Treat yourself...

Today I posted a comment on a friend's Facebook wall reminding her that you have to treat yourself every once in a while. It makes all the hard work you do every day actually seem worth the effort. 

We all work millions of hours a day, 7 days a week and rarely take the time to do something just for ourselves.  Of course I may be speaking only of me on this point but, you get caught up in the daily grind... Alarm goes off (or in my case a 100lb. Chow/ Husky mix jumps on me, grabs the duvet and pulls it into the living room.  It's her way of saying "HEY, TIME TO GET UP!" Then you go through your daily routine... feed this, clean that, put on clothes, find your shoes, where are your keys, making mental notes along the way of all the things you have to leave to be done until you arrive home 10 or 12 hours later.  You come home, feed this, clean that, put on comfy clothes THEN start to do all the things you had to leave to be done until AFTER your 10 or 12 hours at work. I'm sure you forgot to eat too!

SO, I say, remember to take the time to treat yourself!  You/ we/ all of us have earned it!

Of course it doesn't have to be dessert, it can be anything. For most of us ladies it's something that we just wouldn't buy for ourselves.

or perhaps for my Equestrian friends, one of these...

...or, if the opportunity arises there's always something like this...

...ahem. 

Although Gerard Butler is completely lovely and if given the chance... duhhhh... of course, but I don't see that happening any time soon. So instead, my decedent tendencies lean toward, yep you guessed it...food. 

            

It can be explained almost like having Food-turrets! Hmmmm, turkey burgers with gorgonzola and fresh basil, slathered in hot mustard or; chicken skewers in a cilantro lime marinade or; fig and pesto flatbread or; Croque Monsieur or; butternut squash risotto or... well you get the picture right?  I actually can't WAIT to get out of here and go to Trader Joe's, pick up the fixin's I need and get home to start cooking!  I'll added some of the recipes for you below.  

Yes, there you have it... I'm picking tonight to treat myself to a night of cooking up some of my favorite things AND a martini or two... shaken; not stirred.

It'll be deeeeeeeelish!!

xoxo

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Turkey Sliders

INGREDIENTS

                1 egg, slightly beaten

                1/2 teaspoon salt

                1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

                1 pound uncooked lean ground turkey or lean ground chicken

                1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

                1 tablespoon olive oil

                1/4 cup jalapeno jelly, melted or barbecue sauce

                Prepackaged shredded red cabbage, thinly sliced red onion, and/or desired   toppings

                4 potato rolls, kaiser rolls, or hamburger buns, split and toasted

DIRECTIONS (if you don't have a grill handy OR there's 7 feet of snow on the deck)

1.   In a bowl combine egg, salt, and pepper. Add turkey and breadcrumbs; mix well.     Shape the chicken mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.

2.  In a large nonstick skillet, cook patties over medium heat in hot oil for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the burger registers 165°F. Brush patties on each side with jalapeno jelly or barbecue sauce. Cook 1 minute more on each side to glaze.

3.  To assemble, place cabbage and red onion on bottom of rolls and top with meat.    

Makes 4 servings.

Broiler method: Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the burger registers 165 degree F. Brush patties on each side with jalapeno jelly or barbecue sauce. Cook 1 minute more on each side to glaze.

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FIG & PROSCUITTO FLATBREAD

INGREDIENTS

Two 12-ounce balls of pizza dough, at room temperature

1/4 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1⁄2 cup fig jam (from a 6-ounce jar)

1⁄4  pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

3 ounces sliced prosciutto

1 scallion, white and green parts thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1.     Place a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°. Allow at least 45 minutes for the pizza stone to heat thoroughly.

2.     Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the pizza dough to a 13-inch round. Dust a pizza peel with flour and slide the dough onto it. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with half of the garlic and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Dollop 1 cup of the fig jam all over the crust, being sure to leave a 1-inch border of dough all around. Scatter half of the cheese and prosciutto over the dough.

3.     Slide the flatbread onto the stone and bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Transfer the flatbread to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the second flatbread. Garnish with the sliced scallion and serve.

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Ratatouille Polenta Bake

INGREDIENTS

1   medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)

1   medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

1   small unpeeled eggplant, (1 pound), diced (2 cups)

1   medium zucchini, diced (1 cup)

¼  teaspoon pepper

1   can (14 1/2 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, un-drained

1   tube (18 ounces) refrigerated plain polenta (or any flavor)

2   tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

½   cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)

¼    cup chopped fresh parsley

   

DIRECTIONS     

1.       Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook onion and bell pepper in skillet 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in eggplant, zucchini and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up with spoon; reduce heat to low. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 2.     Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches, with cooking spray. Cut polenta into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices on bottom of dish, overlapping and cutting to fit where necessary. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly over top.


 


3.       Cover and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

®copyright The Sunflower Bakery 2013