Creamy Lemon Herb Salmon

4 5 oz salmon filets
1 package cream cheese
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs: parsley, dill, basil, thyme (a little of each)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup chicken stock or white wine

In a medium saucepan, combine cream cheese, wine or chicken stock, and lemon juice. Wisk together well and bring to a boil. Stir in herbs and reduce heat to low. Place salmon filets in a greased baking pan and pour about half of the cream cheese mixture over the salmon filets. Top with green onion and bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minute (do not overbake). Take salmon out of the oven and cover with foil. Allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes. Serve over a bed of seasoned rice and pour more of the cream cheese sauce over the salmon. Enjoy!
Tip: There is a premade cream cheese lemon herb in the cheese and packaged deli meat aisle of the grocery store. It works just as good in place of the fresh herbs and cream cheese. It also makes it easier

A Subtle Twist To My White Chili

2 cartons Chicken stock
1 shallot
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 cups chopped roasted chicken breast
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 cans white beans (any type is fine  but I use cannelini)
1 packet chicken taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
shredded cheddar as topping
sliced green onion as a topping

In a small skillet, heat oil over medium high heat for 1 minute. Chop shallot and place in heated oil in skillet. Add the paprika and saute over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer. Place chicken stock, lemon pepper, chicken taco seasoning, white beans, and roasted chicken into a large crockpot. Pour in the shallot and oil mixture and set heat to either low for 4-5 hours or high for 2 hours. The Last 30 minutes of cooking time, wisk in the sour cream. Serve with sliced green onion and cheese. Enjoy!

Lemon Herb Pasta

2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 container Phillys lemon herb cream cheese
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup shaved parmesan
1-2 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped roasted chicken breast from grocery deli
1 package of gobetti past or ribbed macaroni
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large saucepan, saute garlic in the olive oil for about a minute. Pour in white wine and chicken stock (start with 1 cup of chicken stock and add more later if mixture is too thick). Wisk in cream cheese and parmesan and wisk over medium-high heat until cheese is completely melted. Add roasted chicken to the sauce and keep warm on low heat. Follow instructions for pasta according to package ( i like to use chicken broth rather than water because it adds more flavor). Once noodles are cooked, drain but a little left over pasta water is okay. Mix pasta with sauce and enjoy!

Spicy Garlic Chicken Over Rice

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cubed
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flake
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 handfuls of shaved parmesan
1 package whole grain chicken flavor rice (I use Uncle Bens)
Chicken stock

Cook rice according to package directions except use chicken stock in place of the water. Heat oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Season chicken with the garlic salt then add to the skillet. Stir chicken around frequently and cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is not longer pink inside. Add the wine and parmesan. Heat through 1-2 minutes. Pour this chicken mixture over the rice and enjoy!

Crab Pan Roast

sauce:

1 stick of butter (I know I know, but this is what makes this dish)
1/4 teaspoon saffron
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups fat free half and half
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound snow crab legs

Melt butter in a saucepan with garlic and saffron. Once butter is melted and bubbly, wisk in flour to make a thick rue. Quickly wisk in chicken stock and half and half until creamy. You may add more liquid if needed. Wisk in tomato paste. Add salt and taste. You may add more salt if needed. Bring to a boil until creamy then cover and let simmer on low whil you cook the remaining ingredients. In a large stock pot, fill water up to a collander put inside pot to use as a steamer. Make sure the water is not touching the collaner. Bring water to a boil then place the legs inside the collander. Cover and let steam for 4-6 minutes. To retrieve the crab meat, take a a large sharp knife and on the flat side of the legs, slit open with a knife. Pull the sides back with your hands and pull out the meat. Once you pull out the meat, place in the saffron sauce.

Rice:

You have two options here. Either make a saffron rice from scratch or buy a spanish saffron yellow rice that all you need to do it boil. If you do use the already made spanish rice, follow instructions on package to cook but replace water with chicken stock. For rice from scratch:

1 package of medium grain rice (follow instructions on package except use chicken stock in place of water)
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Mix all ingredients in a pot and boil according to package directions. Once fully cooked, serve on a plate with a heaping ladle of the saffron sauce. Enjoy!

Crab and Shrimp Pan Roast

I have a favorite restaurant here in Vegas. I ate probably what is safe to say my favorite meal ever here. The restaurant is called Anthony's at the M Resort. This dish that I adore is called the Crab Pan Roast. My friend introduced me to it for the first time a year ago. My husband and I were supposed to meet her and her husband at this oyster bar that is part of the restaurant. We were running late so they said they would order for us. They suggested this dish and I originally thought it was going to be like a pot roast or something. So I was not that excited about it. When we got to the restaurant, they put the pan roast in front of us and the smell alone sent me in a food coma. It was so good! Then we tasted it. First bite sent fireworks going off in my mouth. I tasted savory, rich butter in a saffron spicy tomato broth. So many wonderful flavors all at once. Then I tasted the rice with the buttery, savory tomato broth and that added an even better element to the dish. It is a short grain rice that is light and fluffy and it fit perfectly with the broth. Then I added the crab leg meat to the buttery, savory broth and rice and what did I get? The perfect dish! I crave this meal at least once a week and almost always immediately the next day after I eat it. The thought of being able to make it at home and reproduce it the way it is produced for me at the restaurant, seemed impossible. However, a couple of weeks ago I was in Arizona. We went to this little spice market. The smell inside was great. So many fresh spices and mixed spice blends. I asked if they had saffron and they did! Now, you can buy saffron in the grocery store but it is extremely expensive and you dont get very much. Not only was this saffron at this market fresh, but they little vile was full of beautiful orangey-red saffron and for a fraction of the cost at the grocery store. I bought it and that was it. I knew I had to now construct the pan roast at my house. So this evening, I will be doing that. The ingredients I have are as follows: tomato sauce, saffron, short grain rice, chicken stock, cream, butter, crab, and garlic. If it turns out to be a success, I will post the recipe for you all to enjoy. P.s this is not an actual picture of the pan roast at the restaurant I went to. There are many versions of this dish. I have eaten it at other places and I have found that Anthony's Steakhouse or the oyster bar in the M Resort in Las Vegas, serves the best version

Smokey Mac N Cheese

This happens to be one of my BEST recipes. I hope you enjoy as much as we have:

1 package cavatappi pasta (curly ribbed pasta) or ribbed macaroni pasta
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (save 1/4 cup for topping)
1 cup shredded medium cheddar (save 1/4 cup for topping)
1/2 cup shredded smoked cheddar (save 1/4 cup for topping)
1/2 cup cubed bacon
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 tablespoons porcini mushroom oil or white truffle oil
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
1-2 cups chicken stock
1/1/2 cups fat free half and half
1 teaspoon onion salt

Fill a large pot 2/3 the way with water. Season well and bring to a boil. Add pasta and allow to boil according to package directions. Do not over boil. Drain noodles and allow them to sit in the strainer while you finish cheese sauce. You may toss with a little oil to prevent sticking. In another large pot (and I usually use the same pot which I boiled the noodles in), melt the butter, mushroom oil, and onion salt over medium-high heat WITH the bacon. Saute the bacon until crispy. Be careful not to burn the butter and bacon. Remove bacon to a bowl with a paper towel (save for later).Quickly wisk in flour to oil and butter to create a "rue". This will be a very thick and paste-like substance. Wisk in half and half until thick and creamy. Immediately add in chicken stock and wisk again until smooth. Add in cheddar cheese soup and mix well. Wisk in shredded cheeses constantly until it is all melted and the cheese sauce is thick and smooth. In a large bowl, place pasta and pour cheese sauce over. Gently fold in the cheese with the noodles to ensure the noodles are all coated with the cheese sauce. You may either bake in single serving ramekins or a 13x9 baking dish. Grease whichever baking dish you are using. Pour mac n cheese in and top with crumbled bacon and remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. ENJOY!!!

Asian Chicken Skewers

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast strips
1 bottle terriyaki marinade
2 tablespoons honey
long wood skewers (found in tupperware department of store)
fried canned chow mein (optional)
white rice (optional)
sliced green onion

Pour marinade and honey in a bowl and wisk together. Add chicken breast strips and mix around well coating all chicken. Place in fridge and allow to marinate for at LEAST a half hour. Poke each skewer through an end of the breast strip and push through until checken is secure on the skewers. The chicken should cover at least half of the skewer. Place chicken skewers on a greased baking sheet (use cooking spray to grease) and pour remaining marinade over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and no longer pink inside. You may also use a grill. Set heat to medium high and cook for about 3 minutes in a george foreman or 2 minutes per side on a grill. Serve over rice and sprinkle with fried chow mein and green onion. Enjoy!
Note: discard remaining marinade to avoid contamination

Roast Chicken Panini with Rosemary, Garlic Ailoi

2 cups Roasted chicken breast without skin ( i buy them at the deli of my grocer)
1 cup italian cheese blend (prepackaged mix of mozzarella, romano, and parmesan)
2 teaspoons dried rosemary or fresh
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup mayo
4 flat out brand sandwich flat bread (90 calories)

Preheat your geaorge foreman grill to medium-high heat or a panini press (you can also use a generic fry pan). Heat olive oil, rosemary, and garlic in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat for 1-3 minutes or until the aroma of garlic and rosemary permeates the room (it is a heavenly smell!). Mix 3/4 of the olive oil mixture with mayo in a small bowl. Wisk until creamy. Take a heaping tablespoon of the garlic mayo aioli and spread it on half of each flat bread. Top with about 1/4 cup shredded roaste chicken breast and a good sprinkle of the cheese. Fold the flat bread over and brush with the remaining olive oil from pan. Grill sandwich for 3 minutes or until crispy and cheese is melted. Don't burn though ;). Enjoy!

Superbowl Menu

We have hosted the Superbowl in our home for friends and family almost our entire marriage. Each year it gets better. This year's menu is as follows:

Garlic chicken alfredo pizza
smokey mac n cheese pizza
shredded bbq chicken mini sandwiches
sweet n sour meatballs
cheesy crab dip
chicken and avocado ranch pasta salad
A few premade frozen food: mozzarella sticks, fries, crab rangoons
shrimp cocktail

For the lighter eaters:

black bean salsa
flatbread pizza
sugar free cookie dough truffles
fruit and veggie trays (supplied by guests)

Dessert:

oreo cheesecake
peanut butter oreo cheesecake
cookie dough truffles
peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
fried dough with honey

I will supply the recipes to these soon. Pictures will be posted. I hope everyone has a great Sunday. Feel free to comment with any food planning questions if you are hosting a party or bringing an entree to a party. I have a lot of ideas