Welcome to Sarah's Adventures in Culinary Experimentation

This blog is for posting recipes I've experimented with while teaching myself to cook. Some I have taken from my favorite recipe books, others are purely my own experimentations. My audience is usually just my husband, my toddler daughter, and I and we are living on a tight budget. Sometimes you might find a splurge.

Hopefully you'll find something here that you like!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Nutella Crescents

Nutella Crescents
Serving: 4-8


Ingredients
1 package Big & Flaky Crescent Rolls
8 TBSP Nutella

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Open the crescent package and break apart the crescents into the pre-cut triangles.
  3. Take 1 TBSP of Nutella and start at the largest end of the crescent and spread it a little over halfway up the triangle.
  4. Roll the crescents and place them on a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat for remaining crescents.
  5. Let bake until golden brown on the top.
  6. Serve.
Note: You can also do this with jam.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Tequila Chicken Sub Sandwiches

Tequila Chicken Sub Sandwiches
Serves: 8
Great for sports parties!


Ingredients
  • 4 9.75oz cans Swanson White Chicken Breast
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup tequila
  • 2 fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 1/4 cup lime juice)
  • 2 bell peppers diced (yellow and orange)
  • 1 large red onion diced (or 2 medium)
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup diced jalapenos
  • 2 TBSP minced garlic
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes (let sit on a paper towel to absorb liquid.)
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 TBSP ground pepper
  • 1 TBSP sea salt
  • 8 sub rolls

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 250.
  2. In a large/deep baking dish, combine the 4 ozs of cream cheese with the tequila and lime juice. Mix until well combined. Then add the chicken, bell peppers, onion, minced garlic, jalapenos, salt and pepper, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
  3. Mix well so that everything is coated relatively evenly.
  4. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
  5. After 1 hour, pull out of the oven and turn the oven up to 350.
  6. Mix the mixture and then layer the top with the grated Parmesan cheese, then the diced fresh tomatoes, then top with the cilantro.
  7. Recover with foil and cook for another hour.
  8. Slice a V in the tops of the subs and fill from the top to reduce spill.

    Saturday, September 3, 2011

    Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad

    Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad
    Serves 6

    Ingredients
    • 3 Vine Ripe Tomatoes
    • 1 large Cucumber
    • 1 large Red or Vidalia onion
    • 1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing
    • Salt and Pepper


    Instructions
    1. Wash your tomatoes and cucumber. Then skin the cucumber and cut into chunky slices. Then quarter the slices and put into a larger seal-able bowl. 
    2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds. Then cut each quarter in half and cut each section into three pieces. Put into bowl with cucumber.
    3. Cut and peel onion and cut each half into quarter inch slices, then halve the slices (so you have a quartered onion with each section cut into quarter inch slices). Add to bowl with cucumber and tomatoes.
    4. Add 1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing to the bowl. Add a little sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and shake the container to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.
    5. Put into refrigerator to chill. Best served the same day. Not as good after 2 days.