Turkey Pozole Soup

Here’s a tasty option for that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. This is a spin off a traditional Mexican soup, typically made with pork.

 

4-6 Servings

½ Tbs1p oil

1 large carrot, diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
8 cups of chicken broth
1 red onion, sliced
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Bay leaves (remove before serving)
3 15 oz cans of hominy, drained & rinsed (use 2 cans as is; puree one can)
1 cup cooked turkey, cubed or shredded
1 small can of diced fire roasted chiles
Fresh lime juice from 1-2 limes

Topping options:

Romaine lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Sliced radishes
Sliced jalapenos
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Crushed tortilla chips
Crumbled queso fresco

In a large pot over med-high heat, add oil with carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add broth and ingredients through Bay leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add hominy, turkey and chiles. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Add lime juice before serving.

Spoon soup into shallow bowls and top with a variety of toppings, or serve toppings on the table and allow everyone to create their own topping combinations.

Enjoyed the soup with warm tortillas or cheese quesadillas.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Here's an idea for some leftover grilled chicken.

1 cup of cooked chicken, diced (I used some leftover grilled chicken from the night before)

Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Pizza dough (usually in the deli section of the grocery store, or you can buy some from your local pizza joint)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
¾ cup sliced celery
Blue cheese crumbles
1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1 small carrot, peeled into ribbons and roughly chopped
Ranch dressing
Jalapeno slices, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, toss chicken with hot sauce and set aside.

Roll out dough and using your palms press onto a flat pre-greased baking sheet. I usually make a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Gently brush with EVOO. Top with chicken, celery and blue cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until crust is crispy and brown. Remove from oven.

Top with carrots, chives and drizzle with ranch dressing and extra hot sauce. Top with jalapenos if desired.

Roasted Herb Chicken with Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

 

Herb stuffing:

A combination of the following minced fresh herbs:

Basil

Parsley

Chives

Rosemary

Zest from one lemon

 

2 large chicken breasts with ribs and skin

 

5 small red skinned potatoes, quartered

6 large Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and halved

4 large garlic cloves, halved

3-4 extra Rosemary sprigs

 

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt

Pepper

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 

Using your fingers, gently separate the chicken skin from the breast, creating pockets to stuff the herb and lemon zest mixture in. Pat chicken skin dry. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a 9”x 13” casserole dish. 

 

Surround with potatoes, Brussels sprouts, garlic and Rosemary. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 

Bake for 35-40 minutes until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees and skin is browned and crispy.

 

Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with veggies and top Brussels sprouts with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional…but delicious!). 

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

2 servings

 

2 bakery style buns

 

Chicken Patty:

¾ lb ground chicken
2 tsp Frank’s RedHot sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Crumbled blue cheese

Using wet hands, combine all ingredients together (except cheese) and form two patties. Be careful not to over mix or patties will be dense. Note: chicken patties don’t cook down like beef patties do, so what you see is what you get. Build according to your bun size.

Grill or pan fry until cooked all the way through. Once you flip the patties, add cheese while the other side cooks.

Slaw:

1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 large celery stalk, sliced
¼ cup thinly sliced cabbage
1 green onion sprig, sliced
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Buffalo Sauce:

1 Tbsp chunk blue cheese dressing
½ Tbsp Frank’s RedHot sauce

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and set in fridge until ready to use.

Assemble burgers by spreading buffalo sauce on each bun. Place patty with melted blue cheese on bottom bun. Top with slaw and more sauce. Place top bun on burger and enjoy!

 
If you love Frank's RedHot, be sure to try these recipes: Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs, Spicy Blue Cheese Chicken Dip or a Buffalo Chicken Salad!

Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs

I came across this recipe on my favorite food blogger’s website, and my mouth watered instantly. You can find his recipe here. This recipe is a little different but I would imagine just as delicious. 

 

I have to admit, it felt wrong stuffing chicken into an egg, but it tasted so right!

Happy Easter!

 

 

3 boiled eggs

1 Tbsp Ranch dressing

1 Tbsp Frank’s RedHot, or buffalo wing hot sauce

¼ cup shredded chicken, roughly chopped

½ fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)

Blue cheese crumbles 

 

Cut boiled eggs in half, lengthwise, and add yolks to a small bowl. Add Ranch and Frank’s RedHot to bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash everything together. Add chicken and jalapeno peppers and mix together. Using a spoon, add mixture back to eggs. Top with crumbled blue cheese.

 

If you like this recipe, you should also try my Sriracha Deviled Eggs.

 

Note: I used a drop of Sriracha sauce to dot each egg, purely for esthetics, since the Frank’s was too thin.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Vegetables

When I was up in the Bay Area last weekend, we went to a Polish market and found the perfect thin egg noodles for a broth based soup. This soup is too good and easy to not make from scratch every time! Perfect meal in a bowl to enjoy on a cold evening.

 

8 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (or cook chicken in vegetable or chicken broth instead of cubes with water)
1 large chicken breast (about 1 lb)
Celery greens

Lighter colored middle parts (remove these later)

½ cup dried chopped mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 cup dried egg noodles
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
4 large Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 cup broccoli crowns, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
3 green onion sprigs, chopped

In a large pot, add water and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil and add chicken breast, celery greens and center stalks, dried mushrooms and garlic. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove chicken from pot; cool and cut into cubes. Remove celery stalks and discard.

 

Bring broth to a boil again and add noodles, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and spices. After about 2 minutes, remove broccoli crowns with a slotted spoon; set aside. Turn heat to medium heat and cook until noodles are tender. Add cubed cooked chicken and broccoli back to soup. Add green onions. 

 

Serve with a nice crusty bread.

Grilled Chicken with Green Olive Salsa Verde

I found another awesome recipe from my favorite cooking blog, Closet Cooking. This would make a great topping for chicken or fish, or just use as salsa for chips.

 

 

Makes 1 cup

 

½ lb tomatillos, husks removed

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined

¼ cup green olives

½ small onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove

Juice and zest from one lime

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

½ cup cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Place the tomatillos on a baking sheet under broil until skins blacken and bubble. Remove from oven and place in a covered container for 15 minutes; remove skins. Add tomatillos and remaining ingredients in a food processor and puree.

Served over grilled chicken with rice and beans, or enjoy as a dip for chips.

 

Honey Lemon Chicken

I found this recipe on a blog that I follow – Closet Cooking. It was so easy to make and super tasty. I look forward to making it again.

 

2 chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 lemon (juice and zest)

2 Tbsp honey

¼ cup chicken stock

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 green onion sprigs, chopped (for garnish)

 

Cut chicken breasts into cube sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and brown all sides of chicken; cook until almost done. Remove chicken from pan; set aside. 

 

In the same pan, add ginger and cook for about one minute. Add lemon juice, zest, honey, stock, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and allow to thicken. (NOTE: if sauce is too thin, whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch.) 

 

Add chicken breast, coat with honey lemon mixture and let chicken finish cooking all the way through.

 

Serve over rice and sprinkle with chopped green onions.

 

Kung Pao Chicken

In the spirit of Chinese New Year, I decided to make this spicy Asian dish. I always enjoy a trip to the Asian market because there are so many different things to check out (and they have cheap veggies!). On this visit, I had to pick up the dried red chilies for this dish. You can also pick up some fortune cookies for a fun, festive dessert.

新年快乐！

For Chicken Marinade:

2 ½ tsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

½ tsp sesame oil

 

1 lb chicken breasts, cubed

 

For Sauce:

1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp chicken broth

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

 

3 Tbsp oil

½ cup diced red bell pepper

½ cup diced yellow onion

10 dried red chilies

1 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

4 green onions, sliced

¼ cup peanuts

 

In a small bowl , whisk together ingredients for the chicken marinade. Marinate chicken cubes in sauce for at least 30 minutes.

 

In a separate small bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

 

In a large frying pan over high heat, add oil and cook chicken until almost done and all sides are browned. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

 

In the same frying pan, sauté peppers and onions for about 3-4 minutes. Add dried chilies, pepper, garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Mix in sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add chicken, green onions and peanuts, turn heat to low and mix together. Continue to cook until chicken is cooked all the way through.

 

Serve over rice.

 

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

 I think some people are turned off by cabbage but my mom always made it growing up so it was normal in our household. My husband said he was pleasantly surprised by this dish and didn’t even douse it in Frank’s hot sauce (total compliment!). I even hid mushrooms in the filling and he didn’t notice. Score!

If you like this version, you can also try this version stuffed with beef and topped with mushroom gravy - Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in Mushroom Gravy.

 

1 head of green cabbage, leave leaves removed

Filling:
1 lb ground chicken
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
2 baby Bella mushroom, chopped
1 large carrot, shredded
2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
A few dashes of red pepper flakes

water

Gravy:
1 packet of gravy
Juices from cabbage rolls, after cooked

¾ cup of water

In a large pot of boiling water, add the cabbage leaves and cook for about 3-4 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Lay each cabbage leaf flat and place a little loaf of chicken mixture in the middle; tuck in ends and roll. Place in a casserole dish, seam side down. Add 1/2” of water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes or until meat is cooked all the way through.

 

Once rolls are cooked, pour juices into a small sauce pan over high heat, add 3/4 cup of water; whisk in gravy mix. Once gravy boils, remove from heat and set aside.

Serve cabbage rolls on rice. Spoon gravy over dish.

Chicken Top Ramen Salad

I’ve been on a cabbage kick, preparing it in different ways - cooked and raw. Here’s a little spin on the traditional top ramen salad where I’ve fancied it up a bit by adding some additional veggies and colors. This is even good the next day, so I like to bring it to work for lunch. The dressing marinates into the cabbage similar to a coleslaw.

 

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
Italian dressing

Salad:

1 head napa cabbage, shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup slivered almonds
1 package of chicken flavored ramen noodles, crumbled

Dressing:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 package of chicken ramen seasoning

Marinate chicken in Italian dressing, overnight preferred or for at least 30 minutes. Grill chicken over medium high heat, for about 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. Grill until cooked all the way through and no longer pink in the middle. Let rest before slicing.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for salad; set aside.

In a small bowl, add ingredients for dressing and whisk together. Drizzle over salad and toss.

Serve salad with sliced chicken on top.

Mediterranean Chicken Sauté

This dish is easy to make and bursting with colors and delicious flavors. It's perfect for a weekday dinner since it's quick to prepare and cook.

 

 

4 thin chicken filets

Salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

1/4 onion, diced

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil

1 sprig fresh Rosemary (about 2 tsp)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped

1/2 cup quartered artichoke hearts

A dash of red pepper flakes 

 

In a large sauté pan over medium high, heat EVOO. Season each side of chicken filets with salt and pepper. When oil starts to smoke and ripple, add chicken. Brown each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

 

In the same pan, add peppers and onions; sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, return chicken to pan and press into vegetables, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through. 

 

Serve over rice or egg noodles. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

 

Caribbean Coconut Chicken with Lime

We went to the British Virgin Islands in November and I came across a book in the airport called 'A Trip to the Beach' about a couple from the US that moved to the Caribbean to open a restaurant. I loved the book and the tales of their adventures as they chased their dreams of opening a small restaurant on the beach of Anguilla in the BVI. I loved the book so much that I also bought their cookbook, At Blanchard's Table.

On our last night with all the family together for the holidays we decided to make their Calypso Chicken with Lime. It was a huge hit with everyone! We changed it a little to add a kick of spice, but this certainly didn't distract from the tropical flavors and memories of the Caribbean that it brought us back to.

Caribbean Coconut Chicken with Lime

Serves 6

1 lb chicken tenders, or slice 4 chicken breasts into strips
3 Tbsp plus 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 1⁄2 Tbsp fresh lime zest
3 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
1⁄3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp shredded coconut, toasted

Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill.

In a large bowl, coat the chicken with 3 tablespoons lime juice, EVOO and jalapenos. Marinate for 30 minutes.

In a medium saute pan, whisk together 1⁄4 cup lime juice, coconut milk, cream, lime zest, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan and set aside. Turn heat to low.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, and broil or grill them until just about cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Add chicken to coconut sauce on stove top over low heat. Mix in cilantro. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken cooks all the way through.

Serve over Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe below), spoon extra sauce over chicken and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

For dessert, we selected another recipe from the cookbook for a fresh Lemon Mousse.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups basmati rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 green onion sprig, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime

In a rice cooker, combine rice, broth, salt and EVOO. Once rice is ready, mix in cilantro, green onions and lime juice. Mix well and set aside until ready to serve.

Variations - Think think this dish would also be wonderful with the following revisions:

• Sub the chicken for sauteed snapper.
• Sub the chicken for grilled swordfish.
• Kick up the heat by adding diced jalapenos into the rice when you add the cilantro and green onions.

Stuffed Chicken over Creamy Mushroom and Leek Sauce

For our Christmas party last night, I made chicken breasts stuffed with sundried tomato pesto, ricotta cheese, and fresh spinach. I thought the red and green colors would complement our Christmas theme. I served the chicken sliced over a creamy mushroom and leek sauce. Delish. I served this with scalloped potatoes, but it would also be good over rice.

Serves 10

Chicken:

6-7 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
3-4 oz sundried tomato pesto
6 oz Ricotta cheese
1 egg
Fresh baby spinach, stems removed (about 5-6 leaves per chicken breast)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg; set aside. Slice the thick part of each chicken breast and flip open. Pound each chicken breast to about ¼” thick. Season outside of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Flip breast over and spread the inside with pesto, then ricotta cheese and top with 5-6 spinach leaves. Starting with the thin side, roll up as tightly as possible and tuck in the ends to form a neat roll. Secure each breast with 2 toothpicks or tie closed with cooking string.

 

In a large frying pan with a few drizzles of EVOO, heat over high until oil starts to smoke and oil ripples. Brown all sides of chicken and transfer to a large casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through and juices run clear. Let rest before slicing.

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
1 large leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 large baby Bella mushrooms, diced
½ cup white wine
½ Tbsp cornstarch
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

In the same frying pan used to brown chicken, add butter, leeks and mushrooms; sauté for 3-4 minutes. Scrap up browned bits of chicken from pan. Add wine and cornstarch, bring to a boil and whisk together. Turn heat to low and let reduce for about 5 minutes. Whisk in mustard. Add cream and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, pour sauce into a shallow serving dish and top with sliced chicken.

Cheesy Salsa Fresca Pasta

This may sounds strange, but it’s really tasty. It’s cheesy with a fresh and spicy kick. Top with your favorite grilled meat – chicken or fish.

 

5 oz premade Alfredo sauce

½ cup pico de gallo (salsa fresca)

Fettuccine pasta

In a sauce pan, combine Alfredo sauce and pico de gallo; heat through. Boil pasta according to directions. Drain and toss with sauce mixture.

Top with grilled chicken or fish. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Tip: For a quick chicken or fish seasoning, sprinkle with taco seasoning.

Chicken with Mediterranean Couscous

This dish took less than 30 minutes to make. It was colorful and full of flavor. I love marinating chicken in Italian salad dressing overnight because it's so easy and provides lots of flavor the next day.
 

 

I package of couscous (I used a box of garlic and olive oil flavor)

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced

¼ cup artichoke hearts in oil, drained and diced
½ cup Mozzarella cheese pearls
2 Tbsp minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Italian Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Italian salad dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
 
In a large bag or bowl, add chicken and cover with salad dressing. Marinate overnight.

Cook couscous according to directions on packaging. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside and cook chicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium frying pan, heat a drizzle of EVOO over high heat. Once it starts to smoke and ripple, add chicken and brown on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Move chicken to oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked all the way through so no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear.

To plate, make a bed of couscous and top with chicken sliced and fanned on top.

Fried Polenta with Black Bean Salsa

A little bit of Italy with a Central American flare.

 

Polenta originates from Italy and is a porridge like substance made from cornmeal. It has a smooth, creamy consistency, similar to cream of wheat or grits. Polenta can be used in place of rice, potatoes, pasta or bread and served as an appetizer or as a part of the main dish.

2 servings

1-18 oz tube of precooked polenta (I used  a brand from Quinoa)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Black Bean Salsa:

1 can of black beans (I used ½ a can)
½ small red bell pepper, diced
½ small yellow bell pepper, diced
½ large avocado, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
Juice from one lime
Salt, season to taste

Cotija cheese

Cut polenta into ½”slices. I cut 4 slices per person. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle just a little EVOO. Cook polenta for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for black bean salsa. Carefully toss to combine without mashing the avocado.

Top fried polenta slices with black bean salsa. Top with crumbled Cotija cheese. Serve with grilled chicken.

Note: To prepare the chicken, I rubbed the chicken pieces with chili powder and salt, then drizzled with lime juice. Let marinate for 30 minutes and then grill until cooked through.

Green Chilaquiles with Chicken (Chilaquiles Verdes Con Pollo)

This is my take on a traditional Mexican dish, Chilaquiles. These are like salsa drenched nachos topped with nothing but yummy goodness.

Serves 2-3

Salsa Verde:

1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeno, deveined and seeded
2 garlic cloves
Salt
 
Homemade tortilla chips

1 can of black beans
1 cup of shredded chicken
Sour cream
Red onion, minced
Avocado, sliced or roughly chopped
Cotija cheese
Cilantro, chopped

Salsa Verde:

Add tomatillos into a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 5 minutes, until tomatillos have changed color and are soft. Use slotted spoon to remove tomatillos into a blender. Add jalapeno, garlic cloves and a cup of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.

Add salsa to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for a couple minutes. Add tortilla chips to the salsa. Gently turn over chips until they are all well coated. Remove from heat.

To assemble chilaquiles:

To serve chilaquiles, make a bed of black bean on your plate, top with salsa coated chips, chicken, a dollop of sour cream, onion, avocado cheese and sprinkle with cilantro.

Variations:

·         Use red salsa instead of green
·         Serve for breakfast and top with an egg instead of chicken
·         Serve for dinner and top with carne asada instead of chicken

Stuffed Chicken over Almond Pesto

A nice dinner for my hubby's Birthday: I started off with a Caprese Salad and then this main dish of sundried tomato and spinach stuffed baked chicken over homemade almond pesto pasta.

Stuffed Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
¼ cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out, split in four parts
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped, split in four parts
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Almond Pesto:

2 cups of packed basil leaves
¼ cup of slivered almonds
2 garlic clove
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Juice from one lemon
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

½ lb pasta (bow tie or tube)

In a blender or food processor, add basil, almonds, garlic, salt, pepper, cheese and lemon juice; blend and slowly add EVOO while blender is on. Blend until smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice each chicken breast in half and pound until about ¼” thin. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Layout out filets, add a slice of cheese, ¼ forth the spinach and tomatoes on each filet and roll up; secure with toothpicks.

In a sauce pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and brown all sides of the rolled chicken. Then bake for 15 minutes, or depending on thickness, until cooked all the way through.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Then drain and toss with pesto sauce.

Serve pesto pasta with sliced chicken. Drizzle chicken with remaining juices from pan. Enjoy!

Steak and Veggie Salad

Who says salads are boring?

½ sirloin steak
Cajun seasoning
2 crushed garlic cloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For Salad:

2 boiled eggs, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 small cucumber, sliced
3 large radishes, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
2 green onion sprigs, sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Crumbled blue cheese
Mixed green salad

In a bag, marinade steak in Cajun seasoning, garlic and olive oil for 30+ minutes. Over med-high heat, grill steak for about 4-6 minutes per side, until desired doneness. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

To serve, make a bed of lettuce, add veggies and top with sliced steak. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with your favorite dressing.

Variations:

-          Use marinated chicken instead of steak