My name is Kristen, and I am an addict...

OK, you got me!  It's official!  I am addicted to my panini maker!  I had one for dinner last night.  Am I ashamed?  NO!  It's the perfect sized mini sandwich!  It's thin, crispy and oh so ooey gooey!  It's just WAY too easy and WAY to fun to play with!

My dearest wasn't hungry last night due to a late lunch, and honestly, I wasn't really starving... I was however a bit bored.  As it turned out, I had some nicely marinated chicken in the fridge that was begging to be tossed on the grill.  That combined with a.) some left over french bread, b.) "Garlic Goop" (the most wonderful thing EVER!!!  Brought to us by my bestie The Sassy Little Chef, you must check it out... this stuff is to DIE for!!!), c.) plenty of cheese and tada!  Of course if I would have and more goodies in the fridge we could have cluttered up the kitchen a bit more... but this one was simple, delicious and to the point.  And the point being... I'm addicted!

You say po-ta-toe...

I love potato salad.  I love many variations of it too.  This is an outstanding one that I turn to often.  It is a Barefoot Contessa recipe that I keep on hand because it never disappoints!  The great thing about it, is it doesn't have 10 million ingredients in it, yet it always gets rave reviews!  Thank you Ina!  From her kitchen, to mine, to yours... Enjoy!

Potato Salad
3 pounds small white potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Red, white & blueberry cupcakes...

Made these little gems for two different parties over the weekend.  Had a couple of great helpers too! (thanks mom & Kelli!)  They turned out pretty scrumptious.  These are the kind of left overs that we don't mind having in the fridge!  The blueberries on top totally make them healthy right??

Panini-Palooza

Oh the day after a Bar-B-Que... many left overs, a hungry boyfriend, and a shiny new panini maker just begging to be put to the test!  Of course it wouldn't be a cluttered kitchen if we had just made one kind of panini... sheesh, where would the fun be in that??  We'll have a smorgasbord of paninis and make three different types.  Oh variety is the spice of life my friends!

No real recipes here, just guidelines to give you ideas...  Jump in have fun and enjoy!

For panini number one, I smeared some pesto mayo on some leftover french bread and added leftover tri tip.  (I like to chop it making it easier to bite into.)  Topped with chopped sun dried tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese and since I have a HUGE weakness for American cheese I threw a slice of that on there as well.

For panini number two I used the same pesto mayo on french bread and added sliced, grilled chicken breast.  Topped with chopped sun dried tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, a balsamic drizzle & fresh cracked pepper.

Finally, for panini number three I went with plain mayo and Dijon mustard.  Added sliced, grilled chicken breast and topped with sharp cheddar cheese.  Now believe me, I was tempted to open up a package of bacon and fry up a piece just for this one, but decided that was a bit ambitious.

So there you have it... three delicious paninis in less than 15 minutes all with the leftovers I had on hand.  Just go with what you like and what you've got & you cant go wrong!  And don't forget, if you don't have an awesome panini press like me, you can always improvise!  Enjoy!

A Repeat...

So with all the chaos of getting ready for a very busy weekend, I decided to forgo a new recipe a revisit a previously blogged about dish last night.  I knew I had most of the ingredients on hand, so I went with the Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream and just like the last time it was darn tasty.  The Green Beans w/ Country Mustard and Herbs are the perfect side dish for it and oh so yummy.  So, if you didn't notice it before, take another look... trust me on this one!

Cute as a button cupcakes...

So I decided to forgo a "Push Sasha, Push" cake (seen here) for my dear friend's baby shower and go a little less vulgar with some cute as a button cupcakes.

Betcha Believe Me Now Chicken and Couscous Salad

So Chad’s dad didn’t know I knew how to cook anything healthy. He only knew of my previous style of cooking… you know, that really, really good but really, really bad for you kind of stuff. I tried to tell him, I’ve found a new way. (No, I didn’t forget the old way, don’t worry.) I tried to tell him that we’ve been eating all this great healthy stuff. But you know what… I don’t think he believed me. He didn’t think I could change my wicked little ways… that is until he happened to discover this Blog! That’s right; the Big Boz himself took time out of his very busy day to read my Random Musings! And you know what? He wanted to try one of those healthy dinners. So Chad's parents joined us for an impromptu dinner. I found this recipe on the Cooking Light web site and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!  As long as you don't mind a little bit of chopping, this salad is so simple and it is off the charts delicious!

Chad and I love couscous, and since I knew we had a box on hand I decide to go with it. But I’m sure you could substitute my new buddy Quinoa & it would taste just as great! I upped the veggies, added a tomato for the tomato fans, avocado for the avocado fans, doubled the dressing and served it over a bed of raw baby spinach.  Oh and I used my new panini maker to grill some whole wheat pita triangles that I served on the side.

Chicken and Couscous Salad
Salad:
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (5.7-ounce) box uncooked couscous (Try the Near East brand Toasted Pine Nut. It's so good I always keep a box on hand.  It also makes a quick and easy side dish.)
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken, shredded)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup diced radishes (about 3 large)
1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

To prepare salad, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Spoon couscous into a large bowl; cool slightly. Add chicken, onions, radishes, cucumber, parsley, and pine nuts; toss gently to combine.

To prepare dressing, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss to combine.

Note: You can toast nuts quickly in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir frequently, and as soon as they become fragrant, remove the nuts from the pan.
Calories: 334, Fat: 10.9g