Roasted Red Pepper Mozzarella Chicken Roll-Ups

Chicken for dinner? Again? You won’t be getting that response anymore when you serve up these chicken roll-ups. We were tired of the plain, old chicken as well and were looking for a creative, packed full of flavor dinner. How can you go wrong with something stuffed with mozzarella and sweet peppers?

Ingredients

• 8 Chicken Breasts, skinless boneless, pounded thin
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
• 1 Jar Marinated Roasted Red Peppers
• Fresh Basil
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

With a meat tenderizer, or a wine bottle in our case!, pound the chicken until they are about a quarter inch thin. You could also have the butcher pound it for you as well. Once thin, marinate the chicken in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and onion powder. Let the meat marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When the meat is done marinating, lay out each piece and layer the mozzarella cheese and roasted red peppers. Chop up several basil leaves for each chicken and spread across the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Carefully roll up the stuffed chicken and place into a greased glass pyrex pan. Top each chicken with more mozzarella.

Bake the chicken for about 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Serve with pasta!

Oven Roasted Figs with Prosciutto

I’ve been wanting to cook with figs for about 10 months now. But like every fresh food item, there is a season. And how excited was I when I came across fresh figs in the produce section of Publix the other day. With a dinner party on the schedule, I planned to kick off my meal with this simple, but decadent appetizer.

Ingredients

• 12 Fresh Figs
• 12 Prosciutto Slices
• 12 Fresh Basil Leaves
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Optional

• Brie or Goat Cheese
• 24 Crostini

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the stems off of the figs, and slice them in half length wise. With each slice of prosciutto, cut them in half so that you have long strips. Take each strip of prosciutto and wrap it around the figs. Brush the pieces with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the prosciutto starts to get crispy. When slightly cooled, place a fresh basil leaf on top of each fig. Enjoy warm or room temperature.

Another twist on this appetizer is to serve the fig & prosciutto on a crostini with goat cheese or slices of brie cheese. I did not roast the prosciutto on this appetizer, but I did cook the figs and melt the cheese on the crostini. 

Basil Vinaigrette Roasted Artichokes

Barefoot Contessa is one of my favorites, and rarely do I change up any of her recipes.  I had a dinner party and served her Roasted Artichoke Salad, which was delicious. A couple weeks later though, I decided to tweak a couple items in her recipe. While it is still very similar, my repeat guests and I felt this recipe really allowed the flavor of the artichoke to shine through.

Ingredients

• 2 Cans quartered Artichoke Hearts
• 1/3 cup Roasted Red Peppers in a jar
• 3 tbls Capers
• 3 tbls Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 package Fresh Basil
• Olive Oil
• 3 tbls Champagne Vinegar
• 2 tbls White Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Videlia Onion
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• Salt & Pepper
• *Food Processor or blender

Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Toss the artichoke hearts in a bowl with a small amount of olive oil, enough to coat, and salt and pepper. Pour the artichokes onto a covered baking pan, making 1 layer, and roast for about 20 minutes. 

While the artichoke are roasting, chop up the red peppers into 1/2 inch length pieces and toss with the capers. 

To make the vinaigrette, place the basil, onions, dijon, lemon juice, garlic cloves, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar and some oil into the food processor. Pulse the ingredients, adding about 1/2 a cup of  olive oil slowly from the opening in the top, until the items are pureed. Make sure the processor is running as you’re slowly pour in the olive oil.

When the artichokes are finished roasting, toss them with the red peppers & capers and the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Ideally, refrigerate for an hour, or up to a day in advance, and serve at room temperature. You can either serve them on their own, as a part of a Mediterranean platter, or they could even be tossed in a pasta salad or on top of grilled chicken.

Red Hot Guacamole

My brother is usually in charge of the guacamole in our household. He loves spice, so it’s no surprise his guac would have a kick. His go-to liquid spice is Choluloa, which adds a really nice contrast to the cool, creaminess of the avocado.

Ingredients

• 2 Ripe Avocados
• 1 Large Plum tomato, chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• Small palm-full Videlia Onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 tspn Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/3 tspn Choluloa Hot Sauce
• 1 Juice of Lime + some zest
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, adjusting the level of kick with the Choluloa. Serve with Stacy’s Pita Chips or tortillas chips… and a cold Corona! It’s that simple!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

A friend had us over for dinner, and made a fabulous eggplant parmesan that was served like a lasagna. This is my attempt at recreating it, but with a healthier twist. While I used jarred spaghetti sauce, you could jazz it up even more with homemade sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 Eggplants
• 4 Large Tomatoes
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Bag Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce (or homemade)
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
• 1 Box No Boil Lasagna Noodles
• Fresh Basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the stem of the eggplant, and cut into ½-inch thick round discs. Generously sprinkle pieces with coarse salt. Place them in a non-reactive colander and let drain for 30 to 60 minutes. Turn onto a thick towel and gently press out excess moisture. Lightly rub the pieces in the towel to rub off the salt and dry them. This process makes the eggplant less bitter.

On two separate plates, mix two eggs with a small amount of water and on the other plate mix the whole wheat bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese.

Dip each eggplant disc into the eggs, covering completely, and then dredge them into the mixture of bread crumbs and cheese. *If you would prefer not breading the eggplant you could simply roast them. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.*

Arrange the eggplant in a single layer. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until they start to brown.

While the eggplant is cooking, slice the tomatoes and chop the basil and garlic.

In an oven-safe casserole dish, pour a small layer of tomato sauce into the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of the no-boil lasagna noodles over the sauce, and then cover the noodles with more tomato sauce. Next, place a layer of the baked eggplant. On top of each eggplant, place a slice of tomato, and a mozzarella ball. Then spread some of the chopped garlic, fresh basil, and shredded parmesan over the entire dish. Pour more sauce into the dish, and top with more noodles. Continue to stack the items until the dish is filled, finishing with the tomatoes and melted mozzarella on top.

Bake the dish for 30 minutes, or until the sides start to bubble. When done cooking, sprinkle with more fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Shrimp & Veggie “Fried” Brown Rice

Next time when you get that craving for Chinese Take-Out, treat yourself to a much healthier version with this Chinese Make-In dish. The “fried” rice is a very adaptable entree as well as you can add any veggies or protein you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Uncooked Brown Rice
• 1 Red Pepper, Chopped
• Bundle of Asparagus, Chopped
• Can of Waterchestnuts
• 3 Scrambled Eggs
• 4 Green Onions, Chopped
• 3 Tbls Sesame Oil
• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• Fresh Ginger, 2 Inches Peeled & Grated
• 12 Large Shrimp, Cooked
• Chinese Crunchies or Toasted Peanuts

If possible, cook the brown rice a day in advance, following the instructions on the box. The rice can be cooked the same day, but it will “fry” better if it’s a day old.

Crack three eggs into a coffee mug, with a small amount of water, and whisk with a fork. Select a large saute pan, turn the heat to medium high, and add the eggs, cooking until scrambled.

Next add olive oil to the pan, followed by the chopped red pepper, asparagus, waterchestnuts and green onions. Allow them to cook over the medium high heat until they start to get tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce and fresh ginger. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove the veggies from the hot pan, setting them aside in a large bowl. Put the pan back on the heat, adding more sesame oil and then the brown rice. Allow the rice to sit on the direct heat without mixing for several minutes at a time so that the rice can crisp up.

Once the rice is slightly crispy, add the veggies back in, as well as the cooked shrimp. Mix all together, adding more sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger to taste.

For serving, top with either Chinese crunchies or toasted peanuts. The nuts can be toasted on a dry saute pan over medium heat.

Ribboned Ginger Cucumbers

The first time I had this salad was at Jay & Kelly’s – they both were addicted to this ginger dressing and Kelly had come up with the idea for this beautiful salad. By shaving the cucumbers into ribbons, it provides a quick, easy elegance to any plate.

For portions, it’s about 1.5 cucumbers per two people.

Ingredients

• 2 Large Cucumber
• 10 small Carrots
• Asian Ginger Dressing

Cut the cucumbers into 6 inch sections. With a carrot peeler, begin peeling down from the top of the cucumber, creating long ribbon shaped pieces. Continue to shave the cucumbers and place into a large mixing bowl. Cut the carrots into small, coin-shape pieces and add to the cucumbers. Pour in the Asian Ginger Dressing, enough to coat each piece of cucumber. Serve cold.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I was raised in a home that always had a balanced dinner plate – protein, vegetable, starch and a salad. So when presented to create a meal with no starch but packed full of healthy, filling ingredients, it becomes a bit more challenging for me. Luckily for this particular dinner, I was provided with the idea of lettuce wraps and handed a package of ground white turkey. With a direction, I went on the mission to figure out how to make lettuce wraps… and how to complete the evening’s menu for a health-conscious man training for a triathlon. After reviewing several recipes, I created the one below for the lettuce wraps, and then paired it with a Ribboned Ginger Cucumber Salad and simple boiled snap peas. Note, like many dishes of this sort, the flavors really deepen the longer it sits, so feel free to make this in advance and reheat!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Ground White Turkey
• Half an Eggplant, chopped small
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped small
• 1 Can Water Chestnuts, chopped small
• Half Red Onion, chopped small
• 4 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 Jalepeno
• Handful Bean Sprouts
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• Fresh Ginger – 2 inch piece peeled & grated  or this
• 1 Tbls Honey
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbls Sesame Oil
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cayenne Pepper
• Five Spice Powder
• Head Lettuce, whole leaves separated 
• 1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 1/4 cup Chinese Crunchies or Peanuts

Prep all of your vegetables by chopping the red onion, eggplant, red pepper, water chestnuts, green onion, and jalepeno (or spicier pepper if you like it hot!). Set the vegetables to the side.

   

In a large skillet, heat up olive oil over medium high heat. Add the small chopped red onions, allowing them to cook for about 5 minutes before adding the chopped red pepper, eggplant, water chestnuts, garlic and jalepeno – remember most of the heat is in the seeds, so adjust accordingly to your taste.

While stirring often, add the sesame oil and around half of the soy sauce. Cook until the vegetables start to get slightly soft, about 10 minutes – you want to keep them semi-crunchy.

In the same skillet, add the ground turkey, breaking it up and mixing it often. You want to ensure the turkey is cooked all the way through – there should be no pink meat when thoroughly cooked.

While the turkey is cooking, add the Five Spice Powder (found in the Asian section of your grocery store), honey, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, remaining soy sauce, half of the hoisin sauce and ginger. You can either use fresh ginger root, or look in your produce section for Gourmet Garden Fresh Ginger. It is finely grated ginger in a tube that lasts up to 3 months. It has the same amazing flavor, without the effort of peeling and grating fresh ginger root.

When the turkey is cooked through, turn the heat down to low. Test the flavor and adjust your spices to your level of spiciness – remember that the flavors will intensify over time. Just before serving, add the green onions (reserving some for topping at the table) and the bean sprouts.

For serving, scoop the turkey into a large lettuce leaf and top with green onions, hoisin sauce, crunchies or peanuts. Wrap it all up and enjoy!

Tomato Feta Farfalle Salad

Summer and pasta salad go hand in hand. This is a simple, make-ahead pasta salad that highlights the delicious summer tomatoes & asparagus, fresh sweet basil and creamy feta cheese. You can make it more of a main entree as well by adding grilled chicken or shrimp.

Ingredients

• Box of Farfalle Pasta
• Package of Sundried Tomatoes
• Container of Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
• Bundle of Asparagus, sliced in 1 inch pieces
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Package of Crumbled Feta Cheese
• Fresh Basil, chopped
• Paul Newman’s Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing
• Garlic Expressions

This pasta salad is best if made a day in advance as the flavors really develop over night.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta to the water and cook according to the time on the box – you will want the pasta to be al dente.

Break the ends off of the asparagus, discarding the bottoms. Cut the asparagus into bite size pieces, around 1 inch long. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for a few minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Watch for the color to change  - when it starts to turn bright green, take off the heat and drain. You just want to cook it slightly, but keeping it crisp. Set to the side.

Chop the sundried tomatoes into bite size pieces, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. In a large mixing bowl, add the tomatoes and asparagus. Sprinkle with a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese.

Next, add the Paul Newman dressing and Garlic Expressions. Add enough to coat the ingredients, but you will need to adjust according to taste and dryness when the pasta is added. Just be sure to add small amounts at a time

- you can always add more, but it’s a bit difficult to remove the dressing!

When the pasta is done cooking, add it to the large mixing bowl and combine with the tomatoes and asparagus. Mix well, adding the dressings to your liking. When the pasta is cool, you can add the chopped basil and feta. The best way to cut the basil is to stack the leaves on top of each other, roll them, and then cut the rolled log with a sharp knife. Mix all the ingredients together, again adding more dressing if needed.

Keep covered in the refrigerator over night, and when you’re getting ready to serve, mix all the ingredients again, making sure to scoop from the bottom. Add more dressing if needed, salt & pepper. Serve cold or room temperature.

The Classic Potato Salad

Fourth of July is a time of family gatherings, fireworks, and delicious BBQ meals. Hot dogs, ribs, baked beans, and of course potato salad. I’m not sure exactly where this recipe started in the family (I should find out, actually!), but it has become a summer staple. This was my first 4th of July away from my family in northern MI, but I was fortunate enough to be included with other families for a fabulous celebration. After a very satisfying BBQ, we gathered by the water, drinks in hand, and watched as the night sky lit up… 

Ingredients

• 6 Idaho Potatoes
• 5 hard boiled eggs (4 chopped, 1 sliced for garnish)
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup Lite Mayo
• 4 tbls Yellow Mustard
• Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing (Paul Newman’s)
• 4 Dill Pickles, chopped
• 1 tbls Frank’s Hot Sauce
• Garlic Powder
• Salt & Pepper
• Paprika

Scrub the skins of the potatoes – do not soak them. Place the cleaned potatoes in a large pot of cold water, bringing it to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat slightly, keeping it at a gentle boil. Cook the potatoes uncovered until tender, about 25 minutes – a knife should be able to slide in and out of the potato easily.  Remove from heat and let cool. When cool enough to handle, peel off skin and chop into bite-size pieces.

In another pot, bring eggs to a boil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take off heat, cover, and let sit in hot water for 20 minutes.

While the potatoes and eggs are cooking, mince the white section of the green onions, and chop the pickles. Chop eggs into small pieces, and slice one egg for garnish.

Place the potatoes, eggs, pickles, and green onions in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, olive oil & vinegar dressing, and hot sauce – you will have to eyeball the amount to your liking. Add garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste. Chill before serving, preferably overnight,and  garnish with paprika.