Chicken Florentine

3 Chicken Breasts (boned/skinless)
1 Bunch Spinach
1 Medium Yellow Onion Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic Minced
4 tbs Bread Crumbs
2 tbs Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Bacon* (5 thick slices)
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese Grated

*Substitute with sun dried tomatoes if needed

One at a time, place chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound flat. Clean and dry spinach thoroughly and place in pan on low heat. (1.) Saute until wilted (about 5 minutes). (2.) Place spinach in a sheet of cheesecloth (or a clean towel), squeeze dry, chop and set aside. (3.) Cook bacon in a skillet and then set aside — saving the juices in the pan. Once cooled, remove all fat from bacon and break into small pieces. (4.) Add onion and garlic to skillet with remaining bacon juices and cook until translucent. Remove and put in mixing bowl — saving juices in pan. Add cooked bacon and chopped spinach to sauteed onions and garlic. Add parmesan and breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly. Take 1/3 of the mixture and cover one side of a single chicken breast. (5.) Starting with the smaller side, roll the breast up and secure with butcher's string or toothpicks. Repeat for the remaining two breasts. (6.) Add canola oil to pan with remaining juices and heat. Brown chicken breasts thoroughly on all sides. Reduce heat to medium, add chicken stock, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to rest. Reduce remaining juices in pan over low heat, slice, add reduction and serve!

Luscious!

Beef Meatballs with Penne

Sauce
1 Can Crushed Tomato (28oz)
1 Can San Marzano Tomato (28oz)
1/2 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
8 Cloves of Garlic Minced
2 tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Salt/Pepper

Meatballs
1 lb Ground Beef (85% lean)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese Finely Grated
1/4 Cup of Milk
1/2 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tsp Italian Seasoning*
1 tsp Salt/Pepper

*You can omit the Italian Seasoning if you use seasoned Panko bread crumbs.

(1.) In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil for the sauce. Saute onions and garlic until translucent and stir in the salt and pepper. (2.) Next add San Marzano tomatoes lifting them one by one from can by hand and crushing over pot (do not add the juice from can). Add the can of crushed tomatoes and the Italian seasoning then simmer on low. (3.) Start meatballs by combining milk and breadcrumbs in a cup and set aside. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Break up the meat in a large mixing bowl and combine with the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Once the milk has been thoroughly absorbed into the bread crumbs, slightly squeeze them to drain any excess moisture then add to the beef and mix thoroughly. Form them into meatballs (we made 20 meatballs from one pound). Return the meatballs to the mixing bowl and cover with grated parmesan. Roll each meatball so it is thoroughly coated with the cheese. (4.) Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet covered with non-stick aluminum foil and place in oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes so all meatballs are cooked through. (5.) Once finished in the oven, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, cover and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes but longer only makes them taste better. Serve them over Penne or whatever pasta you like!

Prego!

Hint: Simmer with the cover slightly open to allow steam to escape and thicken the sauce to the consistency you prefer. I used the Panko bread crumbs below but most brands are good.

Sole Fillets Sauté

1 lb Sole Fillets
1 Cup of Flour
1 tbs Butter
2 tbs Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

(1.) Blot sole fillets with a paper towel to make sure they are dry. Place flour in pie dish and add salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each piece of sole on both sides and place aside. (2.) Heat the butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet at medium-high. Once hot, carefully add the sole and saute for 3 minutes on the first side and then 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on the second side. (3.) Once turned, add lemon and pepper to taste.

Magnifique!

Hint: If you do not have a skillet large enough for all of the fish at once, transfer cooked fish to oven-safe plate and place in a preheated 225˚F oven.

Zucchini, Squash and Carrot Casserole

2 Zucchini Sliced
2 Yellow Squash Sliced
2 Carrots Sliced
1 Bunch Green Onion Chopped
3-1/2 tbs Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese Grated

(1.) Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with 1-1/2 tbs of olive oil. Spread an even layer of chopped green onions over the oil and top with 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. (2.) Fill the baking dish with alternating (angled) slices of zucchini, yellow squash and carrots. (3.) Pour another 2 tbs of olive oil over the top and add half of the remaining bread crumbs and cheese. Shake the dish so the toppings fill the cracks between the vegetables. Add the rest of the bread crumbs and cheese then shake again. (4.) Place the remaining green onions over the top. Cover and bake in oven for 45-55 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Savorrriffic!

Hint: Since baking dishes vary in size you may need more or less of all ingredients to properly fill your dish. For the best taste, always use a nice piece of Parmesan cheese and grate by hand. Never buy the processed, pre-grated Parmesan.

Crawfish Risotto

Sauce
16oz Crawfish Tails†
2 Cloves Garlic Minced
1 tsp Hot Sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Cream
1 tsp Green Onion Chopped

Risotto
5 Cups (low salt) Chicken Broth
1-1/2 Cups Risotto
1/2 Cup Onion Diced
1-1/2 tbs Butter
3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese


(1.) In a non-stick skillet, briefly saute the minced garlic in the canola oil. Drain the package of crawfish tails and add along with the cream, hot sauce and worcestershire. Heat until warm and stir in green onions. Turn off heat and set aside. (2.) In a soup pot, warm the chicken broth. As the broth warms, melt the butter in the bottom of a different 2-quart pot and saute the onions until translucent. Add the risotto over the sauteed onions and place on medium-low heat. Toast the risotto for a couple of minutes before adding any broth. (3.) Once toasted, add chicken broth to the risotto 1/2 cup at a time. Stir constantly. Wait until all of the broth is absorbed by the risotto before adding another 1/2 cup. This usually takes 25 to 30 minutes. Never walk away from risotto. Keep stirring.  : )  Once all of the chicken broth is incorporated into the risotto, it should taste slightly al dente. Test the risotto periodically as you you finish with the chicken broth. It may require a little more chicken broth at the end or maybe a little less than five cups depending on the exact temperature. Once the risotto is al dente, add in the sauce mixture and the parmesan cheese and stir until mixed. Garnish with more green onions!

Aaaaiiiieeee!

Hint: It seems complicated getting the risotto just right but just keep testing it as you finish. Any frozen (cooked) crawfish tails will work fine. I highly recommend Jim Beam Hot Sauce (see below). It is the best for this dish.

† If you do not eat shellfish, consider using some cooked andouille sausage or chicken andouille sausage.

Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce over Angel Hair Pasta

1 lb Shrimp Cleaned and Peeled*
28 oz Can of San Marzano Style Tomatoes
15 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
3/4 Cup of Cream
1-1/4 Cups Diced Yellow Onion
9 Cloves of Garlic Minced
1-1/2 tbs Italian Herbs
3 tbs Olive Oil

*If you do not eat shellfish — substitute with 1lb Grilled Salmon or 1lb Grilled Chicken and add at the same time as cream

(1.) Using a 2-quart pot, heat olive oil and add six cloves of minced garlic and the diced yellow onion. Saute until translucent, then add salt and pepper. Next add San Marzano tomatoes lifting them one by one from can by hand and crushing over pot (do not add the juice from can). Add the can of crushed tomatoes and the Italian herbs then simmer on low for 10 minutes. (2.) Add 1 tbs of olive oil to non-stick skillet with remaining three cloves of minced garlic. Once heated, add the shrimp and saute until pink on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside. In a separate pot... bring water with a dash of salt and olive oil to a boil for the angel hair pasta. (3.) Once the pasta is in the water, add shrimp and cream to tomato sauce and warm until pasta is ready. Serve over pasta with grated parmesan and garnish with fresh basil.

Fantastico!

We use Barilla Wheat pasta. It has a great flavor! See picture below.

Turkey Salisbury Steaks

Patties
1 lb Ground Turkey (85/15)*
1/3 Cup Campbell's French Onion Soup
(from 10.5 oz can)
1/4 Cup Green Onion
1/2 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

*If leaner than 85% – the patties will be dry

Sauce
Rest of can of Campbell's French Onion Soup
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1 tsp Ground Mustard
1 tbs Flour†

†Substitute 1 tsp Arrowroot (Gluten-/Grain-Free)

(1.) Combine the turkey, 1/3 cup of french onion soup (save the rest of 10.5 oz can for the sauce), green onions, steak seasoning, black pepper and Worcestershire in a bowl and form three oval patties. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the seasonings to permeate the meat. (2.) Combine balance of soup with ketchup, ground mustard and flour and mix thoroughly. (3.) In a non-stick skillet, brown both sides of the patties. Then pour sauce over patties evenly and cover. Place on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Scrumpdillyicious!

We served ours with fresh steamed green beans and oven-baked red potatoes in olive oil. We used McCormick Steak Seasoning in a grinder (see image below).

Chicken Curry with Jalapeño

1/2 Cup Chopped White Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper
1-1/2 Chopped Jalapeño Peppers
2 tbs Canola Oil
2 tbs Yellow Curry
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk*
1/4 cup 2% Milk
7oz 2% Greek Yogurt
2 Boneless Chicken Breast Cubed

*At the very end of the recipe... use the leftover coconut milk to thin the sauce if needed.



(1.) Saute onion, bell pepper and jalapeños in 2 tbs of canola oil. Add salt and pepper and cook until onions become transparent (about 8-10 minutes on medium heat). Remove from skillet and put aside. (2.) Using remaining oil and juices, brown cubed chicken over medium heat. After a couple of minutes... add a splash of chicken broth so the chicken does not get too brown. (3.) Add back in vegetables and simmer for two minutes. Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and remaining chicken broth and simmer for five minutes. Add curry and stir into mixture. (4.) Then add 7oz yogurt and 1/4 cup 2% milk (helps bind the sauce), cover with vent over low heat for 15-20 minutes. (5.) Add additional coconut milk to thin sauce if needed.

Serve over whatever you like best... rice, noodles, lentils, potatoes... you name it!

Yummydoooo!

Hint: I recommend using FAGE 2% yogurt... it has the best taste. I also use the curry pictured at bottom. If you can find it... this is your best choice for the dish. Using two tablespoons of curry will give a very mild spiciness to the dish. Add three or four tablespoons if you prefer more heat.

Lobster Quiche

1/4 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Sugar
1-1/2 cups of Cream
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Sherry
1/2 cup of Green Onion
1-1/2 cups grated Gruyere Swiss
4 Eggs
7 oz Package of Faux Lobster*
1 Pie Shell

*I used Kroger's Lobster Select... it was really good.

Chop up the green onions and saute with 1 tbsp of Butter in a skillet. This will get rid of the excess water in the onions. Once finished, turn off the heat and drop in lobster meat so it can warm up a little. After a minute or two — arrange it all in the bottom of the pie shell placed on cookie sheet. Next layer the cheese evenly over the lobster and onions. Separately in a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients (seasonings, cream, sherry and eggs) and mix together by hand with a whisk. Carefully pour into the pie shell and place in a preheated 350˚F oven for 45 minutes.

Take it out and let it rest for 8-10 minutes. Deeeelicious!


Hint: Rotate the quiche in the oven after 25 minutes to keep it evenly browned on top. Once it looks good... cover it by lightly placing a sheet of Reynold's Release Foil over the top.