Chicken Caprese - total time 20 minutes

This reminds me of a fresh summer version of chicken parm and is even easier to make.  Tomatoes and basil from the garden heated up under melted mozzarella is a tasty summer combination of flavors.  Add some grilled chicken and you have a meal!

4 chicken cutlets

1 large tomato cut thick

handful of basil leaves

1 large mozzarella ball

1.  Grill chicken.  When flipping the chicken, add the tomato slices, basil, then mozzarella slices. Serve when chicken is cooked completely and cheese is melty.

Chocolate PB Grahams - total time 30 minutes

It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but this is a chocolate, then peanut butter, then chocolate covered graham cracker.  Sounds yummy, right?  And it is super easy!  Four ingredients and a freezer is really all you need.  Breaking the grahams into small pieces allows you to right size your sweet tooth craving.

graham crackers (6-8 crackers)

peanut butter (about 4 tbsp)

dark chocolate (about 8 oz)

2 tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

1.  Break apart graham crackers and place on a lined baking sheet.  Melt chocolate in double boiler (or microwave).  Spread a small amount of melted chocolate on each graham crackers and place in freezer for two minutes.

2.  Mix peanut butter and sugar together, then spread on the frozen chocolate.  Put in freezer for five minutes.

3.  spread the remainder of the chocolate over the peanut butter and leave in the freezer.  Remove as needed and enjoy!

Tomato Gratin - total time 30 minutes

This recipe is great for an abundance of ripe tomatoes and tastes a little like fried green tomatoes (minus the frying and add sun-ripening).  

3 medium-large tomatoes

.5 cup bread crumbs

.25 grated parm

olive oil

basil, salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut tomatoes into thick slices and place into casserole dish. 

2.  Combine breadcrumbs, parm, basil, salt, and pepper together and sprinkle over the tomatoes.  Drizzle olive oil on top, place in oven for ten minutes.

3.  Change to broil for one minute.  

Weekly Menu

We love Mexican food... and that seems to be the theme for this weeks menu.

Mexican Stuffed Shells
Pretzel Chicken with Crispy Roast Potatoes
Baked Ziti
Spinach Enchiladas
Fajita Quesadillas

Fried Green Beans - total time 40 minutes

The first time I ever tried fried green beans was at a restaurant next to our apartment (no, not at a fair where they serve deep fried everything).  Meant to be an appetizer, it is a good way to make something that is naturally healthy for you into something quite the opposite.  Considering it is pretty time consuming for a small batch of these (unless you have a deep fryer, which I will never own), then you're probably only making these on rare occasions.

1 pound green beans

1 cup beer

1 cup flour

.5 cup olive oil

salt & pepper

1.  Heat olive oil in a pan (be careful, it will pop and burn you).  Wash and snap the ends off your green beans.

2.  Pour beer into small mixing bowl.  Add a small amount of flour at a time and whisk together until smooth. Add salt and pepper.  Dip green beans into batter and fry in pan.

3.  Remove beans from pan and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.  Use spin dip or ranch to dip beans in and enjoy!

Pesto Chicken Lasagna Rollups - total time 50 minutes

There are two great things about lasagna rollups; they take less baking time and they are already in individual serving sizes.  This particular recipe is lightened up by using chicken instead of the traditional ground beef or turkey.  Additional bonus, I finished off the pesto I made last year (now its time to make more).

.5 pound chicken

.5 cup shredded cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

.5 cup pesto

1 egg

6 lasagna noodles

1 cup tomato sauce

1 fresh mozzarella ball, sliced

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook chicken in pan (season with salt and pepper).  Boil lasagna noodles in pot, then drain.  Move cooked chicken to cutting board to shred with a fork.

2.  Combine ricotta, shredded cheese, pesto, and egg in a mixing bowl.  Add shredded chicken and stir.

3.  Spread a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of a small casserole dish.  Lay out lasagna noodles on cutting board and spread chicken and cheese mixture over each noodle.  Roll up and place in casserole dish seam side down.  Top with remaining tomato sauce and a slice of mozzarella on each rollup.

4.  Bake for 25 minutes and serve!

Potato Puffs - total time 40 minutes

This is a great recipe for leftover mashed potatoes... maybe after Thanksgiving.  Or just something different to try for a side dish or appetizer.  Essentially it is mashed potatoes rolled into balls, dipped in egg and bread crumbs, then toasted to get a crispy shell.  Sounds tasty, right?!

1 lb potatoes

3 tbsp butter

2 clove garlic, roasted

1 green onion, chopped

.25 cup cream

.5 shredded parm, divided

2 egg whites

1 cup bread crumbs

salt & pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil potatoes about 12 minutes.  While potatoes cook, roast garlic in a ban with a little olive oil.  Drain potatoes and mash the potatoes in a mixing bowl.  Add butter, garlic, green onions, cream, .25 cup parm, salt & pepper, and any additional herbs (I added rosemary).  Put potatoes in the fridge to cool down.

2.  Crack eggs into a bowl (remove yolks).  Combine bread crumbs and remaining parm on a plate.  Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, roll into balls, dip into egg whites, roll in bread crumbs, and place on lined baking sheet.

3.  Bake for 12 minutes and serve!

Mocha Cupcakes - total time 1 hour

If you like coffee, you'll like these cupcakes... lots of coffee flavor!

Cupcakes

.5 cup butter

.5 cup sugar

.5 cup brown sugar

1.25 cups flour

.33 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

.5 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

.25 cup cream

1 tbsp espresso powder

.25 cup brewed coffee

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp espresso powder

2.5 cups powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars together in a mixer.  While mixer is running, combine dry ingredients in separate bowl; flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  

2.  Add vanilla, egg, espresso powder, and coffee to the mixer and blend together.  Slowly add the mixed dry ingredients while mixer continues on slow.  Pour into lined muffin tray.  Bake for 18 minutes.

3.  While cupcakes are baking, make the frosting.  Add butter to mixer and whip.  Add vanilla and espresso powder to mixer to combine.  Slowly add powdered sugar until completely combined.  Allow cupcakes to cool ten minutes before frosting.

Enjoy (but not right before bedtime, there's caffeine in there)!

Weekly Menu

I am trying to get back into creating weekly menus.  They usually only happen every other week... one week of more complex flavors and longer kitchen time, then a week of easier, faster meals that make use of what's left in the fridge.

Chicken Pesto Lasagna Rollups
Cheesy Quinoa with Tomato Gratin
Roasted Beat Soup
Sliders & Roasted Corn
Zucchini Enchiladas

Fluffy Scrabbled Eggs - total time 15 minutes

Make your breakfast even more tasty with a little sour cream and a splash of heavy cream in your scrambled eggs.  The sour cream makes it fluffy, the heavy cream makes it rich... add one or both.  No real directions here... just whip it together and fry it in a pan!

I always remove half of the yolks... mostly because of preference, but also less cholesterol.

Remember, cast iron handles are HOT!