#1,847: White Balsamic Chicken with Rosemary

This recipe was a perfect Sunday night dinner.  During the week I look for very quick meals, or things that are mostly already cooked.  I thought this was going to be a "harder" recipe to get done on a weeknight, but that was not the case.  This would be a perfect weeknight dinner because it got on the table so quickly.  I served it with baked potatoes and a salad, so it was even simpler.  I thought I got chicken breasts, but I ended up buying chicken tenders so the was even FASTER to cook.  My family really enjoyed this recipe, so I will definitely be making it again.  The original recipe also adds pears and dried cherries or cranberries (both of which I had), but I knew they would all pick that out of the dish so I just omitted it.  Yes I know it lost some sweetness and flavor by doing that, but it was certainly sweet enough with the white balsamic and sugar in the recipe. 

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (I used dried)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until a thermometer reads 165°, 8-10 minutes. Remove.

Meanwhile, stir together next five ingredients until blended. Pour into skillet; add pears and dried cherries. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until pears are tender, about 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet; simmer, uncovered, until heated through, 3-5 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with additional minced rosemary. Yield: 4 servings.

#1,846: Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup

Whenever I find a recipe with lentils I think of my grandma who used to make them regularly for us and for our family gatherings.  So it's always a nice reminder of her when I make lentils myself (even if it's not her recipe I'm making them with).  I found this recipe in a recent issue of Real Simple Magazine.  It's supposed to be served with crusty bread (which would be delicious!) but I don't have any on hand so no bread for me.  This is quite good...a little underseasoned, but still good.  I decided to add some dried basil, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.  I think it needed it.  It also does not need the salt (or just a tiny bit of it).  I think it's salty enough with the sausage.  

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used bulk pork sausage)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed (I used brown lentils)

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained (I used petite diced)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

5 cups loosely packed baby kale leaves

Baguette, for serving (optional)

Cook the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high, stirring often, until the meat crumbles and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens and the sausage is browned all over, about 4 more minutes.

Add the stock, stirring and scraping 
 to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the lentils, tomatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils have softened, 20 to 25 minutes.

Stir in the kale and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Serve with the baguette.

#1,845: Papa Burger

I came across this recipe in a recent issue of Taste of Home.  It's a pretty regular occurance in my house, that if I have ground turkey in the fridge and I don't know what else to make, to throw together some turkey burgers for our dinner.  It's simple, it's quick, and everyone in my family enjoys it.  When I saw this recipe, it looked good and different enough to want to try, but not so different that my family wouldn't want to try it.  I did not add the additional topping since my family doesn't like anything on their burgers besides catsup and cheese (most of them).  The burgers were moist, and really good, and although my family enjoyed it, they all said they would prefer a regular burger next time/instead.  I think it was the flavoring of the liquid smoke that turned them off.  BUT it was still a really good burger and I might make it for them every once in a while.

1 pound ground beef or ground buffalo

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 slice whole wheat or white bread, broken into small pieces

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hamburger or steak seasoning

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 onion hamburger buns, split

Optional toppings: 

4 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves

1/3 cup prepared Thousand Island salad dressing

4 slices red onion

1 large heirloom tomato, sliced

Combine first nine ingredients; mix lightly. Shape into four 3/4-in.-thick patties. Press patties into flour to lightly coat both sides.

In a large nonstick skillet (I grilled ours instead), cook burgers over medium heat until a thermometer reads 160°, about 4-5 minutes per side. 

Layer bun bottoms with lettuce, burgers, salad dressing and onion and tomato slices. Replace bun tops. Yield: 4 servings.

#1,844: Slow Cook Honey Sesame Chicken

I am enjoying this recipe so much, I've made it twice, and there is a really good chance it will end up on our menu again next week too.  It got mixed reviews from my family: two of us loved it, one enjoyed the chicken as a sandwich, and 2 weren't big fans.  The recipe says the cut up the chicken into chunks but 1. I don't like chicken that way, and 2. It was way easier to throw it in my stand mixer and shred it.

The second time I made this I added some chopped water chestnuts, sliced green onion, and crispy chinese noodles...it was even better!  Loved this!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor)

4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water

Sesame seeds

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.

Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot.

In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

*You can also sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top if you want more heat.

#1,843: Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash

Nothing says fall until I get some sort of squash in my house and in my weekly menu rotation!  I generally enjoy butternut squash the most, but I hate peeling it!  I love that acorn squash is smaller, easier to cut in half, AND you can eat the skin (I eat the skin of butternut squash too sometimes but I don't enjoy it as much).  Plus the litte half curvy half moon shapes are cute!  :)

This recipe was so simple and I had it in the oven in mintues!  This is definitely best eaten right out of the oven, although I did eat the leftovers the next day but the squash was much softer and just not as good.  

1 (2 pound) acorn squash - halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch slices
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 sprigs fresh thyme (I used dried because that’s what I had on hand)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Toss squash slices, Parmesan cheese, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until the squash is evenly coated; spread into a jelly roll pan.

Roast in preheated oven until golden brown and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

#1,842: 4 Ingredient Chicken Marinade

I found this recipe floating around pinterest some where and saved it until I was finally in the mood for chicken one day.  This was a super simple marinade to throw together before I left for work, and I let this chicken sit in the marinade in my fridge all day.  It was a very, very juicy chicken and thankfully my entire family enjoyed it.  We would definitely make this again! 

1 c brown sugar
1 c vegetable oil
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag and marinate the chicken for at least an hour or up to overnight.  

#1,841: Peanut Butter Muffins

Over the weekend I try to make something for the kids to grab for breakfast during the week that is easy, mostly healthy, and hopefully has some sort of protein in it.  Although there is more sugar in this recipe than I would have liked, I decided to give these peanut butter muffins a try.  I used whole wheat flour so these are a little dense, but overall still good.  My kids really enjoyed these though so that's all that matters! 

⅓ Cup Peanut Butter

¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder

½ Cup Sugar

½ Cup Milk

½ tsp Vanilla

¾ Cup Flour

¼ Teaspoon Salt

1 egg

I also added a little bit (about 2 tbsp-ish) of wheat bran and some ground flax seeds to mine

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Fill each muffin tin ½ full. (I used mini muffins, and got 24 muffins out of this batch) 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes; until golden and when you insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean, it is done.

Sprinkle lightly with Powdered Sugar if desired. 

#1,840: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pie

Yeah, I'm super lazy, so this pie that takes 10 minutes to prep, got even easier because I used a store-bought graham cracker crust pie.  :)   This was really good...and it was so simple to make.  The hardest part is waiting for the cream cheese to soften.  

For the pie crust: (I omitted and used a 9 inch store bought pie crust)

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

(I omitted this step since I used a store bought graham cracker crust) TO MAKE THE CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine all the crust ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until moistened. Press the mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan.

Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

TO MAKE THE FILLING

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until combined.

In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whip cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the filling into the baked crust. Refrigerate for about 4 hours, or until set, before serving. Keep pie refrigerated.

#1,839: Weight Watchers Slow Cook Taco Soup

Photo coming soon....(I have to wait until lunch again to get a photo of this!)

Although I don't do weight watchers or count points, this soup sounded a little too good not to try.  Not that I'm opposed to weight watcher recipes in any way!  I made a few adjustments to what I had on hand (ground turkey instead of beef, petite diced tomatoes and a can of mild chopped green chiles) but it was pretty much the same recipe.  I have really been enjoying eating these for lunch the last few days.  It's relatively healthy AND it's filling!  

2lb lean ground beef (I used ground turkey and only used about 3/4 lb)

1 medium Onion, diced

1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix 

1 packet Taco Seasoning 

1 32 oz. box (low sodium) Chicken Broth

14.5 oz. can Tomato Sauce 

2 - 14.5 oz cans Diced Tomatoes with Chiles

14.5 oz can Black Beans (I used 2 cans since I didn't use as much ground beef/turkey)

1 can Corn 

Saute onions for 2 minutes.  Add ground beef and brown the meat.  Drain browned ground beef to remove excess fat.

Add ground beef mixture and all other ingredients (do not drain corn or black beans) to slow cooker.  Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 6 hours.

Garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and/or crushed tortilla chips if desired.

According to the original website: 

SmartPoints: 5 (about 1 cup per serving)

Makes about 8 servings

#1,838: Ricotta Meatballs

As it is no surprise, we are a meatball loving, frequent-eating family.  Not because we love meatballs that much, but mainly because I can make them ahead of time and they are quite versitile.  Generally I make my meatballs using ground turkey, so they can get a little dried out sometimes.  Then I saw this recipe that uses ricotta cheese in the mixture and I though, let's give this one a try.  Typically I like to bake my meatballs to keep them a little healthier, but I was afraid the ricotta in this wouldn't do well in the oven, so I pan fried them like suggested.  I also tossed them in some spaghetti sauce to finish cooking just in case they weren't cooked all the way through (paranoid!).

My family loved these meatballs!  I definitely loved them too.  Next time I'm going to add a little crushed red pepper, garlic, and some italian seasoning to the mix, but other than that I'll make it the same way.  It's no surprise that meatball subs, spaghetti and meatballs, and meatball calzones are all on our menu this week now. :) 

¾ pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)

¾ pound ground pork 

½ cup ricotta

⅓ cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons milk

1 large egg, beaten (I used 2 egg yolks)

Kosher salt and black pepper

Mix together the beef, pork, ricotta, panko, onion, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until just combined.

Gently form into 30 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each). 

I totally skipped this step and made my meatballs right away! Transfer to an airtight container (separating the layers with parchment paper) and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days (or freeze for up to 1 month). Store cooked and cooled meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To cook: Cook the meatballs (in batches) in 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes.

#1,837: Cuccia (Wheatberry and Ricotta Porridge)

So we got some wheatberries at the farmer's market this summer and I finally got around to making something with them (see apple cinnamon wheatberry recipe here).  I still have quite a bit of wheatberries leftover and was hoping I could find something to make with it that incuded chocolate.  So I went to Google and came across this recipe!  I am so glad I did, and just so happened to have ricotta cheese on hand because of the ricotta meatballs I made!).  This was so simple and was totally done by the time my dinner was done with.  My kids thought it was ok, but didn't enjoy it enough to want to eat too much of it.  Although my 4 year old seemed to really love it...until I realized he was just picking out the chocolate chips!).  I however loved this.  I'm hoping it will last a few days in the fridge...although I'm enjoying this so much, I'm afraid it won't last until tomorrow!)  LOL! 

1 cup dried wheatberries

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta (I used low fat ricotta)

2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar (I used 1 tbsp)

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Dark chocolate, either miniature chips or shaved with a vegetable peeler or Microplane, for garnish

Place wheatberries in a medium saucepan, cover with water by 2 to 3 inches, and season with kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer, cooking uncovered until wheatberries are tender, about 50 to 60 minutes. Using a fine-mesh strainer, drain berries and run under cool water until chilled. Place strainer of berries over a large bowl and let drain for at least 15 minutes.

While wheatberries cook, combine ricotta, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using a whisk or immersion blender, whip until creamy and smooth.

Fold cooled wheatberries into ricotta mixture. Cuccia may be served immediately or stored in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 week. To serve, spoon into individual bowls, dust with a pinch of cinnamon, and top with shaved chocolate or chocolate chips to taste.

#1,836: Apple Cinnamon Wheat Berries

On our summer bucketlist this year was to get a new item from the Farmer's Market.  We've tried most fruits, vegetables, and herbs, so when we found these wheat berries, we knew this would be the thing to get and try.  I had no idea what wheat berries were when we bought them and figured that I would try making this healthy breakfast for the kids to try...and had very low expecations for them to like this because they are not oatmeal fans. And I generally don't like overnight crockpot oatmeal because it's too mushy for my liking.  

As expected, my kids didn't like this recipe.  I however, really enjoyed it.  Between the mild crunch of the wheat berries and the texture of the added almonds, this was right up my alley.  I halved this recipe and it made enough for 3 nice size breakfast servings.  I would definitely make this recipe again. 

4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 1/2 cups wheat berries

1 cup apple juice or water

3 Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sliced almonds

6 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries

Coat a 4- to 5-1/2-quart slow-cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray. Combine almond milk, wheat berries, juice, apples, oats, cinnamon and salt in prepared slow cooker.

Cover and slow cook on LOW for 9 hours. Uncover and stir in brown sugar. Spoon into bowls and top with sliced almonds and cranberries. Serve warm.

#1,835: Enchilada Rice Bake

I found this recipe that originally called for shredded chicken in the dish, but my family is not the biggest chicken fans.  We will eat it, but only in small amounts.  So I decided to change this up slightly and make it using ground turkey instead (you could use ground beef too!).  I pretty much just made taco meat, added some rice and picante sauce, let it cook and then baked it with cheese and chips on top.  How simple is that!?  MOST of my family loved it...everyone except for the 7 year old, but that was absolutely no surprise! 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon taco or fajita seasoning

1 14 .5-ounce can chopped tomatoes with green chiles (I pureed some mild picante sauce and snuck it in.  My family never would have eaten it with this!)

1 cup converted long-grain white rice

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin removed) (I used cooked ground turkey)

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (about 8 ounces)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, plus more for topping (I omitted...my family doesn't like it...I do though so add it in!!) 

Kosher salt

6 corn tortillas, cut into quarters (I used tortilla chips)

Sour cream and pickled jalapeno peppers, for topping if desired

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and taco seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, rice and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chicken, 1 cup cheese, the cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange the tortillas on top to cover and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese. Broil until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with sour cream, pickled jalapenos and more cilantro if desired.  

#1,834: Pineapple Sage Smoothie

If you saw my previous post with pineapple sage tea, you know that I have a gigantic pineapple sage plant in my garden and I need to use some how.  Although I'm loving the tea, my kids are not.  So I decided to try this pineapple sage smoothie on the kiddos.  I'll admit I'm a little shocked, but they loved this!  They loved it so much they asked for me to make a second batch!  No problem kids, I'll whip this baby up in the morning before school.  Although I'll be happier after the time change in a few days because I'm tired of going to work (and school!) still in the dark!!!

1/3 cup skim milk
3/4 cup vannilla yogurt
1/2 banana (I used a whole ripe banana)
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp pineapple sage packed and chopped
I also added a few ice cubes

Place ingredients in a blender.  Process until smooth.  

#1,833: Stuffed Cheesy Calzone

A couple of weeks ago I found a recipe for homemade stuffed cheesy bread.  Although it sounded good, and easy, and something my family would like, I just don't have the time or patience for dough that is made with yeast.  So I kept avoiding the recipe.  Then I decided I could alter this recipe and make it even easier and something my family would like for a main dish...I was right!  My family loved this dinner and it was so stupid simple!  Here is the link to the original recipe (aka my inspiration).  Below is the recipe that I actually made:

2 tubes of refrigerated pizza crust
about 10 leftover homemade meatballs, chopped up (use whatever you have...ground sausage, pepperoni, etc).

pizza sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 

Cornmeal (about 1/3 cup) 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle with cornmeal. 

In a medium bowl, toss together cheeses, garlic powder, salt and parsley flakes. (Save some of this mixture for the top of the calzone)

Unroll one pizza crust on the parchment paper.  On half of the dough top with half of the leftover meatballs, and a big handful of the cheese mixture.  On the other half of the dough, spread a little bit of the pizza sauce.  Fold over the dough so the the two pieces come together to close and press lightly to seal or twist the edges to seal the dough in a pocket shape.  Repeat with the remaining dough, making a second calzone.  

You should still have some cheese mixture left over, set aside.  

Bake at 400 degrees until almost done, about 10 mintues.  Remove from oven, and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the two calzones.  Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted on top and the calzone is a nice golden brown color. Let cool slightly before cutting. 

#1,832: Homemade Pineapple Sage Tea

See that gigantic plant?  That was a tiny pineapple sage plant that my friend gave to me at the beginning of summer.  It was one of the few things that did super well in my garden this year.  I'm shocked that it's the first week of November and shockingly, still going strong!  I barely used it this year because I never knew what to do with it.  Since I know it's going to get super cold soon and it will probably perish, I decided to start searching for some recipes to use it in. Yes I know you can use it with chicken, but unless my chicken is grilled or in can for (for a chicken salad), I just don't love chicken.  I found a super simple recipe to make fresh brewed pineapple sage tea.  I loved the tea!  I tried to get my kids to try it but that all hated it.  

This made about 3-4 teacup size drinks for me, which I put the leftovers in mason jars and then just heated up in the microwave when I wanted to drink it.  I think I'm going to go heat up a cup now...

1 quart spring water (yeah I'm too lazy for that...tap water was good enough for me!)

1/2 c packed fresh pineapple sage leaves
3 tbsp honey

1 lemon, juiced

Bring water just to a boil and pour over the sage leaves.  Stir in honey and lemon, to taste.  (I also added a packet of stevia).  Steep the tea for about 20 minutes.  Strain into mugs.