Happy New Year.... with a New Chicken Recipe!

I've said it before and I"ll say it again:  I LOVE finding new chicken recipes that are good!  Since chicken is basically the only meat I'll buy (if and when I buy meat) it is nice to have a whole bag of tricks to change it up.  Last night I made this recipe and was blown away.  Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Piccata

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons EVOO
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 brined capers, rinsed
fresh parsley for garnish

1.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken through flour and shake off excess.

2.  In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter with some EVOO.  When butter and oil start to sizzle, add chicken and cook for 3 minutes.  When chicken is browned, flip and brown the other side.  Remove from heat and set aside.  (You'll be cooking the chicken for a few more minutes so if they are not completely done, that is fine.  You just want a nice golden brown side for now.)

3.  In the same skillet, add the lemon juice, stock and capers.  Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.  Check for seasoning of salt and pepper.

4.  Return all chicken to pan and simmer for about 5 minutes.  (I had to add another splash of chicken stock here, so keep that in mind).  After chicken is done cooking, remove from pan to a platter.  Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to sauce and whisk vigorously until melted.

5.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Bon appetit!

Winter Comfort

I started receiving the magazine "Cooking Light" in the mail (free subscription!) and I've loved going through the recipes. This is one of the featured winter recipes from the December 2012 issue.  I changed the blue cheese for some feta and I don't think I had any walnuts on hand so I didn't use those but everything else remained as written.  It was GREAT and I still have a few portions in the freezer.  Enjoy!

• 
  
• Creamy Butternut Squash and Pasta
• 
  
• 4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/3 pounds)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi
• 1 cup prechopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. 2. Combine squash, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 24 minutes or until tender, stirring once.
3. 3. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta; keep warm.
4. 4. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in 1/2 cup milk, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, and yolks in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk.
5. 5. Combine squash, pasta, and milk mixture in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

Bon appetit!

Baby Peppers

My very first recipe post on this blog was stuffed peppers.  That first recipe was a main course meal complete with meat and veggies.  Today I'm bringing you a different type of stuffed pepper recipe that gears more towards a party food, appetizer, or side dish.  But it is still yummy!

Stuffed Baby Peppers

3 strips bacon, cooked and finely chopped
EVOO
1/2 small onion, chopped very fine
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup frozen peas, slightly thawed
salt
pepper
bag of fresh sweet baby peppers

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until brown and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

3.  Add onion to the pan where bacon was cooking and saute until translucent and tender.  Set aside to cool.

4.  In a medium bowl, combine the bacon, onion, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and peas.  Season with salt and pepper.

5.  Remove the stems, seeds and veins from the baby peppers.  Using a small spoon, fill each pepper with the ricotta mixture.  Place each pepper on a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes until peppers become slightly tender.  Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Bon appetit!!

Fruity Fun

One of the easiest and perhaps most fun dishes I've ever brought to a party:  fruit skewers.  The key to this dish is to be creative and have fun with the presentation.  The type of fruit can vary depending on your individual tastes, but stick with a theme and go with it!

Rainbow Fruit Skewers and a Watermelon Base

1 quart strawberries
1/2 a cantaloupe, cubed
pineapple chunks
4-5 kiwi, peeled and cubed
Handful of blueberries
Grapes (red "purple" grapes)
watermelon, cut in half
wooden skewers

1.  Thread the strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, and grapes onto the skewers.  Arrange the skewers decoratively on the side of a watermelon.  Enjoy!

Bon appetit!!

Calling all garlic lovers!

A new chicken recipe full of flavor!  Yay!  The garlic in this dish isn't overwhelming at all, despite using several cloves.  After baking the chicken in the oven, the garlic lends itself to a sweet flavor.  This dish smelled heavenly while baking so I was ready to dig in and was pleased with the outcome.  Enjoy this very simple dish!

Garlic Chicken

2 teaspoons minced garlic (probably 5-6 cloves depending on size)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors.  I did this in a skillet.

3.  Combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl.  Toss to mix.

4.  Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper.

5.  Dip chicken into the garlic/oil mixture and then into the bread crumbs/cheese mixture.  Place in a shallow baking dish.

6.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.

Bon appetit!

(I TOLD YOU IT WAS EASY!!!)

Pizza, Pizza..... again.

One of the many things my mother taught me was to use coupons.  Make money off of what you buy.  Refunding.  Whatever you might call it - just be smart with your money and if you have a coupon AND the item is on sale, BUY IT!

Well, upon my return to the United States, I decided to try and use coupons from time to time.  I don't do it all the time, but try my best.  Because I got addicted to the fuzzy carbonated beverages in Mexico, I've been buying a lot of coke and Rootbeer.  I knew that my mom always saved the "codes" that are under each bottle cap or are printed on the inside of the cardboard box, so without even know what those codes did, I started saving them.  When my mom came to visit in March 2012, we finally entered those codes into the computer and started using those points that came with the codes!  After browsing the rewards system, I decided on getting free 1 year magazine subscriptions.  I am now getting the monthly magazine to "Cooking Light" -- for free!!!  WIN!

This recipe comes from the latest edition of Cooking Light.  I did it basically to the "t" as stated in the recipe.  Enjoy!

Grilled Vegetable and Cheese Pizza

mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
red bell pepper
zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices (I LIKE cutting it diagonally!!  Never done before!)
red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
pizza dough (or pita bread, as I did)
fontina cheese (or parmesean, as I did)

1.  Combine mushrooms, garlic, red bell pepper, zucchini, onion, and EVOO in a bowl.  Toss to coat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Use grill or saute in heated pan until vegetables are tender-crisp.

2.  Place dough on grill or place dough in preheated oven (400F) and warm through, roughly 2 minutes each side.

3.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on dough.  Arrange vegetables over cheese.  Sprinkle again with cheese.  Heat until cheese melt. 

Bon appetit!!

I don't have a grill so I'm still doing all this work in the kitchen, using stovetop and oven.  It still tastes amazing!  I made this again tonight and forgot the crushed red pepper flakes -- I missed them!!  They make a difference in the taste. 

And I know that I suggested a lite pizza recipe earlier this year.  Today's recipe is very similar to that one but I do prefer this one.  There is something about the red sauce on pizza that makes me not too fond of pizza, but this recipe without any type of sauce is perfect for me!  And it still has that pizza taste to it!  Enjoy.

Worth the money

I always wondered about the really expensive bottles of extra virgin olive oil when I would be at the grocery store.  I wondered if it REALLY made a difference.  When I was cooking 5-6 nights a week while in Mexico, I went through a ton of EVOO so I never even thought about buying the expensive stuff.  I always bought the Walmart brand or Kroger brand of EVOO.

Well, I finally decided to see if it was worth it to buy the expensive stuff.  I don't cook as often as I would like anymore so I wanted to just try ONE bottle. 

The difference was immediate and HUGE!  I'm never going back to the base level of olive oil.  Many recipes taste very different -- just so full of flavor, especially sauted vegetables and my homemade pesto. 

I've included a picture of the bottle that I chose -- I'm already on my 3rd bottle.  So much for just one......  Maybe one day I'll get an even more expensive bottle!  I don't remember exactly the price of this brand, but it was around $15 for 12-14 ounces or so.... This bottle is the bigger size of 25 oz. 

Closely related

I've started experimenting with a vegetable that is closely related to spinach:  kale.  I've found that you can treat kale in similiar ways as you treat spinach.  One of the recipes that I've successfully made was a sauteed kale.  You will find that recipe below.

Sauteed Kale

EVOO
3 cloves garlic, smashed
a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
2 bunches kale, stems removed and cut into 1/2 inch lengths (remember that kale shrinks just like spinach does, so it might seem like a lot at first)
salt
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1. Coat a large saute pan with EVOO and add the garlic cloves and crushed red pepper.  Bring the pan to a medium heat and cook the garlic until it gets golden and very aromatic.  Don't let it burn!! Remove the garlic and discard.  You are simply seasoning the oil and pepper flakes.

2. Add the kale and stir to coat with the oil.  Season with salt and add the chicken stock.  Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. 

3. Uncover and stir to make sure the kale is cooked evenly.  Let the liquid evaporate.  Sprinkle with sherry vinegar at end.

4. Serve immediately.  Tastes best when it is HOT!

All of this kale yielded......

This much kale after it was cooked.

My dearest Sister:

My dearest Sister:

You might be the only person to view my blog and constantly request that I blog more recipes.  I shall grant you your wish.

Sincerely,
Your Little Sister

Better than Panera

Yep.  I'm bold enough to state that this next recipe is better than Panera Bread menu items.  In fact, I had just eaten at Panera earlier that day so I KNOW this is true at least for that day's food comparisons.  Get ready to enjoy a quick and healthy sandwich!

Veggie Sandwich Delight

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup EVOO
red bell pepper*
zucchini*
yellow squash*
red onion*
alfalpha sprouts
feta cheese
artisan bread of your choice -- top  quality

*all vegetables should be sliced

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.               

I don't have a grill so I used the broiler.  Turned it on high and let the vegetables cook for about 4 minutes and then turned them over for another few minutes.  I pulled out the vegetables and put the bread with aioli and feta on it into the oven to slightly toast.  Then I assembled that sandwich.  I gobbled up this sandwich so quickly and really wished that I would make another!!!  YUMMY!

I know what I'm having for lunch today!

The bread I chose to use from the Kroger bakery.  It was pretty good!

Penne with Vegetables

The seasons have changed -- it is once again spring!  I'm excited to go through a different season for the first time in a few years.  I am enjoying the differences in produce at grocery stores with each season.  Asparagus is just now coming into season -- here is another recipe using this spring vegetable.

The written recipe below calls for fennel bulb.  It actually wasn't in the original recipe but I've been dying to buy fennel and use it in a recipe.  Based on what I had read about fennel I thought this would be a great recipe to experiment with the fennel.  I only used about 1/4-1/2 of a bulb (just in case I didn't like the taste of it).  But I LOVED it.  Next time I make this I will use more fennel.  It adds a minty flavour that works very well with the basil. 

Penne with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes, and Fennel bulb

8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons EVOO
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small fennel bulb, diced
salt and pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 cup peas
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add salt.  Cook pasta until tender but still firm to the bite, typically 8-10 minutes.  Drain pasta, resverving about 1/2 cup of pasta water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large sautee pan heat EVOO over medium high heat.  Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant - about 1 minute.  Add the asparagus and fennel bulb.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until asparagus is slightly soft - about 4 minutes.  Add cherry tomatoes and pease.  Cook about 2 minutes.  Pour chicken stock into pan and bring mixture to a simmer.  Cook until the tomatoes just start to burst. 

3. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large serving bowl.  Add cooked pasta and most of the freshly grated cheese.  Toss well, adding reserved pasta water if needed.  Garnish with remaining cheese and chopped basil. 

YUMMO.
Bon appetit!

Cooking vegetables

Final product

Spring Vegetable Risotto

This recipe is coming out of a cookbook full of different risotto recipes that all sounded and looked amazing.  I chose this recipe because of the wonderful green vegetables.  They are cooked but remain a bit crisp and you get the lovely creaminess of the rice.  Unfortunately I don't have a copy of this cookbook so I'm writing this based on my memory of the recipe.
Spring Vegetable Risotto

6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup - 1 cup white wine
generous 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (gosh.... it might be more than that.....???)
EVOO
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 large zucchini squash, quarter and diced into 1-inch sections
1 large bunch of asparagus, chopped into 1-inch sections
4 green onions, chopped into 1-inch sections
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
2 large handfuls of sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into 1-inch sections
(all vegetables should be similar in size to aid in an even cooking process.  1 inch or whatever...)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grate parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
crush red pepper flakes, to taste

1. In large pot bring chicken stock to a simmer.  Keep warm.

2. In a large skillet heat couple tablespoons EVOO.  Add zucchini, asparagus, green onion, and sugar snap peas and sautee over medium heat.  Sautee until tender-crisp (but more tender than crisp), 5 minutes or so.  At the end of cooking add in the basil.

3. In another large skillet heat more EVOO and add onion and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  After a minute or two, add arborio rice.  Use wine if things start to stick.  Stir until rice is turning a translucent clear color -- then the true risotto process begins!

4. Add warmed chicken broth one ladle at a time into rice.  Stir constantly!!!!  Once most of liquid is absorbed by the rice, add the next ladle full of broth.  Stir slowly.  Always stir.  Season with a teaspoon or so of crushed red pepper flakes and more salt and pepper.  Continue stirring and adding broth until the rice has cooked down and becomes creamy and tender.  If you don't need to use all the broth, then you don't have to!

5. After finishing the broth process, add in 2 tablespoons butter and parmesan cheese.  Gently fold in until both are melted.  Add in the vegetable medley. 

YUMMMMO!!!
Bon appetit!

Sea scallops + vegetable risotto = the perfect meal!

Lite Pizza

Tired of the thick red pizza sauce that drowns the entire crust of pizza?  Here is a lighter alternative sauce that is perfect for a vegetarian pizza!

Pizza Sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon EVOO
3 tablespoons minced garlic (I used 3 smallish cloves)
2 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1 uncooked pizza crust
EVOO
1/4 of medium sweet onion, julienned
handful of fresh spinach, lightly chopped
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, julienned
handful of grape tomatoes, sliced
handful of button mushrooms, sliced
freshly grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to package instructions on pizza crust.

2. Combine melted butter, EVOO, minced garlic, sun dried tomato pesto, basil, and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.  Let flavors meld together while preparing vegetables.

3. Heat EVOO in skillet.  Add onion, mushrooms, and jalapeno pepper and sautee just until onions turn translucent.  (Just enough to cook a bit)

4. Spread sauce onto pizza crust.  Top with vegetables, including the grape tomatoes and spinach.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.

5. Bake in oven until crust is finished.

Bon appetit!

I chose to buy some premade crust instead of making my homemade version found here.  I've included a picture of what I bought.  It only baked for 4 minutes in the oven which is why I chose to lightly sautee the vegetables before building the pizza.  Next time I make this I will use a finer grater so the parmesan cheese isn't as thick in the sauce.  I will also strongly consider sauteeing the spinach so it cooks a bit.  The pictures of the pre-oven pizza and post-oven pizza look almost similar, and while it tasted excellent, I want my vegetables to be a bit more done.

The pizza crust I used.  It was light, easy to use, tasty, and only required 4 minutes in the oven. 

The sauce. 

Pre oven.

Post oven.  (Kinda looks the same, doesn't!?)

Baked Ziti

I originally made this recipe so that I could have a great pasta dinner that I could turn into frozen entrees to come home to during the busy weeks of teaching.  I made a big batch of baked ziti and froze most of it.  When I ate the last of the leftovers, I knew that I had to make it again.  Instead of having frozen TV dinners that cost $4.00 each (or whatever they cost....), I had prepared a large quantity for minimum cost!  I changed things up when I made it last night and liked the results even better, so while the pictures will be from the first batch, the recipe I share below will be the altered version (added stuff marked with *).  I'll add some pictures of the most recent recipe next time I heat some up because it is vastly different from the pictures below.

Enjoy!

Baked Ziti

1/2 pound dry pasta (ziti, penne, or rotini)
EVOO
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped*
10 oz. spinach, chopped*
1 pound ground turkey*
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese*
1 egg*
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sour cream
shredded mozarella cheese
salt, pepper to taste
italian seasoning to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water and add pasta.  Cook until al dente, or about 8 minutes.  Drain and put back in large pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat EVOO in large skillet.  Add garlic and onion.  Sautee until onions are clear and translucent.  Just before the end of cooking time, add chopped spinach.  Cook down slightly. 

3. Put garlic, onion, and spinach in a bowl and set aside. 

4. In same skillet, brown ground turkey.  Add the garlic, onion, and spinach and mix well. 

5. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and egg.  Add in sour cream and blend until creamy.  Pour into pot of pasta and mix to coat all noodles.  Add in meat and onion mixture.  Toss together.  Add salt, pepper, and italian seasoning to taste. 

6. Spray a baking dish with PAM cooking spray.  Pour most of one jar of spaghetti sauce into bottom of baking dish.  Pour pasta into dish.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Pour remaining jar of spaghetti sauce on top of pasta.  Sprinkle with more shredded cheese. 

7. Cover with aluminom foil and bake 30-40 minutes until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. 

Bon appetit!