New Year's Eve Omelet

I woke up this morning wanting something really yummy. My husband suggested omelets. Well, I had never made them before so I gave them a try. They were amazing. They were so easy to make and they were very filling. I couldn't even eat all of mine. I put three eggs in a bowl and beat them until they were a little frothy. Then I poured it into a skillet on medium heat. Once the top looked like it was almost cooked I put the toppings on one side. I used avocados, ham ( I just used lunch meat), cheese, and garlic salt. Then I flipped one side over and pressed down lightly for the edges to seal together and I cooked it for a few minutes longer for the cheese to melt. Next time I make them I will probably only use 2 eggs for my omelet. I couldn't finish mine. But it was delicious!

Artichokes

I just have to say that I love artichokes! My mom used to make them all the time growing up. This recipe is really simple. For those nights when you are lazy or short on time, this is perfect. I prep the artichokes by cutting the sharp tips of the outer leaves with scissors. Then I take a knife and cut of the end as well as the top so it looks like this.

 

I boil the artichokes on the stove in an 8 oz stock pot with the lid on at medium/ high heat for about an hour or until the leaves come off easily. 

 

The lemon butter dip is: 

2Tbs butter melted

1.5 tsp lemon juice 

garlic salt to taste

 This recipe will be enough for one artichoke. This would make a tasty appetizer, or you can make it as a meal as I did. 

Christmas Success

Christmas was a success. My family loved the strawberry jam. Everyone kept asking if I really made it. Yes, I really made it and you can too. Just some sugar, crushed up strawberries, and pectin.

For my grandmother I had this idea to make an edible arrangement Christmas tree. But because I was coming from out of town I wasn't sure how that was going to work. I went to Michaels for some of the stuff. I got a small styrofoam cone and small Christmas cookie cutters. They came in a pack of 6 but I only used the gingerbread man, Christmas tree, and candy cane cut outs. Then I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and got the big star cookie cutter. I cut out the pineapple with the small cookie cutters, and then put them on ice and hoped that they lasted 3 more days until Christmas. Then the night before Christmas I cut out the star from the cantaloupe and put the whole arrangement together. I used toothpicks to put the pieces of fruit into the cone. When I cut out the star on top, I left the outside of the cantaloupe on. The only fruit I used was blackberries, cantaloupe and pineapple. I had intentions of using strawberries as well but they went bad. I think this turned out quite well for my first edible arrangement though and my grandma almost ate the whole thing in one sitting. She loves fresh fruit. I put a plastic bag around the arrangement and stuck it in the fridge overnight and then took it out and put it in a gift bag in the morning. Here is the final outcome. 

Lemon Caper Chicken

So, I finally gave up and decided to start a blog. This past year I have been trying to branch out and try a lot of new things. I'm not much of a dessert person but I tried to bake my first 2 layer cake this year, which turned out better than I had expected. I also tried a lot of new recipes. I was always trying to cook something creative so there were very few repeats. I need to go back and start remaking some of the ones that Tyrone, my husband, loved.
One thing that I made this year was lemon caper chicken. I had been craving Buca Di Beppo's lemon caper chicken for the longest time and I had tried to make it once in college and it was a flop. So, I found a different recipe online and it was amazing.

I've used this same sauce 2 or three times since then. I did the same sauce but I added mushrooms and garlic one time. I just sauteed the mushrooms and garlic in the pan before I added the wine. I also put this sauce on fish. I used Swai fillets but I would imagine that halibut or red snapper would be good as well. With that one, I used the same sauce and I added artichoke hearts. It was delicious. Here is the recipe:

2 six-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt

1 cup of flour

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of white wine

4 large lemons

1/2 stick of unsalted butter softened

Small handful of drained capers

Cut three lemons in half and use for fresh lemon juice. Pour the juice through a fine strainer. Cut the last lemon into wedges for garnish.

Begin to heat the olive oil in a 12 inch saute pan on medium-high. While oil is getting hot, lightly season both sides of the chicken breast with salt.

Lightly dust the chicken breast in the flour. Shake off excess flour.

Place chicken in the saute pan skin side down.When the chicken is golden brown, turn over and brown the other side as well. It is important to brown both sides to insure the chicken is completely cooked through.

When both sides are nice and brown, add white wine and lemon juice. Continue to cook for approximately two to three minutes. The liquid should reduce approximately half. Once the liquid is reduced, remove the chicken breasts from the pan and turn off heat.

Check to make sure the chicken breasts are cooked by turning each piece of chicken over and cutting it halfway through with a knife. There should be no visible pink. If the chicken is not completely cooked through, place in a 400 degree oven for five minutes to complete cooking.

Finish the sauce by placing the softened butter in the pan. Using rubber spatula, work the butter into the sauce as it melts. Pour sauce directly on top of chicken breasts. Garnish with capers and lemon wedges.

The ingredient that makes this recipe so amazing is the white wine. This was my first recipe cooking with wine and it has changed my life. I have almost used a whole bottle of wine in just a few months. I had no idea what to get when shopping at the store though because I don't drink alcohol. The lady at the store said pretty much any cheap white wine would work. My bottle only cost $2.99 and it tastes just fine.