Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Red Onions.

Have I ever told you that I live five minutes from where I work?  OK, during a snow storm, it’s probably seven. And if I hit the stop light at Highlands Ranch Parkway, that will add an extra minute to the calculations.  How far do you commute to work?

This was an easy dinner because I came home at lunch, put two small boneless/skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot at about 11:30. I ate lunch, made the dressing for salad, spent time on social media and was back at work by 12:30 (ish).

With the crockpot set on high, the chicken breasts were done when I left work at 5:25, arriving home at 5:30. (Yay for the green light at Highlands Ranch Parkway.)

Placing the chicken breasts on a cutting board to cool while I assembled the rest of the ingredients, dinner was on the table at 6:20. Actually it would have been on the table at 5:45 but a glass of wine with feet propped up on the coffee table delayed the process. Priorities.

Fresh and healthy with chicken, strawberries, celery, red onion, and raisins all piled on top of butter lettuce. Let’s take a look:

Chicken Salad with Strawberries…It’s What’s for Dinner.

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Ina Garten’s Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

Where has the time gone? Are you kidding me? It’s already time for SRC Reveal Day?  Busy, busy, busy at work, being assigned to Bizzy Bakes blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club made for a much welcomed and easy project. In other words, my kind of food.

You know you’re old when the first colander you ever bought is now considered to be “vintage”. 

To say I don’t know much about the author of Bizzy Bakes would be an understatement. Without an “About” section, I really don’t even know the his/her name. But what I do know is that I’ve found a great blog and have bookmarked several recipes from the site that I want to try very soon, Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Sweet Tomato Sauce, Lemon Chicken Pasta, and a vegetable medley Southwestern Saute. See, what did I tell you, my kind of food. Thanks for some great recipes Bizzy.

Making enough for an army, this was baked in my 7 quart. Le Creuset.

Since I’ve been craving macaroni and cheese for about a year now, my selection was easy. Ina Gartin’s recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes. Bizzy tweaked Ina’s recipe switching Gruyere for Monterey Jack. And plain cheddar for the extra sharp. I used Gruyere and sharp cheddar. With milk/flour/butter that creates the sauce, this is a decadent creamy pasta dish. I love the tart and sweet flavor that the topping of tomatoes bring to the overall flavor…and a crunchy topping of buttered bread crumbs that toast while baking makes this is a keeper. Let’s take a look at what I did:

Ina Garten’s Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes…It’s What’s for Dinners.

To See All The Recipes In The May SRC Click Below

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I work in the Real Estate Industry as a Sales Executive for Heritage Title. What’s a title Insurance company? We do a lot of important things to insure against fraud, but we’re most famous for our end result where we gather Realtors, Lenders, Buyers and Sellers around a closing table and make everyone sign documents until their hands cramp and then we hand over the keys to the American dream, a new home. It’s either feast or famine in our business, and let me tell you it’s a feeding frenzy feast right now. Buyers are standing in line to preview homes, multiple offers are flying into seller’s hands which results in bidding wars with sellers getting $20 to $30 thousand over the listing price. What does all this boil down to? It’s a great time to sell a home and with interest rates still so low, it’s also a good time to buy. And all of us in the industry are running so fast to keep up that we’re out of breath. That’s a good thing.

This crock pot roast beef taco recipe was a life saver this week. Easy and with plenty of leftovers for a couple of quick dinners. Simple with seasoning and big on flavor, the meat went into the crock pot before I went to work and I arrived home to an aromatic party that filled every nook and cranny of our house.

I used a tri-tip roast, and as with any slow cooked meat, it was fall apart, melt in your mouth wonderful. This recipe caught my eye because we’re fans of ancho chili powder. And simply adding cumin, cayenne and bay leaves, I knew the flavors would be to our liking. Served with shredded cabbage, guacamole, or sliced avocado and your favorite salsa and you’ve got a great treat. The recipe calls for frying and shaping your own tacos but I just heated up soft white corn tacos. Give this one a try.

Tyler Florence’s Crock Pot Roast Beef Tacos … It’s What’s for Dinner.

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Our Saturday evening dinner was inspired by a blog post from Larry over at Big Dude’s Eclectic Ramblings and his meat and salad dinner request from wife Bev. Larry made Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. I just happen to have my own favorite recipe, so a fresh salad and my favorite Barbeque Chicken Recipe made it to our table.

Sunshine and warm temperatures found us sipping wine and basking in sunshine on the back deck this past Saturday. Grilling was certainly in order. We removed the cover from the Weber and broke a bottle of champagne over the cast iron hull, officially christening it for the season. Actually we didn’t really do that, what a mess it would have been to clean up.

We did enjoy it while it lasted but as I type this we’ve got about eight inches of fresh snow on the ground. Yes, yesterday, May 1, May Day, Denver had yet another blizzard. I took this photo this morning at our office building after standing outside talking with the incredibly helpful customer service department over at GoDaddy.  They’re really incredible.  Anyway, his name was Russell, and located in Phoenix, he was remarking about their 100 degree temperatures as I stared at this Winter scene.

You can’t tell it, but the sun is out and the melting has begun.

But back to Spring. A salad piled high with cucumbers, orange bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes alongside a chunk of grilled chicken was a reminder of the warmer weather and summer temperatures that are surely in our future. If I start complaining about the heat in a couple months, please remind me of the Spring blizzards that have become a weekly event.

I’ve had this Buttermilk Ranch Dressing recipe for years. I couldn’t begin to tell you where I found it. It’s fresh and crisp with flavor and easy to make. And it’s minus the preservatives and those ingredients that are impossible to pronounce. Tip: Use a sour cream that’s thick in consistency for a thicker dressing.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing…It’s What’s For a Salad

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And of course any breakfast sandwich post like this wouldn’t be complete without a runny egg action shot.

I recently started following a blogger from Pennsylvania, Eric over at Happy Valley Chow. A Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management major at Pennsylvania State University with a second in Music Performance in Jazz and Classical saxophone. When he graduates, he wants to open up his own restaurant. I’ve already bookmarked several of his recipes, but this one hit the table this past Sunday. I simply could not resist a steak and egg breakfast sandwich. Thanks for the idea Eric.

Eric made his sandwich because he and his fiance went to Dunkin’ Donuts and had their Angus Steak and Egg sandwich, thought it was good so he recreated it at home.  I googled it and found that Dunkin’ Donuts serve theirs on a bagel or as a wrap. I like Eric’s version much better, and he served his open-faced on toast.

The ground meat is simply seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning and then I pan fried the small burgers in my cast iron. I had to “Colorado Up” my version and add some hot sauce and a few sprinkles of cilantro.

We really liked it. And for a late breakfast, it filled us up until dinner.  Thanks for the idea Eric.

Steak and Egg Sandwich…It’s What’s for a Late Breakfast.

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About once a month, I’ll innocently be driving down the street and my car will mysteriously pull itself into a McDonalds and I suddenly find myself eating a Filet-O-Fish Sandwich. I don’t get fries, so the guilt level is minimal.

I’ve been wanting to make my own Filet-O-Fish at home so picked up a package of Safeway frozen cod filets, only to open them up to find two inch thick odd shaped chunks of fish. Most certainly would’t work for a sandwich. So I pulled out my Marie Rose Sauce with Battered Cod recipe and simply served it over some greens that were tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.

What is Marie Rose Sauce? I’ve had this recipe for years and have never asked myself that question until I sat down to write this up. Here’s what Wikipedia told me:

• Marie Rose sauce (known in some areas as cocktail sauce, seafood sauce, ketchyo, maychup, ketchanaise, tomayo, burger sauce, fancy sauce or dip) is a British condiment made from a blend of ketchup and mayonnaise, although it can have other ingredients as well. It is often used with seafood, and prawns in particular. Giles Coren said: “Prawn cocktail dripping with Marie Rose sauce is, probably, most symbolic of 70s cuisine. Despite popular belief, Russian dressing, although demonstrating many of the physical and chemical properties of Marie Rose, is a completely separate condiment and should be treated as such. In the United States, a similar sauce, fry sauce, is served with french fries. And in the United States and Canada, another similar sauce called Thousand Island dressing is served. Thousand Island dressing recipe reputedly originated from the Thousand Islands in Ontario, Canada.  (photo above from Wikipedia)

The recipe comes from Food and Wine Magazine. The cod filets are dusted with flour and then dipped in a batter of flour and water that’s been laced with some baking soda. It makes for a thick and luxurious pocket that browns up beautifully and seems to steam the fish inside for a flaky and moist end result.

This professional photograph comes from Food and Wine Magazine photographer Quentin Bacon. I enjoyed Googling him and browsing his website for some incredible food photography.

Marie Rose Sauce with battered Cod…It’s What’s for Dinner.

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Even though we’re having beautiful Spring temperatures today and I’m getting ready to uncover the grill for the first time this season, it was just this past Tuesday that Denver saw a frigid storm blow through and leave an icy beginning to a six inch blanket of snow that covered everything in sight. Folks…it was cold. On April 23rd I was wearing my full length black wool coat with a heavy scarf around my neck and we found ourselves slurping this wonderful and warming Mexican shrimp soup.

Cinco de Mayo food seems to be a year round event in our house, I still found myself pouring through cookbooks last weekend to find something new to celebrate the upcoming holiday. I’ve had a sticky note on this recipe for a while, and with the snow storm in our forecast, I decided it was time to give it a try.

This soup is light, brothy and incredible with flavor. To make it easy, I bought a bag of frozen cooked and peeled shrimp. After thawing I just pulled the tails off and fine chopped the shrimp.  Adding an egg, flour and some great spices these little shrimp meatballs were ready to be dropped into a flavorful simmering broth. What makes them so wonderful with flavor is tomato paste, cinnamon, cumin, Mexican oregano and coriander.

The soup base is a well sauteed onion, garlic, tomatoes, chiles and bay leaves. I used poblano peppers, but any variety would be good. The recipe called for fish stock, but I used chicken. This recipe is definitely a keeper and I hope you’ll give it a try.

Mexican Shrimp Soup…It’s What’s for Dinner.

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Rosemary and garlic flavored pasta was a great canvas to add fresh rosemary, red pepper flakes, and who doesn’t mind adding fresh garlic to some already present garlic flavor. Stir in some chickpeas for texture and top with some grated Parmesan cheese, it was a hearty and flavor packed dinner.

You guessed it, this is just another one of Pappardelle’s creatively flavored pastas that they’ve combined with a clever set of ingredients to bring a delicious and easy dinner to your table.

Thanks to everyone who visited Pappardelle’s, The Fine Art of Pasta site to leave a comment on which pasta flavor sounded like something you’d like to try. Not an easy choice was it?

The winner of the pasta giveaway is Roz over at La Bella Vita Cucina. Roz said she’d like to try their Basil Garlic Pasta. I’m sure I’ve tried that one since it sounds like something I’d grab up. And thank you to Pappardelle’s pasta for offering to send the winner some free pasta.

Rosemary Garlic Pasta with Chickpeas … It’s What’s for Dinner.

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We love a good chicken stir fry. And in my books, this may be one of best. Crunchy with cashews and water chestnuts, savory with broccoli, bell peppers, and onions and seasoned with a hot and sweet sauce, you’ll find it hard to put those chopsticks down.

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for awhile and when I saw it over at Mary’s blog, Barefeet in the Kitchen, I knew I had to make it soon. It originally comes from Cooking Light. I switched it up a little and added water chestnuts. The original recipe calls for shelled edamame and Mary added snow peas. However you mix up the ingredients, this recipe is a keeper.

This makes a large batch and I found myself wrestling the ingredients around in my wok to make sure everything cooked just right. Other than that, it’s an easy fix with incredible flavors. You’ve got to give it a try.

 Sriracha Honey Cashew Chicken Stir Fry…It’s What’s for Dinner.

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Enchilada Casserole, cooked in the crockpot.

I’ve been a member of the Secret Recipe Club for about six months now. It’s a project in which each month you receive an email containing the URL of another member’s blog. Your mission is to sneak around and select a recipe that you’d like to make, photograph and write about. It’s really been a fun way to find new food bloggers, new recipe ideas and if you end up with someone who cooks completely differently than you, you’re forced to step out of your box and try new things. A good example for me was the month I found myself browsing Indian food and the month I was assigned to a baking blog. I always look forward to reveal day where I see who has been stalking me and what they’ve chosen to make from my blog.

This month I was assigned to Fallon’s Cucina. Fallon lives in Las Vegas and is a college graduate from UNLV with a degree in Marketing. With a passion for fitness and nutrition, I found some interesting recipes like her Wheat Berry Salad With butternut squash, dried cherries and honey mustard balsamic vinaigrette, and a Breakfast Quinoa topped with a fried egg.

Deciding to stay within the confines of my Southwestern box, I went straight for her Mexican category and landed on a recipe for an Enchilada Casserole. I’ve never made an enchilada casserole, but what intrigued me most about this was the fact that it was prepared in a crockpot. With my workdays becoming more hectic than ever, I’ve been on the lookout for easy dinner options. And using ingredients that you can grab from the supermarket shelf, this really was a quick fix.

This vegetarian recipe comes from Cooking Light, and we thought it was delicious. What we liked most was the savory/sweet combination end result. I used Texas Brew Honey Roasted Chipotle Salsa which is at the top of my list for flavor. A perfect blend of sweet, hot and smoky. Combine a flavorful salsa with a lineup of Southwestern ingredients, black beans, canned corn with red peppers, cilantro and enchilada sauce and you’ve got a delicious dish. But we thought the star was the cornbread topping which contains chopped roasted red pepper and green chiles. And the whole thing wouldn’t be complete with out a generous layer of melted, ooey, gooey Mexican blend cheese.

How did the cornbread topping do in a crockpot? Great! You add it at the end and cook for about an hour. I was concerned about adding such a thick batter on top of soupy, hot ingredients. I used a large spoon and placed dollops until the mixture was covered. I carefully filled in the gaps with the back of the spoon and it cooked up beautifully. I just removed the lid a couple of times for a quick touch test to know when it was just right.

I made a few adjustments, the recipe called for egg substitute.  I used an egg. The recipe called for one can of black beans, I added two. I added way more canned chiles than what was called for and I added Mexican oregano. Would I add meat next time? This was delicious as is, but I’m tempted to try it with some ground burger and I’ll reduce the beans to one can. The recipe below is my variation, and you can click on this link for the original recipe from Cooking Light.

We loved this recipe…it’s a keeper. Thanks to Fallon for testing it out and posting it on her blog.

Enchilada Casserole…It’s What’s for Dinner.

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