TASTE: Lemon & Olive Chicken.

TASTE: Lemon & Olive Chicken.

Happy Tuesday to you! I hope your Valentine weekend was full of love and hugs and kisses and tasty treats. Ours was hilarious and wonderful. With all this incredible cold weather up in our business, I've got a warm yummy dinner recipe for you today!

This meal has quickly become a staple in our household. When I got this amaaaaaazing dutch oven for Christmas last year, I started experimenting with all the delicious ways I could cook easy meals and make them taste like Heaven. This dutch oven has made my success rate increase tenfold. Seriously. This particular recipe is a favorite because it's super duper easy to make (no, seriously) and it's mega healthy. There's nothing crazy bad in it, which makes it the perfect midweek pick-me-up that tastes like comfort food without hindering my waistline. (I've got other temptations to hinder my waistline) :)

I got this recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's book, It's All Good, a publication that garners a lot of hate but I confidently stand by. Just because Gwyneth gets misquoted (okay, a lot) saying sometimes outland-ish, borderline pretentious things, her food life is the center of my envy. Everything I've cooked from that book has been GOLD. I've made a few changes (for the lazy crowd, you're welcome), so this recipe is officially easier than ever. Add a side of quinoa and a side of something green and this meal is going to become your new go-to. What's for dinner at our house tonight? I'll give you one, deeeeeelicious guess :)

Ingredients:

- 6 boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

- 1 Lemon, sliced

- 3 Shallots, sliced thinly into rings

- 1.5 cups Chicken Stock

- 1/2 jar Green Olives

- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled

- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil

- Salt and Pepper, to taste

- 1 sprig Thyme

Method:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a cast iron dutch on the stove and heat on medium.

2. Generously salt and pepper chicken on both sides and place in dutch oven. Cook until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. Cook for another 4-5 minutes (chicken should still be pink inside), then remove chicken from heat and transfer to a plate. DON'T WORRY. We aren't done cooking the chicken.

3. Add shallots and garlic to the dutch oven, cooking until softened, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Place chicken back into the dutch oven, along with any juices that collected on the plate. That's flavor town, by the way.

5. Add the chicken stock, olives, thyme and scatter on top of the chicken. Squeeze individual slices of lemon over the chicken and discard the skins.

Note:

I like to keep the lemons in the mixture so they cook together, but you don't have to since you won't eat them. Totally up to you.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove top, then cover and place in the oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes on 400 degrees.

Woop, there it is.

Tada! I personally like to serve this dish with an herbed quinoa situation (quinoa on the stove, cooked in chicken stock, and fancied up with any fresh herbs you've got on hand - THE BEST.) This meal tastes gourmet and looks like something Ina Garten whipped up, but the hands-on time is minimal. Enjoy! And let me know how it goes!

The 9th Day: Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies.

‘Tis the season for warm treats! I created this recipe especially for the awesome folks at The Epicurious Community Table and Reynolds to Make Meal Magic, and I am thrilled to share it with you today! Pumpkin adds a delicious twist to the good old-fashioned oatmeal cookie. Who says that pumpkin is only for Thanksgiving? I so disagree. Drizzled with maple glaze, this delightful indulgence will give you a hankering to cozy up with a book by the fire while Michael Buble croons from your docked iPhone :) Effortlessly prepare large batches of these treats in less time by using the cookie baking sheets. Then simply enjoy serving the most popular treat at this year’s holiday gathering!

Ingredients:

- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

- 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup butter, softened

- 3/4 cup granulated sugar

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:

- 2 cups powdered sugar

- 3 tablespoons milk

- 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Line cookie sheet with Reynolds® Cookie Baking Sheets Nonstick Parchment Paper.

3. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl; set aside.

4. Beat the butter and sugars in a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

5. Add the egg and vanilla, return the mixer to medium speed, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl.

6. Add half of the reserved flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated.

7. Add half of the pumpkin and beat until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and pumpkin until combined.

8. Drop 2-inch dough rounds on cookie baking sheet, staggering them 2 inches apart.

Method:

1. Bake cookies for 12 minutes.

2. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back.

3. Bake the cookies for another 5 minutes.

4. Remove cookies from the oven. Using oven mitts, simply slide cookie baking sheet onto wire rack and let cool completely.

For the Glaze:

1. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until evenly combined.

2. Dip spoon in glaze and drizzle over the cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let the cookies sit on the cookie baking sheet at room temperature until the glaze has set, about 20 minutes.

REYNOLDS KITCHEN TIP: You can cook large batches by preparing one set of cookies on the cookie baking sheet while another batch bakes. Then simply slide the cookie baking sheet with the baked cookies onto a cooling rack and you can immediately put another batch of cookie dough in the oven. It saves time and – BONUS – makes clean up a breeze.

Get to it!

I hope you enjoy making these for your loved ones during the holiday!

First published on Epicurious and Parade here with paid sponsorship by Reynolds Consumer Products. Used with permission of Tidal Labs.

Thanks for supporting this sponsor and allowing me to create fresh and unique content like this for Oy!

TASTE: Pumpkin & Cream Tartlets

Pumpkin & Cream Tartlets.

Happy Thanksgiving week! I'm sure your home is buzzing with holiday plans, presents stealthily hidden into musty closets waiting to be wrapped, kitchen working overtime pumping all kinds of toasty delicious aromas throughout the house. This is the beginning of the most wonderful time of year!

I wanted to share with you my favorite holiday dessert. I've made it every year for Thanksgiving at my parent's house, but I love it so much that I continue to make it for festive gatherings through New Years - who says pumpkin is only for Thanksgiving? That's just crazy talk. These tartlets are perfect for keeping that sweet tooth in check, because they are bite-sized bits of decadence. And seriously, seriously easy to create. They have a creamier, lighter flavor and texture than regular pumpkin pie, which provides that much-needed refreshing twist on the whole pumpkin-at-Thanksgiving thing. My personal secret is that I like to use a Ziploc bag to pipe everything beautifully into the tarts, because it makes them seem fancy. But if you need really delicious recipe and you're short on time, you can easily spoon them into the little filo dough cups and experience the same rich taste. This would be a great addition to any dessert buffet because they are just so pretty and dainty. And for real, TASTY.

Ingredients:

- 1 can organic pumpkin (I like this Trader Joes version)

- 3 packages frozen mini filo cups (You can find these in the frozen section next to the puff pastry, 3 packages makes 45 tartlets)

- 1 3.4-oz. package of instant cheesecake pudding (I use this Jello version

- haven't been able to find a good replacement for this... yet)

- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream (divided)

- 4 tbsp. Sugar in the Raw

- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

// Isn't this mixer a beaut? It's my mom's, but I'm hoping Santa brings me one this Christmas... //

Method:

1. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal mixing whisk in the freezer for 15 minutes.

2. Pull frozen mini filo dough shells out of the freezer to thaw while preparing the filling.

3. Once 15 minutes has passed, place the 1.5 cups of heavy cream and 4 tbsp. sugar in the mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high until soft peaks form (this could take 3-5 minutes).

4. Divide the fresh whipped cream in half by scooping half of the cream into another bowl (set one portion aside for later.) Add to one bowl of fresh whipped cream: the can of pumpkin, package of instant cheesecake and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until combined and smooth.

5. Scoop mixture into a piping bag (or in my case, a large ziplock bag with a corner cut) and pipe into the individual filo cups. Top with the remaining fresh whipped cream (I also like to pipe it on top) and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Voila!

Happy Thanksgiving. 

Let me know if you decide to add these to your Thanksgiving dessert line up this year! Would love to know how it worked out! And I especially wish you a week chock-full of indulgent treats, delicious fireside chats and most of all, ridiculous amounts of family time. Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

TASTE: Pumpkin Beer Bread

Pumpkin Beer Bread. 

There's really no need for explanation here. I mean, does one need a reason to make something called Pumpkin Beer BREAD? Dear Lord Almighty, no. It's an autumn recipe necessity. It's the reason why I fall for FALL. When you have all the ingredients, you should just make this recipe over and over and over again. It's the happiest taste. And it will make you super popular with your people. I mean, my crew over here (AKA my parents and Stevie, who will eat practically anything) have nominated me queen of the pack, all due to my production of this breaded treat. And seriously, created by a mere 6 ingredients, this recipe is one of the easiest EVER. Make, enjoy, and let me know when you win popularity points, people.

Ingredients:

- 3 cups flour

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 1 tbsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 12-oz. bottle beer (I gleefully used Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale)

- 3 tbsp. melted butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Dump the bottle of beer into the dry ingredients. Combine until mixed into dough. Scoop dough into the loaf pan.

4. Melt butter in a small bowl (I did this in the microwave). Drizzle butter over top of the dough.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Once you remove from the oven, let cool for about 5 minutes before you slice.

Savor the Autumnal Flavor.

It's as easy as that! This is a great treat to pair with an autumn soup, like my Turkey Kale Chili, my Spicy Sausage Chili, or my extra-special seasonal favorite, Grandma Soup. I hope you enjoy!

TASTE: Lemon Mustard Chicken with Mango Cauliflower "Couscous" (PALEO ALERT)

Lemon Mustard Chicken with Mango Cauliflower "Couscous"

Good Morning! I hope everyone had an awesome Labor Day weekend. Ours was super low key, we just filled the days taking long walks and cooking early dinners. Haha, that's life with a newborn, folks! I am excited to share one particularly easy and delicious recipe with you today.

This was sent to me by my darling friend/sort-of-cousin/former-boss/mother-of-my-goddaughter (yes, we have a lot of relational ties). She mentioned that she had been eating "Paleo" lately, and that she's been feeling great as a result. I was intrigued, but not enough to give up all the good stuff in life. Obviously. She assured me that this recipe tasted DELICIOUS and that I needed to try it out for myself. So I relented. Folks? She was right. Ugh AGAIN. Kelley, you've got to stop doing that.

This recipe was sourced here, but I actually made a few (extremely minor) changes to the recipe to make it a bit more my own. (Lately I have a thing for adding whole grain mustard to everything:)

Lemon Mustard Chicken Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts, 2 to 4, boneless

- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

- ¼ cup lemon juice

- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 tbsp honey

- 2 tsp dried thyme

- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed

- 1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp sea salt

- 1 tsp black pepper

Lemon Mustard Chicken Method:

1. Heat a skillet or dutch oven over medium and let get really hot.

2. Place olive oil, lemon juice, whole-grain mustard, garlic, honey, thyme, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

3. Add the chicken to the bowl and ensure an even coating of all the meat. (The original recipe says to "cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 2 days", but I didn't do that. I just coated the chicken well and placed it in the heated dutch oven.) Then I poured the remainder of the marinade over the chicken. The more the merrier, right?

4. Grill over medium heat only flipping once until cooked through. Serve over a bed of the Mango Cauliflower Couscous.

Mango Cauliflower "Couscous" Ingredients:

- ½ head cauliflower

- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

- ½ cup raw almonds, chopped, consistency of choice, (you can substitute any nuts that you want)

- 1 mango, peeled and diced

- 1 tbsp coconut oil

- 1 pinch sea salt

Mango Cauliflower "Couscous" Method:

1. Melt coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pulse all of the cauliflower in a food processor until it is like rice or until it resembles Couscous.

2. Transfer the cauliflower to a separate bowl. Chop almonds up in a food processor, and then add to the cauliflower.

3. Place diced mango in the food processor and pulse until it is broken down to small chunks - don’t pulse too much or you will end up with mango salsa (which I am sure would work just fine; I just prefer little bites).

4. Add the cauliflower, almonds, and coconut to the sauté pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often and then add the mango. Continue to cook until done to your liking.

All together, now.

Serve the "couscous" with the delicious Lemon Mustard Grilled Chicken and enjoy. No seriously, you WILL enjoy it. Despite the whole Paleo-label. Let me know what you think!