Roasted Chicken Breasts with Criminis, Bacon and Herbs de Provence

Ingredients

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6-8 tablespoons herbs de Provence
• salt
• 4 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
• 4 slices bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
• 1 large vidalia onion, chopped
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare chicken breast on baking sheet and generously season with herbs de Provence and kosher salt. Roast about 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the internal temperature is 165F. While the chicken is cooking, cook bacon until it is crisp. Remove bacon and let dry on a paper towel. Using the fat in the pan, drop in the onions and cook until soft and transparent. Add garlic and cook for three minutes under medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add the balsamic vinegar and simmer for three more minutes. Add pepper, if needed and adjust salt, if needed. After the chicken has finished, fan the chicken across a platter or plate and spoon the mushroom reduction over the chicken breasts. I made this a few weeks ago and everyone loved it! Some of my family doesn't like mushrooms or balsamic vinegar or this or that, and this was a hit! I served it with some roasted potatoes and a simple spinach salad. A hearty meal for the Fall or Winter!

*I used all organic ingredients :)

Organic White Bean Chicken Chili

Earlier today I made White Bean Chicken Chili to have later for an afternoon lunch with friends and family. The thing I love (and I think most people do too) about chili is that it is so hearty and casual, perfect for a brisk October day. My recipe is a modern take on an old favorite. It takes less than a half hour to prepare and you can put it in the slow cooker or in your favorite dutch oven over a simmer all day, and whenever you need a bowl, it is ready. I really love this recipe and I hope you do too.

Ingredients

·         4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

·         2 tablespoons  olive oil

·         2 large yellow or Spanish onions, diced

·         4 cups chicken stock

·         3 4 ounce cans green chiles

·         1 teaspoon dried cilantro

·         2 teaspoons cumin

·         ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         4 16 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

·         Shredded Monterey jack cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions for topping 

*All of the ingredients I used were organic.

     Heat large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat and add olive oil. Cook chicken for about 10 minutes or until the juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside to cool. In the same skillet, add onions and cook until soft. Add spices and chicken stock, cook 5 minutes. Add green chiles and beans. Transfer chili to a slow cooker and cook on warm for 3+ hours or keep on stovetop under a low flame covered with a lid. When serving, add shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and some green onions for garnish. Serve with a crusty piece bread (I like ciabatta) or some cornbread. Enjoy!

The best carrot cake you'll ever have!

Who doesn't love carrot cake?! This is my grandma's recipe, so I give props to her for the recipe! It is SO good and the BEST carrot cake I've had. It's not sickening sweet or too carrot-y; just the right amount of everything and SO easy! Let me know what you guys think!

Ingredients

·         3 cups grated carrots

·         1 ½ cups vegetable oil

·         2 cups sugar

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         4 eggs

·         2 cups flour

·         2 teaspoons baking soda

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1 cup pecans

Grate carrots and pour oil over the carrots; set aside. Mix eggs and sugar; add flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon; add carrot mixture, stir in vanilla and pecans. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8 inch cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes. Let Cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

·         1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

·         1 1 pound box powdered sugar

·         Milk, if needed (to loosen)

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients and add milk if needed. Assemble cake and ice. Sprinkle chopped or whole pecans for decoration. Enjoy!

September- National Organic Month!

How is everyone's September going?! September is my favorite month, not just because it's the month my birthday is in, but because it's all about change! We get to cool down from the long, hot summer months and warm up with hot chocolate or a big pot of soup and enjoy the autumn season. Everyone, including myself, is back to school, getting back into their regular habits between work, school, and whatever life throws at us. Did you all know that September is national organic month? September has a ton of food-related month titles like national mushroom month and national honey month, in addition to more odd occasions like national head lice awareness month...;) Anyway, the point is that the "organic trend" that is sweeping the country is celebrated this month. Whenever I can get it, I always choose the organic kind of whatever it is that I want. So, with that said, when you go to your grocery store (or supermarket as some call it ;)), choose organic! It's more expensive and not as easy as reaching for the first thing you find, but it's important to make these decisions to better impact our local and national farmers and stop the use of all the "-acides" and GMO's in the food we eat! So, let's make September completely organic! Cheers to the fall season and the importance of organics/sustainability in the United States!

So it begins!

I've always thought about creating a food blog as an "outlet" for my culinary interest, and now...I did it! I'm super excited to blog about all of the culinary adventures I come across! I really appreciate good journalism and graphic design, and especially good food, so this is a combination of all of my big interests. Feel free to let me know what you guys would like to see on here. I'll post other blogs' posts, links, pictures, and other findings that I find interesting.

[A little bit about myself as a foodie]
+I love pasta, panini, and potatoes;
+Coffee is a huge interest of mine (I work at Starbucks);
+I am only 19 and I have a huge collection of cookbooks;
+I subscribe to Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, and Saveur;
+My favorite food tv show is Top Chef;
+I've always claimed that lasagna is my favorite food, but I have a ton of favorites;
+The first memory of cooking anything was when I learned how to make a Gooey Butter Cake with my grandma;
+My favorite tool in the kitchen is a tie between the KitchenAid stand mixer or my All-Clad saucier.

Cheers to my new blog!
I hope you all like it!