Cooking Fresh ~ Tangy BBQ Chicken

I'm pretty new at Crock-Pot cooking, but I have to say.....I'm getting hooked.  For someone who is always busy, it's the best thing!  If you don't already know, I LOVE cooking and as fresh as possible.  But sometimes the whole ordeal can take half the day if I'm not careful.  And that's why the crock-pot is genius!  I can just throw everything in and walk away.  That's exactly what I did when I made my Tangy BBQ Chicken!  I love BBQ almost anything, but since I cut processed sugar out of my diet three years ago, that also meant that I quit BBQ sauces too.  Have you seen the amount of sugar per serving?  and it's one of the main ingredients....Unbelievable!!  Well I found my solution for my cravings.....just make my own sauce.  We are having better BBQ Chicken for dinner!


*Disclaimer ~ I did not stop and measure everything.... I used the eyeball it and taste method!


Here's what I did:

I started by making my own blend of seasoning salt.  Did you know Lawry's adds sugar?  (Why?)




-garlic powder
-onion powder
-paprika
-ground sage
-ground brown mustard
-coriander
-whole oregano (dried)
-black pepper
-salt










* REMEMBER I rarely use measurements.  I use the tasting method.  [ I feel like I have to keep saying it! :) ]  I recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon of each and some common sense.  For example, I happen to LOVE fresh cracked black pepper so I add a whole lot to everything.  You may want to use less....

Generously season both sides of the chicken (I used thighs but go for your favorite part of the chicken.....)










Next, I grabbed a mixing bowl....It's time to make the sauce!  Side note:  I didn't make a whole lot of sauce because I was only making a small amount of chicken with no plans for leftovers.  You can certainly double the ingredients if you need to.  

*****The ingredients that I am listing for the sauce are approximates..TASTE EVERYTHING!! ...and along the way.

3/4 cup  tomato sauce
1/3 cup  apple cider vinegar
2 TBS    honey
1/2 tsp   onion powder
1/2 tsp   garlic powder
1/2 tsp   sweet paprika
1/2 tsp   ground brown mustard
1/4 tsp   nutmeg
1/4 tsp   cinnamon



~From here I might have added a little more honey and a few more sprinkles of seasoning from the above list, oh! and maybe even a little water.... until it was real good to ME!  I recommend doing the same -live a little!  Once the sauce was perfect, I set it aside.  I added it to the chicken later.


APOLOGIES!!! I forgot to take a picture of what the sauce looked like in the bowl...  


After about 2 hours the house was smelling delicious!  Mmmmmmmm.....I removed the chicken thighs from the Crock-Pot and drained the liquids.  It just seemed like a whole lot of oil to me..  I added the chicken back to the pot skin side up and poured in the sauce that I made earlier, making sure everything had a nice coating.  Placed the lid back on and walked away.  I would say that the chicken was ready 1 1/2 hours later, I recall turning the Crock-Pot off before the full 4 hours.  Everything was fully cooked and tender which is exactly what I wanted!  I would think if I were making more chicken I may have needed the full 4 hours, no????  

Well other than a few minutes of prepping, this BBQ chicken took no time! ....well none of mine anyway!  

I paired my yummy Tangy BBQ {Crock-Pot} Chicken with some cheesy rice and green beans.  My family loved it!  Let me know how it goes for you!

Cooking Fresh ~ Lentil Burgers

Last week I posted my Lentil Burgers on my Facebook and Instagram pages and lots of requests for the recipe.  And not to toot my own horn but they were sooooooo good... TOOT TOOT!  I even told my husband that they might have just been the best bean burger I've ever had!  WOW!!!  I am no where close to being or becoming a vegetarian but I am always eager to taste the bean burgers I see on the menu when we go out to eat....so I have had my fair share!

If you follow me on social media, you can see that I absolutely LOVE cooking and strive to cook as fresh and healthy as I possibly can.  A few weeks ago I made a really big pot of lentil soup and I froze half to enjoy on another day.  The soup by itself was delicious!  It was made using dried lentils, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper- I had no idea how much I would enjoy the leftovers this much.  But when you are cooking fresh everything tastes better!  There are so many layers to flavoring and when you cook from scratch you are in control.  Sure you can substitute with prepared items but it's just not the same!

To form the patties I started by using a slotted serving spoon and scooping out a few big spoons of lentils.  Using my fresh baked bread, I made some bread crumbs by toasting a few slices then chopping them up.  To the crumbs I added dried chopped onions, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper and about a tablespoon of mayonaise and combined everything.  The mixture needed to be a little wet in order to stay together to form the patties.  Heat your griddle or hot pan and a little bit of olive oil and brown the patties on both sides.  And that's it! (Sorry I don't have pictures for the patties......I didn't know I was going to be sharing!)

Now that the patties are done, the burger assembly can begin.  If you are feeling bold, I would suggest definitely making the pretzel buns.  In my opinion that is one of the best parts of this whole thing!  Click here for the recipe I got off of Pinterest.  I have made it about 5 times and the buns never last at my house! DELICIOUS...... but proceed with caution!!!!  If you are lacking time, you can easily just pick up your favorite hamburger buns at the grocery store and be all set.

I dressed my burger with a spicy mayo spread and LOTS of freshly shredded cabbage.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!  Let me know how yours turns out.




*Disclaimer-  I don't use measurements on purpose when I am cooking and rely strictly on my pallet.  Taste, taste, taste!!!!  If you think it needs more of something.....add it!  Start light and season along the way!

LENTIL SOUP:

-dried lentils
-chicken stock (homemade or low sodium store bought)
-cumin
-salt & pepper
-garlic
-onions
-potatoes
-carrots
*This is a simple dish, just throw everything in the pot bring to a boil and then\ let it simmer on low until the lentils, carrots, and potatoes are cooked through but not mushy.


LENTIL PATTIES:

-lentils (about 2 cups of cooked lentils from your soup or store bought, drained)
-bread crumbs (fresh or store bought)
-dried chopped onions
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-whole oregano
-paprika
-salt & pepper
-1 TBS mayonaise

*Set pan or griddle to medium-high heat and add (or spray) the pan with a TSP of olive oil.  Brown the patties on both sides to create a nice crunch.  If you use a non-stick pan, you don't need a lot of oil at all!  Done!
**As far as the seasonings go, I would start with 1/2 TSP of each and add more accordingly.

SPICY MAYO:

-2 TBS of mayonaise
-hot sauce of your choice (I used Tabasco) and to your heat preference
-garlic powder (a few dashes)


You can also dress your lentil burger with all your hamburger favorites!!  Mmmmm!  I'm definitely making this again!

Cropped Denim Jacket

Sometimes you just have to let the fabric speak yo you. It knows what it wants to be. And that's exactly what ended up happening with this denim jacket project. What I set out for in the beginning grew into a completely different product in the end. I originally imagined a loose fitting cropped jacket with flowing sleeves. But when I searched through my fabric stash, I came across some leftover denim from another project.  I didn't have much so this could work out for my cropped jacket. Well..... now that changes everything because the denim is way more stiff than my original design.  Almost immediately- I felt a structured jacket was the way to go!  A couple of snips and tucks and this jacket started coming to life. My goal: keep things simple to allow the eyes to be drawn to the clean style lines and defined sleeves. Descrete pockets, a crisp top stitch and covered buttons finish the garment.

What I love most about this jacket is its versatility. Initially it feels dressy but I can easily dress it down with some jeans and a tee.  Throw in a cute clutch and some earrings and I am good to go! That's the beauty of being an artist! YOU can bring your vision to life!!  

Bella Clutch ~ "Grey and Stripe"
Available at www.thegreybutton.com

"Fanned Out" Leather Hand-Painted Earrings in Silver
Available at www.thegreybutton.com

2015 is off to a great start! What projects will you be working on this month to start off the new year?  You can follow my journey as I sew my way through my portfolio and into a brand new wardrobe! I've created a Pinterest board just for my looks and you can also see what I'm up to on Instagram. I'd love to hear from you!  Bye for now buttons!!

Pleated Peplum: Done!

Last week I draped the beginnings to this top with absolutely NO idea what I was going to do with the sleeve.  As you can imagine, whatever I decided to do with the sleeve would determine the entire look of the top and ultimately make or break the design.  No pressure, huh?  Well it always helps me to grasp a look by sketching out all of my options.  It seems to always open up my imagination.  So when I sat down to draw, the first thing that came out was this dramatic sleeve.

I did really like it.......but I still wasn't sure.  And so I asked the question in a few groups on Facebook and I got so many responses.  THANK YOU!!!!     {Side Note:  I love the new sewing groups I am a part of!  Finally a whole community who is on what I'm on!}  I sketched out the top suggestions and put a poll on my website.  Here were the choices:

Over any other design, the majority agreed with me with the dramatic sleeve. Yay!  Now to make it!!!  I have to mention that I did not use any patterns on this entire garment and certainly did not want to start in having to plot out the sleeve on pattern paper.  So I didn't!   Here is the finished top with that amazing sleeve.

 I love it!  I styled it with a pair of turquoise skinnies (is that a word?) and even found a pair of earrings that went perfect!  2015 is going to be fun and this was just the jump start I needed,  If you missed the first part of this project, like the fabric I chose and a look at the pleats click here.

Pleated Peplum!

I love to design!!  .......But sometimes I have so many ideas floating around in my head that it's hard to decide where to start ....... or finish!  So I am soliciting your help.  I started this peplum top with a real shaky plan for the sleeves to begin with.  All I knew was that I've been sitting on this fabric for months (about 7) waiting for the day I figured out what to do with it.  That day finally came yesterday.  First, let me say if you ever find yourself near Goodville, Pennsylvania, check out the fabric store Goodville Fabric Outlet.  They have LOTS of fabric at super cheap prices.  Downtown LA has me so spoiled that I am forever on the quest to find discounted fabric places!  Okay, back to the top.....

Here is the fabric I started out with.   I only had 2 yards so I had to be creative.  I love fabrics that allow you to get use out of both sides!  Surprise!!  This on had it!

And I wasn't sure what the fabric content was so I did the burn test.  I think it is a cotton/polyester blend.

Confession:  So, after I draped the right side of the body, I decided to take the piece off and trace it for the left side.  Only problem was I traced it on the wrong side.  Well, I was trying to figure out how to incorporate both sides of the fabric before and my accident did it for me.  The result was fabulous!

The pleats are just a labor of love.  I happen to adore pleats because they are so simple but make such a beautiful statement.  You can probably still see my "stay" stitches on the above picture (and all the others until I'm finished) that way I keep things in order while I'm pressing away.  Here is a close up.

I know, I know.. I should have hemmed before pleating!  Got half way through before I realized my mistakes.  Oh well!  Next time will be better.

And now I'm at the part where I always find myself wondering....."What should I do with the sleeve?"  This makes or breaks the whole thing.  Initially I wanted a dramatic sleeve but the more I think about it........the more I second guess everything!  And so I am soliciting your help.  I posted the top in a couple of groups I am a part of in Facebook and got a lot of feedback and suggestions.  Now to narrow it down!!!  Help me decide...

Here is a complete look of what I have so far.

And here's the initial sleeve I thought about doing but who knows now!....  Help me decide by  a voting. 

 Click HERE to see the additional sketches for sleeve options and to vote for your favorite!

Cooking Fresh ~ Crisp "Tiger" Slaw

I originally made this slaw to go on top of crab cakes at the request of the hubby and it was so good I had to have it again! So tonight it topped a sweet and tangy marinated steak. It was a great balance of both flavor and texture. About tonight's dinner.... my husband and daughter gave me super high rankings and the slaw tied everything together!!!  I can see this crunchy slaw marrying well with other flavor profiles, so I WILL be experimenting!

Now remember......me and measurements... No dice!  Use your flavor pallet and start tasting!!!

I started off with making a paste that will be the foundation of the vinegarette. This brings the whole slaw together. 

For the paste: 

Ginger

Onion

Garlic

Lemon Zest

Lime Zest

-I blended in my bullet but I'm sure a food processor would be fine too. 

For the vinaigrette:

Some of the lemon/ginger paste you just made

Rice wine vinegar

Ground brown mustard 

Chilling pepper

Fresh cracked black pepper

Lime juice

Olive oil

-I also blended this in my bullet. Adding more oil until I got a good consistency. 

For the slaw:

Red cabbage

Green cabbage

Carrot 

Granny Smith Apple

Mango

-I shredded everything

From here just toss the slaw in the vinaigrette and your done! It's tangy and delicious!

And here it goes on top of crab cakes on that beautiful pretzel bun!

What I love about cooking fresh is how much you really taste ALL the ingredients!  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Cooking Fresh: Winter Vegetable Soup

Our recent move has allowed me the time and space to explore another passion of mine outside of fashion.  That would be cooking. I find that after a long day of being a designer, creating and sewing, cooking relaxes me.....  And I think, more than anything, knowing exactly what I'm putting in my body makes me the happiest.  Cooking satisfies all of my senses.... it's so beautiful!

So I joined a group on Facebook that has a challenge of "No Sugar in November". Although I am going on 3 years sober from this drug, I thought I could be support for someone else. There is clear and validated evidence of how sugar causes all sorts of health issues. I know personally how my body started breaking down because of SUGAR!  Since I have left it behind my body appears to be getting younger. Lol.  Eliminating sugar from someones diet is not always easy because it's in almost everything that is conveniently packaged. I realized that as I started actually reading the nutritional labels at the grocery store. And that's when I decided not to deprive myself,  rather find healthier options. And a chef was born......well at least a wannabe chef!

It's been getting cold and once the warm air is out-  I immediately start to think of warm foods....specifically soups. Today I made a delicious vegetable soup using root vegetables and loaded with lots of herbs! Now I have to admit that I don't use measurements (except when baking).  I've always been inspired by people saying they don't measure and since I wanted to be like that one day that's how I practice! ......And plus I feel like people know what they like so add as little or as much as you like!!  Don't be scared.  It's about getting in there and having fun!  Tweak the recipe for next time. 

I like to prep everything before I get started. It helps me not to forget anything:

I started with cutting up sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots into small cubes.

Then I diced the onions, garlic, one jalapeño (I kept only a few seeds). 

I also chopped fresh parsley, oregano and rosemary.

 Next I prepared the fresh green beans by cutting off the ends....

diced a few tomatoes and washed a bunch of fresh spinach. 

In a large sauté pan heat a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat 

 

and add the sweet potatos, parsnips carrots, onions and jalapeño. 

I added salt and pepper and sautéed them for about 5-6 minutes. 

I was looking to get a little browning on the vegetable. I added  the garlic in last as it tends to burn if it's sautéed too long. After another 4-5 minutes I added the fresh herbs making sure to keep everything moving in the pan. 

Another 5 minutes and in goes the fresh tomatoes and since I didn't have the juice of the canned tomatoes I added a little homemade chicken stock. 

I let every thing simmer for about another 5 minutes.  The kitchen smells so good at this point! Next I tranfered everything to a big stock pot and added water -enough to cover everything plus a little more since I will be adding more ingredients towards the end and a few dashes of worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. How much water depends on you. Do you want a more hearty soup or broth-y? {And don't forget to salt and pepper along the way. I find that when cooking fresh you need not be stingy with salt (unless your monitoring your sodium). I use kosher salt and it does make a difference when I'm cooking.}. 

Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, partially cover and let simmer for about 45 minutes making sure to stir along the way and check the seasoning.

 Now it's time to drop in the green beans, spinach and garbanzo beans. 

I brought the heat back up to medium and continued to cook the soup until the green beans were tender. 

Your done. This is how much I made. I froze 3 jars and enjoyed one tonight. 

I enjoyed my winter vegetable soup topped with fresh parsley and a homemade pretzel twist. 

Enjoy!  

If you make it let me know how it turns out!