Baked Chicken with Artichokes

I have been in a recipe rut, so i relied on Pinterest for last night's dinner. I found the great simple recipe here.

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time 45 minutes

(3) 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 large tomato chunked

1 can artichoke heart (quartered)

1 tsp sugar

2 tbs flour

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper

shredded mozzarella cheese

Option: fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Toss tomato, artichoke, sugar, flour, oil, and pinch of salt and pepper.

Generously salt and pepper chicken and put in a 8x8 dish, put vegetables around chicken and bake for 30 minutes, add cheese on top each chicken breast and finish baking till melted and browned. Sprinkle fresh basil and serve!

Mahi Mahi Burgers

You always need an easy, fast, go to meal in the freezer. I found Mahi Mahi burgers in the frozen food section of Costco. Since I have raved to everyone how good they are, I am told Trader Joes sells some too.

You just sear them in pan for a couple minutes each side.

I served mine on hamburger bun with Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, and a sauce I made

Sauce:
1 tbs low fat mayo
3 tbs plain greek yogurt
2 dashed hot sauce
Juice from a lime wedge
salt and pepper.

Lower Calorie Eggplant Parmesan

1 eggplant peeled and cut into thin disks
1 12 oz container low fat ricotta
1 tbs italian seasoning
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
2 handfulls shredded italian cheese.
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix ricotta with italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Layer 1/3 eggplant slices, then 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/3 spaghetti sauce, repeat with another eggplant slices, ricotta mixture, sauce. Then with eggplant and sauce.  Cover with aluminum foil and back till bubbling in the middle, about 40-50 minutes, add cheese and cook till melted and slightly browned. Enjoy!

Seared Scallop with Beans and Spinach

Serves 2
Cook time 10 minutes

6 Large Scallops, pat dry and season with salt and pepper
2 cups spinach
1 can cannellini bean
1 strip bacon diced
1/2 small onion diced
1 garlic gloves diced
t tsp oil

Heat bacon, onion, and garlic in a fry pan until soft, add beans and spinach and let sit on low till spinach is wilted and beans are warmed through.

Mean while heat oil in a pan till very hot. Add scallops and sear 2 minutes each side. They should be cooked through. If you feel they are not, cook a minute more.

recipe was found here

Serve scallops on bed of spinach and beans, Enjoy!

Parchment Pack Fish and Vegetables

2 Filets of white fish (I like grouper)
1 tomato
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 small onion
garlic powder
1 tbs butter
Worcestershire
salt and pepper

Lay out two large pieces of foil or parchment paper.
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees

Slice vegetables into even slices crosswise and lay an assorted amount in the center of paper. sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Lay fish over top vegetables and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. add a couple dashes of worchestire to each packet and then half the tablespoon of butter.

close packet by brining the sides together lengthwise and folding together a couple times, then tuck the ends under .

Cook for about 20 minutes until packet is full of steam and fish is cooked through.

Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms

1 lb whole button mushrooms
prepared seafood salad from grocery store

Stuff salad in mushrooms and cook covered fry pan on medium high heat for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.

My husband loves stuffed mushroom, and I hate buying a container of lump crab meat for $12-15. While I was contemplating the purchase, the grocery store had prepared seafood salad  (immitation crab meat and shrimp) for $2. So I thought to try it. It was actually delicious!!

Steak Sandwich with Truffle Butter

Serves 6
Cook time 30 minutes
Prep time 5 minutes

Eye of Round- 3-4 lbs
4-6oz truffle butter (found at specialty food stores)
2 loaves French Bread
arugula
olive oil
salt and pepper

Bring Eye of Round to room temperature, rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and then turn down to 425 when you insert the meat.
Cook for 7 minutes per pound for medium rare. remove from oven and let rest at least 10 minutes.
Slice meat very thin. only slice what you will eat immediately.
Cut loaf in halve lengthwise and spread a generous amount of butter on both sides. Layer meat, top with arugula and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!


Eye of Round in the cheap version of a Filet of Beef, 3.5lbs cost only $16 and fed 6 people with left overs.

Stuffed Peppers

Olive Oil
1/2 lb lean ground turkey breast
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin 
2 cups of cooked rice ( i did 1 cup quinoa and 1 cup brown rice
1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup corn
1 15 oz jar salsa
4-6 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
sour cream

Cook together turkey and onions until cooked through. Mix together all ingredients through the salsa.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub olive oil all over pepper and the stuff with mixture. Set in a dish just big enough and the sprinkle more chili powder and cumin over top. Cook uncovered for 40 minutes, top with as much cheese as desired and back in the oven until cheese is browned and pepper are tender, another 5 minutes. Top with dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

Super Easy Limeade Pie

1 can frozen limeade (any frozen drink mix will work, so get creative)

1 container whipped topping

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

fold first 3 ingredients together, may talk a while. (do not use a mixer). Pour into pie crust and freeze a couple hours until set.

That is it!

Super Easy Fruit Dips

Fruit Dip #1
8 oz softened cream cheese
12 oz small container whipped topping
12 oz small jar marshmallow whip

(this makes a lot of dip, you may want to half the recipe)

Fold together and serve with fruit, animal crackers, or graham crackers

Variations: substitute flavored cream cheese
                 substitute marshmallow whip for 12 oz cream of coconut (found in cocktail mixers)
                 add chocolate chips
                 add caramel and heath bits for a great apple dip.

           

Baked Tomatoes and Cheese

Four Ripe tomatoes sliced or chunked
2 tbs greek yogurt
3 tbs mayo
1 tbs lemon juice
2 handfuls shredded cheese (italian, mozzarella, or provolone)
2 tsp fresh herbs (basil, oregano, chives, tarragon would all be good)
1/4 cup parmesan
pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Put 1/2 tomatoes on bottom on 9" pie dish or small casserole dish, top with 1/2 shredded cheese, then half mayo mixture and half the herbs. Repeat tomatoes, then mayo then rest of cheese, parmesan, and herbs. Cook in oven 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

This can be a dip or over pasta (dice the tomatoes) or I've served over thick white bread like an open face sandwich (slice the tomatoes)

Stuffed Zucchini

Serves 2

2 large zucchinis cut length wise
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 lbs sausage
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbs oil
1/4 cup cooked rice or grain of your choice
2 tbs greek yogurt or sour cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a skillet with oil.  Spoon out the pulp of the zucchini and add to skillet with onions and sausage, cook until sausage in browned and onion are soft. Transfer to a bowl and mix with curry powder, sour cream, and rice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stuff into zucchini halves and set in a baking dish just big enough so that they can not move around. Top with cheese and bake 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Sweet Potato Hash

Serves 4

1 tbs butter
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped small
1 small onion
1/4 lb breakfast sausage
maple syrup
salt
1/4 cup water

melt butter in pan, place onion and sausage and cook on high until onions are soft. Add chopped sweet potatoes and sprinkle with salt. When pan dries out, add water, reduce heat to medium and cover for about 5 minutes or until water is evaporated. Remove cover, turn temperature to high again drizzle desired amount of syrup ( 1tbs per person) and keep tossing until everything is coated and syrup has thickened. Enjoy!

Almond Oatmeal Smoothie

2 tbs cup quick oats
6 almonds of tsp almond butter
1 frozen banana
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
optional: tbs of chia seeds or wheat germ

Blend together and enjoy!

Pesto and Mozzarella Chicken

Easy, Easy, Easy!

Boneless Chicken breast
1 cup balsamic vinegar
Prepared Pesto
Fresh ball mozzarella

Marinate chicken in balsamic vinegar for 1 hour (do not let sit overnight, chicken may breakdown too much)
Cook chicken in a pan for 5 minutes each side, then place in oven for another 5 minutes to finish cooking. Top with slices of mozzarella and put under broiler until cheese melts, top with a desired amount of pesto and serve!

Citurs Salmon

This recipe serves 4
(courtesy of Giada De Laurentis)

Citrus Salsa: mix all together and set aside.
2 large oranges zest 2 tsp zest and then peel and remove segments.
1 tsp grated lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs olive oil ( i used sunflower oil)
2 tbs honey
3 tbs chopped fresh mint
2 tbs capers
1 pinch red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper
Fresh parsley

Salmon:
Brush (4) 4-6oz pieces of salmon with honey and sprinkle with salt and pepper.


Cook salmon in a grill pan (or in a fry pan) until it turns a lighter shade of pink, 3-5 minutes each side. Top with citrus salsa and serve.

Mushroom and Steak Stuffed Potato

Serves 2
Cooking Time 15 minutes

2 baking potatoes pricked all over, covered with paper towel and cooked in the microwave 5 minutes

1 small onion small diced
1 garlic glove minced
1 tbs butter
1/2 lbs flank steak sliced thin at an angle
1/2 Pint Sliced mushrooms
3 tbs cream
3 tbs white wine
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper

While potatoes are cooking, heat large skillet on high. Melt butter and add onions, garlic, steak, and mushrooms. Cook for five minutes then add wine and let reduce 1 minute, then add cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add thyme. Let simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Break open potato and pour mixture over top. Enjoy!