Rosemary Chicken and Brown Butter Balsamic Tortellini

When I'm looking for some comfort food...I turn to this recipe. On a cold rainy day, this chicken and tortellini recipe hits the spot. I came upon this recipe randomly one day when a friend and I were supposed to be working lol. Both of our clients were being good so we decided to search Rachael Ray's website for something new to make for dinner. I found a similar recipe to the one I make today, which has been slowly changed and perfected over the past year.

What you'll need for the chicken:

4 chicken breasts

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

rosemary (you can either do fresh, or you can find it in the spice aisle)

salt and pepper

4 cloves garlic, cracked away from the skin with your knife

What you'll need for the tortellini:

1 container of fresh totellini (look in the dairy section of your grocery store, or ask someone who works there if you have trouble finding "fresh pasta")

3 T butter

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 handfuls grated parmigiano-reggiano

salt and pepper

1) Coat the chicke in balsamic vinegar and oil. Season with the rosemary, salt and pepper, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2) Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to the directions on the container.

3) Over med/high heat, cook the chicke and cracked garlic. Cook chicken 12 minutes turning occasionally. The balsamic vinegar that's on the chicken will create a beautiful glaze. This glaze is soooo yummy! I sometimes add a little more balsamic while I'm cooking the chicken, just to make it have even more glaze.

4)When chicken is cooked, transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite size pieces.

5)In the same pan, melt the butter until it is lightly brown. Add the pasta and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Let cook 3 more minutes, stiring regularly until a glaze has formed on the tortellini.

6) Place tortellini in a bowl and top with chicken.

Stromboli...Matt's favorite :)

Whenever Matt and I want to celebrate a special event I always try and talk him into going out to eat. Nothing is more relaxing for me than to go out to a nice resturant. They do the cooking, and most importantly...they do the dishes instead of me!! Well, Matt doesn't exactly see it that way. He would much rather me do the cooking and we spend the night in. I could take this as a compliment to my cooking, if it weren't for the time spent grocery shopping, cooking the meal, adn then washing the dishes after the meal. Oh well, I guess it's better to take a compliment whenever it is given and smile! :)

What you'll need:
1.25 c warm water (Just measure the water in a 2 c glass measuring cup and microwave for about 2 minutes)
1 T yeast (or one packet you buy in the store)
1 t sugar
2 T olive oil
4 c Better Batter gluten free flour
1/2 lb of salami, pepperoni, and provalone cheese
1 egg beaten

1)Combine 1/4 c warm water, yeast and sugar ina large bowl. Stir to dissolve and let stand 5 minutes.
2) Stir in remaining water, olive oil, and salt.
3) Slowly stir in your flour. (You may need to use your hands for this part...I always do)
**Make sure you add flour until your dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl!
4) Knead your dough right in the bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm place and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
5) Once dough has risen to double it's origional size, punch the dough in the center to deflate.
6) Split dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll out the dough on a well floured surface.
7) Arrange your fillings on the dough.
8) Roll your dough up and tuck the sides in much like a pumpkin roll.
9) Cut diagonal slashes along the top of the loaf about 3" apart.
10) Use a basting brush to lightly coat with the beaten egg. This will give it that nice brown crust when it's cooked.
11) Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes


You can basically fill your stromboli with anything you'd like. Some people put peppers and onions, or different kinds of meats and cheeses. Basically with a stromboli...you can't go wrong! So what will you put in your stromboli for your next celebration?

Kaleena's Pesto

I know that everyone has their very own way of making pesto, and everyone thinks their way is the best. Well, I am no exception! :) I love my pesto recipe! It's quick and easy, and full of fresh foods.

What you'll need:

1/3 c walnuts

1-2 c spinach (I put in as much spinach as I can fit!! It's AMAZING for you!)

1/3 c chopped flat-leaf parsley (or a few shakes of dried parsley in your spice cabinet)

1 clove smashed and peeled garlic

salt and pepper

1/3 c olive oil

1) Toast the walnuts in a small skillet over low/med heat. I was so worried to know when they were done because everyone said "your nose will tell you when they are done"...well they were right. They will begin to smells sweet and nutty when they are cooked enough.

2) Combine walnuts, spinach, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine ingredients. Once ingredients are combined, slowly drizzle in your olive oil. There's your pesto!!

To make pesto into a meal....add some pasta!!
Boil 1 lb gluten free pasta in water until cooked. Pour your pesto over the pasta and add a few good handfuls of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese! Delicious!!

Red Velvet Cake!!!!!!!!!

RED VELVET CAKE IS AMAZING!!!!! If you have never tried red velvet cake in your life, I'm telling you that you are missing out! This recipe of from one of my favorite cooks...Paula Deen. While she is not the healthiest cooks in the world, her love for true southern cooking has had drawn me in again and again.

Growing up, I HATED cake!! Can you believe it?? A kid who hated cake! lol For some reason I just couldn't stand the flavor of cakes, and never ate it. Even for my own birthdays growing up, my Mother would make me a pumpkin pie and put candles in it. It was during college that I finally started to like cake, and immediatly fell in love with red velvet cake! :0)

What you'll need for the cake:

2.5 c Better Batter gluten free flour

1.5 c sugar

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t cocoa powder

1/5 c canola oil

1 c buttermilk

2 eggs

3 T red food coloring

1 t white vinegar

1 t vanilla extract

1) In one bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

2) In a second bowl, beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. I always use a hand mixer because it gets everything smooth and fully combined. Put it on the LOWEST setting though or you will have red food coloring flying everywhere!

3) Add the dry inegredients to the wet ingredietns and mix together.

4) Pour the batter into a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Be sure to check your cake with a toothpick in the center and about 2 inches from the edge to make sure it is cooked all the way through. Let the cake cool completly!

What you'll need for the cream cheese frosting:

1/2lb cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter softened

1/2 t vanilla

2 c powdered sugar

1) With a hand mixer, blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together. Slowly add the powdered sugar.

2) Once your cake has competly cooled, frost your cake and enjoy :) This cake needs to be kept in the fridge due to the cream cheese in the frosting!!

Blackened Tilapia

This is one of my favorite tilapia meals if I'm in a hurry and want some good flavor! Even though I am not from the south...this recipe has some deep southern flavors to it that will make your taste buds sing!!

What you'll need:

4 pieces tilapia

1/4 C paprika

2 t onion powder

1 t garlic powder

1 t salt

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/2 C melted butter

1) Combine all of your dry ingredients in a shallow bowl. As pie pan works great!!

2) Dip each piece of fish in the melted butter. Then in your dry ingredients.

3) Cook on med/high heat for 3-4 per side

See wasn't that ab easy one!!! Literally this meal can be made in 10 minutes or less and that includes the prep work. Whip up a simple salad and you have a healthy meal ready to fly onto the table!!

Homemade French Fries....no grease here!

I LOVE FRENCH FRIES!!!!!!! Many people have a favorite food, or something they just cannot live without. My weakness is definitly french fries. Red Robin is one of my favorite places to eat simply because of the bottomless french fries! The biggest problem I have found with french fries though, is they are fried in nasty oil and are sooo greasy! To solve this problem I turned to my beloved Rachael Ray and tweaked her recipe for homemade french fries just a bit.

What You'll Need:

4 large baking potatoes (1-2 per person depending on your love of french fries)

*Use either regular potatoes or try sweet potatoes!!

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Seasoning

*You can use ANY seasoning you'd like. I usually use McCormick's Grill seasonings. However, I have used everything from italian seasonings, garlic powder, to chili powder. All yummy!

1) Preheat you oven to 400

2) Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. Cut your potatoes into wedges or slices, depending on your preference. Scatter the potato weges on the cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

3) Sprinkle salt, pepper, and any seasoning you'd like onto the potato wedges. I like a lot of seasoning so i use a lot. Do yours' to taste.

4) Bake for 35 minutes or until they are completly cooked through and soft. I usually cook mine a little longer so they are just slightly crispy :)

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is soooo simple and practically guilt free! Try making them with sweet potatoes next time for a completly different flavor!

Valentine's Day Chicken

My cousin Kiley and I are extreamly close! I am an only child, but have considered her to be my "sister" for longer than I can remember. The first Valentine's Day that I was married to my husband Matt, Kiley and her husband Tony decided to come up to our house for a long weekend. While many couples make reservations and go out to eat, Kiley and I were not fans of a busy resturant and having to scream at our husbands for them to hear us. So we decided we could just cook dinner ourselves :) We chose this chicken recipe from a Rachael Ray cookbook and have named it Valentine's Day Chicken with the loving memories of the fun we had together that Valentine's Day weekend.

What you'll need:

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup Better Batter (Gluten free) flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs (wegmans)

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Garlic powder

Zest of 1 lemon, and juice

Olive oil

1) After cleaning your chicken breasts, butterfly cut them down the center. Flatten each piece chicken by pounding it to 1/4 inch thick. I use a rolling pin :)

*butterfly cut--take a knife and cut down the center of your chicken half way through

2) Take 3 bowls. In bowl #1 put your flour. In bowl #2 beat 2 eggs. In bowl #3 combine your bread crumbs, parm-regg, garlic powder (to taste), and lemon zest.

3) Heat a large pan over med/high heat. Drizzle some olive oil. While oil is heating up, take your chicken and dip it into bowl #1, then #2, and finally #3. Place chicken into the heated pan and cook one side at a time. This usually takes about 5-6 minutes per side.

*I always choose the thickest chicken and cut it in half to make sure it is always cooked through. No one wants salmonella!!

I usually make homemade french fries and corn to go with this one. French fries and corn are two of Matt's favorite foods, so of course to show my love on Valentine's Day, I made him exactly what he wanted :0)