Healthy Eggplant Parmesan (And a Weeknight Made Easy Trick!)

My commute can be anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours on bad traffic days, so I need to make many of my dinners (or at least parts of them) in advance, so I don't head straight for the ice cream when I walk in the door. (Only sometimes.) 

This past weekend, I made a giant pot of tomato sauce from this Martha Stewart recipe. I think I have a new go to! (I used crushed tomatoes instead of whole and also threw in some crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil.) I used the sauce as my "base," and planned my meals for the week around it: spaghetti, chicken meatballs, and eggplant parm.

It's funny-- I'm not a fan of the meat versions of some dishes (like chicken parm), but I love their veggie equivalents! They're lighter, more calorie friendly, and can last longer in the fridge or freezer.

I washed and sliced my eggplant, placed the slices on an oiled (sprayed with Pam) cookie sheet and then sprinkled the slices with Kosher salt and pepper. I threw the entire sheet into the fridge for about 2 hours. This helps to get some of the water out of the eggplant so they eventually absorb more of the sauce and don't ruin the breadcrumb coating.

Once I blotted the eggplant slices with a paper towel, I set up my "dipping" station and went to work. (That's what my kitchen really looks like. I want you to think it looks like this.) Bowl 1: Whisk two eggs together with one Tbsp of water; Bowl 2: combine 1 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and some salt. Dip each slice in the egg mixture, then immediately into the bread crumb mixture.  

Place the breaded slices on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. When the eggplants are nice and crispy, flip and give them about 5 more minutes. (I forgot to take a photo, but even I was impressed with how pretty they were!)

(At this point, I let mine cool and put them in the fridge, but you can just continue with adding sauce and cheese.) When I came home tonight, I took them out of the fridge, put them in a pan and into the toaster for about 10 minutes so they got crispy again (they were a bit sorry from the fridge), then covered the hot eggplant with my sauce and mozzarella cheese and popped back in the toaster for about 10 minutes. Dinner was on the table in 20 minutes, and I was saved from eating my weight in bad-for-me-food. Perfect.

Game On Anne Burrell (Pommes Chef Anne)

I saw this recipe for fancy potatoes (Pommes Chef Anne) a few seasons ago on Worst Chefs in America. I love that show, because it brings me back to basics and I really learn a lot! I had a few Russet potatoes I needed to use and a lot of time on a Sunday night, so decided to try it. Interesting presentation, but not so much flavor. Here's what to do:

Slice potatoes super thin on a mandoline.

Oil the bottom of a heavy skillet with olive oil. This is not a low fat dish. Use a lot. (See my gleaming pan?) Place one potato slice in the center and build out in a circular layer with the other potato slices. Make this layer pretty, because you flip the pan and the bottom becomes the top. After one layer is done, add parmesan cheese and more oil.

Build out about 3-4 layers, using cheese and oil to top each layer. When you're done, put the pan in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. (If you're using a pan with a rubber handle, remember to wrap it in aluminum foil first!)

After 25 minutes, flip the potato cake onto a cookie sheet and bake for another 20 minutes. Slice and serve! Learn from my experience, though and top with yummy things like bacon, cheese, scallions and sour cream.

The Stock Pot

At a cooking school I attended a while back, the chef said restaurant chefs never throw anything away. He told me lots of restaurant chefs save their scraps of vegetables and make a pot of homemade stock every week, a practice I've been trying to get in the habit of ever since.

Now, I save the scraps, ends, peelings of everything-- onions, garlic, leeks, carrots, ends of celery in a large Tupperware in my freezer. (More on my freezer organization system later. According to my friend, it's a small wonder.)

About once a month, or whenever I have the time, I make a pot of homemade stock with my little treasure chest of scraps and whatever else I have in the cupboard or refrigerator in need of disposing. I usually also freeze the bones from rotisserie chickens I get during hectic weeks and throw that in with some fresh herbs too. I cover it with cold water, simmer for a few hours and when the house smells like heaven, season to taste. Voila. Homemade stock for immediate use or to freeze for later, and a nice little cost saving, especially if you make a lot of soup like me!

Lemon Butter Thanksgiving Rutabega

My very favorite food for Thanksgiving is... rutabega! That's right. My Grandma Helen mashed it up and served it on her table and my mother, her daughter, carried on the tradition. My mom wanted a slightly different recipe, and today we have lemon butter rutabega on our table every Turkey Day. It's the perfect complement to the heavy sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, and the lemon cuts some of the sweetness in the other dishes. Here's how to make it:

Here's a rutabega:

Peel the rutabega (this part is a beyotch. It's got a waxy coating all over it, so make sure you have a great peeler or a sharp knife.), and ignore my tea cup:

 Once the rutabega is peeled, cut it into chunks. You will mash these eventually, so they don't have to be pretty. Boil the rutabega until soft. You'll want them to be the texture of boiled potatoes before you mash them. Drain the rutabega.

Juice one lemon into a small bowl. I broke my mom's handheld juicer, so she showed me this cool trick (let it be known she did not want to be on the blog. But I got her hands, BOOM!): Heat them lemon in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Then, cut in half and place in the lever of a pair of tongs. Squeeze- you're in business!

Add the lemon juice, a pinch of Kosher salt and about 4 Tbsp of butter to the rutabega while hot and proceed to mash.

Serve as a perfect an unexpected side dish.

Radicchio with Cranberries, Walnuts and Gorgonzola in a Rasbperry Balsamic Dressing

I definitely could have shortened that title. Moving along...

My college friends and I recently held our annual "Friendsgiving" event. Everyone brings a dish, and the host provides the turkey, stuffing and some sides. I was tasked with bringing salad. Crap. I hate bringing salads since there aren't any that are really stellar, and because let's face it, it's hard to show off when the main ingredient is lettuce! Ordinarily, I bring my mom's famous Cesare salad, but our friend is known for his Cesare, so that was out. 

So I did what I do most Saturday mornings-- I pulled out every single cookbook I have and scoured them in search of the perfect recipe.

I came up with this salad after looking at probably no less than 30 recipes. I began with the dressing, and settled on a balsamic recipe with a "twist" thanks to a few tablespoons of fruit jam. (I chose raspberry- my favorite!) Everything else had to complement that.

I knew I wanted romaine, because everyone eats romaine, but also wanted to add the bitter radicchio because of its festive color and bitter taste to help "cut" some of the sugar in the dressing. I then added walnuts for crunch, low-sugar Craisins to add a holiday feel and a bold Gorgonzola. For decoration, I cut the a rose out of radicchio and placed it on top.

It was a hit! (Disclosure-- I ate this three nights in a row. Mmmm!) 

Raspberry Balsamic Dressing

1/4 cup good quality olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. fruit jam (use any kind you like, but make sure to use seedless!)
1/2 tsp Truvia (or any sweetener; even honey would work)

Pour all ingredients into a shaker bottle (or a bowl) and shake (or whisk) until combined and the jam has broken down and the dressing is the consistency of honey. Add a pinch of salt if you like.

Hurricane Pot Pie

I wish I could say I had a better reason to bake a chicken pot pie than a hurricane, but I can't. Does anyone ever really NEED a reason to make a chicken pot pie?

At any rate, as we braced for Hurricane Sandy to sweep across the state, I took an inventory of my fridge and freezer. Knowing we'd likely lose power, and I'd have to throw everything out, I tried to quickly come up with recipes that could use up things on hand. I had a pie crust (Only one! So I had no bottom crust in this recipe) and a chicken breast, and a whole drawer of fresh vegetables from the farmer's market. Combined- pot pie. Done.

We ended up actually heating this on my parent's grill and eating it by candlelight in a cold house, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Ingredients

• 1 peeled potato
• 2-3 carrots 
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• Roasted chicken (I used whatever I had left from a breast that I roasted with thyme and lemon)
  
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 pie crust

Directions

• Place potatoes and carrots in a pot with water, cook until soft, then drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme (or whatever herbs you have on hand) and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, peas, corn, potatoes and carrots; remove from the heat and dump into a pie pan.
• Roll the pastry out on top of the pie filling. Cut slits or decorative cutouts in pastry. Place over filling; trim, seal and flute edges.(I cheat and use a pan with it done for me!!)
• Bake pie at 425° for about 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

 Adapted slightly from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chicken-Potpie-3

How to Roast Garlic

I've always loved the savory roasted garlic flavor in roasted garlic butter spreads in upscale restaurants, but I never knew how to make it. Well, I am an idiot! This was so easy and simple!! Just cut the tops off of the garlic, pack them up in a pretty pan, drizzle some olive oil, salt and pepper over the top, cover with aluminum foil and pop them in a 425 degree oven until browned (or until your house smells like the kitchen of an Italian restaurant. Is there a better smell in life?) Check out the before and afters below.

You can put the roasted garlic in anything. I used some of mine in mashed potatoes (delicious!) and the other half to make roasted garlic butter for a crusty French bread.

Try it!

Boyfriend's Spiced Cider

Holy fall in a cup!

This past weekend, Boyfriend and I hosted eight of our closest friends at our tailgate at the Far Hills Race Meeting, known around these parts as "The Hunt." A phenomenal event, it's really an excuse for me to bust out my pearls and headband and have a classy tailgate in the beautiful fall weather. We always have the food catered (debating changing that for next year!), but Boyfriend wanted to make a hot, spiced cider for the cooler autumn morning.

We served this piping hot with Laird's Apple Jack on the side in case our guests wanted to make it more...festive. (They did.) It was amazing, and I know we'll make this again for years to come! 

Ingredients

3-6 cinnamon sticks
20 cloves
Pinch each of: nutmeg (make this one a generous pinch!),allspice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Optional: orange rings 

Directions

Put 2-3 half gallons of cider into the crock pot on high. About 15 minutes later, when it's nice and warm, add the brown sugar and spices. If you're using oranges, add them on top. We covered ours and left it on "keep warm" overnight, but you can also leave this on low for ~4 hours or high for ~2 hours. This is wonderful however you serve it-- just be sure to remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves first!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Is there anything better than the fall weather? I love this time of year! I love the cool air at night, the slowly changing leaves, the smell of the outdoors, the allure of apple picking and the beginning of soup season! As anyone who has ever worked with or even met me knows, I could live off of soup!

One of my "52 Weeks of New Food" recipes for 2012 was Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. I hit the farmer's market, picked up everything I needed and got to cooking!

But...I decided to take a shortcut. Cutting butternut squash is a pain! So I decided to make it easier on myself by pricking it with a knife and putting it in the microwave for ~10 minutes to soften it. When I went to open the microwave door, the squash lept out of the microwave! By some small miracle, it landed in the crock pot in my counter, avoiding spraying orange goo all over my kitchen.

Anyway, I salvaged the squash, and cut it down into about 5 cups of chunks. I tossed the squash with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and roasted at 400 for 30 minutes until it was soft and roasted.

The result was delicious! Roasting the squash gives it a deeper flavor, but you can skip that step if you really want. Try my recipe below, but be careful of flying squash!








Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 4-5 cups of roasted butternut squash
• 4 cups of chicken broth (you can use more if you like more thin soup, this is fairly thick)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half) 
• 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped (plus more for garnish)
• Salt to taste

Directions 

Heat the olive oil or butter in a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, only about 2 minutes.Add the sage and give a quick stir.

Dump in the squash and then add the broth. Simmer for about an hour, until the squash is soft. Once the squash is soft, use an immersion blender (or a real blender if you don't have one) to puree the soup until it's thick and combined.

Add the heavy cream or half and half and adjust the seasonings to taste. If you want a thinner soup, add some additional broth at this step.

Serve piping hot in pretty bowls and garnish with additional sage. A perfect fall treat!

Polenta with Sundried Tomato, Artichoke and Olive Ragout

I made this recipe mostly because I wanted to make polenta. I had no idea what it really is, except that it was cornmeal.

I made it with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, but I wasn't sure I was in love with it. That did not stop me from trying half of the pot! I made this thinking I could reheat it to eat later, but you can't reheat polenta! Who knew?!


I'll direct you to this website for the recipe: http://www.wearenotmartha.com/2010/04/creamy-polenta-with-artichoke-caramelized-onion-and-olive-ragout/

What is Green Juice?

Because I read so many health blogs and magazines (even if I don't always follow their advice!), I've been hearing about the benefits of juicing for years. Lately, I've been seeing lots of recipes for "green juice." I had a ton of spinach left over from this weekend's trip to the farmer's market and felt like having something healthy for dinner that wasn't spinach salad. I did some Googling on green juice recipes and ideas and decided to try it.

I threw about 4 handfuls into my Magic Bullet blender with a few strawberries (about 8 of them), a teaspoon of Truvia and about a half cup of blueberries. I blended until it was liquified and then added ice and blended again.

It came out a disgusting color, but it was delicious, filling and healthy! What a great way to get your greens! Try it and send me fun recipes!

Buffalo Blue Cheese Turkey Meatballs

The weather is getting cooler, fall boots are on display--that means football season is right around the corner! I'm not a huge sports fan, but I am a huge fan of tailgate fare!! Here's a really quick and easy way to do meatballs-buffalo style!

I liked that there was no need to pan fry the meatballs (which is a complete pain and the sole reason I don't make meatballs more often), and the taste of the fresh parsley added a different note of flavor to the meat.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey (you can probably use any meat) 
1 small onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, divided in half
1 c. crumbled blue cheese, divided  
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl and gently mix. Once the mixture has come together, add about 3/4 cup of the blue cheese and gently incorporate.  (Overworking the mix leads to really tough meatballs!)

Roll the meat mixture into balls. (I had about 30 small ones.)

Arrange the meatballs in a nonstick skillet (I used a 16") and drizzle them with just a little bit of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. 

While the meatballs are baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine. Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat.Add additional blue cheese and scallions to garnish. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/buffalo-chicken-meatballs/

Don't Faint, BUT...

I don't want any of my dear readers to faint when they read this, so I'll just tell you right away. Boyfriend made me dinner the other night.

Hello? Are you there? Did you faint? No? Good. Read on!

A few months ago, his employer paid for a culinary "team building" event, and since then, he's wanted to recreate the dish for me. On a lazy Saturday, we did a complete role reversal: I laid around on the couch watching cooking shows, and he slaved away in the kitchen! It was glorious! He made a delicious chicken saltimbocca with roasted garlic potatoes. I just had to post this as proof!

Shrimp Scampi Recipe > Worst Blogger Ever

We can talk about how I am the worst blog updater ever (whoopsies!), or we can talk about the fabulous shrimp scampi I made this weekend. (Woo hoo- crossed another item off of my 52 weeks of new foods list!)

I had a small fear of cooking shrimp. Okay, I'm still a little scared of those suckers. Usually I bake it so it's perfectly cooked and delicious, but when I first started really cooking a few years ago, I got cocky and served basically completely raw shrimp in a salad. Awesome.

For this recipe, I lightly sauteed the shrimp in good olive oil and took them off the heat when they pinked up. This food actually tells you when it's done! (Be careful of reheating this recipe though- shrimp gets gummy and disgusting.) Not that you will have leftovers...

I wanted a simple, healthy fresh and classic dish for a cozy dinner party and went straight to my "Cooking 101" aka America's Test Kitchen 547985835483 page cookbook. I found this recipe, made a few tweaks and it came out pretty great! I believe Boyfriend gave this a 9/10. I was sort of pushing for a 10, but diva informed me he "doesn't give those out so easily."

I served this with Parmesan shavings, Celebrity Chef Obsession Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman's) Spinach Salad (amazing!! Ree's food is always so much prettier than mine!) and crusty garlic bread with whole roasted garlic cloves to soak up the lemony sauce.


Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined (I used fairly large shrimp at 21-25 per pound)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 3 Tbsp. dry white vermouth
• Juice of 3 lemons (mine were small when I tried this recipe, though! Put them in the microwave for 15 seconds before you squeeze- they juice better!)
• Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (for garnish) 
• Grated lemon zest (careful! This is strong!)
• Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse and pat the shrimp dry. Arrange them in one layer on a serving platter or cookie tray and season both sides with salt and pepper. 

Heat  1 Tbsp of the olive oil over medium high heat. When the olive oil is shimmery, add half of the shrimp and sautee with a soft spatula and tongs until the shrimp pink up. Remove to a large bowl and repeat with the second half of the shrimp.

When the shrimp are done, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the shrimp and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. (Don't make the shrimp in advance. This recipe works best fresh!)

**NOTE: If you plan to serve the shrimp over pasta, double the ingredients in this next section. Pasta soaks up the sauce quickly! Nobody likes a dry scampi!**

In a large pan over medium heat, melt 3 Tbsp of butter (yes; not a health dish, friends). Add the garlic to the melted butter (you can do this off the heat if you tend to burn your garlic) and cook until fragrant. OFF THE HEAT, but to the hot pan, add the vermouth and remaining lemon juice and scape the flavor-packed brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the mix come to a boil and season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. 

Add the shrimp back into the pan to ensure shrimp are heated through. Add fresh parsley and lemon zest.

Serve over angel hair pasta (to which I add the last Tbsp of butter!) to make it extra delicious.

Herb Roasted Chicken and Creamy Pea Risotto

I FINALLY got around to making two dishes I've had on my "to do" list forever- roast chicken and risotto! The sense of accomplishment I got from making two fairly complicated dishes was amazing! Boyfriend was working late and my family was scattered across the eastern seaboard so mom and Brother #2 came over for a nice and simple (and may I add DELICIOUS) Sunday dinner.

The chicken is actually much easier than I thought (I may debate not buying those rotisserie chickens - may) and the risotto is my new go to comfort food- it's like macaroni and cheese for foodies.

I remember watching my mother and grandmother pull the "giblets" out of the turkey on Thanksgiving and gagged every time. My first experience with a raw chicken was still gagworthy but I got through it. :) I stuffed the cavity of the chicken with lemons, onion, garlic and rosemary and poured herb-infused melted butter and olive oil  over the chicken. (I used this recipe as a guide: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Roasted-Chicken-with-Rosemary)

The risotto was amazing and while it took a lot of time (and attention to detail- my least favorite thing in life), it really was amazing. I used a Pioneer Woman recipe as a guide (Ree is everything I hope to be in life- I adore this woman!) and added peas at the very end for color and health factor.

I served the chicken and risotto with candied carrot coins and rosemary garlic bread.

Creamy Pea Risotto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Onion (or 1-2 shallots)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 pound Arborio Rice
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 cups frozen peas (run under hot water and unfrozen)
• Salt, pepper, and chives to taste

Directions(from PW)

Grate 2 cups of cheese. Peel and finely dice 3 to 4 cloves of garlic. Dice ½ of a large onion.
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Throw in the garlic and onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add 1 pound of Arborio rice and stir to coat the rice thoroughly. Adding 1 cup at a time, add 7-8 ounces of chicken broth, stirring constantly after each addition. As soon as it appears that the rice has absorbed each helping of broth, add in the next helping. Do not stop stirring. This process will take at least 20 minutes. Rice is done when it no longer has a hard bite.
When more of the broth is absorbed pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Next add the grated cheese and stir thoroughly. Add peas. Add in plenty of fresh cracked pepper and about 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Add salt to taste.

Barbeque Chicken and Bacon Stromboli

Thursday nights are date nights. They have been since 2009 when Boyfriend and I started dating. Thursdays are synonymous with wine, relaxation, weekend planning and not so healthy food. A few weeks ago I decided to try a stromboli at home (here's the recipe) that was savory and easy. The below did the trick!

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced ( I used rotisserie chicken)
1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
4 slices smoked bacon, cooked crispy, drained and chopped
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped green onions
1 can Pillsbury Pizza dough (not thin crust)
Olive oil cooking oil spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a baking pan with non-stick foil. Lightly spray the foil with the cooking oil spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the diced chicken and BBQ sauce.

Take the pizza dough out of the can and unroll it on your prepared baking sheet.

Press the dough into a rectangle… do not make the dough too thin.

Put the BBQ chicken down the center of the dough from one sort end to the other.

Sprinkle the chopped bacon over the chicken, then sprinkle the cheddar cheese, then sprinkle the chopped green onion over the top.

Carefully pull the sides of the dough from the long side to the middle. (Don't break it like I did.) Pinch the dough closed.

Sprinkle the top with garlic powder and bake for 16 minutes or until light golden brown.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting. (You can dip in more bbq sauce if you like!)

Pots de Creme

I'm obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. Obsessed! Every recipe of hers is amazing, but the superstar at a dinner party last weekend were her Pots de Creme. I could blog about how to do it, but there's no way I could come close to this!

This is absolutely my go to dessert from now on.

Some Down, Lots to Go

 

No real amazing recipe worth sharing here, but here's proof that I'm cranking away on my 52 new foods list for 2012. Here is Pork Tenderloin with Peaches and Pecans and sweet and sour red cabbage. Interesting, different, but not added to my day to day. At least now I can say I know how to make them!

Lobster Mac & Cheese

The ultimate in posh and fancy cuisine, lobster mac and cheese impresses company, boyfriends and blog readers. ;) HOWEVER, this was not so much the case with my latest creation...

Boyfriend and I decided we'd stay in a few weekends ago. When we first started dating, I told him I'd make him lobster mac and cheese one day, so he was excited when I suggested making it for our date night in. (It was also on my 52 weeks of new foods list for 2012, so I was happy to make progress on that!)  $75 in cheese and lobster later (WTF!! So much for saving some money by staying in!), I was on my way. I used Ina Garten's recipe and damn her! She made the recipe look so simple on her show! The recipe itself came out well: the sauce was creamy, the textures were on point, but the Gruyere cheese really was disgusting in the dish. It was more nutty than cheesy if that makes sense. If I were to recreate this recipe, I'd use a sharp cheddar only and really try a more classic version of the sauce before adding the lobster. You also don't really need as much lobster as she recommends.

Two things that did work really well were that I steamed the lobster (which kept it fresh and in tact) and also soaked my bread crumbs in 2T of melted butter with one garlic clove. That really amped the flavor.

Will I try this again? Sure. Anytime soon? Negative. I'll stick to my Velveeta thankyouverymuch.

Rotisserie Chicken Three Ways

My mom and brother haven't been feeling well, so with Boyfriend away for a football game, I headed to the store with my dad to pick up fresh ingredients for a nice, warm, healthy pick-me-up dinner. Rotisserie chickens, one of my favorite time savers, were on mega sale, so I picked two up- hoping for leftovers. Instead, I got inspired.

Today I made:

Homemade Chicken Stock

Chicken Noodle Soup

and....

Chicken A La King

After all that cooking, I definitely deserved one of these bad boys: