Beer Can Chicken

If you are looking for a man-friendly meal, look no further than the recipe I am sharing with you today.  Please note that ‘guy food’ doesn’t necessarily have to be heavy, rich, or fried.  An easy trick to keep them coming back for more, while keeping them fit and healthy, is to stick with simple and flavorful ingredients that don’t need a lot of added fats to taste delicious.  When it comes to a choice of ingredients, what ingredient does a guy love more than a can of beer?  This recipe for Beer Can Chicken is so easy that anyone can do it, and I promise it will be a hit with the whole family, not just the man-of-the-house.

Couldn’t Be Easier Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken

1 Can of Beer (your choice)

Olive or Canola Oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Crack the top of a beer can and place it in the center of a large baking dish.  Place the whole chicken on top of the can, rear down.

Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Place dish carefully in oven, (you may have to take out the top rack), and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.  The beer will boil inside the can and will steam the chicken from the inside-out.

Broil on high for 2 minutes to add some extra color.

That’s it!  Simply let cool, slice and serve.  I added corn-on-the-cob and sautéed veggies that included zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms.

If you have extra time, feel free to use the chicken drippings in the pan to make a gravy.  Simply brown a couple tablespoons of flour, then whisk in the drippings, chicken broth, and a little water.  Bring to a boil, simmer on low and then drizzle over the servings of chicken.

 

Questions

Have you ever made beer can chicken?

What is your go-to dish to please those men in your life?

What is your favorite dish to make using beer?

Panko-Breaded Mustard Pork Loin

Thursday night was another one of those ‘clean out the fridge’ dinner nights.  When we bring home groceries from Costco, the first thing we do is separate the meat that comes in bulk into individual dinner servings, and then I place those into the freezer.  I had two pork loin chops thawed in the refrigerator and wanted to mix it up from our usual grill-pan dinners.  I knew I had about 1/4 package of Panko Breadcrumbs in the pantry so I got the box out.  I  also love mustard on my pork chops, so suddenly this condiment became my coating base.  When paired all together, a star pork entree was born.

Ingredients

1 pork loin chops

1/8 cup yellow mustard

1/8 cup stone ground mustard

1/2-3/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Olive Oil

Directions

Heat grill pan over medium heat.

Place pork into a ziploc and beat until 1/2 inch thick.

Add mustard to ziploc and cover pork until fully coated.

Place breadcrumbs into a separate dish and add pork.  Fully coat pork on both sides.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to the grill pan and place pork into pan.  Cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes, then cook covered on the other side for 5 minutes.

I served mine alongside leftover squash and zucchini.

Questions:

Tell me about your plans for the weekend!

What is your favorite thing to buy in bulk?

WIAW – Squash Times Two

Today may be WIAW for me, but it is actually my Thursday.  I am only working four days this week so that I can work on my yard and do a few projects around my house.  I haven’t had a day off yet this year so I am excited to step away from the office for a minute and complete a few things that have been on my to-do-list.  Tonight I will be heading to dinner with a few girlfriends, so I am really looking forward seeing them!

Today’s WIAW is filled with a lot of foodie snapshots from Tuesday.  Let’s begin!

Breakfast @ 7 am:

Kashi Go Lean Crunch!, chopped Walnuts, half Skim Milk/half Almond Milk

Snack @ 10 am:

Annie’s Bunny Grahams

Sliced Strawberries

Lunch @ 2 pm:

 

Spaghetti Squash topped with Marinara and…

Thin Sliced Provolone.

Lunch Dessert @ 3:

 

2 Mini Chocolate Bunnies…saved from Easter.

Dinner @ 6:

1 Turkey Cheddar Hot Dog with Mustard on a slice of Sourdough (I didn’t have any buns)!

Sliced Yellow Squash (Yes!  More Squash!) and Zucchini on the side.

After Dinner Snack/Dessert @ 7:30:

1/2 sliced Banana

Spoonful of White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter

1 dollop of Plain Greek Yogurt

Topped with a crumbled Shortbread Cookie

In a mug!

 

Questions:

Are you still working on your Easter candy?  (I think I will be eating chocolate bunnies until the end of summer)!

What is the best thing you have ate this week?

Messy Joe’s

Growing up, I was never a big fan of Sloppy Joe’s.  Maybe it was the name, or the soggy bun, or perhaps it was the way the thick and sweet sauce would cover the ground beef.  Whatever it was, the combination of the above made for a dinner that I didn’t necessarily look forward to.  However, I know that over time my taste buds change and I decided to add Sloppy Joe’s to the dinner rotation when something caught my eye at the grocery store.

I picked up the Simply Organic Sloppy Joe seasoning packet at Whole foods and happened to have a can of Hunt’s Tomato Sauce on hand.  I liked that the ingredients were much simpler than a can of Manwich, and that by using real tomato sauce I could add an extra serving of veggies to my dinner, while also controlling the high sugar count that is in most canned sauces.

1 pound ground turkey breast

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

1 packet Simply Organic Sloppy Joe Seasoning

1 cup water

1 can Hunt’s Tomato Sauce

In a large pan over medium heat, brown ground turkey and add in sliced mushrooms.  Drain grease.

Add in seasoning packet.

Pour in water.

Mix in tomato sauce and stir.

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil.  Then turn heat to low and simmer 5-10 minutes.  That is it!

His and Hers Messy Joe’s!

His:

Messy Joe on a whole wheat bun, topped with a slice of Colby Longhorn cheese, and roasted kale chips on the side.

Hers:

 

Messy Joe, spaghetti squash, and roasted kale chips.

Questions:

Are you a fan of Sloppy Joe’s?

What meals from your childhood did you not like then, but do now?

In what ways do you create more adult meals from generally kid-friendly recipes?

WIAW: WIAS Edition

Today’s edition of WIAW is more like WIAS:  What I Ate Sunday.  I thought it would be a nice change to document a day of weekend eats since I always tend to share what I eat during the work week.  Weekend meals vary widely depending on where I am, who I am with, and what I am doing.  This weekend was a great example of that since Saturday was filled with more splurges like a cheeseburger and fries (paired with a ton of ketchup!) from Five Guys and an ice cream cone from Graeter’s.  Tim and I were out and about all day, so eating in restaurants and choosing treats over greens are obviously more likely to happen during times like that compared to when we are home.  Sunday though was more of a day for rest where I cleaned the house, took my pup for a long walk, and did load after load of laundry.  So what did I eat on a day at home during the weekend?  Let’s take a look!

Breakfast @ 8:30 am:

You’ve already seen this recipe, but Sunday morning we had French toast for breakfast.  I paired my two slices of whole wheat French toast (dipped in one whole egg, two egg whites) with amazingly ripe and sweet diced cantaloupe.  I was so surprised how delicious the fruit was, especially since it was purchased before cantaloupe season.  I can’t wait for Farmer’s Markets to really start gearing up and offering even more fresh produce!  I poured light syrup over the top, because to me French toast isn’t complete until it’s drizzled with a sticky and sweet sauce!

Lunch @ 12:30 pm:

Lunch was leftover Pulled BBQ Pork, which I had made last week in the crock pot.  It was super simple:  I just added about a 2 pound pork loin to my crock pot and covered the bottom of the pot with water.  I cooked on 8 hours and when I got home after work, I just shredded the chicken with a fork and added barbecue sauce.  Served on the side of my pork are roasted kale chips and an ear of corn, (which was also surprisingly fresh and delicious, just like the cantaloupe)!  Tim went golfing during the day so quick leftovers made for a perfect lunch for one.  After lunch, Tebow and I went for a long walk outside.  We went the farthest that Tebow ever has:  A little over 3 miles!  I was so proud.

Snack @ 4:

My afternoon snack was a green smoothie bowl.  I wish so much I had a blender at work so I could whip up yummy concoctions like this.  Although it’s ugly, it tastes amazing and gives me so much energy from the huge handfuls of spinach I add in.  This bowl has a cup of almond milk, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/2 banana, about 3-4 cups of spinach, and a little ice.

Dinner @ 7:

Dinner was a simple slice of grilled pork loin, sprinkled with sea salt and herbed poultry seasoning, and drizzled with olive oil.  On the side was steamed broccoli and grilled mushrooms.

To drink was a fresh brewed iced tea that I had made earlier in my iced tea maker.  I had purchased it back in college at Bed, Bath & Beyond in the clearance section (it was so cheap!) and I love it so much.  It is a great way brew your own tea without having to boil the water, steep the tea bags, etc., etc.

Now that I look back at my Sunday eats, it looks like I did a great job of following the April Veg Pledge that Jenn is encouraging for April.  I think my body was pretty thrilled for all of those nutrients after my eats on Saturday, but that is the thing about life:  moderation and balance is key.

 

Questions:

What is the best thing you ate over the weekend?

Have you ever brewed your own iced tea?

How do your weekend eats vary from your weekday eats?

His and Hers Brunch

It’s Monday! (Again).  Does anyone else feel like you are constantly saying that?  I know I sure do.  Thankfully I was able to have a wonderful weekend that I can reminisce on as I get ready to start a new work week.

Friday was a workday, but I knew what was on the agenda for when I got home.  With the half marathon only a few weeks away, a 10 mile run was the plan.  This run marked the first time I have ran double digits in two years and it was the first time Tim had ever ran a double digit distance.  It was a run to remember that’s for sure!  We took off at about 5:15 and finished in just about 1 hour and 39 minutes, with a 9:57 pace.  It wasn’t our fastest long run pace, but our goal is to stay under a 10 minute mile so I would say we are on our way.  When the run was over we picked up Tebow and went on a two mile walk to cool down and stretch out our legs a little bit.  I know that my legs were so sore all night Friday and were actually throbbing a little, causing me to have a hard time going to sleep.  Luckily by Saturday morning I was feeling a little better and stretched out my legs in a few downward dogs.

Speaking of dogs, on Saturday I took Tebow to his first Intermediate class, now that he’s a puppy preschool graduate.  It was definitely a change of pace!  Tebow did a great job of keeping up with all the other dogs and fit right in with his skill set, but some of the other dogs were 4+ years old and just starting classes because the owners have had issues with them.  Some were growling, a few were barking, and Tebow was hiding!  At one point he was so nervous that he stuck his head right through my legs and whimpered.  It was so sad, but he just wanted some protection and I was happy to oblige.  Being only 6 months old, he’s still a tiny guy and compared to the dogs who weigh 80 pounds plus, he sure does look like a baby.  After class, Tim and I met up (he had softball) and headed to Whole Foods, Costco, 5 Guys, and Graeter’s Ice Cream (1 scoop Butter Pecan ice cream on a pretzel cone)!  After that we headed home and I called it an early night since I had so much trouble sleeping Friday.

Sunday was a pretty leisurely day at my house, just ask Tebow!

Model Pose!  lol

Tim was going to play golf in the afternoon so I thought it would be fun to have a family brunch before he left.

French Toast was on the menu!

His and Hers French Toast

French Toast is one of those staple breakfast options that are simple to make and have many different ingredient options.  I decided to make ‘his and hers’ french toast, which is a lot easier than it may sound.

His:

I used two whole eggs and two slice of whole wheat bread.

Hers:

I used 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, and two slice of Whole Foods organic whole wheat bread with a touch of honey.

His:

I topped with creamy salted peanut butter from Trader Joe’s.

Hers:

I used about a 1/4 cup of lite syrup.

His:

I added a whole banana and a few pieces of cantaloupe as a side dish.

Hers:

I filled my plate with ripe and juicy, fresh-cut cantaloupe.

 

Recipe for Basic French Toast

Ingredients

4 slices of whole wheat bread

2 whole eggs

1 egg, 2 egg whites

pinch of cinnamon

Olive oil

Directions

Start by heating a pan of medium-low heat and spray with olive oil.

In a small bowl, beat together 2 whole eggs, about 1 tablespoon water, and cinnamon.

Add bread to egg mixture and fully coat on both sides.

Add bread to pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until bread is lightly browned and egg is cooked through.

 

Follow the same process above for the 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites variation.

The rest of Sunday was filled with a 2 mile light jog and 1 mile walk with Tebow, catching up on laundry, vacuuming, cleaning the house, and I even fit a little bit of lounging into the day!

 

Questions:

Do you like French toast?  Did you have a fun brunch this weekend too?

Any meals that you make differently for yourself and your significant other?

What did you do this weekend?

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Happy Friday!  This week has flown by and if you hadn’t noticed, there were a few less blog posts this week.  I want to be honest, as so many of you know, blogging every day is very hard.  I don’t always have something to say (gasp) and most days there just aren’t enough hours in the day to really put as much thought, time and effort into my posts as I want.  I use this blog not only to share recipes and moments in my own life, but to also improve my writing skills and have fun.  Blogging shouldn’t be stressful, it should be a way to express my thoughts and take time for myself, and I don’t ever want to forget that.

For today I have a super easy, five ingredient fiesta to share with you.  I had four whole wheat tortillas from Trader Joe’s left in the refrigerator, and on their last leg.  I knew I wanted to use them up and remembered that I also had a can of enchilada sauce in the cupboard.  I had never made enchiladas before, but I figured how hard can they be?  Besides, I knew I was going to make them my own way so even though I didn’t have all the traditional enchilada recipe ingredients, I thought I could make it work.

 

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1/2 packet of taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

4 whole wheat tortillas

1 can red enchilada sauce

 

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring water to boil and add in chicken.  Continue to boil and cook chicken for 14-16 minutes until fully cooked.

Using a hand mixer, carefully shred chicken.

Add in 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning.  Mix well.

Stir in beans. (It won’t be attractive, but it will taste good.  I promise!)

Lay one tortilla out flat.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla.

Roll up tortilla and place in an oven safe dish.

Continue the same process with the rest of the tortillas.  (You may have leftover mixture, but I just froze the rest of mine to use another day, for a different meal)!

Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and place in the oven.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until heated through, (remember, the filling is already fully cooked so we are really just warming everything up).  I also broil on high 1-2 minutes to get a crispier crust on the tortilla.

That’s it!  Dinner is served in just about 25 minutes.  Feel free to top your enchilada with sour cream, lettuce, cheese, salsa, or anything else that may sound appealing.

 

Questions:

Are you an enchilada fan?

Do you tend to follow a recipe, or make one up as you go along?

What is your favorite way to use up ingredients on their ‘last leg?’

If you’re a blogger, why do you choose to be one?  Is there ever time when you just don’t want to be on a blog schedule?

Slow Cooker Turkey Lasagna

The slow cooker is my best friend on busy weekdays.  However, my one big complaint about this time-saving machine: browning ground meat.  This cannot be done in the slow cooker and the raw meat has to be fully cooked in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker.  It absolutely makes sense as to why this needs to be done, but that doesn’t make it any easier to justify that extra step that must be done before I head to work in the morning.  I think my plan is to brown up a big batch on the weekend, then put it in the freezer in single meal servings.  That way I can just pull the cooked meat out of my freezer and add it to my slow cooker when needed.

This meal does not give you the chance to skip that dreaded step, but it is super easy and is a great comfort dish after a long day.

 

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Turkey

Half diced Onion

2 cloves minced Garlic

Olive Oil

1 bottle Marinara Sauce (Pick your favorite!  I used a Trader Joe’s brand, mushroom marinara.)

1 box no-cook Lasagna Noodles

1 container Cottage Cheese

1 teaspoon Dried Basil

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, drizzle olive oil and add onion, cooking for 3-5 minutes.  Then, add in garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Add in ground turkey and brown.  Pour in marinara sauce and sprinkle in basil and oregano.

 

Next, start the layering process.  Start with the sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, then add noodles, cottage cheese, sauce, noodles.  Repeat:  noodles, cottage cheese, sauce, noodles, continued and ending with sauce.

Cook on Low for 8 hours.

That is it!  So simple, easy ingredients, and an easy clean up.  I served this along a bed of mixed greens, drizzles with a Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil Vinaigrette.

 

Questions:

What are your favorite tricks for using your slow cooker?

Out of curiosity: Does anyone use slow cooker liners?  I have been tempted to buy them, but want to make sure they are worth the $!

Southern Staple

I had never tried collared greens before this recipe, but when I saw bushels at the farmer’s market last Saturday I figured what better time to buy than the present.  I figured that because my current love of roasted kale chips is so strong, it was pretty safe to guess I would enjoy this form of leafy greens as well.  I decided to keep things simple, keep the recipe my own, and add flavor while keeping the dish light.

 

Turkey Bacon Collared Greens

Ingredients

Collared Greens

3 slices Turkey Bacon

1/2 diced Onion

2 cloves Minced Garlic

sea salt

 

Directions

Over medium heat, cook Turkey Bacon in grill pan/fry pan until fully cooked.  Then set bacon aside. (I used the same grill pan that I had cooked my pork chops in).

(My pork chops were simply seasoned with sea salt, thyme and parsley, then drizzled with olive oil and grilled).

 

Add onions to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add in garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

While bacon, onions and garlic are cooking, prepare collared greens.  Wash each leaf at a time and set aside.

Remove stem from the center of each leaf.

Fold leaf in half.

Roll leaf and cut into slices.

Continue process until all the leaves are prepped.

Add collared greens to grill pan along with onions and garlic.  Chop turkey bacon and add to pan as well.

Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat 5-7 minutes.  Stir together to mix up ingredients.

I served the greens along with grilled pork chops, and roasted carrots and potatoes.

Questions:

Have you ever had collared greens?  What do you think is the best way to prepare them?

What is your favorite ‘southern staple’?

WIAW: Out to Lunch & a New-to-Me Veg

Today’s WIAW revolves around yesterday’s eats and treats.  It’s hard to believe, but it is already April and this month’s challenge is once again centered around veggies.

The goal this month is to ‘serve up an extra cup of veggies’ to our daily eats.  So let’s begin!

 

Yesterday was one of those days that started out in a not-so-fun way, but ended on a high note.  We have our preventive medical exams next week, so we had to go in to a clinical lab for a blood drawl and fluid samples.  This means fasting, which is obvious never fun.  I eat pretty much immediately when I wake up so my stomach was easily rumbling by the time I finished at about 9:00.  We swung into Starbucks on the way to work and I ordered a Venti Blonde Roast with a mix of half and half and skim, and a Turkey Bacon and White Cheddar Classic Breakfast Sandwich.

When lunch time rolled around, I was all set to eat the Trader Joe’s chili, spring mix salad, and slice of homemade bread I had packed.  However, two coworkers invited me out to lunch and usually I pass to save a little money, but yesterday I just needed a change in pace and I headed out to Penn Station.  I ordered the Turkey Dagwood with provolone, lettuce, tomato and spicy brown mustard.  I also ordered a small side of fries with a lot of Ketchup on the side.  Hand cut fries are my favorite and sometimes it’s just too hard to pass up!  I didn’t take a picture since I was out with co-workers, but it looked similar to this:

(Source)

(Source)

I ate almost all of the sandwich and about half of the fries.  I was lacking all day in the eat more veggies category, so I thought I would jazz up dinner with a new-to-me leafy green.  Grilled Pork Chop sprinkled with salt, thyme and parsley, Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and roasted carrots, which were drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt & pepper.  That green, leafy vegetable rounding out my dinner was Collard Greens(full recipe to come!), which were sautéed with turkey bacon, diced onions and minced garlic.

I picked up the collared greens at the Farmer’s Market over the weekend and they were so good!  I sautéed them in the same pan as I cooked the pork, so they were extra flavorful thanks to the grilled chops.

Dessert was about a cup of diced strawberries, since I had completely neglected the fruit group all day.

There was Tuesday’s eats!  Not as many veggie servings as I was hoping for, but there is always today to make up for it!

 

Questions:

What is the best thing you have ate this past week?