The 2 Spoons

easy chicken thighs & creamy bacon mushroom sauce.

January 25, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I loved this Chicken Thighs with Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce. It is so easy for a weeknight or weekend meal or when things get back to normal, for a friends gathering. Thighs are economical and I personally prefer the chicken thigh over the chicken breast because of the juiciness. These thighs are juicy and delicious with this mushroom cream sauce.

easy chicken thighs & creamy bacon mushroom sauce.

Seasoned with just salt and pepper and Italian Seasoning these delicious baked chicken thighs yield crispy yet tender, succulent results! The Italian Seasoning gives tons of flavor to the crispy skin and moist, juicy thigh meat. This is in the oven in just minutes for a delicious (and budget-friendly!) main dish. Add the mushrooms and cream sauce, and this recipe is to die for!

I did cook these in a non stick skillet that I could slide into the oven to finish. I love the carbon steel non stick skillets! Here is a link for a carbon steel I love: https://amzn.to/2SBdOCO

I served these with sauteed spinach. Here’s the link for my recipe: https://the2spoons.com/garlicky-sauteed-spinach-red-pepper-flakes/

Garlicky Sautéed Spinach with Red Pepper Flakes

Along with this Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Mash which is delicious. Here’s the link for my recipe: https://the2spoons.com/love-this-roasted-garlic-cauliflower-mash/

Here’s the recipe for this delicious meal. Hope you enjoy this!

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce

Chicken Thighs & Creamy Mushroom Bacon Sauce

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings: 4 servings

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

Chicken Thighs

4 chicken thigs, skin on and bone in
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oilor the bacon drippings
salt and pepper
Italian Seasoning, Dried

Mushroom Sauce

5 slices bacon
6-8 oz button mushrooms or baby bella, sliced
1-2 cups heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh Thyme
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

For the Chicken

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp and set aside.
Salt and pepper the chicken thighs on both sides and sprinkle with the Italian Seasoning. Add the chicken skin side down in the same skillet you cooked the bacon for 5-7 minutes until nicely browned. If you don’t want to cook them in the bacon drippings, you can remove, wipe the skillet clean and add extra virgin olive oil.
Transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

For the Mushroom Sauce

Discard the bacon drippings and wipe the skillet clean. Add the butter and olive oil and heat adding the mushrooms. Lightly season the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper, you can adjust later. Cook the mushrooms until they are slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
Add the bacon that has been chopped to the skillet. Add the heavy cream, starting with one cup and add more as you need. I used about 2 cups. Add the Thyme, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and continue to cook until the sauce has reduced. Check for salt.
Add the chicken thighs and the pan drippings to the mushroom and bacon sauce, spooning the sauce and mushrooms on top of the chicken thighs.

Love this! Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

January 25, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Love Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash! My win-win is my steak & potato loving, Cowboy husband likes it too! Potatoes are included, but mostly cauliflower.

Honestly, my Texas Cowboy husband is a meat and potato man. He loves his TexMex, steaks, brisket, on and on. So I am constantly trying to create dishes he will like, like this Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash that he will like and I can get some healthy vegetables in.

Cauliflower is a versatile veggie that can be dressed up in many ways.
From roasted cauliflower to cauliflower soup, and from cauliflower pizza crust to cauliflower rice and this Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash.

This recipe will be up on the blog shortly. I used the Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash as a side dish!

Cauliflower is not as nutrient-dense as many of the other cabbage-family vegetables. It is still power-packed with nutrition. One cup of raw cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin K and vitamin C. Cauliflower is a very good source of fiber, potassium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. http://www.sharecare.com/health/health-value-of-foods/what-is-nutritional-value-cauliflower

This Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash would be perfect with Meatloaf, Chicken, Pot Roast….there are so many main courses this dish would compliment! Here are a couple of my recipes that need this recipe as a side dish: Link to Meatloaf with a Creole Sauce https://the2spoons.com/1513-2/

Sunday Pot Roast: https://the2spoons.com/sunday-pot-roast/

I hope you love this Roasted Garlic Cauliflower as much as we do! And yes your Cowboy will love it too!!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

For the Roasted Garlic

1 head garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

For the Mashed Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower cut into florets
2 diced russet potatoes, medium or 1 large
1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme or parsley
3-4 roasted garlic cloves
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the end of the garlic head. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap the garlic head tightly in aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until cloves become soft. Remove 3-4 garlic cloves by scooping them out with a spoon.

For the Mashed Cauliflower

Place the florets and the diced potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes until the potato and cauliflower or fork tender.
Drain water and pat the cauliflower dry with a paper towel.
Either in the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the drained cauliflower and potatoes, along with the butter and heavy cream, 3-4 roasted garlic cloves, the thyme or parsley, and the salt, and pepper until smooth.
Check for salt and pepper. If the cauliflower mash has cooled return to the pan and heat, Serve with a sprinkle of thyme or parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired.

Southern Cheesy Grits Bowl with Mushrooms, Poached Eggs & Sautéed Spinach

January 25, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Cheesy Grits Bowl with mushrooms , sautéed spinach, and poached egg.. I mean this is the absolute best breakfast! Everything you need in one bowl.

Not only do I love this cheesey grits recipe and all it’s yumminess , I love that it’s a meal in a bowl. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, I like a bowl.

It is no secret that breakfast is my favorite meal. I go to bed thinking about what I’m going to have for breakfast the next morning! Yes, I do that. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that you should eat the most food at breakfast so you won’t eat so much at night! And I have to say a Cheesy Grits Bowl is one of my favorites!

Cheesy Grits are a southern thing. I’ve eaten Grits my entire life! Who doesn’t love grits? They are hearty, then you add mushrooms, spinach and a poached egg? Wow! Not only delicious, but balanced.

And you’re getting your greens and vegetables early in the day! Click this link for my Garlicky Sautéed Spinach recipe:https://the2spoons.com/garlicky-sauteed-spinach-red-pepper-flakes/

Nutritional information for the spinach: https://www.livescience.com/51324-spinach-nutrition.html

Here’s the recipe for this Southern Cheesy Grits Bowl!

Cheesy Grits with Mushrooms, Sauted Mushrooms and Poached Eggs

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Servings: 2 servings

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

For the Grits

1 cup quick grits
4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

For the Poached Eggs

4 large eggs
enough water to cover the eggs
2 tbsp white vinegar

For the Mushrooms

6 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

For The Spinach

1 Recipe Sauted Spinach https://the2spoons.com/garlicky-sauteed-spinach-red-pepper-flakes/

Method

For the Grits

Bring 4 cups water to a boil along with the salt. Add the grits continuously whisking until combined. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the grits until they have thickened. If they become too thick add a little water and whisk. Add the cheese and combine until melted.

For the Mushrooms

Melt the butter and add the extra virgin olive oil to a skillet. Heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, a little caramelized. After the mushrooms have gotten a golden brown season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

For the Poached Eggs

In a saucepan bring enough water to cover the eggs along with the vinegar to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Break the eggs, one at a time into a ramekin. Stir the water to start a circular motion and drop the egg into the swirling water. Cook for about 4 minutes. Continue until all 4 eggs are cooked. You can cook a couple at a time…or if you have a large pan, all 4 at a time, you just want to have them all in ramekins that you add to the wanter one after the other so they will evenly cook.

To assemble the dish

Pour the grits into a wide bowl. Scatter with the mushrooms, add the sauteed spinach, then top with the poached eggs. Bon Appetite!!

Notes

If you prefer stone ground grits, follow the instructions and add the cheese at the end. I use both.

Lovely Garlicky Sautéed Spinach & Red Pepper Flakes

January 24, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This spinach is sautéed with garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil and it is the easiest and most delicious side dish. Add a few red pepper flakes for a little kick!

Not only is sautéed spinach an easy side dish but it is so nutritious. Click the link for the nutritional information. https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/spinach.html

Here is the easy recipe that I bet you’ll make very often! Enjoy!

Garlic Sauteed Spinach

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Servings: 2 Servings

Course: easy side dish, vegetable

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 8 -10 oz package fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes Optional

Method

Heat the olive oil to medium in a skillet and add the garlic. Immediately add the spinach and start tossing with tongs or a spoon or spatula to prevent the garlic from burning. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with almost anything or perfect for a snack or lunch!

Perfect Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon in Browned Butter

January 22, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Green beans are probably the most used vegetable than any other. Green bean casserole, country style with pork slow cooked until almost falling apart, wrapped in bacon, in a Niçoise salad, in a soup….so many uses.

Great Beans — Perfect Browned Butter and Garlic Green Beans

I love green beans. They are that vegetable that you have in the pantry even if you don’t have fresh and with a little seasoning, some bacon, onions, garlic, and salt and pepper, even the canned turn out to be a delicious side dish.

I par cooked these fresh green beans, then quickly sautéed them with chopped garlic in brown butter until heated through and tender, with still a little crunch, and finished them with lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice!

Below is Information I found on the internet. The link is at the bottom!

Fresh green beans are very low in calories (31 calories per 100 g of raw bean pods) and contain no saturated fat. Nevertheless, these lean pod vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and plant derived micronutrients.
The beans are a very rich source of dietary fiber (9% per 100g RDA) which acts as a bulk laxative. Fiber helps to protect colon mucosa by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the gut. An adequate amount of fiber in the diet has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing reabsorption of cholesterol-binding bile acids in the colon.
Green beans contain excellent levels of vitamin-A, and health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and β -carotene in right amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid in the beans, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective UV-light filtering functions. It is, therefore, green beans offer some protection in the prevention of age-related macular disease(ARMD) in the older adults.
Snap beans are an excellent source of folates. 100 g fresh beans provide 37 µg or 9% of folates. Folate along with vitamin B-12 is one of the essential components of DNA synthesis and cell division. A good folate diet, when given during preconception periods and pregnancy, may help prevent neural-tube defects in the newborn babies.
Green beans also carry good amounts of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), and vitamin-C. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
Moreover, green beans contain healthy amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, which very essential for body metabolism. Manganese is a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very potent free radical scavenger. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Sourcehttps://www.nutrition-and-you.com/green_beans.html

This recipe is easy and fast and you’re not cooking all the nutrients out; just the opposite, retaining them with the quick cook!

Enjoy!

Perfect Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon in Browned Butter

These green beans are the perfect side dish for all most any main course!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings: 4 Servings

Course: dinner, easy side dish, vegetable

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 Lb Fresh green beans with stem removed
Water for blanching
Salt
2 Tsp Unsalted butter
1/2 Tsp Garlic
Zest of a lemon
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Fill a saucepan with water and generously add salt. Bring to a boil and add the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove the beans from the pan and immediately sub merge in ice water.
Heat the butter in a saucepa. When the butter starts to brown just a little add the garlic and immediately add the green beans.
Toss the beans a couple of times until heated through. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. Add a pinch of a salt and fresh ground pepper.

Try Sunday Pot Roast! These green beans will be the perfect side dish https://the2spoons.com/sunday-pot-roast/

Delicious & Healthy Flank Steak Peperonata –

January 17, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Delicious and Healthy Flank Steak Peperonata features the flank steak which is one of the healthiest beef cuts—ounce for ounce. The flank steak has fewer calories and more protein than a ribeye or porterhouse. Flank is one of the great cuts—very lean and with a lot of flavor if you don’t overcook it and know how to slice it (across the grain). Flank is aperfect cut of meat to be used when you are reaching for lots of flavor, high in protein and low in calories.

Delicios and Healthy Flank Steak Peperonata — Delicious and Healthy Flank Steak Peperonata

I don’t like to discuss nutrition or calorie counts on my blog because I am not an expert in that. But you know, sometimes I decide that the 2 Spoon’s haven’t eaten as healthy as we should be eating so adding this flank steak recipe amps up our protein intake. This is what Living Strong had to say about Flank Steak. “Flank steak is a relatively lean cut of beef. For less than 165 calories, you can have a 3-ounce broiled flank steak. The biggest percentage of those calories, or 60 percent of calories, are from protein. This serving of flank steak has close to 100 calories from protein. ” Here is a link to that article: https://www.livestrong.com/article/284978-how-many-calories-does-a-beef-steak-have/

Protein Packed Flank Steak Pepernata — Delicious and Healthy Flank Steak Peperonata

So, like everyone else, we get on the band wagon and try and live a little healthier life. Honestly, we really do live a very healthy life. We don’t eat fast food, we really do make most things from scratch. But that’s a whole new blog post! We will continue with this blog post of protein packed and delicious and healthy flank steak peperonata.

With all of that said…..this is a great recipe that I do know is high in protein, low in calories and packed full of flavors. This flank steak is absolutely delicious!

Flank Steak Peperonata

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

For the Flank Steak Marinade

2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

For the Peperonata

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little for serving
4 red or hellow bell peppers, quartered, stemmed, seeded, and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch wide strips
1 onion, quartered through root and sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch wide strips
6 garlic cloves, lightly crshed and peeled
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp capers plus 4 tsps caper brine
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Method

Combine the oregano, 1 tsp salt and the 1/4 cup olive oil in a bowl. Rub the steak with the oregano and olive oil mixture on both sides and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat the 1/3 cup oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onion, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and their juice, capers, and brine, and pepper flakes and cook, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. transfer peperonata to bowl, cover and keep warm.
Prepare your grill or heat an iron skillet until almost smoking. Sprinkle a little pepper on the steak and place on the grill. Cook steak 5-7 minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 120 to 125 for medium rare. Remove steak from the grill or skillet and cover loosely with foil and rest for about 10 minutes.
Add the basil to the peperonata. Slice the steaks thinly across the grain. This is very important. Otherwise, the steak will be tough, but cut across the grain you’ll have a steak that will melt in your mouth. Serve the steak with the peperonata.