Chicken & Dumplings

I got a craving that I probably shouldn't have acted on last week... and this was the result. This was the delicious, hearty, calorie-filled, amazing result! In hindsight, this probably would have been a more appropriate meal for winter time, but what can you do! A craving is a craving. Luckily I had a lot of help in the consumption process. Everyone was a fan, and once again the Pioneer Woman has yet to let me down. Now I hear about her new show that's coming out on Food Network and I can't hardly wait!

Chicken & Dumplings via The Pioneer Woman:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/12/chicken-and-dumplings/

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a fond memory of my childhood. We used to get giant scoops of it for dinner from the hot deli at Gerrard's Market in Redlands when my Dad would take us grocery shopping with him. It was always so simple, yet hearty and delicious. This time around I tried to convince myself it was healthy and packed full of lean meat and veggies. :-) I did use 96% lean ground beef instead of the lamb. I doubt that made any difference. The end product was a success. I've been eating it for the last 3 days. So satisfying! I also added 1/3 cup grated parmesan to the mashed potatoes & garnished the top of the pie with paprika. (That's how Gerrard's used to do it!) Do a taste test for spices before you assemble the pie. I ended up adding some salt and cayenne. I always add cayenne!

Shepherd's Pie via Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shepherds-Pie-240224

Perfect Roast Chicken

The cutest little naked chicken! Everybody always has their different ideas about the perfect roast chicken. This recipe came as a recommendation from two separate sources so I thought I should try it out. Roast chicken is really versatile. There are so many different ways you can dress it up. You can usually find it at the grocery story for fairly cheap, so it can be very budget-friendly as well. This was about a 6 lb. young chicken, for like $3.50. That sounds like a bargain to me. This was really easy, pretty quick, and stayed succulently moist. I do think I might have accidentally used anise instead of fennel... Stater Brothers tricked me! It was great either way. Stay tuned for the perfect side dish: Ranch Mashed Potatoes!

Perfect Roast Chicken via Ina Garten:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html

Veggie Fried Rice

This little dish of heaven was actually just an attempt to not waste any food in my fridge. I had a bunch of leftover veggies that needed to be eaten along with some steamed rice from thai takeout the night before. Voila, fried rice! You could really use any veggies you like. I had carrots, celery, green onions, shallots, garlic, & cilantro on hand... so that's what I used! This turned out delicious & it was very satisfying to not waste any fridge items. Add a little Sriracha sauce for some extra spice. Try it out!

Veggie Fried Rice via The Flick of my Wrist:

1 1/2 cups cooked, steamed white rice

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tbsp. chopped shallots

1 tbsp. olive oil

soy sauce to taste (1-2 tbsp.)

3/4 cup shredded carrots

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

2 eggs, scrambled

cilantro, chopped for garnish

Sriracha (optional, for some kick!)

Saute the garlic and shallots in olive oil just until fragrant in a medium sized frying pan. About 2 minutes. Add all other veggies and cook until tender, a few minutes. Add rice & soy sauce to taste. Let rice & soy sauce caramelize on the bottom of the pan a bit to make the rice nice and crunchy. Scoot the rice to one side of the frying pan to make a little room to cook your scrambled eggs. Scramble eggs by themselves, and then mix into rice once they are cooked to desired doneness. Serve immediately and garnish with cilantro & Sriracha if you like spicy. Makes 2 main dish servings.