Chicken with mushrooms and green beans

1 3 ½ – 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped,
plus 12 whole cloves, unpeeled
1 small navel orange, halved
¾ pound green beans, trimmed
1 10-ounce package button mushrooms, caps quartered

Heat oven to 400 F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the thyme, red pepper, ¾ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Brush the chicken with 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with the chopped garlic and spice mixture. Arrange the whole garlic cloves and orange halves around the chicken. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place the green beans and mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining salt and pepper. Roast until the mushrooms are cooked through and the beans are lightly browned, stirring once, about 15 minutes. Divide the chicken and garlic among individual plates and squeeze the roasted orange halves over the top. Serve with green beans and mushrooms.

Stacy's Omelet Medley

4 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped orange bell pepper
arugula leaves
salt (optional)
pepper( optional)
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
chopped bacon
tortilla bread
olive oil

Warm olive oil in pan. Whip the eggs together and pour half the mixture into pan. When the egg starts to take form pour half your ingredients into the pan.Take a spatula and fold the egg in half. Eat and enjoy. Don't forget to repeat with the remaining ingredients.

This was a recipe that I made myself.I usually don't measure anything;I don't think anybody else does for that matter. I don't eat eggs neither do I cook them. I usually leave that up to Justin. Since I'm home with just two today I figured I do something special and come up with something off the top of my head. Maneye and Trinity loved the Omelet Medley!

Grilled Smoked Turkey Sandwiches

8 slices sourdough sandwich bread
4 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
½ pound sliced low-fat Swiss-styled cheese, or Gruyere or Muenster
½ pound sliced smoked or roasted turkey
12 argula leaves
1 tablespoon butter or oil

Place 4 bread slices on work surface; spread each with 1 tablespoon mustard.
Beginning and ending with cheese, equally divide the cheese, turkey and arugula leaves over each bread slice. Top with remaining bread. Heat large skillet, grill pan, griddle or sandwich press(panini). Grease surface with butter or oil. Cook sandwiches until bread is nicely browned on each side and cheese is melted, about 3 to 4 minutes each side in uncovered pan. Cut sandwiches in half crooswse. Delicious with tomato soup.

This sandwich would've been pretty good had I not used the Dijon mustard. It really does have a taste that you have to acquire. I threw away the bread with the mustard spread and enjoyed the other half.The most exciting thing for me was finding the arugula leaves.

Farina with Apricots and Almonds

2 cups low-fat milk
Kosher salt
½ cup farina(such as Cream of Wheat; not instant)
1tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
2 tablespoons roasted almonds, chopped

Bring the milk and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a small
saucepan. Whisk in the farina. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with the sugar, apricots, and almonds.


I wasn't too thrilled about making this because I usually mix my Cream of Wheat with water and eat it plain.I was less than impressed with the final result of how the farina looked.It reminded me too much of baby food. All of that didn't matter when I ate it. It went down smooth as butter and tasted better than any farina that I've ever made. This recipe was borrowed from the REAL SIMPLE magazine October 2009 issue.

Steak, Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus

Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts

1 pound cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 crisp apple (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into matchsticks
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped Kosher salt and black pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the apple, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Spoon over the ravioli and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Beefy Ziti and Zucchini

2 cups uncooked ziti pasta (or other shape)
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
3 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups chunky tomato pasta sauce (any variety)
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding zucchini during last 4 minutes. Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, brown beef and garlic until beef is no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes, breaking beef up to ¾ -inch pieces. Pour off the drippings. Stir in seasonings and pasta sauce, mixing well. Drain pasta and zucchini; stir into meat sauce. Cover and cook about 2 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

This recipe is from the Essence magazine 2005 issue. I was prepared for strong opposition from the kids with this meal. I expected abandoned zucchini slices to sit at the edge of each plate after each finished meal. Suprisingly, I was proven wrong! Introducing my kids to zucchini was pretty successful. I can say that this one truly hit the spot.

Chili Con Carne

I have never made my only chili up until this day. Everyone enjoyed it so much that they rushed for seconds.The guacamole was pretty delicious too. I substituted the beef for ground turkey. FYI, a capsicum can be anything from a red bell pepper to a jalepeno pepper.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb/500g extra-lean beef mince
1 lb/500g medium-hot tomato salsa
15 oz/425g canned three bean mix,drained
1 bay leaf
1 green capsicum, finely chopped
1/2 cup beef stock
salt and pepper to taste

Gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add the mince and cook until it browns. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 40 minutes. Serve with corn chips, grated cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Guacamole recipe: 4 avocados, 1 lime, 1/2 diced red onion, 1 jalepeno pepper and cilantro. Mix everything together and wala!

Easter Dinner

Cornish hen, mustard greens,mashed potatoes.

Look What I Found!

Spanish Chicken Skillet

2tsp. Papricka
minced garlic
thyme leaves
coarse ground black pepper
crushed red pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 6 serving pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
1 can (14 1/2 oz.)diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chicken broth or dry sherry

Mix flour, salt, and all of the spices, except the red pepperin a small bowl.Sprinkle chicaken with 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour. Cook chicken in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes per side or until browned. Remove from skillet. Add bell pepper and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and remaining seasoned flour. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Stir in red pepper to taste, if desired. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to a low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

This recipe was fantastic! I definitely plan on making it again. I was highly skeptical about this being successful in the beginning. I had every doubt in the world that I would not have enough seasoning. I had extra spice on hand just in case it; turns out that I didn't need it. Yep, to say this was a success is an understatement.

Orecchiette with leeks, peas, and Pecorino

1 pound dry orecchiette or some other short pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10 ounce package frozen peas, thawed
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Pecorino
2 teaspoons lemon zest
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, season with salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and peas and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the cream and ¾ cup of the Pecorino. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce, lemon zest, and mint and toss. Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Pecorino and pepper.
This recipe is courtesy of Real Simple, April 2007 issue.
I was a bit frustrated when I couldn't find the orecchiette or the pecorino. To avoid ruining the dinner I improvised and was quite happy with the results. If you try the recipe don't skip the lemon zest; it gives the meal that ba-da bing! Enjoy.

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Tropical Salsa

This happens to be one of the recipes I made a couple of years ago. It has been a request in my home since then. I found this recipe in Essence magazine, in the June 2006 issue.
Salsa: ¼ cup diced fresh pineapple
¾ cup diced fresh papaya*
½ cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 ready-to-cook turkey burgers
2 tablespoons wet jerk seasoning or jerk sauce
Lettuce leaves
4 sandwich buns

To prepare salsa: In bowl, mix salsa ingredients. Cover and set aside for flavors to meld. Refrigerate if not used within an hour. Prepare and heat grill or grill pan. Season burgers with salt, if desired; brush with jerk seasoning. Grill until browned and no longer pink inside when tested with tip of knife, about 9 minutes, turning once. Toast rolls, cut-sides down, during last minutes of burger cooking time. Line bottom halves of rolls with lettuce; top with patties. Spoon each with salsa; cover with top half of roll. Delicious with plantain chips and ginger beer.

To say these burgers were delicious is an understatement. I strongly encourage you to try this recipe. Save the ketchup, cheese, and pickles the next time you make a burger. The burgers were complemented with broccoli and Eating Right Barbeque Flavored Potato Crisps.
*I could not find the papayas; don’t worry if you should run into the same problem – improvise just as I did, use mangoes.