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Ohhhh yeah…..this is a good one, folks.  It’s kind of funny how the recipe came about.  My dear hubs had requested pesto chicken and pasta for lunch, and I took the package of chicken out of the freezer, thawed it, and made the pesto.  When I opened the package, however, it was ground chicken.  Not chicken pieces as I had thought.  Now what?  I wasn’t about to make a whole other lunch after having gone through all that trouble already (all that trouble…hahahahahahaha), so I thought, “Self?  What should we do?” And I replied, “Mix ‘em both together and make a burger out of it.”  “Ha!  Great idea!”  “I know!”  So that’s what I did.  The whole talking to myself thing and everything. LMAO

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast meat
1 recipe for pesto
6 buns, spread with butter, garlic and a bit of salt, toasted.

Preparation:

Combine chicken breast and pesto and form into patties.
While buns are toasting, grill or pan grill the burgers about 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
Serve on prepared buns.

Tags: burgers, chicken, italian, poultry, recipes, sandwiches by nikki
19 Comments »

I made this a while ago, but as you have probably realized, I haven’t been able to get on the computer much recently.  This pasta dish is a simple and elegant side for chicken or pork, and I think it would even work cold as a salad.

Ingredients:

8 ounces (250grams) spiral (or other) pasta
1 can quartered artichokes (14 ounce 350 grams)
1 packet pine nuts (about 1/4 cup), toasted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, prepare artichoke sauce.
Toast pine nuts and reserve.
Heat olive oil over medium heat and sautee garlic until golden.
Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, and artichokes, and toss to combine.
Add sauce to pasta (previously cooked and drained).
Add Parmesan cheese and pine nuts and toss to combine.
Adjust seasoning and serve warm or cold.

Tags: artichokes, italian, pasta, recipes, salads, side dish, vegetables, vegetarian by nikki
4 Comments »

My good friend Claire posted a recipe for Tiramisu….Oh my dear God it is SO GOOD.  I swear I could have eaten the whole thing myself–it’s so light, airy and utterly fabulous.  Tiramisu is actually a cinch to make (who knew?!), and can be made in individual serving dishes for a prettier presentation (my presentation this time is a bit lacking, but the flavor of Claire’s tiramisu more than makes up for it, I promise!)

Ingredients:

2 cups espresso, cooled to room temp
3 tablespoons Tia Maria (I used Grand Marnier)
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup powdered sugar (I used more like 1/3 cup)
10 ounces (250 grams) mascarpone cheese
1 cup cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (This is my own addition to her recipe)
10 ounces (250 grams) ladyfingers (about 20 cookies)
cocoa powder, for dusting

Preparation:

Beat egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and foamy.
Add marscapone and beat until combined.
Whip the cream and vanilla until stiff peaks hold, and gently fold into the egg mixture.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer to soft peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the vanilla cream.
Mix coffee and liquer in a shallow bowl.
Quickly dip cookies one at a time (don’t soak them, just a quick dip).
Layer the bottom of a serving dish (or individual serving dish) with dipped cookies.
Spread 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over cookies.
Repeat with remaining cookies and cream mixture, finishing with a creamy layer.
Dust with cocoa.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but it works quite well if you leave for up to 24 hours.

Tags: desserts, italian, recipes, vegetarian by nikki
4 Comments »

Looking for something to do with all that zucchini overflowing from your garden?  I’ve got just the thing for ya.  Old Bay Seasoning gives these little babies a great kick of flavor, and you can sneak pretty much any veggie you like into them…I’ve got picky pants eaters at my house (the nerve!), and even the pickiest loved these.  It’s important to let the mixture sit in the fridge for a good couple of hours…that way the flavors meld and the mixture firms up a bit (note–if your mixture seems a bit watery, add a bit more more bread crumbs), to make for easier formation of the fritters.

Ingredients:

3 cups grated zucchini (I used 3 small to medium)
1 cup grated carrot (2-3 carrots)
1 medium onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
2-3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
flour for dredging (about 1 cup or so)
oil for frying

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except flour and oil in a large mixing bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
If the mixture seems a bit watery, add a few more bread crumbs or some flour to firm them up a bit.
Gently form patties with the mixture.
Dredge in flour and place on a plate.
Heat oil to medium heat using a larger skillet.
With the help of a spatula, slide patties into hot oil.
Fry for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
Drain on paper towels.

Tags: carrots, recipes, side dish, vegetables, vegetarian, zucchini by nikki
3 Comments »

I just posted a comment on the last post, but I thought I’d post a quick pic of one of the reasons I haven’t been able to post lately!  Meet Dalí­, our 10 week old Belgian Shepherd:

He is just the sweetest darned thing….so loving and really well behaved considering he’s just a baby.  We’re still working on getting him to sleep later than 4am (!), but other than that, things are pretty good.  He’s getting better at doing his business outside rather than on the floor, which is really a blessing…I thought I might wear the floor out scrubbing it so often.  Oh well, at least it’s shiny and squeaky clean. hahaha  So far, his favorite game is fetch, and he just loves his rope bones, too.  He hates his collar and the leash, but I think he’ll get used to them with time.

Tags: Uncategorized by nikki
7 Comments »