Buffalo-Style Chicken Salad

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons of olive oil (and more to coat pan when you saute the chicken)
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon
garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon
2 carrot stalks, diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced small
3 green onions, red and white parts chopped
2 tablespoons of melted butter
1/4 cup of hot buffalo sauce, Frank’s
1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese
salt
pepper

Directions
Combine the chicken breast tenders with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and some salt and pepper.  Saute in a pan with olive oil (a few minutes on each side).  Remove and let cool.  While the chicken is cooling, mix the melted butter with the hot sauce.  Once the chicken has cooled enough, dice into little chunks.  Mix with the hot sauce and add in the carrots, cucumbers, celery, green onions, and blue cheese.  Stir until everything is well combined.  Cover and chill for about ten minutes.  Serve on rolls with tomato and lettuce slices with a splash of blue cheese dressing, if you’d like.

“Takeout” Beef and Broccoli

• 3 tbs of low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp of light brown sugar
• 1 tbs of cornstarch
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbs of canola oil
• sirloin steak, cut into thin strips (enough for two people)

• 10-minute brown rice
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

Prepare the water for the rice and a pan to steam the broccoli.  Mix together the first 5 ingredients.  Add the steak and let marinate for 10 minutes on the counter.  Heat a non-stick skillet with canola oil and brown the steak.  Pour brown rice in a bowl, top with cooked beef and broccoli.  Enjoy!

Homemade Granola Bars

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup of wheat germ
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped/crushed

• 1/4 dried golden raisins, chopped
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/4 dried apricots, chopped

• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Pour the oats, wheat germ, salt, and almonds onto an ungreased backing sheet.  Mix them around.  Toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Watch carefully as they will burn if left in for too long.  Lower the oven to 300 degrees.

While the oats are toasting, melt butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup.  Pour it into a small saucepan over low heat.  Use this same measuring cup (now greased up!) to measure out the honey.  (This will help the honey to slide smoothly out of the cup.)  Still over low heat, add in the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Once it is all blended together, pour in the vanilla.  Remove from heat.

Mix the flax seeds, raisins, and apricots together in a large bowl.  Once the oat mixture is taken out of the oven and cooled, add it to the dried fruit.  Stir together well.  Pour in the sticky mixture and stir with a large spoon until mixed well.

Use parchment paper to line a baking pan and butter the sides not covered with parchment paper.  Spread the granola mixture into the pan, pressing it firmly to flatten out.  (You can butter your fingers to do this or pack it down with another, smaller bread pan.)

Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes or until very lightly golden brown.  Let cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

This is an easy, but very indulgent macaroni and cheese making it a once-in-a-very-great-while sort of recipe.

2 cups of skim milk
1 small can evaporated 2% milk
2 tablespoons of butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/4 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
Splash of chicken stock

2 cups uncooked elbow pasta
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 parmesan cheese
3/4 cup of italian style bread crumbs

Spray the inside of your crockpot with nonstick canola oil spray.  Mix butter, skim milk, evaporated milk, sour cream, and spices in your crockpot.  Pour in the pasta and cheddar and mix well.  Set on low for about 2 hours, stirring every thirty minutes or so.  Remove inner casserole dish from the crockpot.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs on top.  Place under broiler on high for about 5-7 minutes until top is a bit crunchy.

Enjoy!

Spicy Breakfast Potato Wedges

4 russet potatoes

• scrub clean under cold water
• do not peel!
• cut in half the long way
• then cut these pieces into halves, and then into quarters
• you will end up with 16 potatoes pieces that are each 1/8 of a whole

1.5 tbs of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon of cheyenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cracked pepper
1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon of italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon of onion powder
3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (helps to make the potatoes crispy and makes clean-up easier).  Put potato wedges into a plastic ziplock bag with the oil.  Seal and shake around until they are all coated.  Mix your seasonings in a little bowl and then pour them into the bag.  Seal the bag again and shake it so that the potatoes are coated with seasoning.  Pour the potatoes on the baking sheet (on top of the parchment paper) and spread them out leaving space between them.  Make sure that they are flesh side (well one of the flesh sides) down and not skin side down.  This will make this section touching the parchment paper really crispy and nicely browned.  Leave them in the oven for 35 minutes.  Potatoes are done when they are easily pierced with a fork.  Enjoy!

Sunday, February 24th - March 2nd ~ Weekly Menu

Sunday, February 24th: Eggplant Chana Masala {pnp link}
Monday, February 25th: Chicken Bouillabaise {external link}
Tuesday, February 26th: Shrimp Scampi {external link}
Wednesday, February 27th: Italian Wedding Soup {external link}
Thursday, February 28th: Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry {external link}
Friday, March 1st: Escarole and Beans {pnp link}
Saturday, March 2nd: Dinner Out!

Eggplant Chana Masala (Chickpea Stew)

olive oil

1 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 small eggplant (I use the white and purple, striped variety), diced into small cubes

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons garam masala


1 large can of whole tomatoes, reserve juices and chop into small chunks

1 cup water

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat oil in a dutch oven.  Add onions and let cook for about two minutes.  When the onions are soft, add in the garlic and eggplant.  Stir well and cook for another two minutes.  Then add in the ginger and cayenne.  Stir well and cook about 3-5 minutes until fragrant.  Next, add in the coriander, cumin, paprika, and garam masala spices, stir well, and cook for another minute.  Add in the tomatoes, tomato juice, water, chickpeas and stir to combine.  Let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.  After about 15 minutes, puree about 2 cups of the mixture in a food processor.  Return pureed mixture to dutch oven and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.  Stir salt and lemon juice into the tomato and chick pea mixture.  This can be popped into the fridge and easily reheated later.  Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

February 10th-February 16th ~ Weekly Menu

What a storm!  Some serious comfort food is in order :)

Sunday, February 10th: Pioneer Woman Pizza (external link}
Monday, February 11th: Avocado Egg Salad, add celery, arugula, & a splash of lemon juice {external link}
Tuesday, February 12th: Black Bean Soup {pnp link}
Wednesday, February 13th: Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese {external link}
Thursday, February 14th: Valentine's Day Baked Potato Bar
Friday, February 15th: Spicy Chicken Tostadas {external link}
Saturday, February 16th: Out for Dinner

January 27th - February 2nd ~ Weekly Menu

Sunday, January 27th: Spaghetti and Italian Meatballs {external link}
Monday, January 28th: Seviche-Style Shrimp and Avocado Tacos {external link}
Tuesday, January 29th: No Meal (I have class :) )
Wednesday, January 30th: Chicken and Pepper Stew {external link}
Thursday, January 31st: Mushrooms, Peppers, and Spinach Bean Quesadilla {pnp link}
Friday, February 1st: Breakfast for Dinner
Saturday, February 2nd:  Out for Dinner

Mushrooms, Peppers, Spinach and White Bean Quesadillas

1 pint of baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove or garlic, pressed

1 can of white beans (rinsed, drained, and mashed)

few handfuls of spinach, rinsed and chopped

4 tortillas (or two depending on size)

goat cheese

Saute onions and peppers until softened.  Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Pour in beans and a splash of chicken stock. As the beans simmer, mash with the back of a wooden spoon.  After about 10 minutes, throw in the spinach and cook until wilted and incorporated into the vegetables and beans.  (Either cook down or pour out extra juice that may make the quesadillas too soggy.)  Meanwhile, heat up an oiled skillet and put in one tortilla.  Sprinkle with goat cheese.  Layer with bean mixture and top with another quesadilla.  Warm on medium to medium-high heat.  Carefully flip over.  When entirely warm and cheese is melted, remove from pan and sliced with a pizza cutter.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup

This was perfect for a weeknight when it is chilly out and you are a little pressed for time.  I froze the leftovers after reading a few suggestions to do so online so we will enjoy this meal at some point again this winter :)

3 celery stalks, chopped into 1 inch chunks

1 red pepper, chopped into 1 inch chunks

1/2 white onion, diced 

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon of tomato paste

few skirts of green tabasco sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 can of petit diced tomatoes

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups of chicken stock

juice of one lime

brown rice

diced avocado

grated cheddar cheese
green onions/scallions, white and green sections chopped

dollop of sour cream

I sauteed the peppers, celery and onions for a few minutes until they were soft.  Then I added the garlic and cooked that together for a few more minutes.  Next, I added the spices, tabasco sauce, and the tomato paste and stirred it around so it was all mixed together well.  Then I added the tomatoes, stock, and beans.  I let that simmer with the top on but slightly tipped for about 20 minutes.  Once everything was soft I pureed everything in two batches.  Then I put it back in the pot and let it cook together for another 5 minutes or so.  Right before I took it off the heat, I stirred in the juice of one lime.  I served it over brown rice with chunks of avocado, a little grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. 

Enjoy!