Super Easy Chicken Piccata

Super easy and very delicious Chicken Piccata.    

Ingredients

3 boneless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise to make 6 thin chicken cutlets

1 c. Italian bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

3T butter

2 lemons

2 c. chicken broth

2 jars capers (rinsed)

1 box whole wheat angel hair pasta

Parmesan cheese (grated)

Fresh parsley (chopped)

Directions: 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. 

Place the butter into a skillet and heat on medium/high. Dip the cutlets into the beaten egg and then dredge the cutlet into the bread crumbs.  Pat the bread crumbs onto each cutlet, so they are really coated.  Place into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes.  Turn the cutlets over and cook another 4 minutes. Remove the cutlets to a plate and cover with foil.  

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and capers to the skillet.  Stir and scrape all the brown bits from the skillet into the sauce.  Bring the sauce to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Serve the pasta with a cutlet and some sauce. If desired, garnish with fresh parsley and fresh grated parmesan cheese. 

Serves 6 

Light Shrimp Scampi

Delicious and Healthy Dinner Recipes by rantchic.com

Ingredients: 

-6 ounces multi-grain spaghetti
-1/4 cup multi-grain croutons, crushed
-1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
-1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 shallot, thinly sliced
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-3/4 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 16 large shrimp, 21 to 25 count)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
-1/4 dry white wine
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-6 black pitted and chopped olives such as kalamata (about 1 tablespoon)

Directions: 

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, combine the croutons, 1/2 tablespoon of the parsley, and 1 tablespoon of the zest in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper. Cook, stirring until the shallots are soft, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and the salt, and cook, over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, wine, lemon juice, and olives. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the spaghetti, the remaining 3 tablespoons parsley, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon zest, tossing to coat well; remove from the heat.

4. Transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle with the crouton mixture. Serve at once.

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 330; Total Fat 8.5 g; (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 4 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 26 g; Carb 35 g; Fiber 4 g; Cholesterol 130 mg; Sodium 400 mg

Cooking Should Make You Happy and If It Doesn't, It's Time to Try a New Recipe!

Caprese Lasagna Roll-Ups 

According to the dictionary, I'm a cheat!  Caprese is fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and drizzled with olive oil.  I just used fresh tomatoes and basil and the basil is from my garden, so I'm feeling good about that!  Although I'm not using fresh mozzarella, I think the dish will be delicious without it.  Fresh mozzarella that is, but I actually forgot to put any mozzarella it in!  But being the flexible person I am, I just tucked some shredded mozzarella between the noodles and the dish and between the roll-ups too.  So I'm a cheat and I make mistakes, but it's all good.  Adding the cheese to the top, will make the cheese all gooey and brown too!  That being said, if you try this recipe I hope you can be flexible too.  I tend to throw a little of this and that into my dishes, so there aren't any measurements just ingredients! I will add a link for those feeling the need to be more precise. 

The filling: 

Small container of ricotta cheese

1-2 eggs whites (1/2 c. of egg whites from a carton)

parmesan cheese (Mama Francesca's Parmesan & Garlic-available at Wal-Mart)

cracked black pepper

dried basil

dried oregano

fresh mozzarella or shredded! ;)  

Homemade Marinara Sauce

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

dried basil

dried oregano

cracked black pepper

granulated garlic

water, enough to make it the right consistency

Bring the sauce to a boil, and simmer to blend all the spices. 

Directions

Cook 10 lasagna noodles, al dente.  Place several noodles onto wax paper and spread the ricotta filling over them.  Add thinly sliced tomatoes and fresh basil.  Tightly roll up the noodles and place into a baking dish.  Make sure to place a little marinara sauce in the baking dish before you add any roll ups.  Finish rolling all the noodles and cover the roll ups with the remaining sauce.  Top with some shaved parmesan and shredded cheese...mmm!  Refrigerate until ready to bake.  Bake at 350 until the cheese is a golden brown.   

  

* * *As promised, here is the link to the inspiration for this dish.  This recipe is all over the web, so I'm not sure who should get the credit for it.  One thing is for sure, if so many people are sharing it... it must be good!  I just picked one.. hope you enjoy!  www.justapinch.com/recipes/caprese-lasagna-roll-ups-2.html 

Healthy Mini Muffins

                                                       Leftover Cereal Mini Muffins

Ever wonder what to do with all the little crumbs of cereal left in a box of cereal?  They make delicious muffins!  This recipe started by using the crumbs leftover from Mixed Berry Multigrain Spooners cereal.  If you don't have that brand you can use any frosted shredded wheat.  Next I added dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and roasted salted and pumpkin seeds to give the muffins some sweetness and crunch.  I added some crumbled bran flakes, oats, oatmeal pancake mix and cinnamon and nutmeg.     To make it all stick together, I added 2 eggs, milk, applesauce and almond butter and chopped fresh figs.  Bake at 350.  ENJOY!!!

On Vacation with My Crock Pot! It Cooks While We Play!

Crock Pot Enchiladas with Emeril's Enchilada Sauce

When I was younger, I was a guided by rules and I followed them...exactly!  As I've gotten older, I realize that rules are only guidelines.  If you relate this to a recipe, it means that all the ingredients, amounts and cooking instructions aren't set in stone.  Use the recipe as a template...only use the ingredients you like, in the amounts your family likes and adjust the cooking time too.  I think you will like the recipe better this way also!  

For this dish, I used 2 recipes:  Crock Pot Enchiladas from Jill's Junction.com and Emeril's Easy Enchilada Sauce at Food Network.com   The following recipes are my version of each one.  If you compare them to the originals you can see how they are similar but different.  Feel free to adapt my recipes to your family.  Have fun and make them yours! 

What first drove me to this meal was my desire to find recipes that would be simple for vacation.  We love to spend all day at the beach or fishing.  As most of you know, spending a lot of time in the sun, playing in the surf all day will tire you out.  The last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen.  My solution...the crock pot!  It cooks, while we play!  It's been awhile since I've used mine, so I needed to find a few good recipes that we would all enjoy.  

Crock Pot Enchiladas

1 large onion

1 green pepper

2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce

1 T. minced garlic

2 t. chili powder

2 t. cumin

2 t. oregano

1 t. cayenne pepper

3 chicken breasts 

1 c. shredded cheese

2. c enchilada sauce

corn tortillas

green onion

fresh cilantro

sour cream

Put the onion, peppers and spices in the crock pot and mix together.  Place the chicken breasts on top and place the lid on top.  Turn the crock pot of low for 8 hours. 

Enchilada Sauce

2 c. chicken broth

2 t. cumin

1 t. oregano

3 T. chili powder

2 T. flour

10 oz. tomato sauce

In a large skillet, add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and the spices.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 15 minutes.  The sauce will be thin, so remove about 1/4 of cup of the sauce to a small bowl and gradually add 1 T. of flour with a fork.  If you have even made gravy, this is the same idea.  Add the mixture into the saucepan and continue to cook.  Play around with method until you get the consistency you want.  If you add too much flour, just add a little chicken broth or water.  

Shred the chicken from the crock pot.  Place the shredded chicken back into the crock pot and mix.  Put a layer of the enchilada sauce into a large baking dish. Put a corn tortilla in the enchilada sauce and place into the backing dish, add a generous portion of the shredded chicken mixture onto the center of the torilla, add a little cheese and gently close each side of the tortilla and flip with the seam side down in the pan.  Once all the tortillas are filled, add remaining sauce to the tops of the enchiladas.  Add shredded cheese, green onions and fresh cilantro to the top, if desired.  

Bake about 35 minutes at 350.

Serve with sour cream and guacamole...enjoy!  :D 

Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup

Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup

2 boxes of chicken broth

1 large onion

1/2 bag of sliced carrots

3/4 box of noodles

2 T. minced garlic

large spring of fresh rosemary

2 large chicken breasts cooked in olive oil 

I also added a few tablespoons of taboule salad to my individual bowl.  YUMMY!!!   When I make this again I will add another box of chicken broth as the noodles absorbed a lot of the broth while cooling off.  We ate it hot so it didn't mess up dinner, but when I reheat more broth will need to be added.  

Dirty vs Clean

The Dirty Dozen versus The Clean 15

The fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list, when conventionally grown, tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic — unless you relish the idea of consuming a chemical cocktail. “The Dirty Dozen” list includes:

• celery
• peaches
• strawberries
• apples
• domestic blueberries
• nectarines
• sweet bell peppers
• spinach, kale and collard greens
• cherries
• potatoes
• imported grapes
• lettuce

All the produce on “The Clean 15” bore little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form. This list includes:

• onions
• avocados
• sweet corn
• pineapples
• mango
• sweet peas
• asparagus
• kiwi fruit
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• grapefruit
• sweet potatoes
• sweet onion

For more information go to http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/the-dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-of-produce/616/

The Perfect Dinner

Rosemary Salmon with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Mushrooms 

and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto.  

Made with Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon.  In case you didn't know, you need to be eating the wild salmon instead of the farm raised salmon.  I only know this because my daughter reads about these things.  I think she should be a nutritionist and if I were any younger I would look into that career myself.  I made the risotto because my mother asked about it yesterday.  We just happened to have some in the cupboard and while I have never made it myself, it wasn't too labor involved and turned out just right.  The bluebells on the table are a local bargain at only $1.00, an after Valentine's Day find and still beautiful!  The wine is from Costco...their brand, Kirkland.  More about that in a future post!  

Boxed Cake But Better!

Bakery Cake 

This post is going to need a follow up post.  I'm definitely going to try this over Spring Break.  I love the convenience of boxed cake mixes, but they don't taste as good as the bakery ones.  I'm thinking a key lime pie for St. Patrick's Day!  mmmm....

Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix,
Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich),
Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount,
Step 4: Instead of water, use milk.
Step 5: Mix well and bake for the time recommended on the box....found on pinterest — 

Easiest Pizza Ever!

Quick, Easy & Fun to Make!!!  

So simple and I bet yummy too!  My family is going to try these this week.  Great for snacks or a quick meal paired with a salad after a hectic day!

Little Bits...LOST! !

Little Bits FOUND!!  

It's annoying to search through the junk drawers to find a rubberband, twist tie, thumb tack or any other small item you've stashed away for a future use.  Here is a clever way to reuse all those need little glass food jars too!  I'm going to start my collection today!

Choose to be happy!

Who doesn't want to be happy?  Somedays we don't even think about it, we just are happy. Other days we find it hard to even muster a smile.  One thing I know for sure, happiness is a choice!  #9 is my favorite, followed by #1. Which are your favorites?

Homemade Ravioli and Sauce

Homemade Cheese & Spinach Ravioli and Sauce

Made easy by using store bought wonton wrappers!  I'm kinda of a throw it together girl, but here is the recipe.  Next time I make it, I'll measure so you know how much of each ingredient.  ENJOY!!! 

Filling: 

Ricotta Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

basil

spinach

1 egg

Sauce: 

Tomato paste

2 roma tomatoes

water

oregano 

basil

Cut each wonton wrappers into 4.  Place a small amount of filling unto one of the squares, cover with another square and seal each edge by pressing with a fork.  Place ravioli into boiling water and cook for 3 minutes or until they float.  They may float sooner than 3 minutes, so if you leave them in after they float just watch to make sure they don't open and spill their filling out.  Place the ravioli on a paper towel to drain before placing them on a plate. For the sauce, place about 3 tablespoons of tomato paste into a saucepan, 2 diced roma tomatoes, oregano, basil and a bit of water to make it like pasta sauce consistency.  

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Cream Cheese Drizzle

Ingredients:

CINNAMON FILLING:
3 tablespoons  (unsalted butter, just melted in microwave)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
3 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and milk 

PANCAKES:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Directions:

Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a zip baggie and set it aside.  Cut the corner tip of the baggie to make the swirl in the pancake while cooking.

Prepare the glaze: Bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature, then blend together with the vanilla extract.  Gradually mix the powdered sugar into the mixture. Add enough milk to get it drizzle.  

Prepare the pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened.

Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray.  Place batter into the skillet. Snip the corner of the baggie with the cinnamon filling and swirl the filling over the pancake.  Carefully flip the pancake and cook the other side.  Serve pancakes with the cream cheese drizzle. 

ENJOY!  :D

A Beautiful Ray of Sunshine!

Sunflower Cake by A Slice of Life

ingredients
1 package one-layer-size package yellow cake mix
1/2 16 ounce can white frosting
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons lemon drop candies
40 yellow fruit slice candies orange fruit slice candies
9 green shoelace fruit snacks
1 green roll-up fruit snack

directions
1. Prepare and bake cake in an 8-inch round pan according to package directions. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

2. Place cake on circular platter. Frost cake using white frosting. Arrange chocolate pieces in a circle in the center of the cake. Place lemon drops in single circle around the chocolate pieces. Cut orange and yellow fruit slices horizontally in half lengthwise. Arrange the thin slices around the lemon drops and around the outside of the cake to resemble petals.

3. Arrange shoelace fruit snacks around the cake to resemble vines. Cut leaf shapes out of the green roll-up fruit snack and arrange atop green vines. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

nutrition facts (Sunflower Cake)
Servings Per Recipe 10 cal. (kcal) 367, Fat, total (g) 7, chol. (mg) 15, sat. fat (g) 2, carb. (g) 63, pro. (g) 3, vit. C (mg) 2, sodium (mg) 206, iron (mg) 0,