Greek Marinated Chicken

I found a fabulous chicken recipe this past weekend and I just have to share it! This one is a Greek Marinated Chicken made with chicken thighs and legs. This one comes from "Budget Bytes". Their website is: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/06/greek-marinated-chicken/ and I can appreciate the information they place on the site. They give a lot of information about balancing your budget and still having the ability to eat well. That's right up my alley! Check out their site for some great budget information with your grocery list!

This Greek Marinated Chicken recipe grabbed my attention because they posted a picture with the chicken marinating in a white creamy sauce. When I looked at the ingredients, I saw it was made from plain Greek yogurt! YEAH for a healthy marinade high in protein!

This one is really easy to make. You do need to let your chicken marinate for 30 minutes, but this one is gluten free and can be baked in the oven or grilled. Step by step instructions are listed below. This one has a wonderful garlic and lemon taste and was a huge hit tonight in my house! This will easily become one of your family's favorites!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 medium lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 4lbs chicken pieces (I chose thighs and legs)

Directions:

• To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl.

• Use a cheese grater or zester to scrape a thin later of lemon zest from the lemon skin into the bowl.
• Add the the juice from half the lemon. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
• Clean and then chop about 1/4 cup of fresh parsley and add to the bowl and mix well with the marinade.

• Grab a gallon sized zip top bag and add the chicken pieces and marinade to the bag. Move the chicken around to ensure each piece is well coated.

• Refrigerate the bag for about 30 minutes.
• After marinating, you can choose to grill the chicken or bake in the oven. If you bake in the oven, preheat oven to 375 and bake for about 40 to 60 minutes to ensure done.
• I chose to grill the chicken and grilled for a total of 35 minutes.

Ensure your chicken is cooked fully through and it is then ready to serve.

                                  

French Toast

This recipe is one of my husband's favorites. He only gets it 2 times a year...Father's Day and his birthday! So he got it today as it is Father's Day! Let's be honest though...it's not good for you but it tastes absolutely amazing! I am a health freak who constantly eats well, but you have to enjoy life's simple pleasures every once in awhile :) I am a believer in a cheat meal!!

I'm claiming this recipe as my own, only because I have altered it so much. It originally came from Better Homes and Garden...but my version is better (sorry, Better Homes).

This is not gluten free; however, I have made this with gluten free bread and it tastes pretty good...so feel free to sub out your bread if you are gluten free.

Ingredients:

• 4 beaten eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• Maple Syrup
• 8 slices Texas Toast

Directions:

• Pre-heat over to 350.
• In a small and shallow bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg.
• Cut your slices of Texas Toast so you have 3 columns.

• Dip bread slices quickly on both sides. You want to ensure both sides are covered, but not soaked.

• In a skillet, melt your 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
• Add half the bread slices and cook until the first side is lightly browned.
• Turn over and cook until the other side is browned.
• Repeat with remaining bread slices.

• Once all the bread slices are browned, place them on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes. The goal is to get these slightly crispy. This is what makes this recipe so good!

• Remove and add butter and syrup.

Homemade Guacamole

I have been told that I make AMAZING guacamole. I typically just throw my ingredients in without measuring, but I have had so many requests to post this recipe that I actually sat down and wrote out the ingredients and measurements. I don't like overly creamy guacamole...I like some small avocado chunks in my version, so just FYI.

This recipe is super easy and fast to make. I think people should really strive to make their own fresh guacamole instead of buying store bought. I try my hardest to use the freshest of ingredients. There is just no comparison in taste. This recipe is Gluten free and goes great with veggies if you are trying to stay away from chips. But I eat it with chips and veggies :)

Just a note when picking out your avocados, make sure that when you gently press them they are soft. You do not want firm avocados when making guacamole.

With summer now in full swing, this recipe is a HUGE winner in my house and in our neighborhood for all my friends! I make at least 3 batches for our summer parties!

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh avocados
• 4 limes
• 5 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion - optional (white or red is fine. Using a red onion will give it more of an onion taste)
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons shredded cheese (I use a Monterey and Mild Cheddar mix)
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

• Cut your avocados horizontally. Remove the seed, spoon out the avocado and put into a mixing bowl.

                            

•  Squeeze as much of the juice out of your 4 limes as you can into the mixing bowl. I use a citrus press and it works wonders!

                            

• Wash and then chop your fresh cilantro and place into the mixing bowl. Do the same with your onion and garlic clove.

                            

• Sprinkle your cheese in the mixing bowl.
• Add 1 teaspoon of garlic salt.
• I take a potato smasher and smash all my ingredients together in the mixing bowl. I then stir until it's very well blended. Feel free to add a bit more garlic salt for taste if you feel it needs more.
• Serve with your favorite chips, veggies or with any Mexican dish.

                             

 

   

 

 



 

Summer Salmon and Strawberry Salad with White Wine Dressing

This beautiful salad is all mine :) I created this one some time ago and it's one of my favorites. This one is perfect to eat as a lunch dish and is low in carbs and high in protein. This one is perfect for summer and since it's warming up, I decided to make this one today and have it for lunch. It's gluten free and fills you up to where you feel satisfied, but not overly full. The salad dressing is homemade, as well. NOTE: This dressing is best if made before hand and chilled before serving.

If you love to try different salads, you should try this one. This one will easily become one of your favorites! And it's really easy to make. The recipe below is for 1 serving.

Ingredients for Salad:

• 2 Cups Spring Salad Mix
• 4 Strawberries quartered
• 3 Tablespoons Chopped Walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Cranberries
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Celery
• 4 oz Fresh Salmon
• 1 Lemon Wedge
• 1/4 tsp Dry Dill
• Salt an Pepper for taste

Ingredients for Dressing:

• 1-1/2 c. canola oil
• 1 c. wine vinegar
• 10 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed

Directions:

• Take the strawberries, salad mix, walnuts, cranberries, and celery and place in a salad bowl.
• Heat over to 350. Take your salmon and season it with dill, salt and pepper and lemon juice.
• Bake for 30 minutes until done.
• Once the salmon is done, place on top of the salad.
• You are now ready to add the dressing. Take all ingredients listed for the dressing and shake vigorously until well combined. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the dressing to the salmon salad.

NOTE: The dressing should be chilled before serving on top of the salad. It tastes better if it is chilled.

Steak with Creamy Balsalmic Mushroom Sauce

I love it when I find an excellent recipe! I did a lot of research and looking around this weekend for some good recipes and tried some out this weekend. I found this particular recipe on "A Sweet Pea Chef" website (http://www.asweetpeachef.com/). I've tried some of her stuff before and she does a really nice job on her recipes, so I'm sharing this one with you!

This one was surprisingly easy to make. It sounds a little "fancy" but it took 30 min total to make. What makes this dish so fantastic is the mushroom sauce. And let me stress to you that a good quality balsamic vinegar is essential for this recipe. One of my favorite places to get good quality oils and vinegars is a store called "Oil and Vinegar" (http://oilandvinegarusa.com/). They have a lot of different flavored oils, as well as vinegars. I used a Hibiscus Vinegar for this recipe and it was absolutely fabulous!

This dish is gluten free and my recommendation is to use either Ribeye steak or New York Strip. I paired this dish with homemade mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli and carrots. This one is definitely a keeper in our house and if you love steak, you'll want to make sure you try this one.

Ingredients:

• 4 New York Strip or boneless ribeye steaks
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 20 baby bella mushrooms quartered
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus some for seasoning your steaks
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, plus some for seasoning your steaks
• 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar (I used a hibiscus balsamic vinegar)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

• Heat an outdoor grill over medium heat. Coat each steak evenly with salt and pepper for flavor.
• Place steak on grill and cook for 5 minutes. Then, flip and cook an additional 5 minutes. Cook steak to your desired temperature. While steak is cooking on the grill, start the sauce.
• In a medium saucepan, heat your olive oil over medium-heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 8-10 minutes, until most of the juices have released and the mushrooms start to brown.

                                                          

• Add the garlic and cook and additional minute, allowing the garlic to become fragrant. Add the salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar and cook 8-10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
• Add the cream, and stir well. Cook until heated through and then remove from heat. 

                                     

• Add the butter and stir to combine until melted.
• Serve hot over the steaks.

                                     

Southern Style Pot Roast

This has to be my all time favorite recipe for pot roast. I have 2 pot roast recipes that I switch out on a regular basis. This one is savory and full of flavor and I thank Mrs. Paula Deen for this recipe! I found this one back in 2008, tried it out and fell in love. My kids love this one and it's a BIG winner in our house. This one CAN be gluten free if you use gluten free cream of mushroom soup and gluten free beef bouillon granules. It is so important to read those labels! Some cream of mushroom soups are gluten free and some aren't. Same thing with bouillon cubes/granules. I use Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce and it is gluten free.

This meal is perfect for a Sunday dinner. Easter is this Sunday and this would be a fabulous recipe to make to accompany your traditional side dishes of mashed potatoes, green beans and corn! Enjoy this one because it's absolutely fabulous :)

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-4 pound) boneless chuck roast
• 1 tsp House Seasoning (ingredients below)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (use a gluten free version if you are gluten free!)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules (use a gluten free version if you are gluten free!)
• 3/4 cup water

Ingredients for House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients and store in an air tight container for up to 6 months

Directions for Roast:

• Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
• Once you mix your house seasoning together, rub about 1 tablespoon of the seasoning on the front and back of the roast.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides.  

                             

• Place the meat in a roaster pan or a 13x9 casserole dish.
• Add the onions and garlic to your skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb the leftover roast juices.

                             

• Now place the onions and garlic in the roaster pan with the meat and bay leaves.

                                            

• Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. 
• Pour over the roast. Add water.

                             

• Cover pan with foil and bake 3 to 3.5 hours or until tender.Once done, tear apart and you are ready to serve!

                             

Cook's Note - If the gravy is not thick enough, remove the meat from the pan and pour the gravy into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring constantly. Then, pour back on your pot roast.

Marinated Flank Steak

Oh my goodness this is a fabulous marinade recipe for flank steak. I'm a huge fan of flank steak, but this marinade is over the top in flavor! It's so super easy to make this. Last night, I got home from the gym at 10:00pm, whipped up this marinade in 10 minutes and let it marinate in the fridge on my flank steak for 16 hours. I got home from work today, popped it on the grill and it was ready in 15 minutes. So easy and if you are a "plan ahead" kind of person, you'll appreciate this recipe.

This is gluten free BUT make sure you read the label of your soy sauce. Some brands of soy sauce have gluten and some don't...so read those labels! Check your Dijon mustard label too.

Enjoy - this one is amazing and I have no idea where it came from. I've had this recipe stuck away in an old folder  since 2006 so I'm claiming it as mine :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, mined (use fresh)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and the ground blank pepper. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the steak, turning the meat to coat it thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

• Preheat your grill for medium-high heat.
• Place the grill on the steak. Grill meat for 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Bread Sticks

My little girl has started showing sensitivity to wheat, so we are eliminating wheat from her diet to see if her tummy gets better. So far, we are on week 1 of no wheat and she hasn't complained of her tummy hurting once! Which is good, but she loves bread. I mean LOVES it! Especially dinner rolls and bread sticks. I ran across this recipe about a year ago and never made it, but decided to based on our new situation and she really liked these bread sticks! My husband LOVED these. So I'm sharing :) I have no idea where this recipe came from and I tweaked it a bit anyway so I'm claiming it as my own!

These tasty little bread sticks are gluten free because the "flour" is nothing but steamed and finely chopped cauliflower! So healthy! We paired them with a side of marinara sauce and they are fantastic! If you love a garlic taste, you'll like these a lot!  Feel free to double this recipe for more bread sticks. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked, finely chopped cauliflower
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• olive oil

Ingredients for Topping:

• 2 cloves of garlic (add more if you LOVE garlic...I used 5 cloves)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Chop the cauliflower florets into chunks and steam them in a steamer or on the stove until slightly soft (about 15 min). Place in a chopper and chop finely. 

NOTE: One large head of cauliflower should produce approximately 3 cups of riced (finely grained) cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately , or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Prepare a baking stone or baking sheet by spreading a small amount of olive oil on it. Make sure it is a small amount, because if you use too much, it will drip into your oven and cause a lot of smoke.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg, Parmesan and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt. Stir until well combined.

Now you are ready to transfer the contents to the baking stone or sheet. Use your hands and pat out into a large rectangle. It is important to make sure your dough is not too thick. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes (you want the top to brown). Once it is done, pull it out of the oven and put the garlic and cheese toppings on.

Place back in the oven at 450 degrees until the cheese is melted. Let the bread cool for about 15 minutes, slice and serve! This pairs nicely with marinara sauce!

Chicken with Scallion-Lime Sauce and Sweet Carrot Rice

I'm a Rachel Ray fan and bought her book, "Express Lane Meals" about 2 years ago. I've tried only 1 of her recipes so far, so I decided it's time to try another! While working with my nephew and putting together his meals, I came across this one and decided to try it. It's kinda "fancy"! Definitely a good dish, but has a really different taste due to the coriander so it is absolutely worth posting. I don't make a lot of dished with coriander, but this one turned out nice. I can see myself making this one for me and my husband on a Saturday night when we want something different and more special.

This one is Gluten Free, and let me just say this. The reason most of my dishes are Gluten free is because I cook with non-processed food 99% of the time. The Chicken Stock I use is Gluten Free. A lot of chicken stock has wheat in it, so please read your labels. Fresh ingredients are so much better in taste and in nutritional value. I highly recommend if you are going to cook, use fresh ingredients.

Ok, so this one has multiple steps so again I took several pictures.  Have fun with this one!

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large carrots, peeled and grated
• Salt and pepper for taste
• 1 1/2 cups white rice (I use Basmati rice)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Zest and juice of 2 limes
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3 bunches of scallions
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

• Heat a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium high heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil, once around the pan.
• Add the grated carrots and a little salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  
• Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil and distribute the carrots.

                                 

• Add 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock.  Bring the stock to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the rice is tender.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  While the pan is heating up, combine 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, the thyme, lime zest, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.

                                

• Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook until done all the way through.

                                

• Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. 
• Return the skillet to the heat; add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and coriander.

                                

• Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.  Add the lime juice and the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the parsley and butter, stirring and shaking the pan until the butter is completely melted.
• To serve, slice the chicken on a slight angle.  Divide the rice among 4 serving plates and top each pile of rice with slices of chicken breast.
• Pour some scallion-lime sauce over each chicken breasts.

                            

Turkey Parmesan

So, for the past 7 weeks my nephew has hired me to make a weeks worth of meals for him. He's a pro level athlete and it's that time of year where he focuses on lean body mass and really trains hard. Because healthy food choices are important to me and I know a lot about nutrition, he asked me to take on this task. I end up cooking literally all weekend, but it's fun and I get to research and experiment with new recipes.

Because I am such a huge fan of The South Beach Diet recipes, I have been going to those old recipes a lot these last 7 weeks. High protein, lower carbs and good fats are the focus of South Beach.

I had never tried this Turkey Parmesan recipe before today, but I'm glad I did. I love this recipe mainly because instead of using bread crumbs, you use crushed pine nuts. OMG - amazing taste! What a fabulous substitute! This one took me a little bit of time to prep and make, so I took more pictures as I cooked. This one is Gluten free, too!

You can serve this over pasta if you want, but you could just eat this with a side salad.  If you are Gluten free and want this over pasta, use your Gluten free pasta.

Enjoy this one.  The nutritional information is below!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups low-sugar marinara sauce (you can use a jar version or make my Homemade Spaghetti Sauce recipe)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup) NOTE:  I always buy a hard block of Parmesan and grate it myself.
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 pound turkey cutlets, about 1/3 inch thick
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

• Heat oven to broil.
• Bring your marinara sauce to low simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Stir together pine nuts, Parmesan and Italian seasoning in a wide, shallow dish.

Season turkey breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. then dredge both sides in the nut mixture (make sure your pine nuts are chopped at this point), pressing to adhere.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add turkey and cook until the turkey breasts reach 165 degrees. If the nuts brown too quickly, turn down your heat.

• Once the turkey breasts reach 165 degrees, place the turkey breasts in a baking pan, top evenly with mozzarella and broil until the cheese melts, about 30 seconds.
• Spoon 1/2 cup of warm marinara sauce on top of each turkey breast.  
• Serve over a plate of pasta or eat turkey breasts with side salad.

                                 

Nutritional Value:

Per Serving: 380 calories, 21g fat, 4g saturated fat, 39g protein, 10g carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 650mg sodium