Breakfast of Kings?

Woke up this morning not feeling like the traditional eggs and bacon breakfast, and cereal wasn't quite gonna cut it. I had the oldies music channel playing on tv, and Elvis' "Good Luck Charm" came on. Inspiration! I remember hearing that Elvis loved fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, so I decided to take a note from the King for my breakfast this morning.



Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

1. Spread peanut butter on two slices of sandwich bread. Drizzle honey one each slice. Cut banana into small discs and place on one slice, covering from edge to edge.

2. Put sandwich hlaves together and spread a thin layer of butter on one side and place butter side down on a preheated griddle at medium. Spread butter on the naked side of the sandwich and flip when golden brown.

I'm eating mine with the second half of the banana, but one whole banana should cover two sandwiches. It's a very satisfying breakfast with just a touch of sweetness. I think The King would be proud.

This breakfast has left the building!

Ole!

Tonight I decided to try making enchiladas for the first time. I made black bean salad last week and needed to use it up, so I figured it would work well as enchiladas.




Black Bean Salad Enchiladas

Black Bean Salad:

corn (frozen)

black beans

bell peppers (tri color)

onion

roasted anaheim chili

Enchiladas:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of baking dish. **I used store-bought sauce. Next time I'll attempt to make it myself**
2. Take one 10"corn tortilla and fill with black bean salad. Top with shredded cheese (either cheddar or "Mexican Blend"). Roll and place upside down in baking dish.
3. When dish is full, pour rest of sauce over enchiladas and cover with cheese. Bake for 20 min.

While the enchiladas were cooking, I made some guacamole, which was an excellent addition. I had planned on making a Mexican-inspired salad with cilantro, onion, tomato, tortilla strips and cilantro dressing, but I just wasn't hungry enough. Maybe next time. I have leftovers, anyone want some?

First Course

I have come to the realization that I am driven by food. Okay, this wasn't much of an epiphany, but my desire to share my culinary attempts is fairly new. I've been bothering friends and family with my culinary attempts via text and Facebook for a while now. I suppose its time I inundate the rest of the worldwide web with my culinary endeavors. To start off, I present my most recent culinary experiment. It started off as a recipe from Food Network Magazine, but I didn't have all the spices that they required, and I felt like adding more flavors/veggies. It was an absolute success!





Skillet Chicken with Potatoes, Onion, and Lemon

3/4 lb. small red-skinned potatoes, halved or quartered
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
pinch Italian seasoning
pinch seasoning salt
S&P
1 large lemon, squeezed halves reserved
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 yellow onion, sliced into quarters
EVOO

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium pot, cover the potatoes with salted cold water; bring to a boil, cook until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
2. Pile garlic, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, and salt and pepper ona cutting board. Smash into a paste, transfer to a bowl, adding EVOO and lemon juice. Whisk together and coat chicken. **Since I'm usually cooking for one, when I buy chicken, I separate it into individual samdwich sized zip-top bags and freeze until I plan to use them. Its really easy to defrost in a bowl of warm water as you're prepping the rest of the meal. I just add the marinade to the individual bags as needed**
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook until the skin browns. Add onion, potatoes, and lemon rinds, lightly drizzling with EVOO. Sprinkle with more Italian seasoning and seasoning salt. Transfer to oven; roast uncovered 20-25 min.

I loved the way this meal turned out. It was really easy to make and had a really great flavor . I cook a lot of chicken (it's cheap and easy), and I can get really bored with it. The mix of lemon and garlic gives it a nice flavor, and the searing in the skillet before cooking helps seal in moisture. Delicious!