Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

This recipe has been on a few of the different food blogs I read. However, it all started with Rachel Ray. And like most Rachel Ray recipes, this one has lots of ingredients but comes together fast. I defiantly recommend prepping all of your food first so you’re just adding as needed while cooking. It will make it was easier. This was a really light & refreshing tasting pasta dish. I hope you like it!!

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons butter

8 cloves garlic, chopped

4 shallots, chopped

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup white wine

2 lemons, juiced

2 cups chicken broth or stock

6 tablespoons capers, drained

1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente

Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over; about 5-6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Sauté garlic and shallots three minutes. Add flour and cook two minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid one minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.

Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

Florentine Turkey Meat Loaf

I’ve had this recipe starred in my Google Reader since July. This one comes from Pennies on a Platter. She has tons of great appetizers on her site, but this meatloaf recipe caught my eye.

Um, please forgive the meatloaf for not really being a loaf. I forgot that I didn’t have a bread pan until I was 1/2 way into mixing everything together. So it’s a little lumpy, but it’s still a stuffed meatloaf. J

 

Florentine Turkey Meat Loaf

1 pound ground turkey
1 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
3/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8- or 9- inch loaf pan with foil with dull side toward food.

Combine ground turkey, 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, & Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.

Press half of turkey mixture into foil-lined pan. Press a 1-inch indentation down center of mixture, leaving 1-inch thickness on all sides.

Toss spinach and mozzarella cheese together; spoon into indentation, mounding in center. Press remaining turkey mixture evenly over top, sealing edges.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Spoon remaining spaghetti sauce over meat loaf. Bake 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.

 

 

 

Chicken Shwarma

I was craving something Greek when I came across this recipe on Erin’s site. This originated from Cooking Light and Erin adapted it. I changed it a bit as well but it’s an easy recipe to play with. This is a delicious, light, & fresh way to use your grill.

Chicken Shwarma

Chicken:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 (3-inch) strips

Sauce:

1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons tahini

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Remaining ingredients:

Cooking spray

4 (6-inch) pitas

Sliced tomatoes & cucumbers

Chopped Greek olives

Feta Cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Thread 2 chicken strips onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Place pitas on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted.

To serve, just load your pitas with the meat, vegetables, & cheese to your liking and then top with the sauce. Yummy!!

 

 

 

Garlic Lovers Hummus

Oh My Gosh!!! I don’t think I’ll ever buy hummus again. I didn’t change a thing in this recipe that I found over @ Noodle Nights & Muffin Mornings. I didn’t have to. It was perfect. So easy to throw together and tastes even better the next day. You’ll definitely want to try this.

 

Garlic Lovers Hummus

1 15 oz can chick peas(refrigerated)

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus additional for serving)

2 tbsp reserved juice from chick peas

1/8 cup water (plus additional if needed)

Parsley (optional)

Drain chickpeas over bowl, reserving liquid. Wash well in cold water. Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth (adding more water), making sure to stop and scrape the sides if needed. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve at which time drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley. Serve alongside pita, veggies, or crackers.

 

 

 

Yay!! I'm Excellent.

I'm feeling pretty good about this little blog of mine. I have received an award from two fellow foodie bloggers...

Thank You's to Melissa @ Delicious Melisciousness & KMays of Food alla Putanesca.

Really I'm quite flattered. I'm so glad that people like this little blog of mine & I'm having so much fun trying recipes from other food blogs that have inspired me. So, I'm going to share this award of mine with the following...

Linds @ Noodle Nights & Muffin Mornings ~ My google reader is full of stuff from your blog

Chelle @ Brown Eyed Baker ~ Her dog seems to be the perfect little sous chef too!! Oh, and her recipes are great.

Elly @ Ellly Says Opa! ~ I love greek food. Elly makes fabulous Greek food.

Cate @ Cate's Kitchen ~ Oh! I love everything she cooks. We share lots of the same tastes.

Annie @ Annie's Eats ~ I bought an ice cream maker this weekend just to start trying some of her ice cream recipes.

Erin @ Erin's Eats ~ Great site! Lots of options for counting your calories!!

Ashley @ The Spicy Skillet ~ great everday food. This girl can take a food picture!!!

Melissa @ Deliciousness Meliciousness ~ Gotta give this award right back to you. I love your site too!!!

Stephanie @ A Year of Crockpotting ~ Talk about determination girl!!! You are why I use my crockpot at least once a week.

And last but not least Ree @ The Pioneer Woman ~ Ree rocks my socks off. I've never had one of her recipes turn out just ok. They all seem to be wonderful. Someone get this woman a cooking show!!! I know many others who are big fans of P-dub. Add me to the list.

** A little FYI to the deserving recipients: this award comes with a few rules attached to it.

Please find at least 10 more blogs, of any kind, which you deem to be excellent; but hey if you only come up with 3 or 5, I don’t mind. Quality over quantity folks! Post about the blogs you picked, linking back to me and to them. Once you’ve posted, return here to let me know your post is up, and of course let your 10 award winners know too.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

I was introduced to cake balls about 2 weeks ago. At work, we’ll have a lobby event every so often where different vendors come in and bring product demos/info. After working your way through the line of product vendors, at the end there is always some treat/snack/goodie.

Well this time, at the end of the line there was a local baker with about 4 different flavors of cake balls. Everyone loved them. They were perfect little bite sized balls of chocolate covered cakey goodness.  I had to figure out how to make these.

So I Googled. If you Google “cake balls” you’ll find your way to Bakerella’s site. You’ll want to head to her site. She’s got the most detailed instructions & tips for making perfect little cake balls. Here’s the short & sweet of how it’s done…

Red Velvet Cake Balls

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)

Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)

Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)

Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.

Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

 

Pioneer Woman’s Pot Roast

I know I’ve said this before but I love Pioneer Woman’s recipes. She rocks my socks off!! Cancy wanted a pot roast this weekend and so many recipes looked exactly the same. I wanted something different, something special.

 

As I’m searching the internet for a dressed up unique pot roast recipe for my crockpot, I came across my answer. Pioneer Woman’s Pot Roast. Please, Please check out her site. Your stomach will thank you.

Pioneer Woman’s Pot Roast

 

Chuck Roast

Onions, carrots, button mushrooms

Salt, pepper

Beef stock, red wine

Fresh thyme, fresh rosemary (if you have it; if not, dried is fine).

 

Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Generously salt & pepper your chuck roast.

 

Cut 2 onions in half from root to tip. Then cut off the tops, cut off the bottoms, and peel off the outer layer.

When the oil in the pot is very hot but not quite smoking, add in the onions. Brown them on one side, about a minute. Flip them over and do the same to the other side. Remove the onions to a plate

Wash your baby carrots. Throw them into the same hot pan and toss them around until slightly brown, about a minute or so. Now remove the carrots to a plate.

 

Wash your button mushrooms and then add those to the hot pan as well. Let brown for a minute before setting on plate with onions & carrots.

Keep the heat on the pan. Make sure the meat is adequately seasoned, then set it into the hot pan and sear it on one side, about a minute. When that side is brown, flip it over to the other side. When you’ve browned it all over the place, remove to roast to a plate.

Now you’ll deglaze the pan. Start with a splash of red wine, then fill in with beef broth. After you add about 1 cup or so of liquid, stop and use your whisk to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan.

 

Place your browned meat to in the crockpot and add in your deglazed pan sauce. Add the onions, the carrots, and your button mushrooms. Add beef broth to this to come to the top of your vegetables.

Add about 3 or 4 fresh sprigs of Rosemary & 3 sprigs of fresh Thyme. Leave it all intact and throw it in. Be sure to submerge them in the liquid so they’ll really be able to work their magic.

Put the lid on, and then cook on low for about 6 hours.

Remove the meat to a cutting board & let rest with tin foil overtop for a few minutes before slicing.

While you’re waiting for your pot roast, prepare mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Set this on a plate and lay your sliced pot roast meat off to the side. Spoon some vegetables onto the plate. And just because you want this to be the very best pot roast it can be… be sure to spoon some of the pan juice over the meat…Yummy!!

 

Peppered Smashed Red Potatoes

We made these to go with our Pot Roast last night. I substituted Fat Free ½ and ½ for the cream and low fat Margarine for the butter. But, I had to put the real full fat stuff in the recipe so Cancy feels better about it. J

Peppered Smashed Red Potatoes

Red potatoes

Butter

Cream

Salt & Pepper

Cut your red potatoes into 4ths.

Add to a pot of boiling water and simmer until potatoes are soft, but not falling apart. Drain potatoes.

Break out your Kitchen Aid mixer. Put about 1/4 Cup of butter in the mixer.  Add the drained potatoes and start your mixer on low. Slowly add the cream to get the right consistency. Also add your salt and pepper. Kick the mixer up to high and watch your potatoes get fluffy. That is all.

 

Teriyaki Edamame rice bowls with chicken & shrimp

We have a new favorite snack. Steamed Edamame. We get it every time we go to Beluga’s for sushi. We have bags of it on our freezer waiting to be steamed and sprinkled with sea salt. I think it’s currently, our very favorite vegetable.

This recipe actually was inspired by an idea in the ad for the grocery store. Also, I was able to empty out the fridge & freezer a little bit for this one. We served this with egg drop soup and were stuffed by the end of dinner. It comes together quick so it’s an easy weeknight meal.

Teriyaki Edamame rice bowls with chicken & shrimp

 

1 Cup of cooked brown rice

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces

1/2 Cup of shrimp

1 16oz bag of frozen, shelled edamame

1/4 Cup each, diced green pepper, diced red pepper, diced yellow pepper

1/2 Cup of Low Sodium Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 Cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes

Add the olive oil & chicken pieces. Stir-fry for 5 minutes (until chicken is golden)

Stir in the edamame, peppers, shrimp, and Teriyaki sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil & cook, stirring constantly for about a minute.

Stir in the rice, cilantro, and green onion. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve.

 

Crustless Ham, Cheese and Spinach Quiche

I wanted an easy dinner last night so as I was digging through Google reader, I found this quiche recipe and decided we’d have breakfast for dinner. It took all of 10 minutes to put together and then you stick it in the oven. This is great for an easy/lazy dinner.

 

This recipe comes, originally from Cooking Light, but I was inspired by what Tricia did with it. I also used what was on hand, so there are some slight variations from Tricia’s version.

Crustless Ham, Cheese and Spinach Quiche

 

3/4 cup cubed ham

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 cup reduced fat shredded mexican cheese blend, separated in 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup

3/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup baby spinach leaves

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham, onion and pepper to pan and sauté 4 minutes until ham is lightly browned.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mexican blend cheese in pie plate. Top with ham mixture.

 

In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, remaining cheeses, cottage cheese, and evaporated milk.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add flour to egg mixture and gently stir in. Add spinach to egg mixture and gently mix in.

 

Pour the egg mixture over ham mixture in pie plate. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Avocado Shake

I had the most amazing avocado gelato the last time I was at Whole Foods. I’ve only had avocado before as something savory; never anything sweet. The gelato got me thinking that I could do a shake similar to it.

We always have avocado in the fridge and I had some non-fat sweetened condensed milk that I found in the pantry. So out of that, comes the lovely pale green avocado shake.

You’ve got to be brave. Cancy didn’t like it. He said it tasted it like grass. I, however thought it tasted almost just like the gelato from Whole Foods. Granted, we probably won’t make this very often but it was fun experiment.

Avocado Shake

1 medium ripe avocado

1 cup ice

1/2 cup non-fat sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 to 1/2 cup skim milk

Scoop the avocado flesh into the blender. Add the ice, condensed milk, & vanilla. Add only 1/4 cup of the skim milk and begin blending. Add additional milk to reach the right consistency.

Crockpot Pinto Beans

This is another weekend Crockpot cooking recipe. I discovered my first “pot of beans” while Cancy & I were dating. He grew up in the south and it was a pretty common meal. I had never had it before. But here I am, married for a little over a year & a half. Every now & then, we’ll have a “pot of beans’

You can really mix this up and try different things in it each time. It took me awhile to get it right but now I can cook it and Cancy will say that the spice is just right. So, here’s a typical southern meal. Pinto Beans.  Gotta love ‘em.

Crockpot Pinto Beans

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed through a colander

Spices (today I used Bolner’s Pinto Bean Seasoning, Garlic Salt with Parsley, salt & pepper, & a little bit of Sriracha hot sauce)

Meat (today I used jalapeno chicken sausage)

Place rinsed beans in a crock pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. Add your spices & stir to mix. Add your meat and cover. 

Cook on high for 1 hour and then reduce to low for 5 or more hours.

 

** Spices = Here are a few that we’ve used in the past. Feel free to mix & match: Bolner’s Pinto Bean Seasoning, Garlic Salt with Parsley, salt & pepper, Sriracha hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, dry minced onion, minced garlic, jalapeno salt)

** Meats = You don’t have to use any meat but it does give a little extra flavor. We’ve used cubed pork, cut bacon, ham, and chicken sausage.

 

 

Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken

Have I said how much I adore The Pioneer Woman? Well, I’m going to say it again. She’s fabulous!!! Please check out her cooking site, her writing, her pictures, her love story, etc… Anyway, enough gushing. But really, check her out.

 

We made her Crispy Yogurt Chicken tonight, and no surprise, it was great. This is such a great alternative to my husband’s favorite (fried chicken). We’ll definitely be adding this to our normal rotation.

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

 

Chicken (I used legs, but any piece of chicken will do)

Plain, Unflavored Yogurt

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

A handful of Parsley, chopped

1 Lemon

Salt

Butter

Panko Bread Crumbs.

 
Put 2 cups of plain yogurt into a mixing bowl.

Add garlic & parsley. Stir.

 Cut the lemon in half & add to mixture. 

Rinse the chicken, and salt it well. 
Pour some Panko breadcrumbs into a second bowl. (About 2 Cups)

Salt the breadcrumbs just to give them a little more flavor.

 

Butter a baking dish.

 

Place the chicken, one at a time, into the yogurt mixture. Turn it over to thoroughly coat.

 
Roll chicken in the Panko breadcrumbs. (coat all the areas of the chicken thoroughly)

 
Repeat until all the chicken is breaded…

 
…And place in the buttered baking dish.

 
Before placing in the oven, place a slice of butter over the large part of the chicken leg.

 

Cover in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, removing foil for the last 15 minutes to allow it to get nice and golden.

Creamed Spinach

Who would’ve thought? We like creamed spinach. There, out with it. I’ve never even heard of this dish until I came across it on Pioneer Woman’s blog. She has yet to steer me wrong. I promise you will like ever singl recipe that you try of hers. Yes, including creamed spinach. Try it.

Cream. Spinach.  

Spinach

olive oil

butter

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1 Cup of heavy cream

salt & pepper.

Melt 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onions and chopped & garlic and sauté until translucent.

Now add in the spinach. Lightly press it down with a spoon and toss it very gently as it wilts.

Stop when the spinach is pretty wilted, but not completely falling apart.

Add in about a cup of heavy cream. Sprinkle in some salt & pepper to taste. (I added just a dash of nutmeg here, thought it added to the dish)

 

Pickles, Ya'll...

When I saw this recipe on Melissa’s blog, I was sooooo excited. I love pickles!! And I was even more excited to see that Melissa made hers deli-style. I’ve never canned before and I can’t eat cooked/refrigerated pickles. So I was not all about heating & canning to make pickles.

This recipe will take you all of 10 minutes. And then you wait….

Once you’ve made your pickles, put them in the fridge & forget about them for 2 or 3 days. Then… Enjoy!!

Refrigerator Pickles

Cucumbers, speared, or sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Thai red chili peppers, minced

From the spice cabinet:  Mustard seed, Dill seed, and Dill weed

Brine:
4 Cups water

1/2 Cup white vinegar
1/4 Cup Kosher salt

Sprinkle about ½ tsp of each of the spices in the bottom of each jar. Pack full with cucumbers. Put minced garlic & peppers on top. Pour brine into jar until it's full.

Put the lid on, and leave them in the refrigerator for 2 days before using.

Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice

This is originally a recipe from Janae. I adjusted the recipe a little bit from the original just to make it work a little better for 2 people. So, with all of the peppers, be prepared for a little heat with this dish. Cancy seemed to really like it & it comes together pretty quickly. It makes for a nice little weeknight dinner.

Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice

Olive Oil Spray
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/2-in.-wide strips
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 can (7 oz.) whole green chiles, drained and chopped
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Added (to season the chicken):
1 tsp chili pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
juice of 1 lime

Heat olive oil spray in a large frying pan (with sides at least 2 in. high) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, chili pepper, garlic salt, and lime juice and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos to pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute more, then pour in broth and bring to a boil. Boil rice 5 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan, and cook 15 minutes.

Return chicken to pan and cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

 

Remove pan from heat and stir in chiles, cheese, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

 

Cheddar stuffed cilantro jalapeno turkey burgers with cilantro cream -- mucho spicy!

This recipe has been in my Google reader for quite some time. This comes from “Bitchin’ in the Kitchen”. These burgers were delicious. Plus, I can think of a bunch of different uses for the sauce. I’ve done something similar in the past on top of fish.

Anyway, if summer is running out on you or you just want to use your grill, then try this out. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Cheddar stuffed cilantro jalapeno turkey burgers with cilantro cream --mucho spicy!

Burgers:
1 lb ground turkey
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Jalapeno, seeded & finely chopped
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
8 cubes Colby cheese

Cilantro Cream Sauce:
1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1 C sour cream
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 C fresh cilantro

Process all ingredients for cilantro cream sauce in blender or food processor. Cover, and refrigerate.

 

Mix all ingredients for burgers, except Colby cheese, in a bowl. Form into 4 burger patties. Place 2 cheese cubes on each burger and fold over and reform into patties. Grill until done then top with cilantro cream sauce before serving.

 

 

Chicken with Mushroom-Pecan Cream Sauce

This has been in my Google Reader for awhile now. It is originally from cooking light, but I found it on Maryanna’s blog. It sounded like it would be delicious for tonight. I’ve been craving something to remind me of Fall (yes, even with Austin’s 95 degree day today). And, we’ve been playing at the Dog Park this afternoon & so this looked easy but tasty.



Chicken with Mushroom-Pecan Cream Sauce

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup water
1 and 1/4 tsp salt, divided
6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms
4 cups hot cooked egg noodles
Chopped parsley (optional)

Place pecans in a food processor; process until smooth (about 1 minute), scraping sides of bowl once. With processor on, add water and 3/4 tsp salt; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.

Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in pecan cream; bring to a boil. Cook 1 and 1/2 minutes. Place 2/3 cup noodles on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with 1 chicken breast half and 1/3 cup sauce. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Green Bean Casserole

It doesn’t get much easier/traditional/Fall inspiring than this. I’ve been craving Fall for a few days now. I wish Texas would get that crisp cool smell & feel sooner than late October. Anyway, to bring at least the taste of Fall, here is your mother’s green casserole.

Green Bean Casserole

2 (15 ounce) cans cut green beans, drained

3/4 cup milk

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 (2.8 ounce) can French fried onions

A handful of shredded cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium casserole dish mix together green beans, milk, cream of mushroom soup, shredded cheese, and 1/2 of the can of onions.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through and bubbly. Sprinkle remaining onions over the top, and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Super Quick & Easy Salsa

We are having a lazy, boring, stay @ home, do nothing day today and decided to have an afternoon snack. I was craving salsa and we didn’t have any in the fridge so I decided to throw some things together and make my own. This is a good experiment. We added 2 little hot Thai chili peppers to ours. However, I left it out of the ingredients because it’s sort of a kick in the head. But, it will definitely clear your sinuses. Go ahead, make it your own.

Super Quick & Easy Salsa

 

1/2 white onion

2 jalapenos, seeded

3 cloves of garlic

2 cans of Rotel (we used 1 Hot & 1 Original)

1/4 -1/2 Cup cilantro, chopped

1 lime

Salt, pepper, Cumin

 

In a food processor, pulse onions, jalapenos, and garlic. Take out & put into a separate bowl. Pulse Rotel in food processor as well. Add to bowl.

 

Stir in cilantro, squeeze in juice of 1 lime, and add salt, pepper, & cumin to taste.

 

Let refrigerate for at least 1/12 hour before serving.

 

Bark-B-Q biscuits

It’s been awhile since I’ve made treats for Chile. I woke up pretty early today though and was in the mood to bake. So I grabbed my doggy cookbook that came with a cute little bone shaped cookie cutter. This makes a lot so we’ll be sharing some with her BFF Mia. Chile sat & stared at these while they were cooling and when she finally tasted one, I’m pretty sure she approves. Enjoy!!

Bark-B-Q biscuits

2 Cups whole wheat flour

1/2 Cup oatmeal

1/4 Cup wheat germ

1/2 Cup tomato paste

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 Cup water

1 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix oil, water, honey, & tomato paste. Add to dry ingredients.

Roll out dough to 1/4" thick, cut with a cookie cutter & place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes 2 375 degrees.

**I thought a little glaze on the top would be nice so before baking I mixed up 1 egg white, a little barbeque sauce, & a splash of Worcestershire. I brushed this on the top of everything before I put it in the oven.

Grilled Steak with Mustard Cream Sauce

Cancy wanted to have steak tonight & it was nice out so we decided to grill. Wanting something a little different for our steaks tonight, I came across this sauce on Melissa’s blog. It was the perfect flavor with the steaks. This is definitely one we’ll be using again.

 

Grilled Steak with Mustard Cream Sauce

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 petite Sirloins

Table salt and ground black pepper

1 small shallot , minced

1 1/2 tablespoons dry white wine

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain dijon mustard

Rub steak with olive oil & then season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill to your desired “doneness” and then tent with foil for about 15 minutes to rest.

While steak is resting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add shallot; cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high; simmer rapidly, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom, until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 30 seconds; add broth and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in mustard; season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Using sharp knife, slice steak about 1/4 inch thick against grain on bias. Arrange on platter or on individual plates, and spoon sauce over steak; serve immediately.

 

Marinated Grilled Zucchini

We needed an easy side for our steaks tonight and had some Zucchini in the fridge. It was nice, light side to have with our steaks. I hope ya’ll like it.

Marinated Grilled Zucchini

 

1 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1/2 a bottle of fat free Italian dressing

1/4 Cup of grated parmesan

 

Slice zucchini and pour into dish to marinate with the Italian dressing for about 15 minutes. Lay a piece of foil on a section of your grill. Set slices on foil, turning about 1/2 way through. When you turn them, pour remaining marinade on top. These should cook along whatever else you are grilling. They take about 10-15 minutes. Toss in a bowl with grated parmesan before serving.

Hatch Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

In Texas, for a few weeks every August, you seem to find Hatch chiles everywhere. We’ve tried Hatch chile chips. A Hatch chile cheese ball, Hatch chile salsa, you name it. Last week, my grocery store was roasting fresh Hatch chiles out in front of the store and selling the roasted peppers by the pound. I had to try ‘em out.

 

After looking at them in our fridge for a couple days, I decided to dig through the internet to find a great recipe to use them in. I didn’t have to look far. I found this casserole on “Culinary Capers with the Christmases.” I adapted her recipe a little bit to make less and to use my Hatch chiles. Both Cancy & I thought it turned out really well. I hope you like it.

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

 

3/4 C low sodium chicken broth

1 C chopped roasted Hatch green chiles

1/2 C fat-free sour cream

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 (10 1/2-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 garlic clove, minced

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/2 lbs shredded cooked chicken breast

1 C shredded cheese (We used a Mexican Queso Fesco)

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

 

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan. Whisk together. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

 

Spread 1/2 of the soup mixture in a 8x8 -inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 tortillas over the soup mixture. Spread 1/2 of the chicken over tortillas. Top with 1/2 of the cheese.

 

Repeat layer once more, ending with the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

 

Cuban Sandwich

I haven’t had a Cuban sandwich in years. I found some roast pork at the grocery store the other day and tried to remember what was in the last Cuban sandwich I had. It was a short list of ingredients & looked online when I got home to make sure I had everything. This site had the recipe the closest to what I remembered it tasting like, so we went from there.

We had this with baked sweet potato fries and it made for a very filling dinner. Enjoy!!

 

Cuban sandwich

 

Cuban bread or French bread

Butter, softened

1/2 pound ham, sliced (Use a good quality ham.)

1/2 pound roasted pork

1/4 pound Swiss cheese, sliced

Sliced dill pickles (we buy the dill "Sandwich Stackers")

Yellow mustard

Preheat a large fry pan. Cut the bread into sections about 6 inches long. Cut these in half and spread butter on both halves (inside). Make each sandwich with the ingredients in this order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous!

Place the sandwich on the hot fry pan sprayed with a little "Pam". Place a heavy iron skillet or bacon press on top of the sandwich to flatten. (You really want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about 1/3 its original size!) Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve.