Chicken and Spinach Quiche

"Last week I made this Spinach and Chicken Quiche. I was a little nervous how it was going to turn out as I had never made a quiche with chicken in it before and usually the recipe calls for more than just two eggs.  It actually tasted really good and heated up fine as a leftover the next day for lunch. I made the crust from scratch, but you could use a frozen crust if you are short on time. In addition, I did use a reduced fat olive oil mayo even though the recipes suggest to use regular mayo.  It didn't make a difference to me and I was willing to save the extra calories." The link for the recipe is below.

 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-spinach-quiche/detail.aspx


 

Pita Pizza

"Hungry? Need a snack, lunch or dinner? Here is a quick, yummy and healthy alternative to greasy pizza. Pita Pizzas! The crust is thin and crispy and you can add whatever toppings you like. My husband loves these!!!! See the recipe below, make them and you are sure to fall in love."

Ingredients
1. Whole Wheat Pita - One per person
2. Choice of Tomato Sauce
3. Toppings of Choice - I used spinach and black olives on one and turkey pepperoni on the other - Both Topped with a little Parmesan cheese  and low fat mozzarella cheese

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spread Pita with Sauce
3. Put Favorite Toppings on top of Sauce
4. Top with Mozzarella Cheese
5. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes - Enjoy!

Tandoori Chicken with Naan and a Fresh Salad

"Minus the salad our dinner last night had the flavors of India. We enjoyed a fresh salad, Tandoori Chicken, and Naan (Indian Flat Bread) that was lightly brushed with honey butter. Delish!  I know a lot of people are scared to try Indian cuisine because they don't like curry or too much spice.  The great thing about this chicken was the spice was enough but not too strong. The naan bread was a nice accompaniment because it is tasty and you can dip the naan in the sauce.  If you've never tried naan you should give it a shot." 

Below, is how I made the Tandoori Chicken 

Whisked the Following together and Poured over 3 Chicken Breasts.  Let marinate in the fridge for about 8 hours.

Tandoori Spice Mix
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

Cooking Methods - I baked the chicken at 425 for about 25 minutes however next time I think I am going to cut the chicken in smaller pieces and cook with the sauce on the stove. The sauce seemed to separate in the oven and I think cooking it on the stove may prevent this from happening.  The sauce was still tasty and full of flavor, but the texture was a little off.  Also, I think you could grill this chicken and it would taste really good too. If you don't want to have Naan you could serve this chicken over rice or egg noodles. 

Applegate Organic Chicken Patty Sandwich with Some Sides

"This dinner was quick, easy and very enjoyable.  It was an Applegate organic breaded chicken patty on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, olive oil mayo and a slice of cheddar.  The loaded red skinned potato salad and tomato pasta salad went nicely with the sandwich.  Normally, I do not like frozen chicken patties but these were quite good and I would have them again."


"Below is the link to the company website. You can read about their company promises.  No mystery meat, not even in the hot dogs. Which I have tried the hot dogs, bacon and deli ham and they are all good products.  Locate the store nearest you to find Applegate Products."


http://www.applegatefarms.com/our_promise.aspx

Wholegrain Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower and Ham

" Hey folks, sorry it's been so long since I've made a post. I can't promise I will make one everyday, but I do want to get back in the habit of sharing with you the yummy dinner's I've had.  My hope is that you too will expand your dinner horizon's and try some new things in 2012.  I don't know about you, but sometimes I get tired of eating the same old things and I want to stretch myself to find the recipes that are creative, fun to make, delicious and are the healthier side."

"Below, is a recipe that I found at FitPregnancy.com. I'm not currently pregnant, however I have tried several recipes from this site and have found them to be all of the things that I have described above. (creative, fun to make, delicious and healthier) They are great for anyone no matter what stage you are in life."
"Last night, my husband and I ate the Wholegrain Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower and Ham.  It tasted great and incorporated grains, dairy, meat, and vegetables all in one. The link for this recipe is below.  The only recommendation that I would make is to maybe add a little hot sauce or chili powder to the recipe to just give it a little extra punch. My husband and I really like flavors that are little on the bolder side. So, I dipped mine in a little ketchup and he sprinkled his with a little hot sauce just to give it a little extra something.   I did not have shallots, so I just used a little onion instead.  The shallots may have also given the recipe a little extra flavor too. For those of you out there that are sticking to a Gluten Free Diet, I feel this recipe would work nicely with Gluten Free Whole Wheat Macaroni noodles as well."



Recipe Link : http://www.fitpregnancy.com/recipe-finder/mom-appetit-recipe/wholegrain-macaroni-and-cheese-cauliflower-and-ham

BBQ Chicken, Stuffing and Mixed Vegetable's

"Once again, I got out of cooking dinner, but had no problem eating.  The organic chicken breast was so tender, juicy and full of flavor.  In my opinion, it doesn't even compare to commercial chicken.  If you haven't tried it before I recommend giving it a try.  To cut back on costs, buy a whole chicken and break it down yourself!"

Turkey Meatloaf, Pierogi's and Broccoli

"I did not make the dinner last night, but I had no problem eating it.  We had organic turkey meat loaf, pierogi's and broccoli.  The meatloaf was moist and juicy and full of a sweetened ketchup flavor.  The pierogi's were crisp on the outside but soft on the inside.  The broccoli had it's own natural flavor with a little bit of salt and pepper added." Good job to the cook!

Chicken Quesadilla

"Chicken Quesadilla's are so yummy and easy to make. See below for the recipe and you too can enjoy."

Chicken Quesadilla Method

1. Heat Frying Pan on Medium High Heat

2. Coat Pan with Olive Oil

3. Place Whole Wheat Tortilla in pan

4. Place Previously Cooked Organic Chicken Meat on Tortilla and Top with Cheddar Cheese

5. When Tortilla begins to brown fold over and cook a little further

6. Cut in half, Serve and Enjoy with Salsa or Guacamole

Taco Salad

" I took two baked taco shells and crunched them up on to my plate.  On top of the taco shells was grass fed beef that had been mixed with Frontera's taco sauce. It was the one that had a cumin flavor to it.  The flavor was wonderful! It made me wanting more!!!  Lastly, I put chopped lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese on the top.  Wow, this was one of the best Mexican dinners that I've had in awhile and it was made at home!"

Roast Natural Pork Loin, Red Roasted Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas

"Last nights dinner was a little impromptu, but ended up working out nicely.  I went to the grocery store to find some sort of all  natural meat for dinner and I found a small pork loin.  You will see the recipe below, it was very tender and was enhanced by a nice apple sauce.  The first side was red roasted potatoes which were full of flavor and spice and then we had some cooked sugar snap peas with just a little kosher salt, they were crisp and had their own naturally sweet taste."

Roasted Pork Loin with an Apple Cider Sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

2. Mix 1 1/2 cups of Apple Cider, 1/2 tsp of each Salt and Pepper, 1/2 tspThyme, 1/2 tsp Rosemary and 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

3. Coat whole pork loin in apple cider mixture

4. Place pork loin in shallow baking dish, cover with previously cooked apple pieces and pour more of remaining apple cider mixture over top

5. Cover with foil to seal in all the flavor

6. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes depending on the size of the pork loin. DO NOT OVER COOK OR MEAT WILL BE TOUGH NOT TENDER!



Turkey Burgers on the Grill and Olive Oil and Garlic French Fries

"Turkey Burgers on the grill, Tasty! I added a slice of provolone, a tomato, a slice of lettuce, a little olive oil mayo and some ketchup, all in between a thin whole wheat bun. As a side we had Alexis's olive oil and garlic french fries. You just can't go too wrong with a burger and fries."

P.S - Who says you can grill in the fall? Heck, stay posted, maybe I will even grill in the winter. LOL!

Tuna Noodle Casserole with a Few Changes

" Monday night I made my normal Tuna Noodle Casserole, but I did make a few changes.  First, instead of using egg noodles I used  organic torchiette noodles.  They were thicker and added a more hearty texture.  Also, I used organic cream of mushroom soup which was thinner, but had more pieces of mushrooms in it.  Because it wasn't as thick I only had to really add a 1/4 cup of milk. Lastly, instead of potato chips I used crumbled  Ritz whole wheat crackers as the topping.  It wasn't as crunchy as the chips, but was healthier and did add flavor." 

" Below is the recipe for those of you who have not seen my previous posts on Tuna Noodle Casserole."

Tuna Noodle Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Cook half a bag of pasta noodles according to the package directions

3. In a bowl stir the following together:

1 Can of Organic Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cans of Tuna

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup of cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp of salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano

1 tsp of hot sauce if you like a little extra kick

4. Mix the Cooked Noodles together with the ingredients above

5. Spray a 2 quart baking dish and put noodle/tuna mixture in dish

6. Crumble Ritz Crackers or Plain Potato Chips enough to cover the top

7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes

Did you know that 1903 was the first time Tuna Fish was canned?

BLT Night (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato

"Yesterday, we had BLT's! YUM! I love BLT's, but the bacon has to be crispy (not soggy) and the tomatoes and lettuce have to be fresh (not rotting)."
"It was all put together on  two slices of toasted fresh organic honey wheat bread with  olive oil mayo. I also added a slice of organic white cheddar cheese for a little extra POP!" 

http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/food/largest_BLT_Sandwich_Iron_Barley_set_world_record_112435.html

Check it out! The world's Largest BLT wass 224 ft and 3 inches long!

Spaghetti and Grass Fed Meatballs - Rice Cooker Style

"I wanted to try one of the recipes in my new rice cooker book, so I tried Spaghetti and Meatballs.  It was so quick and easy and the clean up was very limited as  I did not have to use any pots. The recipe is below! Have I mentioned that I really like my new rice cooker? The greatest thing about it is it's not just for rice, it's for soooo MUCH MORE!"

Spaghetti and Meat Balls in Rice Cooker

Add the ingredients below to the rice cooker, put the lid on and turn on - Cook for about 20 - 35 minutes.

1 lb of Cooked Meatballs

1tsp Garlic

1tsp Italian Seasoning

1 Large Jar of Tomato Sauce

3/4 of a Box of Spaghetti or Linguine

3 1/2 Cups of Water

Clam Chowder and a Soft Pretzel

"Yes, homemade clam chowder is wonderful, especially in a bread bowl at Fishermen's Wharf in San Francisco, but sometimes you just don't have the time. This is canned clam chowder, but it was still very enjoyable and comforted my desire to have a bowl of creamy soup.  Along with the soup I had a baked soft pretzel which was great because I could dip it in the soup instead of using crackers."

"If you had to pick, what would be your favorite kind of canned soup?"

Got to Use the New Rice Cooker and Chicken Fajitas

"Last night we had chicken fajitas with red and yellow peppers and onions mixed with Frontera Fajita Sauce topped with a Greek yogurt fajita sauce all inside  a whole wheat tortilla. I've posted this recipe in the past so what I would really like to highlight is the Spicy Lime White Rice that I got to make in my new rice cooker.  Boy was it good! I love my rice cooker! If you don't have one it is definitely worth the investment.  I put the dry rice in the cooker with butter, s &p, lime juice and hot sauce. Next I added chicken broth, put the lid on and hit start. 15 - 20 minutes later the rice was done. It was creamy and fluffy and had just the right amount of spice and acidity.  It just seemed to get so much better in the cooker versus on the stove top.  The cooker came with a recipe book, I am looking forward to trying out some of the recipes.  It also came with a vegetable steamer so I can cook my fresh vegetables or even fish at the same time as the rice.  Stay tuned because you will be seeing more posts as I go on more adventures with my rice cooker!"

Interesting Facts about Rice

http://www.rice-trade.com/interesting-facts-about-rice.html



Salmon Ricotta Stuffed Shell Noodle Surprise

"I wanted to have salmon for dinner, but I also had to use up the leftover ricotta cheese, large shell noodles and celery in the fridge. I pondered what in the world I could make with such random ingredients.  I decided to take the ricotta cheese, cooked salmon and celery and make a filling for the shell noodles.  The only problem was I did not think I would have enough shell noodles compared to the amount of filling.  I boiled off some gluten free macaroni noodles as a back up to mix in with any extra filling.  See below to see how I created the final product."

Salmon Ricotta Stuffed Shell Noodle Surprise Method

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

2.Mix 1 1/2 cups of Ricotta Cheese with the following:

Chopped Celery from one large piece, s & p, dried parsley, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese and 2 filet's worth of cooked salmon

2. Stuff Cooked Shells with Filling  - I took the extra filling and mixed it in with the cooked macaroni noodles, but you could also just use more large shell noodles

3. Place Stuffed Shells in a 9x13 pan.  If you have macaroni noodles they can be spread over top of the shells

4. Pour 3/4 cup of milk over the stuffed/filled noodles and sprinkle 1/2 to 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese over the noodles.

5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes and Serve

"The end result was quite yummy.  The only thing I would change next time is to have more shells for the filling or more filling for the amount of macaroni. The shells tasted great, but the macaroni was a little bland."

Chili and Saltines

"For those of you who have read my blog in the past, you know that I've had good days with Chili and I've had  really bad days with Chili.  Yesterday was a really good day! The Chili had just the right amount of spice and it was hearty and thick versus soupy and too runny.  This will be a redo recipe next time I'm in the mood for chili." 

Chili Method

1. Heat oil in a frying pan and add chopped onions and ground turkey meat

2. Brown Ground Turkey and Onions will be tender
3. Dissolve 1 packet of Simply Organic Chili Mix with 1/4 cup of water
4. Add Dissolved Chili Mix, 1 can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes and 1 can of chili beans to the turkey/onion mixture
5. Add Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder and Garlic Powder to Season
6. Let Chili Bubble on the Stove for about 5 minutes so it's nice and thick

Interesting Fact: During the filming of the movie "Cleopactra" in Rome Italy, Elizabeth Taylor had Chasen Restaurant in Hollywood, CA ship her 10 quarts of chili.  It cost her about $200.00. 

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Brown Rice

"We had  fresh spinach in the fridge that was soon to expire so it needed to be a part of our dinnertime. I decided to make a spinach four cheese filling for the chicken breasts that was also in the fridge.  I had never made this filling before so I was excited to see how it would taste.  It was wonderful! The chicken was juicy and tender and the spinach/cheese filling had great flavor.  You will see the recipe below.  If you are a chicken, spinach, all around cheese type of person then this one is for you! Aside the chicken we  had brown rice that was seasoned with butter, s&p and hot sauce. Monday night dinner = success!!"

Stuffed Chicken Breast Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Heat Saute Pan on the stove and add oil to coat

3. Add Spinach, (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 small chopped onion, 1 tsp of garlic, s &p to the pan and cook till tender

4. Stir into the spinach mixture the following: 1 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/4 feta cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

5. Pound each chicken breast till flat

6. Fill each chicken breast with about a 1/4 cup of filling (maybe more maybe less depending on the size of the chicken breast - Roll Chicken with the filling in the center, use toothpicks to hold together

7. Place all filled chicken breasts in a pan - coat with any extra filling

8. Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes until chicken juices run clear

Did you know that Spinach has a rich source of iron? Eat the green stuff it's good for you!

Tuna Melt with Sweet Potato Puffs

"Last night I enjoyed a tuna melt with cheddar cheese and a tomato on a whole wheat roll.  Instead of using regular mayonnaise I used olive oil mayonnaise which is not as high in fat.  As a side I had sweet potato puffs.  These little guys are a sweet potato version of a tator tot. They product made by a company called Alexia.  Alexia makes all natural types of french fry, sweet potato fry and onion ring products"