Roasted Broccoli

This week I was inspired by a friend’s Facebook post of what she was having for dinner…well, as a side for dinner…roasted broccoli.  When cooking broccoli I usually do the standard (okay maybe a little boring) steamed with a little butter and salt – quick easy and to the point.  As I started looking up roasted broccoli recipes I began to understand why people rave about it. I loved it when I tasted the end product.  It was an explosion of flavor in each bite with a combination of garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and of course, broccoli.  This is a great side dish that will spice up any dinner plate. 

Quinoa Buffalo Chicken Bites

As many people know, I love buffalo chicken…I love buffalo wings, I love buffalo chicken sandwiches, I love buffalo chicken dip, and now I have found a new love…buffalo chicken bites made with quinoa.  I stumbled across a blog while looking up new recipes called ‘So Very Blessed’ and found some great recipes using quinoa all in bite sized pieces.  As I am writing this it is bringing up great memories of grabbing dinner with my friend Susan in college at First Run…they had great buffalo chicken sandwiches!  Anyways, quinoa is a great grain (along with oats – what what) and has been coming back in vogue the past few years because of its nutritional benefits. 

Tomato, Chard and Gruyère Casserole

I plucked this recipe out of Food & Wine magazine a while ago so excited to make it and I am not sure why I have waited so long because it is REALLY good!  It is a rustic dish that is perfect for Fall and Winter (and definitely paired well with the rainy/gloomy day we are having here in Chicago with Smash on in the background).  It is a very hearty dish but could be used for either a main dish or a side.  The one criticism I have is that the prep time does take a while (lots of chopping!) but it is worth it and I am sure there are ways to cut it back (like cooking the swiss chard the day before and slicing the tomatoes). A perfect option for a vegetarian plate at a dinner party.  I would definitely recommend cutting it in half or 2/3rds because it makes A LOT of food and most people don’t have a dish that can handle this size casserole.

Chicken Paprika

I am sitting here in good ol’ Northwest Arkansas Airport waiting to head back to Chicago and really not in the mood to respond to the emails waiting in my inbox.  People watching is at a minimum (because there aren’t many people here) and usually you don’t want to be working on presentations in this airport (because a majority of people in it are from competitor manufacturing companies here to call on Walmart).  

Chicken Divan

Well hello friends!  Did you miss me?  I missed writing (and cooking).  Sorry I have been a bit MIA – life has been a tad busy lately.  In short: BIG presentation, wedding dress shopping, Susan visiting, Nielsen friends happy hour, and trip to Louisville, OH for another round of wedding dress shopping and tastings.  Such a whirlwind few weeks and I am exhausted, but had so much fun and have a great report card:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Super Bowl XLVII is two days away and PepsiCo is the official sponsor of the halftime show!  Unfortunately the Falcons blew it in the playoffs, so I am not really rooting for anyone, but I am excited to watch a good game, great commercials, and eat even better food! Do you have your menu planned yet?  If not, this buffalo chicken dip is a WONDERFUL option.  One of my greatest friends, Katherine Riethman, graciously passed along her highly requested recipe.  Literally every event we had, whether it was a Super Bowl party, birthday gathering, watching the Oscars, or just having a fun night in with friends, we always requested that she bring her fabulous buffalo chicken dip…so much so that she probably got sick of making it. 

Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta

Nothing cheers me up more than being curled up on the couch while HUGE snowflakes fall outside the window on a Sunday afternoon while doing a little work.  Each January at PepsiCo, the insights teams are working to analyze what happened the prior year…the good, the bad, and the ugly to inform future strategy.  This usually entails a few later night work days.  Since cooking is a release for me after a long day, I try and have quick options on hand that I can throw together....something ‘Real Simple.’  That is exactly where I found this recipe, in Real Simple, one of my favorite magazines.   I tend to find a good amount of recipes in there that include rotisserie chicken as an ingredient to make cooking times quicker.  If you plan correctly over the weekend, you can have rotisserie chicken with some greens as a side and then use the leftovers the next night in a dish like this…two dinners in one!  I definitely recommend to use gemelli…it is a nice change from the basic penne.  Enjoy!