Fiesta Flatbread

This Mexican style flatbread is a fiesta in your mouth. Cheesy, I know….literally.

¾ lb Chicken tenders

½ packet of taco seasoning
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Ready to cook pizza dough
Enchilada or Red Chili Sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Sliced yellow bell pepper
Sliced green bell pepper
Jarred jalapeno pepper slices
Chopped or sliced olives
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado

In a zip lock bag, marinate chicken in taco seasoning, drizzle with EVOO and coat well. Refrigerate for 30+ minutes.

Over high heat, grill chicken for about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside. Let rest before roughly chopping into pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare dough according to desired thickness. For the flatbread, I made a thin crust in a rectangle shape. Spoon and spread sauce over dough. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and top with veggies. Bake for about 13 minutes. Remove from oven, add tomatoes and chicken; bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until dough is cooked through.

Let pizza rest for a couple minutes before cutting. Top with avocado and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

NOTE: I made the chicken the night before for tacos and then used the leftovers the next day for this pizza topping. Yum!

Jalapeno & Bacon Grilled Cheese

In honor of National Grilled Cheese Day (starts April 12^th and then continues for the rest of the month!), I made this tasty little guy. Enjoy!

Servings: 2 sandwiches

2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut in half lengthwise

4 slices of bacon
4 slices of sourdough bread
Butter
2 triangle wedges of Laughing Cow cheese (you can use any spreadable cheese or cream cheese)
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to broil. Place peppers cut side down under broiler for a few minutes, until skin starts to turn black and bubble. Then place peppers in a sealable zip lock bag and let steam for about 15 minutes. Remove skin from peppers by peeling or using a knife. Cut peppers in slices; set aside.

Cook bacon until crispy. Set on a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil; set aside.

Butter the outsides of each slice of bread. Spread Laughing Cow cheese on one side bread, top with jalapeno slices, two slices of bacon and shredded cheese. Top with other slice of bread. In a frying pan over medium heat, grill sandwiches until golden brown and cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Let sandwiches sit for a couple minutes before cutting in half eating. Serve with soup. 

Baked Mac n Cheese Casserole

This comfort food would make anyone feel good after a long day at work. I dare you to not feel better after this cheesy dish!

1 lb shelled pasta

½ cup small cauliflower florets

½ cup small broccoli florets

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

(save a little cheese to top casserole before baking)

Dash of hot pepper flakes

½ cup diced precooked ham

Salt

Pepper

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta for about 6 minutes. During the last 2 minutes, add veggies, just to blanch.  

Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan heat butter over med-high heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Mix in cheese and pepper flakes until combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta and veggies. Add to sauce pan with cheese sauce and mix to coat. Mix in ham. 

Add macaroni and cheese to a greased casserole. Top with extra cheese. Bake for 20 minutes on 400 degrees. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: To lighten up this dish, use whole wheat pasta and nonfat milk.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

I made these delicious, spicy deviled eggs as an appetizer for our Easter dinner. They were spicy, tasty and a hit!

1 dozen eggs

1/3 cup mayo

2 Tbsp Sriracha hot chili sauce

½ tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp jarred Jalapeno juice

2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Sea salt & Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

To boil eggs, place eggs in a pot covered with 1 ½” of water; bring to a boil. Once water boils, cover and remove from heat for 10 minutes. Remove eggs and place in an ice bath. Peel under warm water. Slice eggs in half and scoop harden yolks into a bowl.

Mix yolks with the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more Sriracha to make spicier. Add more mayo to make creamier.

Piipe mixture back into egg whites. Garnish with a dot of Sriracha sauce and cilantro.

Easter centerpiece made of jelly beans, Peeps and fresh flowers.
Thanks, Pinterest!

Pink Lemonade Cookies

I thought these cookies would be a great colorful treat for Easter, especially if you used a combo of pink and yellow cake mixes.

1 box Pink Lemonade cake mix  (or just use lemon cake mix)
1-8 oz container of Cool Whip
1 egg
1/3 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients well. Drop teaspoons of batter into a bowl of powder sugar; roll to coat. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes.

Happy Easter!

Spicy Asian Chicken with Sriracha Cream Sauce

2 Chicken breasts

¼ cup Ponzu sauce

1 tsp dried ginger (or use fresh ginger if you have it)

1 tsp dried pepper flakes

2 Tbsp mayo

2 tsp Sriracha sauce

In a small bowl, combine Ponzu sauce, ginger and pepper flakes. In a bowl or bag, add chicken and Ponzu sauce mixture. Marinate for 30+ minutes.

Over med-high heat, grill chicken for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked all the way through. Let chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.

While chicken is cooking, whisk mayo and Sriracha sauce together in a small bowl; set aside until ready to use.

Serve chicken over rice mixed with sautéed vegetables. Drizzle with Sriracha cream sauce.

Helpful hint: To drizzle sauce over chicken, spoon sauce into a small Ziploc bag. Using scissors, snip off the edge of one corner. Try to get the air out of the bag, then use as a piping bag.