Baked Chicken with Sauteed Mushrooms and Roasted Potatoes

I could eat mushrooms in every meal - raw, grilled, sauteed, roasted, sauced, etc. I LOVE them, and this particular way of cooking them is probably my favorite! Normally, I cook them this way with steaks, but they complimented baked chicken breasts very deliciously, too.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CHICKEN
Put the following into a bowl and whisk together:
1. About 1/3 C Olive Oil
2. About 5-6 dashes of Worchestershire Sauce
3. Steak seasoning (any kind - I used Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning...DELICIOUS; I'm not sure about the amount...maybe, a tsp)

Put 4 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts - or 2 large - in the bowl and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. After 30 minutes, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes - depends on the thickness of your chicken.

DIRECTIONS FOR MUSHROOMS
1. Slice baby bella mushrooms (entire regular size pack)
2. Put mushrooms in a large skillet with about a Tbsp of olive oil
3. Stir to coat mushrooms and saute over medium heat
4. Lightly sprinkle mushrooms with Tony Chachere More Spice Seasoning
5. Add zesty italian dressing (about 1/8 C)
6. Add several dashes of worchestershire sauce to evenly cover the mushrooms
7. Bring to a slight boil and turn down heat to simmer; stirring occasionally

Let it simmer the whole time the chicken is cooking. The liquid should cook down to nothing or almost nothing. If it doesn't (b/c too much was used), you can strain the mushrooms to get the liquid away when you're ready to serve, or you can add a thickening agent - cornstarch, arrowroot, flour - to turn the liquid to a sauce.

When the chicken is ready, place it on the plate and cover with the mushrooms.

POTATOES
Clean and cube one white potato. Toss in olive oil to lightly coat and then add black pepper, a liberal amount of salt, garlic powder and a sprinkling of rosemary. I would normally bake them at 425, but since I was cooking the chicken at 350, I roasted these at 350, too. I put them in before the chicken and total time was about 40 minutes for them. I turned them over about half way through the cook time.

I had a sweet potato instead of white. I still cubed it and tossed in olive oil. Then, I sprinkled them lightly with white pepper, salt, ginger, cinnamon and rosemary. They were cooked the same way as the white potatoes.

I LOVE this meal! The marinade on the chicken is delicious, as well as the mushrooms. The roasted white and sweet potatoes were both great! Oh, and I added a light "dusting" of grated parmesan cheese to the white ones when I turned them halfway through. YUMMMMMMMMMM.........

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.9

Monterey Chicken with Brown Rice and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

FOR THE CHICKEN:
4 small chicken breasts or two large
1/3 C olive oil
2 tsp seasoning salt - any kind
1 tsp black pepper
barbeque sauce - any kind
medium onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
real bacon pieces (salad topping)
shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Whisk together olive oil, seasoning salt and black pepper in a bowl
3. Add chicken to the bowl and let marinade for about 30 minutes
4. Stir together onions and drained tomatoes & chiles
5. Place chicken in a glass baking dish and spoon or brush on barbeque sauce to entirely cover the top of the chicken
6. Spoon an even amount of tomatoes & onions onto the chicken
7. Put dish in oven for about 20 minutes
8. Remove from oven and put bacon pieces and cheese evenly over the top of the chicken
9. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes - until cheese is melted and beginning to brown (I used 2% shredded cheese, so it didn't melt as well or as pretty as full fat cheese, but the taste was still great.)

FOR THE BRUSSEL SPROUTS:
1. Cut the bottom off of each sprout and pull away to "bad" leaves
2. Place in a bowl with olive oil; stir to coat the sprouts
3. Put sprouts on a nonstick cookie sheet and sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder
4. Roast in oven for about 15-20 minutes (at 350)
5. Remove from oven and turn over; bake for another 10 minutes

For the brown rice, follow instruction on the box. I cooked the rice in vegetable broth and garlic powder instead of just water.

This was a very simple meal and a yummy way to spice up boneless, skinless chicken breasts!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

I'm trying to eat lower-carb suppers to lose some weight for our big day in March, and this meal is low in carbs on top of being EASY and very tasty.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Red bell peppers
3/4 lb of ground meat (any kind - chicken, turkey, beef, pork, etc.)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Cup cooked brown rice (not instant)
1/2 Cup diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 Cup fat free sour cream
1/2 Cup shredded cheese (any kind - I used Italian blend)
2 tsp Dried Chives or chopped fresh green onions
Ground oregano & thyme, parsley, salt and black pepper (any spice/herb combination you like would work)
1/3 Cup beef or vegetable broth (or combine them)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Brown meat with onions and garlic; drain grease
3. Cut peppers in half, lenth-wise, and remove seeds and scrape the inside to make sure it's all even
4. Combine meat, onions, garlic, rice tomatoes, sour cream & cheese in a large mixing bowl
5. Add spices - liberally - but not too much salt (that can always be added to individual taste after cooking) - and chives or green onions; don't add parsley yet
You should taste the mixture to see what you need to add as you are handling the spices. It's completely up to you how much or how little or what to use.
6. Spoon mixture into each pepper half to fill it completely
7. Place peppers in glass baking dish and pour broth in the bottom of the dish
8. Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes
9. Uncover and spoon liquid from bottom of dish over each pepper
10. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes
11. Sprinkle parsley on top before serving

I had some meat mixture left over, but I started with a pound of meat. (That's why I cut it back to 3/4 of a pound.) This can serve 4 people - unless you have someone really hungry on your hands! :) Or you could get smaller peppers and less meat to try to make only enough for two. That's probably what I'll do next time. Next time, I may also mix up the meats, spices, veggies, etc. Anything goes!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

Oven "Fried" Chicken Just Like Mom Used to Make!

I've been craving fried chicken, so I decided to do my mom's version that we used to eat all the time when I was a kid. It turned out just as delicious as I remembered!

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken pieces (bone-in and skin on)
You can use any pieces you like. I had two breasts, two thighs and two legs.
1 stick of butter
Seasoned Salt (Lawry's, Ms. Dash, whatever you like)
Sage
Garlic powder
Black Pepper
All-purpose flour put into a quart sized Ziploc bag

DIRECTIONS:
1. Turn oven on to 400
2. Put a stick of butter into a glass baking dish and place in the oven to melt
3. Make sure your chicken is completely dry and liberally season the "meaty" side with seasoned salt, sage, garlic powder and black pepper
4. Place chicken - one piece at a time - into the bag of flour, seal bag and shake it around to coat chicken
5. When butter has melted and starts bubbling, place chicken in baking dish with the seasoned side down
6. Check in 20 minutes - flip if browned; if not browned well, check in another 10 minutes
7. When browned, flip chicken and cook for another 15 minutes
8. Check with a fork to be sure the juice that runs out is clear (that means it is done) ;)

It should look like this:

You can serve with any side dish(es). I braised fresh broccoli and mashed potatoes. It was an awesome Sunday supper and took me back to childhood - except for the broccoli. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

Mushroom Artichoke Smothered Chicken

Since it's getting to be winter time, I don't get my beloved grilled chicken anymore. Instead, I try to come up with creative INDOOR ways to cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Here's what I came up with last night.

INGREDIENTS:
4 small or 2 large chicken breasts
1 regular-sized box of baby bella whole mushrooms
1 jar of marinated artichokes
1 can of mild diced tomatoes & green chiles (Ro-tel)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salsa seasoning, minced onions or onion powder and cumin
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Cup Montery Jack cheese, shredded, or mexican blend cheese
Cilantro
Seasoned Salt (Lawry's, Mrs. Dash, whatever you have on hand or prefer - just make sure it's not spicy, since you're using the Ro-tel) and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut or pull the stem off the mushrooms and slice very thin
2. Saute mushroom slices in olive oil over medium heat in skillet to release some of the moisture; only for about 3-5 minutes
3. Preheat oven to 350
4. In a mixing bowl, combine mushrooms, drained and chopped artichokes, drained tomatoes and chiles, salsa seasoning, minced onions and cumin
5. Add flour to mixture and stir (the flour will help soak up the liquid so the baking dish won't be full of liquid after cooking)
6. Sprinkle seasoning salt on both sides of chicken breasts and place in glass baking dish (I like to line to dish with foil treated with non-stick spray for easy clean up, but that's your choice)
7. Light add pepper to the top of the chicken breasts (optional)
8. Spoon mushroom-artichoke-tomato mixture on top of chicken
9. Bake on middle rack for about 25-30 minutes
10. Remove baking dish from oven and sprinkle montery jack cheese on top
11. Turn off oven, turn on broiler (high) and place dish in oven to melt and lightly brown the cheese

Sprinkle with cilantro (try parsley or basil if you don't like or have cilantro) and serve with a salad, green veggie, potatoes, rice, pasta, eat it alone - whatever will work!

I roasted asparagus that was tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with black pepper and lemon-garlic seasoning. For Ryan, I also mashed potatoes with butter, chicken broth, minced garlic, fat-free sour cream, salt and black pepper.

This dish was a hit! The chicken was moist and went well with the smothered veggies and cheese. I liked it so much, it's all I ate for my meal. I was too full to finish the asparagus! Will definitely do this chicken again...and maybe mix up the ingredients. I hate to do the same thing over and over.

Let us know how you mix it up with your chicken recipes!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

Pineapple Pulled Pork Perfection (Nachos)

As I've told you before (and you know anyway if you know us), Ryan and I love, Love, LOVE mexican food! One of our favorite dishes is Nachos Barucas from Don Pancho. It's nachos with pulled pork, onions, pineapple and fresh cilantro. We weren't 100% sure how they prepare it, but Ryan took a shot guessing at it. His shot was perfect - in fact, I think his version turned out better than the restaurant's! And the best part is it's easy! Get out the crockpot, folks...

INGREDIENTS:
4 lb pork roast (boston butt)
Ask your butcher to cut the roast down to 4 lbs. The average is around 8 lbs.
20 oz can pineapple chunks in 100% juice
1/2 tsp each of black pepper, white pepper, red pepper flakes and cayenne powder
2 tsp salt
1 cup dark beer
1 medium onion, sliced and cut in half so you have long pieces
1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
A few dashes of seasoning salt (whatever you have on hand) and Tony Chachere's More Spice Seasoning (optional)
Fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips
Cheese dip
Whatever kind you like best from your grocery store will work. I, typically, get something that is with the international foods and looks more authentic than Tostito's or Frito-Lay. Not that those aren't good, but for this dish, I want as close to the real mexican restaurant cheese dip as I can get!

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place roast in crockpot
2. Mix pineapple (don't drain), all spices, beer, onion and garlic together in a mixing bowl and pour over the roast
3. Cook on high for one hour, and then turn down to low for 7 hours
4. Roast should pull apart very easily with a fork when it's ready
5. Put tortilla chips on your plate, drain the pork in a collander and place on top of the chips (be sure to include the pineapple chunks and onions)
6. Pour heated cheese dip over the chips and pork - amount is up to you
7. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over everything - amount is, again, to your liking
This serves approximately 5-6 people.

Above is exactly how Ryan ate his nachos. Instead, I left the chips off the plate and used Tostito's Scoops Baked. I got the pork, cheese and cilantro off my plate with a fork and put in the scoop individually as I ate - YUMMY! That way, not only did my chips not get soggy, but I also got even distribution of all the ingredients in each chip. PERFECT.

Also, this pork is excellent on it's own without making it nachos or using the cheese dip. Try it by itself or on Hawaiian Rolls, onion rolls - whatever! It will be delicious no matter how it's served. Promise.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake

Originally, this was a Rachael Ray recipe, but I changed it up some, and the outcome was delicious! It's, also, not too, too bad for you, which is always a plus.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lb lean ground beef or sirloin
1 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp coriander
1 box (approximately 8 servings) of whole wheat pasta I used medium shells. Also, you could use penne, bowtie, elbow - anything like that.
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Cups 2% milk
1/4 Cup fresh cilantro or 2 Tbsp dried
1/4 Cup fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp dried
2-2.5 Cups 2% sharp chedder, shredded
1 Can of fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook beef until almost completely browned
2. When beef gets to that point, add onion, jalapeno and garlic to skillet; cook until onions are clear
3. Cook pasta as box instructs - a little bit past "al dente"
4. While beef and pasta are going, melt butter in medium-size pot on stove over medium heat
5. Add flour to completely melted butter and stir w/ a whisk til blended well
6. Add milk and whisk w/ flour/butter
7. When onions in beef skillet are clear, drain and add chili powder, coriander and cumin; stir well and remove from heat
8. Preheat broiler on high and move rack to the next-to-bottom level
9. Pasta should be finished by now; remove from heat and drain it
10. When milk begins to bubble, add cheese and stir w/ milk til melted
*Don't use your whisk for this step. A wooden utensil is best. 11. When cheese is melted, add cilantro, parsley, black pepper and tomatoes; stir
12. Combine pasta, beef mixture and cheese sauce in a large mixing bowl; stir together well
13. Pour contents of bowl evenly into a large glass baking dish
14. Sprinkle the top w/ a light amount of cheese (optional)
15. Put dish in oven and broil until the top is browned - about 5 minutes

Let the dish set for about 2-3 minutes. It won't need to cool very long, since it's not baked, and everything was still warm when combined. Serve alone or with a small salad.

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

Next time I make this dish, I might add another jalepeno and another can of tomatoes, or I might even use rotel instead of the fire-roasted.

Please comment if you make this dish, and definitely let me know if you add your own flair! Have fun with it. ENJOY.

Smoked Ribs with Sauteed Spinach & Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

First, I have to say Ryan's Rub is top secret, so I am not allowed to give much from that recipe away. Secondly, you can get his rub at The Choppin' Block, if you'd like to try it. ;-) It's an awesome combination of sweet and spicy, and it can be used on a variety of meats. (We used it in ground chuck for burgers not too long ago.)

RIBS:
Rub 'em and smoke 'em...or grill or bake in foil in low temp if you don't have several hours available to smoke them. The time varies depending on how the temperature fluctuates in his smoker, how many ribs and their size. Usually, 3-4 hours, though.

SPINACH:
You'll need a whole bag or container of baby spinach (5 oz), about a Tbsp of minced garlic or dry minced onion, 1.5 Tbsp of olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste.

1. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over high heat
2. Add garlic or onions, salt and pepper
3. When oil is hot and garlic/onions are "popping" and starting to brown, begin to add your spinach in handfuls, and keep it moving constantly with tongs until all spinach is in the pot
4. Keep turning spinach until it cooks down some and absorbs oil (whole process should take less than 5 minutes)
5. Remove from heat and serve.

POTATOES:
All I did was wash and dice 4 small red pototoes and add them to a small pot of water with about a Tbsp of minced garlic. Boiled them until soft, drained them and mashed with a couple of splashes of skim milk, a Tbsp of olive oil spread, salt and pepper.

YUMMO.

Salmon Caesar Salad

I'm normally not big on salads for dinner, but this salad was filling, delicious and easy!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 salmon fillets (fresh or frozen)
2. 10 romaine lettuce leaves
3. 1/2 to 1 Tbsp Light Caesar dressing
4. Grated parmesan cheese
5. 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
6. Seasoned salt and Chachere's
7. Black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chop lettuce leaves and toss with dressing, set in refrigerator

2. On both sides of salmon fillets, spread olive oil evenly and sprinkle seasoning evenly (amount is up to you...Ryan used a light amount)

3. Sear salmon in skillet over low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes on both sides (depends on your stove...be careful not to over cook)

4. Put 1/2 of the lettuce on dinner plate, add small amount of black pepper and place a salmon fillet on top (repeat for 2nd serving)

5. Liberally and evenly sprinkle parmesan over the top

Enjoy!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Leftover Love

The Mexican Chicken was enough for two nights of meals. So, a couple of nights after we had it the first time, Ryan made burritos.

DIRECTIONS:

Put chicken in three flour tortillas, roll them up tightly and set in a small square baking dish. Place a small amount of chicken and shredded Mexican-blend cheese on top. Then, bake at 350 until the cheese is melted and begins browning.

Serve with lettuce, sour cream, salsa, plain...whatever you like! Ryan had a side of the leftover black beans. I was fine with my chicken burrito only. ;-)

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Cinna-Choc-Nanner Quesedillas

OK, so, I normally don't do desserts. However, this one is super easy and super tasty. I had to share.

1. Lightly butter one side of a taco or fajita size flour tortilla (I used olive oil spread)

2. Place butter-side down in a skillet treated with nonstick spray over low-med heat

3. Place milk chocolate chips evenly on tortilla

4. Slice half of a small banana and place evenly on one half of the tortilla

5. Sprinkle light brown sugar over everything (about 1/2 Tbsp)

6. Generously sprinkle cinnamon over everything

7. When chocolate begins melting, fold the tortilla in half - one side over on the other - and lightly sprinkle cinnamon

8. Flip and do the same thing to the other side

9. Cook until both sides are lightly browned and crisp - to your liking

10. Take the other half of the banana and cut it long-ways down the middle, sprinkle with cinnamon

11. Place cinnamon side down in the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, turn and cook another couple of minutes

12. Serve quesedilla with the bananas on top after adding a small amount of chocolate syrup over bananas

YUM!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Stuffed Mushrooms & Marinated Roasted Zucchini

Ryan grilled burgers last night that came from my Uncle's cows - soooo good. For our sides, he stuffed and grilled baby bella mushrooms and I roasted zucchini. It was all DELICIOUS.

MUSHROOMS:

1. Wash and remove stems from mushrooms (6)
2. Grate 1/2 cup of cheese (he used pepper jack)
3. Finely dice 1 red baby bell pepper
4. Put an even amount of cheese in each mushroom
5. Top cheese with bell peppers and lightly sprinkle cilantro
6. Grill or bake til cheese melts

ZUCCHINI:

1. Wash and dice one medium zucchini
2. Place in shallow baking dish
3. Pour about 1 Tbsp zesty Italian dressing over zucchini and a few light dashes of worchestershire sauce
4. Place in oven at 425
5. After 10 minutes, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes. (For bigger/thicker pieces, cook 10 more minutes.)

You can always use difference cheeses or veggies to stuff the mushrooms or different dressings/marinades on the zucchini. Whatever you like will do!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Crockpot Mexican Chicken

Crockpots are the best! Set it and forget it. Plus, usually, you only need a few ingredients.

Here's what you need for Mexican Chicken:
1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 can Enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel (I used Lime Cilantro Rotel)
1 packet Taco Seasoning (lower sodium version)
1 bunch of Green onions, diced
1 cup Shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can Bush's seasoned black beans
Fresh cilantro
Tortillas, rice and/or tortilla chips

1. Combine enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, rotel and onions in a bowl
2. Place chicken in crock pot
3. Pour sauce over chicken
4. Turn crockpot on high

5. After a couple of hours, see if chicken can easily be shredded and shred with two forks

6. After another hour to an hour and a half, add cheese, stir and turn down to low

7. Turn crockpot off after about 4-4.5 hours
8. Open black beans and warm over the stove for about 5-10 minutes and warm tortillas according to package directions

Serve over rice, in a soft tortilla or with tortilla chips.

I put the chicken in a soft tortilla (fajita size), topped with cilantro and chopped lettuce.

Ryan ate his fajita style - putting chicken, rice and beans in a tortilla. (The rice was brown and cooked in water, according to directions, with a chicken bouillon cube.)

Make your own version and let us know how it goes!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Sweet Garlicky Chicken Breasts & Spicy Parmesan Crusted Zucchini

I found this chicken recipe on Pinterest, but I changed a few things. So, this is my version of it. :-)

INGREDIENTS:

4 small or 2 large chicken breasts
1/2 tsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Large zucchini or 2 Med/small
2 Egg whites
Panko bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Tony Chachere's More Spice Seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

1. Warm oil in small skillet over med-low heat and preheat oven to 350

2. Add garlic to skillet once oil is hot and saute until garlic begins browning and then remove from heat

3. While garlic is being sauteed, peel zucchini and cut into spears about 1.5-2 inches long

4. Liberally sprinkle Panko on a plate and add parmesan (lightly) and Chachere's (a few dashes - depending how spicy you like it); stir with your hands to combine ingredients more evenly

5. Dip spear in egg white, coat it in the Panko mixture and place in a glass baking dish covered with foil

6. Continue the previous step until you go through all the zucchini

7. Combine sauteed garlic with brown sugar

8. Place chicken in a glass baking dish covered with foil that is treated with nonstick spray

9. Spoon brown sugar-garlic mixture onto each chicken breast and spread evenly over each one; Salt and pepper to your taste

10. Put both dishes in the oven and bake for 30 minutes; after 30 minutes, you can turn on the broiler if the sugar needs to melt more or if the zucchini sticks aren't browned enough

I really liked the taste of the garlic and brown sugar together! I think I'd like to add Chachere's to this the next time I make it. I think the sweet with spicy would be awesome. (But, I'd definitely have to serve it with a non-spicy side!)

We loved this zucchini! I think I'll try it with other spices/seasoning, too. Maybe even dry ranch mix...?

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Baked Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Jalapeno Jack and Spinach

Man, oh, man...was this a delicious meal!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Small or 2 large chicken breasts
***I strongly recommend The Choppin' Block for chicken breasts. They're not huge, which means they're hormone-free, and it makes them much easier to cook. Plus, they taste great and have a really good texture.
1 Cup shredded Jalapeno Jack, or if you don't like the spice, you can use regular Jack cheese
1 Large handful of baby spinach
1/2 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs
1Tbsp olive oil
Seasoning Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup broccoli
1 Cup baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice down the thickest side of the chicken breast so that you can "open it up"

2. Put 1/4 of the shredded cheese (or 1/2 if you're using the large breasts) on the "opened-up" chicken breasts

3. Put 1/4 of the spinach (or 1/2) on top of the cheese

4. Lightly sprinkle some Panko on the spinach

5. Fold chicken over so that it's back together/"closed" and use toothpicks to tightly secure it

6. Sprinkle seasoning salt and black pepper on top of the chicken (amount is up to you)

7. Follow steps 1-6 for the remaining chicken and place chicken in glass baking dish (treated with nonstick spray)

8. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes

9. About halfway through cook time, brush olive oil (or melted butter) on top of chicken to get it to come to a golden brown color

9. Blanch broccoli in water on the stove for about 2 minutes

10. Remove broccoli from hot water, place in a colander, and run cool water over it (to stop the cooking)

11. Put butter and minced garlic in a skillet and saute garlic for a couple of minutes over med-low to med heat

12. Add mushrooms to skillet and saute for about 5 minutes, add a few dashes of soy sauce and stir occasionally

13. Add broccoli to the skillet, stir broccoli, mushrooms, garlic together and saute for about 5 more minutes

SERVE!

I LOVED the broccoli and mushrooms cooked together this way! We will definitely make this side again and will probably try it with other sauces/ spices.

The chicken was perfect! You could also grill them...once the "burn ban" is over! :-/ If Ryan could have grilled them, that's probably what he would've done, but they turned out great baked.

Try using different cheeses and veggies to stuff the chicken, if you like. Feta would've been good with the spinach, also. (Ryan has done that combo before when making chicken breasts spirals.) If you try this recipe or your own variation, let us know how it turns out!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Baked Sesame Ginger Salmon with Brown Rice & Teriyaki Roasted Vegetables

Did someone say EASY?

The title may sound complicated, but if you can open a bottle of marinade and turn on an oven, you can make this meal.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put thawed or fresh salmon fillets in a Ziploc bag and coat each side with Sesame Ginger 30-Minute Marinade. (We usually have the generic brand.) Place the bags in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Cube one small zucchini, one small yellow squash and dice half of a medium-sized yellow onion. Put in a bowl and add dashes of teriyaki sauce until the veggies are lightly coated. Sprinkle them with any kind of seasoning salt, garlic powder, black pepper and stir. Place in the refrigerator until you're ready to roast them.

3. Put 1/2 Cup of brown rice (not instant) with a few sprinkles of garlic powder and 1 and 1/3 Cup of salted beef stock in a small pot on the stove. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for about 30 minutes - until all the liquid is gone.

4. Preheat oven to 375 and put salmon in a glass dish lined with foil treated with nonstick spray.

5. Place veggies on a nonstick metal baking pan and roast in oven for about 20-25 minutes, stirring once.

6. Halfway through the veggie cook time, put the salmon in the oven, too. It should take 12-15 minutes depending on thickness. (When salmon is ready, it should flake easily.)

7. When everything is ready, plate it and sprinkle fish and rice with parsley.

8. SERVE AND ENJOY.

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6

Lasagna with Homemade Meat and Garden Vegetable Marinara

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 celery stalks with leaves, diced
1/2 Tbsp each of thyme, oregano, basil and parsley
1/2 Cup red wine
2 (.28 oz) Cans crushed tomatoes
1 Bay leaf
1 Tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb Ground beef, lean (or any ground meat)
9 Whole wheat lasagna noodles
1/2-1 Cup ricotta
4 Cups Italian blend shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Warm olive oil in soup pot over medium heat
2. Add onions first and saute for about 5 minutes, then, add green pepper, carrots and celery

3. Cook veggies, stirring occasionally, until the onions are clear and other veggies are starting to get soft
4. Add garlic and spices, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

5. Pour in wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes
6. Add the cans of tomatoes, do not drain, and bring to a light simmer
7. While bringing sauce to simmer, brown meat in a skillet and drain
8. Put meat in food processor to get a fine and even texture (optional)
9. Add meat, bay leaf, salt, pepper and sugar to sauce and bring to a low simmer (taste the sauce to see if you need to add more salt, pepper or sugar - adding just a small amount at a time between tasting)
10. Simmer for at least one hour

11. After sauce is ready, set it aside and cook pasta as instructed on the box
12. Pat pasta dry after cooking and straining water
13. Turn oven on 375
14. Spread a cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x11 glass baking dish evenly
15. Layer 3 noodles (overlapping if needed) over sauce
16. Add sauce to cover each noodle, spreading evenly (amount is up to you)
17. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the sauce, cover the sauce really well
18. Place dollops of ricotta over the shredded cheese (in a line with the way the noodles are placed)
19. Put another layer of 3 noodles over the ricotta and follow the same steps ( sauce, shredded cheese, ricotta)
20. Add the last layer of 3 noodles, sauce and shredded cheese (put sauce and cheese in any gaps between the dish edge and the pasta)
21. Tent foil over the top to cover without touching the lasagna
22. Cook on middle rack in over for 45 minutes, uncover and cook for 5 more minutes 23. Remove and let sit for 5-10 minutes

24. SERVE

We should've had a salad with this, but instead we had Pepperidge Farm Garlic 5-Cheese Texas Toast. YUMMY.

You can make this sauce for any pasta, also...spaghetti, ravioli, etc. It is time-consuming but easy and worth it!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.6