Apr 22 2013

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wraps

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This is yet another quick and easy dinner. It was on the table about ten minutes after I walked in the door, which is about all I can handle after a day of work, errands and the gym.

I’m on a spicy kick so I added a little more buffalo sauce to these. You can definitely use more or less depending on your preference. We paired these with chips and carrot sticks.

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wraps
(from Lisa’s Dinner Time Dash)
Serves 4

1/3 c. ranch dressing
2 T. buffalo sauce
2 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Pepper, to taste
Fresh baby spinach
4 large tortillas

Preheat a grill pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing and buffalo sauce. Stir in shredded chicken, chopped celery and shredded cheddar until well combined. Season with pepper to taste.

Divide chicken mixture between tortillas and top with spinach. Wrap tightly and grill until crispy. Serve hot.

Apr 19 2013

Mason Jar Salads

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Lunch has been a bit of a problem for me lately. Work’s been busy and by the time I get around to lunch break, I just want to grab something – which has been a lot of fast food or something from the cafeteria at work. Occasionally, I can get myself to pick up something healthy (aka, salad bar), but all of it’s been a little rough on the wallet.

I decided I was going to kick the habit this week and get lunch under control.

The idea of jarred salads have been all over Pinterest – and they seemed a really good option. Prep them at the beginning of the week -dressing goes on the bottom, lettuce on top – and you have fresh, prepared salad all week. I made a Greek-inspired version for lunches this week.

There’s not really a recipe here, just a layering method. You start out with your dressing at the bottom (I used a Greek vinaigrette with feta) followed by your proteins (red beans and grilled chicken, for me). After that comes the “sturdy” vegetables (cucumber and red onion), then the more “delicate” toppings (tomatoes, olives and feta). The rest of the jar is filled up with lettuce.

It cost me just about $15 to get everything to make five days worth of lunch (not including the jars – I already had those). At $3/day, this is much less than I would spend buying lunch. It’s also a pretty balanced, healthy lunch – better than I would pick during a normal lunch rush.

Just dump the contents of the jar into a bowl and you’re good to go.

I was really impressed by how well the salads held up packaged like this. Today’s lettuce is still crisp and nothing is soggy. I wish I had tried this sooner – it’s just what I needed for lunch.

Apr 17 2013

Mini Chocolate Thin Mint Cookie Pies

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It’s Girl Scout Cookie season. They’ve had booths set up at the grocery stores and the mall and I seem to buy a box every time I walk by. You have to stock up while you have the chance!

I made these for a causal dinner party because they seemed so seasonally appropriate. They’re super quick and easy to put together and are a great combination of chocolate and mint. If you like Thin Mints, you’ll love these.

Don’t have a box of Thin Mints handy? You can search for a Girl Scout Cookie sale in your area here.

Mini Chocolate Thin Mint Cookie Pies
(adapted from foodie crush)
Makes 12 mini pies

2 packages mini graham cracker pie crusts
1 (3.4 oz.) package chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
2 c. frozen whipped topping
18-20 Thin Mint cookies, about 1 1/2 sleeves or 1 1/4 cup, crumbled, plus more for topping

Prepare pudding according to package directions and set in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set up.

Mix the prepared pudding and 1 1/2 cups whipped topping together. Fold in the crumbled cookies. Divide pudding mix between pie shells. Top with remaining whipped topping and addtional cookies.

Refrigerate for at least a half hour before serving.

Apr 15 2013

BBQ Chicken in Mini Cornbread Cups

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This month’s What’s Baking? theme is Mini/Bite Sized Treats hosted by Amanda at Our Italian Kitchen. I thought about making something sweet – because that’s what I think of first when I think “treats” – but since we were wrapped up with March Madness and a game snack seemed more appropriate.

These snacks are a bite-sized version of some of my favorite foods: bbq chicken, cornbread and pickles. They would be great as a party appetizer or a game-day munchie.

BBQ Chicken in Mini Cornbread Cups
(adapted from Paula Dean)
Makes 24

2 (7 oz.) packages sweet yellow cornbread mix
1 c. whole milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken
1/3 c. barbeque sauce
Chopped sweet pickles, for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cornbread mix, milk and eggs until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken and barbecue sauce. Spoon the mixture evenly into the center of the cornbread. Push the chicken down so it’s even with the top of the cornbread.

Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Garnish with chopped sweet pickles, if desired.

Apr 12 2013

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

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After a few days of almost summer-like weather, we’re back to soup weather. It’s in the 50s and raining. I miss the warm weather already! Although, this soup is helping make the day a little brighter and warmer.

I tried out this recipe as part of the latest recipe swap – the theme was chicken. Chicken pot pie is such a comfort-food staple and this soup really captures the flavors of it.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
(from Dough See Dough)
Serves 4

For the crust:
2 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. shortening
1 t. salt
1/3 c. milk

For the soup:
2 t. olive oil, divided
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 c. all purpose flour
5 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Salt and pepper, to taste

To make the crust: In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until well blended and mixture is crumbly. Gently stir in the milk with a fork and mix until just combined. Pat dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425F degees. Roll the dough out on a well-floured surface to 1/8″ thick. Cut into 3″ circles with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Lay dough on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12 – 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Set aside.

To make the soup: Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add  the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion to the dutch oven and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.

Stir in the flour to coat vegetables well. Slowly stir in thechicken broth,1 cup at a time. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until soup thickens then add in corn, peas and chicken. Stir and cook until peas are heated through.

Serve soup hot with pie crust.

You can see what the others bloggers made for the swap below. Thanks, Sarah, for hosting!


Apr 10 2013

Horseradish-Crusted Beef

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This was another one of our Sunday dinners. It was also the first time I’ve made a beef roast.

Unless it’s ground beef or in the slow cooker, I don’t cook beef that oven. Usually, the task falls to Mark – and nine times out of ten that means steaks on the grill. I’ve wanted to try a roast but they’re fairly expensive and, honestly, I was afraid of screwing it up.

When they were on sale Easter week, I decided it was time to tackle making one – and to my surprise it was really easy. I’d go as far as to say this recipe is relatively fool-proof. Not to mention, absolutely delicious.

Horseradish-Crusted Beef
(slightly adapted from Women’s Day)
Serves 8

1/4 c. prepared horseradish
1/4 c. whole-grain mustard
1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 (4-lb.) boneless beef rump or rib roast, at room temperature
Kosher salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the horseradish, mustard and parsley.

Place the beef in a large roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Rub with the horseradish mixture.

Roast for 80-90 minutes, or until reaching desired doneness, 130F degrees for medium-rare.

Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 15  minutes before slicing.

Apr 8 2013

Cheddar and Chive Beer Bread

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We had our families over for St. Patrick’s Day a few weeks ago. No, we’re not Irish – we just love a reason to get together.

We made two menus: the traditional corned beef, cabbage and Irish soda bread was one and a big pot of beef and Guinness stew along with this bread for the people who weren’t into the traditional dishes. This bread was a big hit and a great mix of sweet and savory. I’m sure it’ll make repeat appearances in our house whenever I have an extra bottle of Guinness hanging around.

After lunch, we  played a game of luck (Left-Center-Right), complete with lottery scratch-offs for prizes. I think the luckiest part of the day was getting to spend it with people we love.

Cheddar and Chive Beer Bread
(slightly adapted from theKitchn)
Makes 1 loaf

2 3/4 C. sifted all purpose flour
3 T. granulated sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer (I used Guinness)
3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/4 c. chopped chives
1/4 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the beer and stir until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Fold in the cheese and the chives.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan evenly. Pour the melted butter evenly over top of the dough. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Apr 5 2013

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola Bars

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This week has felt kind of crazy.

I’m used to working from home three days a week. This week, I was in the office every day to help with some training. When you add up the one hour commute each way and the lunch hour I usually use to do housework, nine of my usual “doing stuff” hours have been chewed up. That’s like an extra day! Quite obviously, quick and easy has been the go-to for food this week.

I mixed these bars up over the weekend and they’ve been a great go-to for breakfast or a post-gym snack. Loaded with nuts and seeds, they’re quite filling – and since they’re no-bake, they only take about five minutes to prepare.

These can easily be made vegan – just use vegan chocolate chips – and gluten-free - just make sure you’re using gluten-free oats.

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola Bars
(slightly adapted from 86 Lemons)
Makes an 8×8 pan worth

1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. flax seed meal
1/8 c. chia seeds
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/3 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. cashews
1/2 c. almonds
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. agave nectar
3/4 c. natural peanut butter

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flax meal, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds and chocolate chips. Stir agave nectar in until evenly distributed. Stir in peanut butter until well combined throughout.

Press mixture into prepared pan. Freeze for 1 hour, then remove from pan and cut into bars. Store in freezer until ready to eat.

Apr 3 2013

Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

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I love the idea of Sunday dinners. There’s something so comforting in the idea of sitting down as a family to a nice meal at the end of the weekend. A few years ago, I tried to make Sunday dinners a thing for us, but eventually we got busy/lazy and it fell by the wayside. For the last month, though, Sunday dinners have made a reappearance and I’m totally loving it.

I made this pork dish for one of our recent Sunday dinners. This is fancy enough for a special dinner, but it’s simple enough to easily tackle on a weeknight. It was so, so delicious. Mark and I couldn’t get enough – we kept slicing ourselves “just one more piece”. I’m sure this will be a repeat when the garden starts overflowing with spinach.

Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
(from Skinnytaste)
Serves 4

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. olive oil
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin
2 oz. thin sliced prosciutto
2 oz. reduced fat mozzarella cheese
2 c. fresh baby spinach
Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil and black pepper.

Butterfly the pork tenderloin and pound thin. Spread half of the mustard mixture over the pork Layer the prosciutto, mozzarella and spinach on top of the pork and roll it jelly roll style. Tie up the pork with cooking twine to keep it rolled.

Rub remaining mustard mixture over the pork. Place on a rack in a baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160F degrees. Broil for 5 mins and then transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Apr 1 2013

Ham and Cheese Sliders

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We always end up with leftover ham after Easter. I think it’s mostly because my Mom, my Grandma and I always end up qualifying for the free holiday ham at the grocery store – and then make it a challenge to see who can get the biggest one for free. Of course, the hams are always bigger than we need – and we’ll only make one of the three for Easter.

So, there will be a lot of ham in this family in the next few weeks. This is a great way to use some of it up.

These are generally through of as more of an appetizer or party food, but paired with a salad they’re a quick, easy dinner.

Ham and Cheese Sliders
(from Annie’s Eats)
Makes 24

24 slider rolls
24 slices deli ham or leftover ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
Mayonnaise
1 1/2 T. yellow mustard
1 stick of butter, melted
2 t. dried minced onion
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Split slider rolls and spread them with mayonnaise. Top with ham and cheese and cover. Place them on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, melted butter, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Pour sauce evenly over the tops of the sliders. Sprinkle sliders with poppy seeds.

Cover the sandwiches with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.