As I’m closing in on the end of my second year of cooking regularly, I’m finally getting comfortable with making up my own recipes.

I spent the first year diligently following recipes. Learning that mustard is good on almost any meat and at what temperature to cook chicken so that is completely cooked but still completely moist.

The second year was spent taking other peoples recipes and tweaking them so they were more appealing to my audience, my family and myself.

Now, many of the recipes I cook and post are things I’ve come up with myself.

It is an amazing feeling to get creative in the kitchen and an even better feeling when the thing comes out tasting delicious.

This is the first recipe I ever came up with on my own. It started out simple, but I think I am finally ready to share it with all of you.

It’s simple, its tasty and pretty much everyone loves it. Hopefully you will too.

You will need…

4 thinly sliced chicken breasts (or pounded thin if you can’t find ones that are already cut thin)

¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons for cooking

6 green onions, roughly chopped

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons whole grain or Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sherry, brandy or white wine (whatever you have in the house)

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the green onions, garlic, mustard, ¼ cup olive oil and the alcohol in a food processor or blender.

Pulse the mixture until it is completely combined and smooth.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour it onto a plate or shallow dish.

Pour the panko onto a second plate and set out a third empty plate.

One at a time, drunk the chicken into the sauce so that both sides are coated.

Then, dunk it into the panko so that all sides are breaded.

Continue until all the chicken is breaded.

Then, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.

When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken and cook until browned on one side. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Garlic Chicken Schnitzel

4 thinly sliced chicken breasts (or pounded thin if you can’t find ones that are already cut thin)

¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons for cooking

6 green onions, roughly chopped

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons whole grain or Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sherry, brandy or white wine (whatever you have in the house)

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the green onions, garlic, mustard, ¼ cup olive oil and the alcohol in a food processor or blender.

Pulse the mixture until it is completely combined and smooth.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour it onto a plate or shallow dish.

Pour the panko onto a second plate and set out a third empty plate.

One at a time, drunk the chicken into the sauce so that both sides are coated.

Then, dunk it into the panko so that all sides are breaded.

Continue until all the chicken is breaded.

Then, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.

When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken and cook until browned on one side. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve hot. 

When I was young, my brothers and I fought all the time. I’m pretty sure my mom had to listen to a solid twelve years of bickering. But no matter how bad the arguments got, I always knew that we would be friends for life.

At nine years old I didn’t realize that hanging out as adult siblings would also mean hanging out with their girlfriends.

And honestly, when I realized that someday I would have to let another girl be a part of my family I was dreading it.

Lucky for me, both of my brothers have managed to attract awesome girls. How they managed it, I’m not sure. But I will take it.

Last Saturday, we had a rare opportunity to get the whole family together. And for the first time ever, we made a nice even eight.

It was really awesome not being outnumbered for once.

To honor the occasion I made this amazing salad. So amazing I made it twice in three days last week.

You will need…

2 ripe pears, sliced about 1/8^th inches thick

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

6 cups arugula

4 oz burrata cheese

1 cup homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by chopping up your burrata and seasoning it with salt and pepper and set it aside.

Heat the olive oil, vinegar and rosemary in a large skillet over medium heat.

When the oil and vinegar are nice and hot, add in the pears.

Simmer the pears for about 2 minutes a side.

Immediately remove the pears from the heat.

While the pears are cooling, combine the arugula, burrata and croutons.

When the pears have cooled to a warm temperature, drizzle the pears and the remaining oil and vinegar over the salad. Discard the rosemary.

Toss well and serve while the pears are warm.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Poached Pear and Arugula Salad

2 ripe pears, sliced about 1/8^th inches thick

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

6 cups arugula

4 oz burrata cheese

1 cup homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by chopping up your burrata and seasoning it with salt and pepper and set it aside.

Heat the olive oil, vinegar and rosemary in a large skillet over medium heat.

When the oil and vinegar are nice and hot, add in the pears.

Simmer the pears for about 2 minutes a side.

Immediately remove the pears from the heat.

While the pears are cooling, combine the arugula, burrata and croutons.

When the pears have cooled to a warm temperature, drizzle the pears and the remaining oil and vinegar over the salad. Discard the rosemary.

Toss well and serve while the pears are warm.