Spicy Apricot Glazed Chicken

I have to admit that I used this recipe because I already had all the ingredients in the pantry.  If you’re like me, you eat a lot of chicken, so I’m always looking for new ways to turn this staple into something new and exciting.  Well, as exciting as Chicken can be.

Ingredients:

• ¼ Cup Apricot Jam
• ¼ Teaspoon Red-Pepper Flakes
• 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Source: www.marthastewart.com

Preparation:

            Preheat your oven to the broil setting.  Set one of you oven racks 4 inches from the heat.  In a small bowl, stir together the Jam and the Red Pepper Flakes; set the glaze aside.

            Place the Chicken Breasts on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and season with Salt and Pepper.   

            Broil the Chicken 5 -6 minutes, when the Chicken becomes opaque.

            Brush the Chicken with the Apricot-Pepper Glaze and return to the oven to broil for another 4-5 minutes.  An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts should read 165 degrees.

            This recipe is so simple, but packs a lot of flavor.  I was worried that broiling the Chicken would make it tough, but I have never been more wrong.  This might have been the juiciest Chicken I have ever prepared.  Pair it with your favorite side dish and you’ve got a meal to please even the pickiest eaters!

Jenn's Chicken Parmesano Supreme and Classic Asparagus Saute

Jenn’s Chicken Parmesano Supreme

I love the idea of taking a traditional recipe and tweaking it just a little to give a jaded meal a new, interesting kick.  I found this recipe online and just had to try it.  I was not disappointed and you won’t be either…

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts – lightly pounded to an even thickness
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose Flour
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 Cup of Breadcrumbs
• ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 ½ Cups Spaghetti Sauce*
• 4 Tablespoons Caesar Salad Dressing
• 1 Cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese*
• ½ grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Source: www.allrecipes.com

* I used a little more Spaghetti Sauce, probably closer to 2 Cups.  I also upped the amount of Mozzarella Cheese to 2 Cups.

Preparation:

            First preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Season the Chicken with Salt and Pepper.  Dredge each piece of Chicken in the Flour, and then dip in the beaten Egg, and lastly coat with the Breadcrumbs.  Make sure each piece is evenly and thoroughly coated.

            Heat the Vegetable Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the Chicken about 3-5 minutes, until it’s no longer pink on the inside. Remove from heat.

            Pour half of the Spaghetti Sauce in a glass baking dish.  Lay the Chicken pieces on the sauce.  Add the remaining Sauce over all the Chicken pieces.  Spread one Tablespoon of the Caesar Dressing to each Chicken piece.  Sprinkle the entire dish with the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.

            Bake the dish for approximately 15 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted.

            This dish is hearty, filling and the Caesar dressing gives it a delicious added dimension.  I served this with spaghetti and loved every minute of it!

Classic Asparagus Saute

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh Asparagus – about 1 Pound
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon minced Garlic
• 3 Tablespoons Parmesan
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Source: www.allrecipes.com

Preparation:

            First, rinse the Asparagus and pat dry.  Cut off the rough ends.  Next heat the Olive Oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the minced Garlic and the Asparagus.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

            Remove from the heat and sprinkle the spears with Parmesan and Salt and Pepper before serving.  Simple, classic and oh-so-yummy!!

Saucy Pepper Steak Stir Fry

This recipe caught my attention because it combines a lot of ingredients I love and its super simple.  Plus I just love beef.  If you’re more of a chicken person, that’s great, but I absolutely adore cow and this quick recipe was my fix for a scattered weekday evening.

Ingredients:

• 1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into strips
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into strips
• 1 small White Onion, cut into strips
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• ½ Cup BBQ Sauce
• 2 Cups cooked Brown Rice
• 1 Pound Beef Sirloin Steak, trimmed and cut into strips

Source: www.KraftFoods.com

Preparation:

            Spray a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the Bell Pepper and Onion strips.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 6 to 8 minutes until the veggies are tender crisp.  Transfer them to a bowl and keep warm.

            Add the Sirloin, Garlic and Pepper to the same skillet; cook and stir about 3 minutes.  Next add the Soy Sauce and cook 1 minute until the meat is cooked through.  Add the BBQ sauce and cook until heated through.  Add back in the veggies and toss to coat.

Use the rice to make the perfect bed and spoon the meat, veggie mixture over top.  And you're done.  Quick, simple and absolutely delicious!

The Much Requested Zuppa Tuscana

This is hands down my most favorite soup ever and yes I do mean ever!  It may be pessimistic to say, but I do not believe I will ever have any other soup that will make me smile wider than this one.  I’ve tried several variations of this beloved Olive Garden soup, but I feel this is the best and probably the closest approximation to the original recipe.  I guarantee one spoonful and you’ll thank me!

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Ground Italian Sausage
• 1 ½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Large White Onion, diced
• 4 Tablespoons Bacon Pieces
• 2 Teaspoons Garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 10 Cups of Water
• 5 Chicken Bouillon Cubes*
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 3 Large Russet Potatoes, diced
• ¼ - ½ Bunch of Kale, torn into smaller pieces (about 1-2 inches)

Source: www.tuscanrecipes.com  - Thank you Lourdes Flores!

Preparations:

            In a large pot, sauté the Sausage and Crushed Red Pepper.  Once cooked, drain the excess the fat, remove to a plate and refrigerate while you prepare the other ingredients.  

            In the same large pot, sauté the Onions, Bacon, and Garlic for about 15 minutes – just until the Onions are soft.

            Mix together the Chicken Bouillon and Water.  *I prefer to use a bouillon paste, specifically “Better than Bouillon.”  They make several different kinds, beef, chicken etc.  I liken it to liquid gold and highly recommend you try it.  I think it gives a much richer, robust flavor overall.  If you do decide to go this route – I usually heat 2 cups of water to boiling in the microwave and add 2 Tablespoons of the Better than Bouillon to the hot water and stir to combine.

            Add the Water and Bouillon to the pot with the Onions, Bacon and Garlic.  Bring this to a boil and add the Potatoes.  Cook until soft, just about ½ an hour.

Once cooked, add the Heavy Cream to the pot and cook until thoroughly heated.  Now add back in the Sausage and stir to combine. Add the Kale just before serving and stir.

If you don’t fall in love with this soup and offer homage to the soup Gods, just stop reading this blog now.  There will be nothing else that I can offer you and that just makes me sad, sad, sad.  But then I think about this soup and I’m over it!

Meatloaf My Way and Dilled Carrots

Meatloaf My Way

I’m a total sucker for Meatloaf.  It has so many things that I truly adore, beef, vegetables and dare I say - ketchup!  It’s the perfect family meal ready in under an hour.

Ingredients:

                                    

1 Pound ground Beef

2 Garlic Cloves, minced *I usually do 3-4

1 Large Egg

¼ Cup Dried Breadcrumbs

2 Celery Stalks, diced

½ large White Onion, diced

7-8 Baby Carrots, diced

Worcestershire Sauce to taste (I generally use about 1 ½ Tablespoons)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Ketchup

Preparation:

            First preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and blend together.  Just like with meatballs, the best tools you have are your hands - God gave ‘em to you, so use ‘em!  I used to just take a Pyrex dish and shape my meatloaf, but on a recent goodwill trip I found the cutest ceramic bread pan for a super low price and I must say, it was worth every penny!!

            Either way you choose, place the assembled Loaf into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  After that add the Ketchup and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  Don’t stray too far – if your Ketchup begins to burn, tent the Loaf with foil.

            Can you say heaven on a plate?  Plus, I think meatloaf tastes even better the next day.  This truly is the ultimate comfort food.

Dilled Carrots

My mouth waters just at the mere mention of these carrots!  4 ingredients and you’ve got a perfect compliment to any meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Baby Carrots, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Dill
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

            Add water to you steamer pan and heat until boiling.  Place the chopped Carrots in the steamer and cover.  Cook them until tender, about 10-12 minutes.  

            Next Drain the water out of the pan and add the Carrots and the Butter to it.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes, until all the Butter is melted.  Lastly add the Dill and Salt.

            That’s it.  They’re too good for words!

BBQ Chicken Bacon Pizza

I find there are very few “bad pizzas”, but one of my all time faves is BBQ Chicken Pizza.  I have not made my own pizza since a childhood birthday many, many years ago.  Essentially I just got tired of spending the money on frozen varieties or delivery.  So here’s my simple and wonderfully delicious recipe for BBQ Chix Pizza…

Ingredients:

• 1 ready-to-use Pizza Crust – 12 inches
• 2 Cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1-1 ½ Cups Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
• ¼-½ Cup BBQ Sauce
• ½ Red Onion, sliced
• 2-4 Tablespoons Bacon Bits

Source: Modified from KraftFoods.com

Preparation:

            To start, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Place your Pizza Crust on a baking sheet and spread the BBQ sauce all over (personally, I used closed to ½ Cup) and cover with 1 Cup of the Mozzarella.  **My Pizza Crust called for Olive Oil to be spread down first - just follow your package directions!  Next spread the Rotisserie Chicken, add the Bacon Bits.

            Lastly, add the Red Onion and add the remaining Cup of Mozzarella.

            Bake 10 to 12 minutes, just until the Cheese is melted and the Crust is golden brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

            It’s pizza at a fraction of the cost and it’s ready to eat in less time than it takes to place and receive a delivery pizza!  Doubly satisfying, plus you can add, substitute, or remove any ingredients you want!!

Creamy Cauliflower and Chorizo Soup

I adore soups.  I bow down to these one pot meals that practically beg for garlic bread.  How can you resist?  This recipe piqued my interest because it calls for Cauliflower.  I’m not sure I’ve ever had a soup that included this veggie as the headliner.  It is a dish I highly, highly recommend; you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

10 ounces Chorizo* or Andouille Sausage

1 Medium Onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

1 Medium Head of Cauliflower (about 2 pounds)

1 Small Yukon Gold Potato (about 4 ounces)

4 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock

1 Bunch Mustard Greens, Kale, Spinach, or a mixture of the 3 – tough skins discarded, rinsed, dried, and thinly sliced**

3 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice***

Kosher Salt and fresh Ground Pepper

Paprika, preferably smoked, for garnish

My deviations:

• *I used 15 Ounces Chorizo, mainly because that’s the package size I could find
• ** I chose to use Spinach
• *** I substituted the Lemon Juice with 1 Cup of Heavy Cream….yummmm

 I got quite a kick out of the company name!

Preparation:

            Heat the Olive Oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the Chorizo, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the Chorizo with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.

            Next add the Onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, another 5 minutes.

            In the meanwhile, cut 2 Cups of small Cauliflower florets and chop the rest of the Cauliflower head.  Peel and thinly slice the Yukon Potato.  Once the Onion has softened, add the Chicken Broth/Stock, the chopped Cauliflower and the Potato to the skillet; bringing the mixture to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes or until both the Cauliflower and Potato are very tender.  Transfer the mixture to a blender in 3 or 4 small batches and puree until very smooth. * Don’t forget that hot liquids expand very, very readily, so do NOT overfill your blender!!

            Measure the pureed batches back into the skillet and add water, if necessary to make 7 Cups.  Stir in the reserved Cauliflower florets and simmer for 4 minutes until almost tender.  If you chose Mustard Greens or Kale, add to the soup with the florets.  When the florets are just tender, stir back in the Chorizo and Lemon juice and add Salt and/or Pepper to taste.  If using Spinach, add it to the skillet when you add the Chorizo and Lemon Juice.  Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with Paprika as garnish.

I cannot say enough about this soup.  It’s warm, hearty, has a little kick and is very filling.  Add to that it heats and even freezes well.  Talk about getting your meat, potatoes, and veggies all in one bowl.  This truly is a balanced meal in the making.  One that I hope you and your family will enjoy again and again!!