Rewind: Top 11 of 2011

Posted: December 30, 2011 | Author: kat | Filed under: Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

photo kitt3yzzz.tumblr.com

The end of the year and the start of a new one is always bittersweet for me… I hate to see the year come to a close, but then on the other end of the spectrum I’m looking forward to 2012 and all the new challenges and opportunities that may come my way.

On July 13, 2011 she cooks, he eats was created. Check out one my very first post here! I started this food blog with the intention of chronicling my journey as a newbie cook! Prior to 2011, I didn’t cook….just random baking of cupcakes every now and then. Actually learning to cook was one of my resolutions when 2011 started, and I’m very proud to say that I actually accomplished a resolution for once in my life!

With almost 6 months of blogging under my belt, I feel slightly accomplished. Accomplished in the sense that I did something. I exposed myself and my life to this crazy alternate world that we call the internet. It’s scary…but it also one of the greatest communities to be apart of. I’ve met so many wonderful people via my blog…people that I like to call friends.

By no means am I declaring myself an expert. I’m not. Nor will I ever be. I love to learn. I love to cook. I love to cook for my boyfriend. He means the world to me! I think cooking is one of those unspoken gestures that one can do to show love, appreciation, and affection. I guess it’s just my silly way of telling him I care. He actually bought me my very first cookbook :)

With everything that’s said, thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for giving me the chance share my life, and everything I eat with you! :)

Here’s a list of my favorite top 11 recipes from 2011…

(1) Momofuku’s Ginger Scallion Noodles

These are my favorite noodles ever! You may of heard me talk about this a lot, but that’s only because it’s quick and so easy! And the ginger scallion sauce compliments the ramen noodles perfectly! I love eating this for lunch. Keep in mind to always use fresh Japanese ramen, please please please do not buy that processed stuff that you get at the grocery store. It will never do this noodle justice!

momofuku's ginger scallion noodles

(2) Paula Deen’s Zesty Roasted Garlic Bread

My quest for the best garlic bread recipe is over, because this is so good! And it’s from Ms. Paula Deen, butter queen extraordinaire! So you know she won’t disappoint! Try it out and you’ll taste what I’ve been raving about!

paula deen's zesty roasted garlic bread

(3) Paula Deen’s Lots O’Meat Lasagna

Another Paula Deen recipe! Surprise, surprise…I love Paula Deen! She’s one of my favorites from the Food Network! This is my boyfriend’s favorite! It’s packed with two types of meats and a variety of cheeses…a plus for your manly man! Do make an extra lasagna because day-after lasagna is just too good to not eat!

paula deen's lots o'meat lasagna

(4) Betty Crocker’s Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Due to an unforeseen cookie craving, I wasted half an hour googling a recipe for chocolate chip cookies when all I should of done was just head on over to Betty Crocker’s website. These cookies were my best batch of chocolate chip cookies to date! The boyfriend loved it! I loved it! I hope you get to love it too! :)

betty crocker's ultimate chocolate chip cookies

(5) Maple Garlic Ginger Chicken Wings

This was my first foray into chicken wings! I love chicken wings because they make awesome finger foods! Be sure to lick all that maple off your fingers because it really is that finger licking delicious!

maple garlic ginger chicken wings

(6) Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings

The complete polar opposite from maple garlic ginger wings! These wings are savory unlike their sweet counterpart. These wings are perfect for last minute gatherings because it only takes 40 minutes from start to finish! A lot quicker if you’re a quicker chopper, but I’m a bit of a scaredy cat and chop very slow :)

baked parmesan garlic chicken wings

(7) Quattro Formaggio, Spinach and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

I’m so lucky my parents never fed me that yucky mac and cheese with the powered cheese sauce growing up. Honestly, I find nothing appealing about boxed mac and cheese… I call this my grown-up mac and cheese! Sure it takes a little bit of effort on your part, but it’s so worth it! Be sure to sprinkle lots of bacon bits!

quattro formaggio, spinach and bacon macaroni and cheese

(8) Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

Meat and potatoes, meat and potatoes! It’s a great dish to make if you want to impress your date! It looks and taste amazing but it’s definitely another one of those no-fuss dishes! It’s very quick and easy to put together! Taste great as is or pair with mexican rice!

spanish chicken with chorizo and potatoes

(9) Steak Tacos with Fired Tomato and Chile Salsa

This is my boyfriend’s specialty. He is a fantastic cook! I have him make this for me any chance I get! As an alternative, try frying tacos! Even if your not eating tacos, be sure to try his fired tomato and chile salsa! It goes great with salty tortilla chips and is way better than any store-bought salsa around! I may be a bit biased :)

steak tacos with fired tomato and chile salsa

(10) Kat’s Crispy Fish

You will rarely find a recipe on here that requires deep frying. I prefer to use the oven than a fryer, and I’m sure you all know why. But on my cheat days, this is an exception. There’s nothing better than knowing that you can make your own fried fish and having it taste a million times better than having to head out to a fast food joint to satisfy fried food cravings. I paired this with my go-to ginger scallion noodles, but it taste great alone or use it to make fish tacos! This is also one of my boyfriend’s ultimate favorites.

kat's crispy fish

(11) Spaghetti and Meatballs

Who doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs? It’s comfort food! But the key to really good spaghetti and meatballs is making your own sauce and meatballs. It’s really not as hard as you think!! A simple sauce made with tomatoes, butter and onions and homemade baked meatballs can be achieved in less than an hour! Yes, less than an hour!

spaghetti and meatballs

Phew, that’s my top 11! It was a lot harder than you may think because if I had the chance I would love to cook all these meals over again! One of the challenges of writing a food blog is trying not to “repeat” meals, but sometimes I do… I can’t help it, it’s that good! :)

I hope you get to try some of these wonderful dishes. I love that they are simple, but a slight homemade twist makes it a little bit special.

I’m looking forward to starting fresh and I can’t wait to ring in the new year in a few days!

Cheers to 2012!

xoxo, kat

ps. I would love to thank Barb for giving me inspiration to start blogging again! I admit I had a bout of blogger’s block! It’s the holidays, I’m so sorry I’m stuck on vacation mode! Please check out her blog, Life in the Foothills, for some fantastic recipes and photos!

Seared Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

Posted: December 30, 2011 | Author: kat | Filed under: pasta recipes, sides recipes | Tags: Basil, food, lemon, lemon pasta, menu, Pasta, pasta recipes, pioneer woman | 7 Comments »

seared chicken with lemon basil pasta

This yummy pasta comes from Pioneer Woman! It’s a creamy, lemony and basil pasta that’s paired with some chicken breasts that I quickly seared. I think the real highlight of this dish is the pasta. That splash of lemon really brings out all the flavors in the dish and makes it very light! If you don’t want to pair chicken with this pasta, you can try grilled shrimp, blackened fish, or bacon bits!!

It’s absolutely perfect for a quickie weeknight dinner or an easy no-fuss but sure to impress date night dinner!

Check it out below!

INGREDIENTS: cooked chicken, pasta, butter, lemons, heavy cream, half-and-half, parmesan cheese, s+p basil

First, boil the pasta according to package directions and set aside. While the pasta is boiling, prep the chicken…

STEP 1: Wash and pat the chicken breasts dry. Season both sides with s+p, dried rosemary, dried oregano, and a pinch of ground cumin.

KITCHEN TIP: I started off with two chicken breasts. To stretch the chicken, I like to filet them in half. It ensures even cooking throughout the chicken and you get more chicken to eat :)

STEP 2: Cook the chicken on a hot skillet. Set aside on a plate and wait 5-10 minutes, then cut into slices.

Now that the pasta and chicken are out of the way, make the white sauce next! It’s so simple!

KITCHEN TIP: Add more lemons if you prefer a stronger lemon flavor. Three lemons were sufficient for a hint of lemon after taste.

To make the white sauce, you will need heavy cream, half-and-half, lemons, fresh basil (chiffonade), and parmesan cheese.

STEP 3: In the same pot that you boiled the pasta in, melt butter over medium heat. And squeeze in the juice of 3 lemons. Whisk it all together.

STEP 4: Pour in the cream and half-and-half. Whisk until hot.

STEP 5: Add in the parmesan cheese until it's melted through. Season with s+p according to your taste preferences. Whisk in the fresh basil. Keep whisking until you've reach a smooth and creamy consistency.

KITCHEN TIP: If the sauce is still too thick, add some reserved pasta water.

STEP 6: Over low heat, pour the pasta into the sauce. Toss to combine.

STEP 7: Sprinkle in some more parmesan cheese to get that cheesy gooey texture (optional)

STEP 8: Plate the pasta and chicken. Sprinkle basil and a smidge of parmesan cheese. Serve :)

Paula Deen's Zesty Roasted Garlic Bread is now my favorite go-to garlic bread recipe. My quest for the perfect garlic bread recipe is finally over :)

With some leftover roasted garlic butter, we made Paula Deen’s zesty roasted garlic bread! It was great! I’m going to start making my own compound butter for futures uses! I’m looking forward to using different herbs and flavors for these butters!

and that's date night! excuse the mess, things can get kind of chaotic when we start cooking but I wouldn't want it any other way :)

Even though it’s pasta, it wasn’t as heavy as other pasta dishes. That extra hint of lemon flavor makes it surprisingly refreshing and very yummy!

Well, that was our date night! What did you have for date night? :)

Have a beautiful weekend!

xoxo, kat

Seared Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta (from Pioneer Woman)

cooked chicken breast (grilled or seared), sliced
1 pound penne pasta, cooked until al dente
1/2 stick butter
3 whole lemons, juiced
3/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or roman0)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
20 whole basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.
In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-half. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

an open letter to Friday…

Posted: December 30, 2011 | Author: kat | Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

photo tumblr.com

Dear Friday,

I wait anxiously for you to come every Mondays through Thursdays. When it’s Friday, I’m as happy as I can be, thanks for always being the highlight of my week! And when you’re gone, I miss you… and I wait for you all over again :)

xoxo, kat

ps. Thanks for a great year! See you in 2012!

This was one of my absolute laziest weeks ever! I’m still stuck on vacation mode and don’t want to go back! I finally succumbed to joining Twitter and I turned 80 years old all on the same day because I don’t know how to use it! If anyone has any tips or who I should follow, please do share! I’m pretty helpless when it comes to social networking. You can find me on Twitter at shecooksheeats :)

Anyhoo, I hope everyone had a great holiday! I can’t wait for the new year to come already! After close to three years of dating, this will be the first time that my boyfriend and I will be in the same time zone, cheers to that! :)

Here are some favorite highlights from the week (aww the last week of 2011!)…

Favorite carbs:

biscuits with apple butter from Lucille's :)

Favorite meal (recipe here):

grilled chicken with lemon basil chicken

Favorite creation:

bacon toasts || genius! :) || photo seasaltwithfood.com

Favorite song of the year:

I’m sorry, I like his songs! I’m as vanilla as it gets when it comes to music, but his songs are just so infectious and soooo hard to avoid on the radio…sigh, he got me lol! My boyfriend makes fun of me for liking him but that doesn’t stop me from blasting his songs as loud as I can in my car :)

NYE weekend, yay!! What are your plans for NYE?? Nothing fancy for me, lol. Hope you all have a fabulous time ringing in 2012! Stay safe and I can’t wait to see you all next year!

xoxo, kat

PS. Oh, don’t forget to vote for your favorite cookie of the season! Remember voting ends January 1st!

Dining Dilemma: To Return or Not?

Posted: December 27, 2011 | Author: kat | Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Hope everyone had a beautiful holiday weekend!

Last night, my family and I headed to Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ for our belated family Christmas dinner. How was it? See for yourself below…

warm biscuit with apple butter...amazing.

my dinner, the two meat combo...beef brisket, beef tri tip, and mac and cheese. mac and cheese, good. beef brisket, heaven. beef tri tip,....(can I inject a potty word in here?)

Le sigh, everything from the delicious fluffy warm biscuits with apple butter, the gooey heavenly mac and cheese, to the melt in your mouth beef brisket was perfection. BUT when it came to that beef tri tip, it was terrible. It was so dry and tough that it was impossible to chew gracefully (ie. like a classy lady :). It felt like eating a really bad stale piece of jerky…it was that disgusting.

Do you guys ever send food back?

I’m such a food lover, and I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’ve NEVER sent anything back to the kitchen before.

Later that night, my boyfriend called and I asked him if he’s ever returned food and he brought up a very valid point. He has a criteria. If it’s dinner at a posh place, then yes. Perfection is a necessity. But if it’s a hole-in-the-wall type of joint, then you just go along with your meal. I agree on both points.

Furthermore, if I were to ever return something I would make sure to ask for something different. I hope they don’t practice this, but I wouldn’t want to have to send it back to only get the same dish 5 minutes later.

In my situation, since Lucille’s is in the moderate price range (my meal was around $25) what do you think I should have done??? What would you do? Since I was with my family, I would feel comfortable returning it. Same case if I was with my boyfriend. But under social circumstances, that’s the dilemma…

So my question to you is…

What’s proper dining etiquette when it comes to unsatisfactory food and if one should have it sent back or not? Also what would you do if you find something unsightly in your meal (ex. hair, we’ve all had it happened at least once in our lifetime lol)? Or are you super sassy and have no problems pulling a Gordon Ramsay? :)

xoxo, kat

ps. Check out my previous rave about Lucille’s here!

pps. This was a different Lucille’s that I went to with my family than the one mentioned above :)

Happy Kissmiss!!!

Posted: December 25, 2011 | Author: kat | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment »

I’m sure by now, you all can guess who I’m dedicating this song to ;)

Hope you’re having a fabulous day! Merry Christmas!!!

love, kat

Oh Friday, it’s just that time of the year again…

Posted: December 23, 2011 | Author: kat | Filed under: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

photo weheartit.com

Many Christmases ago, a new holiday was born…a festivus for the rest of us!!! Haha, for all you Seinfeld junkies, Happy Festivus!

Can you believe it?! Not only is it Festivus today, but we’re only days away from one of my favorite holidays! It’s pre-Christmas eve haha!! What are some of your favorite family holiday traditions this time of the year? My family and I don’t really have traditions other than presents and a big dinner…we’re very non-traditional people :)

Now that it’s officially Winter here, it’s been so cold and windy here and I just love it! This week just flew by too fast. Honestly, where has the time gone?

Anyways, here are some of special moments from the week that I’d like to share…

Favorite indulgence: