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/

Balsamic-Marinated Roasted Veggies

This is a quick, simple, healthy side that is really tasty. You can use any vegetables you like. I make this dish frequently, always changing up the veggies. This time I used zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, snap peas, red onion, and red bell peppers. It was crunchy and packed with flavor. Try it out with your favorite veggies.

Balsamic-Marinated Roasted Vegetables via the Flick of my Wrist:
(4 generous servings)

4 cups of washed, cut veggies of your choice

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Shake up the vegetables well to ensure they are all coated with the marinade. You can marinate these at room temperature or in the fridge as well. I let them marinate for about an hour. Pour veggies on to a greased roasting pan or a greased, foil-covered cookie sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  

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

Boudros Famous Guacamole

This is a replica of the most amazing guacamole that I found on my New Year's trip to San Antonio a few weeks ago. If you go to San Antonio, you MUST go to this restaurant... Boudros = probably one of my top 3 LIFE dining experiences. (And I eat A LOT.) At the restaurant they make this guac for you tableside. The waitress had mentioned to us that they had they recipe for it on their website. You know I had to check that out, voila! Perfect appetizer for my Jets to beat the Pats yesterday! Roll on to the Steelers!

Boudro's Famous Guacamole via Boudros.com:

Juice of 1/4 of an orange

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1 avocado seeded and scooped out of skin

2 Tbs roasted and charred Roma tomatoes diced

                                              1 ea Serrano pepper roasted seeded and diced
                                                          1 Tbs medium dice red onions
                                                               1 tsp chopped cilantro
                                                coarse ground salt to taste (sea salt is better)

Squeeze juices into bowl. Add avocado and coarsely chop. Add onions, roasted tomato, serrano and cilantro fold into avocado mixture. Add salt (more is better). Result should be crudely chopped not mashed. That’s it.

Enjoy!