Stuffed

This is a tasty and easy weeknight chicken recipe. I'm a big fan of goat cheese so I use quite a bit of it. I make my own pesto with whatever I have on hand. Sometimes it's cilantro and pine nuts, this time it was basil and walnuts but you can be creative and use whatever kind of herb and nut you have. If your in a time crunch or don't feel like creating your own you can also use store bought pesto. I also use a small Cuisinart mixer for both the cheese mixture and the pesto. If you don't have one of these, chop all ingredients finely and combine or use a blender. Tonight I served this chicken with sauteed spinach and baby tomatoes (just sauteed in olive oil and s&p) and baked fingerling and sweet potatoes (recipe below).

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken w/ Pesto Crust

4 boneless/ skinless chicken breasts

6 0z goat cheese

1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (I used oil packed but just dried will work also)

1t dried Italian seasoning

1T olive oil (if using oil pack tomatoes, use 1T of the oil in jar)

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup walnuts

1 garlic clove

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the largest portion of the chicken breast cut a pocket about 2 inches long and 1 inch deep. Make sure the cut does not open to the other side of the breast. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Combine goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and olive oil in the food processor. Pulse the ingredients on high until combined. Stuff the goat cheese mixture into the pocket of each of the chicken breasts, pressing the cheese far enough in that it won't fall out while cooking. Set aside.

Again using the food processor combine basil, olive oil, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese. Pulse on high until all ingredients are combined and pesto is formed. Spread the pesto on top of each piece of chicken, coating the entire breast.

Cook chicken in pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Baked Fingerling and Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips

1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, not peeled, cut in half

2T olive oil

2T butter (I use Smart Balance, non dairy butter substitute)

1t blackening seasoning (if you don't have this you can use Chile seasoning and cumin)

1t Italian seasoning

s&p

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large saute pan heat oil and butter over med-high heat. Add the potatoes and begin to saute. Add all seasoning and combine well while continuing to saute for about 2 minutes. Turn potatoes out onto a greased baking sheet and cook in oven for about 15 minutes or until they become crispy.

Enjoy!

The BEST Quesadilla Ever

I decided to mix quite a few yummy flavors in between a couple of tortillas and came up with an excellent quesadilla. The sweetness of the potato and the melted cheese with chicken were very tasty. The ingredients may seem like an odd combination but trust me...they work! You could omit any of the items or add anything to this and I'm sure it would be just as good. I cooked this on my Cuisinart Griddler but just on the stove in some olive oil would work. I also used some whole wheat wraps from Trader Joes for my tortilla but whatever you have or pick up will do.

The Best Quesadilla Ever (Sweet Potato, Chicken Quesadilla)

4 large size tortillas

3 boneless/ skinless chicken thighs

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can black beans, drained

1/4 onion, diced

2 cups fresh spinach

1 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup Pepita's (pumpkin seeds)

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

1 t cinnamon

2 t cumin

2 t chili powder

1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken thighs with 1 t chili powder and 1 t cumin. Place in an oven safe dish and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and chop into 1/2 inch think cubes. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potato and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Strain potatoes and mash with a whisk until smooth. Add 1 t cinnamon, 1 t chili powder and 1 t cumin to mashed potatoes, set aside.

Drain beans and place in a bowl. Add chopped onion and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add chopped cilantro, Pepita's, garlic and olive oil into food processor and grind until a pesto is formed. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small skilled heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Set aside.

To assemble:

Lay 1 tortilla flat on clean work surface. Spread 1/2 of sweet potatoes in an even layer on tortilla. Top with 1/2 of the wilted spinach. Top spinach with 1/2 of the bean mixture. Top the bean mixture with 1/2 of the diced chicken. Top the chicken with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. On the 2nd tortilla and spread 1/2 of the pesto mixture on 1 side of the tortilla. Place the tortilla pesto side down on top of the other tortilla.

Repeat with the other 2 tortillas.

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat or heat grill over medium heat. Brush olive oil on the outside both sides of the tortillas if using grill.

Place Quesadillas in oil or on grill, flip after about 5 minutes or when browned if in pan. Remove when heated through and crispy on both sides.

Cut into 6 triangles and serve with sour cream.

The Perfect Little Cupcake

I made these for St. Patrick's Day, hence the green frosting, although the only thing Irish about these is the green color. This is the perfect little vanilla cupcake with a tasty cream cheese frosting and would be excellent for any occasion. Both of the recipes are from Martha Stewart.

Vanilla Cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven until tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Shiny Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add butter, and cream until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar on low speed, and mix until completely combined.

Beat frosting on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Transfer to an airtight container, and chill until firm, 3 hours or overnight.

Take your creative liberty and frost/color cupcakes however you would like.

Enjoy!

St. Paddy's B-Day!!

As many of you know my Husband's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day. It's always a party that usually includes green beer and car bombs...but no this year. Today Jimmy wanted to stay in and have the old Irish stand by, corned beef and cabbage. I've never made this Irish creation and honestly wasn't all that excited about eating it. I was pleasantly surprised. It was tasty and very easy. The beef was tender and shredded and the veggies were flavorfull. I also made a tasty little mustard sauce to serve with the beef. I have a feeling this will become our St.Paddy's Day/B-day tradition.

Corned Beef

1 pre-packaged corned beef with spices.

3 carrots, peeled and chopped in 2 in. pieces

8 small yellow or red potatoes, chopped in half

1/2 green cabbage, diced in 8 pieces

Cook the Beef according to package directions. When the beef only has about 1/2 hour left, add the carrots & potatoes. Remove the beef after the vegetables have sauteed for 30 minutes and cover with foil and set aside. Add the cabbage to the other vegetables adding water to make sure it is covered with liquid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until it is done for your liking. Remove the vegetables from the liquid and serve with the beef.

Mustard Sauce

4 T mustard

1 1/2 cups catsup

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

12 T cider vinegar

12 T water

Whisk all ingredients together. Pour half over beef before serving and serve the other half along side the meat.

Enjoy!

Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Whole wheat flour - 3 cups
Cake Flour- 2 cups
Salt - 1 ¼ t
Quick rising yeast- 1 ½ packages
Warm milk (120°F)- 1 ½ cup
Butter, melted- ¼ cup
Large egg, lightly beaten- 2
Evaporated cane sugar- ¼ cup
Canola oil- ¼ cup
Wheat Germ- 2 T

Have all ingredients at room temperature to start. In a medium bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, 1 ½ cups cake flour, salt and yeast. In a large bowl mix the warmed milk, melted butter, sugar, oil and 1 lightly beaten egg (save the 2nd for later). Beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until incorporated. The batter should be sticky.

Put ½ cup cake flour on clean work surface and turn the dough onto the flour. Knead the dough until all of the flour is incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Spray a bowl with non-stick spray and transfer the kneaded dough into bowl. Spray the top of dough, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 1 ½ hours until doubled in size.

Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; pat into a rough 7-by-10-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 4 equal strips using a bench knife or butter knife. Then cut each strip crosswise into 6 equal portions. (Each portion will weigh 1 1/4-1 1/2 ounces.)

Working with one portion of dough at a time, gather and pinch the edges together, shaping the dough into a rough ball. The spot where the edges come together is the bottom of the ball. Place each ball, bottom down, on a clean work surface. With a slightly cupped hand, move the ball around in a circular motion, keeping the bottom in place while tucking the loose edges into it and stretching the surface of the dough tight. (If the outer skin breaks, set the roll aside and let it rest while rounding the remaining rolls. Reroll once the dough relaxes.)

Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. (If following make-ahead instructions, refrigerate the rolls now.)once the dough relaxes.) Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. (If following make-ahead instructions, refrigerate the rolls now.)
Let the rolls rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl, and brush the tops of the rolls with it (you'll have some left over); sprinkle with wheat germ. Bake the rolls until light brown on top, about 15 minutes (watch closely and be careful not to overbake).

Enjoy!

More chicken...

We really like chicken at our house...can you tell? Anyway, this is a really simple chicken salad with a very tasty/tangy dressing I came up with. We had it for dinner with soup but it would be a great salad for lunch as well. With no mayo it makes great left overs to take to work.

Cranberry Chicken Salad w/ Ginger Sage Dressing

3 chicken breasts, baked & diced (I season mine with poultry seasoning & garlic salt)

1 cup pecans, toasted & roughly chopped

1 cup cranberries, dried

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing.

Ginger Sage Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T honey

2 T dried sage

2 T minced ginger

1 1/2 t cinnamon

Salt & pepper

Wisk all ingredients together and toss with Chicken mixture. Serve over romaine lettuce.

Enjoy!

Shepards Pie...kind of...

In honor of my St. Patricks Day and my husband's birthday (on St. Patricks Day) I tried my hand at my 1st Irish dish. Although I made it a little different then the traditional version, it was surprisingly good. The vegetables were crunchy, potatoes were sweet and the sauce was perfect for sopping up with a roll. This was a great, healthy take on an old Irish classic. This recipe was in the Oct. 2007 issue of Rachel Ray shown here with a few modifications.

Turkey Sweet-Potato Shepards Pie

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 T olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 t poultry seasoning

2 T butter

2 T flour

1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth

2 T Worcestershire

1 bag frozen, chopped green beans

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 T tomato paste

1/3 ripe banana, sliced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I didn't use this but I'm sure it would be good)

In a large saucepan, combine the sweet potatoes and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425°. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon. Stir in the onion, carrots, celery and poultry seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the turkey broth and season with salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then stir into the turkey mixture. Stir in the green beans, tomatoes and tomato paste and remove from the heat.

Add the banana to the sweet potatoes and mash or place in mixer and mix until combined and season with salt.

Place turkey mixture into 9 by 13 inch baker and top with the sweet potato mixture and smooth the top. Cover the sweet potatoes with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes.

Serve with dinner rolls.

Enjoy!