Bruschetta Chicken

It's a happy day when I eat bruschetta anything. This is so simple yet, so flavorful. Ideal for a busy weeknight meal, or a lazy weekend meal. Place this chicken on pasta, on a sandwich, or eat it as is. 

Bruschetta Chicken

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cut in half

1 cup pesto 

1 cup mozzarella 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large tomato, chopped 

Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

Add salt and peppered chicken to the oil and brown one side and flip.

Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to the top of each half breast them top with chopped tomatoes and cheese. 

Cover the pan and turn the heat to medium low to allow the cheese to melt and the chicken to finish cooking. Check after about 4 minutes. Add a minute or two if it's still a bit raw. 

 

Enjoy

Almond Pesto

I planted two basil plants this year and I'm pretty sure I will require a two plant minimum from now on. Basil is so refreshing, especially in pesto. But pine nuts are like gold so it can be expensive to make - hence the almonds. Roasted almonds are preferred but raw would probably work if you are in a hurry. Even though it only takes like 5 minutes to pan roast them. 

Spread on bread, stir into pasta, dallop on chicken or fish, use as a sauce on pizza, stir in some soup, stir into mayo for an awesome sandwich or panini... Yum

Almond Pesto

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

3 cups packed, fresh basil leaves 

 2/3 cup raw almonds

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1-2 cloves garlic

Juice of half a lemon 

1/2-3/4 cup olive oil 

Salt and pepper

Directions 

In a medium pan over medium high heat, toast the almonds until they turn light brown. Stir occasionally. 

Place basil, almonds, garlic, Parmesan, and lemon juice into food processor or blender and process until it's mixed well, scraping down the sides a few times. 

Slowly add the olive oil until it's a consistency you like. I generally like mine a little looser, but it depends on what I'm using it for. 

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Store in the fridge or freeze. 

Chicken and Vegetables with Maple Rosemary Sauce

Sometimes you just want chicken with some sauce drizzled over it.  And I made enough to feed our family twice haha. I see a leftovers night in the near future for us. :) It's almost like I was hoping for cooler weather with the flavors of rosemary and butternut squash. The squash and Brussel sprouts could easily be replaced with any other vegetables like potatoes, carrots, green beans, zucchini, whatever. It's pretty darn delicious. 

Chicken and Vegetables with Maple Rosemary Sauce

Serves 4-5

3 lg chicken breasts cut into large equal chunks (about 4 each)

3 tablespoons olive oil 

3 cups butternut squash, diced

3 cups Brussel sprouts, halved 

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 can chicken broth

Scant 1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons mustard

Salt and Pepper 

Directions

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

Add salt and peppered chicken, brown both sides and cook through. 

Remove chicken from pan to a large plate.

Add vegetables to the pan and sauté. If there isn't enough oil left over add a little more to the pan. 

When they are about half way done or close to finished mix in 1 tablespoon of the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste

Remove vegetables from pan to platter.

Add butter and flour to the pan and whisk well together. Let it bubble for a 30 seconds or so. 

Whisk in the broth, syrup, mustard, pinch of pepper and remaining rosemary. 

Allow to boil a bit until it is reduced by half, whisking often. 

Remove from heat and pour into a gravy boat or small bowl. Whisk well again if the mustard did not combine well. 

Top the veggies with the chicken and spoon half the sauce over it leaving the remaining half to place at the table. 

Pasta Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I needed something new and cold for dinner tonight. We are sweating our way through the middle of our first St. George summer. Every time I put my kids in the car I feel like they may suffer from heatstroke just from the time it takes me to strap them in then walk around the car to get in and start the AC. The sweet, sweet AC. 

I saw vegetables in my fridge and contemplated what I could make with them without having to use any heat. I guess I used a little flame to boil my water and cook pasta but I still count this as a win because my 3 year old had seconds and my husband had thirds. This pasta would be good as a side dish or a main entree with a baguette on the side. While eating it I imagined it would be great to take to a barbecue and have it along side a nice juicy steak. Mmmm

Pasta Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette 

Serves 4-5 as a main dish, or plenty to go around as a side. 

Ingredients

1 lb cooked and drained pasta (shells, penne, spirals)

7 oz kielbasa diced small 

1 lg bunch broccoli chopped very small

1 red bell pepper diced very small 

1 celery stalk diced small 

1/2 small English cucumber diced 

1 tablespoon very finely chopped red onion

Vinaigrette 

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup prepared blue cheese dressing (I used Lighthouse Chunky Blue Cheese) 

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Stir together vinagrette ingredients in a small bowl.

Stir together chopped vegetables, kielbasa, and pasta in a large bowl.

Pour dressing over the salad and stir until everything I coated.  

Refrigerate if not eating right away. 

Homemade Pretzel Balls

Homemade Pretzel Balls

3 cups warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons (one package) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups bread flour
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups water
3 tablespoons baking soda
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon coarse grain sea salt

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and allow that to sit and foam up for 5-6 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the salt, bread flour, and all-purpose flour. Pour the yeast water into the bowl. Stir until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes. This flour is probably more water-based than you might be used to (if you bake bread often), so feel free to really flour your hands or the surface as you work. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 1 hour (or until doubled in size).

Fill a large pot with 3 cups water and 3 tablespoons baking soda. Stir to dissolve. Heat the water to a low boil. While the water heats up, on a floured surface, divide the dough into small balls, or roll into long ropes and shape like pretzels. 

Place each pretzel in the boiling water for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through cooking. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water, draining away as much water as you can. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Brush the tops of the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle on the sea salt. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. The pretzels should look golden brown but still feel slightly spring-y to the touch. Dip them in anything, we chose melted garlic butter. So good.

Peach and Graham Cracker Ice Cream

It's super hot here in the desert. It makes ice cream melt fast. But to be honest, I like it soft and melty. :) I've been kind of obsessed with graham crackers, Teddy Grahams, and the other varieties lately. In this flavor I used the fabulous Honey Maid Minion graham crackers. My 3 year old loves them right along with me. It makes this peach ice cream taste like peach cobbler. Yummmmm. Certainly a must try this summer. 

Peach and Graham Cracker Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 heaping cup Minion graham crackers

~1 1/2 cup small diced peaches (~2 medium peaches)

Directions

Place a 9x9 glass pan, peaches, and graham crackers in the freezer. 

Stir together cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Freeze according to your ice cream freezers instructions. 

Add the peaches a minute or two away from being done. 

Remove pan from freezer and pour ice cream into it. 

Stir in graham crackers quickly, cover and freeze a few more hours. 

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

Here's another family favorite but this time from my side of the family. My sister-in-law introduced it to us years ago and it's made many appearances since. I love these kind of cakes because of their easy method. This cake HERE is pretty similar. 

I made this particular cake for my husband to share with his coworkers because he finished his MBA this week! These two years went by fast but it will be so much stress off his shoulders (and mine) to not have to worry about school anymore. This cake is decadent and I thought it was perfect for such a fantastic occasion.  :) 

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

Ingredients 

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup water

4 eggs

1 chocolate cake mix

1 30 oz instant chocolate pudding mix

12 oz (2 cups) chocolate chips

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together wet ingredients in a large bowl. 

Add the chocolate cake mix and stir well until it's smooth.

Add the pudding mix and stir well until combined. 

Add chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased Bundt pan and level it out. 

Bake 40-45 minutes 

Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes

Loosen the sides and middle by gently sliding a knife or fork between the pan and cake. Don't use a metal knife/fork to avoid scratching your pan. 

Lay a plate or platter on top of pan and flip it over to remove the cake. 

Allow to cool completely. 

Drizzle chocolate frosting on it or sprinkle with some powdered sugar. 

Applesauce Pudding

 

This is a family favorite of my in-laws and I have come to love it as well. It's a comfort food for me.  With cinnamon, apples, and cream, how could it not be? And it's so ridiculously easy to make. Is it pudding or is it cake? Well, it's a very moist cake. In the UK they ask, "What's for pudding?" (What's for dessert?) So, maybe this came from overseas and actually read more like, applesauce dessert? It's kind of like a bread pudding as well but not really haha. I'd have to ask my mother-in-law where she got the recipe, really, but either way I crave it pretty often. I'm partial to the no nut variety but either way, It's yummy. 

*I have made this with one cup applesauce and one cup finely grated Granny Smith apple, when my applesauce was gone. I tend to open a jar of applesauce thinking in advance I'd like to make this, then my kids eat too much applesauce and leave me with a minimal amount :)

Applesauce Pudding

One 9x13 pan

Ingredients

2 cups applesauce

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

~1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

2 cups cream + 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium pour in all the wet ingredients. Mix well. 

Add all the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. 

Pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish

Bake 35-45 min until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

Whip the cream and sugar. 

Serve portions of pudding with a generous dollop of whipped cream.  

Grilled Potatoes with Lemon, Garlic, and Herbs

I've grilled potatoes before but it was in my grilling basket. Putting them on a skewer is ingenious and of course came from Cooks Illustrated.  This recipe is adapted from their Grilled Potatoes with Oregano and Lemon.  I don't usually make too much of a fuss over our side dishes. It's usually some form of cooked vegetable, with butter or olive oil and salt and pepper, that graces our table.  This is pretty much just dressing up my go to with a little garlic and herbs and it makes for a huge win; and a good change.

Grilled Potatoes with Lemon, Garlic, and Herbs

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Zest of one lemon, divided
Salt and pepper

Directions

In a small skillet, heat oil, garlic, herbs and a pinch of salt over medium heat.
Stir and cook until garlic is just barley light golden brown. Remove from heat.
Chop the potatoes to equal sizes.  I cut each potato into 8 equal pieces.
Microwave 2 minutes, stir, and then again, 2 minutes more.  The par-cooked potatoes skewer much easier. If they are still too hard, microwave 2 more minutes.
Heat grill on high to 400 degrees.
Skewer potatoes and lay them on a plate or cookie sheet.
Brush potatoes with some of the infused oil.*I try to avoid putting the larger pieces of garlic onto the potatoes.*
Turn burners to medium heat.
Lay potatoes onto grill and cook about 3-4 minutes and flip when grill marks show up.
Cook until tender.  If they are not done after about 8 minutes you may want to turn your burners down to low to avoid over charring.
Remove from the grill and coat once more with the infused oil.  Add a pinch more of lemon zest.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Crunchy Granola

Good morning! When I eat this in the morning I feel like it's happily greeting me.  Fruit, Greek yogurt, and granola make me feel like I'm eating healthy.  I also love just the granola in some milk, mmm.  There's a lot of sugar, and some fat to bake it in, so unless you make a lower fat, lower sugar version, it's not really as healthy as you may think. :) Just don't eat a huge portion and I'd say you're safe. If I'm going to make granola, it's going to taste good, which most often means I'm not going to skimp out on the fat and sugar. To each his own! I like both the crunchy and chewy versions of granola but, for now, here's some crunch. This is going to make your home smell heavenly.  PS Don't forget it's in the oven, I'm really good at that.

Crunchy Granola

Makes 8-9 cups 

Ingredients

4 cups oats

2 cups chopped almonds

1 cup sweetened coconut

1-2 cups raisins and/or dried cranberries

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (optional)

1/8 cup chia seeds/flax seeds/wheat germ (optional)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup maple syrup/agave 

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup oil

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

pinch of nutmeg

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees

Stir together oats, almonds, seeds, and coconut.

Mix salt, sugar, syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg in microwaveable bowl.  Heat about 1 minute on high. Stir well.

Pour over oat mixture and stir until it's all coated.

Pour onto a large cookie sheet lined with parchment.  

Bake 30-40 minutes, stir every 10 or 15 minutes to avoid burning.  

Allow to cool and add raisins and dried cranberries.  

Hummus

Hummus is super easy and very customizable. Seems like every time I make it it turns out a little different than the last but still is good. I finally wrote down what I did and it still seems to taste different each time. I could be imagining it, who knows. I don't use tahini because of the price and, quite frankly, I like it just the same as the store bought kind with tahini. 

Hummus

Ingredients

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans

1 small clove garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/8th cup water

About 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons olive oil 

Directions 

Place beans, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and water in a food processor. 

Turn it on and let it go for a couple minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. 

Drizzle in olive oil slowly until it reaches a good texture. I like it a little runnier than peanut butter. 

Taste it many times to make sure it's smooth. If it's not just process it bit longer. 

Mini Lemon Curd Shooters

Here is a super easy treat to make and especially fun to have at parties! Try it, You'll like it!

You Will Need:

mini cups

graham crackers

lemon curd (from trader joes or homemade)

whipping cream

sugar

vanilla

rasberries

mini spoons

First, make your homemade whipped cream. Beat the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Next, smash graham crackers to fine consistency. Layer graham crackers, lemon curd and whipped cream in the mini cups. Top it off with a rasberry and mini spoon. Chill until you are ready to serve!