Chicken Club Quesadillas

Chicken Club Quesadillas

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut in strips
6 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 hass avocado, chopped
a bunch of Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper
1 cup Colby and Monterrey shredded cheese
flour tortillas
olive oil

Method

1. Cook bacon until crisp and set aside. Salt and pepper sliced chicken and add to skillet with bacon fat. Cook until browned and remove from pan.

2. Add chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion, parsley and lemon juice to a large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Toss.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub olive oil on one side of a flour tortilla. Lay tortilla on baking sheet, oiled side down. Add chicken, bacon, tomato and avocado mixture.  Add cheese. Top with another tortilla and rub the top of it with a little more olive oil.

4. Bake at 450 degrees until lightly browned and crisp.

Italian Grilled Cheese Recipe

Italian Grilled Cheese

 Basil & Oregano Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves (or just more basil leaves)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

How-To

1. Put all of the ingredients in a food processor, blend and set aside.

Italian Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

• Basil & oregano pesto
• Mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Tomato, slice.

How-To

1. Put your griddle (or panini press) on medium heat.
2. Spray with cooking spray.
3. Assemble your sandwiches.
4. Cook until lightly browned and the cheese has melted.
5. Cut in half and serve right away.

Servings: 3 sandwiches

Source:chocolateandcarrots.com

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Petite Lasagnas

Petite Lasagnas

recipe slightly adapted from Hungry Girl

(makes 12)

12 oz raw ground turkey

¼ tsp salt, divided

¼ tsp pepper

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped mushrooms

14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp dried oregano, divided

½ tsp dried basil

1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese

24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.

Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.

Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of mozzarella.

Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.

Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!

Nutrition Info for 1 petite lasagna:

Calories: 181.2, Total Fat: 7.9g, Cholesterol: 41.9mg, Sodium: 389.5mg, Total Carb: 13.6g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein 14.1g

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries:

1 pound large strawberries

8oz. block cream cheese – soft

3 – 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (depends on how sweet you want the filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or use almond, lemon, etc. )

Graham cracker crumbs

Instructions:

Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry.  Remove the top and clean out inside with a paring knife if necessary.  I found most of the strawberries already had a nice hollow center so that step was not necessary. If you want to stand your strawberries upright (like in the picture) slice a bit off the bottom. One strawberries are prepped set aside.

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla with a mixer or by hand. Add cream cheese mix to piping bag and fill strawberries.  Once strawberries are filled dip the top in graham cracker crumbs.  Devour and fall in love.

You could also drizzle or dip strawberries in chocolate if desired.

Enjoy!!!

I stored my stuffed strawberries in the fridge although I find they taste best the day,or second after, they are made.

Free-form Apricot Tarts

 Free-form Apricot Tarts
            adapted from a recipe by Sally Schneider in House Beautiful (1994)

• pastry dough (recipe follows)
• Flour for rolling pastry
• 2  16-ounce cans apricot halves, drained and patted dry with a paper     towel
• 1 tablespoon kirsch or brandy
• a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg, beaten slightly
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• additional sugar for sprinkling
1.  Divide chilled pastry dough into 6 pieces.  Roll each piece on a lightly-floured surface into a disc approximately 5-inches in diameter.  Stack the discs between pieces of waxed paper and refrigerate while preparing the apricots.
2.  Slice each apricot half in two and place in a medium bowl.  Toss apricots with the kirsch or brandy, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla extract.  Set aside.
3.  Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with the 2 tablespoons flour.  Set aside.
4.  Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle some of the sugar-flour mixture onto the center of the disc.  Take 1/6 of the apricots and mound in the center of the tart dough.  Fold the edges of the dough in over-lapping folds over the apricots. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Shave a piece of butter onto the apricots, brush the pastry with some of the beaten egg, and sprinkle the dough with some sugar.  Repeat with remaining dough and apricots.
5.  Place baking sheet in the center of a preheated 425˚F oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

TART DOUGH:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 egg
• ice water, if needed
1.  Combine first 3 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times.  Add the butter and pulse until you have small pieces.  Add the egg and pulse to combine.  You may need to add several drops of ice water if the dough is too dry.  Add additional water only until the dough just starts to come together.  Remove from the bowl and flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours before using.

Nutella Stuffed French Toast with Maple Strawberry Syrup

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Nutella Stuffed French Toast with Maple Strawberry Syrup

Nutella Stuffed French Toast with Warm Maple Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients

For stuffed French toast

sliced bread
Nutella
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk, half and half or cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon agave or honey
olive oil or butter for cooking

For Syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 cup maple syrup, I used grade B

Additional Ingredients

Fresh Strawberries for garnish

Method

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and agave or honey in a large bowl. Whisk well. Spread Nutella on bread and make a sandwich. Dip in egg mixture and coat completely on both sides.

2. Drizzle olive oil or melt butter in skillet. Brown French toast on each side.

3. Combine strawberries and maple syrup in a microwave safe bowl for cooking in the microwave or in a small saucepan to cook on the stove. Heat through until strawberries are mushy.

4. Serve warm strawberry maple syrup over French toast with a few fresh strawberries.

Source: ANGIE MCGOWAN

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Salty and sweet.  Crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth.   Peanut butter and chocolate.  Dangerous and delicious (you know what I mean).  One little bite, so much to experience.  Why did I wait so long to give these a try??  A perfect treat to share with a large group of people that you love a whole lot, or to share with yourself on a self-indulgent sweats and sofa  sorta day.  Yum and yum. 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

recipe courtesy Foodaphilia

Calorie estimate: 5,000 for complete recipe

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar (maybe more)

3/4 cup brown sugar (maybe more)

Pretzels

1 bag  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine peanut butter and softened butter in a large bowl with a fork or whisk, or in a stand mixer.  Add the sugars and mix to combine.  At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go.  If not, add a little more of each sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll (I used about 3/4 cup of each sugar).

Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling.  Roll each portion into a small ball, then sandwich them between two whole pretzels.  When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted.  Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate.  Return to the tray and repeat with remaining sandwiches.  When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely.  Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

Source: www.twotinykitchens.com

Spinach Artichoke Dip

POSTED IN APPETIZER, SNACKS

Spinach artichoke dip has to be one of the most popular appetizers around, as evidenced by the fact that so very many restaurants include some variation on their menu.  Its popularity is understandable considering how decadent and irresistible it is.  Really, I seem to find myself powerless to its charms.  As a kid I doubt I would have touched it with a ten foot pole since it contained artichokes.  I hope this mentality still holds with some today – more for me!  Whether having it as a “main dish” during a night of drinks with friends or using it as a starter for a full meal, I have no self control around this dip.  I will be serving this as a pre-Thanksgiving appetizer and I am hoping my various kitchen tasks will keep me busy enough to refrain from demolishing it before everyone else.

I used to have a recipe for spinach artichoke dip that was very tasty, but it called for jarred alfredo sauce and since I don’t buy that for any other purpose, I decided to come up with a version that didn’t require a special and somewhat expensive ingredient.  I searched a lot of my most trusted recipe sources first, but none of the versions I found sounded like what I was going for.  This is what I whipped up and after having tweaked it a bit, it’s now ready to be shared and shared often.  If your hips hate me, I sincerely apologize.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
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Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup coarsely chopped canned artichoke hearts
4 cloves roasted garlic*, smashed
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. roasted red pepper flakes

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, Parmesan, sour cream, mayonnaise, spinach, artichokes, roasted garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.  Mix well with a rubber spatula until all ingredients are evenly blended.  Spread into a small baking dish (I used a gratin dish).  Sprinkle additional grated Parmesan over the top if desired.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.  Serve warm with baguette slices, pita chips, crackers, etc.

*To roast individual cloves of garlic, I just throw the unpeeled cloves into a baking dish or pan and bake at 350˚ F for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool before squeezing the cloves from the peels.

Source: Annie origina