Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Vegetable Fried Rice


I'm not going to lie, I hate fried rice. Whenever we order Chinese, I get white rice or rice noodles. If I don't have a choice, I'll give my portion of fried rice to my husband. I don't know what it is about the fried version, but I just can't stand the taste. It seems like it's almost burnt with a weird flavor that I can't even describe.

Well, I decided to try my hand at a homemade version one day just for kicks. I don't know what even sparked the idea but, why not have a go at it, right? Maybe since I hate the restaurant rice, I'd like my own...

Friday, November 25, 2011

BBQ Round Steak

My photo skills were a little lacking when this picture was taken...

I buy round steak quite often because it's usually a pretty inexpensive meat. I took one out of the freezer one day and made this BBQ round steak recipe on a whim. Because I almost always have round steak in the house, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it. I've grilled it, sauteed it, braised it, made stew out of it (posting to come soon) and lastly, barbequed it. Well, sort of...

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Coconut Chicken in the Oven


I'm always browsing the internet world for new and exciting ideas for recipes. In one of my latest searches, I read a lot about a recipe by Jamie Oliver for Chicken in Milk. It's a whole chicken, cooked in a milk bath, that has been flavored with lemon, cinnamon, and a bunch of garlic-y goodness. There have been so many rave reviews for it that I was getting pretty curious. The recipe looked pretty good and definitely interesting, so after mulling over the uniqueness of it for awhile, I decided to give it a try. I had to put my own spin on it though so I went with my obsession of the moment: coconut milk instead of regular milk.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Peach Applesauce



I was getting ready to make my son lunch last week when he asked for some applesauce. Now, he's 2 -1/2 so I take everything he says with a grain of salt. It's happened quite a few times that he'll tell us he wants something, we make it, and then he refuses to eat it. It seems to be a fun, little game for him. Well, when he asked for applesauce, I was shocked because he usually won't eat it for me. He'll eat it for his grandmas, but not for mom!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Simple Tomato Soup



Have you ever had one of those meals that just makes you say, "Wow!"? I don't get them that often. Now, don't get me wrong, I love everything I cook/bake/prepare/whatever (and wouldn't share them if I didn't), but some things are just plain better than others. Some are, in fact, awesome. The tomato soup I made this evening happens to be one of those awesome things.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Spaghetti Primavera


Pasta seems to get a bad rep these days and it's a shame because it's not all bad for you. I whipped this meal up for a quick weeknight meal and it's a pretty healthy dish that's light on the budget and the palate. It's full of flavor, loaded up with good for you veggies, and so easy and fast to make! 

Monday, November 14, 2011

BBQ Crescent Dogs



Everyone has seen the Pillbury commercial with the mom serving hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls, right? I just saw it last week and I thought it would be a great idea for a fun dinner. My son loves the little pigs in a blanket that I make for entertaining so I thought these could be the same, just on a larger scale.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Apple Cake from A Friend



I finally made it! I was given a recipe for an apple cake by one of my husband's coworkers. She's a pretty awesome chick and I was thrilled that she offered her mom's recipe to me to try out. She thought I'd really like it. Well, she was wrong because I didn't just like it...I loved it.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Malibu Sunset


I haven't posted a drink in a bit so I think it's about time. This one was from a few weeks ago and it's too pretty not to share. I remember I was in the mood for a nice, refreshing beverage and I went with my old favorite, Malibu Rum. I may need to start broadening my drink selections, however, because even I'm getting tired of reading about coconut rum. It's just so darn tasty though! 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Sweet and Easy Banana Pancakes


Have you noticed how bananas don't seem to last as long as they used to? Mine seem to get mushy way too fast and instead of throwing them out I just throw the whole thing, peel and all, in the freezer for another use. It's pretty funny to just open the freezer and see all those bananas in there! They're great for banana bread but I take it a step further by incorporating the banana bread idea into a pancake.

Not Your Typical Cheese Quesadilla

Emmentaler
Fair Oaks Farms Emmentaler Cheese

Since I still had a bunch of cheese in my fridge from our Fair Oaks Farms visit, I decided to try some in a quesadilla. I had Asiago which I thought would give a good flavor and I threw on some of that Emmentaler. Some sauteed mushrooms and onions rounded it out with a good, hearty, fall flair. I, unfortunately, don't have a picture of this yummy concoction because it was accidentally deleted off my camera, but I'm sure I'll be making it again soon so you can see how good it looked. In the meantime, trust me that it was one good looking (and tasting) quesadilla!


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Pinch Of Lime is on Facebook!

To spread the lime a little further, I set up a Facebook page. Stop by and check it out when you have a chance. I'll be talking about food, life, design and showcasing my Art Posters and Kid's Room Decor. You can see a thread of recent posts on the right side of each page of this blog or you can visit www.facebook.com/pinchoflime.

I'm looking forward to your comments!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Apple Peach Salsa for Canning


So many apples! I swear, some days I thought they were actually multiplying in my kitchen. I was getting pretty tired of the usual so I was obsessed with thinking of something new to make with them. This year was my first attempt at canning and my batch of apple butter and apple pie filling turned out pretty good so I thought I'd do something totally different. I came up with an idea for an apple peach salsa and I just couldn't wait to share it.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Apple Cinnamon Muffins


Muffins are one of life's little treats. Most muffins you buy at the store or the donut/coffee shop are filled with way too many unhealthy ingredients and calories though. Now, I'm not saying that it's not okay to splurge on a muffin every once in awhile, but if you're going to have one, why not have it be one that's better for you! I created this version of an apple cinnamon muffin using ingredients that you don't have to feel guilty about and it's now my go-to recipe.

Halloween and Pumpkin Seeds

We had a pretty good Halloween this year. The holiday started off by going to the local pumpkin patch and picking out a great pumpkin for carving. This happens to be one of my favorite parts about Halloween because I get to be artistic using a different medium than I'm used to. My son wanted nothing to do with the pumpkin this year (what 2 year old doesn't want to dig in a pumpkin!?) so I just took over the project and created a pretty nifty carving out of it.

My perfect pumpkin

Friday, November 4, 2011

Semi-Homemade Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies




Chocolate chip cookies? Awesome. Zucchini chocolate chip cookies? Even more awesome. They kind of taste like zucchini bread that's laced with chocolate without all the time that's involved in the actual preparation of making the zucchini bread. Whew...that was mouthful!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Apricot Glazed Chicken - Version 2



I had a tiny bit of apricot butter left in the fridge and wanted to make glazed chicken with it. I did a version of this a couple months ago that was really, really good. This one is a more simple take on that though. The glaze isn't as thick as the previous one and it doesn't have as much apricot flavor. I just wanted a hint of flavor this time because my husband was home for dinner and he isn't an apricot fan at all, but the apricot was so subtle that he even liked it!

This glaze gave just a little sweetness to the chicken and the butter helped keep it moist. If you don't have apricot butter, you could use preserves or jam. It won't be as smooth and will probably be a little bit sweeter, but it will still have the same effect.


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Super Simple Roasted Red Pepper Sauce



This is quite possibly one of the easiest meals I've ever made. Roasted Red Pepper sauce probably sounds like it's complicated, but using pre-made or store-bought peppers makes this a fast and great choice for a busy weeknight dinner. It's also a very light meal so you don't get that heavy "I just ate a lot of pasta" feeling. 

Simple Honey Mustard


I sometimes like to use honey mustard in place of plain mayo or other sauces and spreads. It's really easy to make and adds a new twist of flavor to a lot of sandwiches. I'd suggest using it on your next sandwich (such as the Cuban Style Grilled Cheese) or as a dip for fries. You can even make it a salad dressing by adding a splash of vinegar and a tad more honey.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese: Cuban Style



Our visit to Fair Oaks Farms a couple weeks ago inspired this Cuban Grilled Cheese sandwich. They have a Cuban sandwich that is sub-par as well as a grilled cheese that is far from living up to my standards. I thought I could combine both ideas into one and come up with something super tasty that is actually not too bad for you.