The evil onion had many lairs

For my most recent cooking adventure I decided to try something which, of course, was inspired byPinterest.  I often get wary looking at Pinterest because the pictures always look SO perfect and sometimes it's easier said than done. This recipe looked so easy that even I could do it!

If you are a fan of Philly Cheese Steaks and are looking for a "healthier" twist...Look NO further! I often find it funny when some of these recipes are featured on "healthy" cooking blogs and clean eating websites because anyway you look at Roast Beef it is not the best source of nutrients. Don't let that deter you though! I mean let's be honest who doesn't love Roast beef sauteed in garlic topped with cheese and stuffed in a  peppers!?!

First Step: Gather ingredients
1. Pound of Roast Beef- I got mine from the Deli use but you can use any kind.
2. Peppers- Red or Green peppers however many you are going to feed.
3. Garlic or Onions

Step Two: Saute Beef in a skillet with Garlic and Onions chopped up. The beef only takes about 15 minutes to cook if you are sauteing it over medium heat. Stir every few minutes so that the garlic and onions soak into the meat.

Tip: Did you know there is a specific way to chop onions? Well, apparently there is and  I learned that you have to first cut the onion in half and then place it on its side so that when you make the cuts it cuts them into perfect diced onions... It's hard to explain in words but  it really works! I of course did it the WRONG way first and ended up having to do it all over again.

I love the taste of Garlic so I added plenty!  You can also add anything else to the mix!

Step Three: Cut your Peppers and place cheese at the bottom.  Cut the top of you peppers off and place them in a cake pan. The cake pan is important because it helps keeps the peppers standing upright. 

You can add any cheese you would like. I used Provolone in some and mixed Colby jack in the others.

Step Four:  Once the Roast Beef is cooked you are ready to place them into the peppers. Fill them to the top and place cheese over the top as well.   

Step Five: Preheat the Oven to 425 and cook the peppers for about 20 minutes or more depending on how soft you want your peppers. I found that when they are a little firmer it is easier to cut and eat. However, when the peppers were soft it was really delicious too.

Yum-0!!!!

I love this recipe because it shows another great use for peppers! What ways have you used peppers in your kitchen? I am looking for more ways to stuff peppers!

Chef Lindsay 

When cooking there is little margarine for error

When I first started cooking I thought there was little margin for error and that terrified me. As I watched those who cooked around me they seemed to know their way around the kitchen and could throw a dash of salt, a pinch of garlic, a teaspoon of lime without any measuring cups!  I watched in amazement as they did this because it was so different than the way I prepared meals. I would get so caught up in the exact measurements of ingredients that I didn't want to mess it up. I think that's why I always enjoyed baking. There was a set recipe that must be followed exactly and cooks in a specific amount of time.

Then there is cooking. Everything changes!There is not always an exact way to make a recipe and it took me awhile (still learning) to really relish in that.  Despite me not knowing a lot about cooking I'm starting to understand how to spice things on my own! When they first say salt and pepper the chicken I would always be nervous how much is too much, or is this enough? It bothered me that there was not a specific amount. I think that must be the teacher in me! 

This week I decided to make CrockPot Shredded Chicken that I have been seeing all over Pinterest.  If you don't have a pinterest get one now!!

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Recipe - Easiest recipe ever! 

*Boneless Chicken Breast

* Chicken Broth

* Salt & Pepper

* Spices 

Step 1: Salt and Pepper the Chicken 

 2. Add Spices. I added garlic and herb and even a little crushed red paper flake to add some spice. You can add anything you like!

 3. Put it in the crock pot on medium heat for 5-6 hours. Add chicken broth halfway to cover the chicken

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4. Take out chicken and let dry for a few minutes. Get a plastic ziploc bag and turn it inside out so that you can grab the chicken and put it inside the bag. Zip up the bag and then use your fingers to separate the chicken. Then it's already in the bag so you can freeze the chicken you don't use.

Once you are done you now have shredded chicken for any number of recipes!! I think this idea is best if you cook your shredded chicken on Sunday and then prepare your meals for the rest of the week!

This week I used the shredded chicken for tacos and chicken salad. I don't have the picture of the tacos but they were delicious!

What have you made or what would you make with the extra shredded chicken?! 

Savoring the Tyhme

In life, it's all about savoring the time because sometimes life just goes by way too fast!  Having this summer "off"  and the breaks in between grad school classes has really forced me to savor the time I have free by doing the things I love with the people I love.  One thing I love most is dinner time with friends and family. This may seem surprising since I am new to cooking for myself, but don't get me wrong I LOVE to eat and chat with friends and family.

There is something so quintessential about dinner time.  Having everyone sit down and share the same meal brings me back to memories of my childhood. Growing up this is something that was mandatory in my house and wasn't always something I loved. During high school I wished I could be like my other friends and not have to be home for dinner, but now, I am glad that this was something that our family did because it forced us to savor the time we had together.

Nowadays, I especially love dinner time because it allows friends and family to come together and remove themselves from their cell phones and the constant updates on social media. I am a stickler for this rule. No cell phones at the dinner table. It drives me nuts! Which I have to admit, I did Not always  follow this rule.

Tonight, dinner was a special occasion! Alex completed his first day at the Police Academy and I wanted  to make him something special. He really enjoys steak so I decided to make steak, asparagus, and a Grilled Roasted Corn Salad


 As I was looking over the recipe and discussing with my Mom which items we had in our garden, I learned something new about green beans that had both my Mom and I in a fit of hysterical laughter.  I was reading the recipe and asked her what Hericot Verts were. Being a teacher I pronounced it phonetically as I thought it would sound Hair-i-cot Ver-ts in which she busted out laughing and couldn't stop. Later did I come to find that these Hericot Verts were just a fancy french name for green beens and that it was pronounce Hair-i -co Vare. Why does everything french have to sounds so fancy!  Needless to say I learned a very valuable cooking lesson today about what  Hericot Verts  are.


This is the recipe I followed for the Salad! It was so easy to make and turned out to be the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy!

Spotlight on Chef 

As I was preparing the meal I learned a lot about cooking! 

1.Using fresh herbs from the garden is a great addition to your meal! 
2. Chiffonade is a real term used to roll herbs and cut into pretty strips.  
3. You tube is your best friend. Taught me how to Chiffonade 
4. I need to learn more french terms to understand these recipes! 


The corn salad turned out amazing and is one I will be making again! I also grilled my very first steak on the grill! 

Looking for inspiration for my next recipe! I am hoping to try a dish from another country! What is your favorite type of food? Mexican? French? German? Italian?

    Chef Lindsay

When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

It's true. When I am hungry I definitely go back for seconds. However, my seconds happen to be prepackaged meals or snacks that literally take four seconds to cook.  So when its time for me to cook for myself, I am too lazy, or too busy to prepare my meals. However, I am determined to change that and become a seasoned chef!

After class on Saturday, I was inspired by my new blog to try out my very first recipe. When I  got home I found myself falling back into the routine of looking for a lean cuisine or seeing what new mixture of cereals I could create for myself. As I looked into the freezer I saw one of my go-to lean cuisine meals... the wood fire style roasted garlic chicken pizza.

Suddenly I was inspired for my first meal... a homemade pizza! I thought why start with something challenging, this I surely could handle!

Luckily the fridge and cabinets were stocked with everything
a girl would need to make a pizza, I had no time to be grocery shopping because the Blackhawks were starting in less than an hour.  I began assembling all the ingredients I thought would be good to add to a pizza : Cheese, cheese, and more cheese, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and of course garlic. What I was really enjoyed about the homemade pizza is that you could make it your own. As I laid out the pizza crust and began spreading the sauce, flashbacks to elementary school lunchables were popping into my head. You know? The ones where you had to use that little red sticks to spread the sauce onto the crust and add cheese.Classic. As you can see, even in my early years, I was not into making lunches.  I thought to myself " You got this! Lunchables were your thing" That's when it dawned on me, a homemade pizza was like the adult version of a Lunchable!!

Remember these!?

I suddenly felt at ease with my first task of making a homemade pizza.

Recipe ( As interpreted by me) 

1. Pre Heat Oven to 425 

2. Use store bought pizza dough and spread tomato sauce evenly among dough.  

3. Chop up vegetables, garlic, chicken, steak, tofu, bacon, etc. of your choice. 

4. Saute toppings in pan with olive oil ( 1/4 cup) 

5. Sprinkle cheese of your choice onto pizza dough. 

6. Spread vegetables, chicken, toppings etc. onto the pizza. 

7. Spread more cheese on top.

8. Place in oven and cook for 12-14 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Spotlight on the Chef 

As I was preparing my meal there were a few first that I experienced. One was using the garlic press for the first time! Who knew there was such a tool??  Love it. 

Makes chopping garlic much easier!

 The second thing I learned was sauteing. Of course I have heard this term before, but what did it actually mean? Needless to say.. I googled it and found this very handy step by step directions to teach what exactly sauteing was. Want to learn your yourself check out this link... Sauteing for Beginners. 

Overall, I had a wonderful experience in the Kitchen and it makes me excited to try out more recipes!! Here are a few photos from the dinner and  my guest of honor even thought it was delicious too!  Of course, he is my boyfriend and has to tell me its good either way... :)

             

          

 


 Looking for inspiration for my next recipe! I want to try something on the grill!  Let me know your favorite summer grill recipe.. and I just might try it out!


      Chef Lindsay