Blackened roasted chicken and vegetables

Please excuse those ugly cuts on the breasts. I was beginning to cut it when I remembered I hadn't taken a picture. Hey, after waiting 4 hours for it, I didn't want to wait any longer! Haha

• 1 whole chicken 
• 8 small potatoes 
•  2 handfulls of baby carrots 
• 1 lemon, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• Blackened seasoning ( I use Chef Paul Prudhomme's  Blackened Redfish Magic}
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (or any oil)
• A pan deep enough to hold all this deliciousness 

What I really like about this is that it has a simple preparation. The hard part is waiting for it to be done. BOO!!

Preheat over to 400

1. After washing your potatoes and carrots, you're going to quarter the potatoes. If you are using baby carrots, you wont need to cut those, but if you're using regular carrots go ahead and cut them about 1 1/2 inch tall. Throw those in your pan along with the potatoes and two tablespoons on the oil. Toss them until they are well coated. Salt and pepper them, and toss them some more.
2. To prepare your chicken, you have to wash it and with a paper napkin lightly dry off the excess water.
3. Coat your chicken with the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle on some of your seasoning, and gently rub  it in. Make sure you get around the whole chicken!
4. Now place your chicken on the bed of potatoes and carrots. Add in your lemon slices atop the potatoes.
   
5. THIS IS THE HARD PART: Put it in the oven and wait approximately 3 to 4 hours until you can enjoy! (The time will vary with every chicken due to size, to be sure to check it about every hour or so.)

After FOUR hours it was finally done! 

Just look at how juicy that looks! And the potatoes..they're just perfect!

I know some of you might be wondering why I didn't ass any celery, and well it's simply something I don't personally like. If you do, you can go ahead and add it in with the potatoes and carrots. Also, I decided to use the blackened seasoning because, at least for me, the taste of the chicken is better, and its almost close to a rotisserie chicken. If you don't have any of the blackening seasoning, you can go ahead and seasons with anything you want; that's what is fun about this! No two baked chickens have to be alike!

Baked Potatoes

I love potatoes. I love a stuffed potato more though. 

•  Russet potatoes
• Oil, I used EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Salt

The steps necessary to make the potatoes is actually pretty easy.

Preheat oven to 350

• Wash your potatoes. Scrub the skin lightly with a vegetable brush or the rough part of a CLEAN sponge. You want to take all the dirt off without peeling off the skin.
• Next, coat your hands with olive oil. Rub your hands around an entire potato. Repeat with the rest. You don't want too much oil on the skin, just enough so that it is coated in a thin layer.
• Now, lightly stab your potato with a fork about 8 times in different areas. This helps the potato cook evenly.
• Lightly salt your potatoes.

•  To cook your potatoes, place them directly on to rack. Add a pan or a sheet of aluminum foil to catch any drippings. This will ensure that your skins are golden and crispy. 

This is the part I hate; waiting. Depending on the size the potatoes can take from an hour to two.

Once done, you can dress up your potato o your liking. Enjoy! 

Sautéed Artichokes

Don't those look delicious?

This weekend Nick and I went on a field-trip to the Moss Landing Marine Labs in Moss landing. On our way back home, right outside of Castroville we spotted a small barn selling small artichokes at 12 for 1$, and fried artichoke hearts.  I wanted to buy the big artichokes (4 for 5$), but Nick really wanted to try the small ones first, so we bought 12 of those. 

I really wanted them to deep fry the hearts, but these were too small for that so the next big thing was to sauté them in butter. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. :)

• Artichokes
• Butter
• Salt and pepper

• Wash and cut the stem off the artichoke, and cut in half lengthwise

• In a skillet, over medium heat, add tree tablespoons of butter. Once it has melted add your artichokes upside down and salt and pepper to your taste.

• Let them cook for about five minutes or until they are starting to brown. Turn over and allow them to cook for about 5 more minutes.

And YOU ARE DONE!

I like to serve this with melted butter for dipping, or sometimes with a bit of ranch. 

Pasta dough

Making your own pasta dough is actually easy, and the resulting products is something you can be proud about.
A couple days ago, Nick and I wanted ravioli but had none; we decided to try and make it on our own.

(This recipe was taught to me in culinary school)

• 2 cups flour + more for dusting
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
• 1 cup warm water

• On a clean surface, make a mountain shape with the flour, and make a well in the middle. Add the two eggs in the well along with the oil, and two tablespoons water.

• With a fork, start to mix (whisk) it all in together, being careful the liquid ingredients don't spill out.

You're going to add water as needed. If your dough seems too dry, spray the water in, or add a tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is reached.  The amount of water will always vary.
I didn't add enough so my dough wasn't as smooth as it should have.

• When your dough has balled up, you want to place it on a lightly floured surface with an inverted bowl for about 20 minutes.

• Once it has rested, it is ready to be rolled! You can do this with a rolling pin, but a pasta machine would make this much easier.

You want to roll it out on a very lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.

From here, you can cut it in any shape you'd like, or stuff them.
You cook this as you would with store bought pasta, but it tastes much better. Since this recipe doesn't use salt, I recommend you salt your water, this will just add a bit of flavor to it.

We made HUGE raviolis stuffed with cheese. For the edges, we used water to "glue" them shut and a fork to the ridges.

Cream Cheese Pastry

• 1 Can of Crescents (I used the Pillsbury brand)
• 1 1/2 cup Cream Cheese or more, depends on how stuffed you want them
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extracts
• Melted butter
• Sugar and Cinnamon mix to sprinkle on top, I used about 1/4 cup

• Preheat over to 375
• After you open your can spread the dough (without tearing it into the triangles) onto a baking sheet. and press the triangles together on the perforations to create one big sheet. 
• Cut your sheet into four equal pieces
• Now, combine your cream cheese and vanilla together
• Spread onto Half of each piece
• Now bring the other half upon the mixture half and close the edges together
• Drizzle the melted butter on top, and sprinkle with your sugar and cinnamon mix
• Bake until golden brown (About 15 minutes)

Tomato Mozzarella and Avocado Sandwhich

Doesn't that look good?!

 This right here is probably one of my most favorite foods because it is simple yet tasty.

• Bread ( I used 12 Grain Wheat)
• Tomato, sliced
• Avocado, sliced
• Spinach ( I didn't have any this time, but I do add it almost always)
• Mozzarella, sliced or grated ( I prefer grated,melts faster)

Very very simple; on medium high heat, place your bread slices on your comal or skillet, add chesse to both slices and tomato to one. Once the cheese is melted add the sliced avocado, and you're done!

Very easy, very simple, right?!