Notes From The Table

Flax & Parmesan Pizza

2012-01-25T13:34:00.006-07:00

Hello, post-moving/post-going to the gym sporadically/post-holiday/post-eating free-for-all/post-2011 butt jiggle. I am not happy to see you. This is a warning: you are not my friend, trunk-junk...so don't get too comfy back there. We will not be having a long-term relationship.

That was my oh-so-humorous attempt at letting you know I've gained 10 lbs. in the past few months. (Insert sad face here.) Well, I didn't have enough motivation to get rid of it before Christmas; but after a miserable half marathon performance by yours truly, I AM motivated to get rid of it now. Enter, South Beach Diet-Phase 1. Yes, I've flirted with SBD before. Yes, I had mixed feelings about it. This time, I just wanted to kick start the scale to move in the correct direction (i.e. down!). SBD is a healthy, fairly easy way to cut back on carbs and make the weight numbers get smaller.

Thankfully, Pinterest is around. There are tons of low carb food choices available on that website. We love pizza around here, and I was thrilled to find a low (net) carb version that was high in fiber. We topped our pizza with some sauteed veggies and a wee bit of bacon, but I'll get to that in a minute down in the 'ingredients' section. This was a great alternative to traditional pizza crust and one that I will make again when I need to take it easy on the carbs.

Flax & Parmesan Pizza
From: the I Breathe...I'm Hungry... blog via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)
2 eggs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt

Toppings:
pizza sauce (marinara)
mozzarella cheese, shredded
provolone cheese, shredded
sauteed onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and zucchini
5 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped up
grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Press onto greased cookie sheet about 1/3 inch thick in a circle. Bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 8 minutes. Remove. Add toppings of your choice (see above for mine). Bake for another 15 minutes at 350. Remove from oven, cool, and eat.

The Result:
The husband and I loved this pizza, but not so much for my kiddos. I think the dark crust appearance threw them for a loop, and they poo-poo'd it a bit. Which is really just too dang bad; because kids or no kids, we (adults) really dug this version of low carb pizza and I am sure I will make it again.

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

2012-01-25T13:15:00.007-07:00

As promised, I found this dinner on my camera. I never would have remembered we had this unless I looked through my photos! As my memory serves, this dinner was good, but pretty standard. Basically, a healthy version of fried chicken strips. My kiddos loved it, and the roasted spaghetti squash was a fun side to go with it. I should have made some sort of dipping sauce to go with it, but I think my little ones just used ketchup. Overall, I will probably make this recipe again when I need a go-to for healthy, crispy chicken strips.

Crunchy Garlic Chicken
From: Jaime Oliver via jaimeoliver.com

Ingredients:
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon
6 saltine crackers
2 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs of fresh Italian parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heaped tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic
2 skinless chicken breast fillets, preferably free-range or organic
olive oil

Directions:
To prepare your chicken:
Peel the garlic and zest the lemon. Put your crackers into a food processor with the butter, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz until the mixture is very fine, then pour these crumbs on to a plate. Sprinkle the flour on to a second plate. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Lightly score the underside of the chicken breasts. Put a square of plastic wrap over each one and bash a few times with the bottom of a pan until the breasts flatten out a bit. Dip the chicken into the flour until both sides are completely coated, then dip into the egg and finally into the flavored crumbs. Push the crumbs on to the chicken breasts so they stick – you want the meat to be totally coated.

To cook your chicken:
You can either bake or fry the chicken. If baking, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (475˚), place your chicken on a sheet pan and cook for 15 minutes. If frying, put a frying pan on a medium heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, golden and crisp.

To serve your chicken:
Either serve the chicken breasts whole, or cut them into strips and pile them on a plate. Beautiful and simple served with a lemon wedge for squeezing over, and a tiny sprinkling of salt. Great with a lovely fresh salad or simply dressed veggies.

The Result:
I would categorize this as solid, versatile recipe. We chose to bake instead of fry, but the directions have instructions for both methods. This is a good recipe to make if you are in the market for chicken strips. One note: I did have to double (or maybe even triple) the recipe ingredients to accommodate my hungry bunch and have enough leftovers for lunches the next day. This recipe only gives you enough to yield 2 servings. We gave it a thumbs up!

Cheese and Pesto Chicken

2012-01-24T14:57:00.003-07:00

Yes, there has been a serious lack of recipes on here lately. I need to check the photos on my camera, because it's been so long since I've cooked anything new I can't even remember what new stuff I have made in the recent (or maybe not-so-recent) past. So in the interim of me getting my act together and uploading some new recipes and photos, I decided to pop on the old blog and at least post this easy, yummy dinner. I threw this dish together the other night out of necessity (I was missing some main ingredients for what I had planned to make originally...duh) and it turned out great. I didn't take a photo, but this was one tasty dish!

Cheese and Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:
cooking spray
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 container of herbed soft cheese (I used Allouette brand)
1/2 jar of pesto
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in bottom of dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. With a spatula, spread the herbed cheese over the seasoned breasts. Then top with pesto and cover dish with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until breasts are cooked through. When time is up, remove foil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top of cooked pesto chicken mixture. Switch oven over to broil and cook uncovered for another 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted, slightly browned and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

The Result:
This was easy, fast, and delish! Also, we've started Phase 1 of South Beach Diet over again to lose some extra holiday pounds. This chicken recipe fits in nicely with the SBD repertoire; especially with our sides of salad and roasted asparagus. Yum!

Italian Club Sandwiches

2012-01-10T19:18:00.008-07:00

I loosely based this recipe off of a Rachel Ray appetizer that I spied in the Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats cookbook. Normally, I'm not RR's biggest fan, but I wanted something unique for dinner that we hadn't tried before. I must say, she came through with this one! These sandwiches jumped off the page and caught my attention. I modified it to accommodate my family's tastes and a hearty dinner-sized portion. Big, stacked sandwich for dinner??? Yes, please!

Italian Club Sandwiches
Adapted From: Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners cookbook

Ingredients:
whole wheat sandwich bread
garlic-herbed spreadable cheese (I used Allouette brand)
sliced tomatoes
sliced avocado (splashed with a little lemon juice and sprinkled with salt)
salad greens (I used a baby spinach/arugula blend) OR fresh basil leaves
sliced radishes
deli turkey meat
prosciutto
cooked, crispy bacon strips
sliced low-fat provolone cheese

Directions:
Use three pieces of bread per sandwich. Smear spreadable cheese on one side of the top and bottom slices. Smear spreadable cheese on both sides of the middle bread piece. On the bottom slice, stack greens, tomatoes, and prosciutto. Top with sliced radishes and put middle bread piece over it (i.e. bread with cheese on spread on both sides). On the top of the middle piece of bread, stack avocado slices, turkey deli meat, bacon slices, and more salad greens. Top with remaining bread top, cheese side down. Cut the sandwich in half and serve. Repeat the process for however many sandwiches you need.

The Result:
I'm not really sure why she dubbed this as an Italian club??? It does have some Italian ingredients, but I wouldn't consider it to be "Italian" food or even "Italian" style. All issues with naming this sandwich aside, this came together quickly and easily. Oh, and did I mention we loved it??? Yeah, we loved it!

By the way, here is a wacky reference for you...

Do you remember the Thanksgiving episode of the TV show Friends? The one where Ross had the leftover Thanksgiving sandwich and he called the middle bread piece dipped in gravy "The Moist Maker"???? That totally just popped into my head and made me giggle! Maybe because this sandwich has a middle piece of bread, too. Anyway, there is no "Moist Maker" here, but this is still one good sammie.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

2012-01-10T09:50:00.005-07:00

We had this meal with a simple side salad for dinner last night and we (kids & adults) all gobbled it up. My baby girls actually screamed for more chicken, so I definitely count that as a check in the "win" column. Best of all, this entire meal was basically done in one pan--the cast iron skillet. Okay, so I had to boil some potatoes in a different pot, but that was it! Clean up was pretty easy for this delish all-in-one dinner.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken
Adapted from: Food Network via the Minimally Invasive website

Ingredients:
3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4-6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (6 to 8 ounces each)
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet, place chicken over mushrooms and potatoes and drizzle with any marinade remaining in the bowl and the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

The Result:
Um, hello crispy, tasty, chicken skin! I'm normally not a fan of skin, but oh my...this version was awesome. The potatoes and mushrooms were pretty phenomenal, as well. The lemon, garlic, and rosemary flavors all married together to make this dish soooooo yummy. It was just the right amount of tangy, garlicky, chicken-y goodness.

Oven Hot Dogs

2012-01-08T20:48:00.004-07:00

I didn't think that a chili dog could get much better, until we had these for dinner tonight. Seriously, the chili dog is my favorite hot dog application and I was very dubious that it could be improved upon. My friend, Claire had tried these awhile back and emailed me the recipe. Even with her glowing reviews, my skepticism put this recipe on the back burner for awhile. I finally made this dish and instantly fell in love. I should've known that Claire would not steer me wrong! I was in chili dog heaven, to say the least!!!

Oven Hot Dogs
From: In the Wabe blog via the Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:
8 hot dogs (I used turkey dogs)
8 hot dog buns (I used whole wheat buns)
1 or 2 cans of chili with beans (we like them with a lot of chili, so I used 2 cans)
1/2 an onion, diced
shredded cheddar cheese (about a cup)
mayonnaise (I used light mayo)
mustard (I used deli style mustard)
sweet relish (I used dill relish)

Directions:
Line inside of hot dog buns with mayonnaise and sweet relish. Evenly add mustard. Fill with hot dogs and squish into a 13×9″ baking pan lined with foil.

Top hot dogs with chili, cheese, and diced onion. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan with a spatula and serve.

The Result:
So I made some adaptations to suit our family and to lighten them up a tiny bit. These hot dogs are decadent any way you cut it, but I felt the need to ease my food induced guilt with whole wheat buns, light mayo, and turkey franks. I know it's mostly faux "healthy", but it made me feel better about our dinner. Anyway, these dogs were fantastic...just don't think about the whole nutrition thing and you will love them!

Note:
Our side dish was easy and very yummy, too. I roasted a spaghetti squash by coating it with olive oil, salt, and pepper and then baking it cut-side down at 400 degrees for 1 hour. When the squash was finished, I scraped the roasted insides into a bowl with a fork, seasoned with a little more salt and pepper, and threw in about a 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I then mixed it all together and served the squash on the side. YUM! I sooooo love a good veggie side dish!!!

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

2012-01-08T20:17:00.006-07:00

I'm almost caught up on my blog posting! At least I'm up to this past Saturday's dinner.

This was a Pinterest recipe that I kept circling back to over and over again. I think I must have "pinned" it three or four times. I kept seeing it and thinking I needed to try it, but then I would get busy and forget about it. Well, the stars aligned and I found it again and decided to make it this past weekend. Also, it helped that I needed a "healthy" dinner to make since I'm back on the running/working out/eating right bandwagon. Healthy or not, this meal was pretty awesome. We all loved this chicken dish, kids included, which makes it a win in my book.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Adapted From: the Kraft Foods website via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup of Sun-Dried Tomato or Italian salad dressing, divided
1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
2 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

Directions:
Place a large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; heat grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Add 1/4 cup dressing and seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 minutes (I marinate it all day if I remember in time). Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill for about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 dressing, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, cheese, and basil.

Turn the chicken over and place cooked-side up, on foil on the grill. Top with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

The Result:
Sooooo tasty and pretty easy to make! I used an indoor grill pan with a lid and it came together perfectly. We love, love, loved this dinner!

(Note: This is South Beach Diet phase 1 friendly as long as you keep the side dishes to legit SBD approved items. I wanted to get rid of a box of prepared stuffing, so ours was not SBD friendly. However, if I would have stuck to the veggies and chicken it would have been.)

One Pot Penne with Turkey-Feta Meatballs

2012-01-08T19:47:00.005-07:00

We normally have a big, Italian food feast on Christmas Eve, but this year was more low-key and we almost skipped our Italian dinner all together. Most of our family was out of town, so it was basically my immediate brood and my mom visiting for Christmas. I thought I would miss the crowd, but as great as it is to have everyone over, I really liked the small intimate, informal group this year. It was so relaxing to just have us. Anyway, I almost decided not to do any type of Italian meal and then changed my mind at the last minute. I found this recipe in a brand new, never-used cookbook from Pam Anderson (NO, not THAT Pam Anderson!) and decided to try it. I was even more pleased when I discovered that I had everything on hand for it, and I didn't have to make another trip to the store on Christmas Eve!!! As it turned out, my little family loved this dinner and it satisfied our Christmas Eve Italian food criteria. The recipe itself was a bit involved; but since it was a holiday, I really didn't mind so much. (Also, I've made it since and it get's easier to put together with practice.) I can't wait to explore more recipes in this cookbook, that's for sure!

One Pot Penne with Turkey-Feta Meatballs
From: Pam Anderson's Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need For Easy Get-Togethers cookbook

Ingredients:
8 garlic cloves, peeled, 3 left whole, 5 minced
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (94 percent lean)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup crumbled saltine crackers (about 12 crackers)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 large egg
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces), minced
1 cup dry red wine
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
1 pound penne pasta (I used whole wheat penne)

Directions:
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 whole garlic cloves and toast until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Remove garlic from skillet, smash and mince.

Meanwhile, break up ground turkey into a medium bowl. With a fork, mix in feta, cracker crumbs, oregano and ¾ teaspoon salt. Mix egg, minced toasted garlic and tomato paste together; stir into turkey mixture with fork until thoroughly combined. Using a 2-tablespoon measure, such as a coffee scoop, form mixture into about 36 cylindrical drum shapes.

Heat oil over low heat in a large heavy roasting pan set over two burners. A couple of minutes before frying meatballs, increase heat to medium-high. Add meatballs and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining 5 minced garlic cloves, along with prosciutto, to roasting pan and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden. Add wine and simmer to reduce by half, about a minute. Add tomatoes and enough water to make a sauce-like consistency. Bring to a simmer, add meatballs and cook, loosely covered with heavy-duty foil, to blend flavors, 10 to 15 minutes.

Still on medium-high heat, add 6 cups water and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to pan and return to a simmer. Add penne, cover loosely with foil and cook, stirring gently and frequently, until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to simmer until sauce is thickened to your liking. Once cooking is completed, spoon pasta and meatballs into serving bowls, sprinkle each portion with feta cheese, and enjoy.

The Result:
No one in my family seemed to mind that this wasn't our typical traditional Christmas Eve Italian feast. As I said above, I've actually made the meatballs a few times since we originally tried this dish (for spaghetti and meatballs) and they are a hit without exception. I love that this preparation makes the ground turkey so flavorful and delicious. This is a keeper!

Saltine Toffee (dubbed "Christmas Crack")

2011-12-21T13:47:00.012-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've last update my blog! I actually started this post back on December 21st, 2011 and I am now finishing it on January 8th, 2012. Yeesh! With all the parties, Christmas, my son's school concert and winter break, New Year's, two visits from the Tooth Fairy, and my husband's vacation, really cut into my "alone" computer time. While it was nice to have everyone home for a plethora of good ol' fashioned family fun, I'm actually glad to be getting back into the swing of a normal routine again.

So this past holiday season was all about survival-mode for me. I really didn't cook anything new, and I was basically trying to keep everyone fed and happy amongst the busyness. I had to look back on my camera to see if I had any recipe photos, and I only had two new ones from December since the last post. Just two...that's it!!! However, I am glad to report that what I lacked in quantity, I made up for fully with quality. The two recipes that I did try out were pretty darn great (this one included).

My friend, Claire passed this easy recipe on to me and I tweaked it a little based on what I had on hand. Here is my version of this delicious "cookie", although I guess it falls more under the heading of a toffee or bark. Either way, Claire and I decided to call it "Christmas Crack" since it is soooo freakin' awesomely addicting. I had to stop myself several times from going to the store and purchasing more ingredients for making additional batches. If you have a hankerin' for something easy to make and a little naughty, this recipe is for you!

Saltine Toffee (dubbed "Christmas Crack")
Adapted From: The Girl Who Ate Everything website

Ingredients:
1-2 sleeves of saltine crackers
2 stick (4 oz) butter
2 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips (I used 1 bag)
2 cups butterscotch chips (I used 1 bag)
crushed or slivered raw almonds
sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet so that there are no empty spaces in between them. Crush any remaining crackers into small crumbs and set aside for now.

3. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the butter melts, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, carefully pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crackers on the baking sheet in an even layer, trying to cover most of the crackers. If you miss some spots, don’t worry as the toffee will spread in the oven.

4. Bake the toffee crackers at 350 degrees for five minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for one minute.

5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the hot toffee, and allow them to sit for one minute to soften and melt. Once softened, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee in an even layer. While the chocolate is still sticky, sprinkle the top with the reserved crushed crackers.

6. Refrigerate the pan to set the toffee and chocolate for about 30 minutes. Once set, break into small uneven pieces by hand, and enjoy! Store uneaten saltine toffee in an airtight container for up to a week.

The Result:
I gained a few pounds over the holiday break, and I think I owe it mostly to this toffee. I'm not exaggerating; it's that good and shockingly easy to put together.

Beer 'n' Black Bean Chili

2011-12-20T10:30:00.004-07:00

I've had a couple absolute dinner disasters lately, so you may have noticed my lack of posting. The hustle and bustle of the holidays makes for some hurried dinner-making and inevitable recipe fails. I try to take shortcuts and some work out, but some don't. I totally ruined a pork recipe from a trusted source last week...so badly that my family couldn't barely choke it down. UGH! (I think I will try it again in a few months--when life is less hectic--and see if I can salvage the dish.) I almost suffered the same fate with this chili, to where I ended up not paying close enough attention to the instructions and rushing through it. Thankfully, this recipe was virtually goof-proof and this chili turned out to be pretty darn awesome. Whew! I think I'm gonna set a new rule in my house to only make dinners that I can pretty much just "phone in" during the holidays. The stress of trying (and failing) at something new is just not worth it. Hopefully, I will learn my lesson and remember this decree for next Christmas. In the meantime, here is the chili that restored my confidence in my cooking-off-the-cuff abilities...mistakes and all.

Beer 'n' Black Bean Chili
Adapted From: The Food and Flavors of San Antonio cookbook, by: Gloria Chadwick

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 lb. of beef stew meat (see notes)
1 large onion, diced
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (see notes)
1 (4 oz.) can of green chiles (see notes)
1 can of tomato paste
1 cup of beer (see notes)
1 (15 oz.) can of beef broth (see notes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons of corn starch
tortilla chips, for topping
shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
sour cream, for topping

Directions:
Heat oil in large pot, over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Remove beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to rest. If more oil is needed, add a little more (no more than a teaspoon or so). Add onions to pot stirring to incorporate all the beef drippings and oil. Add a pinch of salt and cook onions until they are soft and translucent. Push onions off to the side of the pot, and add tomato paste. Cook tomato paste until it starts to brown and caramelize on the bottom of the pot. Add beef broth, beer, green chiles, beans, all the spices, and meat back into the pot. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits of the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the chili. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for half an hour. Remove some of the cooking liquid to a bowl (about a 1/2 cup) and whisk in the corn starch until liquid starts to thicken. Add thickened liquid back into the chili and stir to incorporate. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until chili is thickened to a desirable texture. Serve chili by placing in bowls and topping with some crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

NOTES:
I did not have two cans of black beans, so I substituted one can of kidney beans. Pinto beans would also work in a pinch; or use all black beans since the recipe is written as a "black bean chili". ;)

I only had one lb. of stew meat, so I cubed the meat into smaller pieces before browning. You could add another pound of stew meat if needed, but I didn't have it on hand so I stretched what I had stocked.

Also, I think our chili could have used more liquid. Adjust the liquid quantities based on the number of people you are serving. Next time, I'll probably use a full bottle of beer and a cup more of beef broth. We had enough to serve two adults and three kids, but the leftovers were scarce.

For the green chiles, I used some frozen Hatch chiles I roasted over the summer. My chiles were super-spicy so I cut the quantity way down for this application (probably by at least half). Follow the recipe quantity if you are using a mild green chile, but consider cutting it back if you are using a really spicy chile pepper.

The Result:
No photo, sorry. This was a delicious and satisfying chili. So different from my normal chili, and we all really loved the new twist. I love hearty stews and soups on a cold day, and this recipe totally hit the spot!

Casserole Series #3: Bubble Pizza Casserole

2011-12-06T13:20:00.007-07:00

I promised my kids a "fun" Monday night dinner, since we've had a rough go of it lately. We had a monumentally stressful week last week, followed by the freaking flu. I thought a recovery meal was in order to help restore everyone's spirits back to normal. In our house a "fun" dinner equals pizza of some sort, but I didn't want to make the same ol'/same ol'. (I think my son would eat pepperoni pizza 24/7, if we'd let him.) Usually, I reserve these types of uber kid-friendly recipes for our Friday night meals, but considering the circumstances, I wanted to shake things up a bit. I found this recipe on a website I frequent that has cheap, easy, and kid-tested recipes on it. This bubble up pizza caught my attention because of the exciting title. Pizza that bubbles???? Yes, please! We have never been known to turn down any form of pizza (or casserole for that matter) in this house.

Bubble Pizza Casserole
Adapted From: MomsWhoThink.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 Tablespoon minced, dried onions
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tubes refrigerator biscuits
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Brown the beef in a skillet and drain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stir pizza sauce and spices into browned hamburger and simmer until heated through.
3. Quarter the biscuits and place in a 13-in x 9-in x 2-in greased baking dish. Top with beef mixture.
4. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake 5-10 more minutes, until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.

The Result:
Oh man, can I tell you that I felt a little dirty while enjoying this meal??? Is that weird? Okay, don't respond to that...I don't want to know. It was all the canned biscuit dough that did it. I know there is little--if any--nutritional value in canned biscuits. With that said, this was AWESOME. The only way it could have been better is if there were $100 bills baked into the dish. Cheesy, doughy, beefy, pizza-ish...Y-U-M! AND it was cheap to make! AND it was easy to put together! This was a hit with kids and adults alike. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Taco Chicken Bowls

2011-12-01T18:25:00.005-07:00

I found an interesting, money-saving meals website through Pinterest called Budget Bytes. It looks to have some fairly easy, inexpensive and family-pleasing dinners listed. I haven't done a whole lot of exploring on the site yet, but I am sure planning on delving a little deeper into it after this tasty dinner. As promised, these Taco Chicken Bowls were a hit with my brood and made with a lot of ingredients I stock on a normal basis. This was a hearty meal we polished off quite quickly.

Taco Chicken Bowls
Adapted From: Budget Bytes via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs. chicken breasts (I used 1 1/2 large, chicken breasts)
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups dry rice (I used brown rice)
8 oz. shredded cheddar
5 green onions, diced for garnish
1/2 bunch cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).

After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

ALTERNATE METHOD:
Combine all ingredients except rice, cheese, and cilantro to a glass casserole dish, sprayed with cooking spray. Cover chicken breasts in mixture and bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken to a cutting board when cook time is up and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to casserole dish and combine with other cooked ingredients. Serve by spooning cooked rice into a bowl and topping with chicken mixture. Garnish with shredded cheese, green onions and cilantro.

The Result:
I didn't have time to go the slow cooker route with this recipe, so I made up the "alternate method" instead. Our chicken bowls were still delicious, so really I think it worked out great. Either way, this recipe is a winner!

Casserole Series #2: Holiday Green Bean Casserole

2011-11-27T16:51:00.008-07:00

I bet you thought I forgot about my casserole series, didn't you???? Well, I didn't. We just hadn't had any good casseroles pop up on the menu plan lately. I decided to bust this one out just in time for Thanksgiving. You're welcome!!!

This is my favorite green bean casserole recipe. It is traditional enough to satisfy the typical, holiday green bean casserole requirement...but with a twist. I loosely based this concoction on a side dish recipe that my friend, Dani gave to me a few years ago. I say loosely because I meant to follow Dani's recipe, but I got a little sidetracked. Usually, when preparing something from an actual recipe, I start out with the right intention. I want to make the dish as it is written--I really do---but it sometimes doesn't work out that way. I don't have patience for reading directions or ingredients lists thoroughly. I typically miss something, or I don't have something I need on hand, or I have something else that needs to be used up. Yeah, that's just how it goes most of the time, AND that is exactly what happened in this case. I had the caramelized onions to use up and I was out of some of the other "casserole" ingreidents. I decided to go ahead and make my own spin on this classic recipe and, thankfully, it was delicious. Whew!

Casserole Series #2: Holiday Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons AP flour
1 cup milk (more if needed to thin the sauce)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb. of shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese (I used a combo of both)
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup of caramelized onions
2-3 small bags of frozen green beans, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup cracker crumbs (I used butter crackers, such as Ritz)
1 cup of fried, dried onion topping
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Mix in cracker crumbs, until all are coated. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of AP flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the flour is starting to turn a light beige color. Add milk and whisk continually until thickened, making a roux. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese. Once cheese is melted, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Add additional milk if needed to thin out a bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add thawed green beans to a large bowl. Combine with caramelized onions. Add cheese sauce. Top with cracker crumb mixture. Add an additional layer of dried/fried onion topping over the cracker crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve and enjoy!

The Result:
Yummy green bean casserole goodness!

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Rice

2011-11-26T15:22:00.010-07:00

I had a late evening hair appointment last week, and I needed something that the husband could handle feeding the kids while I was out. I don't like leaving dinner up in the air, especially when I know the hubs has already put in a long day at the office and he would have to scramble to cook something from scratch or get takeout. (I do mean scramble, literally. Most of my husband's dinner ideas for the kids involve eggs.) Magically, I had everything on hand for this, so it was super-simple to put together...exactly what I had in mind for a busy weeknight meal when I wasn't going to be home. I love recipes that are basically a version of 'throw everything in the slow cooker' and make a pot of brown rice to go along with it. By the time I left for the salon, everyone was happily munching away.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Rice
Adapted From: Stick A Fork In It blog via Pinterest

Ingredients:
2-4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. (8 oz.) low fat cream cheese, softened
1 can low fat cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. dried italian dressing seasoning
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
salt and pepper to taste
brown rice, prepared according to package directions

Directions:
Stir the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and seasoning together in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the frozen chicken breasts and cover with the cheese/soup mixture. Cook on high 4-6 hours or until the chicken is cooked and tender. One hour before serving, mix in the bag of frozen vegetables and resume cooking. Once cook time is finished, remove chicken and either shred or cube it and return it to the mix. Serve chicken mixture over cooked brown rice.

The Result:
This was a solid, family-pleasing recipe with very few ingredients. A definite hit at my house!

(Sorry, no photo for this one. I forgot to ask my husband to snap one. To be fair, it really wasn't an attractive dinner. It pretty much looked like your typical crockpot concoction. I would probably describe it as untidy, and almost casserole-ish. I guess sometimes tasty dinner's aren't always visually appealing, as in this case. If I wanted to get wordy, I could describe it as "unpretentious" and "unassuming". At any rate, it was yummy and that's all that counts in our book.)

Gruyere & Caramelized Onions Panini

2011-11-25T11:55:00.007-07:00

I've been wracking my brain for a few days now on what I was going to write about this sandwich. The beginning of the holiday season has already gotten me into a tailspin. Busy, busy, busy! I can't think of anything super-creative or any special circumstances surrounding our meal on this particular night, so I think I'll just give you the facts. This was a really delicious version of a ramped-up grilled cheese. The onions were a bit labor-intensive, but totally worth the time and effort. The combination of flavors hit the mark, especially for the adults at my house. We served our paninis with a green side salad and our meal was pretty darn satisfying. Hmmmm...I think that's about it, except to say that this grilled sandwich did not disappoint!

Gruyere & Caramelized Onions Panini
Adapted From: ‘wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal–and a meal into a sandwich cookbook via the Panini Happy website

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium yellow onions, halved and cut lengthwise into 1/8″ slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried Sicilian oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
8 slices rye bread

Directions:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and onions and stir vigorously to avoid scorching. Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the onions have a deep brown color. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the onions are soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside.*

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375°F).

For each sandwich: Place 1/4 of the cheese on a slice of bread. Follow with a generous amount of onions. Close the sandwich and place on the panini grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the bread is toasted with golden grill marks. Serve immediately and enjoy!

(***Either use the onions immediately to make the panini or refrigerate them for up to 1 week.***)

The Result:
These were really good. I liked the melding of flavors with the rye bread, gooey cheese, and syrupy onions...it was pretty spectacular. I ended up using my surplus onions (I think I had about a cup leftover) in my Thanksgiving green bean casserole (recipe to come). Yum! They were a welcome addition to both this sandwich and our holiday veggie side dish.

Cider-Glazed Chicken Sausages with Butternut Mash

2011-11-22T12:56:00.005-07:00

I know I'm on the Martha Stewart bandwagon lately, but I really wasn't so sure about this one. I was a little skeptical, since apple was one of the ingredients in the mash and the only type of chicken sausage they had left at my grocery store this week was chicken and apple flavor. We are typically not the fruit with meat types of people, and I was fairly positive someone wasn't going to like it. I think we've only had chicken and apple sausage one other time, and it didn't go over well. Then, to top it off I was afraid that the apple cider I bought would be too sugary. I could only find the dry mix, and I remember it being way too sweet in the past. I was bracing myself for failure.

Thankfully, all my fears were baseless. This recipe was fan-freakin'-tastic! Seriously, delicious. Usually the husband grumbles about eating butternut squash, but he loved this version of the "mash". The sausages were cooked to perfection, and the onion and cider mixture was exceptional. I was unabashedly slurping spoonfuls of the gravy out of the sauce pan. Oh my! The chicken and apple sausages were a perfect pairing with the sauce and squash. We l-o-v-e-d this dinner!!!

Cider-Glazed Chicken Sausages with Butternut Mash
From: Everyday Food, May 2011

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 pound chicken sausages
7 fresh sage leaves (I used 2 teaspoons of dried sage)
3 cups apple cider
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small butternut squash (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large russet potato (10 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt (I used a little more)

Directions:
In a large skillet or shallow heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and sausages and cook until sausages are deep golden brown, 6 minutes, turning sausages and stirring onion halfway through. Add sage and cider and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until cider is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine squash, potato, and apple. Cover by 2 inches water and bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high. Cook until squash and potato are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 minutes.

Drain vegetables and apple and transfer to a food processor (***I used an immersion blender and transferred the veggies back to the same pot I cooked them in***). Process until smooth. Add yogurt, season with salt and pepper, and pulse to combine. Divide butternut mash among four plates and serve with sausages and onion.

The Result:
Delish! I followed the directions fairly close, but I did make a couple of changes. I couldn't find fresh sage, so I used dried and it worked just fine. I probably used a little more Greek yogurt than called for...maybe 1/2 a cup. Lastly, I used an immersion blender and transferred the veggies back to the cooking pot instead of using a food processor. The immersion blender is just easier to clean and works just as well. Other than that, this recipe is great as-is.

Hummus Melts

2011-11-19T10:33:00.008-07:00

I've been on a vegetarian kick lately; making some new recipes and revisiting some old favorites. I would like to pretend that my renewed obsession with vegetarian meals is due to the fact that I'm being super-health conscious, but that's not it. Really, it boils down to time. It seems that we have had a lot going on in the evenings, and most vegetarian meals are just faster to prepare and get on the table. I don't have to mess around with thawing out a protein, so that saves me some prep time and most dinners can be put together in under a half an hour. Also, I've found a bevy of new vegetarian recipes lately that I've been itching to try out.

This recipe is one of the new ones that I found on Pinterest . We had a family night at my son's school and a "Mom's Night Out" event for my group of mommy friends, so we needed to get out the door in a hurry last night. A lengthy dinner just wasn't an option for us, so I thought these open-faced sandwiches would be a good choice. I was right...this recipe was super-easy and fast to put together. I had dinner on the table in about 20 minutes from start to finish. Not to mention, it was really, really healthy and tasty...we all gobbled it up. Thanks Pinterest for another simple and efficient vegetarian winner!

Hummus Melts
Adapted From: the (Never home)maker blog via Pinterest

Ingredients:
4-6 whole wheat English muffins
a large container of your favorite store-bought (or homemade) hummus
1 bag of washed baby spinach (I used a bag of an arugula/spinach salad blend)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat broiler on high. Place halved English muffins on large baking sheet, cut side up and toast under the broiler for a few minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Saute onions in the oil, with a pinch of salt, until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add minced garlic and saute for another minute, or until the garlic is fragrant. Add entire bag of washed baby spinach. Using a pair of tongs, toss spinach in onion mixture until wilted. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss again to combine and remove from the heat.

Place a large spoonful of hummus on each toasted English muffin half. Then, using your tongs, evenly place a small pile of the spinach mixture on top of each half, over the hummus. Sprinkle each muffin half with a handful of shredded cheese. Place back under the broiler and cook until cheese is melted, starting to brown, and bubble. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

The Result:
So good! Our serving size was 2 halves per adult, and 1 half per kid at our table. I think I made a total of 5 English muffins, so there were 10 halves all together. There were plenty for us for dinner and we still had some leftover. These little sandwiches were so filling and satisfying...everyone loved them! Also, I had another one for lunch today and they reheat nicely. Another thought just occurred to me about this recipe...it is really economical! I fed our entire family of 5 (more or less; not including some of the other ingredients that I had on hand) with 1 bag of spinach, 1 container of hummus, 1 bar of cheese, and a package of English muffins. It breaks down to less than $2.00 per person for dinner; less if you factor in the leftovers. I love that!

Portobello, Broccoli,and Red-Pepper Melts

2011-11-16T14:22:00.012-07:00

This is another Martha Stewart recipe that I found while exploring her website the other day. Truly, this was a fantastic open-faced sandwich...one of the best that we've tried. Martha sure knows her food, that's for sure! If you dig a hearty, vegetarian sandwich this dish is for you.

In other news...

You'll be happy to know that the husband found the camera battery charger and plugged it in. Hooray! The good news doesn't stop there...I also remembered to take a photo of our dinner last night with my iphone. Eureka! Why didn't I think of that before??? I don't know. Thankfully, my normal camera should be up and running the next time I have to take a blog pic. In the meantime, try this recipe and enjoy my shaky iphone photography skills.

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts
From: Everyday Food, March 2008

Ingredients:
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (stalk discarded)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
4 thick slices country bread (or 1 loaf of French bread, cut horizontally)
4 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced (or Gruyere, if you like)

Directions:
Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss broccoli with oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing once or twice, until broccoli begins to char, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add mushrooms and bell peppers to sheet; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a work surface. Dividing evenly, spread with mayonnaise mixture, and top with vegetables, then cheese. Place on baking sheet, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

The Result:
These were fantastic! Delicious and satisfying. I goofed and used Gruyere instead of Gouda cheese. Duh. Next time I should read the ingredients list a bit more carefully. Honestly, it didn't really matter; it was still an amazing veggie sandwich.

There were a lot of filling, so I decided to cut my French bread loaf in half horizontally, and hollow out (and discard) some of the bread in the middle. This allowed more room for the yummy, roasted veggies. I thought this would be more efficient than just doing the slices, and this method was reminiscent of the Eggplant Mozzarella Melts recipe that we LOVE. Then, when the cook time was over, I removed the long, loaf halves to a cutting board and just cut the portion sizes we needed (smaller pieces for the kids, etc.). It worked out perfectly, and now we have a new favorite Martha Stewart open-faced "melt" sandwich to make for dinner.

New Orleans-Style Shrimp and Rice

2011-11-15T10:02:00.002-07:00

As much as I like shrimp, it seems that I only can think of a few things to do with it, recipe-wise. I don't know why, but I tend to make the same handful of shrimp dishes over and over again, thus creating a kind of shrimpy boredom. Don't get me wrong, the dinners that I've tried and posted are good and are worth repeating. I just need a lot of variety in my diet. This week, I wasn't looking forward to having--yet again--one of the same ol', same ol' shrimp dinners. I knew that I had a bag of raw shrimp out in my freezer, and because of budget constraints, I knew that it needed to be used up for a meal. Sigh. What's a girl to do? The answer for me was to search the Martha Stewart website. I found this twist on a classic Cajun favorite, and I found a few other recipes to make this week. Not only did I solve my shrimp dilemma, but with one click of the mouse most of my dinner planning for the week was finished. I heart Martha!

New Orleans-Style Shrimp and Rice
From: marthastewart.com; Martha Stewart Living, March Spring 2004

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 green bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
6 canned whole plum tomatoes (from one 28-ounce can), crushed
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste (I used Louisiana Hot Sauce)
1 pound large shrimp (21 to 30), peeled and deveined
2 cups cooked white rice, for serving (I used brown rice)

Directions:
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add flour, and stir until light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add bell peppers, onion, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, parsley, spices, salt, and hot sauce.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are soft and mixture is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp, and cook until pink and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle shrimp with parsley, and serve over rice.

The Result:
This was such a delicious meal. Don't let the copious amounts of butter deter you...it's worth it. I stuck with the recipe as written, only deviating by substituting brown rice. Now I have one more great shrimp recipe up my sleeve, thanks to Martha.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2011-11-14T17:42:00.005-07:00

I have 15 minutes to myself (WOO HOO!), so I decided to hop on and update the recipe blog. I found this recipe on Food.com when I did a general search and sort for sour cream enchiladas with high reviews/ratings. I did change a few things up a bit, but not on purpose. I got distracted while making dinner and ended up cooking my onion and green chile mixture a bit longer than planned. Luckily, they ended up being nice and caramelized and not burnt. With a couple of other devised modifications, dinner was on the table for the best version of sour cream enchiladas that we've had at home. How fortuitous!!!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted From: food.com; By: Deb's Recipes; Added July 15, 2005 | Recipe #129926

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, sliced
1 tablespoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoon of AP Flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 small cans of green chiles, mild (divided)
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups grated Monterrey jack cheese or sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
8 whole wheat tortillas
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place chicken in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle the raw chicken pieces with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and flour.

In a skillet, cook the onions and 1 can of green chiles together in oil over medium-high heat until they start to soften. Add chicken slices on top of onion mixture. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, flipping the chicken about halfway through. Cook until the onions and green chiles on the bottom of the pan are caramelized and the chicken is cooked through and browned on both sides.

Divide cooked chicken and onion mixture evenly between the wheat tortillas; add some grated cheese to each tortilla (using a total of 1 cup of the shredded cheese).

Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in 9x13 baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour to make a roux; Stir and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until flour is starting to turn a light tan color. Gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and other 2 cans of green chiles. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.

Top with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese (baking dish may be double-wrapped and frozen at this point) and bake at 400° F for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce near edges of the baking dish is bubbly.

The Result:
These. were. awesome. I was actually jealous that the husband got to take the leftovers to work for lunch. I can not say enough good things about this recipe!

Favorite Turkey Burger

2011-11-11T12:51:00.004-07:00

So, still no photos. My camera battery STILL needs to be charged...and now I can't find the charger. Yeesh. Moving has really screwed up my sense of organization! On the up side, we haven't had any new recipes (aside from this one). You see, you're really not missing anything exciting.

I needed a fast, easy, and yummy turkey burger recipe so I turned to the Martha Stewart website for inspiration. As expected, Martha came through for me and we had these totally delicious burgers for dinner one night last week.

Favorite Turkey Burger
From: marthastewart.com, Everyday Food May/June 2003

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93 percent lean)
1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Oil (for grill grates or grill pan)

Directions:
Heat grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine ground turkey with Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.

Lightly oil grill (or grill pan). Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move patties to cooler part of grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

The Result:
Easy and delicious. A great twist on a classic!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds with Sugar and Spice

2011-11-07T11:47:00.003-07:00

My friend, Raquel posted this recipe on Facebook as her favorite way to prepare pumpkin seeds. I get really bored with just standard, salted seeds so I was game for trying something new. Well let me tell you, after preparing these seeds, this recipe is now MY new favorite way to make pumpkin seeds. They were delicious! I swear they were totally addictive. We had some friends over for the afternoon, and these disappeared pretty quickly...no one could stay away from the bowl!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds with Sugar and Spice
From: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dry and toasted. Larger seeds may take longer.

In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle the remaining sugar over them. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts, about 45 seconds. Pour seeds into the bowl with the spiced sugar and stir until coated. Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

The Result:
My camera battery needs to be recharged, so I don't have a photo. Sadly, I only remember that it needs to be charged when I need to either take or upload a photo. I need to just find the charger right now and do it already! Anyway, these were fantastic. This is now my go-to pumpkin seed recipe. YUM!

Kittencal's Moist Cheddar-Garlic Oven Fried Chicken Breast

2011-11-03T19:10:00.007-07:00

I totally forgot about this recipe, until I checked my camera and saw that there was a photo of this dinner that I didn't post! I don't know why this recipe slipped my mind; it was delicious and family-friendly. You'll have to excuse me...having three kids really does kill all kinds of brain cells. Ugh. I forget the details on how/what/when/where/and why I came across this recipe; but I can tell you that it was darn good. Sometimes I am such a space cadet!!!! Anyway, this was an awesome dinner that we all enjoyed.

Kittencal's Moist Cheddar-Garlic Oven Fried Chicken Breast
From: Food.com; By Kittencalskitchen, Recipe #82102

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumb
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used a 1 lb. package of chicken tenders.)
shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Butter (or spray with cooking spray) an 11 x 7-inch pan (if using more than 4 breasts use a larger pan).

3. In a bowl, combine melted butter with fresh minced garlic, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and salt.

4. In another bowl, combine the dry breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon garlic powder and coarse ground black pepper.

5. Dip chicken in butter mixture; then in crumb mixture.

6. Place in prepared pan and bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through, larger breasts may take more time (placing the chicken on a rack in a pan will produce an extra crispy crust).

7. Top with shredded cheddar or mozzarella the last 5 minutes of cooking (this is only optional, I left this step out).

The Result:
Mmmmmm....fancy, crunchy, cheesy, garlicky, chicken fingers. This is a recipe that is worth making again and again.

Pesto Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Surprise

2011-11-03T15:22:00.010-07:00

Out of the ashes of a dinner disaster, a star was born...

(Wow! That was impressively dramatic, don't you think???)

Sometimes, I think it takes a major dinner snafu to get my creative juices going and use up the leftover items from the previous fail. In this instance, the very bad thing that I was trying to get rid of was the components for a version of Turkey Sloppy Joe's with a cheese sauce. Let's just all agree, the turkey recipe was not good. Not good at all. In fact, it was a really weird combination of flavors.

::SHUDDER::

Anyway, I had the leftover turkey meat that I re-purposed (i.e. disguised) into spaghetti and meat sauce on a different night, but I didn't know what I was gonna do with the copious amounts of leftover cheese sauce. As it stood, the cheese sauce needed help. However, I couldn't bring myself to waste it. So, I decided to do some tinkering. I went through the fridge and found a half of a jar of pesto and some leftover, homemade tomato soup that was on the brink of being questionable. There was something oddly familiar about the mingling of these flavors...pesto, tomatoes, cheese...and then an idea formed.

(Also, it needs to be mentioned that we are on a really, really, really, TIGHT budget and we were low on groceries. A trip to the grocery store was not in the cards, so I had to forage in the pantry and fridge to come up with something edible from what we already had on hand.)

I cooked a package of 3 chicken breasts, boiled a half of a box of whole wheat macaroni noodles, and went to work...much like a mad scientist. This recipe was the result of my manipulation and toil. And ya know what??? It was fantastic! Yup, I said it--fantastic! Who would of though that some not-so-stellar leftovers and mere pantry staples could yield a delicious dinner for five??? Not me, that's for certain...but I'm so happy it worked out and I have a new, yummy mac and cheese recipe to use.

Pesto Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Surprise

Ingredients:
1/2 a box of whole wheat macaroni noodles
3 cooked chicken breasts, cubed into bite-sized pieces
4 ounces of pesto
1 cup of tomato soup (either homemade or prepared)
1 1/2 cups of white cheese sauce (see below for recipe)
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

For the White Cheese Sauce:
1 cup of milk (I used fat-free)
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup of Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken stock (optional--this is to thin out sauce, if needed)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil macaroni according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. Once macaroni is done cooking, drain and set aside.

In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the cheese sauce (see below directions), 1 cup of prepared tomato soup, and pesto. Stir to combine well. Add the cooked (and diced) chicken, cooked macaroni,and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese to the sauce mixture. Toss to combine and well coat all the ingredients. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, as needed. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and pour the macaroni mixture into it. Top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour. Remove from oven, let stand for 5-10 minutes, and serve.

For the White Cheese Sauce:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until well combined. Cook flour mixture for about 5 minutes, until color is turning slightly tan. While whisking, add milk and softened cream cheese. Bring sauce to a boil while still whisking, then reduce heat and cook sauce until it starts to thicken. When sauce reaches desired consistency, remove the sauce from the heat. Mix in the mozzarella, Parmesan, and then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. (If the sauce is too thick, thin it by whisking chicken broth into the mixture by adding a quarter cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.) Set aside.

The Result:
We were quite surprised at how good this turned out. My whole family loved it; especially my kids. This "surprise" recipe is a keeper!

Pesto Baked Potatoes with Chicken

2011-10-26T10:19:00.003-07:00

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

2011-10-26T09:56:00.005-07:00

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

2011-10-25T19:34:00.008-07:00

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

2011-10-22T20:00:00.003-07:00

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

2011-10-22T19:39:00.003-07:00

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

2011-10-22T19:16:00.010-07:00

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

2011-10-19T09:42:00.005-07:00

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

2011-10-18T14:24:00.007-07:00

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

2011-10-12T13:55:00.006-07:00

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

2011-10-09T10:01:00.003-07:00

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)

2011-10-07T09:31:00.008-07:00

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

2011-10-05T11:32:00.005-07:00

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

2011-10-05T11:18:00.008-07:00

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

2011-10-05T11:11:00.004-07:00

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

2011-10-05T10:35:00.003-07:00

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!

Browned Butter Ravioli with Chicken, Toasted Walnuts, and Crispy Sage

2011-09-21T19:52:00.007-07:00

I should've had your attention at the mention of browned butter. At least, that's my hope anyway. I feel comfortable telling you that I think all food should be smothered in some version of browned butter. I know it sounds a little crazy, but browned butter is just that magical. It made this quick and easy recipe really special with not a lot of effort. Hooray browned butter!

Browned Butter Ravioli with Chicken,Toasted Walnuts, and Crispy Sage
From: kevinandamanda.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast with rib meat
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp vegetable oil
9 oz fresh mini ravioli
2 oz (1/2 cup) walnuts
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme and rub over both sides of the chicken. In a dutch oven or large, oven-safe pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook for two more minutes. Move the pot to the oven and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool for 5 minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

Boil and drain the ravioli according the to package directions. Set aside.

Place the walnuts in a large skillet over medium heat and toast for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove and chop. Wipe the skillet clean, and melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. When the butter just starts to turn brown, add the sage and stir constantly for one minute. Immediately add the ravioli and stir to combine. Add the chicken and most of the chopped walnuts and stir. Plate the pasta and top with remaining walnuts.

The Result:
I did some adapting for my family. First, I couldn't find fresh sage so I used ground...probably about a teaspoon. Then, my chicken was already cooked from last night (I made extra...how smart of me, I know!) so I skipped the chicken cooking step entirely. I basically boiled the ravioli, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, toasted the walnuts, and made the sauce. I combined everything in the same pan and--BOOM!--dinner was ready. This ended up coming together very quickly...SCORE!

On another note, I used a whole stick of butter for the sauce, closer to a cup of walnuts, and three packages of spinach/cheese ravioli. We needed to feed five people and have enough for two lunches the next day. I cook for a big family, so I always adjusted the quantities accordingly.

Another note on top of the previous note, This would be a fabulous vegetarian dinner, by omitting the chicken. Honestly, the chicken just added bulk and not much else. I would have been happy with just the ravioli, walnuts and browned butter sauce. Either version gets a solid thumbs up from me!

Chicken Broccoli Supreme Casserole

2011-09-21T19:44:00.006-07:00

Although the title may sound boring, this casserole was very captivating for my family. We all loved it, and it was especially kid-friendly. I just love a peaceful dinner where everyone enjoys the meal that I put in front of them. This casserole produced that desired effect. It's not fancy, but it sure was yummy!

Chicken Broccoli Supreme Casserole
Adapted from: Get Off Your Butt and Bake blog via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 lb. broccoli (steamed slightly if fresh, thawed if frozen)
3 cups cooked chicken breasts – Break up in small pieces
3 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 tube Ritz Crackers (35-38 crackers total)
1/2 stick melted butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

SAUCE:
1/3 C. Butter melted
1/4 C. Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 C. COLD Water
1/3 C. Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups of the above Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
In greased 13×9 pan, layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat, combine the sauce ingredients--melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low, and add 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.

Melt the half stick butter, and add the poppy seeds, garlic and onion powders, and stir well. Crush Ritz crackers in large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don’t crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.

The Result:
This was a darn near perfect casserole...homey, comforting, and thoroughly enjoyable!

Bacon Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2011-09-21T19:32:00.004-07:00

This. was. awesome. Seriously, you should try this sandwich immediately; if not sooner. Thank you. Over and out. Ten-four, good buddy.

Bacon Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Adapted From: Three Many Cooks website

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter, softened (use more or less if needed, depending on the number of sandwiches)
sour dough bread slices
ripe tomatoes, sliced (I used heirlooms)
8-10 pieces of crispy, cooked bacon (use more or less, if needed)
jarred pesto
fresh mozzarella, sliced

Directions:
Cook bacon and set aside. On inside of bread, spread pesto on both halves. Top with cheese slices, tomato slices, and a few slices of bacon. Put top piece of bread on sandwich. Slather butter on outside of both ends of the bread. Cook in a dry skillet over medium high heat until cheese is melted and bread is crisp and golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove sandwich to a cutting board, cut in half, and serve immediately. Repeat with additional sandwiches.

The Result:
Nom, nom, nom. (Insert lip-smacking noises here.)

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze (or Not)

2011-09-19T11:09:00.006-07:00

We are in the middle of moving and I realized--much too late--that I packed up my skewers along with some of my other kitchen stuff. EEK! I quickly had to adapt this recipe and what I got was more of a skillet stir-fry, than actual grilled skewers. I literally just tossed everything in a pan with the glaze and served it over brown rice. It was still delicious, but I would like to make this the right way someday.

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze
Source: Bon Appetit, June 2010

Ingredients:
3/4 cup olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
5 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12 uncooked extra-large shrimp (13 to 15 per pound), peeled, deveined
12 1-inch-long pieces andouille or other fully cooked smoked sausages (such as linguiça; about 16 ounces)
12 cherry tomatoes
12 2-layer sections of red onion wedges
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Directions:
Whisk oil, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, Sherry wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl to blend for glaze. Transfer half of glaze to small bowl and reserve for serving.

Alternately thread shrimp, sausage pieces, cherry tomatoes, and sections of onion wedges on each of 6 long metal skewers. Arrange skewers on large rimmed baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill skewers and bowls of glaze separately.

Coat grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush skewers on both sides with glaze from 1 bowl. Grill until shrimp are opaque in center, turning and brushing occasionally with more glaze, 6 to 8 minutes.

Arrange skewers on platter. Serve with remaining bowl of glaze.

The Result:
Very yummy, but I would like to try the actual skewers. I decided to just post the actual recipe, instead of the mess that I made. (It was good, but not too visually appealing.) My way was really all about survival, man...not anything that is worth duplicating. The flavors were so tasty, and I would recommend this recipe either way. Yum!

Hominy-Pinto Burgers with Roasted Green Chiles

2011-09-19T11:01:00.004-07:00

I have a lot of blog recipes to catch up on, so I think I will just get down to the "nitty gritty" by posting meals that we recently tried and liked. These vegetarian burgers were a hit with the adults, but not so much for the kids in my family. All in all, we liked them...the kids will just have to deal with it!

Hominy-Pinto Burgers with Roasted Green Chiles
From: Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light August 2006

Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles (I used my roasted Hatch chiles)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup masa harina, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons low-sodium salsa
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Place chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 3 inches from heat 8 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a heavy-duty plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Cut each chile lengthwise into 4 strips; discard seeds.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Place onion mixture, salt, beans, and hominy in a food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Combine bean mixture and 1/2 cup masa in a medium bowl. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place remaining 1/4 cup masa in a shallow dish; dredge patties in masa.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add patties to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn patties over. Top each patty with 3 tablespoons cheese; cook 4 minutes.

Combine sour cream and salsa in a small bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture on top half of each bun. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each serving with 2 pepper strips. Cover with tops of buns.

The Result:
Easy and good. I used some roasted hatch green chiles, so ours were spicy. (I omitted the chiles for my little rugrats.) Baked sweet potato fries were a quick and yummy side dish that went well with these burgers. This was a solid recipe for vegetarian bean burgers with an interesting twist.

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2011-09-15T14:07:00.003-07:00

I love when I find a phenomenal grilled cheese recipe! As the title promises, this sandwich had all the yummy goodness of jalapeno poppers, plus a little extra. This was soooo tasty; and because I removed the seeds, stem, and ribs from the peppers, it was not that spicy either. My 5 year old declared it was the best grilled cheese ever!

The original website that this recipe was published on had shaky directions. So, I'm just going to adapt the recipe from that and tell you what I did below. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Adapted From: closetcooking.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
8 slices of sour dough bread
1 stick of butter, softened
8-10 large jalapenos, seeds, stems, and ribs removed; cut in halves
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 (8oz) bar sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
1 bag of your favorite tortilla chips

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Place jalapeno halves on a baking sheet, cut side down. Place baking sheet on the top rack of the oven, close to the heating element. Broil peppers for 8-14 minutes, or until skin turns black and charred. Place peppers in a gallon zip top bag and seal. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, or until peppers are cool enough to be handled. Peel peppers, discard the plastic-like skin. Set aside peppers.

Spread cream cheese on both inside halves of the bread. Top both sides with crushed tortilla chips. On one side, place cheddar cheese slices over the chips and cream cheese. On the other side, place 4-5 pepper strips on top of the chips/cream cheese. Assemble the sandwich. Butter the top slice of bread. Warm a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place sandwich, butter side down into skillet. While sandwich is cooking, butter the other side of the sandwich bread (the naked slice should be facing up in the skillet). Flip once bottom slice is golden browned and cheese is melted. Remove from skillet once other side is golden browned. Assemble and repeat cooking with additional sandwiches. Cut in half and serve immediately.

NOTE: Recipe should yield 4 grilled cheese sandwiches.

The Result:
Fantastic and pretty easy to put together. Hooray for yummy grilled cheese sandwiches!

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

2011-09-12T20:32:00.006-07:00

I am quite the casserole maven lately! Speaking of which, here is another casserole recipe that I have had saved in the vault for awhile. (By vault, I mean I had it saved in a desktop computer folder.)

This turned out super yummy and was a big hit with 'the fam'. Really, what's not to like about cheese, chicken, and pasta??? At least that's what my brood is into, anyway. Best of all, this seemed way more decadent and splurgy than it really was, thanks to Cooking Light.

(Sidenote: I love, love, LOVE it when my kids gobble up a dinner that I make, without complaint. It warms the cockles of my heart! Not to mention it's quite the ego boost...I feel all Suzy Homemaker-ish.)

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine
From: Cooking Light, March 2006

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Note: You can cook the pasta mixture in individual eight-ounce ramekins; bake for 15 minutes.

The Result:
In re-reading this recipe, I realized that I left out some key ingredients. DOH! Seriously!!! I left out the condensed soup and milk. I used 1% cottage cheese and cooked the whole box of penne, instead of measuring out the right quantity. I didn't even use the right kind of oregano (I used dried, not fresh). I totally goofed this up...AND it was still delicious! I must have been really distracted when I was making dinner tonight; that's all I can say about that. Ugh. Anyway, our version was tasty; but I'm sure if you made this dish correctly it would be even better. Oh well, I guess I just have an excuse to make it again to see how it is supposed to taste. Apparently, this "casserole maven" needs to learn how to read a recipe properly...yeesh.

World's Greatest Sandwich (aka The "Spanglish" Sandwich)

2011-09-12T12:25:00.006-07:00

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? I'm addicted; it's fantastic! It is so addicting, I literally need to limit my time on it, and use perusing it as a reward system for myself so I can get other chores done. For instance, if I clean the kitchen I get 15 minutes on Pinterest, if I do a load of laundry I get a half hour on Pinterest. You get the idea. Anyway, among the cornucopia of stuff on Pinterest, they have recipes. As a matter of fact, I found the link to this recipe on Pinterest. The recipe is entitled World's Greatest Sandwich, developed by chef Thomas Keller for the movie "Spanglish". That is a bold claim, but I must confess...this sandwich was pretty darn close to perfection.

World's Greatest Sandwich (aka The "Spanglish" Sandwich)
From: Thomas Keller, via thekitchn.com

NOTE: Ingredients yield 1 sandwich. Adjust quantities as needed, for additional sandwiches.

Ingredients:
3-4 slices of bacon
2 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
2 slices of toasted rustic country loaf (pain de campagne)
1 tbsp of mayo
4 tomato slices
2 leaves of butter lettuce (yes, it's called butter lettuce)
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg

Directions:
1. Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels,

2. Place slices of cheese on one side of toasted bread. Place in toaster oven or under broiler to melt.

3. Spread mayo on other slice of bread top with bacon, sliced tomato, and lettuce
4. On non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Fry egg, turning over briefly when the bottom is set (keep yolk runny).

5. Slide finished egg on top of lettuce, top with other slice of bread (cheese-side down).

6. Place sandwich on plate and slice in half, letting yolk run down sandwich.

The Result:
This sandwich rocked!!! I used heirloom tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, and ciabiatta bread; which really put this beauty over the top.

The website I found this recipe on adjusted the sandwich to include avocado. I agree that would have been a delicious addition, but I didn't have any on hand. Maybe next time...yum.

Chicken Spaghetti

2011-08-26T10:13:00.011-07:00

Holy casserole, Batman!

I have had this recipe tagged to try out for years. For one reason or another, it never came to fruition. I have a slight aversion to canned cream of "...(insert flavor here)" soup. Not the taste of it mind you; but the fact that it is soooo not healthful and soooo over-processed. I guess you could say that I am an outward cream of "..." soup snob, but I secretly kinda like it. I know that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but sometimes I am a complicated person.

Anyway, I finally got around to making this recipe for last night's dinner. I had my first PTO meeting at my son's new school,so I prepped and baked everything before the meeting. I gave the hubs some final cooking instructions and asked him to 'pretty please with sugar on top' feed the kids and save me a plate for after my meeting. I then left the house while our dinner was still in the oven.

When I came home after the meeting, I asked how dinner was and got a strange response. The husband told me I would have to try it and formulate my own opinion. That made me nervous. I basically thought he was trying to politely tell me that I poisoned my family with this recipe. Thankfully, my assumption was wrong. I took a couple bites and instantly fell in love. After seeing me swoon, the husband reported that the kids all had seconds. My eldest baby daughter literally and cried for more! He also had two big portions and said it was the best casserole that we have had in awhile. Wow! A ringing endorsement by all...that hardly ever happens!!! I am so happy I finally tried this dish. My family has already requested that it be put into frequent meal rotation. Score!

Chicken Spaghetti
From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl cookbook By: Ree Drummond

Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

The Result:
For my chicken, I used 4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and 1 chicken leg and boiled them according to the directions. I think this is the key to this recipe...the chicken AND the chicken broth/pasta water that is from the pot. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! I know it's tempting to shortcut this method, but I really think it made the difference from turning this recipe into a "good" casserole into a "delicious" casserole. Aside from which chicken parts I used, I followed this recipe as-is and we all loved it. PW knows how to deliver a fantastic dinner, that's for sure.

Brie Croque Monsieur

2011-08-25T13:29:00.006-07:00

I am a sucker for a fancy grilled cheese. This one was really tasty and one that I will make again. I really liked that the whole sandwich is dipped a la French toast style, making it oh so decadent. Yum!

Brie Croque Monsieur
Adapted from: Framed Cooks blog

Ingredients:
1 wedge (8 oz.) Brie cheese, cut into thin slices
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
6 slices prosciutto de Parma
8 slices French bread, sliced thick
4 tbsp butter, melted, divided

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk salt and pepper. Set aside.

Assemble six sandwiches, each with some prosciutto and slices of cheese between two slices of bread.

Heat half of the melted butter in a large nonstick pan on medium heat, swirling to coat bottom of pan.

Dip the sandwiches into the egg and milk mixture, turning to coat. Immediately place in preheated pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melting. Repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve hot.

The Result:
So delish! You really cannot see the cheese from the photo, but it's in there! This was pretty quick to assemble and a total hit at my house. Hooray for fancy grilled cheese...or in this case fancy grilled ham and cheese!

Hot Crossed Tuna Casserole

2011-08-25T13:18:00.006-07:00

Typically, I am not a fan of Tuna Casserole. It's always seemed, well, strange to me. Maybe it's because I was scarred as a child. One of my neighborhood friend's mother always made it when I was invited to their family dinner. It was gloppy and gloopy, with an overwhelming sense of tuna-ishness. It was not good.

My friend, ~~Claire~~ Gertrude recently made this version of tuna casserole that she remembered from her childhood. She assured me that it was not your typical tuna casserole mess, and let me sample some. She was right! It was yummy...especially with the sauce. It totally reminded me of a deconstructed tuna melt sandwich (which I love) and the cucumber dill sauce gave it just the right balance. If you are tuna-casserole adverse, this may be the recipe to make you reconsider how you feel about them.

Hot Crossed Tuna Casserole
From: Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:
3 or 4 cans tuna, drained
1 16 oz. package frozen peas, thawed (I put mine in frozen)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. celery, sliced
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tube crescent roll dough

Cucumber Sauce:
1/2 c. chopped cucumbers
1 T. chives, chopped
1 T. chopped parsley
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. dill weed
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream

Directions:
Combine tuna, peas, cheese, celery, bread crumbs, onion, seasonings, and mayonnaise; mix well. Spoon into a baking dish. Separate crescent roll dough into 2 rectangles. Press perforations to seal. Cut dough into 4 long and 8 short strips. Place strips over casserole in lattice design. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is brown. Serve with cucumber sauce.

To make sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill. Pour over top of each serving.

The Result:
Easy, comforting, and family-friendly. My kids loved this, and it was even better the next day for leftover lunch. The lattice crust makes it visually appealing, as well. I don't think "visually appealing" is an adjective used to often describe tuna casserole, so that is definitely a check in the "pro" column for this recipe. More tuna casserole...yes, please.

Cliantro Almond Pesto

2011-08-19T12:32:00.004-07:00

This is a quick and easy "no cook" recipe that will compliment either beef, chicken, or fish. We had it last night as a condiment for grilled steaks and it was darn tasty! Once again, thanks Gertrude.

Cilantro Almond Pesto
From: myrecipes.com via the Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Directions:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until finely chopped (about 15 seconds). Add yogurt and juice; process until smooth.

The Result:
See???? Totally easy!!! All you need is a blender and a smile to whip up this yummy pesto topping.

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast with Sour Cream and Paprika Gravy

2011-08-17T09:29:00.005-07:00

Pot roast is one of my favorite comfort meals. It automatically brings me back to my childhood and family dinners with my grandparents. I usually make my mom's, or my grandma's, standard version of pot roast; never really venturing out to try new flavors. I figure the original is such a hit, why mess with what works???? Well, that was the old pot roast philosophy, at least. I think I may have a new way of thinking about it, thanks to this dish.

I think what caught my attention about this recipe, was the gravy. You see, I love paprika gravy. Actually, I love paprika in general. The color, the smell, the flavor...it's my favorite spice. I know I've shared this before but, if I had a prison/death row "last meal" request situation it would be for my mom's version of a childhood dish we call "Chicken Paprika"...mainly for the paprika gravy in that recipe. So, when I found a pot roast version with paprika gravy I knew I had to try it immediately.

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast with Sour Cream and Paprika Gravy
From: Kalyn's Kitchen website

Ingredients:
2 tsp. + 1 T olive oil
1 rump roast, about 2.5 pounds (trim visible fat if there is any)
generous amount of steak seasoning (about 1 T) to rub on roast before browning
4 large yellow onions, cut into slices at least 1/2 inch thick
2 T sweet Hungarian or Spanish paprika (or more)
1/2 tsp. sharp Hungarian paprika or smoked Spanish paprika (optional, but good)
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red bell peppers
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice (I like petite dice for this)
2 cups homemade beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups sour cream (I used light sour cream, do not use fat-free)

Directions:
Trim any visible fat from rump roast, then rub roast on all sides with steak seasoning. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in heavy frying pan, add roast and brown well on all sides. (Don't rush this step., it may take 15-20 minutes to get the roast nicely browned.) When roast is well-browned, place in crockpot.

While roast browns, peel onions and cut into slices at least 1/2 inch thick. Heat additional 1 T olive oil in pan, then add onions and paprika and saute onions until lightly browned, turning often to brown all the onion slices. Put onions in crockpot on top of and around the roast. Add 2 cups beef stock to frying pan, scraping off any browned bits and simmering until beef stock is reduced to about 1 cup.

While onions brown and stock reduces, drain jar of roasted red peppers, then cut into lengthwise slices about 1/2 inch thick. Put sliced peppers and canned tomatoes into crockpot, seasoning with black pepper. When stock has reduced to about 1 cup, pour over top of crockpot ingredients.

Cook on high for about 4 hours, or until roast feels tender when pierced with a fork. When roast is tender, remove meat, let cool a few minutes, and then cut into thick slices. While meat cools enough to handle, strain liquid into a saucepan (catching the vegetables) and simmer over medium high heat to reduce for gravy. Add sliced meat and vegetables back into crockpot and keep warm.

****HERE IS WHERE I DEVIATED FROM THE RECIPE****SEE BELOW FOR MY VERSION****

When liquid has reduced by about half, whisk in sour cream. (Edit: A reader named Ned left the suggestion to add a small amount of the liquid to the sour cream and whisk together, then whisk that mixture back into the juice in the pan for easier combining without lumps. I think that sounds like a great idea.) Pour sour cream gravy back over meat and vegetables in crockpot and cook about 20-30 minutes more, or until heated through. Serve hot.

The Result:
The gravy was orgasmic. The husband and I were literally taking turns licking the empty saucepan as we were cleaning up the dinner dishes. The pot roast itself was delicious enough, with all the onions, peppers, and tomatoes...but that gravy pushed it over the top to awesome. Honestly, this was a little labor-intensive at first. There is a lot of prep work involved to just get this into the slow cooker, and then the gravy itself took awhile to make. However, it was sooooo fantastic! Totally worth the trouble!!!

I didn't follow the gravy instructions as written, but the rest of the recipe I followed as-is. I will note my difference below and in the directions with an asterisks.

This pot roast made me very happy!

****ALTERNATE METHOD FOR GRAVY:****
I let the pot roast liquid reduce by half (from 2 cups to 1 cup) and removed to a separate bowl. Temper in the container of light sour cream with the liquid and set the mixture aside.

In the saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle two tablespoons of AP flour over the melted butter and whisk to combine turning into a thick paste. Let flour/butter mixture cook for a couple of minutes. Continually whisk in the pot roast liquid and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, while still whisking and let the gravy thicken to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve gravy on the side or pour gravy over meat in the slow cooker and serve immediately.

Sesame Tofu Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce

2011-08-15T20:07:00.006-07:00

I don't like tofu. Well, let me amend that...I didn't like tofu before this recipe. I thought that the flavor and texture were--in a word--yucky. (I know, I know...not very mature.) On a whim, I decided to give tofu one more shot before chalking it off forever. Aggie from Aggie's Kitchen admitted her own aversion to tofu that sounded similar to mine. Then, she recommended this dish. Since Aggie is a trusted recipe source, I went for it. Oh man, I'm glad I did. This was really, really good. I LIKED the tofu in this recipe. I'm talkin' LIKE liked. Yeah, crazy right???? This may be the start of a beautiful friendship between tofu and me. Only time will tell...

Sesame Tofu Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce
From: Family Kitchen on babble.com By:Aggie's Kitchen (via Eat, Live, Run)

Ingredients:

For tofu:
1 package of extra firm tofu (see below for instructions on how to drain properly)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
a couple splashes soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoons canola oil

For sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey or agave
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced ginger

For noodles:
1 package soba noodles
2 large red bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large bok choy, sliced thin (I used 3 baby bok choy)
handful of chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions:

TO PROPERLY DRAIN TOFU:
Take tofu out of package and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Place additional paper towels on top of the tofu. Add another plate to sandwich the tofu. Place a heavy weight (like a heavy skillet, heavy can, etc.; I used the top of my cast iron panini press) on the top plate to press the tofu. Let the tofu drain for 1/2 hour, then change the paper towels, flip the tofu over, and let it drain for an additional half hour (1 hour of total draining time).

Once draining process is complete, pat tofu to dry well. Slice longways into rectangles, about 1/2 inch thick, then smaller into cubes. Place in a bowl and gently toss with sesame oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds.

Heat canola oil up a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu to pan and cook until bottom sides are browned. Flip over and continue to cook till all sides are browned and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

While tofu is cooking, make peanut sauce by adding all the ingredients to a blender and combining until smooth, about 30 seconds.

In the meantime, bring pot of salted water to a boil and add soba noodles. Cook according to instructions.

Place red pepper strips and bok choy in a colander. When noodles are ready, pour over vegetables in colander and drain water, while rinsing with cold water at the same time. Doing this blanches the veggies quickly and easily. Transfer noodles and veggies to a large bowl and add peanut sauce. Gently toss and combine together. Add tofu and cilantro and serve into bowls.

The Result:
Dealing with the tofu was a bit of a pain. However, I must say, it was worth it. I really enjoyed this recipe...AND the tofu was pretty darn yummy. (I honestly thought that I would never say that about tofu.) I think the more I prepare tofu, the easier it will get (i.e. I will become more efficient at dealing with it). The key is to properly drain the tofu. Eureka!!!! What a revelation!!! Tofu can actually be delicious!

All in all, this is a great one to try if you are apprehensive about tofu. I think this recipe can be served as a gateway tofu dish...good for those of us who think that they are tofu-adverse. (A tofu ambassador, if you please.) The texture and flavor of all the components worked really well together. My kids even ate it without complaint. Hooray! I now have a "go-to" tofu recipe.

Grilled Pork Chops with Asian Black Bean-Garlic Marinade

2011-08-14T15:41:00.007-07:00

This pork chop recipe had been on my menu plan for a couple of weeks now. I originally slated it when we were doing SBD phase 1, but I kept pushing it back because I couldn't find the black bean-garlic sauce. I finally got the chance to try a different grocery store and I was able to purchase the key ingredient. All in all, this marinade was really easy to whip up and was soooo tasty. The flavor was reminiscent of the Saito Chicken marinade we love, but a little more intense (which is a good thing). There is a high sodium content in the black bean-garlic sauce which, along with the other ingredients, basically brined our pork chops. I was afraid that the sodium was going to be too much, but it wasn't. (PS-don't taste the marinade beforehand...just trust me on this.) The meat turned out to be flavorful and juicy, not overly salty. Hooray! We served our chops with some steamed green beans and broccoli mixed together and had a very yummy dinner.

Grilled Pork Chops with Asian Black Bean-Garlic Marinade
Adapted from: The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh via the Kalyn's Kitchen website

Ingredients:
4-8 thick cut pork chops, preferably bone-in (mine were boneless)
olive oil, for oiling grill grates
3 T Black Bean Garlic Sauce
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 T soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame seed oil
3 T fresh lime juice (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
1 T ginger puree
3 T peanut oil

Directions:
Trim any excess fat off the pork chops (leave a little bit on, but not much). Combine marinade ingredients. Put pork chops into a Ziploc bag (or a plastic container with a snap-tight lid) and pour marinade over. Let pork marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours (or longer if you're away from home all day.)

When you're ready to cook the pork chops, remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Oil the grill grates with a paper towel dipped in olive oil, then preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high. (You can only hold your hand there for 2-3 seconds at that heat.) Lay pork chops on the grill at a diagonal to grill grates and cook 3-4 minutes or until grill marks appear, then rotate a quarter-turn and cook 3-4 minutes more to get second set of grill marks.

Turn pork chops over and cook 6-8 minutes more, or until internal temperature is about 145F on an instant-read meat thermometer. (I use my Polder Meat Thermometer with Probe and Timer to get the temperature just right.) If you don't have a meat thermometer, the pork should feel firm but not hard to the touch. You can cut a piece open to check and it should be barely pink inside. (For years I cooked pork to 160F, but now I like it only cooked to medium; if you want it more well done, cook just slightly longer.) Serve hot.

The Result:
So good! I actually made 8 boneless pork chops for this quantity of marinade, although the original recipe suggests a serving of only 4 chops. I think the marinade recipe is flexible enough to where it worked, but I don't think I would have stretched it anymore than that. This is another grilling favorite!

Pesto Smoked Salmon Sandwich

2011-08-12T11:21:00.008-07:00

Gertrude and I went up to northern Arizona to complete a 12 mile run last weekend. Well, that was the goal anyway...it turned out a little different than we anticipated. Originally, we thought we were being sooooo clever by getting out of ridiculously hot Phoenix for a morning, and traveling up to cooler weather to do our long training run. In theory, it was a good idea. It turned out to be the run from hell. We never anticipated that it would still be hot (there is really no escaping the heat anywhere in an Arizona summer) AND that running at a higher elevation, with hills, would be more of an--ahem--challenge. Needless to say, we did not run 12 miles. We ran 4.75 miles. Disappointing, I know.

On the drive back from our craptastically bad running fail we decided to stop somewhere fun for lunch. We chose one of my favorite spots, Postino Winecafe, since Gertrude had never been there before. It was a good choice, let me tell you. We had yummy bruschetta, wine (duh), split a sandwich/salad combo, and split dessert. All courses were phenomenal and we were happy, happy ladies. The good lunch took some of the sting out of the bad run.

One of our brushettas was a pesto smoked salmon creation that I modeled this sandwich after. It was fantastic, and I knew I needed to recreate it at home. My sandwich turned out just as tasty as the original bruschetta offering, albeit a little heartier. It totally hit the spot and eased my craving for Postino Winecafe. Yum! All in all, our delicious lunch made up for our sucky run and I got a new sandwich idea out of the whole excursion.

Pesto Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 ciabiatta loaf
2 packages of smoked salmon (about 8 ounces total)
1/2 package of softened cream cheese
3-4 tablespoons of pesto (store-bought or homemade)
1/4 red onion, minced finely
1/2 small jar of capers
1 large beefsteak tomato,sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the whole ciabiatta loaf directly on the oven rack for 6 minutes, so the crust may get crisp and the inside may get warm. Remove from oven with tongs and let cool slightly on a cutting board.

Once bread is cool enough to handle, slice the entire loaf lengthwise and brush some olive oil on both the top and bottom halves. Spread 1/4 cup of softened cream cheese on each half. On the bottom half, sprinkle capers and red onions over the cream cheese. Layer the smoked salmon on next. Place tomato slices on top of the smoked salmon and sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. On the top half of the bread, slather pesto sauce over the cream cheese layer. Place top and bottom halves of the loaf together to assemble one large sandwich. Cut into individual sandwich servings and serve immediately.

The Result:
This was sooooo great! Seriously, delicious. It was virtually no-cook, with the exception of heating up the bread. I love it when that happens!!! Also, it kept well in the fridge as leftovers for the next day. SO GOOD!

Grilled Balsamic London Broil

2011-08-11T10:08:00.006-07:00

My bff, Gertrude and I went to a local butcher shop yesterday that is aptly named The Meat Shop.

(Note: I've decided that I have a co-dependent relationship with my bff, Claire and we spend way too much time together, and I mention her way too much on my blog. I've decided to make up a new bff named Gertrude so it doesn't seem like I only have one friend and I can mention someone else on my blog besides ol' "what's her name".)

(Not that "what's her name" is ol', by the way. Claire, if you are reading this you are not ol', but young and spry. I'm just sayin'...)

Anyway, Gertrude and I stopped into this locally owned and operated butcher shop and loved it! They carried locally grown, grass-fed beef and pork; some of which they actually raise themselves. The meat possibilities were endless, and I was overwhelmed with choices. (We decided that a spur of the moment meat shopping trip was probably not the best idea; and next time we would be armed with a meat purchasing plan.)

I ended up buying a couple slabs of grass-fed London broil (that were cut right in front of my very eyes), handmade sausage (Linguisa), pork chorizo, and some ground pork/bacon burgers. Since the London broil was fresh, I decided to grill it right away for our dinner and push back my other meal plans. I wanted to make sure that we got all the benefits of the grass-fed beefy goodness at it's optimum state of freshness. I searched food.com and found this easy marinade that turned out to be really yummy. Our dinner was fantastic, and I am trying to figure out a way to purchase all of my beef and pork at The Meat Shop. Yum!

Grilled Balsamic London Broil
Adapted From: food.com, by: Ginny P; Sept. 2002, #39911

Ingredients:
1/2 lb London broil (top round steak), 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove of minced fresh garlic
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Put all ingredients, except meat, in a container fitted with a lid; cover and shake.

Pour the marinade over the meat in a zip top bag.

Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning the meat occasionally.

Grill or broil until done as desired (5-7 minutes per side).

Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, slice thinly, and serve.

The Result:
We had 3 adults and 3 kids eating dinner; so I doubled the quantity of all the ingredients, including the meat. I forgot to take a photo, but this recipe was so easy and delicious. The meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked. We served our London broil with a side of baked sweet potato fries, and enjoyed every bite. Based on the success of this London Broil, I can't wait to dive into my other purchases from The Meat Shop.

Creamy Caprese Pasta

2011-08-10T12:53:00.006-07:00

I am on roll with vegetarian keeper recipes...if you can count two recipes as an official "roll". I don't remember how I came across this dish; I think it popped up in my Facebook feed for a "Meatless Monday" meal idea. Although we had it on a Tuesday night, it was still easy to put together and delicious.

Creamy Caprese Pasta
Adapted from: howsweetitis.com

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
1 cup of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce
1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds
6-8 slices of provolone
1 pint of grape tomatoes (I cut some in half and left some whole)
1 bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream and grated Parmesan. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and dump into the sauce, mixing to coat and turning off heat. Fold in mozzarella cubes and tomatoes, then chop 3-4 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire pasta mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds, provolone slices, and more Parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and let it cool slightly. Top with additional fresh basil and serve.

The Result:
This pasta dish was both fresh tasting and homey. My family loved it and polished off the whole pan. I consider this a perfect summertime pasta dish!

Portobello Goat Cheese Pitas

2011-08-10T12:50:00.006-07:00

It seems that we have really been on a meat-spree lately. I feel like we are just consuming mass quantities of beef, chicken, and pork. What is that all about???? Once upon a time ago, I was pretty diligent about having 2-3 vegetarian meals every week. I'm not sure why that fell apart, but I think it had something to do with us just getting tired of the vegetarian options out there (especially since we are not fans of tofu). Anyway, my hope was restored in vegetarian meals when I found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine. This was virtually no-cook, and it was flavorful and fast to put together...a perfect choice for getting me back on the vegetarian band wagon.

Portobello Goat Cheese Pitas
Adapted From: Cooking Light magazine, August 2004, Alison Lewis

Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic (I used minced fresh garlic)
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 (6-inch) pita rounds (I used naan bread)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
4-6 whole portobello mushroom caps, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/3 cup (3 ounces) goat cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sliced portobellos on large cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper. Toss with clean hands. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the minced garlic onto the cooked mushrooms. Return the sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle a little bit of balsamic vinegar evenly over mushrooms, and set aside.

Soften goat cheese at room temperature. (This can also be done in the microwave for a few seconds. Just be careful and watch it closely or your goat cheese will turn to liquid.) When goat cheese is at desired texture (i.e. easily spreadable) spread on pita rounds or on naan bread. Sprinkle chopped fresh basil over goat cheese layer. Add fresh sliced tomatoes and a few portobello slices. Fold and serve as a sandwich.

The Result:
Yet another gem to add to my vegetarian repertoire. The original recipe called for grilled portobellos, but I didn't feel like messing with the grill or a grill pan for that matter. I think it was just easier to stick the mushrooms in the oven and let them do their thing. I did link the original recipe above, just in case you would like to see the original method. Also, I thought it needed a boost so I added in the balsamic drizzle (not in the original recipe). Either way, these pitas were easy and delicious!

Quick and Easy Spicy Broiled Shrimp

2011-08-07T14:44:00.005-07:00

My son is starting Kindergarten tomorrow, and I am waaaaayyyy more nervous about it than he is. I feel like it's my first day of school or something. We have everything all ready to go, but I'm still anxious/weepy/excited/happy/sad/hormonal about the whole situation. I can't believe my baby is so grown up!!! Where did the time go??? He was just born, wasn't he???? I'm a mess. Anyway, we are trying to have a relaxing last weekend before the school year kicks into full gear. We had this really easy shrimp dinner the other night; right smack-dab in the middle of all the back to school chaos. As the title promises, it really is a quick and easy shrimp recipe. What the title doesn't tell you is that it's also darn tasty. A perfect meal to put together if your mind is, oh say, preoccupied on things like Kindergarten; but you still would like a yummy, fuss-free dinner on the table.

Quick and Easy Spicy Broiled Shrimp
From: Kalyn's Kitchen website

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. frozen shrimp peeled and deveined with tails left on, thawed overnight in refrigerator
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (use your best olive oil for this)
1 lemon, cut in half
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (or make your own Creole Seasoning Blend)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (NOTE: don't add salt if you're using Tony Chachere's seasoning that has salt)

Directions:
Thaw shrimp overnight in the refrigerator (or thaw in the bag in lukewarm water if you forget to plan ahead.) I used 31-40 count shrimp, so if you're lucky enough to find larger shrimp, increase the cooking time a tiny bit.

When you're ready to cook, remove shrimp from the refrigerator and drain in a colander placed in the sink, then use a paper towel to pat shrimp dry if they still seem wet. Preheat broiler and put the rack so it's as close to the broiler as possible.

Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet (or in two individual casserole dishes if you want to get a bit fancier.) I sprayed the casserole dishes with non-stick spray but it's probably not essential.

Once shrimp are arranged in a single layer, add seasonings in this order:
~drizzle shrimp with olive oil
~squeeze lemon juice over the shrimp (I used a squeezer that catches the seeds)
~sprinkle Worcestershire sauce over the shrimp
~sprinkle Creole Seasoning over the shrimp
~season with salt and fresh ground black pepper (skip the salt if you use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning which has salt)

Put shrimp under the broiler and cook for 7-8 minutes, or just until the shrimp turn pink and feel barely firm to the touch. Don't overcook. If your shrimp are larger than 31-40 count they may take a minute or two longer to cook, but not much.

Serve hot, with 100% whole wheat bread to mop up the juices if desired.

The Result:
I ended up making 2 lbs. of shrimp, since we had 5 people eating and I wanted some for leftover lunches the next day. I really love the Kalyn's Kitchen website...it really has some great recipes on it. This dish made the shrimp lovers in my house happy campers!

Grilled Halibut with Garlic, Basil, and Lemon

2011-08-07T14:22:00.004-07:00

The best thing about summer, in my opinion, is grilled food. Give me something from the grill, and I am a happy woman. These halibut steaks are no exception. Really, this is a tasty way to prepare any grilled white fish; but I decided to experiment with the thick, "meaty"-like texture of halibut steaks. Halibut is a firm, mild fish that holds up really well on the hot grates of a barbeque. It's one of my favorite grillin' fish around (maybe I like swordfish better, but it's in the top two). This recipe was simple and delicious. We paired our fish with a Caprese salad and a glass of white wine after our kids were in bed for the evening. (It's not that they wouldn't have enjoyed our fish dinner, it's just that we decided to feed them early so we could enjoy our fish dinner by ourselves.) Yum!

Grilled Halibut with Garlic, Basil, and Lemon
From: Kalyn's Kitchen website

Ingredients:
4-6 halibut steaks
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, but good)
2 T garlic puree (or slightly less garlic powder but I think the garlic puree from a jar gives better flavor)
1 T dried basil

Directions:
Thaw the fish completely in refrigerator if frozen. Mix marinade ingredients (oil through basil). Put fish in Zip-loc bag or plastic container with a snap-tight lid, arranging it in a single layer. Pour marinade over and marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours. (Turn it over a few times if you're home. Don't marinate it too much longer than this or the marinade will start to "cook" the fish.)

When you're ready to cook, take the fish out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Oil the grill grates generously with oil poured on to a paper towel, or use a non-stick spray made for the grill. Turn grill on to high and preheat while the fish comes to room temperature.

Turn the grill to medium-high when you are ready to put the fish on (or for a charcoal grill, you can only hold your hand there for a few seconds when it's hot enough to cook fish.) To get grill marks, lay the fish diagonally across grill grates; after first grill marks appear (about 3 minutes) rotate fish so it's laying diagonally the other way. After about 6 minutes carefully turn fish over to cook the other side.

Total cooking time for grilled fish is about 10 minutes per inch of thickness, but the best way to test is by lightly pressing on the fish with your finger; it should feel firm but not hard to the touch when it's done.

This marinade would also be good on shrimp, scallops, or chicken. Chicken could be marinated quite a bit longer; I would marinate shrimp or scallops for only about 2 hours.

The Result:
This was a really light and flavorful meal. The marinade was delicious, however mine got a little watered down since my fish wasn't thawed all the way in the middle. Also, I don't think my grill was nearly hot enough. Oops! Sometimes, the grill can be a fickle beast. Even with those little snafus, this recipe was great and SBD phase 1 friendly.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Rustic Guacamole, Romaine and Queso Anejo

2011-08-01T19:21:00.005-07:00

Why, hello there. Have you missed me? I've missed all of you. Once again, life has been hectic around these parts. We are in the middle of some major real estate juggling, and that is no easy feat with three kids in tow. Also, my son is gearing up to start kindergarten in less than a week; so in addition to moving/packing, we are in full "yikes,school is starting soon" mode. Basically, I have been doing some fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants cooking. Nothing exciting to post...unless you want to know exactly how I manage to whip up scrambled eggs for dinner.

I started South Beach Diet Phase 1 again, too. Well, I did. I lasted a week, and then I broke down and had some carbs (and alcohol). I needed to shed a few pounds fast before my 1/2 marathon in (eek!) 5 weeks. I took off 5 of the 8 pounds I set for my goal pre-race weight. Then, I caved in to temptation. I decided from now until the race I am going to try to stick with SBD phase 1, but if I have carbs now and again no biggie. I should still be able to lose the 3 extra pounds on a low/modified carb intake.

Enough about me. Let's talk about Rick Bayless...

I heart Rick Bayless (as I've mentioned several times). Every recipe just reconfirms my adoration. Someday I hope to eat at all of his restaurants...do a food vacation centered around Rick Bayless. That may sound a little extreme, but that is how much I l-o-v-e him. This chicken salad was fantastic. My BFF Claire made it last week, and reminded me of it in the Mexican Everyday cookbook. It is SBD Phase 1 friendly and it was delicious. RB took the pedestrian chicken Caesar salad and made it sing. Rick B. rocks!

Grilled Chicken Salad with Rustic Guacamole, Romaine and Queso Anejo
From: Mexican Everyday by: Rick Bayless

Ingredients:

DRESSING:
½ cup vegetable or olive oil, plus a little more for onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (I like 2 serranos or 1 large jalapeno), stemmed and halved
½ cup fresh lime juice
¾ cup (loosely packed) cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD:
4 medium (about 1¼ pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 medium white onion, cut into ½-half-inch slices
2 ripe avocados
8 cups romaine hearts, sliced crosswise at ½-inch thick
1/3 cup grated Mexican queso anejo or other garnishing cheese (Romano or Parmesan)

Directions:
Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chiles; cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and lightly browned (usually 1 to 2 minutes). Pour oil, garlic and chiles into blender jar or food processor. Add lime juice, cilantro, black pepper, and 1 scant teaspoon salt. Process garlic mixture until smooth.

Pour 1/3 of garlic mixture over chicken breasts, spreading it evenly over all sides.

Heat a grill pan or gas grill to medium to medium-high heat (or start a charcoal fire and let it burn until coals are medium hot and covered with white ash). Lightly brush or spray onion slices with oil; sprinkle with salt. Lay chicken and onion on grill pan or grill. Cook until chicken is just cooked through and onion is well browned (3 to 4 minutes on each side). Chop onion into small pieces and scoop into bowl. Set the chicken aside to cool.

Pit and peel avocados, scooping flesh into bowl with onion. Add another 1/3 of garlic mixture, then coarsely mash everything together with old-fashioned potato masher, large fork or back of spoon. Taste and season with salt (usually about ½ teaspoon).

Scoop the sliced romaine into large bowl. Drizzle on remaining 1/3 of garlic mixture and toss to combine. Divide between 4 dinner plates. Scoop a portion of guacamole into center of each plate. Cut each breast into cubes and arrange over guacamole. Sprinkle each plate with garnishing cheese. Serve.

The Result:
It. was. awesome. I followed the recipe to the letter, and it was soooooo tasty. Each component was perfectly complimented by the next. It was very filling and satisfying; and I just love the idea of the salad dressing being used for the chicken marinade and in the guacamole. Yum. Try this salad...it will make you happy.

Herb Crusted Pork Loin

2011-07-14T13:18:00.005-07:00

This is one of my favorite ways to make a pork loin roast. I've made this recipe several times in the past; it's very easy to put together and delicious. Given that this recipe is my favorite pork loin application, I was quite surprised to see that I hadn't ever posted it here on the ol' blog. Very strange. I could have sworn that I had updated it here long ago, but I could not find it anywhere. Huh. Maybe I have amnesia??? Maybe there is a huge pork loin conspiracy afoot and it was secretly removed from my blog after I had posted it the first time??? Both scenarios are totally plausible. (No, I have not been drinking.)

Anyway, this is a Paula Deen recipe from waaaay back in 2007. I am typically not a Paula Deen fan, but she hit the ball out of the park with this one. (I think it's her blue hair and smoker's rasp that bothers me.)(Sorry, Paula fans...I'm sure she is a lovely woman.) I served our roast with some ooey-gooey Jen's Top Secret Cheesy Potatoes and steamed green beans. It was a perfect Sunday night dinner that felt really special, but did not require a lot of fuss to put together.

Herb Crusted Pork Loin
From: Paula Deen, 2007

Ingredients:
1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin, with fat left on
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat.

Roast the pork FAT SIDE UP for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and roast for an additional hour.

Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests.

The Result:
I should clarify something. The cook time on this dish is total 1 1/2 hours. Yes, that is a long cook time. However, that time is inactive on your part. It takes about 10 minutes of actual prep, and then you stick it in the oven and manage the temperature changes after the 1/2 hour cooking time mark. It is really easy, just time consuming. I just wanted to make sure to point that out, because the long cooking time caught me off guard the first time I made this roast.

With that said, it is a delicious roast. I have made it with both dried and fresh herbs, and it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference. Usually, I do make it with the dried herbs. I always have dried herbs on hand, so it's just hassle-free for me to go the dried herb route. Either way, it makes for a very special, traditional meal that is good enough for company. I highly recommend this recipe on a night that you don't mind dinner taking an hour and a half to cook. Trust me, it's worth the time!

Herbed Chicken Breast with Tomatillo Salsa and Queso Fresco

2011-06-27T12:28:00.004-07:00

Wow! It seems like it's been ages since I've updated the ol' blog here. I suppose that is because we really have not had anything new and/or notable lately; with the exception of this chicken dish. We did have a couple other new dinners, but they were 'meh' and not worth the time it would take to post. We are really watching our budget, so I have been limited on the types of ingredients I can buy. Pricy foodstuffs just aren't in our plan right now. It really hasn't been a huge imposition either; I am falling back on old standards rather than new and exciting stuff. I can only be so creative on a strict spending moratorium. However, old standard recipes usually means more family-friendly dinners and getting food on the table faster...so that's an unexpected bonus. We have a big (exciting) family change coming up, so I am focusing more on life right now and not cooking as a hobby.

For now, I am posting when I feel like it and leaving it at that. I will update here and there; but probably not as frequently going forward. My blog is just going to have to be on the back-burner again for awhile. I'm okay with that.

Anyway, here is the latest new dinner we tried and really liked. This recipe is a Claire find from a Cooking Light cookbook. I didn't have Queso Fresco, so we made due with Monterrey Jack cheese. Either way, it was really yummy and post-worthy.

Chicken Breasts with Tomatillo Salsa and Queso Fresco
From: Cooking Light, January 2005 (The Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites cookbook)

Ingredients:
Salsa:
2 quarts water
1/2 pound tomatillos (about 10 small), husks and stems removed
1 garlic clove
1/2 to 1 serrano chile
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chicken:
3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare salsa, bring water to a boil. Add tomatillos, garlic, and chile; cook 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine tomatillos, garlic, chile, chopped cilantro, onion, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender; pulse 4 to 5 times or until coarsely chopped. Set aside.

To prepare chicken, place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups. Arrange crumbs on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken.

Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Place egg in another shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg; dredge in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Top chicken with salsa, and sprinkle with queso fresco cheese. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Amount per serving (yield 4 servings)
Calories: 364
Calories from fat: 26%
Fat: 10.7g
Saturated fat: 3.2g
Monounsaturated fat: 4.5g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.6g
Protein: 47.1g
Carbohydrate: 17.7g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 162mg
Iron: 3mg
Sodium: 770mg
Calcium: 169mg

The Result:
This review is kinda superfluous, since I am only posting stuff we like; but I am going to do it anyway. This was really good and my kids loved it. We has a bunch of the salsa leftover, which kept well in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of weeks. It was the perfect condiment with chips and lunchtime bean burritos that I often make up on the fly. Great recipe!!!

Grilled Mac and Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork Panini

2011-06-18T11:00:00.007-07:00

(Warning: This recipe should not be considered "health food" or "healthy" in any way, shape, or form.)

This. was. decadent. Ooey-gooey, melty, saucy, sandwich-y perfection. My friend, Claire found the recipe on a website we both love called Panini Happy. She made this sandwich a week or so ago; and once she reported back on the sheer deliciousness I knew it had to be ours, too. The husband and I fed the kids first, and then oohh'ed and aaahh'ed over each bite.

Grilled Mac and Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork Panini
From: Cooking Claire via PaniniHappy.com

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 cups prepared macaroni and cheese, warmed
2 onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups prepared pulled pork
8 slices sourdough bread
12 slices sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Directions:
Spread the macaroni and cheese in an 8-inch-square baking dish to about 3/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 45 minutes. Cut the macaroni and cheese into squares that are slightly smaller than the bread slices.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the barbecue sauce and pulled pork in a saucepan over low heat and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush on one side of each bread slice. Flip over half of the bread slices; layer 1 slice of cheddar, 1 macaroni-and-cheese square and another slice of cheddar on each. Top each with one-quarter of the pulled pork and caramelized onions and another slice of cheddar. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered-side up.
Working in batches, cook the sandwiches until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, about 5 minutes.

The Result:
In a word...YUM!

(PS- It may be a good idea to consult a Cardiologist before consuming this sandwich.)

Lasagna Cupcakes

2011-06-14T16:14:00.006-07:00

This was a cheap, easy, and DELICIOUS version of lasagna that
my friend, Claire posted on her blog a week or so ago. The recipe seemed so family-friendly I knew I had to try it right away. Oh man, I am glad I did...we LOVED these fantastic lasagna cupcakes!

Lasagna Cupcakes

Source: CruftBox.com via the Cooking Claire

Ingredients:
24 won ton or gyoza wrappers
Marinara sauce
1 lb. Italian sausage or ground beef
Ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Spray or wipe a cupcake/muffin tin with olive oil. Place one wrapper in the tin form it into a cup shape. Add a small dollop of pasta sauce then some sausage. Add a spoonful of ricotta cheese. Once you filled in the first layer, gently press another wrapper on top of the ricotta layer, forming another cup. Repeat the filling and top each with shredded mozzarella.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

The Result:
As I said, these are awesome! I deviated from the instructions a little and just combined my Italian sausage and sauce together. I don't think it really made much of a difference, because our cupcakes turned out great! Yum, yum, yum!

Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs

2011-06-12T15:11:00.007-07:00

Our local grocery store had chicken legs on sale this week. Usually, I'm kinda stumped when it comes to chicken legs, but I remembered my friend, Claire had just posted this recipe on her blog not so long ago. How fortuitous! I had something new to do with chicken legs and an inexpensive dinner idea. Score!!!

Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs
From: Cooking Light, June 2005; By: Marie Meyer

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons basil oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/4 pounds), skinned
Cooking spray
Green onion strips (optional)

Directions:
Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray; grill 30 minutes or until chicken is done, turning and basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Garnish with green onion strips, if desired.

The Result:
This marinade was fantastic! Seriously, these were probably the best chicken legs I have ever made. The marinade could be applied to other chicken pieces, I'm sure; but it was great on the legs. Admittedly, my two little chicken legs look kinda forlorn and misshapen sitting in the glass dish all by themselves. We had plated up our dinner and I almost forgot to take a photo. Rather than hold everyone up I decided to snap a quick pic of the remaining chicken legs...which were not the beauties of the bunch. They may have looked a crazy, but they tasted awesome!

Turkey Reuben Burger with Jen's Thousand Island Dressing

2011-06-06T14:40:00.005-07:00

This is a Cooking Light recipe that was supposed to be a meatball sub of sorts. I decided to morph their sandwich into a burger, since I forgot to buy hoagie rolls during my weekly grocery shop. Thankfully, I did have some sandwich thins on hand and I find a burger is easier for my kids to eat anyway. Win-win!

Turkey Reuben Burger
Adapted From: Cooking Light, December 2010; Alyson Haynes

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons paprika, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1.25 lbs. ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 1/3 cups packaged coleslaw
1/4 cup reduced-fat Thousand Island dressing (I made my own--see below. Adjust the quantity based on how saucy you like it.)
4 slices of Swiss cheese

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, coriander, and next 6 ingredients (through turkey). Shape into 4 hamburger patties. Place burgers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and broil for 6 minutes on each side, or until done.

While the burgers cook, combine the coleslaw, dressing, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Arrange the cooked burger on a bun with 1 cheese slice (leave the top of the bun face up). Place the sandwiches on broiler pan, and broil for 1 minute or until cheese melts and bread is toasty. Divide coleslaw mixture among the sandwiches for topping and finish with the toasted bun lid.

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

Here is my recipe for the dressing/sauce:

Jen's Thousand Island Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of light mayo
1/4 cup of dill relish
1/3 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of diced onions
1 or 2 tablespoons of chili sauce (Adjust the amount based on how spicy you like it; I used an Asian chili sauce.)
1 teaspoon of paprika
a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. This dressing should keep for about a month in a sealed container in the fridge.

The Result:
These burgers were fantastic!!! I really love a good Reuben sandwich, and this recipe totally satisfied my Reuben fix. I had to substitute chopped Napa cabbage for the coleslaw mix, so I did some tinkering. I used the cabbage like lettuce, and just used our dressing as a condiment. These burgers were pretty darn perfect.

Mary's Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

2011-06-05T16:17:00.008-07:00

Now that the weather is getting hot, I start thinking about recipes that don't require me to use our regular oven as much. Anything that can be cooked on the grill, or in the slow cooker, comes in handy in the depths of the scorching Arizona summer. The last thing I want to deal with when it is 467 degrees outside (and my kids are crazy from being cooped up inside all day) is a warm kitchen. I seriously don't know how people coped with living in this climate before air conditioning was invented. I guess they were a lot tougher than I am...I don't think I would have made it.

Thankfully, my friend Mary passed along this tasty and easy soup recipe that fits into my idea of summer cooking. Whenever one of our friends needs a dinner, Mary takes them this fantastic meal in a bowl. It has become a meal support staple among our mom's group. I love that it is made from all things that we usually have on hand; which is a bonus on a busy night. Just throw it in the slow cooker and dinner makes itself without fuss...and without making the house unbearably hot.

Mary's Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts (frozen are okay)
2 cans corn (I used frozen corn)
2 cans chicken broth (14oz)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can stewed tomatoes (blended)
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can green chiles
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 can tomato sauce (8oz)
16 oz light sour cream
1 handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish
tortilla chips, for garnish
diced avocados, for garnish
additional shredded cheese, for garnish

Directions:
Put all ingredients in the crock pot, with the exception of the sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Take out the chicken and shred it. Add the tub of sour cream (***temper in the sour cream so it doesn't curdle***). Garnish the soup with cilantro, cheese, avocados, and chips.

The Result:
I forgot to take a photo, but this soup looked and tasted delicious. I actually used frozen, precooked chicken strips that I found in the waaaaaaaaayyyy back of my freezer. Seriously, I don't even remember buying these chicken strips. Anyway, we all loved this creamy soup and this is something that I will make again and again.

Catfish Po'boy with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce

2011-05-29T10:59:00.007-07:00

Here is an unusual take on a Southern standard. Catfish is one of my favorites; but not so much for my husband. This recipe seemed to be a nice compromise on the hotly debated "catfish issue" at my house, since we both really liked this unique version of a classic Po'boy. This is certainly a yummy Asian-inspired twist on these sandwiches.

Catfish Po'boy with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce
From: Cooking Light, David Bonom,JULY 2002

Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Catfish:
1/4 cup Thai chile sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets
Cooking spray
Remaining ingredients:
4 (2 1/2-ounce) hoagie rolls, split and lightly toasted
2 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage

Directions:
To prepare sauce, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low. Add hoisin sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, and sugar; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.

Prepare grill or broiler.

To prepare catfish, combine chile sauce and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add catfish; seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over bottom half of each hoagie roll; top each serving with 1/2 cup cabbage, 1 catfish fillet, and top half of roll. Serve immediately.

The Result:
These were tasty, but a bit too spicy for my little ones. We gave the kids some fish sticks and the husband and I enjoyed these sandwiches by ourselves. We both had seconds, so I would say we really liked these tasty fish sandwiches.

Jessica's Greek Pasta Salad

2011-05-27T10:51:00.007-07:00

I belong to a fantastic MOMS Club that really pulls together and champions one another. For example, when one of our members brings a new baby home (or in my case, babies) we all pitch in and bring meals to the new parents for two weeks. This "meal support" is such a blessing, because it gives the new parents one less thing to worry about during a huge time of transition in that respective household. Over a year ago, my friend Jessica brought this meal to us when I had our girls. It was a perfect summertime dish, that is easy to make and everyone loved. I didn't forget about it, and stored the meal idea in my recipe folder. When I was looking for easy dinners this week, this pasta salad jumped out and reminded me what a great community of friends I have in my area.

Jessica's Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1-2 cooked/grilled chicken breast, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 box cooked pasta (I've done lots of shapes - bows, penne or large macaroni work well)
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, sliced
1/3 c. red onion, chopped or sliced thin
1 tomato, diced
1 doz. kalamata olives, sliced (or really as many as you like)
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/3 - 2/3 c. Greek salad dressing (however dressing-y you like it)

Directions:
Mix all of the above in a large bowl and salt/pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

The Result:
See!!!! I told you this was easy! This salad is so yummy and light. I used rotini whole wheat pasta and my kids especially loved it. The baby girls actually cried for more. The beauty of this dish is that it can be prepared ahead of time, and the longer it rests the more the flavors marry and intermingle. It makes quite a bit, so there is plenty leftover for lunches the next day. Hooray!!!

Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Panini

2011-05-26T12:07:00.007-07:00

Well, I couldn't stay away from cheese for too long. I'm starting to think that I have a co-dependent relationship with cheese. Sigh. What can I say; cheese is just darn good and I need it in my life. These sandwiches were really tasty and helped fuel my cheese addiction.

Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Panini
Source: PaniniHappy.com

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 oil-packed anchovy, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest (about 1 lime)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into smaller cubes
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
8-12 slices sourdough bread
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Add garlic and anchovies to a mini-prep food processor and pulse for a few seconds until it’s really finely chopped, almost like a paste (if you don’t have a food processor, you can always just chop the ingredients really well with a knife on a cutting board).

Add in the lime zest, parsley, tarragon, cilantro, basil, shallot, mustard and cream cheese and pulse again until well blended. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and stir in the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat.

For each sandwich: Spread a generous amount of the cheese mixture onto one slice of bread. Close the sandwich with a second slice of bread. Brush a little olive oil on top. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes until the cheese is melted and oozy and the bread is toasted. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The Result:
I loved the flavor combo of the fresh herbs and cheeses. Yum! This is one good grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, my name is Jen B. and I am a cheese-aholic. Hello, Jen...

Creamy Beef Taquitos

2011-05-24T15:11:00.005-07:00

My son started his swim lessons this week; and conveniently (not really), they are scheduled right in the middle of our usual dinner time. That makes the next two weeks a little tricky to plan our evening meal around. Luckily, I had some frozen taco meat saved from our last taco adventure, and it was easy to morph my stash into these yummy taquitos. This recipe was a crowd-pleaser and really easy to put together (especially with the meat already cooked).

Creamy Beef Taquitos
From: the Meal Planning 101 blog

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
1/3 cup light cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp green onions, chopped
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella or pepper jack)
12 small flour tortillas (can also use corn tortillas; I ended up using 8 medium whole wheat tortillas)

Directions:
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and break it up into crumbles as it cooks. Add the taco seasoning and cook the beef about 8 minutes until cooked through.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add salsa, lime juice, cilantro and green onions and stir to combine. Once the beef is browned, add the beef and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Place 2-3 tbsp of beef mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll it up as tight as you can. If your tortillas are cracking or breaking, you can microwave them for 10-20 seconds with a damp paper towel over top. Once rolled, place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with a bit of oil and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

The Result:
I swear I have never had a bad recipe from the Meal Planning 101 blog. Her meals are always spot-on delicious, and these taquitos were no exception. We all gobbled 'em up!

Ihop Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-05-21T13:21:00.003-07:00

The seal has been broken...I have really embraced carbs again. Not just carbs; but simple, evil carbs. Refined white flour and processed sugar??? Yes, please! Actually, there has been a lot of crazy talk about the end of the world lately. I figured that if there was a miniscule chance for the rumors to be true (fat chance) I figured I might as well go to heaven happy. Other than red wine and some alone time with the husband, I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the impending rapture than with yummy, buttery pancakes. Handy excuse???? Yes, please!

Ihop Buttermilk Pancakes
From: Food.com; by: x0xMandYx0x on August 24, 2004

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 pinch salt
splash of milk (if needed)

Directions:
Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Mix all of the ingredients until combined. (Optional: If the batter is too thick add a splash of milk to thin out a bit.)

Melt a little bit of butter in the pan. Pour the batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan, forming 5-inch circles.When the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes.

They should be golden brown. Cook the pancakes on the other side until they are also golden brown.

The Result:
These were excellent. Sometimes I just get a hankerin' for good ol' buttermilk pancakes, and this was a great version. I must confess, Ihop buttermilk pancakes are my favorite. When I was at the end of my pregnancy with the twins, I would stop at Ihop on the way back from my check-ups and get 'all-you-can-eat' pancakes. Let me tell you, a pregnant mama can really put away the pancakes! Shameful, I know. Anyway, these were a pretty accurate version of the chain restaurant; maybe even a little better. We don't eat this way very often, so it's a real splurge when we do. These pancakes totally hit the spot!

Almond and Parmesan Tilapia

2011-05-20T10:47:00.004-07:00

My enthusiasm for SBD Phase 1 is pretty much gone. I caved and had some yummy whole wheat toast this morning. I swear after almost two weeks of carb deprivation, I almost felt drunk from the carb high. I think I am just going to progress to Phase 2 and call it good. Phase 2 is simply adding back carbs slowly, at first once a day then so on. I lost 6 pounds total on Phase 1, which is not too shabby. It got me past my plateau, which is what I really wanted. We still had this Phase 1 friendly dinner last night and it was really satisfying. I love tilapia. I will say I have gotten a lot of keeper recipes through this whole experience, which is a reward in itself.

Almond and Parmesan Tilapia
Adapted From: the Kalyn's Kitchen website

Ingredients:
3-4 Tilapia filets, thawed if frozen (This recipe will work best with pieces that are at least 1/2 inch thick.)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup almond meal (such as Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal) OR ground raw almonds (SEE NOTES)
2 T finely grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. lemon pepper
tsp. Old Bay seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
wedges of fresh lemon, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Place baking rack on half sheet pan and spray with non stick spray. Set aside.

Melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix almond meal (or ground almonds--see notes), cheese, garlic powder, lemon pepper,Old Bay seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste, in a flat dish.

Dip each fish filet in butter, turning to coat both sides, then into almond mixture. Try to get as much of the almond mixture to stick to the fish as you can. (I pressed it down with a fork.) Place each coated fillet on prepared baking rack.

Bake 25 minutes or until fish is firm to the touch and coating is golden brown. The baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish, so watch it carefully. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and enjoy!

NOTES: I could not find almond meal, so I put a handful of raw almonds in the food processor, and ground finely. This worked as a great substitution and gave a nice crunch to the fish.

The Result:
This was really yummy and everyone in my family loved it. My kids breezed through the fish and asked for seconds. I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier in the whole Phase 1 process to plan more fish items. Oh well...live and learn. This tilapia dish is a keeper that we really enjoyed.

Mediterranean Meatballs

2011-05-18T14:29:00.009-07:00

I think this may be my favorite recipe from SBD, so far. The flavor in these meatballs really resonated with me. Best of all, they were fairly easy and quick to get together; so it was a perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.

Mediterranean Meatballs
Adapted From: Lucullian Delights-An Italian Experience website

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup egg whites
1/2 cup minced, dried onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons of capers, drained and rinsed
6 whole sun dried tomatoes, drained of oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of mozzarella shredded OR mozzarella diced into cubes (you could even use the small, fresh mozzarella balls)

Directions:
Prepare a small bowl with tepid water and put the sun-dried tomatoes and capers in until covered. Leave to soak for 20-30 minutes.

Position an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain the sun-dried tomato/caper mixture of water, and place on a cutting board. Chop the tomatoes/capers finely and place in a large bowl. Add ground beef, minced onions, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, egg whites, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Take a palm full of meat and create a divot in the middle of the meat patty. Add a pinch of shredded cheese (or a piece of cheese if not using shredded) and form the meat around the cheese. Repeat until all your meat and cheese is used. Place formed meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, or until fully cooked through.

The Result:
These were fantastic! We loved these meatballs and literally ate them all up. I was sad that there were not any leftovers for my lunch today.

Chicken Capri

2011-05-18T14:08:00.003-07:00

What type of meat and cheese did we have last night, you ask???? It was chicken and cheese. Honestly, I think I am going to take a meat and cheese sabbatical when Phase 1 of SBD is over. Be prepared for some vegetarian, pasta, and seafood goodies next week, people. Despite the fact that I am getting a little tired of meat and cheese, this chicken was really good. I think my favorite part of this meal was the yummy roasted asparagus. The SBD has really made me appreciate fruits and vegetables.

Chicken Capri
Adapted From: fatsecret.com; By: anicolet via The South Beach Diet Cookbook

Ingredients:
4 slices mozzarella cheese or 1 cup of shredded mozzerella
1 cup ricotta, skim
1 tablespoon garlic powder (more if needed)
1 tsp ground oregano
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil or any neutral-flavored oil (I used grapeseed)
4 breasts, bone and skin removed chicken breasts
1 cup chopped or sliced tomatoes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender or food processor, combine the ricotta with the oregano, basil leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Process to blend and set aside.

Rub the chicken with the garlic powder. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes per side, or until browned.

Place the chicken breasts, side by side, in a large baking dish, let cool slightly.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/4 cup tomatoes onto each chicken breast. Top each chicken breast with 1 slice mozzarella (or 1/4 cup of mozzarella if you are using shredded).

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of a breast registers 170° F (75° C) and the juices run clear.

The Result:
This was tasty, and it probably would have gone over a little better if I wasn't doing SBD Phase 1. As I mentioned above, the overload of meat and cheese is getting to me. I am usually not a huge ricotta fan, but I think it worked well in this application (although, I did add some fresh basil to it). This would be something I would make again...but only after I have been meat and cheese-free for awhile.

Mexican Jumping Beans

2011-05-17T15:45:00.006-07:00

I going to try and keep this post short, since I only have a small window of time to complete my update. All three of my kids are momentarily entertaining themselves and I know it won't last very long.

The title of this recipe piqued my curiosity. For the record, these beans don't really "jump"...but they sure were a tasty side dish with our Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken last night!

Mexican Jumping Beans
Adapted From: Food.com; By: TheDancingCook on November 10, 2004

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
low-fat Mexican cheese blend, for topping
diced green onions, for garnish (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, saute the pepper, onion and garlic in olive oil until crisp-tender.

Add beans, water and seasoning; simmer on low to medium heat until thickened (about 10 minutes).

Top with cheese, cilantro, and green onions. Serve and enjoy!

The Result:
This was a tasty bean side dish that is SBD Phase 1-friendly. My kids really loved it and it was fast to put together. Score!!!!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage, Spinach, and Cheese

2011-05-16T11:32:00.007-07:00

Well, I am on week two of the South Beach Diet Phase 1. Overall, it has been a fairly easy transition from our normal diet, and not too crazy not having tons of carbs. Although, yesterday my son was eating a whole wheat tortilla at breakfast and I was actually jealous. Maybe the no carb thing is affecting me more than I think. All in all, I think two weeks is my limit for not having fruit and complex carbs and I am going to be glad to move on to Phase 2. So far, I have lost 6 pounds on Phase 1 and I still have most of the week to go. I am hoping to take off another 4 pounds, just so it can be an even 10 pounds lost. I like round numbers.

I found this recipe on a website I love called Kalyn's Kitchen. Her recipes are normally delicious, and I was pleased to find that she had a ton of SBD stuff listed. The site is a great resource to have in your back pocket. These portobellos were fantastic, and I have found yet another recipe I would make with or without the SBD. We served a heaping side of steamed broccoli to complete our meal.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage, Spinach, and Cheese
Adapted from: Bobby Flay's Grill It via Kalyn's Kitchen website

Ingredients:
4 large portabello mushrooms
12 oz. mild or hot turkey Italian sausage
1-2 T olive oil (for browning sausage and onions and brushing on mushrooms before grilling)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup of dry red wine
1/2 cup marinara sauce (jarred is fine)
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
8 oz. coarsely chopped spinach leaves
2 T chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella, plus 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top

Directions:
Preheat gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Heat a small amount of olive oil in heavy frying pan, then crumble Italian sausage into pan and cook about 5 minutes, breaking apart with back of the turner as it cooks. When sausage is well-browned, remove to bowl.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil, then saute onions until they're starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking until onions are starting to brown, a few minutes more. Add red wine to de-glaze the pan and let it almost evaporate. Add Italian sausage back into pan, then add red pepper flakes and tomato sauce and simmer 2-3 minutes while you chop the spinach.

Add chopped spinach and let it wilt and cook down, stirring so it's evenly distributed in the sausage/onion mixture. Turn off heat and stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella, and chopped basil.

Remove stems from mushrooms caps, being careful not to break them. Scrape out brown gills from inside mushrooms if desired, then brush both sides of mushrooms with olive oil. Put mushrooms on grill, inside facing down, and cook about 4 minutes, until mushroom is slightly browned and starting to soften.

Remove mushrooms from the grill. Carefully stuff the inside of each mushroom with sausage/spinach/cheese mixture, then top each mushroom with about 2 T grated mozzarella.

Carefully put mushrooms back on grill, stuffing facing up of course! Cover grill and cook about 5 minutes, checking often and removing from grill when mushrooms are cooked through, and cheese is melted and starting to brown, and stuffing mixture is hot. Serve immediately.

The Result:
YUM! I made a whole pound of turkey sausage and a whole jar of marinara sauce. I only used about half of the mixture, so the other half I froze for spaghetti and meat sauce some night. I love when dinner can pull double duty! The meaty texture of the portobello mushrooms was so satisfying, and the flavor combo of these ingredients really hit the spot.

Pimento Cheeseburgers

2011-05-15T11:35:00.004-07:00

Remember when I said that the SBD should be renamed the "Cheese Lovers Diet"??? I wasn't kidding. Okay, so technically this is not a SBD recipe per se, but my friend Claire modified it by nixing the bun. The husband and I put the kids to be and then savored these burgers over a quiet dinner. We were both in love with the ooey-gooeyness of these yummy patties. The only word of caution that I care to mention about these burgers (or really South Beach in general) is make sure you are eating plenty of veggies with your meat and cheese. If you get my drift. Ahem. Also, make sure everything is lower in saturated fat to cancel out all of the guilt for eating tons of meat and cheese. We used low fat cheese and very lean meat for these, and they were still very decadent. These were fantastic!

Pimento Cheeseburgers
Adapted From: The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011: The Year's Best Recipes, Equipment Reviews, and Tastings (Best of America's Test Kitchen Cookbook: The Year's Best Recipes)

Ingredients:
6 ounces extra-sharp 2% cheddar cheese, grated fine (about 1.5 cups)
1/3 cup drained jarred pimentos, chopped fine
2 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/8 cup whole milk
1-1/2 pounds 93% percent lean ground beef
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed or any neutral oil

Directions:
Mix cheddar cheese, pimentos, cream cheese, mustard, and cayenne in bowl until well combined. Drop four 2-tablespoon portions of pimento cheese mixture on plate and cover tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Combine remaining pimento cheese with mayonnaise, cover with plastic, and refrigerate.

Combine beef, Worcestershire, bread crumbs, milk, salt, and pepper in large bowl and gently knead until well combined. Divide meat into 4 equal -portions. Mold half of 1 portion of meat around 1 piece of the frozen cheese, then surround this mini-patty with the remaining half portion of meat. Repeat with the remaining frozen cheese and 3 portions meat to form 4 hamburgers.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Add patties and cook until well browned, about 6 minutes. Flip burgers, cover skillet, and continue cooking until well done, about 6 minutes.

Distribute cheese-mayonnaise mixture evenly on top of burgers, cover, and cook until mixture is slightly melted, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.

The Result:
These. are. awesome. I can't wait to have the leftover burger for lunch today!

South Beach Stuffed Peppers

2011-05-13T20:06:00.007-07:00

I found this SBD recipe on my friend, Claire's blog. It was really tasty and something my whole family enjoyed. Can I say that I am so happy that low-fat cheese is not off limits on SBD, because we are cheese fiends at my house. I swear cheese makes almost everything taste better. I think SBD should be renamed the "Cheese Lovers Diet", because all the fantastic recipes that I have tried have had cheese in them. Okay,okay...maybe it's because I am just picking the recipes with cheese in them. Anyway, this is another SBD keeper!

South Beach Stuffed Peppers
From Food.com, via the Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:
4 bell peppers
olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 stalk celery, chopped with top
1 -2 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Spike All Purpose Seasoning (for zest)
28 ounces ground peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheese (or more)

Directions:
Wash the peppers, cut the tops off, and place in oiled glass dish. Cover and microwave the peppers for 5 minutes.

Saute the veggies and ground turkey with a dollop of olive oil. (I chop up the usable remainders of the pepper tops as well). Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.

Stuff the peppers and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the cheese is toasted.

Add Ins: You could add cooked rice or stir in extra cheese to the mixture before baking.

The Result:
Darn it! I forgot to put the celery in the meat mixture. Ugh. I bought it especially for this recipe, too. I hate it when I do stuff like that!

These peppers were really yummy, and easy to make. I only made three actual peppers, and just served my kids the filling with a side of green beans. They wouldn't eat the pepper anyway, so I didn't want to waste it. I didn't have Spike All Purpose Seasoning, so I just improvised and sprinkled a little Lawry's Seasoned Salt and some Tony Chachere's in it. I think you could probably substitute almost any seasoning mix and it would be fine. Again, this was a hit with my family and a great new take on stuffed peppers.

BLT Lettuce Wraps

2011-05-13T19:57:00.003-07:00

I had half of a leftover head of lettuce in my fridge from last night's dinner, and I decided that I could probably come up with something to do with it. After all, wasting food is not really my gig. So, I did some searching on food.com (which happens to have a ton of SBD recipes on it) and found these easy-to-put-together wraps.

BLT Lettuce Wraps
Adapted From: Food.com, By: KVasanth on August 27, 2007

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon (turkey bacon is recommended, but I used Applewood Smoked bacon)
4 leaves red leaf or iceburg lettuce
1 tomato, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons mayo (fat-free preferred)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook bacon in the microwave between paper towel sheets in order to get it crispy. (I don't like microwaved bacon, so I cook it either in a pan or bake it in the oven).

Rinse and dry lettuce leaves. Carefully break the spines of each leaves in multiple places so that it rolls easily.

Spread mayonnaise on leaves (as you would on bread). Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.

Add one slice of bacon per each lettuce leaf. Top with sliced tomato, roll and eat!

The Result:
I didn't take a photo, but these were really good. They were just as satisfying as a normal BLT sandwich, and I didn't miss the bread at all. This was a great way to use up some of my leftover lettuce. Yum!

Beef and Bean Lettuce Wraps

2011-05-13T19:38:00.004-07:00

Have you noticed a common theme to my meals this week? What about a new tag...have you noticed that??? No? Well, that's okay...the husband didn't notice either. I have been doing Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet for the past week. I decided to try it since I have literally been stuck at a weight loss plateau for about five months now. Enough is enough! I decided to shake things up a bit with my body and get the scale moving back in the right direction. The beauty of South Beach is that it is not far off from how we normally eat. I just needed to get the family on board. The husband is really skeptical of any "diet" plan, so I decided to just make the recipes and not really tell him what I was doing. He loved every one of my new SBD-friendly meals, but then made a face when I told him that we were going to continue on Phase 1 of South Beach for another week. Sheesh. MEN!!! Anyway, if you see the new tag SBD Phase 1 (or subsequently SBD Phase 2 or SBD Phase 3) you will now know that the recipe I am posting is friendly for that particular stage of the SBD. I must say, I am loving it! It seems it was just what I needed to break through my plateau and get my weight loss efforts going again.

Anyway, this is another SBD recipe that I found online, and it was quite easy to put together and very yummy. We love any type of Tex-Mex or Mexican-inspired recipes, so this was a total hit!

Beef and Bean Lettuce Wraps
From: Food.com; By: Celeste :) on February 20, 2008

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 lb boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup mild salsa
1/2 cup water
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 large lettuce leaves
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on high heat. Add steak; cook until browned, stirring frequently.

Add salsa, water, peppers, and beans; mix well. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes or until steak ii tender, stirring occasionally.

Spoon steak mixture evenly onto lettuce leaves; top with cheese, Roll up. Serve warm.

The Result:
South Beach Diet or no South Beach Diet, these were really good and something that I would serve again no matter what. They were pretty darn tasty!

Queso Fundido Burgers

2011-05-11T19:31:00.002-07:00

I started off with a totally different recipe in mind for tonight's dinner, but I forgot to read through the recipe beforehand. I started prepping my ingredients for the other recipe and noticed that there was a 2 hour prep step that I couldn't do because it was already after 5pm. I need to get dinner on the table by 6 o'clock or my family gets a little hangry (that is a term we've invented at my house that means "angry-hungry"). Anyway, since the first recipe was pretty much moot at that point, I quickly switched gears and made this Rick Bayless burger recipe instead. I quickly thawed some chorizo and got to work.

Queso Fundido Burgers
From: Rick Bayless

Ingredients:
2 fresh medium poblano chiles
1 medium onion, sliced into ¼-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oil
1 ½ pounds ground chuck
8 ounces chorizo, cooked
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles den adobo, finely minced, seeded if you wish
8 thick slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted

Directions:
Roast the poblanos over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, 10 minutes for the broiler. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let cool. Rub off the blackened skin and pull out the stems and seed pods. Cut into ¼-inch strips.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, stirring frequently until it begins to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and poblano and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt, usually about ½ teaspoon. Scrape the rajas into a bowl and cover to keep warm.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked chorizo, chipotles and 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions and form the patties.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high, or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the charcoal is covered with white ash (and about medium hot); bank the coals to one side.

Place the hamburger patties on the grill and cook for a total of 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare. Lay one piece of cheese on top of each burger, top with the warm rajas and then another piece of cheese. Close the lid and continue cooking until the cheese has melted about 1 minute. Remove from the grill and place on a toasted bun. Serve immediately.

The Result:
These were phenomenal! I love me some Rick Bayless. I swear the man could make dirt taste delicious. I had to make a few adjustments to my version of this recipe, but these burgers stood up to all my substitutions. First, I could not find poblanos. Seriously...I live in Arizona! I can't believe I couldn't get poblanos. Oh well, I decided to use Anaheim green chiles instead. Next, I didn't have any buns on hand, so we just ate our patties sans bun. Also, I substituted sliced pepper jack cheese for an extra little oomph. It all worked out, and these burgers were very filling and soooo flavorful. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Baked Pesto Chicken

2011-05-11T11:57:00.001-07:00

Smother anything with pesto (and/or cheese for that matter) and my family will eat it! This is a really easy chicken recipe that will please the pesto lover(s) in your house.

Baked Pesto Chicken
From: South Beach Diet iphone app; found on the Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup pesto (from a jar)
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
halved grape tomatoes (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto in a 9x13 baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread with remaining pesto.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through, 20-25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes. Garnish with halved grape tomatoes and serve (optional).

The Result:
This was a crowd-pleaser! My family gobbled it up, and it was super-easy to put together. My cooking time was a little longer by about 5-10 minutes, since my chicken breasts were on the thick side (I didn't bother pounding them out to be of uniform thickness). The tomatoes were a nice touch and made the whole dish remind me of yummy caprese salad. Delish!

Greek Eggplant and Chicken Casserole

2011-05-10T14:42:00.005-07:00

I have a ton of recipes saved in my email, sent from friends or ones that I email myself from different websites. Unfortunately, I never remember that they are there waiting for me. I swear my memory has gone completely down the tubes...I blame the kids. Anyway, I was looking for something the other day and I finally stumbled upon my email folder with all these yummy-sounding recipes, some of which I discovered are over a year old. Sheesh! I need to look at that email folder more often, that's for sure. Anyway, this casserole was from a Weight Watchers recipe collection email that Claire had sent me a few months ago. There were quite a few casseroles on the list that I wanted to try, but this one intrigued me the most. It is very similar to a lasagna, using eggplant instead of noodles. I think this may be one of my new favorite ways to have eggplant; it was delicious! We steamed some broccoli for a side item, and this dinner basically disappeared. Everyone loved it!

Greek Eggplant and Chicken Casserole
Adapted from: weightwatchers.com

Ingredients:
olive oil cooking spray
2 medium raw eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3/4 tsp table salt
1 pound(s) uncooked extra lean ground chicken breast
1 cup(s) onion(s), sliced
4 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
2 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped
1/3 tsp dried parsley
1/3 tsp chives or minced onions, dried
1/3 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp canned tomato paste
1 1/2 cups Grated Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup of reduced-fat 2% sharp cheddar cheese,grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Place eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of salt; let stand 20 minutes to draw out moisture.

Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 3 minutes more. Add fresh parsley, dried herbs, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste; stir to coat. Cook until herbs and spices are fragrant. about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and tomato paste; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Off heat, coat surface of same skillet with cooking spray; set pan over medium-high heat. Wipe salt from eggplant slices with paper towel and add eggplant to hot skillet. Cook, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Arrange half of eggplant slices on bottom of prepared baking pan, slightly overlapping pieces to cover entire surface of pan. Top eggplant with 1/2 of the chicken mixture; top with 1/2 of the amount of grated Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining eggplant slices and the remaining chicken mixture. Top with the 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and the remaining grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake until top is golden brown and filling is hot, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes, slice into 8 pieces and serve.

The Result:
This took a little while to pull together, but it was worth it. My whole family loved it; especially my kids. This casserole tasted like a great compromise between a standard lasagna and a Greek moussaka. Really, it was the best of both worlds. I love that it was healthy, but still so flavorful and satisfying. Yum! I am really looking forward to these leftovers.

Tuna Salad

2011-05-09T12:51:00.010-07:00

Here is a different take on tuna salad that my friend, Claire posted on her blog. The idea is to serve it over salad greens for lunch; but I think it would make great sandwich filling, too. I love, love, love tuna salad...so I am excited to have a new twist on an old favorite.

Tuna Salad
Adapted From: the Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:
2 cans tuna in water, drained
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 green onion, chopped
2 dashes Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's seasoning
4 cups spring mix greens
1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salad greens
grape tomatoes (optional)
salt and pepper (optional)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except greens and vinegar. Mix together. Split greens between two plates, divide tuna mixture in half and place on greens. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

The Result:
This tuna salad does not disappoint! I think it might be my new favorite way to have tuna salad. Although, that could just be the balsamic vinegar talking. I swear I could drink balsamic vinegar as a beverage (okay, maybe not)...I heart it so much. I topped my salad with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper, some grape tomatoes, and a few splashes of my beloved balsamic. Let me say, YUM. It was great, and something that I am going to put into my permanent lunch repertoire.

Peanut Butter Muffins

2011-05-08T21:23:00.009-07:00

I'm getting tired of typing, so I will keep this short. This is another recipe I found for my "make-ahead" breakfast/lunch project I started today. I was skeptical because of the lack of flour; but I must say, these turned out really tasty. Yum!

Peanut Butter Muffins
From: food.com, #293500; By Giordana on March 21, 2008

Ingredients:
1/2 cup egg white
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup Splenda granular, sugar substitute
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt peanut butter in microwave for 1 minute or until smooth.

Mix all ingredients together.

Pour into mini muffin cups (24 cup tray) or divide among a regular muffin tin (6 cup tray), and bake 15 minutes.

The Result:
I opted to make 6 bigger muffins, instead of the minis. These are so good, and I didn't really miss the flour at all.

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups

2011-05-08T19:45:00.003-07:00

I totally got on a "I-really-need-to-start-my-week-out-right" organizational kick today. I think it's because my house is in disarray, and my goal is to get everything back into a manageable state. I decided I needed to pin down breakfast and lunch choices for the week, since those are the two meals that always seem to send me scrambling. My rationale is that I will have two less things to worry about and I can fill that time with more productive tasks; like de-cluttering. That's the dream, anyway...we'll see how it goes. In the meantime, here are some yummy make-ahead breakfast cups.

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups
Adapted From: food.com #109385; papergoddess on January 24, 2005

Ingredients:
5 ounces turkey sausage
1/2 cup of jarred, roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
6 large eggs
1 cup of egg whites
1 (6 oz) package of fresh, sliced button mushrooms
1 cup shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese (2 oz.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Coat a 6 cup non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray (or line with paper baking cups).

In a medium non-stick skillet, cook the sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and onions for 5 minutes, or until sausage is no longer pink.

Spoon mixture into bottoms of muffin cups, divided evenly and cool slightly.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and eggs together until beaten and well combined.

Pour beaten eggs into each muffin cup, topping the sausage mixture until cup is almost full.

Sprinkle cheese evenly on top of each muffin cup, and bake for 20 minutes or until egg is set.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and store in a zip top bag or a plastic storage container for later. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds and serve when ready.

The Result:
These were easy to put together and I love the idea of having easy breakfast items on hand. I think my batch yielded about 18 muffin cups. Yum! I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow.

Souffle Stuffed Chicken

2011-05-08T19:22:00.006-07:00

When my friend, Claire told me about this recipe I was really skeptical. I think I told her it was going to suck, actually. I can't remember why I was so against it, but I think my negativity had something to do with the fact that it used prepared, frozen souffle for the chicken filling. Claire ended up giving it really good reviews, so I thought I would give it a shot. I am happy to report that I was totally wrong!!! This chicken rocked my world. Okay, maybe that is overstating things a bit, but it was super-good. I now recommend this chicken, too!

Souffle Stuffed Chicken
From: The South Beach Diet Cookbook by Arthur Agatson

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 (12 ounce) package Stouffer's frozen spinach souffle, not thawed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)
lemon slice (to garnish)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a serrated knife, cut the frozen spinach souffle crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Top half of each whole breast with one of the pieces of souffle. Fold half of the chicken over the filling and fasten edges with wooden picks.

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until golden. Add chicken breasts and cook for 7 minutes per side or until well browned.

Remove chicken to an oven-proof dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 170 degrees F when inserted into the thickest portion.

While the chicken is baking, add broth, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to the large skillet. Heat to boiling then reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to 1/2.

To serve, remove and discard wooden picks. Arrange chicken on a warm serving platter and spoon sauce over the chicken. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and lemon slices.

The Result:
The kids, husband, and I all give this recipe a thumbs-up. If you try it, make sure you make both the sauce and chicken...the sauce was the star, I think. Although, my husband would disagree and say that the garlic chips beat out the sauce for the favorite component. Either way, the whole combination of flavors was tasty. We had a green side salad and dinner was done. This is something that I will make again!

(Note: My photo does not include the sauce. I took the pic and then remembered the sauce...oops.)