Chicken Guacamole Wraps

As summertime approaches, I'm always excited for lighter, fresher meals. After a winter like we had, it feels good to break away from soups, casseroles and those comfort foods that taste so good when you're cold and it's snowy outside and move to salads, wraps and grilled meals. I made this the other night and it was so good. My kids are guacamole lovers and they gobbled these up. You can add all sorts of veggies to these - whatever you like. Tomatoes, sliced red onion, lettuce, cucumbers, extra slices of avocado. A nice light side would be pasta salad, fruit salad, maybe even some homemade sweet potato chips!

Chicken Guacamole Wraps

3-4 Chicken breasts
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
2-3 Avocados
Lime
Cilantro, Chopped (about a TBSP)
1 clove Garlic, minced
Romaine lettuce
Spinach Wraps (I found these near the deli section next to the other sandwich wraps)

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken on cookie sheet and drizzle both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for around 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then shred meat.

Prepare guacamole by scooping avocado out of the skin and removing the pit. Place into a bowl with cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and the juice (and zest if desired) from 1 lime. Use a fork to mash until smooth and ingredients are combined.

Take spinach wrap and spread guacamole on one side, add some shredded chicken, lettuce and other veggies, roll up and serve.

Chicken and Vegetable Risotto

I got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs and have made this several times. I have always wanted to make risotto, but it has seemed like a difficult thing to get right and very time consuming, so I've just stayed away from those recipes. Until I found Emily's chicken and veggie risotto recipe over at One Lovely Life blog. It is so simple to make and is done in about 30-40 minutes. And it's a one pot wonder - your meat, rice and veggies are all in one spot, so you can add a salad, some fruit or crusty bread and you have a filling meal and not a whole lot of work. Check out her blog for more amazing recipes!

Chicken and Vegetable Risotto (One Lovely Life blog)

1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, diced (I use red or orange)
3-4 TBSP Olive Oil (plus drizzle for chicken breasts)
2 Cups Arborio Rice
8 Cups Chicken or Beef Broth
1-2 Cups Diced or Shredded Chicken
1/2 Cup Frozen Peas
2-3 Green Onions, sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pat 3-4 chicken breasts dry and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides. Place on cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside while you start on the risotto.

In a large dutch oven, add olive oil, onion and bell pepper. Cook on medium heat until just translucent. Add rice to pot and coat in oil (adding a little more if needed). Pour in all 8 cups of broth and stir well over medium heat. The first 15 minutes, you can just stir occasionally, but the last 15 minutes of cook time, you will want to stir the pot often and keep the rice moving. During the first 15 minutes of cook time, chop chicken and add to pot. Once broth is absorbed and risotto is creamy, add in the frozen peas and green onions. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Lasagna Soup

My friend Holly sent me a picture of this soup last night and I couldn't stop thinking about how good it looked. Then it snowed 10" and really, all that sounded remotely good was a nice warm bowl of soup. So, out Mike and I went in his 4WD and headed to the store to grab up my ingredients. Y'all. It was SO good. Not near as heavy feeling as real lasagna with all it's cheesy layers, but still all the great flavors that I love from the real deal. Even Macie (who claims she doesn't really like lasagna but just eats it because I make her) thought this was so yummy. And yes, if I make it, my kids eat it. I'm not much on whipping up 2 meals around here.

Lasagna Soup

1 lb. Ground Beef
1/2 Onion, diced
2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 Cups Beef Broth
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (28 oz.)
1 Can Tomato Paste (6 oz.)
1 Cup V8 or Vegetable Juice Drink
1 TBSP Dried Parsley
1 TBSP Dried Basil
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
2 Cups Uncooked Shell Pasta
1 Cup Water

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, V8, parsley, basil and S&P to stockpot. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water and uncooked pasta to pot, stir well, cover and simmer another 30 minutes or until noodles are cooked to your preference. Serve topped with shredded mozzarella cheese or grated parmesan.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I've been making this bread for years now and it turns out perfect every time. If you have bananas sitting on your counter that are about to make their way to the trash can - STOP! Grab these other ingredients (that you will likely have on hand) and make this. Then eat it for breakfast, a snack, slice it and take it to your small group on Sunday morning or keep a loaf for yourself and give the other to a neighbor. But whatever you do, don't throw away those bananas! :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

3 1/2 Cups Flour
3 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 Cups Mashed Ripe Bananas (around 4 bananas)
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup Oil
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk
6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I use mini chips)

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

With mixer, blend bananas and lemon juice until pureed. Then mix in the sugar, oil, eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add milk until just mixed in. Add dry ingredients in a few batches, blending well each time before adding more. Stir in chocolate chips.

Grease 2 loaf pans and bake at 350 for 50 min-1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. If not eating these immediately, cool completely before storing. I usually wrap well in plastic wrap and then cover in foil.

Copycat Chipotle Grill Burrito Bowls

Since moving to Indiana, I've discovered a yummy spot to eat called Chipotle Grill. If you've never been to one, think Tex-mex version of Subway. Just with MUCH fresher and better ingredients. So, their burrito bowls are just amazing. They are a bowl full of burrito ingredients like cilantro lime rice, black beans, seasoned chicken (or steak), cheese, lettuce, guacamole, etc. - just without the tortilla shell. And let me just say - the cilantro lime rice is divine. Totally makes the dish. I just love them and I told Mike that I was pretty sure that I could recreate that same meal at home. And tonight, I did just that. I wish I had a picture to share with you - but we all ate it so fast, that I didn't think about a picture until I was cleaning up the kitchen. Oh well - you'll get the idea. It's a bowl full of the following things - and before you dismiss the recipe because it seems like a lot of different steps, just trust me, they are all easy to do and it comes together quickly!

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 Cup Basmati Rice
2 Cups Water
1 tsp. Salt
1 Lime, zest included
3 tsp. Vegetable Oil, divided
3 TBSP Fresh, Chopped Cilantro

Add rice, water, salt and 1 tsp. oil to pan. Bring to boil, stir and then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once liquid is absorbed, fluff rice with a fork, add remaining 2 tsp. oil, lime juice and zest and cilantro and stir well.


Seasoned Black Beans

1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
Dash Cayenne Pepper
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lime

In a pan, add oil, onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion has become translucent. Add water, black beans and seasonings to pan, bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is almost gone. Stir in lime juice.


For my chicken, I took 3 chicken breasts and put them on a cookie sheet. Pour a small amount of olive oil on both sides of each breast (enough to lightly coat) and sprinkle with the following spice mix: 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. chili powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bake breasts at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Shred meat and set aside to assemble burrito bowls.

To assemble bowls, add rice to bottom. Next add seasoned black beans, chicken and then top with any (or all) of the following items:

Guacamole
Cheese
Sour Cream
Pico
Shredded Lettuce
Salsa

ENJOY!!!!

Baked Green Beans

Somehow I just noticed that my recipe blog hasn't been updated for 8 months. I rock.

My mom made these green beans while we were on vacation and I may never make green beans another way ever again. These things are awesome - a must try!

Baked Green Beans

Fresh Green Beans - washed and ends trimmed (I'm not sure how many I used - probably 2 large handfuls)
1 envelope Dry Ranch Dressing
Olive Oil to coat

Preheat oven to 350.

Put beans in bowl and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle ranch dressing packet in bowl and toss to coat evenly. Spread on cookie sheet and bake 20-30 minutes.

Apple and Rosemary Pork Roulade

Don't let the word 'roulade' scare you off of this recipe. Basically, that's a fancy way to say "a bunch of stuff rolled up in a big hunk of pork". But, roulade sounds so much nicer, right?

I found this recipe in a magazine and went to the store that day to buy the things I needed to make it. Gotta say, it ranked right up there as one of the best dinners I've made in a long time. All of us inhaled it. And inhaled it so quickly that I didn't even think to snap a picture of it until it was completely gone. Sorry, next time I'll be more proactive.

This dish screams fall to me. Pork, Apples, onion, garlic and served along side a big scoop of stuffing - oh man, I want to make it again tonight.

Here's what you do. (Note the things that I did differently in parenthesis out to the side of the recipe).

Apple and Rosemary Pork Roulade

1 tsp. Olive Oil (I used probably 1/2 TBSP)
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Fuji Apple, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 TBSP Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Fresh chopped rosemary (I used dry and probably used 1/2 tsp)
1 (1-1.5 lb.) pork tenderloin, trimmed
Salt and pepper
Cooking Spray

For Sauce:
1/3 Cup chicken broth
3 TBSP Apple Cider (not vinegar)
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

Preheat oven to 425

Slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through the other side. Open and lay flat and then place on saran wrap and pound out until it is all the same thickness. Salt and pepper meat and set aside.

Heat large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Add onion, apple and garlic to pan and saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar and rosemary; cook 1 minute.

Spread apple mixture evenly over meat and roll up from the long end. Securing with twine or toothpicks. Wipe pan clean and spray with cooking spray, heat back to medium high heat and brown meat well on all sides for about 4-5 minutes total. Place pan in oven and cook 15 minutes or until no longer pink (15 min was perfect for mine). Remove from pan, place on plate or cutting board and cover with foil. Let stand while making sauce.

Return pan to med-high heat and add, apple cider, chicken stock and mustard and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil and whisk pan drippings with sauce for 2 minutes. Serve over pork.

Photo Found Here


**I served it with chicken flavored Stove Top Stuffing and cooked green beans and sliced potatoes together as our veggie. Also, I made the sauce, but the pork was SO tender and flavorful that you could totally skip that step. If you love a light sauce, by all means, make it, but if you would prefer to not mess with it, you won't be missing much.

My Mexican Concoction

A couple nights ago I was talking to Mike and the girls about a dish at a local Mexican restaurant that seems to be a fan favorite. If I remember right it's called the Steven Special. It's rice, chicken and cheese sauce. Mike said he gets this same thing at another spot and it's called the Emily Special. I told him that I was sure I could make my own version and tonight I was on a mission to make the Chrissy Special.

I'm not a huge fan of the Spanish Rice that you make out of the box, but I thought it needed to be a little more seasoned than just regular old white or brown rice. So I whipped up my own rice, bought a rotisserie chicken and made some queso and I gotta say, the whole family loved it. Here's what I did:

For the rice:

2 Cups Brown (or white) Instant Rice - cooked according to box
Then stir in the following:

Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1-2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Garlic Powder

I then took the skin off a rotisserie chicken and used the white meat, chopped/shredded it up and placed it on top of the rice bowls.

For the queso, I bought the new White Velveeta cheese and used 16 oz. and 1 can of Rotel, heated them through and topped the rice bowls with a couple spoonfuls of the cheese sauce.

My husband heated up some soft taco shells and filled them with the mixture, I ate mine just as a rice bowl and had chips and queso on the side and my girls used tortilla chips to scoop up their mixture. All great options and I think this will be something we put in a regular rotation! So good and much healthier than what you get at the restaurants!

Summer Spinach Salad

If you are like me, salads and summertime just go together. They are light, cool and refreshing on those hot nights that you just don't feel like turning on the oven. This recipe is from a sweet lady that I workout with - she brought it to a potluck and it was a huge hit. It would be great alone for a simple lunch or dinner or as a side with a big meal.

Summer Spinach Salad

1 bag or tub of fresh baby spinach
Fresh Mushrooms, chopped (how ever much you prefer)
6 slices of bacon, crumbled (I used the fully cooked kind that you just have to heat through for a minute or two in the microwave)
Red Onion, finely diced

Dressing:

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Dry Mustard
Dash pepper

Mix dressing, shake well and chill for several hours. When ready to serve, combine salad ingredients, pour dressing over and toss well.

Baked Crab Rangoon

Is anyone out there still even following my blog?! :) I am back from a 2 month blogging drought - well, mainly I've just been too busy to try new recipes the past couple of months. I've been making a lot of meals that are either quick and easy or meals that I have made so many times that I don't have to even think about it while I'm cooking. But, this week, I finally feel like life has slowed down enough to search out and try some new recipes and I made these baked crab rangoon tonight with my Sweet and Sour Chicken and boy, were they GOOD!!! You are saving calories by not deep frying these yummy little appetizers and could even save more by using light cream cheese. But, what person in their right mind would want to do that?!

These would be great as a side with homemade Chinese or even as an appetizer for a party or get-together with friends. We dipped ours in the extra sweet and sour sauce from the main course. Absolutely delish.

Baked Crab Rangoon

2 tablespoons sour cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup crab meat, drained
wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, scallion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sugar together until well combined. Fold in the crab meat.

Lay a wonton wrapper on your work surface. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling mixture in the center of the wrapper, then brush sides with an egg wash (egg beaten with a small amount of water) and fold over on the diagonal. Press around the filling to remove air pockets, then press the sides to seal the wrapper tightly. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Spray the tops of the wonton wrappers lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and crisp.

Makes 20-24

Cake Mix Apple Cobbler

I shared this recipe with a friend of mine today and thought it would be a great one to add to my blog. If you love cobbler, or apple crisp-type desserts, this one is a must try! It's so simple and uses very few ingredients. I threw it together on Sunday morning, baked it while we were getting ready for church and took it to Sunday School fresh out of the oven. If apple isn't your thing, switch it up and use peach or cherry pie filling. That's what makes this so great - the recipe is the same and all you do to mix it up is buy a different pie filling! Serve with vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat! Enjoy!!

Cake Mix Apple Cobbler

1 Yellow Cake Mix
2 Cans Apple Pie Filling
4-6 Tbsp. Butter, Melted
2 Tbsp. Sugar plus 1 tsp. Cinnamon, Combined

Preheat oven to 375

In a 9x13 pan, pour pie filling all over bottom. Sprinkle cake mix on top of pie filling. Drizzle melted butter over cake mix and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over that. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Cheeseburger Soup

I was chatting on the phone with my mom today debating on what I was going to make for dinner tonight and she told me about this soup. She said that she and several of her friends have made it recently and that they all really enjoyed it. I jotted down the few things I needed and ran to the store. It was kind of rainy and a little cool here today, so this sounded great. Now, a couple things:
1. Not sure why it's called cheeseburger soup. Besides the fact that it has cheese and hamburger in it. But it also has potatoes, carrots, green chilies and bell peppers, which are not ingredients I think of when I think "cheeseburger". Regardless, it was awesome, so maybe I need to rethink my cheeseburger toppings.

2. I am trying to cook things that are healthy and usually milk based soups aren't high on any health food lists. But, I cut corners where I could and I think that overall, this probably wasn't too high in fat. I used 1% milk instead of whole milk so that cuts a ton of fat and calories right there and it was still nice and rich tasting.

I served it with Jiffy Corn Bread muffins and all 3 of my girls scarfed it right up. This will stay on my menu rotation for sure. Thanks, mom!

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups diced potatoes (I used canned potatoes)
1 cup diced carrots (I used sliced canned carrots)
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced green peppers
4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 beef bouillion cubes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cubed american cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted this)

In a large saucepan, combine browned hamburger, water, potatoes, carrots, onion, pepper, chilies, garlic powder, and bouillion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Stir in 2 cups milk. Mix 1/2 cup milk and flour; gradually stir into
soup. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat, stir
in cheese and cayenne. Let simmer until ready to serve. Yield 6-8 servings

Baked Tilapia

Let me start by saying that I am NOT a fish person. Basically the only seafood/fish I really eat is shrimp. But, in an effort to start eating healthier and get in shape, and because eating chicken day in and day out is getting old, I decided to try out this fish recipe that my sister sent me a long time ago. She promised that tilapia was a very mild, flaky fish and that this was really good. I thought I'd just get over it and give the recipe a try. Much to my surprise, I really, really liked it! It didn't taste too "fishy" and served over Rice-a-Roni Chicken Flavored rice was just a great combination. All of us enjoyed this meal (Macie and Maddie ate it, it wasn't their favorite, but they didn't complain). I'm looking forward to cooking with tilapia again. I know it's so good for us and it's a nice change from chicken all the time. Plus, it cooks SO fast! Like in 10 minutes fast. That I can handle!

Baked Tilapia

3/4 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
4 Tilapia Filets (thawed or fresh - about 4 oz. each)

Preheat oven to 425.
On a plate, blend first 4 ingredients. Dredge tilapia filets in mixture and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until fish flakes apart easily with a fork.

Chicken Taco Soup

It's the perfect time of year for a bowl of soup and this one is great because it's made with chicken, so it's healthier than the recipes made with beef, but it's still very hearty and filling. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe - she made a huge pot of it for us over Thanksgiving weekend and we all thought it was great! You add egg noodles to it as well, which makes it a little different than the other taco soups that you might normally have. You could throw everything together and put it in your crock pot, too, if you have a busy day planned and need dinner ready when you walk in the door. Or, cook it for a couple hours on your stove top - either way would work just fine.

Chicken Taco Soup

5-6 cans chicken broth (14 oz. size)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
5-6 Cups cooked chicken (you can cook your own chicken or use the packaged pre-cooked kind, or even get a rotisserie chicken and shred up the meat)
2 cans chili beans
1-2 packages taco seasoning (depending on taste)
1 can green chillies
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 package egg noodles

Add all ingredients to pot (or crock pot) except noodles. Heat through and then turn to low. Add noodles to pot and cook on low 30 minutes before serving or until done. (If you are doing this in a crock pot, add noodles the last hour of cooking time.)

Serve with Fritos and top with cheese and sour cream.

Here's the kind of chili beans you need (flavored - mild or hot, depending on how spicy you want this)

City Chicken

The name of this one can fool you - it's called City Chicken, but it's not chicken at all. This recipe is made with a pork tenderloin and it's really good. My mom gave me this recipe a while back and I made it last night and knew I needed to post it after my whole family ate every last bite! It's very easy to put together and is perfect served over mashed potatoes. Since Mike and I are trying to eat healthier than our norm, I served the girls mashed potatoes and served ours over brown rice. Great both ways - so whichever you like better is just fine. Enjoy!

City Chicken

2 lbs. boneless pork loin, cut into cubes
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Pkg. Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Can (14 oz.) Chicken Broth (I used low sodium/fat free)
1 Cup Water

Combine flour, garlic salt and pepper on a plate and roll pork loin cubes in mixture until coated. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Brown pork, turning frequently. Drain off excess oil/juices. Sprinkle with soup mix and add broth and water. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. If desired, thicken pan juices with corn starch. Serve over hot mashed potatoes or rice. 4 Servings.

Browning away in the skillet

Simmering in sauce

The girls plate - with yummy mashed potatoes and green beans

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

I found this recipe the other day on a blog that I like to read and she claimed it was a must try, so I took her advice and tried it. She was right - if you like things that are that perfect sweet/salty combo, then this is the perfect thing. It's simple to make and oh so good. Perfect for those last minute Christmas/New Year's parties you are going to and need to take a little treat with you!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

1 Cup Butter (2 Sticks)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
Mini Pretzel Twists (about 1/2 bag)
12 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread pretzels in an even layer all over baking sheet. In a sauce pan, melt butter. Once melted, stir in brown sugar until combined. Cook on low for 3 minutes and then pour evenly over pretzels. Bake for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread chocolate chips evenly over pretzels and allow it to melt for 1 minute. Take a spatula and spread chocolate chips out and then sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate for an hour or so and then break bark into chunks and serve.

Caramel mixture poured over pretzels - ready for the oven

Chocolate chips are on - it's looking good!

Here's the Sea Salt that I used - this adds a great flavor!!

Ready to go - so yummy!!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

I bet you can't guess where I found this recipe! :)

Made these for dinner tonight and my family thought I was absolutely amazing. I mean, I pretty much am, but chicken wrapped in bacon just pushed me right over the edge. HA! (Just in case you are reading this and don't actually know me - I'm TOTALLY Kidding!)

I didn't even get to snap a picture of the finished product, because they were gone so fast. These would be good as a meal (I served them with baked potatoes and corn), or as a Holiday appetizer or Superbowl App! They are a little sweet and a little spicy and so good. Plus, just 4 ingredients and you're done. EASY!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 lb. Bacon
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 TBSP. Chili Powder

Preheat oven to 350.
Slice chicken into 1" bite size pieces and set aside. Take strips of bacon and cut into thirds, wrap a piece of the bacon around each piece of chicken and secure with a toothpick. Mix the brown sugar and chili powder together in a shallow dish and dredge bacon wrapped chicken in that mixture. Set on a broiler pan with a rack that has been greased well with cooking spray - (this allows the bacon fat/chicken drippings to drip down into the pan below). Bake 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. May need a few minutes under the broiler at the end of baking time to crisp it well! Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Here are 3 words that if they are used to describe any recipe, I'm pretty much willing to eat it: 1. Creamy 2. Pasta 3. Chicken

All three of those words describe this recipe that I made tonight and it was AWESOME! (Imagine me singing the word "awesome" in a semi-opera style voice cause that's what was going on in my head as I typed it.) :)

Here's the recipe and just a bit of info: It calls for grilling the chicken and since I didn't have the time (nor the desire) to grill outside, I used my Foreman Grill and it worked great.

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Chicken Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon (3Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta and Sauce
1 lb. box Penne Pasta (I used about 3/4ths of the box)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup half and half
1-2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers (optional-I left these out)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chicken. Marinate at least 2 hours minimum and up to 24 hours max in the refrigerator. When ready, grill until done. Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes and then slice into strips to serve over pasta.

While chicken is grilling, cook pasta according to directions (10-12 minutes). Reserve 1/2-1 cup of pasta water and drain. In skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Whisk in garlic and lemon juice. Pour in half and half and whisk until hot. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add the parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted. Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Toss in pasta. (Add more pasta water if noodles soak up too much of the sauce.)

Slice chicken and stir into sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan if desired.

Mongolian Beef & Garlic Noodles

I made this last week and I told Mike that I'm basically ready to go be a chef at P.F. Chang's right now. Ok, fine, maybe not, but this recipe was so easy and SO good, that I was pretty impressed with myself. I served it with garlic noodles and the whole thing together was AWESOME! Save the money and make Chinese food at home - you'll be surprised at how simple it is and how much better it tastes!

Mongolian Beef (this makes 2 large portions, or 3-4 small portions)

1 lb of thin cut round steak or flank steak (cut into thin strips, against the grain)
1/4 cup of cornstarch
3 teaspoons of canola oil
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic (about 2 -3 large cloves)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
3 large green onions, sliced

Prepare the meat:

First, make sure the steak slices are dry (pat them dry) and mix them with the corn starch. Using your hands or a spoon, move them around to make sure all pieces are coated. Place beef slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch.

Make the sauce:

Heat half of the oil in a large wok at medium-high and add the garlic and ginger. Immediately add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Don't worry if the sauce doesn't look thick enough at this point. The corn starch in the beef will thicken it up later.

Cook the meat and assemble dish:

Turn the heat up and add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned (this is a quick thing). Pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat. Now you can choose to cook it down and reduce the sauce or leave it thinner. Add the green onions on the last minute so the green parts will stay green and the white parts crunchy.

Serve it hot with rice.

Garlic Scallion Noodles

8 oz (half a box) of angel hair or spaghettini noodles
4 tablespoons butter (half a stick)
5 cloves of garlic, minced or pushed through a garlic press
2 green onions (scallions) finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (based on your own personal preference of sweetness)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

In a heavy skillet over medium heat. Melt butter. Add green onions and garlic. Stir and cook, without browning the garlic. Cook until the garlic smell is fragrant and filling the room, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and soy sauce, and cook for another minute. Increase the heat a bit and throw in the noodles. Quickly saute the noodles until they are all coated with the garlicky butter mixture.

Serve immediately. Garnish with additional green onions if desired.

Triple Chocolate Cake

This cake is as easy as it gets and is SO good! You need three things: A cake mix, box of instant pudding and chocolate chips. And then you need a fork. And maybe some vanilla ice cream. And possibly a treadmill. Cause you will eat more than 1 piece, I promise you that. :)

Triple Chocolate Cake

1 box Chocolate Cake Mix (I used Dark Chocolate)
1 small box Instant Chocolate Pudding
1/2 bag Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix pudding with 1 1/2 Cups milk and whisk until it starts to set. About 2-3 minutes. Stir in cake mix. This will be very thick. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and spread cake/pudding mixture into pan. Spread chocolate chips all over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until cake starts to pull away from the sides of pan.