A Fiber One double whammy plus a gift card giveaway!

I love two things in this world
1. Food
2. Free Food

Parties become more enjoyable when there is flavorful, free food. A wedding becomes tolerable once the buffet opens. And dinner tastes better when you don't have to pay for it (why do you think girls date so much?) I occasionally go to the grocery store on Saturday. Not because it's the busiest day, but because that is when the samples are out. And like I said, I like free food.

Safeway and Fiber One must have known this little fact about me, because they sent me a coupon and gift card for me to try out some Fiber One products. They were tasty on their own, though easily transformed into healthy satisfying dishes. Score!

If you like good food, keep scrolling down.
If you like good, free food, scroll all the way to the bottom.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Fiber One Crust
Yield: 2 portions

2 Chicken Breast Halves
4 slices Deli Honey Ham
4 slices Swiss Cheese
Salt, Pepper
2 Eggs, whisked
1 cup Bread Crumbs or Chicken Coating
1/2 cup Fiber One Original Cereal
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Dried Parsley
Pan Spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Use a food processor to crush the Fiber One original Cereal into a course powder. In a large bowl add the cereal, bread crumbs, onion powder and dried parsley. Set aside.
2. Pound chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap using the bottom of a large saute pan. Pound until almost half the original thickness. You want a long thin piece.
3. Divide the ham between the two breasts and place on top of the now chicken cutlets. Next add the swiss cheese. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top.
4. Roll the chicken carefully, making sure no cheese is hanging out. Use toothpicks to hold in place. (I use plenty of toothpicks to seal the sides and keep in place)
5. Brush with whisked eggs then coat with bread crumb mixture until fully coated.
6. Place in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until fully cooked. Let cool at least 3 minutes before serving.

For printable recipe click here.

This was such a pleasant dinner and dessert. The chicken cordon bleu is satisfying and tastes sinful, though I know it's figure friendly. Even my chicken hating boyfriend enjoyed this, he said the ham and swiss did the trick! The crushed Fiber One cereal added a great texture to the crust. You could enjoy this with a number of sides, such as a simple salad or roasted vegetables.

For dessert we had strawberry frozen yogurt, made using Fiber One strawberry yogurt. It tasted just like soft serve frozen yogurt, or even a strawberry shake, though we know it's much better for you than an actual shake! As we all know, 2010 is about getting healthy and getting in shape. These are the kinds of recipes that will help me and can help you succeed.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
yield: 4 servings

3 Egg Whites
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Simple Syrup
3 containers Yoplait Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt

1. Prepare simple syrup by adding 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a sauce pot. Simmer until reduced to a syrup consistency, around 6 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Add egg whites to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat for 1 - 2 minutes until frothy. Add sugar after 1 minute.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the cooled simple syrup, egg white mixture, and yogurt.
4. Freeze mixture in ice cream maker according to the unit's instructions.

For printable recipe click here.


Giveaway Time!!
Enter to win a $50 gift card to a Safeway grocery store which includes stores like Tom Thumb and Randalls (find one near you). You can spend the gift card on whatever you like, though I think you should pick up one of the recommended Fiber One products. Heck, you could even grab one you have never tried before, from me to you!

To Enter:
1. Comment below, telling me which flavor of Fiber One yogurt sounds best. Peach, Vanilla, Key Lime Pie or Strawberry? (1 entry)
2. Follow or subscribe to Natalie's Killer Cuisine, and leave a comment telling me you did! (1 entry)
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this contest. On Twitter I am @NataliesCuisine, and leave me a comment telling me you tweeted! (1 entry)

And that's it! Simple as key lime pie. Good luck!
Contest ends this Saturday the 6th, at the stroke of midnight!

Prize courtesy of Fiber One and Safeway, through MyBlogSpark.

San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition

This little food blog of mine, along with Foodbuzz, have brought along some amazing opportunities. If you don't remember I participated in the Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 back in July and in November I went to San Francisco for the Foodbuzz festival!

I received an email about the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition, and a featured publisher (like myself) has the opportunity to go! How exciting?

I have known about the competition for a few years now. When I was in culinary school we could enter to be a part of the competition, and sometimes I kick myself in the rear for never entering, as it looks like so much fun and very rewarding! If chosen to attend, I would be able to watch the culinary students participate and would also be covering the event on my blog... from Vegas baby! There is also a chance for someone to attend the finals in Napa Valley, which sounds like an amazing and unforgettable opportunity that I would love to attend and be a part of. Not only would I be rubbing elbows with some of the top epicurean outlets such as Food & Wine magazine and the Today Show, but we would be watching the competition live from 11 regions from around the world.

To be considered for a chance to go, we have been asked to blog about the event, and answer why we would like to attend. First off... why WOULDN'T I want to go, it sounds like an incredible experience. Honestly though, I feel like I could gain a lot from this trip. I was in cooking contests as a kid (Hello Pillsbury Bakeoff!) but have not experienced a full-on, professional, competitive cooking contest.

I would cover the event with eye catching photos that Natalie's Killer Cuisine is known for, as well as in depth coverage of the contestants, the food, the experience and of course the winner. I hope I am considered for a chance to go. As a culinary school graduate, I breathe, eat, and live all things food related. However I am going back to school to study photography and journalism very soon, and this would be the perfect jump start to my future career as a culinary writer and photographer!

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

I'm moving ya'll, I'm really moving! Wait, you didn't know I wanted to move did you? Well, now you do. And I have for a while. Don't get me wrong, I love my apartment, just ready for a change. So ready for a change.

Kyle and I moved in our current one bedroom apartment two years ago. We both came from our parents house and didn't have much to fill our apartment with. Now it's overflowing with stuff. Not junk, I'm not a hoarder over here! Mainly kitchen stuff related to our catering. We are going to a bigger apt (within the same complex, which makes the move much easier) but the kitchen is twice the size. I'll show you pictures soon!

I obviously won't be cooking as much the next few days. Our cable/internet will be installed Saturday so I want everything in by then, which doesn't give me much time. I decided to make some biscotti for a few reasons. We will be drinking mass quantities of coffee over the next few days, and who doesn't love to dip something in coffee (or any warm drink). Also biscotti last a while since they are baked until dry. Hopefully I will have some left for our first morning as #239, but they may not last that long!

Chocolate Banana Biscotti
Recipe adapted from The Picky Palate
yield: 20 - 24 biscotti

3/4 cup Ripened Bananas, mashed
1 Egg
2 TBS Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 3/4 cup plus 2 TBS Flour
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Espresso Powder, optional
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Chips, any kind

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Place banana, egg, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Mix to combine.
2. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips and espresso powder is using and mix again. Divide into two equal portions and place on a silpat lined baking sheet (or parchment paper) 4 inches apart.
4. Form each piece of dough into a 6 inch log, about 3 inches wide. Bake for 25 minutes.
5. When done remove from oven and reduce heat to 250 degrees. Let biscotti cool for 10 minutes.
6. Using a serrated knife, cut biscotti into diagonal strips
7. Place back on the cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until crisp. (I turned mine half way for even coloring.) Let cool at least 20 minutes.
8. Optional: Decorate the top of the biscotti with chocolate. Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. (I am messy and like to dip a fork in the chocolate and splatter it on the biscotti, though you can let the chocolate cool a bit and add it to a piping bag.)

(FYI: When I sliced the biscotti the chocolate chips were still hot and coated the knife, which is why you can't see chips but only a streak of chocolate. I know of like the way it looks.)

Printable recipe can be found here.

These are flavorful and fantastic. They had a subtle banana flavor when eaten dry, but when you dipped them into your coffee the flavor was much stronger.

Let's hope our move goes as good as these biscotti taste!

White Chocolate Coconut Chewies

My favorite feeling of the day is when the dishes are clean, the clothes are put away, my boyfriend and dog are fed, checkbooks have been balanced (as if I ever do that....), and I can sit on the couch and relax. I even bought groceries, paid the bills, and filed our taxes today. Talk about total relaxation.

Knowing everything is right in my little world. The only thing that can make this moment better? A cookie. A really good cookie.

Yesterday I walked around Dallas and took some pictures, which are over at Nikon Natalie. I left for my adventure around 2, and by the time I got home around 5 I realized I had not eaten one thing the entire day. How does that happen?

I scarfed down some 3 bean chili I had in the fridge and knew I wanted to make something sweet to enjoy as I relaxed that evening. I don't mean to sound over-confident when I say I threw these together, but I really did. And I didn't know they would be so flavorful. The lime zest makes this cookie addicting. All the flavors are sweet and delectable, then you have this little bit of tart, and you want more. A lot more.

White Chocolate Coconut Chewies
yield: 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups Butter

3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
2 1/3 cups Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Lime Zest

1 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 cup Toasted Coconut
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts, optional

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Place butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat until melted. Add the sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk until smooth and creamy and let sit 3 minutes. Whisk again and let sit another 3 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and lime zest. Add to the wet mixture in stages until fully combined.
3. Add the chips, most of the coconut (reserve a little but for topping) and nuts if using.
4. Roll into ball and press into the reserved coconut. Place on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Printable recipe can be found here.

These little chewies are delightful! They are soft and the coconut adds a great chewy texture. The white chocolate chips added a sweet bite, while the lime zest was definitely a bright surprise.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

I've got two two things on my mind.
Avatar & iPhone.

I saw Avatar just a few hours ago and it was epic. I loved it. If 3D is the direction movies are going in, then I'm ready. I even saved my 3D glasses, I'm super ready.

and iPhone... my dear iPhone. I got it yesterday and I love it. I am still in the honeymoon phase and don't want to let it out of my sight. I think I have it mastered and I have been going app crazy. To go from a Blackberry to an iPhone is like going from a old, beat up, paint chipping Ford Taurus to a new shiny Benz.
I was ready for my Benz.

As you know, weekends blog posts are dedicated to my 1o in Ten challenge. I have been eating well though I wish I worked out more last week than I did. There is no reason to be upset with myself, I always have next week!

....back to the iPhone. I downloaded a cool app that I know will help me as I try to shed some pounds. It is free, so I am sure many of you with iPhone's have it. It is called 'Lose It'. You tell it how much you weigh and how much you want to lose. It calculates your daily calorie needs and as you eat you type in what you eat and the calories will be deducted from your calorie bank.

But what you log into Lose It needs to be healthy, right? So how about some healthy, low fat, Whole Wheat Pancakes, with a rich Blueberry maple Syrup?

Whole Wheat Pancakes
yield: 12 medium pancakes

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 TBS Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
2 TBS Flax Seed
2 cups Milk (1% or Skim)
1 Egg
1 TBS Canola Oil
1/2 cup Mix-Ins (Nuts, fruit, chocolate chips)

1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients first, and pour the wet ingredients on top. Stir until combined and add your 'mix-ins' last (I used pecan pieces).
2. Heat a large nonstick pan until hot. (I make a small test pancake and when it starts to cook I know the pan is ready. Then you can taste the pancake and see if there are any adjustments you would like to make).
3. Use a ladle to pour batter into pan, into the desired size of your pancakes.
4. When bubbles appear on surface, loosen the pancake and flip to the other side until brown.
5. Keep hot in a slightly warm oven (or covered) and make the rest of the pancakes. Serve with your favorite toppings, or blueberry maple syrup.

Blueberry Maple Syrup
1 cup Blueberries, frozen or fresh
1 1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1. Combine in a small sauce pot and turn to medium heat. Let mixture simmer and reduce to 1 cup, which will take around 15 - 20 minutes.

Printable recipe can be found here.

I am normally not a pancake person and usually prefer a crispy waffle, but there were heaven. You could totally fool anyone with these waffles, as they don't have a 'healthy' taste. And by that I mean they don't taste like cardboard. Add some chocolate chips to fool your kids (shhh, the healthy part will be our little secret!)

The pancakes are soft and lightly sweet. I added pecan bits to mine which added a nice crunch, but you could add anything to them. The blueberry maple syrup is rich and a little goes a long way. It would also go great on waffles, and even ice cream and desserts.

Polynesian Chicken

Have you noticed that food bloggers can over complicate recipes? Sometimes there are just too many flavors going on in one thing. Hey, I am guilty of it too. But, that is how I cook sometimes. I will throw in a dash of this, a sprinkle of that and when it's time to re-write the recipe I realize it looks like a lot of work.

Sometimes I just need to stop trying to create the most unique and fabulous dish, and trust the family recipes. After all, they wouldn't survive the generations if they weren't delicious. I work with a great gal named Darla (which is such a cute name, in my opinion) and she showed me her Mom's recipe for Polynesian Chicken. I had all the ingredients on hand and it looked really tasty.

I realized when I was finished cooking that this is another one pot meal. I made one skillet chicken with spinach and mushrooms the other night and loved the quick clean up. No wonder I have been so happy lately, there have been less dishes to put up!

There were just a few changes I made to the recipe. First, the recipe called for canned peach slices and all I had was sugar-free peach chunks. I don't think this affected the flavor at all, the sauce was still sticky sweet. This made the sauce a bit lower calorie though and I think the peach chunks were also easier to eat rather than peach slices. I also served the chicken over brown rice instead of white rice. The nutty brown rice went well with the soft vegetable and sweet chicken.

Polynesian Chicken
yield: 4 servings

2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBS Soy Sauce
3 TBS Cornstarch
4 Chicken Breast, boneless and skinless
Salt, Pepper
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 Bell Pepper, thin slices
1 Onion, thin slices
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
1 can Sliced Peaches (I used Sugar free chunks)
Cooked Rice (I prepared Brown Rice)

1. Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Open the peaches and drain the syrup into a separate container. Set aside.
2. Cut the chicken breast in large cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Add the 2 TBS olive oil to the pan and add chicken. Cook for at least 6 minutes until all sides of the chicken are browned and chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the pepper and onion slices to the pan and turn heat to medium low. Cook at least 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft and aromatic. Remove vegetables from the pan.
5. Whisk together the soy sauce mixture with the reserved peach juice. The mixture will appear milky due to the cornstarch. Add to the pan and turn on low. Stir until transparent and thick.
6. Add the tomatoes and peaches to the sauce and leave on low heat for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the tomatoes start to look a little wrinkled, add the chicken and vegetables to the pan and gently toss in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
7. Serve over white or brown rice.

Printable recipe can be found here.

This is a great weeknight dinner. It is quick to put together and prep is minimal, not to mention the flavors are simple and comforting. I have always enjoyed orange chicken and this is very similar, except the sweetness in the sauce comes from peach juice. I don't know how exactly this is Polynesian but I don't care... it just tastes so good!

Killer Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

I was born in 1986, which makes me 23. There are a few downsides when it comes to being raised in my generation. For one, I don't rely on my brain when it comes to spelling, I rely on spellcheck. I am ashamed to say there are certain words I have never learned how to spell correctly, and when I type them I usually just spell them incorrectly, knowing the my internet browser will correct my spelling error for me. (It's a little late but I have a new resolution.... which is learn how to spell better!)

Also, the invention of email and text messaging. We don't communicate face to face anymore and hardly on the telephone. We text. We email. And we tweet. I have been instant messaging with friends since I was 12 years old (anyone remember ICQ?) and I know it has affected how I communicate. I now have a job where I occasionally have to call strangers, and let me tell you, I hate it. (Another resolution.... become the type of person than can easily speak to anyone without it becoming uncomfortable.)

But no matter what your age, how you like to communicate and whether or not you tweet, everyone can agree on chocolate cake. Specifically, a moist, rich, totally killer chocolate cake. A perfect chocolate cake can bring people together, as this cake did this past weekend.

I made this cake last weekend for someone who hates birthdays. I wanted the cake to still look like a celebration, but without being over the top. I chose not to frost the sides, so you could see the rich color of the cake. The sprinkles added the perfect crunch. This cake was just perfect, no matter if you are having your 8th, 18th, or 68th birthday.

Killer Chocolate Cake
Recipe from RecipeZaar
yield: 2 9-inch cake rounds

2 cup Sugar
1 3/4 cup AP Flour
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder (I used Valrhona)
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup Boiling Water

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Add first 6 dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined evenly. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
2. Add half of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine until smooth, then add the next half and continue to stir until smooth and lump free.
3. Measure 3/4 cup of water and microwave until boiling. Pour into the chocolate cake batter and stir until fully combined. The batter will appear to be thin now.
4. Prepare your cake pans with butter or pan spray, and divide the batter between the two evenly. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool at least 10 minutes in pans before removing. Let cool on a rack at least 30 minutes. Make frosting while you are waiting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup Butter, room temperature
1 cup Peanut Butter
2 TBS Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste, optional
2 cups Powdered Sugar

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the softened butter and peanut butter. Beat until combined and add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste and continue to beat.
2. Add the powdered sugar in batches until fully combined and smooth. If the frosting is too stiff add a bit of heavy cream, if it is too soft add a bit of powdered sugar.
3. Frost the bottom cake layer and place the second layer on top. Frost the top layer and drizzle with melted chocolate and plenty of sprinkles.

Printable Recipe can be found here.

This cake has an intense chocolate flavor, and is very soft and moist. The peanut butter frosting isn't overly sweet, and went very well with the cake though you could use any flavor of frosting and this cake would still be killer. If you have been searching for a killer chocolate cake recipe, then look no further!

Dragonfly Restaurant Review

I always feel silly bringing my big, bulky camera to dinner when I go to a fine dining restaurant. I want to share with you the great meal I had, but at the same time it's a bit tacky with my flash. That is why I love lunch. The lighting is usually perfect and a flash is not necessary. Also, dinner prices are normally a bit higher and I would rather be enjoying my meal, my wine and my company. Whereas lunch is a bit more casual, and taking photos isn't as much of a distraction.

How do you feel about taking pictures in restaurants?

I went to Dragonfly in September, which was far too long ago, so I knew a trip was in order. It is one of my favorite lunch spots, and the lunch menu has plenty to offer, as you can see in my pictures. The food is always delicious and comforting, yet still creative.

My friend Chirine works at the Hotel Zaza, so a trip to Dragonfly means I get to catch up with her, and that is always gobs of fun. She has the best stories and keeps me laughing, until I start eating of course.

You may remember this dish from the last review, as it is not a trip to Dragonfly without the Crispy Calamari Salad. The Asian greens go perfectly with the crispy calamari and everything is coated in a sweet chile vinaigrette. And for a little crunch, the salad is topped with fried nori.

I want more! Isn't this lovely? It was my favorite of the day. I think it was called Deconstructed Ahi Tuna Roll. Everything went together perfectly, and it was much more satisfying than an actual sushi roll. I think with the right size mold and quality ingredients I could recreate this at home.... but why would I do that, and miss a trip to Dragonfly?

These sliders were delicious and very balanced. The meat was warm and rich, the smoked gouda was creamy with an underlying bitterness. The pickle was... well you know how a pickle tastes, and the red onion relish had the right amount of sweetness. I am not ashamed to say that a table of ladies ordered more than one of these plates.

Butternut Squash was the soup of the day. It was velvety smooth and perfect for the arctic weather Dallas was experiencing when I went (yes, Dallas had Arctic weather!) The soup came with a few drops of chili oil and seasoned croutons. In the background you can see the soft bread we received, with some Olive Oil for dipping.

So far, so good delicious!
Time for my entree.

I ordered the Grilled Organic Salmon with Spring Vegetable Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce. Oh. My. God. It was delicious and smelled great when it arrived steaming hot to the table. I love the bright flavor of lemon, and it went well with the light vegetables and tender salmon. As you can imagine I was already feeling full, so I took half of this home with me. It was still great reheated the next day.

But one can never be too full for dessert...

This is the Caramel Apple Cheesecake. I loved it, the cheesecake was perfect and the apples were spicy. I ordered a cappuccino, which went well with this and the other dessert that we ordered.

A Slice of Ice (yes, that is what it's called) was intoxicating. I couldn't get enough. The filling was Oreo Ice Cream, and top and bottom was Oreo as well. It was covered in a chocolate and caramel sauce.

I've said it once, I'll say it again. If you are ever in Dallas I recommend stopping by Dragonfly restaurant inside the Hotel ZaZa. It's killer cuisine at it's finest!

Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa
2332 Leonard St
Dallas, TX 75201
214-550-9500