Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Creamy Shrimp and Corn


Servings: 2
Ingredients:
  • 1 can of corn
  • 2 portions shrimp (1/2 lb or so)
  • bacon
  • tomato/tomato juice
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt
  • herb and butter rice pack
Make rice according to directions on package.
cut off 3 strips from frozen bacon or slice 3 pieces of bacon into small chunks and render until crispy in hot large saute pan.  Once bacon is crispy, add corn and shrimp.  Cook until shrimp are slightly opaque.  Add chopped tomatoes or just juice if you’re not a huge tomato fan.  Remove from heat once shrimp are completely cooked and then remove from heat.  Add greek yogurt and stir in.
Serve corn and shrimp over rice.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Chicken and Spinach Lasagna


Servings: 6 (I know this will leave you with lots of left overs, but you could serve it when you have company or just freeze the remainder and have it for lunch!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 lb ground chicken (you could really use any ground meat you like)
  • 1/2 onion (diced)
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese
  • 5 oz frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup butter or olive oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2-3/4 cup milk (I use silk unsweetened almond milk)
  • 6 or so pieces of lasagna noodles (I prefer whole wheat)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • shredded mozzarella cheese
First add the ground chicken, diced onion and minced garlic clove into a saute pan and cook over medium high heat until chicken is done and onion is translucent.  Then reduce the heat to low and stir in spinach and cottage cheese.

While the chicken and onions are cooking, bring a large pot with water and salt to boil and add the lasagna noodles.  Cook until al dente or lightly softened.  Do not cook them all the way because they will cook more in the oven.  When they are softened, remove from boiling water, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.
For the sauce, mix the flour and butter or olive oil together in a small sauce pot over medium high heat. Combine the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk.  Once flour-butter is incorporated, slowly add the chicken broth and milk liquid while whisking.  You will initially get clumps- this is okay, keep whisking.  Bring to a boil and allow to slightly thicken.  If it gets too thick, add more milk to loosen.  Add the parmesan cheese and let melt into sauce.
Spread a small amount of the sauce into a baking dish and lay a layer of lasagna noodles.  Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, add 1/3 of the sauce and then sprinkle mozzarella on top.  Then add a second layer of noodles, with another 1/3 of the meat and 1/3 of the sauce and again sprinkle mozzarella.  Layer the last of the noodles on top and add the last of the meat, sauce and top with mozzarella.
Top with aluminum foil and Bake in the oven for 30 minutes then remove foil and bake for 15-20 more or until top is brown and bubbly.
OPTIONAL:  You can add stale breadcrumbs or panko on top after removing the aluminum foil for an added crunch texture.

Thick and Creamy Taco Soup


Servings: 3
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can white beans (ie cannelloni beans)
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/2 can corn
  • 1/2 can black beans
  • 1 small can green chilies
  • 1 chicken breast (you can pre-saute/roast or buy precooked chicken)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • pinch oregano
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 lime (for juice)
  • salt to taste
Start by pureeing the white beans and the chicken broth.  Then add in the greek yogurt and continue to puree until smooth.  Add to a soup pot or other small pot.   Put pot on medium heat
Add in corn, chilies, and black beans.  Cube or cut chicken into small bite sized pieces.  Add seasonings and lime juice.
Let simmer for 30-45 minutes and serve.
NOTE: You can also add salsa or diced tomatoes if you’d like, I am not a huge tomato fan unless its pureed and in a sauce.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Easy Peasy Chicken Pot Pie


Serves 4.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
  • 12 oz or so of oven roasted chicken breast (I like to buy canned and then spread in on a baking sheet with some seasonings or you could just buy store bought oven roasted chicken or lastly buy raw chicken breast and roast it then chop into bit sized pieces)
  • bag of frozen vegetables (I like the variety pack with peas, carrots, green beans, limas and corn)
  • 2 cans of your favorite cream of… soup.  I have done this recipe with cream of broccoli, mushroom and chicken.  They are all delicious.
  • Dried sage
  • cayenne
  • 2 tubes of crescent rolls from you grocery store.
Start by opening one of the tubes of crescent rolls and spread along the bottom of a baking dish.  Put into oven and let cook slightly.  This will prevent the bottom crust from being raw when you go to serve.
In a pan on the stove combine frozen vegetables and cream of soups.  Bring to boil and cook until vegetables are warm and no longer frozen.  Add chicken last as to not over cook.
ALTERNATIVE:  If you don’t want to use cream of… soup, you can easily make a roux using equal parts butter/oil and flour in the bottom of your pot first, whisking to combine.  Then add chicken broth slowly and bring it to a boil.  This will thicken and you can use it instead or in combination.
After mixing in chicken season with salt to taste, a dash of cayenne and a dash of dried sage.  Pour into baking dish over crescent layer.
Pop second tube of crescent rolls and spread on top filling.  Put back into oven for 20ish minutes or until top layer is golden brown and flaky.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Baked Enchilada Lasagna


Serves 3-4
Preheat your oven to 350.
Ingredients:
  • half chopped onion
  • 1 garlic glove
  • 3/4 lbs ground beef
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 1/2 can black beans
  • 4 1/2 small corn tortillas
  • 1/2 can enchilada sauce
  • jarred or homemade salsa
  • Mexican cheese (I just use the store brand)
Finely chop or mince the garlic into a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and ground beef.  Cook until onion is translucent and then add the taco seasonings.
TIP:  I like to stir in the taco seasonings and then add 1/4-1/2 cup water and bring the whole pan to a boil.  I think it allows for better penetration of flavor.
Spray the bottom your lasagna dish with nonstick spray and put down 2 tortillas (I trim them into halves and put the straight part against the side of the dish and allow the circular edges to overlap.  I had a small hole still in the center so I added a 1/4 of a tortilla to cover it.
sprinkle down 1/2 of the meat and onion mixture.  Top with the black beans (make sure you drain and rinse them first!).  Then add 1/2 the enchilada sauce and some salsa.  Lastly sprinkle with a fine layer of the mexican cheese.
Repeat a second layer starting with the tortillas, then beef, then enchilada and salsa and finish with the cheese.
Bake in your oven for 20-30 minutes- until center is warmed and cheese is melty and bubbly.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Chicken and Spinach Rolls


Servings: 3
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Thaw spinach ahead of time or pop it in the microwave on defrost.  Make sure you ring it out and get any excess moisture before use!
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 package frozen spinach
  • 2 Tbsp part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
  • 1 recipe of my Go To Tomato Sauce
Place each breast on a cutting board, and put one hand on the top.  Slice the breast parallel to the cutting board creating a pocket.  Keep cutting in the same motion until you have cut the breast into two thin slices.  Cover in wax paper and pound with meat tenderizer or other heavy flat object (fry skillet works well!) until breast half is very thin.  Repeat with other half and other breast.  This leaves you with 4 very thin chicken breasts.  Cut all in half  width wise for 8 pieces total.  Season lightly with salt.
In a bowl, combine mozzarella (leave a pinch for the top), ricotta, spinach and parmesan.  Put forkful onto chicken breast and then roll the breast around the cheesey mixture.  Dip the roll into the egg white and then place into baking dish.
Repeat 8 times.  When done, sprinkle panko onto of chicken rolls.
Place into oven for 15-25 minutes, or until panko is slightly golden.  Meanwhile, you can prepare the tomato sauce or open your store bought marinara/ tomato sauce (although it won’t be as delicious or cost effective as my recipe…)
Pour tomato sauce over chicken rolls and sprinkle reserved pinch of mozzarella on top and put back into oven.  If you are starving at this point, you can switch the oven to broil and just remove it when the cheese is brown and bubbly.  If you can wait, leave in oven at 450 until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Serve with your favorite veggie or side dish.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Asian Style Peanut Chicken with Broccoli Slaw


Serves: 2-3
Preheat large skillet on medium to high heat.
Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2.5 Tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 Tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • juice of 1/2 lime and zest
  • 1 cup rice noodles
  • 1 small bag broccoli slaw
  • salt to tast
For the peanut sauce: 
Combine 1 cup chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, half the ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a pot. Bring to boil stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
Chicken and Broccoli:
Chop chicken into small pieces.   Add lime juice, zest and the other half of the ginger and mix to combine.   Add chicken to hot skillet.  While cooking, add teaspoon salt and when chicken is mostly cooked add in broccoli slaw. Add rest of soy sauce and chicken broth. Saute veggies with chicken until tender.
For serving, put veggie/chicken mixture on bottom, top with crunchy rice noodles and drizzle with peanut sauce.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Go To Tomato Sauce


Serves 2-4 (depends on application)
Ingredients:
  • 1 can diced no salt added tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (depends on personal taste)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon oil (Extra virgin or Smart Balance works just fine)
Put oil in a sauce pan on medium heat.  Peel cloves and put in hot oil.  Add crushed red pepper to garlic oil and let mix and heat through for 2-3 minutes.  After garlic is soft, add can of diced tomatoes.  Bring to boil and let reduce for 4-5 minutes.  Put whole mixture in blender or use hand blender until preferred consistency- smooth or lumpy tomatoes.  Taste and salt to personal preference.
Great for my Parmesan portabella mushrooms, pizza or just plain old spaghetti!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Shrimp N Grits


Serves 2.
Ingredients:
  • frozen bacon
  • shallot
  • scallion/ green onion
  • 1/2 lb shrimp
  • 1/2 cup quick grits
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • salt to taste
Chop off the end of the frozen bacon (perpendicular to the strips) 4 times to create 4 thin strips made of thin pieces of the bacon.  Put bacon into a hot skillet and render the fat.  While the bacon renders, dice the shallot and add it to the bacon.  When the shallot is soft and bacon is almost fully crispy, add the shrimp and cook until white and firm.
In a pot add the grits and the chicken broth, bring pot to a boil.  After it boils, reduce to simmer.  Season with salt to personal preference.
Put grits into serving bowls first and then pour bacon, shallot and shrimp over.  Slice small circles off the green onion and sprinkle on top.
Enjoy :)