Healthy Homestyle Baked Chicken Nuggets

Happy Monday Slow Roasters!  Monday is a new week and it represents a chance to make a fresh start to a lot of people.  I am one of those people.  I love Mondays, it is the first day of the week.  The perfect day to start off on the right foot, start a diet, start exercising, start anything...

This is an exciting week here at TSRI.  We have our Cinco de Mayo round up this Thursday.  Cocktails, salsas, and the perfect Cinco de Mayo party foods!  Don't forget to check back Friday for an amazing giveaway.  We have reached 1,000 Facebook Fans and we would like to celebrate with an incredible giveaway to thank all our readers for the support.

Today I am so excited to share these chicken nuggets that I can't seem to cook fast enough.  We have had them 3 times this week already.  Chad says that these are the best chicken nuggets he has ever had and that they are addictive.  They are crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside.  They only take 30 minutes from start to table.

I can't even tell you how they freeze, because the chance of these making it to the freezer are ZERO.  I can tell you that I made 2 batches last night and we ate one and I refrigerated the other.  I was able to reheat them perfectly in the oven in 10 minutes (5 minutes per side)!  It was like they were fresh cooked.  Perfectly crisp on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.

These fabulous Healthy Homestyle Baked Chicken Nuggets were served with a tomato salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with kosher salt and rosemary.  Although Chad insists these chicken nuggets do not need a side dish.

A Look Back at the Week of April 23, 2012

Happy Saturday everyone!  We have been spending most of this phenomenal week enjoying our gardens and the outdoors.  Just yesterday afternoon I was completely stopped in my tracks as I gazed out at our property through the back door and was totally smitten.  To some it may be a grass yard with a swing set and trees in the back.  But, I saw a beautiful play land for our Munchkin (lovingly and painstakingly created by her Daddy, Uncle Happy and PopPop), a lovely manicured lawn (thank you my Mr Wonderful!), incredibly prolific grounds filled with green gardens and trees.  It was as if I was transported to another world, but it is our world.

I grabbed the camera and tried to capture what I saw, however my vision did not translate through the lens.  So, I called Chad and told him what I was trying to shoot. He smiled and began shooting.  A little while later I looked at the pictures and was again smitten.  We are so blessed!

Yesterday was quite a milestone for us on Facebook we now have 1,000 Facebook 'Fans'.  We are so grateful for all your loving comments and support each and every day.  The food blogging community is like a family and we are so happy to know you all.

To show our appreciation and celebrate this milestone, we are having a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!  Remember to check back Monday to get the details.

Lemon Curd Meringue Nests

Happy Friday Slow Roasters!  I am so excited to finally be sharing this amazing treat with you.  Although, I really have to thank the fantastic pin boards on Pinterest that I collect.  Click here to follow us.  I ran across this great post on a wedding blog that had a picture of a meringue nest filled with lemon curd.  I thought to myself...  Ding Ding!  I have an out of this world Lemon Curd recipe and the perfect meringue cookie recipe.  The meringue cookies bake up crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  Oh, I can only imagine the two of them together.

El Dorado Cocktail

Happy Thursday Slow Roasters!!  It is Ladies Night here at The Slow Roasted Italian.  Tonight we are serving up Ladies Night: Spanish style. NOCHE DE CHICAS!!!

This El Dorado Cocktail is an amazing blend of  Cuervo Gold with sweet agave and vanilla notes, beautifully combined with fresh lemon juice and honey. A cocktail that will find you loving tequila as it dances with your taste buds.

The BEST Ever! Lemon Curd

Happy Wednesday!  Today I am so excited to share with you my favorite lemon curd recipe ever!  HA!  I once heard someone say "lemon curd sounds like something that came out of the wrong end of a lemon".  Funny, but true.

Lemon Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Happy Tuesday Slow Roasters and welcome to Simply Delicious!  Today I would like to share with you a new twist on an old classic favorite.  Apparently the Roasted Vegetable Penne Pasta is quite popular around here (twice as popular as the #2 recipe).  So, after my amazing lemon scavenger hunt with Chad this weekend I decided to work on a Lemon Roasted Vegetable Pasta for you.

Summer Cole Slaw

Summer Cole Slaw is a perfectly light and flavorful salad. An easy recipe for a summer slaw without the heavy cole slaw dressing. This is an easy recipe with a rainbow of veggies and a dressing that will really put this salad over the top. Every bite bursts with flavor!

A Look Back at the Week of April 16 - Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day Slow Roasters!  We have been taking the time to appreciate our Earth.  So much beauty so often overlooked.  Walking our property the last few days I have been taken aback by the beauty I see.  I love to get up and walk outside in the morning before anyone is up.  Walking through the garden, talking to the plants, stopping to smell the roses and bask in the beauty that is Arizona.  A (slightly obstructed) beautiful view of the mountains, sunshine peaking over top the mountains.

Today we are recapping our week here at The Slow Roasted Italian, but I wanted to first share some of the beauty that surrounds us.  The beautiful roses just budding caught my attention this week.

Spicy Walnut Apple Butter Pork Loin

It's a fabulous Friday!!!  I am so excited to be sharing a Diving Into Decadence recipe with you today.  Its not really that decadent, but it does feel like it!

I have been searching for inspiration for pork loin for months, right after I had made the Crockpot Spiced Apple Butter an old dusty Rachael Ray magazine, April 2008 caught my attention with a great recipe for Spicy Apple Butter Pork.  Then about a week ago my dear friend and timing master Mary posted a recipe for Spicy Apple Butter Pork.  I just knew it must be fate.  Double inspiration=make it all ready.  So I started working on my recipe, I decided to take it up a notch and add some nuts and cayenne pepper to my fantastic homemade apple butter.

Tequila Sunrise Done Right

It's Thursday Slow Roasters, you know what that means???  LADIES NIGHT!!!  Tonight we are serving up the Tequila Sunrise (the original recipe was even created at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel right here in Phoenix) made perfect with just a splash of grenadine so you get the bright combination of fresh orange juice and tequila.  You don't even have to be Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell or Michelle Pfeiffer to enjoy a Tequila Sunrise. 

Baked Cinnamon Applesauce

Happy Wednesday Slow Roasters!  Most Wednesdays we like to take it down a notch and share a more homemade recipe with you.  Something that you may normally buy in the store and share a great way to make it homemade. Today is another Homemade Wednesday!

We were fortunate enough to get a great deal on apples recently.  I made some fantastic Dried Apple Chips that we love so much they are almost gone.  The Crock Pot Spiced Apple Butter was a huge hit and you will see another recipe posted Friday using that apple butter.  Today we are talking about applesauce.

Potato and Cauliflower Mash

I remember watching episodes of Giada at Home when munchkin was a baby. I would hear her talk about her daughter and speak of how she would try so many things and she was loving vegetables. I was hoping I would be as lucky. I wished that my Munchkin would love broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, brussell sprouts and seafood (my early struggles) and I was pretty encouraged when she loved the homemade baby foods I made her. She loved the peas! Yeah! Success. Then came the green beans (vehemently hated the beans) I could get her to eat broccoli with cheese sauce (minor success).

Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce

Happy Monday Slow Roasters!  I am excited to share with you the fantastic Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce that I developed as a perfect accompaniment to The Best! Tex-Mex Chicken Fajitas.  It is creamy, citrusy, a nice tang from the yogurt.  It is perfect!  If you love cilantro and lime you will love this sauce!

A Look Back at the Week of April 9

What an incredible week it has been. The weather is beautiful, lots of ups and down, but it is beautiful today.  We have had our windows open most of the week.

The gardens that Chad built are almost all planted now.  We have one box planted with corn and once the corn grows to 4 inches we will plant the beans/peas, pumpkin/melon this is my first attempt at 3 Sisters Native American Gardening method that I am really excited to try.

I also have the herb box planted that is the 2x3 in the center of the garden.  Munchkin's box is started.  She is growing the hot peppers and some eggplant and some other plants that are great companions for her plants.  You can read about companion gardening here.

Spicy Fajita Roasted Chickpeas

Happy Friday Slow Roasters!  A few days ago I shared a blog with you and an amazing recipe for The Best Ever!  Tex-Mex Chicken Fajitas when I was perusing the blog for fantastic recipes this one stuck out too.  A healthy snack, crunchy like a corn nut, with the perfect flavor and a nice dose of protein and a little kick to wake your taste buds up!  You are going to love 'em!

The Best Ever! Tex-Mex Chicken Fajitas

Happy Wednesday Slow Roasters!  It has been a fabulous week here at TSRI.  We have been gardening, cooking, eating, having family time and cooking some more.  Recently we have been cooking incredible recipes from a really cool blog. Herbie Likes Spaghetti which is written and developed by Bryan, YiRan, Herbie and Pepper.  Herbie and Pepper are the feline furbabies of Bryan and YiRan.

Tex-Mex Seasoning

Tex-Mex Seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Place seasoning in an airtight container and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

Southwestern Meatballs and Black Bean Corn Salsa

It has been a while since we have shared an On The Lighter Side meal with you or a Simply Delicious one, so today I would like to share one that is both.  My new favorite Southwestern Meatballs and Black Bean Corn Salsa, a light and healthy meal in under 40 minutes!

How To: The Best Way to Preserve Lemons

I have a bit of a lemon "thing", I guess you could say.  I love fresh lemons, lemonade, lemon simple syrup, lemon cookies, lemon candies, lemon cakes and pastries, lemon chicken, lemon pasta...  I feel like Bubba from Forest Gump.  I could go on for days.  So, when my lemon supply is coming to an end I stress out a bit.  Store bought lemons do not compare to fresh from your own tree.

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake for Easter

Happy Monday Slow Roasters, we hope you are having a marvelous day! Well we are shaking things up a bit this week.  We are serving up a divinely decadent cake on Monday, two cocktails this week and who knows what else is to come.

I couldn't wait to share this cake with you.  I have to say, I was so surprised by the amazing results from such a simple recipe.  I am generally the girl that bakes the 12 hour cake.  The 7 layer Death by Chocolate Cake is a perfect example of this love I have for complicated cakes.