Chicken and Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

It is SO hard to get back into the swing of things after a long vacation.  Hubby and I have been gone for a week long "culinary" tour of the mountains.  Yes, we ate our way through Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia.  Then home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

Or should I say jiggety-jiggle?

More to come on all that later, WITH photos I might add.  

I know.  You're hanging on the edge of your seat, right, to see my vacay photos?  Be patient, my peeps.  I'll get to it.  And that's a threat promise.

Before we left, my totally awesome husband planted me a field of sunflowers for a fall crop.  I'll keep you posted on their development.  So far, not much.  But we dream big.

Ahhh, fall.  I eagerly await your arrival with outstretched arms. 

Changing the subject, here are two food products I just LOVE.

First off, this rice:

This rice is a blend of white, brown, wild, and red.  I love this but have to get it when I am out of town at Publix.  It only takes 15 minutes to cook and makes the perfect side dish. 

And this chicken:

I can actually get these at my hometown Wal-Mart.  I love them because they don't have all that nasty injected stuff that other chicken breasts have.  They come from humanely raised chickens and are raised cage free.  Yes, they are well over twice the cost of regular chicken breasts but this is one of the areas where I splurge.  We're definitely not vegetarians in my house but I do have concerns about the processing of chicken and beef nowadays.  I just don't think it's healthy when a single chicken breast weighs 10 ounces.  When I go out of town, I have been able to get the boneless chicken thighs in this brand and I love those too.

So here is my easy recipe that combines the two.  Simple, healthy, quick.  When served hot, it's a rice pilaf.  But it can also be served cold as a salad, which was actually my favorite way.  

Here are my notes:

-Make sure you toast the pecans.  It will make all the difference in the world.

-I like to cook the veggies just until crisp-tender.  I like the celery to have a bite to it.

-I almost always add a couple of chicken flavored bouillon cubes to my cooking rice.  It just adds so much flavor.

-I grilled my chicken breasts in a grill pan and used an all-purpose Greek seasoning.  You could use any seasoning you'd like.

 

Chicken and Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

Printable Recipe

1 cup uncooked wild rice blend

2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled, then cubed into bite size pieces (I used an all-purpose Greek seasoning to season mine)

3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions adding bouillon cubes to water.  Place in a large bowl when done.  Sauté the onion and celery in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until crisp-tender; add to the rice.  Add chicken and toasted pecans to rice and stir until mixed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm as a rice pilaf, or cold from the refrigerator as a rice salad.

Four-Cheese Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I have had an intense craving for cheesecake.  Really good cheesecake.  And when it comes to cheesecake making, I am definitely not an expert, but I am most certainly a purist.  I brake for plain, rich, creamy cheesecake.

Not that I turn my nose up at chocolate cheesecake, cheesecake with strawberry sauce, or cheesecake stuffed with peanut butter cups, but my absolute favorite kind in the world is the plain variety.

The way God first made them at the beginning of time.  In His oven in heaven.

So Monday was my birthday.  It was also National Cheesecake Day (how coincidental was that, huh?), so I knew I wanted to make my world famous Four-Cheese Cheesecake.

And I'm using the phrase "world famous" loosely here.

Alright, it's only famous in my own mind.  But still.

 
And just a few days before my birthday, I received a beautiful gift box from Rodelle.  I'm am talking gorgeousness here.

Quality extracts,

gourmet Dutch cocoa, and these...

...two Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans in a perfect little glass tube.  I practically fainted on the spot.

And in my heart and soul and mind, I knew my Four-Cheese Cheesecake would have to become Four-Cheese Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.

And it did.

And I was happy.

Creamy.  Rich.  Vanilla-y.  Sweet, but not overly.

Happy birthday to me.

Here are my notes:

-Now that my local Wal-Mart carries mascarpone cheese, I can get all of my ingredients here without driving a long distance. Holla!

-Yes, the ingredients are pricey, but every once in a while, it's nice to splurge.  Like on your birthday.

-This is the first time I have ever made a cheesecake with no cracking on the top.  Go me! 

-Make sure to chill this for the recommended time for prettier slicing.

-If you don't have vanilla beans, just use an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract.

-Lining the springform pan with foil will keep water from seeping in during the water bath.

-Don't freak out about the goat cheese.  (Yeah, I'm looking at you, sis.)  All the cheeses blend perfectly for rich and creamy goodness.  

Four-Cheese Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Printable Recipe

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature

1 (6-ounce) log goat cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1-1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 eggs

1 vanilla bean cut open lengthwise and seeds scraped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, light brown sugar, and the melted butter.  Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with at least 2 1/2-inch sides in heavy foil.  Place the crumbs in the pan and press on the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside on a wire rack to cool.
2. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.  Beat all four cheeses on medium speed with a paddle attachment until soft and creamy.  With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar until incorporated, about 3-4 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla extract.  Beat in the eggs, one by one until all the yellow has disappeared.  Beat in the vanilla bean seeds.  Pour the batter into the crust.
3. Place the springform pan in a larger roasting pan where it can sit flat and has some space around it.  Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to a depth of about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.  (Be careful not to pour water higher than the foil.) Place in oven and bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes or until set in the middle and light golden brown.  Turn off oven and crack the door open with a wooden spoon and let the cheesecake sit in oven for 30 minutes.  Carefully remove from oven and remove the foil from the cheesecake pan and let cool on wire rack to room temperature.  Run a knife around edges to loosen the sides. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight before cutting.

*Although I received a free gift pack from Rodelle, all opinions are my own.  I was not asked to write about it or endorse them in any way.

Monster Cookie Revel Bars

Guess who turned three last week?

Him.  That's who.  And he is a tad camera shy.  Or camera rebellious.  Whichever.

If you say look, he will do the exact opposite.  And don't even think you are going to put a birthday hat on him for any length of time.

But if you make a game out of running with some balloons, he'll do that.  Because running is not sitting still.  Running is fun.  His anthem is "Don't Fence Me In."

I love this little stinker to pieces.  And he loved these bars:

So when Monster Cookies marry Revel Bars and produce offspring, this is what their baby looks like. Revel bars with peanut butter in the dough and dispersed with mini chocolate chips and colorful M & M's and a fudgy-peanut buttery center.

The perfect birthday snack.  Or PMS snack.  Whichever.

Oh.  Yes. 

Here are my notes:

-I made these in a 13 x 9-inch pan and they were very thick.  Next time I am going with a larger pan so they will be a little thinner.  They were delicious and fun, nonetheless.

-Don't over bake.  Just watch them and make sure they are not getting too brown on top.

-Cool completely before cutting and they will cut much better.

Monster Cookie Revel Bars

Printable Recipe

3 cups quick cooking oats

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup mini M&M’s

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine the oats, flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.  Beat 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and the brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until mixed.  Stir in the candy and 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Pat 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over the top, then dot with remaining oat mixture.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then cut into bars.