Day 28: Chicken Flautas with green Chile Gravy and Guacamole

What a success you guys!  This one turned out fantastically.  I am now totally in love with that green chile gravy and will probably put it on EVERYTHING.  Having family that lives in New Mexico has definitely taught me to adore anything smothered in green chile and this was no different.

I did make a couple of changes to the recipe just because I like things spicy.  I added cumin, chile powder, and lots of paprika to the chicken filling.  I also added a few dashes of hot sauce to the gravy. I decided to make guacamole for the top because I thought the creaminess would go well with the crunchy flautas.  Man guys, I cannot tell you enough how delicious this is.  Not to mention that the ones I didn't fry tonight are going to freeze perfectly for leftover night!  The first thing my boyfriend said about this recipe was "you need to make this again." I have to admit, I was a little jealous that he got the first taste.

Day 25: Bolognese in the Slow Cooker

I have really been wanting to try making bolognese in the slow cooker ever since I started my resolution.  I finally decided this week would be a good week.  I put it all together in the morning before I went to work.  It worked out perfectly timing-wise because I had a really long work day but it started at 11 so I had plenty of time to do TONS of chopping in the morning.  I think in the future if I make this recipe I will probably cut up everything the night before or even the weekend before and just throw it in the freezer.

In terms of the flavor I thought it was OK.  I think I would probably take a stick blender to it just a bit creamier and blend everything.  The thickness of the sauce also what I thought it would be, it was pretty watery.  I served with garlic bread and sprinkled with LOTS of parm and some fresh parsley.  I think it turned out pretty good but I would definitely like to fine a heartier bolognese recipe for the slow cooker.  Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Day 24: Mango Blueberry Cous Cous salad with Basil and Lemon

What a beautiful and quick dinner this turned out to be.  I have always made a cous cous salad recipe with bell peppers, feta, tomato, and cucumber so when I saw this recipe I couldn't wait to try it.  I served it on a bed of spinach for a little extra healthy kick.  I also put a couple slices of Gruyere on the side because I was craving it.  Turned out to be a pretty good match actually.

I was so sad when I realized I forgot to put the Crasins on but oh well, these things happen.  My favorite part of this salad was definitely the mango with the basil/lemon vinaigrette on it.  I already love mango but the dressing just added something wonderful.  The boyfriend said he liked this one a lot too, so that's a definite success in my eyes!

Day 22: Egg Bake Loaf and Lemon Curd Pie Bites

Ohh man people, yet another dinner-party success!  I am always so happy when things I cook for guests turn out right.  I usually never cook things I've never cooked before for guests but because of this whole resolution thing I've been forced too.

Tonight my boyfriend's best childhood friend and his wife came over for dinner.  For the entree I made the egg bake loaf that is FLYING around Pinterest.  I did make one change to this recipe though, I added some finely chopped shallots, lots of salt and pepper, and a little bit of Italian seasoning into the filling.  Also, before I baked the loaf I sprinkled some more Gruyere cheese over the top.   I served it with fruit salad and baby greens with olive oil and vinegar.  I loved the way the loaf turned out.  The bacon balanced so well with the shallots and green onions.  The saltiness was so delicious.  I thought the fruit was a great side dish for the loaf because it was bright and sweet against the salty onions and bacon.  The salad provided the acid needed to make every meal a success.  Even my boyfriend told me I should make this again for sure; success!!

For dessert I made little bite size pies in a muffin tin.  I filled them with home made lemon curd and topped them with fresh whipped cream.  The lemon curd recipe was one I stole from a different recipe for lemon shooters online.  It was creamy and so incredibly lemony.  YUM!  I think if you don't like lemons you definitely won't like this lemon curd.  Then again, if you didn't like lemons why would you make lemon curd at all?  The whipped cream was definitely needed because I think the lemon would have been too sour to handle without it. 

I am so happy the recipes I tried tonight turned out wonderfully.  I have to say, I was nervous about this one!

Day 21: Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuits

Before Friday I had never eaten chicken and biscuits before.  I know, I know, I live in the mid-west so it is a felony that I've never had chicken and biscuits before.  That's why when I saw this recipe I just had to try it.  I spent a LOT of time chopping all the ingredients in this dish, which kind of takes the easiness out of cooking in the slow cooker but I think I will probably make this recipe again.  The chicken turned out beautifully.  It was practically falling apart on its own before I took it out of the slow cooker. When I stirred in the cream cheese at the end I knew I made a good decision to try this recipe.  It pulled everything in perfectly and I just couldn't wait to try it.  I did add a couple things the on-line recipe didn't: cumin and chili powder.  The kick I added with these spices was just-right.  I might just be a chicken and biscuits lady yet.

Day 20: 3 Cheese and Bacon Pasta Bake

This recipe turned out just okay.  I probably won't make it again just because I've made so many far superior pasta bakes.  When I was reading the recipe I based mine off of I was really excited for a creamy and delicious pasta dish.  Unfortunately, the ricotta really dried out the alfredo sauce and made the sauce more clumpy than creamy.  Also I thought there was way too much bacon; it totally overwhelmed the flavors of the dish and made it barely worth-it to even make the dish.  Might as well just eat plain bacon.

Day 19: Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

My boyfriend and I absolutely love beef stroganoff.  I've always made it the "real" way over the stove etc. but this recipe was WAY better and WAY easier to make :-)

I really liked the way the meat turned out.  It was nice and juicy and tender, just like slow cooker things are supposed to be.  One thing I want to work on for next time is making the sauce a little thicker so that it sticks better to the noodles.  I read in a couple of other recipes to put flour in the sauce at the beginning of cooking.  I'll be trying that out next time for sure.

All I can say about this recipe is that I don't think I'll ever make beef stroganoff the real way ever again.