Dilemma

Hi friends.

I have a dilemma. I am on a major diet in preparation for my dad's wedding in April. And let's be honest...I can't cook yummy food and not eat it. I do not have that much will power! So, for the time being I am enjoying spinach salad, chicken breast and the occasional fruit. Therefore, I don't have any exciting recipes to share. If I do come up with a delicious original low fat chicken recipe, I will be sure to share.

Sorry for getting this all started and then bailing. The new slimmer me will be back very soon. Until then, eat something for me!

K

Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

Well, I am already behind. I think I over estimated myself thinking I could cook and blog a recipe every week. Now, I am shooting for a recipe every two weeks. Life is just too busy.

I am always looking for a good chicken recipe. If you know me, you know that I am a condiment queen. I practically eat food to be able to enjoy the sauces and condiments that go with them. Haha. That being said, I like chicken to have some type of sauce to spice it up. This recipe is so delicious that it needs no sauce. Somehow, the chicken stays moist and the mushroom/cheese/thyme mixture creates a delicious flavor that requires nothing else.

Yes, I made another mushroom recipe. We do love mushrooms. So, for you non-mushroom lovers, Mom, I am sorry.

Ingredients: Pam, green onions, thyme, garlic, mushrooms, bread, chicken, flour, eggs, mozzarella, olive oil, salt & pepper. Preheated oven: 350.

I started by cooking the mushrooms and green onions in a skillet coated with Pam. Cooked until they were a beautiful golden brown color.

Then add in the garlic and thyme. Yum. The aroma from the thyme fills the room. I set the pan off to the side to let it cool a little. Then I added in the mozzarella. Of course I added more than called for.

Next, I made the breadcrumbs. The recipe called for 2 slices of white bread. We don't eat white bread, so last time I used wheat bread and this time I used 2 left over rolls from a previous dinner. Both tasted delicious and I don't really think it matters what type of bread, white or wheat, that you use. Anyhow, I used my very handy, small Cuisinart food processor. The perfect size for 2 dinner rolls.

Then, I cut pockets into the chicken breasts. I made them as deep as I could, so they would hold more mushroom goodness.

Of course it's not cooking at my house without this.....

At this point, I chose to venture away from the recipe. The recipe says to stuff the chicken breasts with the mushroom mixture, then bread, and brown in the skillet. I did this the first time. It was a mess trying to bread the stuffed chicken and then brown it without all of the stuffing falling out. Therefore, I breaded and browned the chicken first and then stuffed it. I don't see why it would matter to stuff it first.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Meanwhile, get 3 shallow dishes, I chose small plates. In the first, put the 1/4 cup of flour. In the second, put 2 eggs slightly beaten. In the third, put the fresh breadcrumbs. Coat the chicken in that order: flour, eggs, bread. 

Put into a hot skillet and brown on both sides until you see that crispy golden brown.

After the chicken has browned on both side, put them on a cookie sheet and stuff with the mushroom mixture.

(Yes, mine are overstuffed. Our leftovers usually sit in the fridge uneaten, so I figured I would overstuff them rather than make another breast or two.) Then put into the oven for 15 mins.

I served this with fresh sauted spinach and a side of farfella pasta with light alfredo sauce.
Ryan said "it is suprisingly moist after being cooked twice." Hehe. Yes he is quite the critic, I think I make him watch way too much Food Network. Carter said "mmmm!"

Hope you enjoy this one!

Here is the recipe from http://www.myrecipes.com/.

Ingredients 

• 2 (1-ounce) slices white bread, torn
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 8 ounces presliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided 
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. Pulse bread in a food processor to form fine crumbs. Place in a dish.
3. 3. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions and mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and garlic. Cool mixture 10 minutes; stir in cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4. 4. Cut a slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff each with 1/4 cup mushroom mixture. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place eggs in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Dip in eggs; dredge in breadcrumbs.
5. 5. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

I will start by admitting that I thought this would all be easier than it is! I know I will get the hang of it, so please bear with me. I also will have to learn to remember to take pictures at each step. Anyhow, remember this is my first recipe post. And yes, my first picture isn't centered and I can't figure out why! ;)

I'll admit it..I am a Pinterest addict. I love it! Needless to say, I found this recipe on Pinterest. It has quickly become one of our favorites! It is relatively quick and easy.   I served it with a ceasar salad, garlic bread, a bottle of Liberty School Cab and for dessert -Creme Brulee.

WARNING: This recipe is NOT diet friendly.

I made a few slight adjustments to the ingredients. This time I used frozen shrimp, although normally I use fresh shrimp. On this particular day the fresh shrimp looked as though it had been visiting the grocery store for a few days, so I quickly made a decision that frozen would be fine! I also really like the refridgerated pasta over the box. Just personal preference. Baby bella mushrooms, basil, 3oz of cream cheese, garlic, parsely, and yes, 10 tbps of butter (see the above warning).



I began by starting my pot of salted water for the pasta. I put the shrimp in the strainer under cold running water to thaw. 

Next, I added 2 tbps on butter to my pan to sautee the mushrooms. We love mushrooms. So instead of 8 oz, I went with 12 oz of the more meatier baby bellas.

I let those sautee down until they were a nice golden brown. I put them off to the side and really tried not to eat them all before I needed them. Then, I added my shrimp to the skillet (since I bought raw frozen shrimp) for a couple of minutes. I put them off to the side with the mushrooms.

Now for the sauce. Put 10 tbps of butter into the skillet and melt. Next, add the garlic, cream cheese, parsley and basil. The cream cheese will slowly begin to melt. Although, it will look curdled and that is okay! 

While the cream cheese is melting, I add my pasta to the boiling water and cook as the package instructs. I only used half of the package since there was just 2.5 mouths. It is important to do this now, because you will need to add some of the boiling pasta water to the sauce once the cream cheese has melted. If you were to use a box pasta that cooks for longer you could start the pasta before the sauce.

After the cream cheese has melted, you take a scoop of the boiling pasta water and add it to the cream cheese mixture. Continually stir until it smooths out and looks more appetizing.

Now it is time to add in the mushrooms and the shrimp. Simmer for about 10 mintues and stir often. After 10 minutes I added the pasta straight in to the sauce. That way the noodles soak up all that yummy goodness. After putting a serving on each plate I topped with a little fresh chopped parsely.

And this little secret came from my sister-in-law.....Microplaner and parmasean! SOO much better then the already shredded stuff. Just a little to top off the pasta.

And that's it! Ryan gave it two thumbs up and a groan! Even Carter loved it!

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

serves 4, prep 5 min, cook time 30 min

• 4-8 oz fettuccine or linguine
• 10 tbsp butter, divided
• 8 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms (I used 12 oz of baby bellas)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2/3 cup boiling water (from your noodle pot)
• 1 lb cooked shrimp

1. Boil and salt a large pot of water and cook your pasta.  I used half of a box for 2 of us.
2. While your pasta is cooking, cook your shrimp if necessary and reserve.  If your shrimp are pre-cooked and frozen, quickly thaw them under running water.
3. In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Reserve cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet.  Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs. 
5. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.
6. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 10 minutes.
7. Toss sauce with cooked noodles and serve.

Welcome!

Hello family, friends, and food lovers!

I'm Mrs.King. Yes, I am a teacher. And I'm convinced I've heared Mrs. King more times than I have Kristin. But, first and foremost I am a wife and a "mama". The two most amazing and rewarding jobs that exist. I have been a wife for 4.5 years, a teacher for 4.5 years and a mama for 14 months. Growing up, I remember watching my mom cook dinner and she always cooked tasty meals, well....except for the canned spinach incident that is vividly burned into my memory. Anyway, I guess I just never really got into cooking. That's when I met and married my husband, Ryan. I had no idea pre-wedding, but I had BIG shoes to fill! My mother-in-law, Mary, is such an amazing cook that kids from Ryan's high school still come to dinner! Not to forget my sister-in-law, Charmaine. After learning how those two cook, I knew my new husband would required delicious home cooked meals. So, I got some cookbooks and dove in. 4.5 years later, I am proud to admit that cooking is one of my passions! And since this is about me and although he doesn't have much to do with the cooking story yet....I must mention my 14 month old, Carter. He is our pride and joy. Not a day goes by when Ryan and I don't sit in amazement that God blessed us (and trusted us) with this baby boy. Ok, that's my mommy spill for the day. :)

The idea to blog popped in my head the other day when I was texting a friend, Vicki, about a recipe I thought she'd like. I love a good recipe. When I find one I want to share. I'm a working mama who knows anything that makes life easier is always appreciated!

So, the plan is to find a new recipe each week to cook, take pictures of, decide if it's worthy of being repeated, and share with you - my cooking loves. No, this will not be gourmet food. It will be recipes that are found and cooked by a person with no culinary schooling.

I hope you enjoy.

KK