Pesto Baked Potatoes with Chicken

This is my last post, and then I'm all caught up. Hooray!

Kayotic Kitchen is a website that I normally check in on with regularity, ever since it was recommended a few years ago by Pioneer Woman. Kay's food and photos are drool-worthy, so it's one of my favorite places to stalk recipes. Since life got really busy for us recently, I fell away from looking at some of my favorite food websites...Kayotic Kitchen being one of them. I almost forgot about the site entirely! One day last week, I was poking around on either Foodgawker or Pinterest (maybe both) and I came across this recipe for twice baked potatoes. When I saw the source was Kayotic Kitchen I knew I had to try these spuds STAT. I'm so glad I did, because it was a great adaptable recipe, and it reminded me of one of my favorite foodie sites.

Pesto Baked Potatoes with Chicken
Adapted From: the Kayotic Kitchen website

Ingredients:
5 potatoes (8 oz each-1 potato per person)
oil
kosher salt
1 large shallot or 1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken (I used some leftover thigh meat)
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 jar of pesto
1/2 cup of any combination of your favorite nuts, crushed (i.e. walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.)
pepper and salt to taste
Lemon juice
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Place whole nuts in a zip-top bag and seal. Crush nuts into small pieces with a rolling pin or heavy object. Set aside.

Preheat oven for 400 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with a Silpat mat or piece of parchment paper.

Scrub your potatoes clean and prick a few times with a fork. Dry potatoes thoroughly with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Brush oil onto each potato and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. When potatoes are oiled and salted, place onto the baking sheet. Roast the potatoes on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 hour.

While the potatoes are baking, saute onions (or shallot) in a skillet with a little bit of oil (maybe 1 tablespoon) over medium heat. When onions are soft, add garlic and chopped chicken and cook for an additional minute or two. Add half and half and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper and let the liquid thicken and reduce a little. Add lemon juice to taste and remove from the heat. Set aside.

When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven. Using tongs, transfer the potatoes to a cutting board and cut each potato in half. Scoop out the insides of the halved potatoes and place in a large bowl. Remember to leave a thin layer of potato in each "shell". Place the shell(s) back onto the baking sheet. Repeat with all the potato halves.

In the bowl of potato filling, add the jar of pesto, additional salt and pepper to taste, crushed nuts, and chicken/cream mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.

Take each potato "shell" and spoon heaping amount of filling into it. Top with some grated Parmesan cheese and return the filled shell to the baking sheet. Repeat with the additional shells and filling. Return the prepared potatoes to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.



The Result:
These were awesome! Is it weird that it is 10:30 in the morning right now and I just ate a leftover potato half???? No, I didn't think so either. I mean, they were THAT good!!!!

NOTE: The original recipe did not use chicken or chicken broth. Instead, it was sans chicken and used vegetable stock. Kay had these potatoes as a side item, but I added the chicken to bulk 'em up for a main dish. Also, I had leftover chicken I wanted to use up. You could omit the chicken and sub in the veggie broth to keep this recipe vegetarian or as a little bit lighter side dish.

Spicy Roasted Chicken

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman Cooks! website, to file away for when I had various chicken parts that I didn't know what to do with. I have the hardest time coming up with new ideas for chicken thighs and/or legs! I know PW knows her food, so I was pretty confident that this would be a really good twist on boring ol' chicken parts. I was right, it was very tasty.

Originally, this recipe calls for legs, but thighs were on sale at the store this week so that's what I used. Luckily, this recipe was easy and I had mostly everything on hand for it. I forgot to look for the hot salt at the store, so I concocted my own version. Overall, this was easy and delicious...two of my favorite combinations!

Spicy Roasted Chicken
Adapted From: the Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
8-10 whole chicken thighs
1 stick of butter
1 Tablespoon Hot Salt (or You Favorite Seasonings...see below for what I used)
1/4 cup Lemon Juice (or To Taste)

Directions:
Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan. Pour in lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Now add your seasonings. Stir it together until combined.

Rinse and pat your chicken thighs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. Once all of the chicken thighs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings.

Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

NOTE:
I substituted the Hot Salt for the following combined mixture:

cayenne pepper
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
garlic powder
salt and pepper



The Result:
This chicken was delish! The skin was crispy and the meat was perfectly juicy. The chicken thighs had just the right amount of spice, butter and lemon juice combination to make it perfectly flavorful. YUM!

I want to point out that PW's original recipe quantities (see linked recipe above) were a lot larger than what I used. I wasn't feeding a crowd, so I adapted the amounts noted above to fit our needs...about half of the original recipe.

Toasted Ravioli with Marinara Dipping Sauce

All I can say about this recipe is WOW. I always try to plug in a couple of vegetarian meal choices onto our weekly menu plan, and technically this recipe is considered "vegetarian". Okay, so it's a little on the decadent side. I mean really, how could fried pillows of pasta and cheese not be considered decadent??? The answer is that it can't. So, if your looking for this to be on the healthy side of the vegetarian spectrum, look elsewhere. It's not healthy, trust me. However, it was certainly a delicious meat-free meal!

Toasted Ravioli with Marinara Dipping Sauce
From: the Tasty Kitchen website, by: by skylersgirl

Ingredients:
1 bag (about 13 Oz. Bag) Cheese Ravioli (fresh Or Frozen)
1 1/2 cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs
1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Buttermilk
Oil, For Frying (I used canola oil)
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Directions:
Cook ravioli until al dente (follow directions on the package). Cool.
2. Heat oil to approximately 350 degrees.
3. Dredge ravioli in buttermilk and then bread crumbs mixed with half of the Parmesan cheese.
4. Gently place into hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Once ravioli are browned, sprinkle with remaining grated Parmesan cheese.

For the sauce:
Place your favorite jar of marinara sauce in a small sauce pan, over medium-high heat. Reduce sauce down by half, so flavors concentrate and sauce becomes thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with ravioli for dipping.



The Result:
Okay, I know the sauce instructions seem fairly obvious. However, the reduced marinara is sooooo yummy with the ravioli, I didn't want to leave it out. This recipe is fantastic! Try it and I'm sure you will agree!!!

Egg-in-a-Hole

Or, if you prefer, "Toad in the Hole"...that's what we called this breakfast when I was a kid. I made these for another "breakfast for dinner" treat and my whole family gobbled 'em up. I guess the classics never go out of style.

Egg-in-a-Hole
From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
1 slice Of Your Favorite Kind Of Bread
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 whole Egg
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

Directions:
With a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass, press a hole in the center of the slice of bread.

Next, heat a skillet over medium-low heat and melt a Tablespoon of butter in it. When the butter is all spread out, place the piece of bread in the skillet and crack the egg straight into the center of hole.

Cook for at least 30 seconds or so before attempting to move the bread or things could get messy. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper to taste. After about a minute, flip it over with a spatula and salt and pepper the other side.

Now move the whole piece of toast around the skillet, soaking up all of the glorious butter. Let it cook until the yolk feels, to the touch, still soft without feeling over-jiggly. Here’s the key: golden brown toast, white (not brown/burned) whites, soft unbroken yolk.

This yields one serving. Repeat the process for additional portions.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles with Buttermilk Caramel Syrup

I recently purchased a waffle iron; and ever since then, I can't seem to get waffles out of my mind. I decided to look up a waffle and syrup recipe on the world wide web and break in my new appliance. Breakfast for dinner??? Yes, please!!!

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles
From: tastykitchen.com, by: deliciouswic

Ingredients:
1/3 cups Butter
2 whole Eggs (separated)
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Directions:
Melt butter in the microwave and set aside to cool.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites and beat the egg whites to soft peaks.

Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl and preheat your waffle iron.

Whisk the egg yolks together with the buttermilk, vanilla and sugar.

Now add the dry ingredients into the wet. This way you will not have flour sticking to the bottom of the bowl.

As soon as the waffle iron is ready, slowly fold in the egg whites. Ladle into the waffle iron and cook until golden brown and delicious.

****************************

Buttermilk Caramel Syrup
From: creationsbykara.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring buttermilk, sugars, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. It will bubble up a lot. As it cools, the bubbles will go away.

The Result:
I forgot to take a photo, but these turned out great. Perfect waffles to satisfy my waffle hankerin'. I am a waffle novice, so I was pleased that (despite my waffle-making ignorance) they still turned out crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Yum!

Now, onto the syrup...

The syrup was fan-freakin'-tastic! Seriously, drinkable. Try it. Try it now, if you can. You will thank me.

Casserole Series #1: Chicken Stuffing Casserole

I've been toying with the idea of putting together a casserole series on my blog for awhile. I love a good casserole, and I seem to be finding an over-abundance of casserole recipes lately. I think the sometimes frowned-upon casserole deserves it's moment in the spotlight. So many people poo-poo the casserole, and I don't understand why. Really, why all the hate???? Obviously, they are not gourmet fare with well-balanced, inventive flavor profiles...but casseroles are yummy! They are such a cheap and easy way to feed our entire family of five and still have leftovers the next day. Also, casseroles are usually kid-friendly. I think we should elevate the casserole to a respectable spot on the dinner table! So, I've decided to go for it and give casseroles they're own special feature on my blog. Casserole lovers unite!!!

Chicken Stuffing Casserole
From: momswhothink.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
4 whole chicken breasts, boiled
2 cans cream of chicken soup mixed with 1 cup chicken broth
3/4 to 1 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter
2 cups boxed stuffing

Directions:
1. Chop chicken up into bite-size pieces.

2. Layer in bottom of 13 x 11-inch baking dish.

3. Pour soup mixture over chicken. Cover with cheese slices.

4. Melt butter and mix into stuffing. Spread the stuffing mixture over the cheese.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

6. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer.



The Result:
This was really, really good...albeit a little soupy. It did thicken up after it cooled down a little bit, but it was very saucy. I think you could get by with one can of soup and 1/2 cup of chicken broth...but that's just my opinion. Overall, this was a fantastic casserole and a great way to kick off my casserole recipe series!

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken

This was such an easy and delicious chicken dish...only 4 ingredients and 4 easy steps!!!! Once again, Pinterest proves to be a fantastic recipe resource.

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken
From: MomsWhoThink.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I took 3 breasts and sliced them down the middle horizontally. My chicken was thick, so this worked perfectly.)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Mix cheese, dressing mix and garlic powder.

3. Moisten chicken breasts with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish.

4. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.



The Results:
This was really good and EASY! I love it when I find simple ways to dress up boring ol' chicken breasts...especially when it's somewhat healthy. My mom is visiting, and I got thumbs up for everyone at my table. I served this chicken with some roasted acorn squash wedges and we had a very relaxed and yummy dinner. This will go into our chicken repertoire, for sure.

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza

This recipe is another Pinterest find that my whole family l-o-v-e-d. I am always on the lookout for both new pizza ideas and new vegetarian meals, and this fit both requirements. My kids didn't even realize that all that they were eating was copious amounts of vegetables and cheese. Ha ha! I love sneaking in healthy foods when they are none the wiser. Score!

I made our pizza larger than the original directions indicated, so I adapted all the ingredient quantities to reflect in my recipe below.

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza
Adapted From: Eat. Drink. Smile. website via Pinterest.com

Ingredients:
For crust:
1 head of chopped cauliflower florets, stalks discarded
cooking spray
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups low-fat cheese, shredded (I used a combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For toppings:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch diced pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 package (6 oz.) of sliced button mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 cup of jarred marinara sauce (depending on how saucy you like your pizza)
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated for topping

Directions:
For crust:
In a food processor "rice" the raw cauliflower florets by pulsing several times. You may have to do a couple of batches, depending on the capacity of the food processor. Also, make sure to not pulse too much; otherwise the cauliflower will be more of a puree instead of small pieces that are "riced". One head of cauliflower should yield about 3 cups of "riced" cauliflower.

Place "riced" cauliflower in a microwave safe container and cook on high in the microwave for 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let the cooked cauliflower cool a bit.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, mix in beaten eggs, spices, and 3 cups of cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine thoroghly and set aside.

For toppings:
Heat olive oil on in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms until browned and caramelized. Add garlic and saute for 1 additional minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

For pizza:
Spray large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Press cauliflower mixture into prepared baking sheet, using your hands or the back of a spoon. Make sure there are no holes or thin spots in the pressed crust. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

At the end of the cook time, remove from oven and spray top of crust with cooking spray.

Switch the oven over to broil on "high". Return cauliflower back to the oven, by placing on the top rack closest to the broiler. Broil on high for 2-5 minutes, or until crust is slightly browned. Remove from oven.

Top pizza crust with marinara sauce by spreading with a spoon or a spatula. Top sauce with cooked vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over veggies and sauce. Place fresh tomato slices on top of cheese layer. Return sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and broil until cheese is melted, slightly browned, and bubbly. Remove the pizza from the oven. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza. Cut it into squares and serve immediately.





The Result:
As you have probably guessed, I found my camera again. Hooray! I had to do quite a bit of digging through some moving boxes, but I'm so happy I finally found it. I can now start taking blog pics again...this is really good news.

This was soooo yummy! Seriously delicious; as I said, we all really loved it. The original website mentions that this will not be the same texture or taste as traditional pizza crust, which I found to be true. It wasn't firm enough to pick up and eat with our hands, but it was totally fine to just eat it with a fork. With that said, it was still pretty darn fantastic and it will be something I wiggle into our regular pizza rotation. Yum!!!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, and Parmesan

We are big Brussels sprouts fans at my house. It is the husband's favorite vegetable, and the kiddos and I gobble 'em up, too. I usually just cut them in halves, and roast them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Not terribly inventive, but tasty. Well, I found a new spin on roasted Brussels sprouts in the current issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine. The method is very similar to mine, but with a twist. Also, Cook's came up with a delicious garlic oil drizzle that put these Brussels sprouts over the top. They were pretty awesome! My husband said that he did not think that Brussels sprouts could get any better until he tried this version. I agree...these were easy and spectacular. Thanks Cook's Illustrated!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, and Parmesan
From: Cook's Illustrated magazine, Nov. & Dec. 2011 issue, by: Andrea Geary

Ingredients:
2 1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon water
salt and pepper to taste

For garlic oil:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat to 500 degrees. Toss Brussels sprouts, oil, water, 3/4 teaspoons of salt, and 1/4 teaspoons of black pepper in a large bowl until sprouts are coated. Transfer sprouts to a rimmed baking sheet and arrange so cut sides are facing down. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook and additional 10-12 minutes, or until sprouts are browned and tender. Toss with prepared garlic oil and grated Parmesan. Transfer to a serving platter, season with additional salt and pepper if needed, and serve.

For garlic oil:
While Brussels sprouts are cooking, heat additional olive oil in a small sauce pan or skillet, over medium high heat or until oil is shimmering. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Toss with Brussels sprouts and cheese, according to above directions.

Pretzel Dessert

This is one of my favorite "old fashioned" dessert recipes from my childhood. My mom and grandma used to make this all the time, and I would request it for my birthday in lieu of cake. It's very simple to make, and it is a great "take along" dessert for a potluck.

Pretzel Dessert

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 tbsp. sugar
8 oz. chopped pretzels
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
2 pkgs. Dream Whip, prepared
Cherry pie filling

(NOTE: The Dream Whip will require vanilla extract and low-fat or fat-free milk, according to package directions.)

Directions:
Melt 1 1/2 sticks butter; add sugar. Pour over pretzels in 9x13 pan. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool. Blend cream cheese with 1 cup sugar. Whip Dream Whip according to package directions; add to cheese mixture. Spread cherry pie filling over pretzels. Cover with cream cheese mixture. Top with whole pretzels in a decorative pattern. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

The Result:
Simple. Classic. Delicious. I heart pretzel dessert!

Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)

I needed a fast side dish for a dinner that we were having with some friends, but I was seriously stumped on what to bring. I had made Rocco's Grilled Chicken Parmigiano as a main item and some roasted asparagus as a veggie dish, but I was kinda stumped when it came to having a carb-y side to go with it. Due to our recent move, my pantry is not currently stocked as it normally is; so my resources that I have on hand are limited. I literally had a box of pasta and not much else. It was quite the quandary! It finally occurred to me that I could make the simple Italian recipe for Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil (or if you prefer the Italian name for it, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio). Sure enough, it was a perfect accompaniment to the chicken and asparagus. I am so glad I was able to pull the idea for this delicious pasta dish out of my hat...just in time for dinner!

Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

Ingredients:
1 box of spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
salt for pasta water
1/2 cup of olive oil
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
reserved pasta water (optional)
1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup of fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

Directions:
Generously salt a large pot of boiling water. When water is boiling, cook and drain the spaghetti according to package directions and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high-heat until it's shimmering and hot. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan. Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until garlic becomes fragrant but not browned. Add cooked spaghetti and a splash of pasta water. Toss to coat and remove from heat.

Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh basil and toss again to distribute evenly. Serve immediately.

The Result:
This is a fantastic side dish! So easy and flavorful.

Jen's Mexiloaf Surprise

I haven't experimented with a "surprise" recipe in a long time. This was a "I need to clean out my fridge and I don't want to go to the store again this week" type of dinner. So, what does a person (me) do with a ton of leftover taco night food? Why, make a meatloaf of course! It was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Jen's Mexiloaf Surprise

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup of leftover, seasoned taco meat (I threw this in just because I wanted to use it.)
1 cup of Mexican rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 eggs beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup salsa of your choice, plus additional for topping
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, saute onions and peppers over high heat until soft and starting to get browned (like you would want in fajitas.) Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. In the same large bowl, mix all of the other ingredients with the exception of 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly. Form ingredients into a loaf shape (I actually use a non-stick loaf pan, but you could use a lined sheet pan to make a free-formed loaf, as well.) Spread additional salsa on top and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour, uncovered. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut into slices and top each portion with a sprinkle of the remaining cheddar cheese.

The Result:
This turned out to be fantastic! When I started cooking, I was not sure where I was going with this dinner, but I'm happy to say it ended up being pretty darn great. I served a small salad and leftover refried beans as side dishes, which complemented my meatloaf perfectly. Yum! This "surprise" is a keeper.

Jen's Tuna Melts

Okay, this is not much of a recipe...but I feel that it's noteworthy because I often forget about it. I love a tuna melt sandwich! It's such an easy, cheap dinner that you can probably pull out of your hat with stuff that you already have on hand. This was one of the first meals that I made in the new house and everyone in my family loved it. A side of frozen, steamed mixed veggies made our dinner low-stress and complete.

Jen's Tuna Melts
bread of your choice (I used sliced wheat)
butter (1 stick, softened)
tuna salad of your choice
shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Butter all bread slices on one side. Place one piece butter-side down in a hot, non-stick skillet. Place a scoop of tuna salad onto bread in skillet and top with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese. Top with another slice of bread, making sure butter-side is up (not facing the inside of the sandwich). Cook as you would a grilled cheese. Flip when bottom bread is toasted and golden brown. Remove from pan when other side is cooked, toasted and golden browned. Repeat with additional sandwiches as needed.

The Result:
I use about 6 cans of tuna in water for my family. Be sure to drain the tuna first. I like to add Dijon mustard, low-fat mayo, salt & pepper, lemon juice, diced onion, and diced celery to my tuna salad. However, use whatever recipe you like best.

This is almost a non-recipe, but these sandwiches are sooooo good! You could put a fresh slice of tomato on them to jazz it up even more, but I think they are great as-is.

Spinach Feta Quesadillas

We had mixed reviews on this dish. I loved it, but the husband and kids were "meh" about it. I think it was the feta...feta is hotly contested at my house. I think I will save this recipe as a solo lunch idea for myself, instead of a family dinner. I figure it's my blog and I really liked it, so I'm gonna post it. Ha!

Spinach Feta Quesadillas
From: ClosetCooking.com via Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:
1/2 cup spinach (steamed and squeezed to drain)
1 tablespoon herbs (chopped, I used mint and parsley)
1 green onion (sliced)
1 handful feta (crumbled)
salt and pepper to taste
2 (8 inch) tortillas
2 handfuls kasseri or mozzarella or jack (grated)

Directions:
1. Mix the spinach, herbs, green onions, feta, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Melt a touch of butter in a pan.
3. Place a tortilla into the pan, swirl it around in the butter and repeat with the second tortilla.
4. Sprinkle some cheese on the tortilla followed by the filling and then more cheese and finally the other tortilla.
5. Cook until the quesadilla is golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted. (I placed a plate onto the quesadilla and flipped it from the pan to the plate and then slid it back into the pan.)

The Result:
I say yum! Note that the quantities listed for the ingredients yield only 1 quesadilla. Increase your quantities as needed for as many as you are putting together.

Broiled Tilapia with Parmesan and Herbs

Hi! How are you??? I'm fine, thanks for asking. Um, you may have noticed I've been a little absentee on the blog lately. Yeah, sorry about that. I do have a perfectly legitimate excuse(s), though. We moved. We didn't have the Internet. We were living in total chaos for about two and a half weeks. That's it...but I'm back now. I didn't cook for almost all of the two-ish weeks we were moving. I had packed up my kitchen stuff early on, so we got a lot of take out and fast food for our evening meals during the moving mayhem. Yuck. Can I tell you how tired I am of take-out and fast food???? Soooo unbelievably burnt out!

I couldn't wait to get my new kitchen settled and start cooking healthy meals again. Thankfully, I got the new kitchen put together rather quickly, and I am now getting back into a regular dinner routine. The only downside is that I can't find my camera, so meal photos are out until I get to the moving box with my precious SLR. You will just have to imagine how our dinner looks until I locate it.

I can only remember two new recipes so far, but I feel like I may be forgetting something. Hopefully, whatever I'm forgetting will be on the camera and I can jog my memory when I find it. Yeesh. Here is an easy tilapia recipe that I found on the Whole Foods Market app for iphone (it's also on the website). I seem to remember having a dish similar to this one at one point, but I'm not sure when/where/why/how. The flavors were very familiar to me. Although this tilapia meal is not super-original, it was darn tasty and I had all the ingredients on hand. Overall, I would say this fish recipe was a crowd-pleaser!

Broiled Tilapia with Parmesan and Herbs
From: Whole Foods Market website and app for iphone, recipe #2243

Ingredients:
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Juice and zest of one small lemon (about 2 tablespoons juice)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (6 to 8 ounce) farm-raised tilapia fillets

Directions:
Combine 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese with remaining ingredients (except fish). Coat fillets with mixture and place in baking dish or shallow platter and let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. Preheat broiler. Transfer fillets to a foil-lined broiler pan. Spoon a few tablespoons marinade on top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until topping is lightly browned and fish flakes easily with a fork, 5 to 8 minutes.

The Result:
As I said before, I don't have a proper photo. This was a really satisfying version of this dish...mild white fish in a creamy sauce. I think the hint of tarragon made the dish especially unique. We served our fish and sauce with brown rice pilaf and a side salad. It was quite a tasty dinner!