Baked Split Chicken Breast With Herb Goat Cheese

When buying chicken, I usually purchase boneless skinless chicken breast. However, I recently came across split chicken breast (chicken breast on the bone with skin) that were on sale for a deal that was just too good to pass up. I have to admit, it’s not that I really prefer one over the other, it’s more of a purchasing habit and because of that I honestly did not know how to go about cooking the split chicken breast. Until I came across a pin on Pinterest, it was just an image with a short description for baking the split chicken breast with herb goat cheese between the skin and the meat. Genius!

This chicken came out amazing and it was probably the simplest recipe I have ever made. The chicken was golden & gorgeous, the skin was crisp and puffed up beautifully and the best part…the chicken was so juicy and the flavor was outstanding! Needless to say I will be making this recipe frequently, especially on weeknights when I just need a quick and easy recipe without losing any flavor.

Baked Split Chicken Breast With Herb Goat Cheese

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Split Chicken Breast
  • 1 Package of Herb Goat Cheese
  • Salt & Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F

Step One

Evenly divide the goat cheese into four (or five) pieces and set to the side.

Step Two

Prepare the chicken; with a pairing knife (or chef’s knife), carefully pull the skin away from the breast meat to create a pocket between the two. Do this to all of the chicken breast.

Step Three

Place and spread the herb goat cheese into the pocket that you created. Try to get it somewhat evenly spread out, that way you have some goat cheese with every bite.

Step Four

Season the split chicken breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step Five

Place the chicken on a large baking sheet or dish and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 163°F (don’t worry it will continue to cook bringing the temperature up to the “safety zone”).

Eat & Enjoy!

My Tastee Tips

I prefer to go by temperature instead of time to ensure that I don’t accidentally overcook (or under-cook) the meat, resulting in dry chicken. Not good eats. If you have an internal thermometer that you can place in the chicken during the duration of the cooking time I would recommend using that and setting the goal temperature for 163°F.

If you don’t have an internal thermometer, you can pick one up at most large grocery and/or retail stores. Look for one that has a thermometer probe attached to a long cord that plugs into the reader, which you can preset to alert you when the desired temperature or time has been reached. This seriously is a kitchen necessity! You can use it when grilling too.

Looking for a side to serve with the baked split chicken breast with herb goat cheese? I kept it simple with a side salad and four cheese couscous! Simple, quick & extremely easy not to mention delicious (I may have already mentioned that).

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

If you all are anything like me, you spend countless minutes hours on Pinterest, more specifically on the “Food & Drink” board. I have seen many pins and have re-pinned the recipe for Philly cheesesteak stuffed bell peppers many times. I finally decided it was time to actually try the recipe instead of just drooling over the photo.

The recipe below is my adaptation of the recipe seen all over Pinterest, which I did make according to its directions, I just felt the need to kick it up a bit. The first time I made the recipe I used green bell peppers and red bell peppers (I already had some at home so I decided to give it a try) and I am glad I did, I prefer the red bell peppers over the green.

I also added a few ingredients to the “stuffing” including Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes in order to make my taste buds extra happy. These were so good, I have made them about once a week for the past month and what is even better they are super easy and quick to make. The perfect recipe for weeknight dinners!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

Ingredients

  • 5 Red Bell Peppers (or green if you prefer)
  • 1 Large Container Mushrooms (whole or pre-sliced, 16oz.)
  • 2 Roast Beef Lunch Meat Containers (or about 16oz.)
  • 1 Large Onion (sliced, medium to thick)
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
  • 15 Slices of Provolone Cheese (5 of those slices cut in half)
  • 1-2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (depending on how much heat you like)
  • 2 ½ tbsp. Worcestershire
  • 1 ½ tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
  • Olive Oil
  • Butter
  • Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp. Flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F

Step One

Cut the bell peppers in half length-wise and remove the stem, seeds and the membrane. Line them up on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes (if you are using green bell peppers I would recommend adding an extra 3-5 minutes).

Step Two

While the bell peppers are in the oven slice the onions, mushrooms (if needed), roast beef and mince the garlic.

Step Three

Remove the bell peppers from the oven and soak up the liquid sitting in the peppers with a paper towel. Set to the side and keep the oven on.

Step Four

In a large saute pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes then add the garlic and continuing cooking for another minute. Add the mushrooms and roast beef then season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the ingredients are all thoroughly combined.

Step Five

At this point you should notice some liquid in the pan, add the flour, a tablespoon at a time until the liquid is soaked up. Add the Worcestershire and the balsamic and stir to thoroughly combine, cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Step Six

While you are waiting during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, place the provolone slices that are cut in half inside of the bell pepper halves. Top with the meat/mushroom mixture (evenly distributed amongst the bell peppers) then top off with the remaining provolone slices.

Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown and bubble.

Eat & Enjoy!

My Tastee Tips

Continuously taste the meat/mushroom mixture as it comes together, depending on your personal preference you may like more heat or more vinegar etc. Don’t be afraid to taste it and say, “Hey! I think this would be great with _____ or with more ______,” that is the best part of cooking, making it your own!

If you are looking for a really quick dinner I would recommend buying the mushrooms pre-sliced, this will save quite a bit of time when cooking these Philly cheesesteak stuffed bell peppers.

Peppers: The Need To Know Info

There are many different types of peppers from green, yellow and red, mild bell peppers to the smaller, meaner and mouth-on-fire causing Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (the hottest pepper). If you are wondering, “What exactly is the difference in heat between all of these peppers?” Well, look no further, the chart below provides you with exactly that information.

First things first, the Scoville scale, this is how peppers’ heat levels are measured. More specifically, Scoville heat units (SHU) are what determine the amount of capsaicin (in simple terms, what makes you feel the heat) present in each type of pepper.

How Hot Are Those Peppers Chart With Scoville Units

My Tastee Tips

To remove some of the heat from peppers (this works for jalapenos and other peppers along that level, I’m just guessing here, but I think once you hit a certain level on the scale, there is really no helping the amount of heat) you want to remove the seeds from the peppers as well as the membranes (the white or lighter parts inside of the peppers) there is a lot of heat packed into the membranes so be sure to remove those (unless of course you are from Texas or you are a heat-seeking brave human being).

The most important tip I may ever provide, wear latex gloves when working with peppers! This may seem like a no-brainer to some or it may seem like a thing only wusses (or some other noun that means the same thing) would do, to others. Either way, your hands and more than likely your eyes and other parts of your body, will be extremely grateful for protection against those feisty peppers.

Spicy Mango Shrimp With Coconut Lime Rice

This recipe for spicy mango shrimp with coconut lime rice is a household favorite. The flavors are absolutely amazing, between the mango, red bell pepper, freshly squeezed lime juice, soy sauce, fresh ginger and delicious shrimp your taste buds will be screaming “feed me more!“

I originally found this recipe through Southern Living but after several years of making this dish I have tweaked it to what I feel is perfection. The recipe below is my version of the spicy mango shrimp recipe found here (don’t worry I didn’t change anything drastic, all of the good stuff is still there, in fact there is even more of it in this adaptation).

The coconut lime rice recipe is the same as the original recipe. Sometimes I will double it, depending on how many people will be eating.

Spicy Mango Shrimp With Coconut Lime Rice

Ingredients

Spicy Mango Shrimp

  • 2lbs. Shrimp
  • 3 Medium Red Bell Peppers (diced)
  • 1 Bunch Green Onions (diced)
  • 3 Mangoes (diced)
  • 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
  • 2 tbsp. Freshly Grated Ginger
  • 1 tsp. to 1½ tsp. Dried Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/3 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
  • 3/4 cup Soy Sauce (lower sodium)
  • 4 tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
  • Olive Oil (Around 3 tbsp.)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Coconut Flakes (toasted)

Coconut Lime Rice

  • 1 cup Light Coconut Milk
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1½ cups Uncooked Jasmine Rice
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Lime Zest (a little extra never hurts)
  • 2 tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice (about 2 large, juicy limes)

Directions

Step One

Peel and devein shrimp if needed, place in a bowl in the fridge until it is time to cook them.

Dice your green onions and red bell pepper and set on a plate or in a bowl. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger, add to the dish with the onions and bell pepper. Add the red pepper flakes and set to the side.

Dice your mangoes and set on a plate or in a bowl. Wash and chop the cilantro then add to the mangoes and set aside. Measure out your soy sauce and place in a bowl or cup then add the freshly squeezed lime juice.

(Doing all of this in advance will make the cooking process go so much smoother!)

Step Two

Get your rice cooking, combine the coconut milk, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rice and bring back to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low, cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the lime zest and juice.

Step Three

Toast your coconut, some packages will have directions on them, if not preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the coconut flakes on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 7-10 minutes stirring once or twice. The coconut flakes should be golden brown but not burnt.

Step Four

While the rice and coconut are cooking and toasting prepare the rest of the dish. Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and heat until it pops when you splash a bit of water on it (but before it begins to smoke!)

Add the shrimp (unless you have a jumbo pan you will need to do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook until it just turns pink, turning the shrimp only once, usually 2-3 minutes total. Remove shrimp and set to the side, repeat with remaining shrimp.

Step Five

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat in the saute pan. Once the oil is hot add the green onions, bell pepper, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring a few times.

Step Six

Add the mango, soy sauce with lime juice and cilantro to the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and stir to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients together, season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes over low heat.

Serve the spicy mango shrimp over the coconut lime rice and top with toasted coconut.

Eat & Enjoy!

My Tastee Tips

If you are unfamiliar with mangoes or are just not sure how to go about dicing them, check this out.

Save the shells from the shrimp, place them in a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to make a shellfish stock. This is awesome for sauces and gumbo…(I think I may have already discussed this in a previous post)…you get the point.

You are going to want a large saute pan, this recipe makes quite a bit but trust me it never lasts long, that is how good this spicy mango shrimp with coconut lime rice is, you will be wanting to make this at least once a week.

Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk pie is amazing and that is all you need to know! was and continues to be a holiday tradition in my family. This buttermilk pie recipe is from my grandmother’s cookbook (which is very old and very difficult to read) and is a must have for any holiday, special occasion or simply to satisfy your sweet tooth. Trust me this buttermilk pie recipe is amazing and best of all it is super easy to make!

Buttermilk Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 Eggs (slightly beaten)
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup Butter (melted)
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ¾ cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°

Step One

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Step Two

Add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and butter and mix together until thoroughly combined.

Step Three

Pour the batter into an unbaked pie crust and bake for 55-65 minutes or until golden & gorgeous (and set in the center).

Eat & Enjoy!

My Tastee Tips

The bake time for this pie can be a little tricky. One of my sisters can bake it in about 45 minutes while it takes me at least 70 minutes to have it set in the center. I would recommend baking for 50 minutes without opening the oven, you don’t want to let the heat out. After 50 minutes, quickly open the oven and gently jiggle the pie, if there is even the slightest movement, it needs more time. Try 7-10 minute intervals until the buttermilk pie no longer jiggles and is golden & gorgeous.

If you are making buttermilk pie for a special occasion, where you will be feeding a lot of people, you can easily double this recipe to make two buttermilk pies (and hey you don’t even have to stop there, make 3 or 4, buttermilk pies galore!)

Spaghetti Carbonara With Kale & Pancetta

I recently received a pretty awesome cookbook for my birthday, so of course I had to try out a few of the recipes within the first few days. This recipe for spaghetti carbonara with kale and pancetta is one worth sharing! Not only does this recipe taste fantastic it is super easy to make. What more could you ask for?!

The cookbook is Weeknight Fresh + Fast by Kristine Kidd from Williams-Sonoma. It’s a good one. The recipes are broken up into the four different seasons. This is great for making sure your dish tastes fresh and that the ingredients are at their prime.

The recipe I am posting is pretty much the same as in the cookbook. I, however, doubled the recipe so that there would be four servings instead of two and I added extra kale. Seriously good eats!

Spaghetti Carbonara With Kale and Pancetta

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. Pancetta (chopped)
  • 2 Large Shallots (minced)
  • 1/2 cup Dry White Wine
  • 16 oz. Dry Spaghetti
  • 3 Bunches of Kale (chopped)
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)
  • 1/2 cup Romano Cheese (freshly grated)
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions

Step One

Wash the kale. In a large bowl or in your kitchen sink (as long is it is nice and clean) fill it with water, then add the kale and soak for 10-15 minutes. If you are using a bowl you will likely have to do it in batches. Drain and chop the kale then set to the side.

Step Two

Prepare your mise en place by mincing the shallot and placing to the side in a small bowl or plate. Grate your cheeses and place in a bowl or on a plate and set to the side.

Step Three

Place a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and add the pancetta. Saute the pancetta until it starts to brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the shallots and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the wine, scraping any brown bits off of the pan and cook until reduced by half, about 30-45 seconds. Remove from heat.

Step Four

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 5 minutes then add the kale. Continue to cook until the pasta is al dente, 3-5 minutes.

Step Five

While the pasta is cooking, beat the eggs in a medium size bowl. Stir in the cheeses and freshly ground black pepper (I used about 1/2 tbsp. if you like pepper do the same, if not use less).

Step Six

Remove 1 cup of the pasta water and set to the side.

Step Seven

Briefly reheat the pancetta, about 2 minutes then remove from heat. Drain the pasta and kale and add to the pancetta stirring to combine.

Step Eight

Whisk 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the pasta and stir until thoroughly coated. The pasta should be creamy not wet and runny. If it is wet and runny place the pasta over very low heat and continue to stir until it becomes creamy.

Step Nine

Remove from heat and add small amounts of the remaining pasta water to the pan, until the pasta is silky (you may or may not need the entire remaining amount of pasta water).

Eat & Enjoy!

My Tastee Tips

Make sure you remove the pan from the heat before adding the eggs, if it is too hot the eggs will curdle. NOT good eats! (Letting the eggs sit at room temperature for a bit, while prepping and cooking everything else, will also help keep them from curdling).

There are a few different varieties of kale available, any of them will work. I used black kale like the original recipe called for, the leaves are a little straighter but I would think the curly leaves on other varieties would be good for holding on to the sauce too. So really whatever you can find and whatever looks good.

In case you didn’t know, kale is super good for you, if you are interested in finding out the details check it out here.

If you are unsure of what dry white wine to use when cooking the spaghetti carbonara with kale and pancetta check out this guide to determine the best wine.

How To Steam Crab Legs In The Oven

This is something that I recently discovered and it is pretty amazing. I have always boiled my crab legs, mostly because I don’t have a steamer basket (guess that needs to go on my list eventually) but also because it’s a pretty tasty method. However, I recently decided to do some research on the best ways to prepare certain types of crab legs/clusters and came across this method using the oven.

If you have foil, a large baking dish and some water you have a great way to steam crab legs in your oven. The crab meat comes out like a charm and tastes soooooo good, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Steamed King Crab Legs In The Oven

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Step One

Fill 1/8 of the baking dish with water and cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Step Two

Poke a lot of small holes in the foil, make sure it stays tight though.

Step Three

Place crab legs/clusters on top of the foil and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes (you may have to cook in batches if you have a lot of crab legs).

Eat & Enjoy!

My Tastee Tips

It’s kind of hard to keep the crab legs from poking or being to heavy for the foil. A quick fix, grab a few skewers and run them across the baking dish then place the crab legs on top of the skewers (I only used like 3 skewers, no need to go crazy with them).

Do not throw away the shells from your crab legs! Use them to make a shellfish stock that is great to have when making gumbo, soup, stew and bisque, just to name a few. Store the shells in a plastic storage bag and place in the fridge if your going to make the stock within 24 hours however if it’s going to be any longer than that, store them in the freezer. It is easy to make and makes a big difference in flavor! This can also be done with shrimp shells. (I will try to get a recipe up for shellfish stock soon!)