Not So Healthy Blog Post...

 All my exercising has given me quite an appetite and I have acted on a few of my favorite Pinterest pins. I have had my eye on Tater Tot Casserole and Saltine Toffee for quite sometime now so over the weekend I whipped up them both...

Tater Tot Casserole

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• Cream of Chicken Soup 
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 16oz package frozen tater tots
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef. season with salt pepper.
3. Add chopped onion, cook until tender.
4. In a casserole dish, combine ground beef mixture, sour cream and  cream soup.
5. Top mixture with tater tots.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes till bubbly and Tots are golden brown.
7. Remove from oven; top with cheese, return to oven until melted.
8. Enjoy!

Saltine Toffee

• 48 saltine crackers
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan or large cookie sheet with sides with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Arrange the crackers side by side in a single layer on the foil.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the sugar and butter, stirring constantly until they bubble, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Pour evenly over the crackers and, using a spatula, spread to cover evenly.
4. Bake immediately. 
5. After 7 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crackers. 
6.  Spread the chocolate evenly over the crackers with a clean spatula. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes before transferring the tray to the freezer. 
7. The next day, peel off the foil and break the toffee into pieces. Keep frozen or refrigerated.

Your mouth will thank me for all the deliciousness but your jeans may be fitting you a little extra snug. Eat this in moderation and everything will be all right! 

Hello Fall! - Ojai, CA

Last Saturday was the most beautiful introduction we have had to Fall in many years. The morning air was crisp and the warm, fuzzy it gave me inspired me to get cooking! I love cooking when the seasons change. Goodbye Summer. Hello Fall! Upper Ojai was just stunning, I had to snap a photo from my porch...

I set the table with candles, flowers and cloth napkins. It was just too pretty of a day not to go all out.

 Scott put on music and sweet tunes blasted through our outdoor speakers. 

Hi Scott!

My grandmother's wicker furniture makes for a lovely outdoor living space. We have used this sitting area so much this year. I see many more evenings of front porch sitting in our future! 

What I love most about cooking all day is the ability to have your meal ready and waiting with a fully clean kitchen to work in! Always clean as I cook, I hate dirty dishes. So with my kitchen spotless I decided to start cocktail hour...

 Cheers!

Scott requested his favorite, Deviled Eggs, to start. I like making them because it is such a labor of love. You must kindly handle the eggs to boil, crack and peel them without injury to the precious whites. Then whip up the yolks to your creamy desire. It is just such a personal recipe. A little of this, a little of that - add what makes you feel right. This time it was mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish, cherry pepper juice, salt pepper and a sprinkle (or in my case an accidental downpour) of paprika.

Our sweet friends Dana, Brandon and Ryan came over to enjoy eating with us. It is so nice to have local friends who appreciate good eats like we do! When I called them last minute to come up the hill and dine with us they were good enough to jump in their cars and join in. 

I love this shot of everyone digging in! Scott was in charge of cooking the steaks and salmon on the barbecue and he knocked it out of the park! Scott loves barbecuing so I knew he would love his job. He does get nervous about cooking up my seafood selections but every time he does it comes out perfectly. I love a little surf and turf with my meal.

My plate was complete with a piece of salmon, a big scoop of Melissa's Broccoli Salad, a twice baked potato (made with copious amounts of butter, sour cream, cheese and love...) and a slice of garlic bread. 

What is in Melissa's Broccoli Salad you wonder?

• Broccoli - 5 heads - finely chopped
• Red Onion - Only 1/2 - very finely chopped
• Cheddar Cheese - shaved, 1/2 cup
• Sunflower Seeds - 1 cup+, I used extra...
• Dried Apricots - 1 cup, also chopped finely
• The dressing - Mayonaise, sugar and vinegar - make a paste and adjust to your liking! I overly dress mine because I like my food saucy. But do remember as the vegetables "sit" the will sweat some of their liquids out and make the salad extra wet.

Mix it all up in a bowl and let it rest in the fridge for a couple hours!

Our party was a success. It was low key and last minute just like the best parties are. No fuss, no muss and just enjoying quality time with the people you love. 

Happy Fall everyone! Now get in your kitchen and start cooking!

Melissa Good Taste Reviews...

Melissa Good Taste has received a lot of fun things in the mail to review, check it out...

I was blessed by the De Cecco Pasta Family and sent a box full of wonderful samples. Pastas, olive oil and pesto sauces filled my pantry and I got wonderfully creative. The olive oil was delightful for bread dipping or cooking, the quality was superb. The pasta cooks in mere minutes and has a nice flavor, it doesn't take more than a nice salt water bath to make it fork worthy!

Knickerbocker Glory: is a British Ice Cream Parfait and Matthew Robinson created a book filled with all kinds of fun recipes that mix and match all sorts of treats! A fun book, filled with beautiful photos of desserts! Delightful and beautiful!

Tanteo Tequila so thoughtfully sent Melissa Good Taste a party in a bottle! Jalapeno enhanced tequila in a gorgeous bottle inspired me to create a fun cocktail. I made an apricot puree, poured in a healthy dose of Tanteo, triple sec and ice. Whirl and buckle up for a good time! 

Cajun Power Garlic Sauce

I bought a bottle of Cajun Power Garlic Sauce from the Cajun Kitchen in Ventura in December in hopes of spicing up my kitchen. It has been staring at me on my counter since then, so I dedcided I better use it. I read the recipe on the back of the bottle for Bar-B-Q Shrimp and I thought this sounded fantastic. I knew my fellow blog friend An Immovable Feast loves the sauce so I knew it had to be worth using.

You start off chopping up one red pepper and they suggest two onions. Allow them to cook in butter until they are tender. I let them cook on low for a long time because I like that caramelized sweetness that the onions bring after a long time over a low flame.

The back of the bottle recommended using only 6 ounces of the 8 ounce bottle but I went ahead and used the entire thing with an ounce of Worcestershire sauce too. After that the shrimp went in the pool and it all simmered together for 15 minutes. So easy!

While the shrimp was cooking fluffed up some Birds Eye White Rice in the microwave, chopped up some cilantro and served up my shrimp and sauce. It was delicious! It easily serves four as we have a lot of left overs. I will defintely make this again! My southern style meal came just in time with all the talk about the Cajun Superbowl!

Easy A Prime Rib - Easy...

Merry Christmas! This was a version of our Christmas card photo and it was taken with my camera. It really is a thing of beauty - just point and shoot! Well, I start off this blog post confessing my love for this man. I spoil him, my dogs and horses rotten. Really, if you are a friend of mine it means I am loyal to the core. That is just how I am...  

Friday's dinner started off with a lovely bottle of wine - Stag's Leap Cabernet. Christmas decoration in the background... love! 

Prime Rib for two humans and two dogs equals a four pound roast. I let my roast come to room temperature, rubbed with butter and all seasonings possible. For fifteen minutes to start at 450 my roast got a nice sear. For an hour after at 350 my roast became this delicious brown beast. I let it rest for 20 minutes while I made my au jus out of a quality local beef stock and Stag Leap. Lucky au jus...

My favorite part about Prime Rib has always been the spicy horseradish and sour cream... I cannot refuse anything with copious amounts of cream! 

Our plates. Scott will do a back flip for corn so I always make it for him. It is always the first thing he eats off his plate. It is cute.

Did you know this was filmed in Ojai? Scott and I watched it over dessert and it was a treat to see our home town featured in the movie. Ojai is really famous. I should appreciate her beauty the next time I run for groceries, stamps and laundry!

Short Ribs, Roasted Carrots & Polenta

Want a perfect Fall meal that everyone in your house will love? Braised short ribs, roasted carrots and polenta are about as easy as it comes. It will make your home smell like heaven and gives you time for what you love to do on Sundays - Relax! Lets get started.

Short Ribs:

1. I purchased a package of 6 boneless from the grocery store for two people. Adjust for your needs.

2. Salt and pepper the ribs and brown them in a dutch oven. Make sure the heat is high and you use enough olive oil to coat the entire bottom of the pot.

3. Pour in a cup of red wine, 2 cans of beef broth and 2 tablespoons of minced rosemary. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get the tasty brown bits working into your pot of goodness. 

4. Put the lid on and let the magic happen for 3 hours on low. 

Roasted Carrots:

1. Split the carrots in quarters lengthwise and then cut them in half so that they are little sticks. 

2. Rub them with olive oil, salt, pepper, all spice and a little sugar. 

3. Stick them in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes. Be sure to check on them and flip them around a little bit so they roast evenly.

Polenta:

1. Thank goodness for polenta in a tube! So easy and just what I wanted to soak up the short rib juices.

2. Simply slice into rounds and brown in a pan for a couple minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Soup & Pudding

Yesterday was rainy and chilly so I busted out my trusty dutch oven and tried my hand at home made soup. It wasn't to be fancy but to warm our bones.  This is what went down...

Ham & White Bean Soup

I sliced up a few carrots, celery, half an onion and a few cloves of garlic and dropped them in a pool of chicken broth. Diced ham and crisp bacon made their way as well. Two cans of Northern white beans rounded out the entire concotion. Salt, pepper and herbs de Provence are what I used to season up the bath but you could use what ever you have on hand. When Scott walked in the hose he smelled the pot of soup and declared himself cold and hungry. What an easy thing to do!

Tapioca Pudding

After soup we both got a hankering for something sweet. It was just too cold for ice cream so I whipped up some tapioca pudding. I followed the exact directions from the Minute Tapioca box except for adding more vanilla. This was too easy as well, we couldn't wait for it to set up so we ate it a little warm.

Our food was soft and mushy but I have to admit it was very comforting. Stay warm this season!

Eating the "Weis" Way - Ojai, CA

I started this blog four years ago for my deep appreciation of food. Other people cooking it for me, of course, so I could review it and document my experience that day. A hobby, if you will. It has now blossomed into a peek into my life as a horse trainer's wife, a cutting horse competitor and amateur cook. We have turned into quite the duo in the kitchen and I would love to share this end of summer dish that we both enjoy so much.

Salmon

So healthy for you and the easiest thing in the world to make. Ask your fish monger to make sure the bones are removed from a 5 - 6 oz filet. It is a perfect portion of fish that I manage to gobble up just fine. In 425 degree oven, let cook for 15 minutes. I vary the spices each time I make the dish but make it a play on salt, pepper, lemon, chile, or brown sugar and you will be doing great, I promise.

Corn

My husband is crazy for corn. Not the frozen or canned stuff either. Just buy an ear of corn, slice the kernels of the cob, and whirl it around a hot pan. Besides a little love from salt and pepper not much else is needed to make it perfect. If you are up for a little bit of butter you could add that but really fresh corn doesn't need it.

Watermelon Salad

I made this dish one day this summer and my husband has been hooked ever since. I have posted the recipe on Melissa Good Taste many times but it is basically watermelon, cilantro (can use mint or basil as well), jalapeno (totally optional if you don't like spice), feta cheese, just a kiss of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix it up and let rest in fridge as long as you like. Last night, I threw in bacon and served the salad on top of arugula and it was amazing!

On another note I was featured in the Cutting Horse Chatter - a beautiful ad showcasing my great horse, "Hallowed Be"... So cool and such a surprise!

Have a wonderful day!

Creamy Cilantro Chicken - Ojai, CA

We have been outside working a lot and the weather has been hot so when I get in the last thing I have the energy for is something fabulous in the kitchen. Salads are easy but not the kind of fulfillment I crave at the end of the day.  On that note, I dreamt up something easy, quick and simple on my way to the grocery store yesterday and surprised my husband with it last night. Read it, make it, love it!

CREAMY CILANTRO CHICKEN

Start off by chopping up a medium sized onion, yellow or white, whatever you have on hand. In a large sized pan get some butter hot and get them cooking over a low flame. We want them soft.

Once the onions have cooked down in size and have a little bit of color to them add a package of breast tenders. They are small in size and cook up fast! In the same pan as the onions place the chicken on top and brown them on both sides Salt and pepper them while they are here. Keep an eye on these as they will cook quickly because of their size.

Once the chicken in cooked through, add a half a jar of Herdez Salsa Verde. It has some kick so if spice isn't your thing maybe substitute for a similar salsa.

Add the entire tub of the 8 oz. portion size. I used Light Sour Cream because I think it tastes almost the same as the original stuff, an easy way to save some calories. Turn down the heat and make sure to mix the sour cream and salsa until it is a smooth creamy sauce.

Squeeze half a lemon into the sauce - mix.

Last but not least, my favorite part in throwing in some roughly chopped cilantro. It is so worth it and totally tasty. Give the sauce a final taste and add whatever you feel like it is missing or lacking.

 While you are cooking make sure you throw one of these bad boys in the microwave. I used one bag for two people so you may have to whip up more if you have more mouths to feed. I really enjoyed serving the chicken and sauce over the "Spanish Style"rice so I suggest you try it too.

This meal will be an easy go to recipe in my bag of tricks. I can promise you that! ENJOY!

Oriental Chicken Salad

 With the warm weather here, it also means the days stay lit longer. That means more work can be done and Scott comes into the house later at night. He has more time to ride his special 2 year old horses and that makes him very hapy. It allows me personal time in the kitchen to come up with my next great meal. 

Something light, not too filling, not hot - I am already hot. How about Oriental Chicken Salad? It is easy. Just prep some ingredients and throw it in the refrigerator to macerate. 

Oriental Chicken Salad - Melissa's Version

• 2 - Packages Oriental Top Ramen
• Chicken - tenders or filets
• Slivered almonds - they come in small packages usually so get two
• Sesame Seeds - a heavy sprinkle 
• Cole slaw Mix - cabbage and carrot combo
• Cilantro - one bunch chopped 
• Bell pepper (optional) - I used a yellow one.
• Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing or any Asian variety you prefer

1. Boil two packages of Oriental Top Ramen for only about a minute in a half, you want the noodles al dente. Put in a bowl and cool  in the fridge while you assemble the rest of the salad.

2. Boil a package on chicken tenders in water, it takes a bout 7 - 10 minutes because they are very small pieces. You can use any cut of chicken just make sure they are cooked through. Let them cool and shred. You too could put these in the fridge to cool down so it will not wilt the salad when mixed together.

3. On a baking sheet, toast slivered almonds and sesame seeds in a 300 degree oven. Watch them! They burn very quickly! I ruined one batch by being careless!

4. Now take your bowl and start assembling the salad.

5. Open a package of cole slaw mix - Cabbage and carrots pre-sliced from the grocery store. Such a timesaver!

6. Chop up a head of cilantro, the more the better in my book. I also had a bell pepper on hand so I sliced that up and threw it in top. There are no specifics around here! Just wing it!

7. Mix in the cooled noodles, chicken, almonds and sesame seeds.

8. The best easy dressing for this salad is Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad dressing. I used a half of a bottle dressing it. Mix thoroughly and let it all hang out in the fridge for awhile, it gets better the longer it sits.

9. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken and Parmesan Risotto

A few posts ago I was wanting to make a few changes in my life that made me feel stronger, faster and better at pretty much everything that I do. So, I pushed up sleeves and tackled roasting a whole chicken, I have never done it before and wanted to cross it off the list . Cooking healthy (ok, risotto not so much) and having fun in the kitchen with Scott is what our Friday night plan was. So here we go...

 

With a bath in olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and a quartered lemon tucked inside the bird it sunbathed int he oven at 425 degrees for an hour and a half. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. 

So Easy!

Some of you may think Risotto is tricky, I know I thought so. But try it this way and you will love it forever!

MELISSA'S RISOTTO

• Set oven to 350 degrees
• Put 1 1/2 cups arborio rice and 4 cups chicken broth in a dutch oven (Le Creuset makes a nice one)
• Cover and bake in oven for 45 minutes
• Remove from oven and set over low flame on stove
• Mix in 1 cup chicken broth, 1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (not the powder junk, please), 1 cup white wine, 3 Tablespoons butter,  salt and pepper to taste 
• Mix for 2 -3 minutes until all melted and creamy
• Done! Eat up while it is hot... Don't count the calories either.

Scott hard at work, practicing for Thanksgiving.

I also roasted asparagus in the oven after I took the chicken out to rest. In a pyrex, coat asparagus with olive oil and salt and pepper, lots of pepper! 10 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees is probably enough. It just depends on how you like your asparagus cooked.I took the pan juice from the chicken and poured it over the meat and risotto because it was so flavorful. I could not let it go to waste!

Bon appetit! Pour yourself a glass of win e from the leftover bottle from the risotto and savor every bite. We had so much fun and it couldn't have been easier! Now get in the kitchen and try it yourself, message me if you have any questions.

Real Food for Real People - Ojai, CA

The day before Valentine's Day I was craving beef, some starch and a savory vegetable. We have an endless supply of beef that a customer of ours replenishes every year. I just have to remember to take it out of the freezer early enough for us to enjoy it. My darling husband enjoys grilling them to a perfect medium rare so I am quite spoiled. While I was at the Los Olivos Grocery Store on a visit home I noticed a unique grain on their shelf. Black rice is high in antioxidants, fiber and used in prevention in cancer so I decided to give it a go. On its own it is not very tasty, but a dousing in teriyaki  made it more palatable. Baby asparagus baked with a smear of mayonnaise and sprinkle of parmesan was quite indulgent. 

The nights at home, eating meals like this are the ones I savor most! 

Creamy Crab Pasta

Scott and I stayed home for the Super bowl but invited Kat over to watch the game with us. Kat brought over some appetizers and I made dinner: Creamy Crab Pasta. I hope you enjoy the dish as much as we did, it fed us for a couple days!

• 1 1/2 lb shelled crab meat
• Pasta - your choice. Use just under one pound. I used that and I made too much for the amount of sauce this yields.
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• A couple pinches of hot chile flakes (depends on your heat level)
• 1 Tomato - diced
• Sea alt to taste
• 2 T brown sugar
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 cup fresh sweet peas
• 2 cups plus a pinch freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Bring water for the pasta to a boil. Add salt. Cook the according to package directions for al dente. Drain. In a pan, heat the unsalted butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile flakes and saute until it becomes golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sea salt, brown sugar, and freshly ground pepper to the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to create a nice, light sauce. Add in the half-and-half and bring to a boil. The moment it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the sweet peas, Parmesan and a big handful of minced parsley. Stir and let it thicken for about 8 minutes. Mix in the crabmeat and heat through, about 2 minutes.

Using tongs, mix the cooked fettuccine and the sauce. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley.

Green Chile Quiche

Good Morning little blogettes! It is finally a cold one here in Southern California, it settled in the 30's. I am glad to hear rain in on the horizon, we really need it. Anyhow, when it is cold I like to make comforting food and quiche qualifies as just that in my book.

GREEN CHILE QUICHE

4 eggs

3/4 milk

1 1/2 cup cheese (I had cheddar on hand)

3/4 cup ham - chooped

1 small can of diced green chiles

1 small tomato - chopped

salt and pepper - to taste

pie crust (I cheated and bought it at the store)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Whip eggs with milk and then add remaining ingredients. Roll pie crust into 9 inch pie plate, fringe edges. Add mixture to the pie and let cook for about 40 minutes. Once golden brown on top, take out of oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. 

I served the quiche with a salad last night but it is filling enough to eat all by itself. 

ENJOY!