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.

Mongolian Beef

My husband and I love the Mongolian Beef from P.F. Changs. I searched the internet for a copycat recipe so I could try making it at home. This was pretty easy to make and it was good. But I think next time I would cut the brown sugar at least in half. It was so sweet. Otherwise the flavor was great. It may even be good to add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 lb flank steak
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large green onions

Directions

1. Make the sauce by heating 2 teaspoons of vegetable in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot or you'll get a major spatter when adding the other liquids. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.
2. Slice the flank steak against the grain into ¼" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
3. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
4. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
5. Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
6. Add the beef to the oil and saute for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon or a spider to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

Source: Food.com

Amazing Strawberry Lemonade

This is my new summertime staple! It was so easy and so yummy!! I'm thinking I may make this again and try out other fruits like black berries or cherries. I didn't have any ice and it was really strong without it so I added a little extra water.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large lemons, microwaved for 30 seconds
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries, microwaved for 1 minute

Directions

1. Squeeze the lemons into a blender and add the rest of the lemon, rind and all.  Pour in the water and sugar.  
2. Add the strawberries.  Pulse until everything starts to come together and the rind is starting to be processed.  
3. Pour contents into a microwavable safe pitcher and microwave for another 2 minutes.
4. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, then strain into glasses loaded with ice.

Source: Heather's Dish

Gooey Butter Cake

My mom made  gooey butter cake when I was growing up. I rediscovered it a couple of years ago when I came across Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake. Gooey butter cake can be made in many different flavors: regular butter, chocolate, pumpkin, banana, etc.  But recently I came across this recipe that was completely from scratch - no box mix! After trying it, I loved it! I personally think it made a big difference to be from scratch.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1 whole Egg

• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted
• 3-¾ cups Confectioner's Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter and egg. Mix enough to moisten the dough. Transfer to a 13″x9″ greased baking pan and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and melted butter, and continue to mix. Add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time until all sugar is mixed in. Pour filling over the crust, and spread evenly with a spatula.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes until lightly browned.  The center should still jiggle a bit. 
5. Cool for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with additional confectioner’s sugar and serve.

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Falafel and Cucumber Sauce

Since my husband and I were having Greek for dinner, I figured this would be the perfect time to finally try out this recipe. I've been eying it for awhile. I didn't have coriander so I omitted it. Next time I wouldn't use nearly as much cumin. It was overwhelming. It was a little work to mash the chickpeas. By warming up the chickpeas in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, it was a little easier.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs

• 1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt
• 1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Directions

1. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.
   In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed. 
3. Form 8 balls and then flatten into patties. Place patties on cookie sheet. Spray patties with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn patties over, spray again, and bake for another 10 minutes.
5. In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Greek Salad

My husband and I had a Greek night a couple weeks ago. I made homemade baked falafel and had this Greek salad on the side. I've been eying this salad for awhile on Eating Well. It calls for chicken, but because I had falafel on the side, I didn't need the chicken. The salad dressing had great flavor. I used dill instead of oregano. I will definitely use this dressing again.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup sliced ripe black olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Whisk vinegar, oil, dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta; toss to coat.

Source: Adapted from Eating Well

Oreo Balls

I was looking for some easy bite sized desserts to make for my sister-in-law's birthday party. I've heard so many people talk about Oreo balls and I thought they'd be perfect. They are so easy to make, only takes 3 ingredients. These were great. Everyone loved them!

Ingredients

• 1 Package Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
• 1 8oz package Cream Cheese, softened
• 16 oz Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Crush 9 cookies, either in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, and set aside.
2. Crush the remaining cookies. Place them in a large bowl.  Add cream cheese and mix until blended. Chill for at least 30 minutes-1 hour.
3. Form cookie mixture into 1 inch balls. Chill.
4. Dip balls in melted chocolate and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Top with remaining cookie crumbs. Chill until firm.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I've been making my own vanilla extract for several years now. It's so easy and tastes so much better than store bough extracts. You can also control the ingredients you put in it. The best thing about homemade extract is that it takes 2 ingredients, vanilla beans and alcohol, and doesn't run out.  When you use the extract, just add more alcohol. The only problem with making your own vanilla extract is you have to wait awhile for it to be ready, about 6-8 weeks. I use vodka but you can also use rum.

Ingredients

• Vanilla Beans (6 beans per cup of alcohol)
• Vodka or Rum

Will also need a sterilized glass bottle. My bottle is 5 oz.

Directions

1. Cut beans lengthwise. You can cut them completely in half or leave the ends attached.

2. Fill the bottle with the beans. If the beans are too long for the bottle, they will either need to be bent or cut in half.
3. Fill the bottle with alcohol.
4. Keep the bottle in a dark place and let it sit for 6-8 weeks. Shake it up every couple of weeks. 
5. Enjoy! Whenever you use the extract, top it off with alcohol.

Healthy Veggie Dip

I just came across a yummy recipe for veggie dip. I love snacking on carrots during the day but I need to be able to dip them in ranch. This recipe is perfect because it's pretty healthy so I don't have to feel guilty eating it with carrots. It's easy and you can adjust the seasoning to your preference.




Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low fat Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup low fat Cottage Cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2/3 teaspoon celery salt

Directions

1. Put cottage cheese in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add yogurt, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt and blend until combined.

Source: Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Gluten Free Blackberry Cherry Ice Cream

While looking through gluten free recipes, I found this great blog called Elana's Pantry. This recipe looked so refreshing and light for a summer night. The only thing I did differently was use blackberries instead of strawberries. The ice cream didn't let me down; it was definitely refreshing. I think next time I might use just a little less almond extract. This recipe isn't just gluten free, it's also dairy free and it's so easy!

Ingredients

• 1 (13.5) ounce can coconut milk
• 1 (10) ounce package frozen blackberries
• 1 (10) ounce packages frozen cherries
• ¼ cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
2. Pour into ice cream maker and process according to instructions.
3. Serve.

Balsamic Flank Steak

We had some friends over for dinner the other night. The wife has Celiac Disease so the food had to be gluten free. I enjoyed looking around for recipes. I decided to go with a broiled balsamic flank steak because, well...I have a weakness for balsamic vinegar. So once I saw that ingredient I was sold. The flavor was really good and I'll definitely be making this again. Oh and yet again I forgot to take pictures. I promise I'll get back to taking pictures soon.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Directions

1. In a resealable plastic bag or bowl, combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, garlic, shallots, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Add steak to marinade and turn to coat.  Let marinate for at least an hour. (I marinated for almost 5 hours.)
2. Broil under the broiler for 15 minutes, turning once for medium. When done, remove and let the steak rest to let the juices return to the center of the meat, about 5 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Creative Cooking Gluten Free

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

My parents came over for dinner this past weekend and we had a fondue night! It was a lot of fun. We ate so much food that we were all stuffed! I made a cheese fondue and dessert. We didn't have a main entree because we didn't need it. I've been making this fondue recipe for a long time and to be honest I have no idea where it came from or how I came up with it. It's a great basic recipe. I'm sure you could add whatever you want to it: bacon and scallions or rotel. Some cheese fondue recipes are wine based, but I personally prefer the beer base.

We were too hungry to take the time out to grab pictures first. Sorry for no pictures!

Ingredients

• 1 pound grated cheese (I usually use 1/2 lb cheddar and 1/2 lb swiss. Gruyere and Emmentaler are even better but more expensive)
• 1 Tablespoon flour (enough to cover the cheese. This helps the cheese melt consistently.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 3/4 cup beer
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder to your liking
• Items for dipping - We use bread, carrots, apples (yum!), celery, cauliflower and broccoli - Summer sausage is good too.

Directions

1. Mix the flour, cheese, garlic powder, and dry mustard together in a bowl.
2. Heat the beer until it starts bubbling. I usually do this over the stove and transfer it to my fondue pot because I don't know my fondue pot well enough. However, I read somewhere to put the fondue pot at 375 degrees.
3. Once the beer is bubbling, add the Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the cheese a little at a time until the cheese is smooth and the consistency you like. You may not use all of the cheese.
4. Once the cheese is melted you can transfer to the fondue pot. Keep the pot on warm. It may need to be stirred a couple of times.

Melting Pot's Strawberries and Cream Fondue

Matt gave me a Melting Pot cookbook for my birthday. I let my dad look through and pick out a dessert to make. He chose the one I knew he'd choose: Strawberries and Cream. It definitely sounds like him! This dessert was really good. I would definitely recommend it.

The only thing was it was really stormy outside and I was afraid the power was going to go out before everything was melted so I took a shortcut and melted it in the microwave. I'm going to post the recipe as it was written in the book because that's how I'll do it in the future.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quartered fresh strawberries
• Confectioners Sugar to taste
• 4 1/2 ounce (3/4 cup) finely chopped white chocolate
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
• Items for dipping - We used pound cake (yum!!), rice crispy treats, shortbread cookies, and brownies.

Directions

1. Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour into a small bowl. Add the confectioners sugar and mix well.
2. Combine the chocolate and cream in a fondue pot set over low heat. Heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring constantly.
3. Add the liqueur and stir gently to combine. Swirl the strawberry puree gently on the surface of the fondue. Keep fondue warm over low heat.

Source: The Melting Pot: Dip Into Something Different

Iced Sugar Cookies

I love the blog Annie's Eats and she's always making the prettiest sugar cookies. To be honest, as much as I wanted to make them myself I was afraid because they looked like a lot of work. But, I was meeting a couple of friends for lunch and thought it would be fun to give them each a box of cookies.

The cookies were really easy to make. They tasted good especially once they were iced. I was concerned at first because they were a little drier than I usually prefer. My friends liked them. I'd be interested in trying some other recipes out as well.

The icing was easy to make and for a first time icing sugar cookies, I think I did an ok job. I know I'll get better with practice. I'll learn what the right consistency should be.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ½ t. almond extract
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. salt
• 2 ½ c. sifted flour

Directions

1. Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Cover dough and refrigerate until firm. 
2. Roll dough to ¼” thickness on a floured surface. Cut out cookies with cookie cutters and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 min. You don't want the cookies to brown. 
3. Once cookies have cooled, ice and decorate.

Source: Annie's Eats 

Royal Icing

Ingredients
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. meringue powder
5 tbsp. water
Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low speed until glossy (about 7 minutes). Icing should forms stiff peaks. At this point you can add food coloring if desired (gel not liquid). 
2. This is still too stiff to pipe. Add a small amount of water at a time by hand until it's thin enough to pipe. 
3. Use a pastry bag and pipe around the edges of the cookies. Let the cookies stand so the icing sets. When you aren't using the icing, make sure to keep it covered so it doesn't get hard. When you aren't using the pastry bag, you can set it in a glass with a small amount of water at the bottom.
4. To thin the icing for filling, add a little water at a time until the icing drips off the spoon easily.  It should smooth easily into the rest of the icing still in the bowl. The thinned out icing can now be used to flood the cookies that have already been outlined. You can spoon the icing in, transfer it to a squeeze bottle, or a hole plastic bag with a hole in the corner. You can use a toothpick to help the icing to spread into corners. Decorate as desired and set cookies aside so icing can set.

Source: Annie's Eats

Vegetarian Enchiladas

I don't often cook a vegetarian meal. A lot of times when I find a recipe without meat I think it'd be so much better with some chicken or beef and so I modify the recipe. However, I thought this recipe looked really good so I figured I'd give it a try. The recipe was not hard to make but it took a little bit of time only because you had to prepare the filling, assemble the enchiladas, and then bake for about 40 minutes. I think next time it would be nice to find a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce. I enjoyed this meal and will definitely make it again.

I will note that I had good intentions of taking a picture.  However, I completely destroyed the enchiladas while I was plating them. Sorry!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 cups diced zucchini
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups Enchilada Sauce, divided
• Cooking spray
• 8 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups zucchini and corn; sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, and stir in beans.
3. Spread 1 cup Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 cup zucchini mixture down center of 1 tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese, and roll up. Place seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, zucchini mixture, and 14 tablespoons cheese. Spread remaining 2 cups sauce evenly over enchiladas.
4. Cover with foil; bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Calories: 348 Fat: 4.2g Protein: 16g Carbs: 47.2g Fiber:7g

Source: Cooking Light

Balsamic Tilapia and Mushroom Foil Packets

I was gone last week visiting my parents. Now that I'm home I don't have much motivation to meal plan or even cook. I decided to make meals that are quick and easy to make. This recipe was adapted from Coyoty Cooks. Coyoty didn't measure everything out and I just threw stuff together without measuring. So, I'll do my best to estimate measurements. The flavor of this was great! I will definitely make this again.

Coyoty used Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Seasoning but said that you could use whatever seasoning you want. I didn't have the seasoning but I really like all of Prudhomme's seasonings so I figured it was worth it to give this one a try. It was really good in this dish so I'm glad I did.

Ingredients

• 2 Tilapia Fillets
• 8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3 Tablespoons + 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, separated
• 1 Tablespoon + a couple of splashes of Balsamic Vinegar, separated
• 2 teaspoons (roughly) Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut an 8"x12" foil sheet for each piece of fish.
3. In a bowl, mix together 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar, and 1-2 minced garlic cloves. Divide mushroom mixture in two and place each half on each pieces of foil.
4. In a small bowl mix the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Place the tilapia on top of each pile of mushrooms. Brush tilapia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixture. Sprinkle Blackening seasoning on each tilapia. 
5. Fold over and press each edge of foil to seal it. Place packets on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until fish is cooked through and flakes easily.

Adapted from Coyoty Cooks

Baked Lemon Pasta

I found this recipe for Baked Lemon Pasta on Tasty Kitchen. While it looks really good, it uses 2 cups of sour cream. I decided to use low fat plain yogurt instead to make it a little healthier. I added blanched asparagus. I didn't add any meat but could have. The flavor of this was good. However, I was expecting it to be really light and refreshing and it wasn't. Because it was baked and had cheese in it, the sauce was pretty thick.

Last year I made a recipe for Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus and the sauce was made with low fat plain yogurt and lemon juice. While the flavors of the two dishes are similar, I liked the recipe I made last year better. It's lighter and tastes fresher.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Spaghetti
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Low Fat Plain Yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped or dried parsley
• Extra Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus. Bring water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil for 2-3 minutes (depending on thickness). Drain them and immediately place them in an ice water bath for about 3 minutes.
3. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over low heat. Once the butter has melted, add minced garlic the juice of one lemon into the pan. Turn off heat.
4. Add yogurt and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.
5. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Brushetta Chicken

I came across this recipe for Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken on Picky Palate and thought it looked like a great refreshing weeknight meal. I changed it just a little bit. I had some good balsamic vinaigrette that I marinated the chicken in instead of just brushing the chicken with olive oil and balsamic vinegar while cooking. This was so easy, fresh, and delicious. Using fresh mozzarella cheese was the best part of this meal.

I served this with zucchini spears that I tossed with salt, pepper, and olive oil and roasted at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. The zucchini was really good but I should have taken it out a little earlier.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed (I use the big Costco bag)
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette 
• 8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 8 fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled and thinly sliced into chiffonade
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Marinate chicken with balsamic vinaigrette.
2. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Spray with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill. Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip chicken. Brush with additional balsamic vinaigrette and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. During the last 2 minutes of grilling place 2 slices of cheese over top each chicken to melt.
3. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, basil garlic, salt and balsamic. Toss gently to combine. Place chicken breasts on a serving plate and top with tomato mixture.

Adapted from Picky Palate

Tilapia and Quinoa with Feta and Cucumber

I've never had quinoa before but I've heard it's really good for you. I looked up several recipes and found this one from Martha Stewart. It looked so good, easy, and refreshing. It tasted as good as the recipe sounded. I did add just a little garlic powder to the fish. I didn't expect much from the fish since it was only salt, pepper, paprika, and a pinch of garlic powder. But it ended up tasting so good!

Even though I followed the recipe for the quinoa, I don't think it turned out right. It seemed a bit mushy. But it was pretty good for my first try. I look forward to trying it again. I enjoyed the feta and cucumber in the recipe. The recipe called for 1/3 cup of fresh dill. I felt like that was a little much, personally. I'd scale it down just a little bit next time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless tilapia fillets, divided into 8 pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup English cucumber (6 ounces), diced small
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 cup feta, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring quinoa, 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over high. Reduce to a medium simmer and cook until water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with paprika. Cook fillets until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Stir cucumber, dill, feta, 1 teaspoon oil, and lemon juice into quinoa. Season with salt and pepper. Divide quinoa among four plates and top with fish.

Source: Martha Stewart

Balsamic BBQ Chicken

I found this recipe on Perry's Plate. Given my obsession with balsamic vinegar, I had to give this a try. The bbq sauce was really easy to make and the flavor was really good! I will definitely be making it again. I cooked the chicken on an indoor grill but I know it would be even better on an outdoor grill.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used tenders)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 T Worcesterchire sauce
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine all of the BBQ sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Whisk until thoroughly combined, then simmer over medium heat until it's reduced by about a third. If it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, reduce heat to medium-low. It'll take 15-25 minutes for the sauce to thicken up and coat the back of a spoon.
2. Meanwhile, preheat a stove-top grill pan or outdoor grill to medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer 1/2 cup of the finished BBQ sauce to a small bowl. Place the chicken on the grill for about 10 minutes per side, brushing chicken with the 1/2 cup (or more) BBQ sauce for the last 2-3 minute of cooking.
4. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and serve with remaining BBQ sauce.

Sources: Perry's Plate; originally from Giada De Laurentiis

Green Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad

This salad made a great side dish for the Balsamic BBQ Chicken I made. It was very light and fresh and felt summery. The original recipe called for malt vinegar but I decided to use balsamic to tie it in with the chicken. One thing I would recommend is to definitely make the dressing separately and add it slowly so you don't add too much. I felt like I added too much and the balsamic vinegar was kind of overpowering.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed into 1-2 inch pieces
• 3-4 ears of corn
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for corn
• 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Cut corn kernels off the cob and place on cookie sheet. Add a small amount of oil, salt, and pepper to corn and toss to coat. Spread into a single layer on cookie sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring several times, until corn is lightly browned.
2. Meanwhile, blanch the green beans. Bring water to a boil. Add the beans and boil for 3 minutes, then drain them and immediately place them in an ice water bath for about 3 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
4. Place all the vegetables in a bowl and pour over the oil and vinegar mixture slowly according to your taste. Stir to combine.

Source: A Couple Cooks

Chicken, Spinach, and Rice Casserole

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. The original recipe called for artichokes too but I'm not a huge fan of artichokes so I omitted them. This tasted good but pretty simple. It's a good week night meal but I don't know that it's a having company over meal. The original recipe called for onion flakes which I have a feeling was used to save time and work. It tasted good as is but next time I might try some sauteed onions or shallots instead. The only other change I made was the amount of yogurt used. The recipe called for 4 ounces. My container of yogurt was 6 ounces and I just used the whole container. I'm glad I did. I think it may have been too dry using any less.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Chicken, cooked And Diced
• 2 cups Brown Rice
• 1 bag (6 Oz. Bag) Baby Spinach
• 3/4 cups Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• 2 pieces Laughing Cow Light Cheese
• 1/4 cups Minced Onion
• 1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese. Shredded, Divided
• 1/2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the rice according to package directions.
3. In a large bowl, combine the hot rice and the spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts. Add the rest of the ingredients except 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, stir well and place in a 9 x 12 greased pan. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. 

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Pasta with Tomatoes and Corn

Last week I was really wanting corn. I found this recipe and it sounded pretty good and fairly healthy. It tasted really fresh and was really easy to make. The original recipe called for red wine vinegar but I used balsamic vinegar and I'm glad I did. Next time I might add more corn.

 Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole wheat pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1+ tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes, corn kernels, and scallions. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Toss pasta with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. 

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

Who doesn't love funfetti cake? My friend's son is turning 1 so I thought it would be fun to find a good homemade funfetti cake recipe. This recipe came from I Heart Cuppycakes. It really wasn't hard to make this without a box. I already had all the ingredients. The sprinkles melt while baking to give you the same colored dots in the cakes.

The icing was just as easy and really yummy! The recipe tells you to start with 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar and then add more to get your desired consistency. I think I ended up using just under 6 cups. The cake recipe made 12 cupcakes but the icing recipe (depending on how much icing you like on each cupcake) could have iced more than 12 cupcakes, probably about 18 cupcakes. Overall these cupcakes were delicious! It didn't taste exactly like boxed funfetti cake but I think it was better. It had more of a buttery flavor.

For Cupcakes:

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups AP flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer, fitted with flat beater, beat the sugar and butter until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating on low. Then add vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions, ending with the flour mixture. Fold in rainbow sprinkles.
4. Fill cupcake liners about 1/2-2/3 full. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

 For Buttercream:

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter
• 7 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. In a stand mixer, fitted with flat beater, beat butter until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beat until combined. Add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency desired.
2. Frost cupcakes and garnish with more rainbow sprinkles.

Source: I Heart Cuppycakes

Oatmeal Crusted Tilapia

YUM! This recipe was so good! Originally, the recipe called for mayonnaise, but I decided to use non-fat plain yogurt so it would be a little healthier. This was so easy to prepare, had great flavor, and I felt good eating it. We will definitely be making this again.

Ingredients

• 2 whole Tilapia Fillets
• 1 cup Quick Oats
• 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Fresh Chives, Chopped
• 1 teaspoon Parsley
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/8 cup Low-fat Plain Yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoons Grated Lemon Rind
• 1/4 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place fish fillets on the baking sheet.
3. In a bowl, mix together oats, panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, measure out the yogurt. Add lemon rind and juice. Stir.
4. Brush tops of fish with yogurt mixture, then top with the dry coating.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes when forked. 

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Roasted Green Beans

I love roasted veggies!  Not only are they incredibly easy to make, they taste so good! I probably make some type of roasted veggie a week or at least every other week. This week I made just a simple roasted green bean. They get all caramelized and yummy.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Green Beans, washed and trimmed
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cover a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.
3. Drizzle green beans with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Spread green beans into a single layer.
4. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring part way through. The green beans should be lightly caramelized and crisp tender.

Steel Cut Oats

I've been seeing so many people eating steel cut oats. I'm not really a fan of oatmeal (unless covered in sugar and cinnamon) so I never really wanted to try the steel cut oats. However, Matt and I are trying to be more aware of what we're eating and to eat a little healthier. So I decided to give them a try. I read somewhere that you can make steel cut oats in advance, refrigerate them, and then reheat them for breakfast with a splash of milk. As someone who doesn't like regular oatmeal, I actually liked these. They are chewier and have a nuttier flavor. One thing I will say is I'd prefer them to be a little sweeter so I add just a little brown sugar before eating. You can top this with cinnamon, fruit, almonds etc.

Ingredients

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 3 1/2 cups water
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cinnamon, fruit, almonds, or whatever toppings you like

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the steel cut oats and and salt.  Stir.
2. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. When the oats start to thicken, at about 30 minutes, add in the milk and vanilla. Stir the oats,  milk, and vanilla together and cook for ten more minutes.
4. Add whatever toppings you want.
5. Serve the oats hot. This makes 4-6 servings. To reheat, add a splash of milk and reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minute.

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. It sounded so different and I was intrigued. Dr. Pepper is one of the only sodas that I drink so I figured it had to be good, right? I also thought the homemade coleslaw on the sandwich just sounded different from our normal and really good.

The original recipe said to cook the pork in Dr. Pepper and then towards the end of the cooking you're supposed to drain the juices and add a little bbq sauce. At the point in time where I was supposed to add drain the juices and add the bbq sauce, I tried a bite. The flavor was so good that I just couldn't cover it up with bbq sauce. I still made the coleslaw but I served it separate instead of on the sandwich. I loved this meal. The pork had really great flavor. It had a sweetness from the Dr. Pepper, a little tang from the vinegar, and a kick with the cayenne pepper. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds Pork Tenderloin
• 1/4 whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Dry Ground Mustard
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 24 ounces, fluid Dr. Pepper (2 Cans)
• Hoagie Rolls, Split
• Butter, For Toasting

Directions

1. Place pork in a slow cooker. Add salt, pepper, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Dr. Pepper. Cook on low for 4 hours.
2. Check the pork for tenderness. Shred with the tines of 2 forks. Continue cooking, covered, for 2 hours.
3. Preheat broiler on low. Spread butter across split hoagie rolls. Broil for 3-4 minutes, or until desired toast level is reached. Make sandwiches and serve. (The sandwiches are even better when you add some of the juice to it!)

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Homemade Coleslaw

I made this coleslaw to serve on my Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork Sandwich. However, after trying the pork, I decided to just serve it as a side instead of on the sandwich.  I also omitted the relish. This was good, a little different than other coleslaw's that I've had. Honestly, I'm not a huge coleslaw fan so I didn't find it amazing. But it was good.

Ingredients

• 1 bag Shredded Cabbage
• 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Combine cabbage, vinegar, and mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche

It's been really warm lately and I just wanted to make something light and fresh. I happened to have shrimp already so I thought a shrimp ceviche would be perfect. Typically ceviche is made with raw shrimp or fish. The citrus in the dish "cooks" the shrimp. I felt more comfortable cooking the shrimp first. I boiled the shrimp for just a couple of minutes and then put it right into an ice bath.

This recipe is delicious! Matt loved it. I served it with tortilla chips to scoop it up. It seemed more like an appetizer than a meal, so in the future I may use tostadas. This would be a great dish to serve at a picnic or potluck.

Ingredients

• 1 pounds large shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice plus juice of 1 lime
• 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or to your liking)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
• tortilla chips or tostada

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Add the juice of 1 lime and shrimp. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes until fully cooked. Drain and add shrimp to an ice water bath. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine lime juice, shrimp, tomatoes, onion, and cilanto. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Remove from the refrigerator, and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
4. Right before serving, add the avocado. Serve either with tortilla chips or tostadas.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Baked Lemon Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

I came across this recipe on Allrecipes.com and it just sounded really fresh. The recipe is really easy and tasted really good. The mushroom sauce is really good as it mixes with the lemons. I'll definitely make this again.

 Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Cooking oil spray
• 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken breasts in the dish, and spray tops with cooking spray. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over all. Slice the other lemon and place a lemon slice on top of each chicken piece. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until brown.
2. In a large skillet, melt the 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushrooms are brown and have exuded their juices, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and blend. Add the chicken broth, stirring to make a medium thick sauce. Allow to reduce, adjusting with a little more broth to make a creamy sauce. Add fresh parsley at the last minute. Spoon the sauce over the lemon baked chicken breasts. 

Source: Allrecipes.com

Crispy Parmesan Asparagus

Last week I made Crispy Yogurt Chicken and believe it or not it was my first time trying panko breadcrumbs. I loved it! So when I saw these Crispy Parmesan Asparagus using panko breadcrumbs from How Sweet It Is I had to give it a try. Before I go on, I have to admit that I do not like any kind of cheese crackers. To me, this tasted like I crushed up cheese crackers and used them to crust the asparagus so I didn't like it. However, for a normal person, this is probably pretty good.  Matt liked it, but he liked it better when he squeezed a little lemon juice on them.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with alluminum foil. Spray with non-stick spray.
2. Snap off the tough ends of each asparagus spear. On two separate plates, add the eggs whites (lightly beaten) and the panko, flour, and cheese. Season the panko mixture with salt and pepper if desired. Coat each asparagus spear in egg whites, then lay in the panko mixture and thoroughly cover. Lay each spear on the cookie sheet in a single layer.
3. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Source: How Sweet It Is

S'mores Cookies

I've seen this recipe on so many food blogs and decided it was about time to give it a try. I think the original recipe is from Cookie Madness but I got an adapted recipe from Sweet Tooth. These cookies are delicious!!  I actually took them to my doctor's office and I overhead some people say they were the best cookies they've had. I just love the gooey marshmallows. YUM!

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups mini chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, or large ones cut up
• 2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla to butter mixture until combined.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, graham crackers, salt, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Use 2 tablespoons or a medium-sized ice cream scoop to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven. Push a few marshmallows and pieces of chocolate into each cookie and return to the oven to bake an additional 3-4 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies. Source: Sweet Tooth and Cookie Madness.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies has been Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip cookie. But I've been coming across this recipe on Allrecipes for awhile now and I finally decided to give it a try. It is delicious! They are still chewy even the next day. The recipe doesn't say to refrigerate but I did because some of the reviews said they had better luck when they refrigerated the dough. I also used a mixture of milk chocolate chips and semi sweet chocolate chip cookies. These were delicious!


Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
4. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. (I actually used a medium ice cream scoop.) Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
5. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Made about 36 cookies. Source: Allrecipes.com

Green Beans with Panko Crumbs

I wanted a quick side to go with my Crispy Yogurt Chicken.  So I decided on roasted green beans. They're quick, easy, and good.  I added some panko bread crumbs to add a little crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• 1 Tablespoon panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a bowl, toss the green beans with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread out on foil lined cookie sheet. Top with panko bread crumbs.
3. Bake, stirring once partway through, 12-15 minutes until lightly caramelized.

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

I've really been in the mood to bake lately, but have been totally not inspired to cook. I've gone through tons of cooking blogs trying to find recipes that sound interesting and yet quick. I came across a blog called Erin's Eats, how appropriate, and she had made a Pioneer Woman's recipe for Crispy Yogurt Chicken. It sounded good, quick, and somewhat healthy. I'm glad I tried the recipe. The chicken came out crispy and delicious.  The lemony yogurt mixture gave it a nice tang. I didn't add very much cayenne pepper but next time I might kick it up a notch. I'll definitely be using this recipe again. I was in a rush last night and didn't get a chance to take a picture. Sorry!

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders
• 6 ounces plain, unflavored yogurt
• 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup of panko bread crumbs (approximately)
• cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and stir to coat the chicken. Put the chicken in the fridge and let it marinate for 20-30 minutes.
3. In a shallow dish, combine the panko, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to your taste . Carefully dip the chicken breasts into the panko mixture to coat. Place the chicken on the cookie sheet and spray the top with cooking spray. Bake about 20-30 minutes or until done.

Sources: Pioneer Woman and Erin's Eats

Applesauce Muffins

I've really been in the mood to bake the past couple of days. I had been looking all over for a muffin recipe that caught my eye. I came across this recipe on All Recipes and since I already had some applesauce in my fridge, I figured I'd give it a try. I made it last night and was so anxious to try it that I dug in as soon as they came out of the oven. At first I was a little disappointed. I thought it was kind of bland. But this morning I ate one for breakfast and quickly changed my mind. These are best room temperature. You can really taste the cinnamon and allspice. I changed the recipe only slightly. I love brown sugar so I used 1/2 white and 1/2 brown sugar. I also topped the muffins before baking with a little brown sugar. I love the brown sugar topping. This recipe was really easy and I'll definitely make them again.


Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 eggs
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, allspice and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, applesauce and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins. Adapted from All Recipes.

Greek Omelet

I don't typically think about making breakfast for dinner. I'm not sure why. But I was in the mood for something a little different this week. When I came across this recipe on Eating Well, I knew I'd have to give it a try. Eggs and potatoes together, yum!  The recipe says it's Greek, but I'm not sure what makes it Greek other than the feta. I debated adding spinach or tomatoes but in the end I kept the recipe as is. The recipe calls for hashbrowns which make me think patties but I used shredded potatoes because I like them better. This was really easy to make and had great flavor. I did feel like it was missing a little something but I wasn't sure what, maybe just a little extra feta.  I'll definitely be making this again.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup shredded potatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions
• 4 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and cook, shaking the pan and tossing the potatoes, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add scallions and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.
2. Blend eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in feta and the potato mixture.
3. Preheat broiler. Brush the pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil; heat over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and tilt to distribute evenly. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the bottom is light golden, lifting the the edges to allow uncooked egg to flow underneath, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the pan under the broiler and cook until the top is set, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Slide the omelet onto a plate and cut into wedges.

Serves 2. Source Eating Well.