Grilled Salsa Chicken Sandwiches

This fun make ahead, grilled chicken sandwiches will delight and treat your taste buds. Trust me. The entire time I was eating dinner tonight, I couldn't help but thinking this chicken would be perfect in enchiladas, fajitas, chicken taco salad, chicken tortilla soup, burritos/tacos.... really. I haven't ever had chicken so take on the flavors of salsa like this did. Pair this moist tender chicken with some heated sandwich rolls, melted mozzarella cheese, creamy avocado, mayo, shredded crunchy lettuce, fresh ripe tomato slices.... yes I was in heaven. It was slightly sweet and slightly spicy. But my 3 yr old didn't even notice the minimal heat... that being said... if you like it heat use spicy salsa and add some hot sauce.

Memorial day is coming, meat is on sale everywhere.... grab your bbq and grill. This marinate works best overnight so it really has a chance to sink in. I had mine frozen for 3 1/2 months and then I defrosted it in the fridge for 2 days. It truly is a perfect make ahead lunch or dinner for summer.

In a large freezer bag combine: 

• 1 1/2 lbs of chicken, boneless skinless breasts, pounded thinner or butterflied for even grilling
• 1 Tbs taco seasoning, no sugar (homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 cup mild store bought salsa (or not so mild if you so prefer) 
• 1 cup medium store bought chunky salsa 
• 8 oz apricot jam

Creating Lunch &/Or Dinner:
1. Heat up the grill or bbq - throw these chicken breast halves on for approx 12-16 minutes total cooking time depending on the size of the chicken over medium heat.

2. Heat up some beans, grill some corn on the cob, or slice up watermelon to serve as side dishes

3. Half way through cooking time for the chicken, flip the chicken over, toast up the sandwich rolls on the grill or in the oven. Top the chicken with shredded mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup ea)

4. Slice up some tomatoes, slice one quarter avocado per person, shred some lettuce and put the sandwiches together. Dig in! 

Note: If there are any extra chicken pieces they would be excellent the next day on a salad, or a wrap. This was the first time I made this make ahead chicken dish, but it will be a future staple in our household. Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with yummy bbq food! 

From my kitchen to yours! 

Garlic Dijon Chicken with White Wine & Wild Rice

My blogging has gotten SUPER sporadic lately. Thanks to those who keep following anyways. I haven't stopped making new fun meals just got surrounded by boxes. We just moved 1 week plus two days ago "officially". Which means I am way past my goal of unpacking quickly so I can proceed with my happy go lucky, ordered, list filled life. Life is what happens however in between those moments of lists and laughter. 

Good news though, today, the last box in the kitchen is put away. I love the spaciousness of our new house. Ours. After years and years of renting. We have our own place. For a few days it seemed like the boxes were multiplying on their own.  I am happily no longer tripping over boxes at least in a couple rooms, which means I can sit drink coffee and start blogging again. Yay! 

To celebrate the exhaustion of moving and unpacking I am wisely using one of my make ahead chicken meals. Super easy. Heat up the grill. Throw it on. Make some rice. Check. Check. Easy Peasy. Even a caveman can do it. I mean our husbands. Hahah Yes I know some husbands can cook really well. Some husbands even like cooking. Mine not so much. Mine not even a little bit. There I said it. I am okay with it as long as he handles the kiddo during dinner time so I can catch a little break and not be tripping over someone asking for a snack or a drink or stealing veggies I am trying to cook with off my cutting board. 

So next time you need a break - whip this flavorful dish out of your freezer. I have been making this dish for over a year. Thanks again to pintrest for saving me from boring chicken. I wish I had known about this blog, When the dinner bell rings, back in college. It would've saved me from so many bad frozen pizzas! I hope you try it. Going to try it next time in sandwich form.... can't wait. Dijon chicken, bacon, super yummy cheese... yes this could work. Stay tuned. When chicken goes on sale I usually do three of these at a time = time & money saver. 

In a gallon sized freezer bag combine these ingredients and freeze until needed*: 

Serves 3 or 4

*Note: These are good in the freezer for awhile. Found one that was 4 months old and was still tasty.

1. Boneless Chicken Breast  1 & 1 lbs cut into 4 pieces - pounded a little thinner for even cooking
2. 2 tsp heaping minced garlic 
3. 1/4 cup Dijon mustard made with white wine (not the country course grain kind)
4. 2 Tbs lime Juice 

Yes okay. Poor picture. LOL. You see frozen peas.... My son is eating so fast these days.
The peas help cool down the rice. 

To make a whole meal chicken & rice. Pull the chicken the night before and defrost it in the fridge. As the chicken defrosts it will marinate and get super flavorful. Since its warm here in southern Az I cooked it on an indoor grill but you certainly can use your oven or crockpot or bbq.  I just didn't want to heat up the kitchen too much.Cook the flattened chicken breasts for approx 5-7 minutes on each side. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute or to make sure your 3 yr old doesn't burn his mouth. Just keep an eye on it since chicken breast is easily overcooked and becomes more sawdust/cardboard than juicy chicken.

 To cook the wild rice: I used 3/4 cup of wild rice with 3/4 cup of chicken low sodium broth, and a 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Cover it with a tight fitting lid and lower the temp to medium low for 45 minutes. 

Enjoy!

From my kitchen to yours. 

Very Berry Breakfast Bread Pudding: A delightful Savory Make ahead Brunch

Very Berry Bread Pudding with Sausage

Its 7am approx my husband has strolled in from a long night of work. I am sitting with my coffee totally excited (grinning ear to ear) about what I had just made. I tell him the name of the newest recipe. He eyes me suspiciously... I see a quick grimace and a scowl in the direction of the oven, as if it is the oven's fault.  He turns and asks, "Is it sweet?" 

Please note, my husband does not like bread pudding, so I was obviously clinging to a limb here far above the ground, in hopes he might like it anyways. How did I miss that he didn't like bread pudding? I didn't. I was busy entertaining delightful visions in my head, of how much I adored my thanksgiving bread pudding, made with leftover homemade citrus-y cranberry sauce. Thus jumping head first into this this savory dish without really thinking about anything else, including my dear sweet husband. You should’ve saw me dance around the bush when trying to describe the cheesy, meaty, eggy wonderfulness of the food. See that... I tried to point out all the things I thought he would be interested in. Eggs check. Meat double check. Cheesy good. I was clearly beating around the bush as it were and after almost 10 years of marriage he so saw the signs too. I was able to answer truthfully. It wasn't sweet. The only thing remotely sweet was the earthy, semi-sweet, semi-tart, scattered, whole blackberries. Those berries that turned into warm juicy bits were pushed aside on his plate. I love how the berries stayed whole but were completely heated through and tasted like homemade jam. Unbelievably good! Yet despite the berries, my patient husband devoured seconds. So even if you don’t like bread pudding - try this one. I added more meat than I probably should’ve, but since I began painting like crazy at our new house my growling stomach has been dictating the meals. 

Making it. Totally Easy. I made the dough for the bread on a Sunday afternoon. The dough took approx 5 minutes to make. Super quick and easy. Covered it, and threw it in the fridge. When I had time on Tuesday I baked the bread.  On Wednesday I let the bread still out and dry out a little bit. Wednesday night I threw the dish together and covered it and put it in the fridge. This part took about about 15 minutes because I had to grill the sausages and that took a few minutes. The next morning I pulled the dish out of the fridge and let it come to room temp while my coffee was brewing and then popped it into the oven after 20 minutes. It still felt cold to me but I couldn’t wait any longer. Baking time was 40 minutes and then letting it sit for 5 minutes is super important for making nice even slices or squares.The longer you let it sit the easier it will be to cut.  So it is a  bunch of little easy steps but it is homemade which makes me feel good about feeding it to my family. 

My inspiration came from a website & recipe by Karen Miner at www.sheknows.com - there is a interesting version of ham and cheese bread pudding there. This was my first time making a savory bread pudding - I am totally hooked :) 

This serves 4 adults. 

Recipe:

1 small loaf of whole grain bread - or half of a whole grain  berry bread recipe,  dried out

3 eggs

1 cup of 2% milk

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp herbes de Provence, salt free

1/8 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp salt, 

1/8 tsp pepper

butter - for the baking dish

2 green onions, finely diced to mix in or use as a garnish - your choice

1/2 cup of cheddar cheese *

1/2 small pkg of blackberries (approx 8 berries) 

1 tsp dried parsley

3 sweet Italian sausages grilled and then sliced into round chunks and then quartered**

*I used cheddar, shredded, because that's what I had on hand, but next time will try something else. The cheesy factor was nice - the cheddar was okay. It was overpowered a bit which was okay for me. If you want to taste the cheese try something else or add more.

**If you use ground sausage you can skip the step of slicing and it will save you a few minutes... I was just using what I had in my freezer. I also have to dice this up a bit smaller since I have a three year old and I don't want him to choke. 

Making the Bread Pudding:

• Get the berry bread ready or use store bought bread. 

• Make the bread dough, and bake it or bake it on a day you have some free time. This particular dough can sit in the fridge for up to 5 days - yay! If you do make the bread, which is hugely recommended. The dough makes awesome bread for french toast and or muffins. So don't feel like you are going to get stuck with half of a thing of berry dough and not know what to do with it. 

• Let the bread sit out on the counter uncovered for part of a day or a full day to dry out a little bit.

• Cut half of the bread into slices for the bottom layer. Dice the other half of the small loaf into cubes. 

• The evening before you want to eat this - assemble it. 

• Whisk the egg and milk together in a flat dish or bowl. 

• Stir in the spices

• Start grilling up the sausages or browning ground pork/turkey sausage. The meat needs to be almost fully cooked or cooked before added to the dish. I would strongly advise against using raw meat. 

• Butter up a baking dish. I used my glass square one. 

• Let the bread slices soak in the egg mixture for a minute and turn it over and let it sit for another full minute. If you are using a bowl takes it a bit longer since all the slices probably won’t fit in at the same time. I got 6 slices out of my first half which i managed to squeeze into the bottom of my dish for a solid first layer. 

• Slice and dice up the meat if using links or whole sausages and put them in the baking dish to create a yummy meaty layer. 

• Drop all of the cubes in the egg mixture and stir it around. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes to absorb the liquid. If you are mixing in the green onion do it in this step with the bread. 

• Add the cheese and half of a small package of blackberries to the cubes and egg mixture. Gently toss it together. LOL don’t make jam. 

• Pour the entire bowl of cubes, cheese and egg mixture into the baking dish. Pat it down with your fingers to create a nice level layer.

• Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight or at least 7 hours. 

• Bring it to room temp or a minimum of 20 minutes while you are preheating the oven.

•  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

• Sprinkle on the green onion if you didn't previously mix it in. Let it sit for 5 minutes to firm up and then dive in! 

Enjoy savory or sweet breakfast at home.  

From my kitchen to yours!

Blackberry Chicken Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette

Blackberries were on sale at the store this morning.... I was thinking I hadn't ever made a salad with blackberries before and into my shopping cart they went. LOL. Several hours later.... Oh wow I am so glad I tried them! The tart creamy feta cheese next to the moist chicken and semi-tart juicy berries surrounded by crunchy green veggies... yes very good choice. 

If you know me pretty well... you know salad is a staple in my household and is my normal lunch. Like most kids, I grew up on lunches consisting of sandwiches, chips, fruit but as an adult I find it easier to keep a balanced diet if I leave the processed stuff out of every single lunch (unless I am eating out - which is a rare but fun treat). The kind of salad tends to vary, but to my dismay or benefit sometimes the sizes of the salads are on the very large size. It works for me because I don't have any morning snacks and am starving by lunch time.  My stomach isn't complaining and I drink plenty of water to handle all those fibrous veggies. So its all good. My husband kind of eyes me sometimes (when hes around at lunch time) like 'are you really going to eat all of that'. I just smile back with a protective glance at my large pasta dish full of veggies. So you have been 'officially' warned,  the recipe below is for one salad for one person, as a meal in itself.  But if you don't constantly crave veggies like my husband go ahead and halve it. Its okay. I won't tell anyone. With all the nutrients in this lovely thing, you won't have to worry about veggies for a little while (wink, wink). 

Tart, Sweet, Savory, Crunchy Green, Golden Moist Chicken Salad 

with Blackberry Vinaigrette

Toss together:  

1 & 1/2 cups of romaine lettuce chopped

1/2 small pkg of blackberries, rinsed & kept whole

1/2 cup of reduced - fat crumbled feta cheese

1/2 large cucumber, rinsed, halved & sliced into crescents 

2 cups of fresh broccoli, rinsed/sliced into fork friendly pieces

Whisk together: 

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 Tbs honey

2 smashed blackberries

1/16 tsp of salt - 1 small dash

1/8 tsp of pepper

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Cook: 

1 chicken breast, boneless/skinless, butterflied or flatted for quicker cooking

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp herbes de provence, salt free (or whatever your fav herb is)

1 1/2 cups of water - this is approximate... you want water to cover half way up the chicken 

Making the Salad: 

1. Bring the water to a boil in a deep skillet or large saucepan. Sprinkle the chicken (after butterflied or pounded thinner) with the seasonings. 

2.  Put chicken in the deep skillet and let it boil/simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side. 

3. After poaching the chicken, drain the liquid out and return it to the stove for 2 or 3 minutes on each side to brown and get that golden delicious color. 

*Hint: We aren't using any oil here to save some calories for the yummy dressing

4.  While the salad is cooking, cut/chop all the veggies together and put them in the dish except for 3 individual blackberries. 

5. Smash one of the extra blackberries into the chicken after you flip it while it is getting brown. Let the berry juice stain the meat and get all pretty looking. 

*Unrelated side note: Watching the berries juice cover the chicken made me really think I really need to make a pork or chicken dish that uses blackberries with some wine and then some sort of starch to soak up some of these incredible drippings. 

5. In a cereal bowl whip up the easy delish blackberry vinaigrette. Taste it and adjust accordingly. If you like it sweeter add more honey, if you want it thinner add a bit more olive oil, ect... 

6. Once the meat is done - pull it off the stove and let it sit for a few minutes on the cutting board.  So you don't burn your fingers but also to let some of the juices settle into the meat. 

7. Top your salad with pretty slices of the chicken and gently pour the dressing over the top. 

Super yummy super healthy way to usher in spring... 

By the way I am so making way more vinaigrette next time and adding some toasted walnuts!! Love it when an impromptu idea turns out to be a 'favorite'.  From my kitchen to yours

Asparagus Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

Once upon a time I was watching a food show called the Pioneer Woman with my kiddo. He loves the show because it has tons of animals dogs, cat, horses, cows, and the most prevalent type of animals kids. Hahaha. One particular episode really stuck out to my son. He recognized the kids in the show, how excited they were, and how they related to their Uncle Mike. We don't live near my brother, but talk to him often so my son is familiar, at least long distance, with his Uncle Sam. I thought nothing of it until we watched the show, a different episode, later in the week, and my kiddo asked if Uncle Mike was going to be on there. I told him I didn't know. He waited patiently for the whole episode to play out. At the end he simple stated that Uncle Mike must've been busy, and he will be there next time. I love kids. I love the innocence of mine.

Over a month passes and I see the same recipe as in that first episode, enchiladas, posted all over pintrest. Once again it looks good but uses ALOT of sour cream... not that's a bad thing but summer is right around the corner. Then my husband offers to pick some stuff at the grocery store for me. I ask him for a small tiny thing of sour cream for tacos, since I am the only one in my family who puts sour cream on tacos/burritos, ect. LOL my husband comes back with the largest container of sour cream they sell... not quite the size of the bulk Costco kind granted, but WAY bigger than I was expecting. I was expecting like 1/8th of the size! With an inward groan but at the same time quickly calculating of how much walking and running I would have to do to burn off all the calories, I thanked my husband for running the errand for me. I love my husband but this one through me for a loop.... What to do with all this sour cream before it spoils?  The answer: Ree Drummund's Sour Cream Enchiladas. The best part of the story is my son walking by the oven while they baked and commenting, "we are eating enchiladas, like Uncle Mike, did on tv". It's adorable. I can't help it. Long story but we lived happily ever after with yummy enchiladas in our tummies (at least for one night).

The recipe

Adapted/twisted with Chicken & Asparagus to celebrate Spring 

Makes 4 enchiladas perfect for 2 or 4 people

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream (whatever kind you prefer nonfat/full fat/Greek yogurt might taste good here too)
3 green onions, white & green parts sliced
dash of salt
dash of pepper
dash of red pepper flakes (for heat - but you can omit this)
1/2 tsp of cumin
6 Asparagus stalks
Olive Oil
1-2 cups Canola Oil (for frying)
1 Chicken breast, boneless skinless (increase this if serving 4 adults)
1/4 tsp each of salt, pepper, and dried parsley
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded * pepper jack or Monterrey jack would be good here too
10 oz can of mild enchilada sauce
4 whole wheat flour soft taco sized tortillas (I prefer the nutrition of whole wheat over corn)

Optional toppings: additional sliced green onions, diced tomatoes (seeds removed or not), corn (grilled or fresh), sprouts, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, and of course more sour cream. I totally like texture on top of my softer dishes.

Serve with tortilla chips and/or rice or beans

Directions:

1. Pound the chicken breast a little for even cooking or butterfly it. Then sprinkle it with the salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Cook the chicken breast over medium heat in 1 Tbs olive oil. Should take 6 or 7 minutes each side. Then remove it from the heat and set it aside.

2. While the chicken is cooking preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and cut the woody ends off the Asparagus. Set the veg on a cookie sheet drizzle it with olive oil (probably 1 Tbs or less), a dash of salt and pepper. Roast for approx 10-15 minutes or until they look golden and beautiful. When these are done put them out and set them aside with the chicken and LOWER the oven heat to 350.

3. So while you are waiting, in a small or medium sized bowl combine the sour cream, dash of salt and pepper, green onions, cumin, and 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, and the red pepper flakes. When the asparagus and chicken are done cooking chop them up into small bite size pieces and mix them in.

Note: if serving this to company I would totally keep the Asparagus whole so they are long and beautiful but since it was just me and the kid I chopped them up to be more family friendly. This could be a very elegant looking dish though :)

4. Heat a small skillet with 1-2 cups of canola oil. Dump half of the can of enchilada sauce into a dish or bowl, and set it next to the skillet. Prep your baking dish with nonstick baking/cooking spray or unsalted butter. Pour a little bit of enchilada sauce into the baking dish (1/4 cup or less) - Just a splash to help with the non sticking part. Set the baking dish next to the plate with the sauce.

5. When the oil starts to ripple you know its heated, carefully set the first soft taco size shell into the oil with a fork or something in your other hand to quickly turn it over. You want it to fry for about 5 seconds on each side. Its super quick. The tortilla will puff up on you that's okay but you don't want to cook them so long they are hard.

6.Once the 10 seconds is up you carefully pull it out of the hot oil and onto the plate with the sauce. Turn it over in the sauce. Put 1/4 of the chicken sour cream mixture into the middle and fold them up like a burrito. Put the finished burrito seam side down into the prepped baking dish.  Repeat 3 more times.

7. Once all the tortillas are loaded up and filled up and in the baking dish pour any remaining sauce from the dish they soaked a little in if its not all absorbed over the enchiladas. Pour the rest of the sauce from the can also directly over the enchiladas. Then top with the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese. LOL or more if you want.

8. Bake for 15 minutes until its bubbling and amazing. Sprinkle them with cilantro and dot with sour cream and any other yummy toppings you want diced tomatoes, spouts, more green onions, diced avocado... the world is your burrito. I mean enchilada.

Enjoy the recipe and your Sunday. 

From my kitchen to yours

Chicken Sausage Mediterranean Pesto Pizza: Perfect Summer Pizza

The Perfect Summer Pizza

This recipe caught me off guard from the moment I saw it years ago in a magazine until even now after eating it for dinner. First, I not really a fan of Mediterranean foods. I dislike olives. I haven't ever cooked with capers but I do admire the healthiness of those kinds of dishes with good fats like fish, and olive oil, ect. If you are a fan - you will love this dish. If not... be fun and creative and step out on this limb with me. Trying new foods is fun. Second, it was a recipe in advertisement. They were trying to sell their brand of chicken sausage LOL the picture sold me. This was NOT a normal place to find a good recipe. Haha. I have issues with recipes that don't have pictures but that's a whole different conversation - back to the pizza. Cheesy. Meaty. Flavorful. Yes pizza. Of course when I finally get around to making the recipe THAT particular brand of sausage was no longer available so I had to find something else, similar. I think I accomplished that. Italian... Mediterranean... Same part of the world :)  

So kudos to the al fresco sausage company for their marketing was the inspiration of this meal :) I changed up a bunch of things and didn't use their sausage, but figure credit needs to be given where ever credit is due. Perhaps I just wanted a recipe to use pesto again. Have you ever made pizza with feta cheese? I am curious now.... hahaha :) I would love to hear what others have come up with. 

This would be a great summer light dinner - not too heavy like our old household standby, Pepperoni. This would be fun to entertain with, have for lunch if you have 30 minutes to make it, or just a great dinner with the family. Try. Eat. Have fun. Summer is coming. You could even change it up and grill it so you don't have to heat up your kitchen. Try. Yes I am repeating myself. Its been that kind of a morning or maybe it was that third cup of coffee. I will get back to you about that. 

Ingredients:

• Store Bought Pizza dough OR homemade. To make your own gather the following ingredients: 

 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning, 1 Tbs white sugar, 2 Tbs olive oil, 1 cup warm water, 1 Tbs yeast - all mixed together with your hands. Add a bit more flour if needed but it should come together easily. Kneed it until its uniform 2-3 minutes and let it sit in a bowl under a towel for 10-15 minutes. 

• Store bought pesto OR homemade. To make your own gather these additional ingredients: 

2 handfuls of fresh parsley (1/2-3/4 cup), 1 handful of basil (1/4-1/2 cup), 1/4 cup of walnuts, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese (I used parm/asiago/romano trio-  use any good quality grated or shredded cheese), and olive oil to drizzle into the sauce

• 1 Roma tomato, seeds removed, finely diced
• 1/2 cup reduced fat feta cheese crumbles
• 1 tsp of dried oregano 
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 3 Chicken Sausages -  9oz total (mine was already cooked 3 cheese Italian style with red bell peppers and garlic - my goal here was just to try out a new chicken sausage - having the sausage precooked did save me some time)
• 3 or 4 good appetites

Directions:

1. Make your pizza dough or pull it already made from the fridge to let it come to room temp. 

2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Use a stick of butter or non stick cooking spray on your pizza pan. 

3. Flour your work area and start to pull and stretch your dough. Set the dough in the pan - push and stretch it to make it fit but not be too thin in any area. 

4. While oven is preheating.... reheat or cook your sausages, if they aren't already cooked

5. Dice your tomato and set it aside with the feta cheese crumbles and dried oregano.

6. Use a food processor to make the walnut herb pesto sauce -  In a food processor or a maybe a blender would probably work in this - I just haven't tried pesto in a blender before.... add the fresh basil, parsley, walnuts, salt, pepper and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. I never know how much olive oil I need. Just drizzle some in slowly and keep an eye on the texture. You want it pretty smooth  since its going to be the pizzas sauce. 

7. Put the plain pizza dough in the oven for 5 minutes to start the baking process.  Once the 5 minutes is up. Pull it out and crank the oven hotter to 450. 

8. While its heating up, spread all of the pesto on top. Then a small layer of feta cheese/tomato mixture. Then half of the sausages sliced thin*, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat. Feta cheese/tomato mix, sausages, mozzarella cheese. My son loved helping with his part. Just be careful the pizza pan will be hot. Done. 

9. Throw it back into the oven for 10 minutes or until it looks golden and the cheeses are completely melted and gorgeous. 

 *Note: I have a small kiddo so I sliced and then halved mine a bit smaller so he wouldn't be able to choke if he crammed a bunch in his mouth. If serving to adults a thin circle shape would be much more pleasing to the eye. 

There. Easy summer healthy food and pizza. Never thought I would be calling pizza healthy but I think this one really is. If you make the pesto and the dough like I did you can have the satisfaction of loosing some preservatives too :)  

Enjoy - Summer is coming. 

From my kitchen to yours. 

Turkey Cran Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Hey all. Hope your week is coming along. Have you ever had breakfast for dinner? My husband used to make a sport of this... requesting pancakes and waffles for dinner on a regular basis. He works nights now so that's not really an issue anymore. But if you are craving a dinner/breakfast - try this!! This heated savory/sweet sandwich is AWESOME. The crunchy bread with the spices remind you of breakfast, and then you are hit with the creamy cheese and the semi tart/semi sweet cranberries.... a party of flavors. 

Just incase I am not being convincing enough... this sandwich is a great way to use up leftover thanksgiving turkey or in my case Easter turkey, and it is a lighter dinner choice too - which is perfect for spring. I saw this on pintrest and tracked it down to its original, a Paula Deen recipe. She makes awesome food. Click here to see her recipe. This is not an exception even with the changes I made to fit my family. If the promise of a amazing sandwich doesn't thrill you.... how about a 10 minute dinner from fridge to table meal? Not exaggerating... ten minutes tops.   

Makes 2 Sandwiches - Easily doubled or Halved

Ingredients

1 Tbs butter, unsalted, organic if you have it

4 pieces of bread (thicker works better) 

1 egg

1/4 cup milk (I used 2% - use whatever you have)

1 dash of nutmeg

1 dash of cinnamon

1 dash of salt

1 dash of black pepper

4 oz of creamy Havarti cheese thinly sliced or shredded

1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach (about 20 pieces)

4 Tb cranberry sauce ( 2 per sandwich)

6 oz of turkey from the deli or leftover from Turkey Dinner (ie... Thanksgiving or Easter)

OKAY. Warning... This was the messiest thing I have made in the kitchen in a long time. I had scrambled egg everywhere LOL. I was like how on earth you do coat these very full sandwiches... I had cheese falling out, cranberries falling out, and turkey falling.... So I wish you the luck. It is worth the extra effort. I promise. 

Mix the milk, spices and egg together in a flat dish. 

Heat the butter in a large skillet.

While the butter is melting put some cranberry sauce on each side of the bread for the first sandwich.

Then put the cheese on both sides of the sandwich. 

Then put the meat on one side of the sandwich and the spinach on the other side. 

Carefully shut the sandwich and dip it into the egg mixture. 

Coat both sides with the egg mixture. 

Then put it in the pan and cook over medium for 3-4 minutes. 

Repeat with the second sandwich. Flip the sandwiches when they become golden and the cheese is melted. Don't be too concerned if stuff falls out... stuff it back in :) 

Serve with fresh fruit or veg! Perfect warm weather Brunch, Lunch or Dinner.

There easy. Messy. Simple. Fun. Tasty. Perfect for weekend brunch or dinner. I know my hubby has this weird thing about cranberries so I will definitely make this again just avoiding cranberries for him. Yes absolutely. It was so delicious. Too bad the sandwich thing kinda prevents eating seconds ;) See perfect for spring and getting back into shape. There are no seconds.... This could be a problem! Hahaha. 

Enjoy

From my kitchen to yours

Related Recipes:

Grilled Cheese Corned Beef Ciabatta Sandwich

Cucumber Cream Turkey Wraps 

 

Cucumber Cream Turkey Wraps

Spring is officially here, well in Arizona, at least. We made it past the horrible events in Boston & Tax day - whew! Thankful for the prayers that are with the people on the east coast. I will keep saying some prayers for them too. What a horrible thing taking even the lives of children. What a week this is!

On a lighter note: If you need something creamy and delish to take your mind off of life and although it sounds like I should be putting some sort of chocolate chip cookie recipe in the next part, this totally hits the spot. Read on. This is as easy as it is healthy, sorry no chocolate this time. Next major horrible event I promise. Besides it is spring. The cactus is blooming, birds are singing, the hot sun is back, and my hubby just got a new black light to search for scorpions. He loves hunting for them, it makes him feel like hes protecting us, which he is. They are deadly to youngins like ours, if stung. So along with spring comes swimming suit season. Stop making all those yummy hot creamy fat laden soups, casseroles, and start eating lighter. I love winter/fall food - its so comforting. But spring food full of fresh flavors and new crisp veggies and tons of fruit. So embrace the change - at least that's what I am telling myself hahaha. So to help with those ahem upcoming shorts, tang tops, short sleeve t-shirts, and swimming suit purchases... here's a lighter entree to try.

This is more of an idea than a "real" recipe but I am throwing this out there because it was awesome and healthy. I found it on Entree To Life - a fun food blog with great recipes. I hope you try it and enjoy it as spring appears in your neck of the woods.

Think of it as your own specialty deli wrap for an easy portable lunch or easy dinner that doesn't involve heating up your kitchen. Sigh. Yes swimming suit season is coming.

Makes 1 wrap

Ingredients:
1/4 - 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, sliced thin (depending on how much you like cucumber)
1/8 tsp salt
1/16 tsp or 1 dash of pepper
3-5 cherry tomatoes diced in half (depending on how much or little you like tomatoes)
2 slices of leftover Easter or Thanksgiving turkey or deli meat turkey
1 triangle of laughing cow cheese. I used the garden veg flavor and it was perfect!
1 medium soft taco sized tortilla  (a flavored wrap would be fun here will have to try a spinach one next time)

Spread the cheese over the tortilla. Layer on the cucumber and the cheese. Season. Add on the tomatoes and turkey. Roll up and eat!

My three yr old and ours ate these yummy simple wraps with some cantaloupe and some steamed veggies. My son loved it because he said it looked like lunch. He kept saying how cool it was that we were having lunch two times in one day.

Have a great day!! 

From my kitchen to yours

Other related recipes:
Turkey Stew - Thanksgiving Style
Brunch: Turkey Veg Hash with Eggs 
Veggie Soup: What To Do With Leftover Cut Up Thanksgiving Veggies

Corned Beef Salsa Verde Skillet Burritos

So, even though I am constantly trying new recipes, on average 3-4 a week for the last 2+ years, I still find things I haven't ever made, like corned beef. This year on St. Patrick's Day was the first time I had cooked anything with corned beef. I had no idea what I was missing! I was SO amazed how tender and awesome the meat became that I went out and bought more. Hahaha good thing there is a plethora of recipes online that helped me use it up. Then it happened. I had just enough leftover meat to not want to throw it away, but not enough to really make it into a meal or so I thought. I was thinking up ways to stretch my just barely 1 & 1/2 cups of delish corned beef when my son asked me if we could have tacos... Thank you sweet son of mine! So here's my take on Corned Beef Burritos... Try it next March when you find yourself with leftover corned beef. Proof that almost any food if done with some imagination can be "mexican" style. It was amazing. The salsa verde is light enough it doesn't overwhelm like a tomato salsa would've....Corned Beef in Mexican food... sure why not.

My son's plate... no toppings for him instead i put them on the side.
All he wanted was salsa to dip things into anyways.

Serves 3 or 4 people

1- 2  Burritos each

Ingredients: 

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of salsa verde medium (I used La Victoria - just because I knew it wasn't too spicy for my kiddo) 

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 Tbs taco seasoning homemade or store bought

1 & 1/2 cups of cooked and shredded corned beef

1 package soft taco size tortillas

1 cup or more your favorite shredded cheese ( I used sharp cheddar)

optional taco toppings: extra salsa, cilantro, chopped green onion, sliced avocado, sour cream, shredded lettuce...ect

Directions

1. In a large skillet bring the water, salsa up to a boil. Add in the meat chunks. Reduce heat to low and simmer. 

2. Add in the taco seasoning, green pepper, and chopped onion. The fat from the meat will help "saute" the veggies and the water will help the seasonings to really surround the meat. Continue cooking on low for 5 minutes or so until the veggies are soft and half of the water has been reduced.  Add in the corn starch and stir for about 2 minutes and turn off the stove. The sauce will thicken. 

3.  In another skillet heat up some tortillas just until they are more flexible. Put about a 1/4- 1/2 cup of the meat/veg mixture in each tortilla. Then top the mixture with cheese, and if you want more salsa and avocado. Tuck the sides in and roll the tortilla to look like a burrito  Put them seam side back down on to the same skillet that warmed the tortilla for a 3-5 minutes to make sure the cheese melts over low heat. If you want a crunchier texture cook for 5-10 minutes flipping it when it looking more golden brown.

4. Top the finished tortillas with shredded lettuce, tomato, sour cream, cilantro, green onion = anything you want. Treat it like a taco. For me this meant more avocado! Yum!!

My leftover Masterpiece
Hopefully my avocado won't be as ripe as yours! LOL

Easy fun and dinner done in less than 15 minutes! 

Serve with fun mexican style rice or chips :) 

Cheers to a fun meal from leftovers..... Ireland meets Mexico! 

From my kitchen to yours

Similar recipes: 

Corned Beef Root Veggie Hash - Brunch!

Grilled Corned Beef Grilled Cheese Ciabatta Sandwiches 

Corned Beef Irish Stew 

Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee Cookies

Whole Grain Bacon Mac & Cheese

Recently I came across a some delicious looking mac and cheese recipes. Being a cheese lover, I made one and it was awesome (see Cauliflower Mac & Cheese). It was borderline healthy, easy, fun, different, and totally kiddo friendly. But. Still on my quest.. I kept  looking  I was looking for something with a bit more depth. Then I saw this one with fresh crispy bacon chunks, sauteed golden leeks, and two different kinds of cheeses. Yes depth and 


sophistication is EXACTLY what I found. It was the first grown up mac and cheese dish I had ever had. This would absolutely be appropriate for serving to guests, or on the weekend to your buds. (ppppst) by the way, when i say buds, I do mean friends, neighbors, random people on the street, and your taste buds. This is a must make! My husband actually surprised me by having seconds and asking if was going to make it again.... I knew it was good but with my guy I never know ;)  Score!! This will be making second and third appearances in my kitchen. Just thinking about it, is making my mouth water.... it was so good! 

The amazing bacon, herb, havarti, sharp cheddar, leek, whole grain mac and cheese

serves 4 adults 

Adapted from Pinch My Salt  (halved the recipe except for a few things like bacon and cheese). I kept the important things. Used more bacon grease but less half and half. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of bacon
• 1 leek, light green and white part only, sliced into half moon crescents, rinsed
• half of a box of whole grain medium shells, approx 5 oz
• 1 cup (approx 4 oz)  + 1/2 cup sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 3/4th cup (approx 3 oz) creamy hartivi cheese, shredded
• 1 & 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk, 2 % or whatever you have
• 1/2 cup half and half, full fat
• 1/2 Tbs salt (for pasta water)
• 1/2 tsp herbes de provence blend, salt free
• Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions: 
1. Start cooking the bacon, until crisp.

2. Start boiling the pasta water, add salt to it. 

3. When the bacon is cooked, set aside on paper towels to drain some of the fat off
Take the bacon drippings and saute the leeks in the bacon fat over low heat for 7 minutes or until its golden - YUM! :) 

4.Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook as per directions on the box for al dente minus one minute. It will finish in the oven. 

5. Make the béchamel sauce with the butter, flour, and dairy. This is a very easy generic sauce that learned only a couple years ago.  This sauce starts with a small or medium saucepan in which you melt the butter completely over low heat. Then you add the flour and stir it until it looks unappetizing with yellow clumps. Let the flour cook over low heat for about a minute. Stir often. Add the half and half and the milk. Turn the heat up, bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Grab a whisk and a plain spoon. Start whisking every 5 seconds. It takes like maybe 5 minutes. As soon as it starts to look thick like buttermilk type of thick, dip the spoon in. If you can draw a line on the back of a spoon and the line stays there for a second then its ready for the cheese. Remove it from the heat and add half of the shredded sharp cheddar and all of the havarti cheese. Stir the sauce until all the cheese is melted.

6. While you are waiting at the stove for the sauce to thicken, chop your bacon, and boil your pasta, grab a small rectangle or square baking dish, butter your baking dish, and preheat the oven to 375. 

7. When the pasta is done cooking, drain all the water out and return the pasta to the pot. 

8. Combine it all together. Add the sautéed leeks to the pasta.  Pour the béchamel sauce over the leeks and pasta. Add in the chopped bacon.  Stir so everything is coated in cheese. Then pour it into the prepped baking dish. Taste it , add salt and pepper as needed. Top with remaining sharp cheddar cheese. 

9, Bake for 20-25 minutes until its warm and all the cheese is melted. Serve immediately  with veggies or salad to round out the meal - Enjoy!

Today mac & cheese has grown up and taken on some new flavor and remains whole grain.... do try for yourself, your family, for a potluck, company, or out of town visitors. This dish is perfect to have up your sleeve to impress anyone. 

From my kitchen to yours!