Haven't Blogged

Haven't been blogging lately. School is consuming my life this semester. All I do is homework. Welcome to my life I guess. 

At least I set out time to watch my shows. 

Rich Herb and Lemon Chicken

So last night was a night I wasn't planning on cooking but everyone was talking about going to get fast food. I put my foot down and said no. We had everything we needed for Lemon chicken so I made dinner instead. As good as the flavor was I am not sure if I would ever make this recipe again. I didn't turn out the way it was supposed it. The sauce was supposed to thicken and it didn't. Even adding in some flour didn't do anything. The flavor was good though. I found the recipe at All Recipes Always a good place to find recipes with ingredients you have in your pantry.


Ingredients:

8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary
2 tbsp chopped fresh Thyme
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup grated lemon zest
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup sour cream


Directions:

1. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Sprinkle both sides of the flattened chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet with a cover over medium heat. Pan-fry the chicken breasts for about 2 minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
3. Place the onion and garlic in the skillet, and cook and stir for about 3 minutes, until the onion starts to turn translucent. Pour the white wine and chicken broth into the pan, and bring to a simmer while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Whisk in the rosemary and thyme leaves, lemon juice, lemon zest, milk, and sour cream until the sauce is well mixed.
4. Place the chicken breasts back into the skillet; cover with the sauce, Cover the skillet, and simmer for about 1 hour, until the sauce is thickened. Serve chicken with sauce spooned over the top.

My Tips: To me it was too much wine and not enough lemon and milk products to make it creamy. Besides the fact that it didn't thicken the way I wanted, it was good. We served it over rice. Some have severed it over Potatoes. It's all preference. But like I said before, probably not something I would make again unless I can get it to thicken up the way I like it. 

First Week Of Spring Semester

OMG thank god it is over. It has been a week from hell. I can start a countdown. 15 weeks left. I think this will be the only way I can keep my head straight this semester. My Biology teacher is fucking old, cannot understand him, he can barely hear us and writes what he thinks he hears and it's opposite of what we actually said. On the first day of class he confused himself so bad that it took him 20 minutes to figure out where he went wrong. If I fail this class it is going to be his fault. I am almost ready to go buy a Biology for Dummies book so I can teach myself the right way things should be done. My English class I was dreading because it is at 930 Tuesday mornings. Boy was I wrong. I think this is going to be my favorite class of the semester. My teacher is hilarious. He knows that because it's an early class he needs to be upbeat and energetic to keep us awake. My History class didn't start off all the wonderfully, but it seems to be going smooth right now. It seems like that will be another class that I enjoy. But it's history so I would enjoy it even if it was hard. Chris and I didn't get into out Math class. So now I have to try and figure out what I am going to do to stay on track with transferring when I said I was going too. Gah. I need 3 math's classes, 2 spanish classes, and 1 more History class. Oh and an Art class. The Math classes and the Spanish classes are going to be my toughest classes. I hate Math and I don't think I should have to learn a foreign language when I live in America. I shouldn't have to speak another language in a country that should be speaking English. Let's not go there.

Grilled Chicken Piccata

Tonight I decided to try my 3rd recipe of the year. Why not right? I said I was going to do at least 3, so now I can just push myself to do more. It was supposed to be Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata, but I don't like my sauces super creamy, so I got the sauce super thick. Just the way I like it. I found the recipe on Plain Chicken. It turned out really really good. I don't care what everyone else thinks, it was good. I of course tripled the recipe because of all the people I needed to feed. 5 adults and a toddler.

Ingredients: 

Chicken
Juice of 1 lemon (3Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta
2 cups dried penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter
Juice of 2 lemons (6 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese


Directions: 

Chicken
Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well.  Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chicken.  Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.  When ready, grill until done.  Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes and then slice into strips to serve over pasta.

Pasta
While chicken is grilling.  Cook pasta according to directions (10-12 minutes).  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.  In same sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in garlic and lemon juice.  Pour in half and half and whisk until hot.  Add some salt and pepper to taste.  Add the parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted.  Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.  Toss in pasta.

Serve in pasta bowls with grilled chicken on top.  Sprinkle with more parmesan if desired.


My Tips: 

I removed the capers from it because no one in the house likes capers. It turned out just fine. I put a lot more than  the allotted amount of cheese because we all love cheese. Also I had to add more seasoning before I added the pasta because it wasn't as season-y as I would like it without it.

Chili Tortellini

So today, since it's actually the first winter like weather we have had in a while, I decided that it would be a great day to make soup. So I found a recipe on Picky-Palate with a good recipe for a Chili Tortellini soup. Now it didn't turn out the way I wanted it too, but it was still good and very tasteful. 


Ingredients: 

• 1 pound dry tortellini (2 lbs instead of one. It might have been too much pasta)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
• 1 pound lean ground beef (We used beef and ground italian sausage) 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
• two 15 ounce cans beans, I used black and red beans, whatever you prefer
• 15 ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes MILD version
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Directions: 

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Heat olive oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for about 5 minutes then brown beef until browned. Drain if necessary. Add broth, tomatoes, beans, cumin, chili powder and cilantro. Add cooked tortellini and heat for 10 minutes or until hot. Reduce heat to a low simmer until ready to serve.

MY TIP: If you do use more than 1 lb of meat, adjust your seasonings. You will need more seasonings with the more meat you use. It was still really good, I just wish it would of thickened up just a little bit more than it did. 

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

So as part of my New Years resolutions I decided that I would cook at least 3 new recipes every month. I am determined to start eating healthier. So that is my goal. Tonight was the first recipe I tried. Instead of stove cooking in oil chicken fajitas, I decided to bake them. I found the recipe on pinterest, which took me to Real Mom's Kitchen. Really good website/blog. I haven't had chance to look the place yet, but I'm sure it's full of good recipes and tips and tricks. It turned out great. Even the ones who would normally only have once serving ended up going back for seconds and some even thirds. I was impressed. I learned that I should double the recipe for the next time I make it.

Since I am going to try and make this a normally thing with blogging it. I will add photos, from either when it is finished or just before I throw it in the oven. Also I will include the directions and ingredients.


Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas 

Ingredients:

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 tsp Chili powder
2 tsp Cumin (I didn't add this in because we didn't have any on hand, still taste amazing)
1/2 tsp Garlic powder (used granulated garlic instead)
1/2 tsp Dried oregano
1/4 tsp  Salt
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper (we used two, and I think it could of used more bell peppers)
Tortillas
Toppings (Cheese, sour cream, etc.)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 400* F. Place chicken strips in a greased 13x9 baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt.
3. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
4. Next add the peppers, onions, and tomatoes to the dish and stir together with chicken.
5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are cooked through.
6. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.


My Tip: After I had mixed everything together, I actually let it sit and meld together for about 15 minutes so that everything can soak together. I don't know if it really a difference but it was good.

The Year Of Jessica!

Ive decided that this year, 2014, is going to be the year of ME! I am going to do whatever it takes to make me happy and content with my life. I will not hesitate to tell someone how I feel. I will not hesitate to tell someone no. I refuse to be a pushover for my family. I am going to stand my own ground. This is going to be my year. I am moving forth in school and when that happens, I will be on my way to the job I've always wanted. To be a teacher. To open up the minds of today's youth and let them know about the history of their country, of their families, of themselves.

Live each day like it's your last. Make the most of it.

Welcome 2014...

So with the New Year in full swing I guess it's time to start making my resolutions. I will say last night was probably the best New Years Eve I have ever had. It was so much fun making memories with old friends and a new one. It even got to the point where Mallory texted the Douche and told him she lost her best friend because of him because of something they did last year. Haha. It's a new year, 2013 is in the past... moving on to better things. Big things this year. Should be transferring to Merced this year. Yay go me!! Hoping to find some work because I hate sitting on my ass and do nothing with my life. Hoping to get back to Sonoma and Pomona for the Drags this year. Anywho... on to my resolutions...

1. Paying off more of my debt. (In a couple of months I will have 1 credit card left to pay off)
2. Lose more weight. (I've been doing pretty good and starting to eat healthier.)
3. Obtain clear skin. (Working towards that with my Clarisonic I got for Christmas.)
4. Pick up photography again. (I miss the days when I was at peace because I was taking pictures.)
5. Try and reach 20,000 tweets on Twitter. (Stupid I know, but this is my goal.)
6. Try at least 3 new recipes a month. (Got to widen my food pallet.)


I will probably update this over the next week or so.

HAPPY 2014!!!