My Favorite Side Dish!

I'm joining up with Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life - Side Dishes. I love cooking and sharing recipes, so this was fun to add to. I'm posting and entire recipe b/c it all goes together, but the Coconut Rice is FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!! Its definitely our favorite side dish!!!

Island Chicken with Coconut Rice
Recipe by The Hungry Housewife-Leslie Green
Serves 4

COCONUT RICE

1 cup White Rice
1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Water
2 Tbsp Butter
2- 2 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Toasted Coconut
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

In a medium sauce pan with a tight fitting lid, combine water, coconut milk, rice, and butter. Bring to a boil, stir once. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove for heat and let stand covered for 5-10 minutes longer. Remove the lid and add the sugar, toasted coconut and salt and pepper.

AVOCADO/MANGO SALSA

2 Mangos, cubed
2 Haas Acocados, cubed
1/2 Red Onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp Honey
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 1/2-2 Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and set in fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal.

BRINE AND CHICKEN
1 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 cups Water
Zest of 2 Limes
Juice of 2 Limes
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the chicken into the brine, cover and pop into the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat grill. Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse under water. Pat dry. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 170.

Cinnamon Rolls

Here is the cinnamon roll recipe I used for Jude's "Sip 'n' See". I wanted to post it b/c its super easy and they were good! The only thing I would do that is different, is cover them after the alloted cook time if you need to cook them longer. Mine weren't quite finished in the middle, so I put them back in (and my mom warned me to cover them, but I didn't listen...typical child!) and they burned a little on top. Ugh...not so pretty, but they were good. "Easy Cinnamon Rolls" (I think I got this recipe from my high school friend) 1 pkg Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. brown sugar 1 stsick butter 1 c. vanilla ice cream 1/2 c. chopped pecans Place frozen rolls in a 9x13 pan. Mix all other ingredients in a medium sauce pan andbring to a boil. Pour mixture over rolls and place in cold oven overnight. Next morning turn oven to 325 and bake for 30 minutes. Drizzle Rhodes topping over rolls.

Sweet Little Vacation

It's vacation time!!!! I'm a "vacation-addict"! Seriously...When it hits the 3-6 month mark that we haven't been anywhere, I start getting very antsy. My poor husband...he's always having to answer questions like, "When can we book flights to Vegas?", "What are we going to do this summer?", "Can I at least book a hotel somewhere"? Pretty much every day, I ask him something along these lines. I told him the other day that in 2011 I want to go to Vegas, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Connecticut. I'm 95% sure that I'll get to one of those places, but I really do have my hopes up that we'll hit all of them this year. Ha! That doesn't include a wedding we are going to in Dallas in November and maybe a family reunion in September in Abilene, TX. I know, I'm ridiculous! Why can't we work 2 weeks out of the year and vacation the rest of the time...instead of the other way around???? :)

Anyway---At Christmas, we decided that we didn't really want or need anything, but we did want to take a trip to Ft. Worth again. I fell in love with it last year when I went with Michelle for our annual girls trip...and introduced Ken to it this past August. Thankfully, he loved it as much as I did! When his birthday rolled around in February, he said the same thing that was decided at Christmas....he didn't want a present, he just wanted to take the trip. So that's what we did.

He had never been on a passenger train before, and I was excited to go again. Its SO affordable!!! Cheaper than a plane and its even less expensive than a two tanks of gas PLUS paying to park once we get there. It also relieves any of the stress of driving in traffic in I-35 South.

We also decided to ask my parents to go with us. They have been in need of a vacation for too long!!! We thought it would be fun to have them go too! Ken and I drove to my parents so we could leave the dogs with their dog-sitter. We were up EARLY on Friday morning so we could be in OKC by 8am. We made a must-needed stop at Starbucks for coffee and breakfast before we made our way to the train station!Once inside the station, the camera came out (much to the dismay of my husband!). And, the vacation begins!We arrived in Ft. Worth around 1pm and got settled in our rooms at the Omni Ft. Worth. We were starving and the hotel's restaurant, Cast Iron, was still serving lunch. They had an amazing lunch buffet with grilled fish, all kinds of salsa and dips, a great salad bar and sooo much more!!!! It really was incredible!

After lunch, Ken decided he needed a nap...but mom, dad and I were ready to get into town. We walked the 7-10 blocks into Sundance Square and found ourselves at Barnes and Noble. My mom was wanting to find a book for the weekend. My dad and I grabbed a magazine and sat down. It wasn't long before my head started bobbing and I was falling asleep. We walked back to the hotel and napped before our first big night!

Our first night out, we all dressed-up (as dressy as we got for the entire weekend) and went to dinner and a concert. Ken and I took my parents to our FAVORITEST place! The Reata!!!! All of our food was really good, but my dad's was the best! He ordered Chicken Fried Steak and its probably the best I've ever had!After dinner, we made our way to The Scat Jazz Lounge. This was a little out of my parents' element, but they ended up really enjoying it. Ricki Derek and the Vegas Six were playing!!! I had seen them already and knew the others would like him! He plays a lot of Sinatra and Dean Martin! Thankfully, I was right....even though I kept my parents out later than they are used to, they really enjoyed the music!Saturday, we got up and headed out to brunch! We went to a place that none of us had tried and we were not disappointed! The Cowtown Diner is awesome!!!! Their portions are HUGE and the food was fantastic! This time, I have to say my mom's was the best...she ordered Sweet Potato Pancakes! OH, so good!!!! This will definitely be a place we go back to.We spent the day showing my parents around Sundance Square...the shops and the sights.Making our way back to the hotel (in the background below) through the Ft. Worth Water Gardens. It was a beautiful day!!! When Ken and I were there in August, it was so hot that it was pretty unbearable to be outside too long. This time, we were able to enjoy the Gardens much more.That afternoon, we grabbed a cab and went to the Ft. Worth Stock Yards. Little did we know that there was a big St. Patrick's Day celebration going on. When we arrived (just wanting to get there in time for the Cattle Drive), we were quickly finding a spot for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.Thankfully, they didn't cancel the Cattle Drive, even though the parade quickly followed. This is really what we came for.And, the parade??? Well, it was definitely a cow-town parade. I think anyone with a horse was allowed in the parade...and people even painted the hooves green.There were some VERY entertaining people/"floats" in the parade. Mainly it was young people riding horses or old people dressed in crazy costumes.After the parade, we made our rounds at the Stock Yards...visiting the longhorns, shopping and people watching!While we were shopping, I looked out the door of the shop I was in and saw the CRAZIEST thing I've ever seen in my life. I did a double-take! I grabbed my mom and pulled her outside so she could see it too!!!! When we told my dad, he said that we had to be on drugs! haha! But, we saw it again after we left the store!!!!! And, yes!!!! I took pictures! And, YES!!!! We gave the guy a tip!!!! This guy was walking a dog on a leash. The dog had a cat on top...and on top of the cat was a rat! It was HYSTERICAL!!!!! This guy probably makes a lot of money in a weekend!!!!! And, I have to say that we were "solicited" by a few homeless people wanting money. I'm not one for just handing out freebies....but for this guy? Um, YES! He was definitely earning his money! He said any tips go toward food for the animals. I believed him because you could tell they were healthy. So funny! Made my day!For dinner, we made reservations at The Lonesome Dove. I was super excited to eat here b/c the chef appeared on "Iron Chef America" and actually won! I can count on one hand the times I've seen a chef beat the Iron Chef on the show. I was also VERY excited to try the Tomahawk! It was featured on "Best Thing I Ever Ate..." by Guy Fieri. He said its one of the best steaks he's ever had! Its a HUGE steak with the bone in and its served with a LOBSTER!The meal is for two people and this is just my plate! 1/2 of a 28oz (that includes the bone) Ribeye, 1/2 a lobster and amazing mashed potatoes! SOOO GOOD!We also dined on Blue Corn Lobster "Hushpuppies" (which was my absolute favorite!) and Rabbit and Rattlesnake Sausage. Mom got a side salad that we all tasted. And, there was bread too. We were STUFFED!!! However, once back at the hotel, it didn't stop us from listening to some great live music at "Whiskey and Rye"!Sunday was our last day in Ft. Worth. Sunday is always my favorite day to be there b/c I LOVE having brunch at Taverna Pizzeria and Rissoteria! I'm never disappointed! Ken had his favorite of Eggs Benedict with crab meat. Mom and dad split the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. And, I tried the French Vanilla French Toast. Oh, my...was it ever good!!!!! YUM! We also had complimentary foccacia bread! They bake their homemade foccacia in their pizza stone oven. Its wonderful! :)

After brunch, we walked the square one more time and grabbed a coffee at Starbucks.We took our time getting back to the hotel b/c that meant it was time to pack . :( We checked out, but still had some time to kill. We spent a few hours at Whiskey and Rye just visiting and had a late lunch/early dinner of nachos! Yet again, amazing! We didn't have a bad meal the entire trip! It was really fun and glad my parents were able to experience one of our favorite places!

Chicken Biscuits 'n' Gravy Casserole

***OH MY WORD!!!!!! This is one of our most favorites!!!!! Super easy and delish! :) ENJOY!

by Racheal RayIngredients:
•One medium to large rotisserie chicken (I used 3 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded them)
•7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the dish
•8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
•1 medium onion, finely chopped
•2 celery ribs, finely chopped
•2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1 cup chicken broth
•1 cup milk
•1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
•Salt and freshly ground pepper
•3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•2 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick
•1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Butter a large casserole dish. Pull the meat off the chicken, shredding it with your fingers or a fork into the baking dish. (I actually used regular chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper. I boiled it and shredded it).

2. In a large skillet (I used a large dutch oven), melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned, about 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup of the milk and simmer for 1 minute more. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the gravy over the chicken in the baking dish. (I mixed the chicken in with the vegetables in a large dutch oven instead of using another dish).

3. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter with the garlic. (I used spray butter and garlic salt for this part).

4. Stir together the baking mix, the remaining 2/3 cup of milk and the cheese. Drop tablespoonfuls of the biscuit mixture on top of the casserole and brush with half of the garlic butter (this is where I sprayed the biscuits with spray butter and sprinkled them with garlic salt). Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 25 minutes, brushing them once or twice with the remaining garlic butter (I sprayed them again once they came out of the oven).

Salmon Croquettes

by Cooking Light1/4 cup organic canola mayonnaise (such as Spectrum), divided
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 (6-ounce) packages skinless, boneless pink salmon (I used a 14.5oz can of salmon)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped capers
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard, and next 7 ingredients (through egg), stirring well. Add panko; toss. Shape mixture into 8 (3-inch) patties.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned.

3. Combine remaining mayonnaise, juice, and mustard with parsley, capers, garlic, and salt, stirring well.


CALORIES 305 ; FAT 19.3g (sat 2.6g,mono 6g,poly 9.7g); CHOLESTEROL 88mg; CALCIUM 16mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.6g; SODIUM 801mg; PROTEIN 18.8g; FIBER 1g; IRON 1mg

Christmas Time Is Here...

This is my most favorite time of the year!!!! I love it! :) And, this year, I was encouraged to start a new tradition. My friend, Jenn, has an annual ladies' brunch every December. She encouraged me to do the same. She knows how much I love Christmas...just like her...and this is her way to give back to women that serve her. I was so encourged by her servanthood, that I decided to do the same thing. I was excited to have a little ladies' get-together! There are so many women who do so much for me and this was a perfect way for me to give back to them. This year, being my first, I kept it small and intimate. I hope that it grows every year!!! I hope that one day, I can invite every single woman who touches my life. I had such a wonderful time prepping all the food and praying for the women as I did it. I had something to bake and prep everynight!

My menu:

Tortilla Bread PuddingQuiche Noel (a recipe from my mom's best friend, Millie)Pumpkin Cinnamon RollsRaspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake (recipe from my friend, Judith)Raspberry Habanero Cream Cheese DipThe Dessert:

Coconut Cream Cake, Molasses Cookies (recipe from Ken's mom), and TurtlesWe got all of our decorations up for the holidays and all the food was ready for Saturday! It was so fun to have my friends over and just visit! I loved every minute of it.And, there were favors, of course! I did my sugar cookies...and I love William-Sonoma's cookie cutters!!!! I have the traditional ones, and they came out with Christmas ones this year!!! YAY!!!!And, my dad came with my mom, so he and Kenny hung out! They had lunch and did a little shopping before coming back to raid the left-overs.Here are all the ladies that came (except my sweet friend Lorinda and her daughter, Allie. I'm SOOO sad I forgot to take pictures before she left!!!!). I think my first brunch was a success! I made a little too much food, but I already figured I would. It was such a blessing for me...and I hope to these women too! We all need some girl-time, a little time to celebrate the holidays, and just some time to relax! Can't wait for next year!!!!!