Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Raspberry Sauce and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I have really been enjoying pistachios lately and when I came across this recipe for Pistachio crusted chicken, I knew I'd have to try it. Matt helped me shell a bunch of pistachios which was really nice. My fingers were hurting after awhile. Reviewers said they paired the chicken with a raspberry sauce, which I also made. For a side, I decided to go with roasted brussel sprouts. I grew up being forced to eat my brussel sprouts, traumatizing mom!, and I hated them. I figured I would find a recipe that looked good, give it a try, and if I still don't like them at least I know I tried.

The chicken was pretty good. The only problem I had was that I don't like mustard. It melded well with the pistachios but just got to be a bit much for me. Matt really liked it though, especially with the raspberry sauce. The brussel sprouts were acutally good. I don't know if I'd make them all the time. But for an occasional side dish they were good. The original recipe said to sprinkle them with lemon juice which I didn't have. I'd like to try it next time though because that sounds good.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 chicken cutlets

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix together pistachios and bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together Dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper until smooth. Dip chicken into Dijon mixture to coat, then coat with bread crumbs. Place onto prepared baking sheet.
3. Place into preheated oven and turn the oven down to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake until the chicken is no longer pink and the pistachio coating is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

 Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Directions

1. In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
adapted from Fine Cooking #70, Feb/Mar

Ingredients

• 1 lb Brussel sprouts
• 1-2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F. 
2. Trim the base of the Brussels sprouts with a knife. Peel off the outer leaves and cut the sprouts in half. 
3. Toss sprouts, shallots, olive oil, salt, and pepper together. Pour into a large enough baking pan so that there is a single layer of sprouts on the pan. 
4. Roast for 15 minutes and remove from oven to toss the sprouts around. Roast another 15 minutes and repeat. Roast a final 10 minutes and remove from oven (total time should be about 40 minutes). Sprinkle with more salt. Serve hot. (The darker and crispier the better!)

Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus and Lemon

I got this recipe Eating Well. The recipe doesn't call for shallots but I happened to have one so I decided to add it anyway. This was really good and we'll definitely be making it again. I may try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to give it a little kick next time.

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 shallot diced
• 1 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 tilapia fillets
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Put asparagus in a steamer basket, place in the pan, cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate, spreading out to cool.
2. Combine chili powder, garlic powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt on a plate. Dredge fillets in the spice mixture to coat. 
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until just opaque in the center, gently turning halfway, 5 to 7 minutes total. Divide among 2 plates. Sprinkle fish with lemon juice.
4. Immediately add the rest of the lemon juice and the shallots and cook until tender. Add the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and asparagus to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the asparagus is coated and heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve the asparagus with the fish.

Shrimp Casserole with Spinach and Feta

A girl I know got diagnosed with Celiacs Disease and has to have a gluten free diet. We're wanting to have her and her husband over for dinner one night so I have been doing some research on gluten free cooking. I found this recipe on Gluten Free Mommy's blog and it looked really good, especially the feta I've been craving so much! This turned out really good! It had great flavor. I made my own greek vinaigrette from All Recipes.

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• One 10 oz. package of fresh spinach, chopped
• A can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 lb. feta cheese
• 10 oz. (or at least 1/2 lb) fresh med. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup greek vinaigrette
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• I shallot, diced fine
• Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
• 3-4 Tablespoons of dry white wine
• garlic powder to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 inch casserole dish. 
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate saute the shallots and garlic until tender. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add the wine and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. 
4. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Put the spinach mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Layer the mushrooms over the spinach and then layer the diced tomatoes over them. Place the shrimp on top and layer the vinaigrette over the top. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
6. Bake until bubbly and cheese is slightly brown- about 25 minutes
      

Greek Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Directions

1. In a very large container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

*note: I didn't have oregano so instead of basil and oregano I used 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Greek Pasta

This recipe came from All Recipes.  It seemed like a very simple recipe so I definitely made some changes. I added sauteed garlic and onions, white wine, and lemon juice. It was good but I thought it was lacking a little something. Next time I might use unseasoned diced tomatoes so I can use fresh herbs. I would also add even more feta. Can you ever really have enough feta?

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• splash of white wine 
• 10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, saute garlic and onion in a large non-stick skillet until tender. 
3. Add tomatoes, beans, and a splash of white wine. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add spinach to the sauce; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly.
5. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve sauce over pasta, and sprinkle with feta.

Broccoli and Chicken Skillet Dinner

Last night's dinner was from All Recipes. It was a very basic recipe but it looked easy and that's why I made it. Of course I made a few changes to the original recipe. Overall it was good for a quick and easy meal but it's nothing amazing.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Ground black pepper
• Salt
• Chef Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Seasoning
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups fresh broccoli flowerets
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
2. Heat butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned.
3. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender.
4. Add soup, water, pepper and broccoli. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until done.
5. Add cheese and heat until melted.

Costa Rican Tilapia

I found this recipe on Food Network. I liked it because it was different than our "norm." It was definitely on the sweeter end but I don't always prefer sweet dinners. I would make it again but it isn't something I could have very often. Matt liked it. The recipe calls for white rice. I actually made brown rice up ahead of time and used it instead.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa
• 1/2 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cups diced fresh pineapple
• 1 limes, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Combine the rice and chicken broth in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
4. Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 1 tablespoons of the cilantro in a square glass baking dish. 
5. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved marinade over the fish. Shingle the lime slices over the fish. 
6. Bake until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

White Pizza with Mushrooms

We have these little cast iron skillets called Skookies. (You can bake cookies in them - Skillet + Cookies=Skookies). Matt and I love making little individual sized pizzas. We get this great multi grain pizza dough from Publix and then just change up the toppings each time. I didn't really use a recipe for the pizzas this time around, just threw things together. I noticed one time that Rachel Ray added just a pinch of salt to the top of her pizza so I did the same. It really brought out the flavors in the pizza and I really liked it. These pizzas were delicioius!

First I cut the dough into 4 pieces, rolled it out, and put it in 4 Skookie pans. Using a fork, I poked holes in the dough. I baked them at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.

While the dough was baking, a sauteed Baby Bella mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil. You don't want them to cook or brown too much so I didn't sautee them very long. Right at the end, I added just a splash of white wine. It gave them a really good flavor.

After taking the crust out of the oven, I put garlic and olive oil on top, sprinkled on cheese (Italian - a mixture of a couple different kinds of cheeses), added the mushrooms, and then added a small pinch of salt and a little cracked pepper. Then I put them back in the over for 7 minutes.

Fruit Pizza

This recipe actually came from my mom.  I've made this so many times. It's so easy yet everyone always loves it. In the past, I've always rolled the cookie dough out. But I have learned, it's easier to just slice the cookie dough and lay it out on the pan. You can use any fruit you want. I just happen to like pineapple, grapes, strawberries, and mandarin oranges. By the way, this is the best picture I got of it. Once it was cut it was devoured before I ever had a chance to take another picture!

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar (+ more to your liking)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup grapes, halved

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice cookie dough and arrange on greased pizza pan or glass baking dish, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In a small mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over crust.
3. Arrange the pineapple, strawberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Piccata Pasta

I debated even posting this. It wasn't my favorite dish. The recipe came from Rachel Ray and had really good reviews. Perhaps I didn't execute it right. Regardless, it was a disappointment. I think it would have helped to have all the ingredients prepared and measured out prior to cooking. Also, I used a nonstick skillet but didn't have a nylon whisk. I didn't want to scratch my pan, so I just used a spoon to "whisk" the liquids into the flour mixture. Some of the reviews said that this was too lemony. I actually didn't think it was lemony enough. All I can figure is that I was trying to make it quickly and felt kind of rushed so I must have done something wrong.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 a box of penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente

Directions

1. Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat. 
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes. 
3. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. 
4. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. 
5. 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. 
6. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. 
7. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.