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

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

"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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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