Herb and Garlic Baked Chicken

Chicken is so awesome. It tastes just like chicken :D Yep. Another super easy but tasty recipe, because I'm lazy but hungry.

Herb and Garlic Baked Chicken

1 lb skinless chicken, breasts or drumsticks

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp rosemary

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange chicken in a glass baking dish so that they are close but not touching. Brush olive oil over each piece of chicken, then flip them and repeat on the other side. Sprinkle evenly with rosemary, oregano, basil, and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste - I recommend less salt and more pepper for optimal flavor. Bake uncovered for 50-60 min. Check temperature in the thickest part of the chicken with a meat thermometer. Once it reaches 180°F, it is safe to serve.

Garlic Roasted Red Potatoes

I love garlic and I love potatoes. So it would only stand to reason that I love garlic potatoes. Yep. I also love it when delicious things are super easy. These potatoes are super easy. It's love ^__^

Garlic Roasted Red Potatoes

1 lb red potatoes, cut into wedges

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp fresh or dried rosemary

2 cloves garlic, minced or pureed

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, toss potatoes in olive oil and salt and pepper until coated. Arrange potato wedges in a glass baking pan so that they are in one layer with no overlap - if you can, have the skin sides facing up. Sprinkle with rosemary. Cover in aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 min, depending on your wedge size (larger wedges take longer to cook). After 20 min, remove foil and flip potatoes with a spatula. Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove potatoes from oven and return to the original bowl. Add garlic and mix. Serve hot and enjoy :D

Curry Beef

My most beloved comfort food, curry beef. Om yom yom. Finally getting off my lazy butt and posting the recipe, having been poked for it many, many times. Please note that this recipe is for an 8oz package of curry roux - if you have the small, 4oz sized package, please use half!

Curry Beef

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and cubed

1-2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (more potatoes = less spicy)

1 lb stewing beef, trimmed and cubed bite-sized

7 cups water

1 package S&B Golden Curry roux, hot or to taste

In a pot, heat oil and sauté onions until tender. Add cubed carrots and potatoes and heat until warm. Mix in beef and cook until browned. Add water and bring to a boil. The beef and potato starch will mix and form an opaque foam on the surface of the water. Skim this off with a slotted spoon. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-2o minutes, until potatoes and carrots are soft. Break curry roux into sections and add. Mix until totally dissolved. At this point, the curry is technically done, but it will be much tastier if you let it simmer for another hour, mixing occasionally. Serve over fresh steamed rice.

Black Pepper Beef

I went looking for a recipe that combines my love of black pepper and beef, and shockingly found a recipe for... Black Pepper Beef :D Yep. Shocking. And tasty.

Black Pepper Beef

2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 onion, sliced thin

2 ribs celery, sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 yellow bell peper, sliced thin

2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 tsp ground white pepper, to taste

1 lb beef, sliced thin

Heat sesame oil and sauté onion until clear. Add celery and bell peppers and sauté until tender. Add oyster sauce, black pepper, and white pepper and mix to coat everything well. Mix in beef and cook until browned. Serve immediately - over rice is super tasty.

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

This is a recipe I picked up for a black bean soup that is similar to the one that Panera serves (which I adore). Enjoy :D

Black Bean Soup

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 14oz can vegetable stock

2 14oz cans black beans, undrained

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 lemon, juice of

1 1/2 tbs cornstarch

Combine first five ingredients (onion through vegetable stock) in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 can of black beans, salt, and cumin, and cook for another 5 minutes. Puree soup either by pouring into a blender or with an immersion blender in the pot. Add remaining black beans and lemon juice. Mix cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry then add to soup. Cook until thickened.

Potato Soup

Tonight I made potato soup with French bread on the side for dinner. This is my very favorite potato soup recipe ever, so I must share!

Potato Soup

4 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed (bite-sized!)

1/2 small onion, diced (or 1 small shallot)

2 14 oz cans of low fat chicken broth

1 cup water

salt & pepper to taste

pinch of basil

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup flour

1 cup heavy cream

Garnish

4 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped

chives, chopped

shredded cheddar or cheddar/jack cheese

Boil potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover them for approx 25-30 min. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the rest of the soup - the soup takes about as long to make as the potatoes take to boil. In a medium to large soup pot, melt butter - do not brown! - and sauté onion until soft. Stir in flour and mix until smooth. Add chicken broth, water, salt & pepper, and basil while stirring. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the flour does not sink and burn on the bottom. Mix in the cream. Drain potatoes (if it's been 30+ mins) and carefully add to soup. Serve with cheese, chives, and bacon on top! For super extra tastiness, add 2 more pieces of chopped bacon to the soup before you add in the cream. Enjoy :D

Orange Chicken

Made orange chicken for dinner :D Yom yom! I've made this a couple times now and it's always tasty! Thought I'd share the recipe ^___^

Orange Chicken

2 lb boneless chicken breast, in bite sized pieces

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup flour

1 tbsp minced ginger root (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger)

1 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder

1/2 tsp crushed red chili pepper

1 tbsp cooking grade rice wine

Orange Sauce

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp orange juice

5 tbsp sugar

5 tbsp white vinegar

Combine all ingredients of Orange Sauce and set aside. Mix egg and milk in one bowl and salt, pepper, cornstarch, and flour in another. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then coat in cornstarch mixture. Deep fry chicken in small batches. Heat wok and add 1 tbsp oil and stir fry ginger and garlic until fragrant (very quickly!). Add chili peppers and rice wine. After a few seconds, add Orange Sauce and bring to a boil. Add chicken until coated - if the sauce needs to be thickened, add a mixture of cornstarch and water mixed together (this keeps the cornstarch from clumping). Serve immediately.

Enjoy!