Aggie's Kitchen Recipes

Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta Toss

2009-06-03T12:01:00.000-04:00

Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta Toss
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

Serves 2-3

1/3 pound whole wheat rotini pasta (enough for 2-3 people)
4 TB olive oil, divided
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB capers
1/4 cup chopped mixed pitted olives
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste
handful of torn basil
1/2 lemon

Cook pasta according to directions.

Heat 2 TB olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onions and garlic to olive oil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add capers and shrimp and saute until shrimp are just pink. Add tomatoes and cooked pasta directly to skillet and toss with additional 2 TB olive oil, torn basil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Garden Pizza

2009-06-02T16:54:00.000-04:00

Garden Pizza
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

1 pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
small can of tomato sauce
dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded mexican blend cheese
2-3 spring green onions, thinly sliced
2-3 links chicken andouille sausage, thinly sliced (I use Amylu chicken sausages I find at Costco)
1-2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1-2 squash, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare pizza dough on stone. Pour tomato sauce onto dough and spread around. Sprinkle dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste over sauce. Add about a cup of shredded mozzarella over sauce. Then add in layers: sliced green onions, sliced chicken sausage, sliced zucchini and squash. Add salt and pepper to top veggie layer to taste. Sprinkle about a 1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese over zucchini and squash.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until pizza crust is golden brown cooked through and veggies are browned.

Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Frittata

2009-05-11T17:01:00.000-04:00

Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Frittata
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

2 large eggs
1/3 cup egg whites, approximately 2 large egg whites
2 TB milk
1 zucchini, chopped in about 1" pieces
1 - 2 squash, chopped in about 1" pieces
1/2 medium red onion, chopped in about 1" pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped in about 1" pieces
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 oz piece of Ile De France Goat Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In small bowl, toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and place in hot oven. Roast for approximately 20-25 minutes until veggies are cooked.

Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

Spray an 8-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add roasted vegetables to the skillet, then pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture and cook for a few minutes until the eggs start to set. Crumble goat cheese over eggs and vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown on top, about 5 minutes. Let the frittata stand 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from skillet and slide the frittata onto a plate. Cut into triangles and serve.

Penne with Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes

2009-03-30T16:51:00.000-04:00

Penne with Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

Serves 3-4

1/2 lb whole wheat penne pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 links Italian Turkey Sausage, casings removed
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of Italian diced tomatoes
1/2 bag of fresh spinach
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Red pepper flakes, for serving

Bring pot of salted water to a boil to cook pasta. Cook pasta according to directions on box, slightly under cook because you will be adding pasta to sauce while still on heat.

In a large saute pan, drizzle a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and start to cook onion and garlic. Once onions start to soften, add sausage and begin to crumble and cook in pan. Cook sausage completely, approximately 8-10 minutes. Add cans of crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook together for about 5-8 minutes so sauce flavors combine. Add fresh spinach leaves to sauce and combine. Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss.

Serve with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pizza

2009-03-19T21:20:00.000-04:00

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pizza
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

store bought or homemade pizza dough
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped
1-2 zucchinis, chopped
2 yellow squash, chopped
red onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
store bought or homemade pesto
pine nuts
mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss veggies, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread evenly on large baking sheet and place in a preheated 425 degree oven. Roast vegetables for approximately 20-25 minutes, tossing about halfway through.

Spread pizza dough out on flat surface. Work dough out, pulling and stretching gently until reaching desired size. I use a pizza stone and try to get the dough just slightly larger than the stone since it does tend to shrink back slightly.

Spread pesto evenly over pizza dough. Spread roasted vegetables over pesto. Top with pine nuts and mozzarella. Bake in 425 degree oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown and cheese is melted. Be sure to lift pizza up and check that the bottom is browning as well. If it is not, place on lower rack for a few more minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Vegetable Ragu

2009-03-18T14:01:00.000-04:00

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Vegetable Ragu
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

2 tsp olive oil
1 large (28oz) can of diced or crushed tomatoes
1 large zucchini, large dice
2 yellow squash, large dice
1 med onion, chopped
mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb ground turkey, cooked and seasoned
1 large spaghetti squash
Parmesan cheese, for serving
red pepper flakes, for serving

In a large heated saute pan, drizzle a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and add onions and garlic. Cook onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add zucchini, squash, and mushrooms and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes over medium high heat. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Then add ground turkey and tomatoes, combine and let cook through. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Scrape out stringy flesh of cooked spaghetti squash into plate and serve with sauce. Add Parmesan and red pepper flakes to taste.

Fire Roasted Chile Chicken Fajitas

2009-03-01T09:57:00.000-05:00

Fire Roasted Chile Chicken Fajitas
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

For Marinade:
4 chicken breasts
1 TB chili powder
1 TB smoked paprika
1 TB pasilla chili powder
1 TB garlic powder
3 TB diced fire-roasted green chiles (I use these)
salt and pepper
2-3 TB olive oil

2 large red or green bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
limes

flour or whole wheat tortillas
Guacamole, optional
Pico de Gallo, optional
Salsa, optional
Sour Cream, optional
Shredded Cheese, optional

In a large bowl, combine chicken breasts with chili powders, garlic, paprika, chopped chilies and olive oil (I eyeballed my measurements so adjust yours to your liking). Using tongs, toss chicken breasts until completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cast iron fajita skillet onto rack on lowest setting. Keep in hot oven until ready to serve fajitas.

Using a preheated grill or grill pan, cook chicken breasts, approximately 5 minutes on each side (depending on thickness). Once chicken is cooked, transfer to cutting board and let rest before slicing.

In a hot nonstick skillet, with about 1-2 TB olive oil, saute sliced peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 8 - 10 minutes, until softened.

Slice cooked chicken breasts into long thin strips. When ready to serve, pull out fajita griddle out of the oven using the hot handle holder and place on wooden underliner. Add a few drops of olive oil to skillet, add chicken, peppers and onions and toss to combine. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lime over chicken and veggies. Ready to serve!

Pan Fried Tilapia with Bonefish Grill's Chimichurri Sauce

2009-02-23T20:14:00.000-05:00

Pan Fried Tilapia with Chimichurri Sauce

4 Tilapia Fillets
Bbq seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
Bonefish Grill Chimichurri Sauce

Sprinkle each fish fillet on both sides with bbq seasoning, salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add 2 tsp olive oil into preheated pan over medium high heat. Place tilapia into pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Carefully flip fish over and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes or until fish looks cooked through (will be white and flaky in middle).

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of Chimichurri Sauce over each piece of fish. Serve with steamed veggies and enjoy!

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe from Bonefish Grill

8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. plus Kosher Salt
1 tsp. oregano, dry leaves
1 tsp. black pepper, ground
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Finely grated lemon zest from 3 lemons
4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 bunch flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse chop until all ingredients are approximately 1/8 inch in size. Add Italian parsley and pulse chop until parsley is 1/8 inch in size. Add the olive oil and blend in quickly. (Do not over blend)

Allow the sauce to marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

Zucchini and Mahi Stir Fry

2009-02-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

Zucchini and Mahi Stir Fry
Recipe adapted from Meet Me in the Kitchen

Marinate:
1 pound cubed mahi mahi (with fish only marinate for 20-30 minutes max)
1 Tbls oil
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbls soy sauce

2 large zucchinis, halved and sliced 1" thick
2-3 yellow squash, halved and sliced 1" thick
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 large carrot, halved and sliced
1 tsp ginger root, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce:
Mix and set aside until needed- 1 Tbls cornstarch, ½ tsp salt, ¼ cup oyster sauce, ¼ cup water

Heat 1 Tbls oil in wok until hot. Stir in half of the fish and cook until done. Remove fish and repeat with other half. Heat 1 Tbls oil in wok and stir in vegetables and flavorings. Stir fry veggies until tender and then add cooked fish. Stir in sauce mix, stir and cook until thickened. Serve with soba noodles or hot rice if desired.

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Artichokes, Mushrooms and Asparagus

2009-02-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Artichokes, Mushrooms and Asparagus
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

3 chicken breasts, sliced into thin cutlets
1 cup flour, for dredging (I use whole wheat flour)
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TB olive oil
nonstick spray
8 oz container of sliced mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
2 lemons, juiced
1 TB butter

In a large shallow plate mix together flour, salt, pepper and garlic.

Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in a hot non stick skillet over medium high heat. Dredge chicken cutlets into flour mixture, shake off excess flour, and carefully place into hot skillet. Brown chicken for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side. Add good amount of fresh ground pepper to each side of chicken. Once chicken is browned, take out of pan and place on plate.

Spray skillet with non stick spray. Immediately add mushrooms and asparagus into skillet and start to saute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook vegetables for about 3-5 minutes, or until mushrooms start to brown and soften. Add artichoke hearts, lemon juice and chicken stock. Place chicken back into pan and let everything cook together. Cook uncovered over medium low heat for approximately 8-10 minutes. Sauce will thicken only slightly. Add butter at the end of the cooking process and gently toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, spoon additional sauce over chicken and vegetables.

Serve with brown rice.

Turkey and Spinach Meatballs

2009-02-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

Turkey and Spinach Meatballs
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

1.25 lb of lean ground turkey (I usually use Jenni-O)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 small onion, grated
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
splash milk (I use non fat)
non stick spray

In large bowl, mix together onion, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan and milk. Mix until it turns into a loose paste. Add in ground turkey, chopped spinach, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Gently combine all ingredients. Roll meat mixture into small meatballs, about 1-2 inches round. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Before placing in oven, spray each meatball with non stick spray.

Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until browned, in 375 degree oven.

To serve with tomato sauce, drop meatballs in sauce pan with tomato sauce and heat through. Freeze your extras for another meal!

Veggie Potstickers with Soy Dipping Sauce

2009-02-09T13:19:00.000-05:00

Veggie Pot Stickers with Soy Dipping Sauce
Recipe adapted from Meet Me in the Kitchen

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 cups angel hair coleslaw with carrots

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup minced green onions

1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

30 won ton wrappers

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 cup water, divided
Soy Dipping Sauce, recipe below

Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add coleslaw; cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. While cabbage cooks, add 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to keep cabbage from sticking to pan. Spoon cabbage into a medium bowl; let cool completely.

Add green onions, ginger, salt, sesame oil and garlic to bowl; stir well.

Working with 1 won ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining won ton wrappers to keep them from drying out), spoon about 1 tablespoon veggie mixture into the center of each wrapper.

Moisten edges of wrapper with water, and bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring the remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place pot stickers on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch; cover loosely with a towel to keep them from drying out.

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place half of pot stickers in bottom of skillet; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet; cover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Place pot stickers on a serving platter; set aside, and keep warm. Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable oil, remaining pot stickers, and remaining water.

You can freeze uncooked potstickers- just place on a baking sheet, place in the freezer until frozen and transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag. When ready to cook, thaw and repeat cooking procedure. You can also cook them from a frozen state, it just takes a few more minutes to get them cooked through.

Soy Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp chopped ginger
1 clove chopped garlic
1 green onion, chopped

Mix ingredients together and serve in small bowl.

Baked Hot and Garlic Zingers

2009-02-04T13:45:00.001-05:00

Baked Hot and Garlic **Zingers**
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen, inspired by Ale House Zingers

1.5 lbs chicken breast, sliced into strips
2 cups panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs, I use whole wheat panko)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 cups Frank's Hot Sauce
butter, optional
2 tsp minced garlic (from jar)

You will need:
large cookie sheet
baking rack

Season chicken strips with salt and pepper, also drizzle a little olive oil over chicken and toss to coat. Pour panko in a large dish and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip each chicken strip into dish, pressing chicken into panko to coat well.

Place your baking rack into a cookie sheet. Place breaded chicken strips onto baking rack. Spray breaded chicken strips with olive oil spray or non stick spray (this helps to give them that crispy texture).

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and done.

In small saucepan, heat up hot sauce and garlic. If you want to tone down the heat of the sauce add butter. Start with 1 TB and go from there.

Using tongs, gently toss chicken strips with hot sauce and serve with celery, carrots and your favorite blue cheese dressing (mine is Naturally Fresh Lite).

Black Bean Nachos and Blood Orange Margaritas

2009-02-02T20:51:00.002-05:00

Black Bean Nachos
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen, adapted from Itzy's Kitchen

2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz jar of medium salsa
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup corn kernels, defrosted
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
2 scallions, chopped
2-3 roasted red jalapenos, sliced
organic blue and yellow corn tortilla chips

In bowl, combine first 7 ingredients. Spray large baking dish with nonstick spray and spread layer of tortilla chips on bottom. Pour half of black bean mixture over chips. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with another layer of chips, again with black bean mixture. Sprinkle with remainder of cheese, chopped scallions and jalapeno peppers. Bake in 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and golden.

Blood Orange Margaritas
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen, Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1 cup good tequila (clear, 100% agave is best)
1 cup triple sec
2-3 cups ice
sugar, optional
kosher salt, optional

If you like margaritas served in a glass with salt, rub the outside rims of six glasses with a cut lime or blood orange and dip each glass lightly into a plate of kosher salt. (You could also use sugar to rim the glasses!)

Combine the lime juice, blood orange juice, Triple Sec, and ice in a blender and puree until completely blended. Add the tequila and puree for 2 seconds more. Serve over ice.

These margaritas are very tart...and not light on the alcohol. To sweeten it up a bit, add a few tablespoons of sugar to the mix before blending. Adjust alcohol level to your taste!!

Mongolian Beef

2009-01-28T12:13:00.001-05:00

Mongolian Beef
Recipe from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

2 bunches green onion, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 lb lean beef, sliced thin
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce

Season sliced beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
Sprinkle cornstarch over beef and toss to coat. Set aside.
In hot pan saute garlic and onion in cooking oil until softened.
Add meat and brown.
Add oyster sauce and soy sauce; stir to coat.
Just before serving, add green onions and toss.

Bbq Pulled Pork and Chipotle Onion Sandwiches

2009-01-26T20:58:00.001-05:00

Bbq Pulled Pork and Chipotle Onion Sandwiches
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

1 Boston butt or pork shoulder roast (4-6lbs, depending on the size of your slow cooker)
1 large onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 whole, crushed garlic cloves
1 cup water
your favorite Barbeque sauce

1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons of oil
2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder
couple - few dashes of Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce

Place pork roast in the slow cooker; add water, sliced onion, salt and pepper and garlic cloves. Cover and cook on low for about 9 to 11 hours, or until very tender. Drain all juices off, discard any fat and bone. Shred or chop pork. Continue cooking on high for about 1 hour.

Prepare onion topping by adding 1-2 tablespoons of oil in non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add onions to pan, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until soft. Add 2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder and a couple of dashes of Tabasco Chipotle sauce to onions. Combine and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. If onions are sticking to bottom of pan, deglaze by adding a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to pan.

Serve shredded pork on potato rolls with your favorite barbeque sauce, top with caramelized chipotle onions.

Sanford Burgers with Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds

2009-01-25T13:44:00.004-05:00

Roasted Cubanelles and Poblanos

6-8 Cubanelle and Pobano peppers
Salt and pepper, to taste
drizzle of olive oil

Throw peppers on a hot grill and close the lid. Keep an eye on them as they start to char, keep turning them so that the entire pepper cooks evenly. If you do not have access to a grill, place peppers on rack in 450 degree oven. Make sure to place a large piece of aluminum foil on rack below peppers to catch any juices that may come out of peppers while cooking.

Once they are almost entirely black (it's okay, really), place them in a glass bowl and seal them with a lid or plastic wrap. If you've ever made roasted red peppers, you will know what to do. Let them sit in a sealed glass bowl for about 20 minutes or until the charred skin starts to peel off easily. Once the charred skin has been peeled and the seeds and stems have been taken out, shred the peppers into little strips and place in bowl. Season with salt and pepper and a couple of drops of olive oil if you desire.

Sanford Burgers
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

1.5 lbs lean ground beef of choice
1 small onion, minced
2 tsp of Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 TB A1 Steaksauce
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
Nonstick spray or olive oil
shredded cheddar cheese
Roasted Cubanelle and Poblano peppers

In large bowl, gently mix ground beef, onion, seasoning and sauces. Form into 5 patties of the same size. Spray both sides of burgers with non stick spray - or brush both sides with olive oil. Place on grill (or grill pan) over medium high heat. Cook according to desired doneness. After flipping burgers, top with good amount of roasted peppers and shredded cheddar. Close lid (or cover) to finish cooking and melt cheese.

Serve with ketchup on your favorite hamburger bun.

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds
Recipe by Aggie's Kitchen, inspired by Running with a Recipe

2 medium sweet potatoes, with skin
Salt and pepper to taste
Smoked paprika
Non stick spray

Slice potatoes to 1/4" thickness and place on cookie sheet. Spray both sides of potato rounds with non stick spray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Place in 400 degree oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn potato rounds and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pesto Chicken Rolls with Chopped Tomato and Spinach Salad

2009-01-23T12:40:00.002-05:00

Pesto Chicken Rolls
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

1.5 lbs of chicken breast
6-8 tsp of prepared pesto (I used Buitoni for a shortcut)
1 cup sun dried tomatoes (I prefer the ones not in oil, but either will work)
shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Take each chicken breast and place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a mallet (tenderizer), gently pound chicken till to about 1/4 inch thick cutlets. Cut each chicken cutlet in half into same size pieces. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Drop approximately 1 teaspoon of prepared pesto onto the center of each chicken cutlet, spread pesto. Lay a few pieces of sun dried tomatoes over pesto. Sprinkle the shredded parmesan cheese over the sun dried tomatoes. Starting from the smaller side, roll cutlet being careful to keep filling inside. At this time you can seal the opening with a toothpick if you'd like.

Heat 1-2 tsp olive oil in an oven proof skillet and gently place each chicken roll in hot pan. Cook each side until golden brown, using tongs to gently turn rolls. Once all sides of chicken is seared to golden brown, place oven proof skillet into pre heated oven of 375 degrees. If you do not have an oven proof skillet, just transfer chicken into a baking dish greased with nonstick spray.

Cook chicken in oven for appoximately 20 -25 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through. Serve chicken rolls with salad, veggies or pasta!

Chopped Tomato and Spinach Salad
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

4-5 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
handful of kalamata olives, chopped
2-3 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
balsamic vinegar
olive oil, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, onion, and olives in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, pour 2 -3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine. Serve tomato mixture over a bed of fresh spinach, gently toss to spread dressing. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil if you prefer.

Bruschetta Bar

2009-01-21T12:23:00.002-05:00

Roasted Red Peppers

6 large red peppers
olive oil
fresh or dried oregano
salt and pepper

Place red peppers on hot grill or under broiler. Cook over high heat until skin is charred, turn peppers while cooking so entire pepper becomes charred. Once peppers are done, place them in large glass bowl and cover with top or saran wrap for about 5 minutes, or until cooled down.

Once peppers have cooled, start to prepare peppers by peeling charred skin and taking out stems and seeds. Slice peppers in thin strips and place in serving bowl. Add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped fresh oregano or dried oregano to taste, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss and serve. Can be served at room temperature or chilled.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil
Recipe from Simply Recipes

6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
1/4 cup olive oil

Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Real Margaritas

2009-01-20T10:12:00.000-05:00

Real Margaritas
Recipe from Barefoot Contessa

1 lime, halved
Kosher salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 limes)
1/4 - 1/3 cup orange juice (not part of original recipe, this is my personal add in - fresh squeezed if you have it!)
1 cup Triple Sec
3 cups ice
1 cup white tequila (use the good stuff if you have it!)

If you like margaritas served in a glass with salt, rub the outside rims of six glasses with a cut lime and dip each glass lightly into a plate of kosher salt.

Combine the lime juice, orange juice, Triple Sec, and ice in a blender and puree until completely blended. Add the tequila and puree for 2 seconds more. Serve over ice.

If you prefer frozen margaritas, halve each of the ingredients, double the ice, and blend in two batches. Serve with a cut lime.

Creamy Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce

2009-01-20T10:09:00.000-05:00

Creamy Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce
Recipe from Southern Living

1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 TB diced pickled jalapeno peppers (did not have these on hand, subbed chopped green chiles)
2 tsp chopped yellow onion (subbed green onions)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lime zest

Stir together all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Store in airtight container for up to 2 days.

Skillet-Grilled Burritos

2009-01-20T09:27:00.001-05:00

Skillet-Grilled Burritos
Recipe adapted from Southern Living

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used shredded rotisserie chicken)
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup cooked spinach, chopped
1 cup shredded 2% reduced fat cheddar cheese
Creamy Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce (recipe below)
8 whole wheat flour tortillas, warmed
Cooking Spray
Salsa

Toss together first 6 ingredients and 1/2 cup Creamy Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce. Spread 3/4 cup chicken mixture just below center of each tortilla. Fold opposite sides of tortillas over filling, and roll up. Coat burritos with cooking spray.

Coat a hot griddle or non stick skillet with cooking spray. Cook burritos, in batches, on hot griddle over medium heat, pressing gently with spatula, 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve with salsa and remaining Creamy Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce.

Sloppy Sammies

2009-01-18T11:39:00.000-05:00

Sloppy Sammies

1.25 lb lean ground turkey
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 TB mustard
2-3 TB brown sugar

In large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, saute onions, carrots and red pepper until softened. Add ground turkey and continue to cook until browned. Add seasonings to meat and veggie mixture and cook through.

In small bowl combine tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, mustard and brown sugar. Add sauce to turkey and veggie mixture and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes until sauce is warmed through and starts to thicken.

Serve on whole wheat or potato rolls.

Soup Soup (Sausage, Vegetable and Bean Soup)

2009-01-15T11:43:00.001-05:00

Soup Soup...aka Sausage, Vegetable and Bean Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 links chicken sausage (I used Aidells Chicken and Apple sausage), chopped in quarters
2-3 zucchinis, chopped into quarters
2-3 yellow squash, chopped into quarters
1 can light red kidney beans, with liquid
1 can northern beans, with liquid
1 box of organic chicken stock
1/2 10 oz bag fresh leaf spinach

Saute onion, garlic and sausage in 1 tsp olive oil over medium high heat, for about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and squash and continue to saute for about 5-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add both cans of beans with liquid, leaving 1/4 of the northern beans leftover in can. With spoon, mash beans into thick mixture. Add 1 TB of water to mashed bean mixture, swirl around, then add to soup pot. This will thicken up the soup a bit.

Add chicken stock and bring soup to boil. Once soup reaches boil, add spinach and bring down to a simmer. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes.

Black Bean Dip

2009-01-14T11:48:00.000-05:00

Black Bean Dip
Recipe slightly adapted from Itzy's Kitchen, originally posted on Savory Spicy Sweet

2 cans black beans (original recipe used 1 can of white beans, 1 can of black beans)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
7 oz. hot salsa
2 cups shredded co-jack cheese (I used less than 2 cups and it was plenty)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
garlic salt to taste
cilantro to garnish
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°.

Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Squeeze the liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn’t turn runny. Put all ingredients except cilantro and cheese in a bowl and mix together. Grease a shallow baking dish (nonstick spray works) before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top.
Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated through. Remove from the oven and top with cilantro.