Panko Crusted Stuffed Chicken

I know. I haven't updated in a while. I could give you a long list of reasons why, but lets skip all of that and move on to the good stuff: Panko Crusted Stuffed Chicken! This was, by the way, the first time I've ever tried making stuffed chicken. It didn't turn out badly, although Lucas did stand by and tell me when I was cutting too far into the chicken (this is why I do not enjoy when he's in the kitchen with me!) :)

This recipe took me 10-15 minutes to prepare and 24 minutes to cook. It is fairly simple and absolutely de-li-cious! You won't regret trying this!

Panko Crusted Chicken Stuffed with 

Ricotta, Spinach, Tomato & Basil

What you will need:

• 1 cup low-fat (or part skim) ricotta cheese
• one small handful of baby spinach leaves, chopped
• one small handful of grape tomatoes, diced (remove seeds if possible). I used roma tomatoes and diced those - for me this was easier and more convenient,
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon of fresh already minced garlic)
• sea salt & fresh cracked pepper [to taste] - I omit the salt. 
• a dash of oregano
• 2 chicken breasts
• Italian Seasoned Panko Crumbs (or you can use the original panko crumbs and add a little bit of italian seasoning to them)
• olive oil for cooking (approx. 2-3 teaspoons)

What you will do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the ricotta, spinach, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, salt & pepper and dash of oregano. Mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Rinse the chicken breasts. Cut a long horizontal slit along the chanter of the thing long edge of the chicken breast (nearly through to the other side.) Fill the cavity with the ricotta/spinach mix.
4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper if desired. Carefully dip the chicken into the panko crumbs until both sides are evenly covered. Be sure to press the crumbs into the chicken a bit so that they don't crumble off.
5. Close the slit with tooth picks to keep the stuffing in place.
6. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes (until golden brown). Flip the chicken over and place the skillet into the over for 20 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through). 
7. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes or so before slicing so that the mixture doesn't run out.

Enjoy!!

Potomac point Vineyard & Winery

So, with the title "Love, Love, and the Pursuit of Wine", you would think that I would talk more about wine. I recently upated the name to "Life, Love and the Pursuit of Food and Wine" because I think it's more fitting.

Cellar Tours, wine tastings and visiting a beautiful vineyard is not an unusual weekend for Lucas and I. Being in Northern, VA, we are so close to over 139 Wineries and Vineyards in the state of Virginia. While we have not been to them all, we have visited a lot of them, and tried numerous virginia wines at different festivals.

Lucas and I went to Williamsburg for our 1 year anniversary this past weekend. We visited 4 wineries while we were down there (James River Cellars, New Kent Winery, Williamsburg Winery and we went back to Potomac Point for the Second time on our way home). Potomac Point is in Stafford, VA (not too far outside of Richmond). We have been there before, and love everything from the site and landscaping, the little store, the event space, the cellars and the staff. They are also known for doing weddings and even allowing visitors to crush the grapes I-Love-Lucy style! They are located about 40 miles South of Washington DC and have a cafe that offers lunch on site.

The first time we went to Potomac Point, we only tried their Classic wines. This past weekend, we tried their Reserve wines as well. I wanted to share with you some of the great wines they have to offer. I highly suggest you visit - they have some other wines I haven't mentioned below (like the port, the dessert white wine, and some others).

Starting with the Whites:

• Chardonnay 2009
• This is a very dry white wine that is a 100% Chardonnay. It's aged and fermented in stainless steel and is very crisp and refreshing (especially for a hot day). It has the aroma and the flavos of pear in the bouquet and is best served with lighter foods (like fish).
• Chardonnay Reserve 2009
• This wine differs from the Classic Chardonnay. This is also 100% chardonnay, but is aged and fermented in French Oak Barrels instead of the stainless steel (giving it a more creamy flavour). This is also a dry wine, and is full-bodied. This is best paired with any cream-style sauces or enjoyed just sipping by itself.
• Lucas and I liked this one better and enjoyed a bottle at home. This was our favorite of the whites. we tend to like the drier wines, and a good Chardonnay is usually the type of white wine we tend to gravitate to.
• Viognier Reserve 2009
• The Viognier grape is the VA state grape. It grows really well in France, and grows really well in the Virginia climate. This is a very dry wine and is aged in stainless steel. The tropical fruit flavors with a hint of citrus and passion fruit make this a very refreshing and tasty white wine.
• La Belle Vie White 2009
• This wine is a meritage of 4 white grapes - Vidal, Traminette, Chardonnay and Viognier (the VA state grape). It's aged in Stainless Steel and offers a refreshing citrus flavor. It is a bit sweet (1.6% residual sugar). It is a riesling-style wine, but there is no riseling grape in the wine.
• Neither Lucas nor I are huge fans of sweeter wines, so this one wasn't our favorite. For those who like a slightly sweeter wine, this is the way to go.

On to the Reds:

• Abbinato 2010
• Red Wine.The literal meaning of the term abbinato is "gathering" of itialian or european grapes in a chianti style wine. This wine is 50% Sangiovese (san-gee-oh-vay-see) and is ages in neutral and french oak. It's a lighter wine, and easily paired with an italian meal (pizza, tomato-based dishes, or even barbequed chicken.)
• Cabernet Franc 2009
• Cab Franc traditionally grows better in VA than any other state in the US. 85% of this wine is Cabernet France, and 10% is Tannat, 5% Merlot. . This wine is aged in French oak and is a dry wine. You can really taste the blueberry and strawberry flavors of this wine, with a peppery finish. This wine is spicy and fruity.
• This one pairs well with Chocolate. If you sip the wine before having chocolate, you will taste a very spicy quality to the wine. If you have a piece of chocolate, let it melt in your mouth, and then sip the wine, more of the fruity accents will be noticed.
• Custom Label Red
• The bottle to this wine has no label on it - this is used for weddings and special events where they can create a custom label.
• This is 50% Merlot, 25% Cab Franc and 25% Cab Sav. This is aged in French Oak as well and is dry in nature. This is a Bordeux-style blend (also called a claret). This is very easy and drinkable, with the ripe red fruit flavors (you can especially pull out the raspberry notes).
• We wanted to buy a bottle of this, but for some reason they don't just sell it by the bottle.
• Heritage 2008 (Reserve)
• This wine takes the longest for the winery to make. It ages for 1 year in the Frenk Oak Barrel, and then another year in the bottle.
•  This is Potomac Points signature Bordeaux-Style wine. (A bordeaux style is made up of 6 traditional grapes that grow in the Bordeux region of France: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere. It can be composed of 2 or all 6 to be considered a bordeux. In Britian, they call this a Claret. This is similiar to a Meritage, however, a meritage can contain any grape, not necessarily just these 6.)
• The heritgae is composed of 47% merlot, 25.5% Cab Franc, 19% Cab Sauv., and 8.5% Petit Verdot. This is also a Dry wine with aromas of mocha and cherries. This is a full-bodied wine with a smooth palate and a peppercorn finish.
• This is another favorite of ours. Lucas and I often gravitate towards a bordeux or a meritage style of red wine.
• Petit Verdot 2008 (Reserve)
• Aged in American and French oak, this is the heaviest bodied wine that the winery produces. It's rich and deep color pairs with the smokey palat and accents of black surrent. This is best paired with robust meats and cheeses (red meats and strong flavored cheese).
• Norton 2009
• This wine is different because Potomac Point crushes the grapes in the beginning of the fermentation cycle. This is aged in Amercian and French Oak barrels and is made up of 80% Norton grapes (a native VA grape).
• This is a medium-bodied red and is very dry with a deep color and a strong finish.

Here are a few pictures from our visits:

Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken

I was trying to think of something to make last night with the items that I already had in my apartment (I did NOT feel like going to the grocery store in the rain, OR coming back home from a weekend away to anything that was spoiled). I thought of a recipe that my mom made when we were little for Mexican Chicken. I wasn't sure of her exact recipe, so I used my friend google for a little help. This is what I came up with. I took some ideas from a bunch of different places and made it my own...definitely feel free to do the same!  I used reduced fat cheddar cheese, however you can use regular cheddar OR a four-cheese or mexican blend shredded cheese.

Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken

(Serves 4)

What you will Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups salsa (to your preference) - I used a medium heat salsa.
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (to your preference)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pinch ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 pinch ground cumin (or to taste)
• 1 pinch chili powder (you can sub a chipotle powder such as Mrs. Dash if you'd like - it will still give it that little kick.)

What to Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat greased skillet to medium heat. Rub chicken pieces with garlic, pepper, cumin and chili powder to taste and add chicken to the hot skillet.
3. Cook until brown on each side (no longer pink). - This will take 5-10 mintes.
4. Transfer the chicken to a 9x13 inch baking dish and top with the salsa and cheese. Bake chicken for 15-20 minutes (until the cheese is bubbly and just starts to brown).

Serve over rice (I used brown rice) - Enjoy!

Approx Calories: 186 per serving (rice not included).

Cranberry Apple Pie

It's been getting a little bit chillier these past few days, thus sparking my excitement for fall. This is my absolute favorite time of the year (fall, that is). I love everything about the weather, the holidays, the clothes, the food...I just love fall.

I know it's still a little early for Thanksgiving, but I wanted to share with you a recipe that I made last year for the Thanksgiving Holiday at my parent's house. It's a Cranberry Apple Pie. I actually don't prefer apples OR cranberries, but this was a big hit - I ended up making a second pie AFTER Thanksgiving because everyone loved it so much.

Cranberry Apple Pie 

(serves 8)

What you will Need:

For the Pie:

• 1 refrigerated pie pastry
• 2 cups apples (peeled, cored, sliced)
• 2 cups fresh cranberries (can use frozen cranberries-  make sure to thaw them before using)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

For the Crumb Topping (aka my favorite part of this dessert!)

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons cold butter (cut into 1/4-inch pieces)

What to Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie pan with the pastry (flute the edges)
3. Thinly slice the apples add them to a large bowl. Add the cranberries to the bowl with the apples.
4. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and flour, and mix well. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, smoothing the top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Add the butter, rubbing it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. After 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. 
7. Spread the crumble topping over the pie and return to the oven to bake it for another 25 to 30 minutes (or until the top is golden and the fruit thickens and bubbles around the edges - it will bubble too!).
8. Allow the pie to cool for 2 hours before serving.

"Red Lobster"-ish Crab Alfredo and Cheddar Biscuits

First off, I need to apologize. I made this amazing crab alfredo and it was wonderful, however, I forgot to take a picture of it to share with everyone else. You will just have to trust me on this one. (recipe is below the cheddar biscuits)

We have always been a fan of the Red Lobster Cheddar biscuits...they are heaven on earth. When I decided to make my "red lobster" crab alfredo, I immediately thought "I HAVE to make cheddar biscuits"! Let's be honest, this isn't the healthiest meal I've made, but there are small things that I did do in order to cut fat/calories here and there.

I started with the Cheddar Biscuits (made the dough and then popped them in the oven when the alfredo sauce was just about ready).

Cheddar Biscuits
(makes 6 biscuits)

I combined two different recipes to come up with this. I liked a little bit from both, but one had too much butter and one didn't seem to have any seasoning to it.

What you will Need:

• 2 cups of bisquick baking mix (pancake mix)
• 2/3 cup milk (I used Skim and it worked perfect)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I used reduced fat cheddar cheese).
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• pinch of salt

What to Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 450
2. Mix baking mix, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms, beat vigorously for 30 seconds.
3. Drop dough by the spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. (It was recommended to use an ice cream scooper, but I just used a spoon.)
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.
5. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave (30-40 seconds). Mix in the garlic, dried parsley and salt to taste - I don't add salt). Brush over warm biscuits before serving.

**These biscuits are relatively low in calories. They are approximately 275 cal/serving. 

"Red Lobster" Crab Alfredo

 (no picture available...again, I apologize). 

What you will need:

• 1/2 pound of cooked snow crab meat, or 2-3 (8oz.) packages of imitation crab meat (both work well)
• 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 2 cups half and half (most people use heavy cream here...I use half and half. The non-fat half and half is okay too, but it more watery so I would add a bit more flour if you plan on using that).
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (or more to taste).
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (approx. 1 teaspoon - or to taste. I keep adding until I'm satisfied with the flavor).
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Package linguine

What to Do:

1. Cook linguine according to package directions.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. 
3. Stir in flour until mixture looks sandy (DO NOT let it color - this is only about 45-60 seconds). Whisk in half&half (or cream) until mixture forms a thick sauce. Stir in cheese and season with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste (I don't normally use salt in this sauce).
4. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors and then stir in the crab meat. (Reduce the heat to low here). Simmer just until the crab is heated through.
5. Serve over cooked linguine with additional parmesan cheese and hot red pepper flakes (if desired). 

Enjoy!

Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake

 My in-laws came up for this Labor Day weekend to visit, tour DC and to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday. I wanted to make him a birthday cake that was out of the "traditional" birthday cake realm. This cake was super easy to make (with a few minor glitches here and there), and everyone loved it! It's a great dessert for the warm weather, and a great dessert for the summer (strawberry season!)

I got this recipe from Food Network Star, Tyler Florence (he's on the Great Food Truck Race).

Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake

What you will Need:

• 2 (48-oz) containers of strawberry ice cream
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 (6-inch) cheesecake, room temperature (no crust)
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut into pieces
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

What to Do:

1. Set the ice cream out to soften for about 30 minutes (Soften but not melted). Meanwhile, miz graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Press mixture over the bottom and partly up the sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan. Set aside.
2. When the ice cream has softened, cream it with a wooden spoon until soft but not melted. Break the cheesecake up into pieces and beat into the ice cream. Pour the mixture into the spring-form pan and smooth the top (do not fill TOO full). Put in the freezer to set (I let mine set over night).
3. Combine strawberries, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice in a non-reactive saucepan. Warm over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Put in the refrigerator to chill.
4. To serve, remove the sides from the spring-form pan and place the cheesecake on a plate. Top with Strawberries!

Remember those glitches I talked about? Make sure to remember to put it BACK in the refrigerator after serving (if there's leftovers) - it may or may not have started to melt all over the counter after serving

Enjoy!

Unbelievable BBQ Chicken Pizza

I made this recipe a few weeks ago when we were in a hurry and didn't have a lot of time for preparation. I told Lucas that this recipe was just too easy to make and didn't require a whole lot of creativity so I didn't feel that I should post it. He told me that that is exactly WHY I needed to post it - this was delicious - and it was really quick and really easy to make. 

In the recipe, it requires you to mix barbeque sauce and marinara sauce. I was confused by this because neither of them are pizza sauce. While, yes, you can use pizza sauce and mix that with the barbeque sauce in the place or the marinara, I highly suggest you try it first before you knock it. Barbeque sauce alone is a bit overwhelming, but with the marinara sauce to balance it out, it is the perfect blend to really make this recipe amazing.

Unbelievable Barbeque Chicken Pizza

What you will need:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, divided (I used Kraft and we loved it, but you can use your favorite bbq sauce)
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 package pre-baked pizza crust (14-16 inch) (you can use homemade dough here instead, I just didn't because we didn't have time to wait for it to rise and then cook).
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (or to taste - I usually don't measure these things out)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion 
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• ** feel free to add ingredients here. I added red bell pepper. 

What you will do:

1. Heat sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook for 10 minutes then turn and top the other side with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook 10 minutes, until juices run clear. Cool slightly and cut into chunk.
2. Preheat oven to 425.
3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining barbeque sauce and marinara. Spread evenly over pizza crust (make sure to leave about 1/2 inch - 1 inch around the rim for the crust). Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top of sauce. Arrange cooked chicken chunks and red onion slices over the top.
4. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle with additional barbeque sauce (if desired). (I would recommend letting this sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing). 

Enjoy!