Before and After FarmHouse End Tables

Ricotta Pizza Cheese

Making Homemade Pizza is nearly a weekly thing at our house.  It is fast, easy and a great way to use up fresh produce and herbs from the garden.. We returned from vacation and had no cheese, but I did have a container of Ricotta cheese.  Adding the spices and herbs to the Ricotta cheese really made a great topping!  

Ricotta Pizza Cheese: 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Combine 8 ounces of whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds before adding as a topping to the pizza.  Adding a tiny drop of essential oils such as basil, oregano, or rosemary is great too.  

Simply Perfect Enchiladas

I was excited to find a copy of this book in Perfect Condition at my local Goodwill...I have checked out this cookbook numerous times from my library!

We love this Recipe~ I follow it pretty closely only using jalapeno peppers instead of green chilies and I use Coconut oil or Avocado Oil instead of Canola oil...

SimplyPerfect Enchiladas

Ingredients
Sauce:
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
One 28-ounce can enchilada or Mexican red sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Meat:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

The Rest:
Canola oil, for frying
10 to 14 corn tortillas
Two 4-ounce cans diced green chilies ~ I used jalopenos instead
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Cilantro, for garnish


Directions

For the sauce:
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

For the meat:
While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.

For the rest:
In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil ( I used coconut oil) . Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.

Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chiles, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling.
Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.


2012 Ree Drummond, All Rights Reserved

Picking Flowers

Lavender, Lemon & Honey Marinated Chicken

I loved visiting a nearby Lavender Farm in Iowa called Moonstone. They allowed visitors to pick their own Lavender from their field.  They had culinary and fragrant varieties of lavender growing there as well as a fun gift shop to visit. I picked up a few pamphlets filled with lavender recipes.

I made this chicken last night and served it with basmati rice and a salad.

Lavender, Lemon & Honey Marinated Chicken
Adapted Recipe from the book Little Paris Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon dried lavender 

2 cloves of garlic smashed

1 lemon, zest and juice

2 sprigs of thyme, leaves pulled off stem

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

8 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Pinch of salt

Fresh black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Crush lavender using either a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin. In a large bowl, combine crushed lavender, oil, honey, thyme, garlic and lemon zest and juice. Mix well. Add chicken pieces and spoon marinade over chicken until well coated. Cover and marinate for 60 minutes (or up to 4 hours).
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Put chicken and marinade into roasting pan. Sprinkle tops of chicken with salt and pepper. Roast chicken for 45 minutes, turning pieces over halfway. Cook chicken until it has an internal temperature of 165°F or when thickest part is pierced with a skewer, the juices run clear (not red or pink). Serve chicken with cooking juices poured over and around. Serve with Bread or Rice. 

Love Grey and Vintage White

Painted in Country Grey Annie Sloan and Trophy Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.  Love the combination of these two colors.  I love the original hardware too.