Cheddar Cheese and Breadcrumb Crusted Chicken

Cheese is one of the greatest things in the world.  I decided to try combining cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs to make a crust on chicken.  The cheese created a crisp crust that I really enjoyed.  I served the chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and sugar snap peas.

Total time: 45 minutes

You will need:
3 Chicken Breasts
2/3 cup Breadcrumbs
2/3 cup Shredded Cheddar
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon butter

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the breadcrumbs and the cheddar in a bowl.  Then whisk the eggs in another bowl.

Step 2:
Coat the chicken with the breadcrumb cheddar mixture.  Then dunk in the egg and then coat in more of the breadcrumb mix.

Step 3:
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the butter.  Then brown the chicken in the pan.  Once both sides are browned, put the chicken onto a baking dish and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.

Moussaka

Moussaka is a traditional Greek dish that Charles and I tried while on our honeymoon.  Many Mediterranean countries have their own versions of Moussaka, but the Greek version stands out because it has a meat sauce, and the ingredients are layered (similar to lasagna).  Moussaka is a rich hearty dish with layered potato, eggplant, meat sauce, Parmesan, and béchamel sauce.  I made Moussaka for our Olympic themed Sunday Night Dinner, since Charles and I chose to represent Greece.  This recipe has a lot of steps, since each layer of the Moussaka is prepared individually - the prep time is about 2 hours.

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 10

You will need:
2 eggplants
1 lb. of potatoes
2 lbs. ground beef
2 large onions, finely diced
3/4 cup red wine
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 cup tomato puree
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups plain breadcrumbs
12 whites, lightly beaten (reserve the yolks for the bechamel)
1 1/2 cups Parmesan


For the Bechamel Sauce:
3 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cup flour
6 cups warm milk
12 lightly beaten egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Step 1:
Slice the eggplants into 1/2 inch slices.  Salt them generously and then place them in a colander and set aside.  Place the colander in the sink, the salt is going to draw out excess moisture from the eggplant.  Let the eggplant sit for 20 minutes to an hour.

Step 2:
Peel the potatoes and then cook them in boiling water until they are just cooked.  Do not over cook them, because you need to slice them.  Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to let them cool.  Once cooled slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.

The meat sauce.

Step 3:
In a large skillet over medium heat cook the beef until is browned and no longer pink.  Then add the onions and cook until translucent.  Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Then add the wine to the pan and let reduce for 5 minutes.  Then add the cinnamon, allspice, parsley, tomato paste, tomato puree and sugar.  Stir it together and then let simmer for 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4:
At this point the eggplants have been sitting for a while.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil.  Rinse the eggplant in water to remove the excess salt.  Then beat the egg white with a fork.  Pour the breadcrumbs into a bowl.  Dip the eggplant slices in the breadcrumbs and then in the egg white, and then back in the breadcrumbs.  Then place the breaded eggplant slices on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes.  Then flip and bake for another 15 minutes.  Once the eggplant is cooked lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

The breaded eggplant slices.

Step 5:
Assemble the Moussaka.  Lightly grease a lasagna pan and then sprinkle with a light layer of breadcrumbs.  Then add the sliced potatoes on the bottom of the pan.  Put the breaded eggplant on top. Pour the meat sauce over the eggplant and then sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan on top.  Then add another layer of eggplant.  Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the top.

Step 6:
Make the bechamel sauce.  Heat the milk until warm.  In a large pot melt the butter over low heat.  Add the flour and whisk together.  Let the butter and flour mixture cook for 1 minute on low hear - do not brown it.  Then add the warmed milk and whisk together.  Simmer until the milk thickens and then remove from the heat.  Beat the egg yolks and temper them by adding 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks while whisking continuously.  It is important to temper the eggs so you don't accidentally scramble the yolks when you add them to the hot milk.  Add 1 1/2 more cups of the warmed milk mix to the egg yolks 1/2 cup at the time while whisking.  Then add the egg yolks to the milk and stir together.  Then add the nutmeg.

Step 7:
Pour the bechamel sauce over the assembled moussaka.  And then top with the remaining Parmesan.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Finished Moussaka

Chicken and Pesto Pasta

This is one of the quickest meals that I have made.  All in all it took only about 20 minutes to make.  I made this on a busy Thursday night when we wanted to have a quick meal before heading to the driving range for a couple hours.

Feel free to add more ingredients to this dish. Mushrooms, pine nuts, or garlic would be great additions.

Serves 2
You will need:
2 Chicken Breasts
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Pasta
1/3 cup Pesto
1 Tomato, diced
3 tablespoons Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Step 1:
Put water on the stove under high heat to boil for the pasta.  Then dice the chicken breasts.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Generously salt and pepper the chicken.  Then add the chicken to the skillet.

Step 2:
Add 1/3 of the box of pasta to the water once it boils. As the pasta boils, keep an eye on the chicken. It will take about 4-5 minutes per side to cook, just make sure there is no pink in the middle.

Step 3:
The pasta and the chicken should be ready at about the same time. Drain the pasta and return it to the same pot. Pour the chicken over the pasta.

Step 4:
Using the same skillet you used for the chicken, heat up the pesto and tomatoes for 2-3 minutes, until hot. Then pour over the pasta. Add the Parmesan, stir, and serve.

Steak with Woody's Marinade

Our first meal at home as husband and wife!

Charles and I returned home late last Thursday and were so excited to spend Friday together.  I think that spending a weekday off in your home city can be the best because you can go to places that are normally packed on weekend and get in much more easily!  We spent the morning unpacking gifts and then spent the afternoon at our favorite taco place Big Star.

Saturday we decided to have a low key night at home.  Peapod delivered groceries on Saturday morning - so I was able to cook again!  I must admit that I did miss cooking a little.  I can't remember the last time I went 2 weeks+ without cooking anything.

I decided to cook a meal based on Charles's favorite foods, it was the least I could do after he planned such an incredible honeymoon.  Although this meal looks like it may have taken a while, I made it in under an hour (minus the time the steak marinated).

I am pleased to tell everyone that many wedding gifts contributed to making and serving this meal.  Thank you to: The Corgans/Pelleritos for the grill pan, Hanley for the steak knives, the Olcotts for the wine glasses, Helen and Dom for the bakeware, and the Blairs for the meat tenderizer!

Credit goes out to Woody whose marinade recipe I used!

For the Steak You Will Need:
Steak
Red Wine
Worcestershire Sauce
Soy Sauce
Olive Oil

Step 1:
Combine equal parts wine, worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a glass pan and let marinate for at least 3 hours.

Step 2:
Drizzle a little olive oil onto a grill pan (or any pan).  Heat the pan over high heat.  Then remove the steak from the marinade and generously coat with salt and pepper.

Step 3:
Add the steak to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes a side, until the steak had browned and there are strong grill marks.

Step 4:
At this point the steak will be rare.  To cook the steak more, put under the broiler in the oven, and cook for about 10-15 minutes more for medium temperature steak.

Pizza with Grilled Vegetables

I have been super busy, which means I haven't had enough time to cook!  Recently I was at Whole Foods figuring out what to have for dinner and I decided that pizza would be a quick and easy meal.  Whole Foods sells grilled veggies, which are the perfect topping for a pizza.  I chose grilled peppers, onions and zucchini.  This pizza only took 30 minutes total to make from start to finish, and was delicious!

You will need:
Grilled Veggies (I used green pepper, red onion, and zucchini)
Sliced Mushrooms
Tomato Sauce
Ricotta Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza Dough (I purchased mine from Whole Foods)

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Then grease a baking sheet with a little butter, and then coat with flour.  The little bit of butter gives the pizza a great crispy crust.

Step 2:
Stretch the pizza out onto the pan.  Then top with sauce, cheese and the grilled vegetables.

Step 3:
Bake for 20-30 minutes until browned.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash over Ravioli

If you don't have the time to make butternut squash ravioli, this is a quicker option that tastes just about the same.  I love the sweet and salty flavor combination.

You will need:
1 Butternut Squash
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Butter
3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
Store bought Ravioli or Tortelinni
Parmesan Cheese

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Then cut in half the long way.  Scoop out the seeds.  Then dice the squash into 1 inch cubes, cutting off the peel as you go.  Then place in a glass pan, and toss with the olive oil.  Then bake until soft, it will take about 45 minutes.

Step 2:
After the squash has been in the oven for 35 minutes, cook the ravioli or tortelinni according to the directions.

Step 3:
Once the squash is fully cooked remove it from the oven.  Then in a skillet melt the butter and add the sugar.  Melt together and then add the squash.  Cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently.

Step 4:
Serve the ravioli with a scoop for the buttery brown sugar squash on top.  Then top with a little Parmesan.

Easy Chicken Chili

I have really gotten serious about making healthy meals.  The thing is, that I didn't tell my fiance that we were eating extra healthy meals.  And he didn't notice the difference.  And we have both lost a few pounds.  Recently Charles requested that I make chili.  I don't really have time to make traditional chili - too much chopping and too long of a cook time.  So I fudged things a little and came up with a way to make a delicious chili in under an hour!  Chili is such a healthy meal - it is packed with veggies, plus beans pack a lot of protein.  Feel free to add in your favorite veggies!

Serves 4
You will need:
1 large carton of Chicken Broth
1 pound chicken
1 large jar of Salsa
1 can of Black Beans
1 can of Diced Tomatoes
1 can of Kidney Beans
1 can of Corn
1 Pepper
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Cheddar Cheese
Fat Free Sour Cream

Step 1:
Cook and shred the chicken.  You can boil the chicken, which only takes about 8 minutes, or you can bake it.

Step 2:
Chop the pepper and then saute it in olive oil until soft.  Then pour the tomatoes, beans, corn and chicken broth into a large pot.  Heat over medium heat until boiling slowly.  Then add in the salsa and the chicken.  Let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 3:
I like to serve chili with brown rice on the bottom and cheese and sour cream on top.  Some people think that serving chili over rice is weird - serve it however you want.  You could even omit the broth to make a thick chili and then serve it over chips for nachos.

Spaghetti Squash

Summer has started, which means life just got even busier.  Plus the wedding is just 3 1/2 weeks away.  I have never been busier.  There are lots of last minute wedding projects to tackle (seating arrangements, hunting down RSVPs, music selection, dance classes, confirming with vendors, etc...).  Plus I am trying to go to as many CircuitFit classes as I can.  (If anyone is trying to get into shape I very very highly recommend CircuitFit.)  Last night was a very busy night.  I have a long commute to work, so I don't get home until 6:30pm at the earliest.  Then I went to a CircuitFit class from 7-7:45 and Charles and I had to meet a friend for drinks at 8:30.  With lots to do and only 2 hours to do it, I decided to make Spaghetti Squash for dinner.  I am trying to cook all of my own meals if I can, I think that this is the best way to lose weight/not gain weight which is my goal.  You don't know how much butter, oil, etc... goes into your meal at a restaurant.  When you cook for yourself you are in complete control.

Spaghetti Squash is one of the easiest meals I make.  Charles and I LOVE squash of all varieties.  I think Spaghetti Squash is the most fun, because it is just like spaghetti.  Last night the first thing that I did when I got home was to start cooking the squash.  Then I went to CircuitFit.  When I got home from CircuitFit the squash was cooked, which meant that by 8:30 I had showered, changed, and eaten dinner.  I am pretty proud of myself for being so speedy!

Total Time: 1h 15minutes
You will need:
1 Spaghetti Squash
1 jar of your favorite Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Parmesan

Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the squash in half the long way.  Scoop out the seeds.

Step 2:
Pour a little Olive Oil in the bottom of a baking dish.  Then brush the inside of the squash with Olive Oil.  Place in the dish and then into the oven.

Step 3:
After about 40 minutes flip the squash over.

Step 4:
After an 1 hour and 15 minutes the squash will be done.  I like to cook it extra long so that it isn't crunchy at all, and is more spaghetti like.  Once the squash is cooked, heat some spaghetti sauce.  As the sauce heats scoop out the squash with a fork.  The squash meat separates into strands just like spaghetti.  Then pour the sauce on top, and sprinkle with cheese.  Enjoy!

Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Spinach

Sorry I have been bad about posting.  There are just a few weeks until the wedding, and wedding related tasks have been taking up a lot of my time!  This is a meal I made a couple weeks ago.  Charles really liked it.

You will need:
Boneless Chicken Thighs
Goat Cheese
Frozen Spinach (defrosted)
Italian Style Breadcrumbs
Eggs
Olive Oil

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Combine the equal parts goat cheese and spinach.  Microwave for about 15 seconds and stir together.  Then use to stuff the chicken thigh.

Step 2:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Coat the chicken in the breadcrumbs.  Then dunk in the egg, and coat in another layer of breadcrumbs.

Step 3:
Brown the chicken on both sides.

Step 4:
Then bake for another 30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.

Chicken Marsala

I hope that everyone had a lovely Mother's Day!  I flew my Mom to Chicago to visit me.  Several of my girl friend's Moms came to Chicago as well and we all walked in the Y-Me Breast Cancer together.  Then we had a great bunch that my friends Jen and Jenn hosted.  We ended the day at my place where I hosted our weekly Sunday Night Dinner.  I was so excited to cook dinner for both my Mom and my friend Dre's Mom Fay, who is also this blog's biggest fan!

After some careful consideration, I decided to make Chicken Marsala.  As I have explained previously, when I am hosting a dinner party, I prefer to do the majority of the cooking the day before.  I have several recipes that I think taste better when they are made the day before that are perfect for this purpose.

This recipe does take a while to make, and even longer if you are making it for 12 people!  It is definitely worth the time though!

Total time: 2  hours

You will need:

3 pounds Chicken Breasts

1 cup Flour (seasoned with Salt and Pepper for dredging)

1 large Onion

1 12 ounce packaged of sliced mushrooms

1 bottle Marsala Wine (available at Whole Foods)

3 cloves Garlic

Butter

Olive Oil

4 Eggs

1 Lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons Tomato Paste

1 teaspoon Flour

Step 1:

Heat a large skillet and saute the onion in butter and olive oil.  Once the onion has softened, add the mushrooms.  Once the mushrooms are soft, add the garlic and saute for another minute.  Then add in 1/4 cup Marsala Wine.  Saute until the wine has been absorbed.  Set aside.

Step 2:

Quarter the chicken breasts.  Then beat the eggs in a bowl and add juice from 1/4 of the lemon.  Prepare the seasoned flour.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add enough butter and olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Coat the chicken in the seasoned flour, then the egg, and then back in the flour.  Then cook until browned.

Step 3:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Place the browned chicken in a greased casserole dish.  Then slowly pour the rest of the wine in skillet you used to brown the chicken.  Add the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon flour.  Stir quickly so the flour does not clump.  Using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits of chicken off the bottom of the skillet.  Stir until the sauce boils.  Add the onions and mushrooms and then let boil for another 2 minutes.

Step 4:

Pour the sauce over the chicken into the casserole dish.  Let bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is fully cooked.  

** I serve this dish with egg noodles.

Caroline's Chicken

I call this Caroline's Chicken because the recipe came from Caroline.  I realize that chances are that Caroline got the recipe from her mom Malley, or someone else, but I still like to call it Caroline's Chicken even if it isn't completely accurate.

Caroline made this for one of the first Sunday Night Dinners I attended.  She gave me the recipe and I have made it several times.  It is one of those easy recipes that requires few ingredients that I usually have on hand.

You will need:
Chicken Breasts
2/3 cup White Wine
1 cup Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup Fat Free Sour Cream
8 ounces Sliced Mushrooms
1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the wine, soup, and sour cream together.

Step 2:
Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the olive oil and quickly brown the chicken.  Then add to a baking pan.  Once all of the chicken has been browned, pour the mushrooms over the top of the chicken, then pour the wine, soup, and sour cream mix over.

Step 3:
Bake for 25-45 minutes, depending on how thick the chicken is.  Bake until fully cooked.  I always serve with rice pilaf.

Steak Marinade

Friday night I made steak and potatoes for dinner.  I made a simple 3 ingredient marinade and let the steak marinate for an hour before broiling.  It was a quick meal for a lazy Friday night.  I cooked so much steak that we had steak and eggs for breakfast the next day.

You will need:
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
3 tablespoons Mustard

Let marinate for an hour and then generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the steak.  Then either broil or grill.

Roman Style Chicken

I hosted Sunday Night Dinner last weekend and I made Roman Style Chicken.  This is a perfect meal to make when you are hosting a dinner party because it tastes better if you make it the night before.  When I host SND I like to do all the work ahead of time so I can spend time with my guests.  I think that it is expected that I will cook something healthy for SND.  Dre always asks, "Is this low fat?" - because she knows that I try to keep it healthy.  This is a great example of a low fat meal that is full of vegetables.  It was a big hit at SND.

This recipe can be altered to include your favorite vegetables.  This time I included mushrooms and peppers.  In the past I have added zucchini or artichoke hearts.  The basic concept of this recipe is to sear chicken at a high heat, then create a tomato based sauce, add the chicken and cook low and slow.  The actual proportions and additional ingredients can be to taste.  You can add a hot pepper if you want to add a little kick to the dish.

Serves 6-8

You will need:
2 pounds whole chicken breasts
8 ounces mushrooms
3 peppers (I used red and green)
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons italian seasoning
salt
pepper
olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
pasta
parmesan

Step 1:
Heat a large pot over medium high heat.  Then add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot.  Coat the chicken with salt and pepper and then add to the pot in batches.  Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until browned.  Set aside.  And continue until all the chicken has been browned.

Step 2:
In the same pot, saute the mushrooms and peppers for about 5 minutes.  You can use 1 part olive oil and 2 parts white wine for sautéing to reduce the amount of fat.  Then add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine, and chicken broth.  Stir together.  Add italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.

Step 3:
Bring the sauce to a slow boil.  Then add the chicken.  Let simmer for 40 minutes.  You could serve right away, or for extra tender chicken, let it sit overnight.  Then simmer for an additional hour before serving.  Just before serving use 2 forks to shred the chicken.

I always serve over pasta with parmesan on top.

Mustard Chicken

I made Mustard Chicken last night.  This is a quick crowd-pleasing recipe that I make often during the week.  One nice thing about this recipe is that you can change it up however you like by adding onions, mushrooms and/or artichoke hearts.  Sometimes I don't add any of those and just make the sauce - sometimes I add whatever is in the fridge.  Perhaps the best thing about this recipe is how simple the ingredients are.  Most people probably have all of the ingredients at home; most are pantry items that last a long time.  It is also worth pointing out that these this is a very inexpensive meal to make.

You can use any type of mustard you like.  I have used Dijon, Stone ground, Whole Mustard, etc... they are all very good, use you favorite.

Serves: 2
Total time: 45 minutes

You will need:
1.5 pounds Chicken Breasts

Flour to dredge the chicken
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Mushrooms (optional)
1/2 can chopped Artichoke Hearts (optional)
1/4 cup chopped Onion (optional)
1/2 cup Milk
3 tablespoons Mustard
1 tablespoon Tarragon

* I serve with Rice Pilaf

Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  In a bowl combine about 1/2 cup flour and salt and pepper to taste, you will use this to coat the chicken.  Then heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Once the skillet is hot, dredge the chicken in the flour and place in the skillet.  It will only take a couple minutes to brown on each side.  Once the chicken has browned, place it on a baking sheet and put in the oven.  The cook time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts.  I purchased medium sized chicken breasts and they were fully cooked in about 30 minutes - and very tender.

Step 2:
While the chicken is in the oven, start the rice if you are having rice.  I love eating rice with this because I think that the sauce is great on rice.  Then get started on sauteing any of the vegetables you would like to add into the sauce.  Once the mushrooms have browned/onions have softened/artichokes are heated - set aside.

Step 3:
Make the sauce.  Start by melting the butter in a medium saucepan.  Then stir in the flour.  Stir for one minute.  Then slowly add the chicken stock and milk whisk until the butter/flour mixture is completely incorporated.  Then bring to a slow boil.  Let boil for 1 minute, stirring frequently.  This lets the sauce thicken.  Then add in the mustard and tarragon.  Go ahead and add extra mustard if you really like mustard.  Then add in the sauteed vegetables.  (This sauce only takes about 5-10 minutes to make, so I wait until the chicken is almost done before I make it.)

Enjoy!  There will be at least one more post this week.  My friend Carla asked me to post about menu options/recipes for Orthodox Easter this weekend.

Vegetable Risotto

Today I was at Whole Foods buying ingredients to make Guacamole, when I realized I hadn't even thought of what I was making for dinner.  So I wandered the aisles until I came up with a plan.  I decided to make a vegetable risotto because the produce at Whole Foods is so good.  I chose some of my favorite veggies and add in goat cheese to make the risotto creamy.

1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
1 small Red Pepper
1 Zucchini
1 large Portabella Mushroom
1 large carton Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Parmesan
2 ounces Goat Cheese
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons White Wine











Step 1:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pot over medium heat.  Then add the risotto and stir.  Stir frequently until the risotto browns slightly.  Then add just enough chicken broth to just submerge the risotto.  Let simmer.

Step 2:
In a skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.  Mix in 2 tablespoons white wine, then add the red peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini.  Stir frequently until all of the liquid has been absorbed, and the vegetables have browned.

Step 4:
Once the risotto has absorbed the broth (it takes about 10 minutes), add more broth.  As in Step 2, add just enough broth so that the rice is completely submerged.  Stir to make sure that no rice sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Step 5:
Repeat Step 3.

Step 6:
Once the risotto has absorbed the third addition of broth, add more broth until the rice is submerged.  Stir.

Step 7:
Once most of the broth is absorbed stir in the vegetables, goat cheese, and parmesan.  Stir together.  Serve once the liquid has absorbed and the cheese has melted.

15 Minute Pasta with Tomato Goat Cheese Sauce

The amazing thing about this dinner isn't that it only took 15 minutes to make - all the ingredients were purchased at Walgreens!  Granted, it wasn't your typical Walgreens, I went to the new flagship Walgreens on State Street in Chicago - which sells sushi and grocery items.

This meal hit the spot on a busy night when I had no time to cook.  The goat cheese makes the sauce extra creamy, which contrasted nicely with the chunks of tomato.

Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

You will need:
1 box of Pasta
14.5 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
8 oz Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan
2 oz Goat Cheese

Step 1:
Put water on to boil for the pasta.

Step 2:
Heat the diced tomato in a large skillet.  Let bubble and reduce for 5 minutes.

Step 3:
Add 3/4 box of pasta to the water once it is boiling.

Step 4:
Add the tomato sauce and parmesan and let simmer until the pasta has cooked.

Step 5:
Drain the pasta.  Stir the goat cheese into the sauce.  Then stir in the pasta and serve.

Taco Pie

I decided to repurpose taco leftovers and make a taco pie.  The prep time was only a few minutes, and it was delicious.  You could add in any taco leftovers you have on hand - other ideas are sauteed onions or peppers.  The meat doesn't need to have mexican seasoning - salsa is added to the pie for flavor and moisture.

You will need:
3 8-inch Tortillas
1/4 cup Salsa
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Shredded Chicken
1/2 cup Low Fat Shredded Mexican Cheese
1/2 cup Black Beans
Sour Cream
Avocado
a pie pan

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the salsa and chicken broth.  Then place a tortilla on the bottom of the pie pan.  Spoon enough of the salsa and chicken broth over the tortilla to completely cover it.

Step 2:
Top with a thin layer of chicken, black beans and cheese.  Then cover with a tortilla and spoon more of the salsa and chicken broth mix over the top.

Step 3:
Repeat Step 2.  Then pour the rest of the salsa and chicken broth mix over the top, and then cover with cheese.

Step 4:
Bake for 45 minutes.  Then top with sour cream and avocado.

Shepard's Pie

I had lots of leftover baked potato after I made the Buffalo Chicken Baked Potatoes - since I had to scoop out some of the middle of potato.  This inspired me to make Shepard's Pie.  My fiance is British, so he has had a lot of Shepard's Pie.  He thought that his was a very classy Shepard's Pie since I used sirloin instead of ground beef.

You will need:
1 pound Sirloin
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
1 cup Flour
Salt
Pepper
1 cup chopped Carrot
1 cup chopped Onion
1 small can of Corn
1 cup Red Wine
1 cup Beef Broth
4 medium Potatoes
1/4 cup Fat Free Sour Cream
1/4 cup 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese
3 tablespoons Chicken Broth

Step 1:
Chop the sirloin into 1 inch pieces.  Pour the flour into a bowl and then season with salt and pepper.  Then toss the meat in the seasoned flour.  In a large pot, melt 1 the butter and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Brown the dredged meat in small batches adding more butter and oil if necessary.  

Step 2:
Once all the meat is browned, set it aside.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pot and add the onions.  Once the onions have browned return the meat to the pot.  Stir in the broth and wine.  Heat until just boiling, then add the carrots and corn.  Let simmer for 2 hours.


Step 3:
As the meat simmers, boil the potatoes in a pot until soft.  Then drain, and add the sour cream, cream cheese and chicken broth.  Either combine and mash with a mixer or a fork.


Step 4:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Then pour the beef and vegetable mixture into a glass pie pan.  Top with the potatoes.  Evenly spread the potatoes out over the top.  Then bake for 30-40 minutes until hot and browned on top.

Chicken Tacos

Last Friday I came home from work exhausted and hungry.  I needed to come up with a quick dinner.  I decided to make chicken tacos because I love tacos and I had the ingredients.  You can change this recipe up to add your favorite ingredients.  This only took about 30 minutes to make.

1/4 cup Salsa
1/4 cup Chicken Broth
Black Beans
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/4 cup chopped Onion
2 Chicken Breasts, boiled and shredded
Reduced Fat Mexican Cheese
Fat Free Sour Cream
1/4 cup chopped Tomato
Avocado
Tortillas

Step 1:
Boil the chicken for 6-8 minutes, until fully cooked.  Let cool for 5 minutes and then shred with a fork.

Step 2:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onions until slightly browned.  Then add the tomato, salsa, and chicken broth.  Let reduce for 3 minutes.

Step 3:
Add the chicken and black beans and cook until heated.

Step 4:
Assemble the taco.  Spoon the saucy chicken and black bean mix onto a tortilla.  Top with cheese, sliced avocado, and sour cream.

Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

Sometimes it is nice to have a quiet night at home.  Recently we decided to have a movie night at home.  I decided to cook roasted peppers stuffed with risotto.  I don't know where I got the idea, but somehow I thought that it would be a good combination.  My goal was to create a creamy cheesy risotto, which I achieved by adding a little cream and ricotta.


You can add more vegetables or different vegetables to this dish.  Asparagus or peas would fit the dish nicely.


Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves 4

You will need:
4 large peppers, top cut off, seeds removed
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
8 ounces sliced Mushrooms
2 tablespoon White Wine
32 ounces low sodium fat free Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup shredded Chicken
2 tablespoons Cream
3 tablespoons Ricotta


Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the peppers on a baking sheet and put into oven to roast.


Step 2:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pot over medium heat.  Then add the risotto and stir.  Stir frequently until the risotto browns slightly.  Then add just enough chicken broth to just submerge the risotto.  Let simmer.


Step 3:
In a skillet melt 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium heat.  Mix in 2 tablespoons white wine, then add the mushrooms.  Stir frequently until the mushrooms have absorbed all of the liquid, and the mushrooms have browned.


Step 4:
Once the risotto has absorbed the broth (it takes about 10 minutes), add more broth.  As in Step 2, add just enough broth so that the rice is completely submerged.  Stir to make sure that no rice sticks to the bottom of the pan.


Step 5:
Repeat Step 3.


Step 6:
Once the risotto has absorbed the third addition of broth, add more broth until the rice is submerged.  Also add the sauteed mushrooms and the chicken.  Stir.


Step 7:
Once most of the broth is absorbed stir in the cream, ricotta, and parmesan.


Step 8:
Remove the peppers from the oven.  Spoon risotto into the peppers and serve.