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.

Basil and Yellow Pepper Chicken

2 large bell peppers, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 ¼ cup chicken or vegetable broth
4 thin chicken filets
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
10-12 fresh basil leaves, sliced
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 slices of butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a medium sauce pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté peppers and onions. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add orange juice and stock, turn heat to low, cover and simmer.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese, garlic and parsley. Prepare chicken by season both sides with salt and pepper. Lay filets out and spread cream cheese mixture on one side. Sprinkle with fresh basil. Roll up each filet, tuck thin end in and secure with a toothpick.

In a separate frying pan, heat a few drizzle of EVOO and butter over med-high heat. Fry fillets for about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until browned and cooked all the way through.

While chicken is cooking, blend peppers and onions until smooth. Strain peppers through a sieve, or wire mesh strainer, and back into pan.

Serve chicken and sauce over noodles or rice. Garnish with fresh basil.

Spicy Indian Chicken with a Cool Cucumber Salad

4 chicken breasts
Juice of one lemon
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp crushed pepper flakes
1 tsp salt

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and the next 7 ingredients. Score tops of chicken breasts. In a zip lock bag, add chicken and yogurt mixture. Marinate overnight.

The next day, cook chicken by baking on 425 degrees for 15 minutes on each side, or grill over high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Plate over white long grained basmati rice cooked in chicken broth and tossed with freshly minced cilantro. Serve with a cool cucumber salad, below. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Cool Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, sliced thinly
½ small onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk EVOO and next 3 ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over cucumbers and onions; let marinate for 1+ hours.

Spoon into a shallow bowl.

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon with Vegetable Stir Fry Rice

2 salmon filets
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Juice from one lime
1 cup white long grained basmati rice
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 large carrot, peel of ribbons
½ yellow onion, sliced
About 5 asparagus, cut into ½” pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Sea salt
EVOO

In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice until combine. Marinate salmon for 30+ minutes.

Cook rice in chicken broth in rice cooker until done.

Preheat grill to med-high heat. Grill salmon skin side down until crispy. Flip filets and turn heat to med-low. Remove skin and cook until just flaky, but not over cooked.

In a wok or large sauté pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and cook vegetables, garlic and cilantro for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and drizzle with a few dashes of extra soy sauce. Add cooked rice and mix together.

Serve grilled fish over a bed of vegetable stir fry rice.

Note: If you’d like to spice this up a bit, add freshly sliced jalapenos to the vegetable stir fry or add pepper flakes when seasoning.

Parmesan Chicken over Spicy Tomato Sauce

My spicy spin on Chicken Parmigiana.

Spicy Tomato Sauce:

1 yellow onion. sliced

½ green bell pepper, sliced

½ red bell pepper, sliced

1 jalapeno, deveined and seeded, sliced

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1-14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

6 oz tomato sauce

¼ cup minced freshly parsley

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan Chicken:

2 Chicken breasts, sliced in half to make four ½” pieces

1 cup of flour

Salt and pepper

2-3 slices of butter

Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

½ package of Fettuccine

In a pot over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté vegetables for sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Transfer veggies to a blender with diced tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Return mixture back to pot, stir in tomato sauce, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper; simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a sauté pan, drizzle EVOO and add butter until bubbly. In a shallow bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and then add to sauté pan; cook each side for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to low, cover chicken with sauce and simmer for 10 minutes to continue cooking chicken through.

Meanwhile, cook Fettuccine according to directions to box (about 10-12 minutes). Drain.

Add pasta to plate, spoon sauce over pasta, top with chicken, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with extra parsley.

Corned Beef with Colcannon

‘Tis the day to wear your greenest sweater with matching socks, and to wash down green food with a cold Guinness. We celebrated by cooking traditional Irish dishes, in a not so traditional way. Instead of boiling the corned beef and cabbage, we roasted and sautéed.

Corned Beef

4 lb brined corned beef

Preheat oven to 380 degrees.

Drain and remove corned beef from packaging. Rinse off with water and place fat side down in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Add about 1” of water, or until its half way up the beef. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 40 minutes per pound, or until beef easily shreds off with fork.

Let rest for 10 minutes, place on cutting board and cut at a diagonal, across the grain, into ½” thick slices.

Colcannon

5 Tbsp milk
4 medium red skinned potatoes, cubed
1/3 head of green cabbage, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
½ yellow onion, sliced
Pinch of nutmeg
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a medium pot, bring milk to a boil and add potatoes; simmer for 15-20 minute until tender.

In a sauté pan, add a drizzle of EVOO over med-high heat. Add cabbage, garlic and onion, sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add cabbage mixture to potatoes. Stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper; mash together.

Plate a small mound of colcannon on a plate. Make a shallow hole at the top and place a slice of butter.

Plate colcannon with sliced corned beef. Serve Key Lime Pie for dessert!

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Key Lime Pie

A creamy Key Lime Pie in a graham cracker crust. The perfect green dessert for St Patrick's Day!

Crust:
2 cups crumbled graham crackers
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1/16 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 large egg yolks, room temperature
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into a 9” glass pie plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In another bowl, combine egg yolks and lime rind. Beat with an electric mixer on high for 8 minutes, until pale yellow and fluffy. Gradually add condensed milk and continue to beat for another 7 minutes, until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and slowly add lime juice, beat for 2 minutes. Pour filling into chilled pie shell.

Bake for 12 minutes, until filling is set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Refrigerate 3 hours before serving.

Top with whipped cream and garnish with lime zest or a lime slice, if you’d like.

Vegetable Frittata

My parents are in town and I had some nice asparagus and tomatoes on hand, thus the perfect recipe for a frittata brunch! Serve warm with toast, or serve cold with a small salad for a light lunch.

6 eggs

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 Tbsp minced fresh Rosemary

½ tsp sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

¼ cup diced red onion

About 5 asparagus

About 5 red bell pepper rings, quartered

About 5 tomato slices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Freshly shredded Parmesan and sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to broil.

In a 10” skillet over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté onion, asparagus and bell peppers for about 4 minutes. Remove asparagus and bell peppers from pan; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, herbs, salt and pepper. Add eggs to skillet over onions. Allow mixture to cook and set, lifting edges and allowing runny middle underneath. Arrange tomato slices, asparagus and bell pepper on top of eggs while they are still soft.

Sprinkle with cheese and set under broiler for 2-3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Variations: Add crumbled sausage, chopped steamed broccoli or goat cheese.

Chimichurri Steak

Chimichurri is a delicious South American sauce famous in Argentina. It’s a great marinade and sauce for steak or chicken.

3 garlic cloves

¼ small onion

1 ½ cup fresh parsley

½ cup fresh cilantro

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp lime juice

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Sea salt to taste

¾ lb sirloin, hanger or skirt steak

In a food processor, pulse garlic and onion until chopped. Add parsley, cilantro, EVOO, vinegar, lime juice, red pepper and salt; pulse until combine.

In a zip lock bag, marinate steak in Chimichurri sauce for at least 30 minutes. Save extra marinade to top steak.

Grill steak over med-high heat until medium rare, or to your liking. Let rest before slicing.

Arrange sliced steak over rice or green rice. Spoon extra sauce over steak. Enjoy!

Chimichurri Chicken Pita

Chimichurri is a delicious South American sauce famous in Argentina. It’s a great marinade and sauce for steak or chicken.

3 garlic cloves

¼ small onion

1 ½ cup fresh parsley

½ cup fresh cilantro

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp lime juice

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb chicken tenders

1 small onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

Sea salt to taste

2 oz herbed goat cheese

1 Tbsp sour cream

2 tsp lemon juice

Whole wheat pitas

In a food processor, pulse garlic and onion until chopped. Add parsley, cilantro, EVOO, vinegar, lime juice, red pepper and salt; pulse until combine.

In a zip lock bag, marinate chicken in Chimichurri sauce over night.

Grill chicken over med-high heat for about 2 minutes per side, or until cooked all the way through.

In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, sour cream and lemon juice. Blend with an electric mixer; set aside.

In a small sauté pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté onions and peppers for about 5 minutes until tender.

To serve, spread goat cheese mixture on pitas, place onions and peppers on one side and lay chicken on the other side. Fold each half of pita together like a taco. Enjoy!

Loaded Potato Cake Benedict

There’s a lot going on here, but worth all the effort when you hear your husband say it’s the best breakfast ever. It consists of my Loaded Potato Cakes on a bed of sautéed spinach and steamed asparagus, topped with a fried egg and homemade Hollandaise sauce. Enjoy!

Loaded Potato Cakes (I had some leftover from this recipe and froze them for future use. I thought this would be a delicious substitution for hash browns.)

5 eggs, separate the yolks from 3 eggs, save the whites
3 tsp butter, sliced, room temperature
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6-8 thick asparagus spears, ends trimmed
2-3 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a double broiler, add 3 egg yolks, 1 slice of butter, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper. Whisk rapidly. Once butter melts, continue to add another slice of butter until it’s all whisked in and sauce thickens. Do not let sauce curdle or scramble. Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside.

NOTE: If you don’t have a double broiler, just use a large pot, fill with 1” of water and bring to a boil. Then place a glass bowl over the pot. The glass bowl has to be larger than the opening of the pot so water does not get into the bowl.

Once the Hollandaise sauce is done, add asparagus to the pot of boiling water, add a little salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Drain and place asparagus in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan, drizzle EVOO over med-high heat. Fry potato cakes on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until crispy and brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil.

Once potato cakes are done, add a little more EVOO to the same pan and sauté spinach until wilted. Sprinkle with a little salt to season. Once spinach is finished, start to plate by creating a little bed of spinach on each plate. Stack a few asparagus spears on spinach. Top with two potato cakes.

In the same frying pan, add more EVOO over high heat. Add remaining egg whites and two whole eggs to pan. Let eggs bubble and edges turn crispy and golden. Flip eggs and fry for another 1-2  minutes, depending on how soft you want your yolks. If the egg whites spread and all run into each other, use your spatula to cut in half and flip one half at a time.

Top potato cakes with eggs (you might need to fold it in half if it’s too wide). Spoon Hollandaise over eggs. Stack nice and tall for an extra wow factor.

Grilled Chicken Pita with Avocado Goat Cheese Spread

1 large chicken breast or 2 thighs

Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Whole wheat pitas
1 large ripe avocado
2 oz goat cheese (herb flavored)
1 Tbsp sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
Sprouts
Cucumber, peeled and sliced
Red bell pepper, sliced
Red onion, sliced

In a large zip lock bag, marinate chicken in lemon pepper, thyme and EVOO. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to a couple hours. The longer the better so the marinade has a chance to penetrate deep into the chicken meat.

Grill chicken over medium heat until no longer pink in the middle. Let rest before slicing so all the juices don’t escape. While chicken is cooking make spread.

In a food processor, or bowl with a hand held electric mixer, combine avocado, goat cheese, sour cream and lemon juice. Mix until smooth.

Spread avocado goat cheese mixture onto pita. Cover with sprouts. Layer cucumber slices on one side and bell pepper and onion on the other half. Add sliced chicken over one half. Close like a taco and enjoy.

Serve with a cool couscous salad.

Steamed Artichoke with Lemon Garlic Mayo

I love making steamed artichokes because it reminds me of being a kid and eating them as a special treat with my family. I don’t think my husband quite understands what  the hype is all about. Maybe he feels like it’s more fuss than it’s worth. I try to tell him that you have to work for the most delicious part, the heart!

1 large artichoke
2 Tbsp mayo
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp minced fresh parsley

In a large pot, bring about 1” of water to a low boil. Steam artichoke for about 40 minutes, or until a leaf is easily released when lightly pulled.

In a little bowl, combine mayo, garlic, lemon juice and parsley; set aside.

When artichoke is done, let cool so you can handle it and serve with lemon garlic mayo.

Variations for the mayo:

Try adding chopped capers or Kalamata olives.

How do you eat an artichoke, you ask?

Pull a leaf off, dip the meaty part into the mayo, turn upside down, scrape the meaty part off with your teeth and discard the rest. Once you get down to the center, scrape off the “hair”, cut off the excess stem, smear the center with mayo and enjoy the best part! Well worth all the hard work. J

Green Vegetable Rice

I love making this rice because it’s a great way to add tons of veggies to a meal and use up veggies if you need to. It’s a perfect side dish for any protein: pan fried pork chops, grilled chicken or sautéed salmon.

1 cup long grained basmati rice

2 cups chicken broth (cooking rice in broth adds extra flavor)

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 small leek, sliced (or 1 small onion diced)

1 small zucchini, diced

About 10-15 asparagus stalks cut into ½” pieces

1-2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

In a rice cooker or over stove top, cook rice in broth and 1 tsp EVOO until tender. While rice is cooking, prepare vegetables.

Over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO in a large sauté pan. Sauté leeks or onion, zucchini and for 3-4 minutes. Add spinach and garlic; sauté until spinach is wilted.

Once rice is done, add to sauté pan and combine with veggies. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy as a tasty and healthy side dish for any meal!

Israeli Couscous Salad

I love Israeli couscous and all the different salad variations you can create with it. Sometimes when I’m sick of eating salads with just lettuce for lunch at work, I made a large bowl of couscous salad and eat it for 2-3 days straight!

1 cup dry Israeli couscous
1 ¼ chicken broth (cooking pasta in broth gives more flavor)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
½ large red bell pepper, diced
½ large green bell pepper, diced
½ small red onion, minced
About 10 asparagus stalks cut into ½” pieces
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
Freshly cracked black pepper
Crumbled feta cheese

In a large pot, bring broth to a boil. Add couscous and 1 tsp of EVOO, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine cooled couscous, veggies, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper and feta cheese. Drizzle with EVOO and mix altogether.

Note:

Let couscous cool before drizzling EVOO and lemon juice so it acts like more of a dressing. If it’s warm, the pasta absorbs the EVOO right away and the pasta will be dry.

Variations:

·         Try using sliced green onions instead of minced red onion.
·         Add slivered radishes
·         Use cubed Cheddar cheese instead of feta