Grilled Greek Chicken

I love it when I find an ingredient and immediately get an awesome idea about how I'm gonna use it. I found a feta, Greek olive antipasti mix (green olives and Calamata olives) at my local grocery store the other day and inspiration struck. I decided to concoct a grilled Greek marinade for some chicken breasts and top it with the olive/cheese mixture. It. was. delicious. Not to mention simple to put together and pretty fast to cook. Score!!!

(By the way...I'm not sure why this whole photo looks orange-ish??? Weird! I'll just chalk it up to my awesome camera skills. We had a Caprese salad with our meal and it was perfect.)

Grilled Greek Chicken

Ingredients:

For marinade:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup olive oil

For chicken:
cooking spray
1 ( 1 lb.) tub of Greek olive/feta mix (the brand I used was Delallo Greek Feta Salad)
4 chicken breasts
Greek seasoning blend (I use Cavander's Greek Seasoning)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Take chicken breasts out of the fridge and set aside so they can come to room temperature for a few minutes while you make the marinade.

In a large glass bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients except for the olive oil. While whisking vigorously, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream so the mixture can become emulsified.

Immerse your chicken breasts in the marinade and let sit for 1/2 hour minimum. (A few hours to overnight would be better.)

Prepare indoor grill pan with cooking spray and heat on medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Sprinkle Greek seasoning, salt and pepper on both sides of chicken. Place chicken on grill and pour remaining marinade over the tops of each breast. Cook chicken about 6-8 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and grill marks are on both sides. Remove from grill to a large plate and let chicken rest for 5 minutes.

When ready to serve, use a slotted spoon (this is so the excess oil and moisture from the salad mix does not saturate your chicken) drain and divide the Greek olive/feta mixture equally over the chicken breasts as a topping. Enjoy!

Philly Cheesesteak

I'm not feeling very verbose today, so I'm gonna make this post short and sweet. Really, I want to go take a nap...so less computer time = longer nap time for me. I forgot to take a photo of our dinner last night, so I snapped a pic of my sandwich right before I ate lunch today. (Yes, that is a plastic kids plate.) :)

I found this recipe in the March 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine, and it did not disappoint. I followed the recipe almost exactly--just a few minor substitutions--and it turned out perfectly delicious. Quite a tasty version of an at-home Philly-style Cheesesteak. Yum! I heart Cooking Light!!!

Philly Cheesesteak
From: March 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) flank steak, trimmed (I used skirt steak)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (5-inch) portobello mushroom caps (I used sliced button mushrooms)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green bell pepper (I used red bell pepper)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 ounce provolone cheese, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 (3-ounce) hoagie rolls, toasted (I used whole wheat hot dog buns)

Directions:
1. Place beef in freezer for 15 minutes. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushroom caps using a spoon; discard gills. Remove stems; discard. Thinly slice mushroom caps; cut slices in half crosswise.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until beef loses its pink color, stirring constantly. Remove beef from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Return beef to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in Worcestershire and soy sauce; keep warm.

3. Place flour in a small saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and mustard, stirring until smooth. Keep warm (mixture will thicken as it cools).

4. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use. Divide the beef mixture evenly among bottom halves of hoagies. Drizzle sauce evenly over beef mixture; replace top halves.

Bacon, Spinach, & Cheese Enchiladas with Verde Cream Sauce

I had been craving restaurant-style Spinach-Cheese Enchiladas for a few weeks. I found a few potential recipes, but always came up short on ingredients when I went to prepare them for dinner. I decided to scrap a traditional recipe and just do my own thing. When I was foraging for items to go into the enchiladas, I noticed that we had 4 uncooked strips of bacon that needed to be used. Since almost everything is better with bacon, I decided to work that into the mix. I'm glad I did because my enchiladas turned out to be phenomenal...exactly what I was looking for with the extra little bacon bonus!

Bacon, Spinach, & Cheese Enchiladas with Verde Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped (grease reserved)
2 onions, sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 can(s) of green chiles, chopped
1 large container of fresh baby spinach
1 10 oz. bag of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
a few splashes of lime juice, to taste
4 cups of pepper jack cheese, divided and shredded (2 cups for the assembly, 2 cups for the topping)
1 cup of Monterrey jack cheese, shredded (for the sauce)
2 cup of milk
2-3 Tablespoons AP flour
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons of cumin
1 small can (or jar) of salsa verde
2 cups chopped, fresh cilantro, divided
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray

Directions:

For filling:
Cook bacon in a non-stick skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon to a cutting board, while reserving half of the bacon grease in the pan (discard the rest of the grease or save in the fridge for another application). Chop the bacon and set aside. Heat the remaining grease over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant. Add fresh spinach and cook until completely wilted. Add prepared frozen spinach and saute until well combined and any additional moisture is cooked off. Season with salt and pepper and a few splashes of lime juice to taste. Add in chopped bacon and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

For Sauce:
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle AP flour over butter and combine with a whisk until flour/butter mixture looks like coarse meal. Cook for 3-5 minutes to get all the raw flour taste cooked out (your making a basic roux here). Add in oregano and cumin. Mix with whisk and cook until spices are fragrant; an additional minute or so. Add in green chiles and salsa verde, stir to combine. Add in milk while continually whisking. Bring to a boil, while whisking, then reduce heat. mixture should start to thicken into a sauce consistency. Remove from heat and mix in 1 cup of Monterrey jack cheese. Whisk until melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper and a few splashes of lime juice to taste. Add in fresh, chopped cilantro stir to combine. Cover and set aside.

For Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Spread some of the prepared sauce on the bottom of the pan. Use a tablespoon or two of the spinach/bacon filling and a big pinch of the shredded pepper jack cheese and place in the middle of a corn tortilla. Roll tortilla around cheese and filling and place seam side down in prepared casserole dish. (You will use 2 cups of the pepper jack total in this application.) Repeat as needed, until pan is filled. Add any leftover filling and cheese around the edges of the rolled enchiladas (or make an additional pan to freeze). Top rolled enchiladas with remaining sauce. Top with remaining 2 cups of pepper jack cheese, sprinkled on top. Bake for 30 minutes, until top is browned and bubbly. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Cut and serve.


This was labor-intensive, but sooooo worth it! These. were. delicious. I just noticed that I used 5 cups of cheese in this recipe! Okay, I will begrudgingly admit, 5 cups of cheese IS excessive. Yeah, our enchiladas were pretty decadent. In my defense, this made a ton of enchiladas and we had them for dinner twice and lunches throughout the week. Also, spinach is healthy. Also, there was a small amount of bacon relative to the quantity of enchiladas. The bacon was just for flavoring, and not a main element. It was only a smattering of bacon. For some reason, that logic helps me justify the amount of cheese...please don't judge me. :)

Casserole Series #4: Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

A few months ago, I started a casserole series. I haven't updated it for awhile, because I really hadn't found any "worthy" casseroles to post lately. However, this one was pretty darn tasty, so I decided to deem it "Casserole Series-worthy". The flavor profile wasn't really anything new; I know I've made similar casseroles to this in the past. I also remember my mom making a version of this dinner, so it seems that this has been a family staple for years and years. However, even though this dish may not be totally unique, it was still a great example of what this meal-in-one has always embodied...homey, comforting, creamy, cheesy, chicken-y, broccoli-flavored goodness.



Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
Pearls, Handcuffs, & Happy Hour.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1 cans of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of mayo
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup colby & Monterey jack cheese
1 bag frozen broccoli,thawed and chopped
salt & pepper to taste
cooked brown rice (optional, for serving)

Directions:
Cook chicken & shred. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli. Now, mix all ingredients together. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 2 qt. casserole dish & heat oven to 375 degrees.Cook for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with brown rice.



Casserole is never pretty on the plate...casserole photos always make me cringe. Oh well. Despite the tragic look of this meal, it was a crowd-pleaser. I do want to mention that this dish can be low carb if you choose to omit serving it over the brown rice. I did cut back on the amount of Cream of Chicken soup and mayo from the original recipe, and it still was creamy and delicious. My family loves a good casserole!

Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This is a low-carb recipe that I came across on Pinterest. I don't remember when exactly we had this for our evening meal, but it was within the last week or so. Right now, everything is a little fuzzy since our family schedule bonkers. Actually, it seems that as my kids get older, our family schedule is never NOT bonkers. (Yes, I realize that was a grammatical faux-pause with the double-negative, but I'm trying to make a point.)
We are balancing t-ball practice/games for the boy, triathlon training for me, the husbands difficult work hours, some volunteer church obligations, Spring Break, various social obligations, and a bible study (again for me). Not to mention keeping the baby girls entertained and on some sort of consistent nap time regimen. Crazy is the new normal, I guess. Maybe I should just report when our schedule isn't bonkers?!?!?!

Anyway, this was a delicious pork tenderloin application. I opted for roasting over grilling, because we were out of both propane and charcoal at the time. The roasting method was delicious and worked out just fine. I'm sure grilling would be equally as good. I do remember this came together with minimal effort on my part and, as I said, yielded great results. It was a perfect healthy meal for a constantly on-the-go family like mine. Score!



Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin
From: KitchenConfidante.com

Ingredients:
4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pounds each)
2 tablespoons canola oil (if preparing in oven)

Directions:
Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. If you like or have the time, marinate overnight. If not, no worries, it will still be great!

Grill preparation:

Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Try to let it rest before slicing.

Oven preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat canola oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.

Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and try to let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.



Here are my tenderloins while they were resting, right before we sliced them. Sooooo good!

White Chicken Chili

We decided to have a joint-family "Wine Night" once a month with some friends of ours. "Wine Night" is as it sounds; eating good food, drinking some wine, and letting our kiddos run around crazy while the parents chat. We designed it so one family hosts and makes dinner, and the other family brings the wine. I won't tell you how many bottles we consumed...but trust me, it was sufficient. I elected to host the first official gathering and decided to make a big pot of this chili and serve a side salad to go along with it. My thought process was that I didn't want to be fussing around in the kitchen all night...that would've cut into my wine-drinking time. We did a serve yourself buffet and ate out on our patio while the kiddos played in the backyard. The weather was perfect and we had a fantastic time--our first "Wine Night" was a success!

White Chicken Chili
From: The Pioneer Woman website

1 whole Fryer Chicken, Cut Up (or 3 Cups Cooked Chicken)
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 whole Cans Green Chilies, Chopped
1 pound Dried Great Northern Beans, Rinsed
8 cups Chicken Broth
1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
1-1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt To Taste
White Pepper, To Taste
1 cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Masa (corn Flour) OR Cornmeal
Grated Monterey Jack, To Taste
Sour Cream For Garnish
Cilantro For Garnish
Guacamole (optional)
Pico De Gallo (optional)
Corn Tortillas (warmed)

Directions:

Cover chicken and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove meat from bones. Set aside.

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add chopped green chilies, then rinsed beans. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place lid on pot and reduce heat to low.

Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. Halfway through the cooking process, add 3 cups of cooked chicken.

When beans are tender, mix milk with masa (or cornmeal) and pour into the chili. Cook for an additional ten minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust, adding cayenne pepper and paprika if desired.

Add some Monterey Jack cheese to the pot and stir to melt.

Serve chili in a bowl. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese---even pico de gallo and guacamole, if you have some on hand. Roll up warm corn tortillas and serve on the side of the bowl.

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

This is a fairly labor-intensive recipe but oh-so-worth-it. I cut down the cook time by using canned beans (Great Northern and white Cannellini beans) and chicken breasts. Also, for some reason I had some thickening issues this time around. I made a standard roux (butter, flour, and a liquid...milk, stock, etc.) and mixed it in, which did the trick and gave me the perfect consistency. Lastly, I added in some sliced, button mushrooms that I had sauteed beforehand. Why? Well, they needed to be used. The mushrooms added a nice textural element to the chili. I don't have an updated photo, but trust me when I tell you this looked, smelled, and tasted delicious!