Sicilian Chicken with a Butter Garlic Pasta

 Since Jake had school today, I made dinner. There wasn't anything good, I didn't have to cook in the house except cup of soup, so I cooked. I used a recipe from a new book, Robin to the Rescue. It was sent to me from a dear friend, LeAnn, for Mother's Day.

 This was pretty easy. It called for 4 skinless boneless chicken breast, but I used chicken thighs, skin on, and bone in, that's what was in the freezer. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then dust it with flour. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large deep skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides until it is golden brown. Then add 1/2 cup white wine, cook for a minute, then add 1 14 oz canned, diced, tomatoes (mine had garlic and rosemary in them, also add 1/2 cup of sliced, pimento, stuffed, green, olives, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp dried oregano, and it called for 1/4 cup golden raisins (I didn't have them, so left them out). Stir well, reduce heat to a simmer, 1/2 cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add chopped fresh basil, and I topped with chopped fresh green onions.

 Meanwhile, boil a pot of water for the pasta (don't forget to salt the water well). When the chicken is almost done, cook your pasta, whatever you have on hand. Then, drain the pasta, add 1/2 stick of butter/margarine, 3 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tsp dried thyme, oregano, and basil.

I placed some pasta on the plate, then the chicken, and some of the pan sauce, and topped it with chopped green onions.

Mahi Mahi with Brown Rice

Tonight was my night, it was between chicken and fish. We have had a lot of chicken lately, so I went with the fish.

Earlier in the day I took the mahi mahi, and marinated it. In a food processor I combined 1 roughly chopped red onion, 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 2 green onions/scallions chopped, 1 tsp all spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbs white pepper, 1/4 tsp, ground nutmeg, 2 tbs, olive oil, and 3 tsp, sea salt. It also called for 1 jalapeno chopped, but I for got it. Pulse until everything is combined, as a paste. Spread over the fish, then refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

For the rice I took 4 small, sweet, mini peppers and chopped them, along with 1 large mushroom, and 2 green onions. I sauteed them in a pot, along with 1 tbs olive oil. Next, I added 1 cup of brown rice, and toasted it. Then, I added 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp Greek seasoning,  a pinch of saffron, and 2 cups of chicken broth. Cook until the liquid is gone and the rice is tender.

The fish only takes a few minutes on each side, so when the rice was almost done, I heated up my cast iron grill pan. I sprayed it with canola oil, the grilled the fish for about 3 minutes on each side. That is it.

I forgot to make veggies tonight, but there were some in the rice so, I figure I am good.

Fried/Baked Chicken with Biscuits, Gravy, and Rainbow Chard

Tonight was Jake's night to cook. I really think he was missing his grandma tonight. He came out of the room and said he was going to try to make grandma's biscuits, and do it the way she did it. My mom never measured anything. He also asked how would grandma cook the chicken if she made biscuits and gravy? I told him, she would have made fried chicken and fried potatoes. He said okay but I think I will bake the chicken, and we are out of potatoes,  we didn't want to go to the store, so  he didn't make them.

For the biscuits, he used about 2 cups of flour, maybe 1/4 cup canola oil, and added lactose free milk until the dough came together. He then turned out on to a floured surface, kneaded it a few times, rolled it out, and cut out rounds with a cup, just like my mom would have done. Then he placed them on a greased cookie sheet, and baked them for 18 minutes, in a 350 degree oven. He was disappointed when they came out of the oven, because they didn't look like grandma's, but I told him that they were fine.

For the chicken, he took 4 chicken thighs (bone in skin on), dipped them in a mixture of 1 egg and a little bit of milk, then into a mixture of flour, bread crumbs, and Greek seasonings. He placed them on a cooling rack that was in a deep cookie sheet, put them in the oven for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Last was the gravy, he took about 2 tbs of butter, melted it in a deep skillet, added about 2 heaping tbs. flour, salt, and pepper, he let that cook for a bout a minute, just to cook the flour, lastly add about 2 cups of lactose free milk, and cook until thick. Salt and pepper to taste, we tend to add a lot of pepper.

The greens were in a microwave bag, so I followed the directions.

 I do believe my mom would be so very proud of how Jake cooked this dinner. He said he was going to keep trying the biscuits until he perfected them. I am sure he will. The funny thing is, he does a better job than I do at this.

Shepherd's Pie Knife and Fork Burger

Tonight was my night, but I was actually thinking of this burger when I went to sleep last night. So, I had to make it tonight for dinner. This is a Rachael Ray recipe.

Start out by chopping your veggies 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 4 baby bell mushrooms, 1/2 of a small onion, 3 cloves of garlic, and 6 large potatoes cubed.

Heat a skillet with 2 tbls olive oil, then cook all veggies, except the potatoes, until they are tender. Set them aside to cool.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes.

Combine, 1 1/2 ponds hamburger with the cooled veggies, 3 tbls worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Then, heat a grill pan (I placed them in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes), cook the burger patties for 10 minutes, turning them once, for medium.

Drain the potatoes, mash them with 2 tbls. butter, 1/4 cup milk (we used lactose free), 2 tbls sour cream, salt, pepper, 2 tbls. horseradish, 1 egg yolk(I didn't add this, this time), and chives (I forgot them at the store and didn't want to go back.

Next, melt 2 tbls. butter in a deep skillet, add 2 tbls flour, cook for a minute, next whisk in one can of beef stock, 1 tbls. dijon mustard, 1 tbls. worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

Lastly, toast some type of bread, I did hamburger buns, because they were on sale for 58 cents, then place a burger patty on top, then, place a mound of mashed potatoes on top of the patty, then place it under the broiler until the potatoes brown (I didn't do this tonight), then top with the mustard sauce.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Tonight was my night to cook dinner, and I took a lazy way out. I reinvented last night's dinner.

I took the left over pork roast, chopped it into small pieces, then put it in a mixture of bbq sauce (1 bottle of your favorite), 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 chopped onion, 2 minced garlic gloves, 1 tbs sriracha garlic sauce, and 2 tbs honey. I let it simmer for 20 minutes, just to get the flavors to develop.

 I toasted the bread (I found some dairy and soy free rolls at Grocery Outlet), placed sliced pickles on the bottom, thinly sliced red onions, then a heap of the pork, then added some lactose free Monterey Jack Cheese, and finally spinach. Fast and easy, Thanks to Jake for making the roast last night.

Pasta and Pork

Tonight was Jake's night to cook. He decided to cook a small pork roast and pasta, because we found some diced prosciutto at Grocery Outlet for 2 for a dollar.

For the pork, he put on a rub of salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary. He then seared it in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then he placed it in the slower cooker, covered it with red wine and chicken stock, then let it cook for 4 hours.

For the pasta, he started a large pot of water boiling (don't forget to salt the pasta water), he dropped the pasta when he started the sauce. . He then took a deep skillet, placed 2 tbs olive oil, 1 small red onion chopped, 3 cloves chopped garlic, a few chopped mini carrots, 1/2 of a green bell pepper chopped, and 1/2 a yellow bell pepper chopped. He cooked those until the onion was transparent. He then deglazed the pan with 1/2 cup white wine, and 1 cup chicken stock. He brought it a boil, added thyme, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. He let it simmer until the pasta was done. He then drained the pasta and placed it in the sauce and tossed.

Baked Chicken Tenders, Smashed Potatoes/Cauliflower, and Salad

I usually do not cook on Tuesdays or Thursdays, due to Jake being at school, and me home alone, but Henry was here, so I had to cook.

These are 2 more recipes in my new cookbook.

For the chicken, first, heat the oven at 450 degrees, next take a deep cookie sheet, line it with foil, then place a wire rack in the pan. Next,I took 6 chicken tenders, salted and peppered them, then set aside. Then, I placed flour in one deep dish, then, 3 egg whites in the next one making sure to beat them until they are very fluffy, but not stiff peaks, and lastly, in the 3rd dish I put a combo of Panko bread crumbs, and Mediterranean seasoning, mixed until well combine. Take the chicken dust it with the flour, shaking off the excess flour, next dip it in the egg whites, then into the bread crumbs. Spray the the wire rack with canola oil, place the chicken on top of the wire rack, before placing them in the oven, spray the chicken with the spray oil. Cook until the chicken is brown and crispy. 2 tenders equal 198 calories, I only ate 1.

Next for the potatoes and cauliflower, I cubed 4 potatoes, then placed  them in a deep pot, with 3 cups of cauliflower, and 3 whole cloves of garlic. I boiled them until the potatoes were soft. Drain them, add 2 tbls. spoon margarine/butter, 1/2 cup of Greek plain yogurt, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, smashed the potatoes, and mix all ingredients well. You can't tell there is cauliflower in them at all. It's a good way to sneak a veg in your dinner. Henry didn't notice, lets see if Jake notices when he gets home from school. That will be the real test. Only 101 calories per cup.

For the salad, I took a bag of dark greens, carrots, sweet peppers, pea pods, celery, radishes, and cucumbers and tossed. I served it with Italian dressing on the side. I was the only one who ate it.

Fettuccine Alfredo Shrimp and Veggies

Tonight was my turn for dinner. I tried another recipe from the "Now Eat This" book. Of course I changed up a few things. It calls for peas, but I don't like peas, so I added 1/2 onion diced, 1 small orange bell pepper diced, 1/2 a bunch of asparagus cut into small pieces, and 2 mushrooms diced. It also called for whole wheat fettuccine, but our 2 stores didn't have any, so I used whole wheat spaghetti.

First, get a large pot of water boiling. Then start your whole wheat pasta. Don't forget to salt your pasta water.

 Next in a large deep skillet, add 2 tsp butter, and 1 tbls olive oil, cook your shrimp, just until pink. Remove shrimp from pan, and cover. Next, add 2 more tsp. butter, then add the onion, pepper, and asparagus then add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add  3 cloves minced garlic, and mushrooms, then cook another 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl add 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg, and 1 cup of chicken stock, mix until it's smooth. Then add, it to the veggies, cook on high until it thickens. Next add about 1 cup of parmigiano- reggiano cheese, stir until melted, then turn off heat add in 1 cup plain greek yogurt, mix until well blended. Add the shrimp back in. Place the pasta in a large bowl, pour sauce on top and toss. Serve with extra cheese.

All veggies were bought at the 99 cent store, so none of them cost more then a buck. Pasta was $1.28, shrimp was bought at Grocery Outlet for $4.99, cheese was also bought at Grocery Outlet for $1.49. The yogurt was sale at Safeway for $3.50, for a large container. A Good dinner at a good buy.

Quiche

Tonight was Jake's night to cook. He decided to use some of the many eggs we have in the fridge. He wanted to make a quiche, one of the only ways I can get him to eat eggs.

He started by making a pie crust from scratch, I am unsure of what recipe he used, because I was at work. I am sure a store bought one would work just as well.

 He cut up, green onions, red and yellow sweet mini peppers, grated 2 cloves of garlic, sliced about 2 cups of baby spinach, and shredded 2 cups of swiss cheese. He also cooked 6 slices of bacon.

First, heat oven to 375 degrees. He mixed 6 large eggs, with 1 1/2 cups of milk (it called for heavy cream, but he used 2% lactose free milk), then added thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika. Whisk until well blended.

Next, spray the bottom of pan with a spray canola oil, then roll out your dough, place it in a quiche pan, or improvise like Jake did. He used a round cake pan. Then layer all your veggies and bacon into the pan. Lastly pour the egg mixture over the veggies/bacon. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the eggs are cooked. Our eggs were still runny, so he put it back in for a little longer. Lactose free milk tends to make baked foods runnier.

Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Torta

 I got this recipe out of Rocco Dispirito's Now Eat This! Diet book. I thought I would be the only one home tonight, but Henry showed up. I was planning on making this for myself, because I knew Jake had school and wouldn't eat it. It's not actually very hard to make and very healthy.

First heat your oven to 425 degrees, place a grill pan in the oven to heat it. Next place foil on a deep cookie sheet, then spray with canola oil, lay 4 low carb tortillas on it. Slice your eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds, season with salt and pepper. When the grill pan is hot, take it out of the oven, and place on the stove top, over medium high heat. Spray with a non stick spray.  Place the eggplant on the grill pan, grill about 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until it's tender, you may need to do it in batches, then lay on a plate. Next place spray the top of the tortillas with the canola oil spray, then place in the oven until they are brown, and crunch.

Meanwhile I took 1 large red bell pepper, placed on the gas burner, and charred it until it had black blisters on all sides, then set it in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Let it sit for a while, then take a paper towel and wipe all the skin off the pepper, lastly slice it into slices.

After the tortillas and eggplant is done, layer each tortilla, with shredded mozzarella, some tomatillo salsa, one of the eggplant rounds, some of the red peppers, sliced fresh mint, some of the juice from a lemon, then finally more cheese. Place in the oven until the cheese is melted. When you take them out of the oven place 1 on the tortillas on a plate, then top with another one.

                                            Henry said they were okay, and I really liked them.

Baked Salmon, Brown Rice, and Veggies

Tonight was Jake's turn to cook, I cooked last night, but didn't post. I got the grill going. I made steak, potatoes with onions, zucchini, and compound butter.

 For the salmon, he used, thyme, oregano, basil, and Mediterranean seasoning, along with lemon slices. He also poured white wine, and chicken broth over it. He then added a bag of fresh cut broccoli, carrots, and onions, along with mini sweet peppers. He covered it with foil, placed it in a 425 degree oven, and cooked for 20 minutes.

For the brown rice, he placed the rice, chicken broth, onion, sweet peppers, and garlic in a pot, brought it to a boil. He then covered it and let it simmer until the liquid was gone.

 As you can see. he doesn't always cook everything very good. I asked if he could cook some of my asparagus, he forgot about it, and it burnt.

FYI: I bought all the veggies at the 99 cent store in Chico. They have produce for a buck, great deal!