrigerate overnight. The flavors the next day were even better then the night before.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 8oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp minced fresh chives
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. While the pasta cooks heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute the onions until tender; add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until tender.

Add the shrimp and saute until mostly cooked through and translucent, around 2-3 minutes on each side. Add the green peas and radishes, saute until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta. Use a splash of the starchy pasta water to scrape up any brown bits from the pan. Set aside.

Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour over the pasta and toss until nicely coated. Enjoy hot or refrigerate overnight for a tasty pasta salad lunch.

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Chicken

June 28, 2012 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

My obsession with red bell peppers continue. The hubby was craving something peppery and full of Mexican flavor tonight so I thought why not whip up some delicious stuffed peppers. I found a recipe on Buns in My Oven [super cute blog name by the way] that looked might tasty so I thought I would try my own spin on it.

So here you are, stuffed RED bell peppers with chicken, cheese and well, a whole bunch of other yummy stuff!

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 can fresh corn kernels, rinsed and drained
  • 2 rotisserie chicken breasts, no skin, shredded
  • 4oz reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp jalapeno, diced
  • 2 tbsp green onion, chopped
  • small can diced green chiles
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chile powder
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp  cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded jalapeno jack cheese, divided
  • 4 large red bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the corn and the next 12 ingredients, through the black pepper, in a large bowl.

Add 1/4 of the cheese and mix together until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the bell peppers and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Top with the panko bread crumbs and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is heated through and the peppers are tender.

I served them with some yummy black beans. Just heat a sauce pan with 1 tsp of oil and saute 1 tbsp of chopped jalapeno pepper, 1 tbsp chopped green onion and 1 minced garlic clove until tender. Add 1 can of low sodium black beans [rinsed and drained] and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Stir in a dash of cumin, salt, and chile powder and cook until liquid is mostly reduced. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

Serve this up with some spicy salsa and guacamole for a complete Mexican dish.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Roll-Ups with Sundried Tomatoes, Basil & Goat Cheese

June 26, 2012 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 3 tbsp goat cheese
  • 4 sundried tomatoes, divded
  • 8 large basil leaves, torn
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper

To prepare the chicken assemble the salt and pepper, goat cheese, tomatoes, basil and lemon zest in an assembly line.

Starting with one chicken breast at at time sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with 2 tsp of goat cheese.

Top with one tomato, diced.

Two large basil leaves (torn).

And finish off with a few sprinkles of lemon zest.

Tightly roll the chicken and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

To prepare the sauce heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven.

Sear the chicken on both sides until nice and golden brown.

**Tip: if the chicken is sticking to the pan it’s not ready to be turned. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil. Set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and saute the shallots until tender.

Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant. Add the white wine and slightly reduce, stir in the chicken broth.

Whisk together the flour and lemon juice and add to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low until the sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook, covered, for 7-8 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the pan and slice. Melt the butter and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the chicken.

I served the chicken with a mixed green salad with goat cheese, raspberries, sundried tomatoes, walnuts and lite balsamic vinaigrette.

Bon Appetit!