Caprese Grilled Cheese

I mentioned earlier that I'm currently obsessed with caprese. Caprese grilled cheese seemed like a logical next step. And it was delicious!! It was so fresh and did I mention delicious? When I make any new meal, I always ask Matt what he thinks and if this is a "do over" meal. This meal will definitely be a do over meal.

Ingredients

• 4 Whole wheat bread slices
• 8 oz. large ball fresh mozerella cheese, cut in thin slices
• 1 large tomato
• salt & pepper
• 2 Tablespoons basil pesto
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1. Brush butter on one side of 2 slices of bread.  Place buttered side down on medium-low skillet.  
2. Layer on each piece of bread - slices of mozerella cheese to cover each slice, slices of tomato to cover cheese. Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomato slices.  Spread generous tablespoon of pesto on remaining 2 slices of bread.  Place pesto side down on top of sandwiches.  Brush melted butter over top of slices and flip sandwiches when golden browned, about 1-2 minutes.   Grill over low to medium heat in skillet about 2 more minutes more but watch carefully!  Serve immediately!

Source: Dishin & Dishes

Pasta and Shrimp Primavera

My friend introduced me to a produce stand nearby with great produce and inexpensive prices. So when I found this recipe packed with all kinds of produce I got all excited! The original recipe didn't have a sauce, so I made a few changes to add flavor. I thought this was good but I'm not sure it amazed me or anything.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. cooked pasta (I used half a box of whole wheat rotini)
• 1 lb frozen shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 lb asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced (I used a large shallot because that's what I had)
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drain excess liquid
• 3-4 tbsp chopped, fresh basil
• salt & pepper to taste
• feta cheese
• splash of white wine
• splash of chicken broth

Directions

1. Cook pasta and drain.
2. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat and add shrimp, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until pink. Remove shrimp and set aside.
3. Add another tbsp olive oil and add squash, onion, and asparagus to the skillet. Saute 4-5 minutes. 
4. Add spinach and mushrooms and cook until spinach has wilted.
5. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes, basil, chicken broth, and white wine. Cook for several minutes to cook out wine
6. Mix in the shrimp and pasta. Toss until combined. Top with feta cheese before serving.

Source: Adapted slightly from The Sweets Life

Quinoa with Balsamic Mushrooms

Yum! This was really good and packed a lot of protein. There was so much good stuff in this recipe. It made me feel good eating it. The pear and balsamic vinaigrette that you make is really good and would taste great on a nice salad. My favorite part about the recipe was definitely the mushrooms. I could even eat them alone!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small pear, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 2 lbs portobello mushrooms, stemmed with gills scraped out
• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups tightly packed spinach, chopped
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475F. In a blender, combine vinegar, mustard, pear, and garlic with 1/3 cup water. Blend until smooth. Cut portobellos into chunks. Take 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss with mushrooms. Lay mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
2. While mushrooms roast, bring 1 3/4 cup water to boil in a medium pot. Add quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
3. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup pear balsamic dressing. Stir to mix completely.

Source: The Sweets Life

Peach Chicken

I don't typically like mixing fruit with a savory dish, but this recipe from Eating Well looked interesting enough to try. It turned out really good. I think what really made the dish was the shallots, so don't skimp! Between the shallots, peaches, and white wine, the flavors really melded well. The only problem I had was that while cooking I realized that I didn't have tarragon. Oops! I didn't want to omit herbs altogether but I wasn't sure which other herb would compliment the flavors. I ended up adding just a pinch of dried mint. It wasn't enough to give off a strong mint flavor but what I did taste was pretty good. I would definitely get the tarragon if I make it again.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I actually used tenders)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 4 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons apricot or peach preserves
• Pinch of mint (Next time I'll follow the original recipe which called for 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon , or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.
3. Off the heat, add wine and shallot to the pan. Return to medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add peaches and cook until the fruit begins to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in preserves, herbs, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

Source: Adapted from Eating Well

Caprese Pasta

I have a current summer obsession: anything caprese! I love fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil and of course balsamic vinegar. This recipe just looked perfect for a summer evening and so fresh! I loved it. It was really easy to put together because the only thing that really got cooked was the pasta. Everything else is added in the end.

I only made one change. I tried making a balsamic reduction to drizzle on top. It was good but I needed to let it chill longer. The longer it would have chilled the thicker it would have gotten. Regardless this meal was really good. It will be a summer staple recipe.

Ingredients

• 4-5 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, I used pearls
• Approximately 15-20 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
• Balsamic Reduction

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper.  Mix the ingredients well and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
3. Add the tomato mixture, mozzarella, and basil.  Toss gently, drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from The Curvy Carrot

Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

• 1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium high heat. Stir vinegar to prevent burning.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer until vinegar has reduced by half. 
3. Let chill. 

Baked Banana Steel Cut Oats

This is such an easy breakfast to throw together while you're getting ready in the morning. You just have to plan ahead a little because it takes 30 minutes to bake. I really enjoyed this and I also enjoyed knowing it was pretty good for me. I'll admit I added a little brown sugar to the top of it...I have a hard time eating steel cut oats or oatmeal without sugar. You could omit the sugar altogether or use honey or agave if you prefer.

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 1/4 cup steel cut oats
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 banana, sliced thinly

Directions

1. Spray a small baking ramekin with cooking spray.  Layer bananas on the bottom.
2. In a small dish mix the oats, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Pour on top of the bananas.  
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 400F, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes. 
4. In the last 5 minutes of baking sprinkle with brown sugar to your liking and place back in the oven to bake for 5 minutes.

Source: Adapted from http://sites.google.com/site/coastalcooking/baked-peanut-butter-banana-steel-cut-oats

"Healthier" Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Matt and I love chicken wings but we're trying to eat at home more and also trying to eat at least somewhat healthier. I decided to try this recipe out and I'm glad I did. It's so easy and really good. We've actually made it two weeks in a row.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken Breast Tenders
• 3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 cup Wing Sauce
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Take three small bowls. In the first bowl add whole wheat flour and paprika. In the second bowl add the wing sauce. In the third bowl add the panko bread crumbs.
3. One at a time dip chicken tenders first in flour, then in wing sauce, and finally in panko bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. 
4. When all tenders have been covered in wing sauce and panko bread crumbs bake for 10 minutes. Flip chicken pieces and bake for another 10-12 minutes until completely cooked through.