Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms & Zucchini

Adapted from EatingWell

So I want to start off by saying that I know my food & pictures don't always turn out all that pretty in appearance, but that doesn't mean they don't taste delicious! This is a perfect example. It's not as pretty as the picture on the website or pictures you see in cookbooks, but that's b/c I don't like spending extra time on the way it looks (or messing with my camera). I figure it takes long enough to fix the food that as long as it tastes good, then I'm a happy girl! Okay enough about that now I'm starting to ramble lol. This dish was a little time consuming and had a lot of components, but I must say I absolutely enjoyed it!

Ingredients:
6 oz whole-wheat angel hair pasta
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 chicken cutlets, trimmed
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 tbs olive oil
10 oz package mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs capers, rinsed
2 tsp butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, whisk 5 tsp flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt & pepper on each side then dredge in flour. Heat 1 tbs oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked all the way through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tbs oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, mushrooms and zucchini and cook, stirring, until they soften and start to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate or bowl. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in capers, butter and mushroom/onion/zucchini mixture. Toss the pasta with the sauce mixture. Serve chicken on top of the pasta. A little parmesan cheese makes a great topping (optional).

Basic Brownies

This is a HERSHEY's recipe and they also list a frosting you can use on top of the brownies if you so desire (though I think they are sweet enough as is). I don't think you can find an easier brownie recipe than this, it's incredibly simple and they taste great! They are a little more cake-like than brownie, but either way they're yummy so I don't mind! Next time I will try using one less egg though and that should help make them more gooey and not as fluffy. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool on wire rack.

*WARNING* Sassier Stir Fry *WARNING*

I like to have tuna from time to time, but it's usually just regular tuna with relish on saltine crackers. As I was grocery shopping I noticed the sweet & spicy tuna and thought it sounded good. As I was putting groceries up I noticed this recipe on the back of the tuna package and thought I would give it a try. This is where things just went wrong. The recipe seemed promising, but something about it just didn't taste right...I couldn't even finish the meal much less eat leftovers. I'm not sure if it was the tuna or the sauce or what it was exactly, but it just didn't work.


So now you are warned, DO NOT make the recipe on the back of the package! Well who knows, maybe some of you would like it, we all have different tastes :) 

      Picture from www.starkist.com 

Ingredients:
2 pouches (4.5 oz) StarKist Tuna Creations, Sweet & Spicy
2 tbsp pure toasted sesame oil
2 cups sliced zucchini, cut in half circles
1 red bell pepper sliced or diced
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Stir-fry zucchini, red bell peppers and garlic 1 to 2 minutes. Add carrots and stir-fry an additional 1-2 minutes.

Mix soy sauce with 1 cup water. Add cornstarch and stir to dissolve. Add to vegetables. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until sauce is thickened.

Stir in tuna and stir fry 1 minute - just to heat through. (Don't over-stir)

Serve over rice if desired.

*Recipe found on the back of the StarKist Tuna package*

Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach & White Beans

Adapted from EatingWell

So this was my first time to ever try gnocchi much less cook with it! I had no clue what it was until about two weeks ago when I was watching a cooking show on my lunch break at work. My friend Angelica mentioned one of her favorite dishes at the Olive Garden is a gnocchi dish so I was excited to try it for myself.

This dish turned out even better than I expected! It was pretty simple and it was delicious! I may have added a bit more cheese than it called for b/c I didn't measure, but either way I was really happy with how it turned out. Leftovers were just as good! Yum!

6 servings - only 325 calories per serving!

Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil, divided
1 16 oz package shelf-stable gnocchi
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed in microwave)
15 oz can diced tomatoes w/Italian seasonings
15 oz can white beans, rinsed
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded park-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat 1 tbs oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 tbs oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for additional 3 minutes. Add thawed spinach, tomatoes, beans, pepper and salt and bring to simmer. Stir in gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and cook until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

Adapted from EatingWell

Ingredients:
4 microwavable russet potatoes (packaged in plastic to be microwaved)
8 ounces lean ground beef
1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tbs butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 scallions, chopped

Cook potatoes in microwave as directed on plastic. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often until fully cooked. Transfer to a large bowl. Increase heat to high, add broccoli and water to the pan, cover, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain broccoli; add to the meat.

Carefully cut off the top third of the cooked potatoes. Scoop out the insides into a medium bowl. Place the potatoes shells in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper to the potato insides and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add scallions and the potato mixture to the broccoli and meat; stir to combine.

Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Microwave on high until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.

Tip: Be careful when removing the potato insides not to break the shells.

Chicken Fried Chicken & Gravy

Adapted from Southern Living

So one of my husbands favorite meals is chicken fried chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn and green beans so that's what I decided to make for Valentines day this year. This was my first time making it completely homemade and I couldn't have been happier! The chicken was crispy, flavorful and tender, so delicious! Chris (hubby) is normally pretty honest about the food I make (not always a good thing lol) and he said this was one of the best chicken fried chicken's he had ever had. :)

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

I got too excited about trying the chicken and forgot to take a picture of the gravy on top of it; oops!

Ingredients: 
2 large chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
19 saltine crackers (half a sleeve), finely crushed
3/4 cup & 3 tbs all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 cups milk, divided
1 large egg
Peanut or Canola oil
1tsp paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut chicken breasts in half, then flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet (place breasts on cutting board and cover chicken in plastic wrap, then flatten).  Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to your liking, then set aside.

Combine cracker crumbs, bread crumbs, 3/4 cup flour and paprika in a separate bowl. Whisk together egg and 1/2 cup of the milk in another bowl.

Pour oil to depth of 1/4 - 1/2 inch in a skillet; heat on medium-high.  Dredge chicken in cracker crumb mixture; dip in milk/egg mixture, and dredge in cracker mixture again.

Fry chicken on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack.

For the Gravy
Carefully drain hot oil, leaving browned bits and 3 tbs dripping in skillet. Whisk 3 tbs flour in the skillet. Add 2 1/2 cups milk, whisking 1/2 cup at a time. Heat to boil, whisking constantly, then return to medium heat (still whisking) for 6-10 minutes or until thick. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Tip: Make sure oil is very hot before frying chicken. 

Smoky Corn & Black Bean Pizza

From Eating Well

I was happy to see that this pizza used ingredients I usually keep on hand. Both my husband and I were happy with how it turned out and I plan on making it again. Serve with a side salad and it's a great vegetarian meal!

Ingredients: 
1 plum tomato, diced (I used cherry tomatoes)
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
1 cup shredded mozzarella, preferably smoked mozzarella
2 tbs cornmeal

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium. 

Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough. 

Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Easier version: I used a pizza crust mix (just add water) and cooked it in the oven per cooking directions on the package. 

Creamy Chopped Cauliflower Salad

From Eating Well 

I've been trying to eat healthier and salads are included on the menu, but the plain jane salad gets old after a while. This is a nice fresh & simple alternative salad that I quite enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 tbs reduced-fat mayo (I used 4 tbs low-fat ranch dressing)

2 tbs cider vinegar

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1/4 tsp freshly ground  pepper

3 cups cauliflower florets, finely chopped

2 cups chopped heart of romaine 

1 red apple, chopped 

1/2 tsp caraway seeds (optional)

Directions:

Whisk mayo, vinegar, shallot, caraway seeds (if using) and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add cauliflower, romaine and apple; toss to coat.  Serve and enjoy! 

Black Bean & Chicken Tostadas

Adapted from Eating Well
I absolutely LOVE mexican food! I like to try new recipes and unfortunately some of them turn out horribly lol, but luckily that is normally not the case with anything mexican. This recipe is very easy with lots of fresh ingredients and wonderful flavor! Delicious!

4 Servings, 2 Tostadas each

Ingredients: 
8 6-inch corn tortillas
Canola oil cooking spray
10 oz shredded chicken (seasoned to your liking)
1 avocado, diced
4 tbs pickled jalapenos chopped, plus 2 tbs pickling juice
1 1/2 cups coleslaw mix
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
3 tbs fat-free sour cream
4 tbs salsa
2 scallions, chopped
8 cherry tomatoes, chopped
Lime wedges, chopped

Directions:
Postion racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375.

Coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until light brown, 12 to 14 minutes.

Combine chicken, avocado, tomatoes and jalapenos in a bowl. Combine cabbage, cilantro and the pickling juice in another bowl. Process black beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high until hot, about 2 minutes.

To assemble tostadas, spread each tortilla with bean mixture, some chicken mixture and top with coleslaw mix. Serve with lime wedges if desired.

Only 319 calories per serving! Enjoy!

Tip: If your short on time you can used pre-cooked rotisserie chicken

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Adapted from Lick the Bowl Good

I love sweets...especially chocolate! One weekend my husband and I were sitting around and we were both craving something sweet, so I looked in our pantry to see what we could make. I recently purchased a bundt cake pan so I decided to make a chocolate bundt cake. I didn't have evaporated milk so I couldn't make the hot fudge sauce (very unfortunate, it looked yummy) in the blog, but I found a simple basic glaze that's still good (and I had the ingredients for).

For the Cake

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease the bundt cake pan and dust with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.

To make the cake, combine the cocoa powder, boiling water and whisk until smooth and blended. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a bowl beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 30 to 45 seconds. Reduce the speed to low, add the brown sugar and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium  and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated, about 1 minute. 

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until blended and no lumps of flour remain. Slowly pour in the chocolate-cocoa mixture and beat until no white streaks are visible, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are about 1 inch higher than the center. (This made way more batter than could fit inside my bundt pan, so I made another small bread pan full of batter) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached to it, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cake cool completely. 

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 2 sticks butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups sugar 
• 1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, cocoa, sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, or until very thick. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Carefully pour hot mixture into a blender and blend for 2-4 minutes (to make thicker). Pour over cooled bundt cake letting it drizzle over the side. 

Basic Chocolate Glaze

• 3 tbs cocoa
• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbs hot water

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Mix with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cooled pound cake.