Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

Hey everyone, sorry for the no posts lately. Everything I have made of late hasn't really been blog worthy, just a hodge podge of one pot mashes, hashes and stir-fries that don't really stand up to my other posts. But fear not, I have a great new one for you and a few other things planned this week and next that will be sure to satisfy your hungry bellies. I hope you enjoy this super fast, super easy and wonderfully homey recipe I made tonight. Usually I am not about the processed foods or frozen veggies, but let's be honest people, Pillsbury is awesome and I have yet to find a good recipe for at home DIY cream of whatever soup, but these are delicious, so eat them.

Made 16 cupcakes 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 14 oz cream of mushroom
• 1 chicken breast cooked and diced
• 1 cup frozen veggie mix
• 2 packages Pillsbury biscuits
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsps Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Listened to this gem of an album while I prepped today, you can never take the punk outta me! RIP Joe Strummer. You beautiful man you.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease 1 or 2 cupcake pans. 
3. Take each individual biscuit and gently spread out to make them thinner, bigger discs. Place each one into their own cupcake holder. Making sure the biscuit goes up over the lip of each cupcake holder so it rises properly.
4. In a medium sized bowl mix together your cheese, chicken, soup, spices and veggies. Stir well.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Roasted Vegetable Pita

Trying to make major life changes is hard, meaning it's hard to find motivation. It's hard to get up and just do, especially when fear and doubt are biting at your heels. If there ever was a time for The Little Engine That Could, now is it. I need to buckle down and really evaluate what it is I need to do to take steps forward and then ACTUALLY DO IT! For tonight, I shall make a delicious little morsel and chew on some ideas, pun intended. Enjoy this tasty treat and I hope no one out there is just settling, move forward and make things happen!

Ingredients:

For the Avocado Dressing

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water (more as needed)
• 1/2 of chopped cilantro
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• half of a annaheim pepper 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• juice of one lime

For the Roasted Veggies

• 1 head of cauliflower chopped
• 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
• 1tsp chili powder
• 1tsp garam masala
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 pitas
• Greek yogurt for topping

I don't know where these songs come from sometimes, but I was at work today and just couldn't stop singing the chorus to this CLASSIC song, don't get too hypnotized by that magnificent fire:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. On a cookie sheet place your cauliflower and chickpeas. Drizzle with oil, then top with your spices.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, stir then another 5-10 minutes.
4. In a food processor, puree your avocado dressing ingredients.
5. In order, place a good dollop of your avocado mix onto each pita and spread it over each evenly. Then top with your veggies. Top with greek yogurt and a little more cilantro.
6. Serve! (eat folded in half)

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Quinoa Enchilada Bake

It's finally here, the football season is starting and I can't wait to make all these delicious recipes I have lined up. I even went so far as to create a season schedule recipe list to match my team's game days. It's a little insane but I just don't care, I am having way too much fun with this. The next few months are going to very cheesy, full of sausage and stuffed with casseroles. Are you ready for this? Even if you aren't a football fan, make these recipes and you're sure to feel the ultimate form of satisfaction. Eat up.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa cooked as directed
• 10 oz can of mild enchilada sauce
• 4.5 oz can of diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves 
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp chili powder 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, halved
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, halved
• 1 avocado pit and skin removed and diced

Shopping the other day and this song comes on the sound system, made my shopping experience a whole heck of a lot better, even persuaded me to go retro in some choices, thanks Smiths:

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for reserved 1/2 of cheeses and avocado.
3. Mix well, then pour into your baking dish. Then top with your remaining cheese.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. 
5. Garnish with avocado.
6. Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone! May the best team win!

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

It feels like October already and I love it! Fall is trying it's hardest to poke it's head out and give us the cold crisp air, sweater weather and the need for tea again. This is when I get a little soup crazy. I am surprised that my crockpot is still going strong with how much I abuse it during this season. There's nothing better than coming in from the cold and getting hit with a warm, savory aroma from what's been cooking all day, nothing about this season brings me down. So let's get to the slow cooking recipes!

Look at that glorious steam coming off the top!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight
• 1.5 lb andouille sausage, sliced
• 6 c. organic chicken broth
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 anaheim pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp creole seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsps black pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 4-5 dashes of hot sauce

I'm in a folky kind of way today, after cleaning the house with the husband and now just relaxing next to the window.

Directions:

1. In a stock pot fry up your onion, peppers, celery and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are soft.
2. Then add your beans and chicken broth, cook until boiling, then remove.
3. Next pour your mixture into your crock pot and the remainder of your ingredients.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. After it's done cooking, mix well and then smash some of the beans down with a large spoon. Stir again.
6. Serve over brown rice!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Blackberry Jalapeno Wings

Hey you guys, you like how I talk to the internet like I know all of you reading this? Yeah it's pretty cool. But let's get down to business. Your tastebuds, my taste buds, our taste buds. In life, I believe you need good people, good drink and especially good food. When it comes to people microwaving plastic wrapped food for dinner or shoving the easiest thing in their face, I am at a loss. What are you doing? This isn't enjoying life and the marvels it offers us on a literal platter! It's a waste of a perfectly good mouth and the excuse of 'Oh I'm not a good cook' doesn't cut it, I am self taught, it didn't take long until I started recognizing what was good and bad when I was living on my own. I believe in you. You can do it. Try it out:

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs chicken wings (with tips)
• 2 tsps himalayan salt
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 2 cups frozen blackberries
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 oz fresh blackberries
• Green onions chopped finely for garnish.

Feeling a bit feisty, don't mess:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Prepare a cookie sheet by putting a cooling rack on top for the chicken to cook thoroughly.
3. In a pot, heat up your oil, jalapeño, onion and garlic. Heat until they are soft. 
4. Next add your frozen blackberries and your honey, stirring well, heat until blackberries and honey are bubbly.
5. Then putting your pot ingredients into a blender, puree until it is a smooth sauce. Set aside.
6. Place you chicken in the oven for 20 minutes. Then remove and evenly spread your blackberry mixture on top of each piece, getting both sides well coated. 
7. Bake again for another 25-30 minutes or until chicken is crispy and fat is dripping onto the cookie sheet below.
8. Garnish with green onions and fresh blackberries.
9. Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!