I am on a roll this week! This was another hit at my house. It was super simple because it used the store-bought Wishbone dressing that was B1G1 this week at Publix. I served mine in lettuce cups and served my husband's over rice. So, this is perfect for those of you who are maybe watching the carbs. The dressing is a light one, and full of flavor! Yum-O!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips
1/4 cup bottled Light Asian Sesame & Ginger Dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
salt and pepper
1 head butterhead lettuce, leaves separated
Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a skillet. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the carrots and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Add the dressing and broth. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat the low.
Serve by filling the leaves with the chicken mixture. You can also serve it with rice or over egg noodles.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
I have not made this in a LONG time! I'm really surprised that I even remembered how to do it correctly. Its kind of hard to mess up though, its so simple! And oh so good. My high school boyfriend's Mom used to make this. She was really my first inspiration in the kitchen. Man, she could cook! This is a great first course to a meal or just as a snack on a lazy Saturday afternoon. This doesn't fall into my healthier eating plans though. Its quite an indulgence. Try this sauce over eggs, Canadian bacon and English muffins for an Eggs Benedict. My sister makes this sauce every Christmas at her In-laws. Its a great recipe to have on-hand.
4 artichokes, trimmed
1 garlic clove, smashed (optional)
1 lemon slice (optional)
1 stick butter
3 egg yolks
1 lemon (about 1-1/2 tablespoons juice)
salt and pepper
Cut the stem off of the artichokes to create a flat bottom. You can snip the "thorns" off the tips of each leaf, but I don't do that (too time consuming and they soften after cooking). Place artichokes in the bottom of a large pot. Fill with water to come about halfway up the artichokes (you don't want them floating). I also added a smashed garlic clove and thick lemon slice for extra flavor. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for approximately 30- 45 minutes or until the artichokes are tender (the leaves will come off with little resistance).
Melt 1 stick of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 3 egg yolks to a blender. With the lid on, but the center cap removed, slowly add the butter to the eggs while the blender is on. This emulsifies the mixture. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1-1/2 tablespoons) and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a serving bowl and serve with the artichokes.
To eat, pull off the leaves of the artichoke and dip into the sauce. Pull the "meat" off the base of the leaf with your teeth and discard the rest. Continue to do this until you reach the center of the artichoke. Cut out the spiky center and discard. Cut up the heart and eat with the sauce.
See this link HERE for a detailed description of how to eat an artichoke.
Enjoy!
I love mushrooms. I am the only one in my house who does, though. I tried to get Ella to take a bite, but she wasn't having any of it. Clay won't even come close, so he had cheese toast tonight. This was super simple and elegant enough to serve to company. I used Sun-dried Tomato Tortillas because I had them leftover from the Black Bean Hummus Wrap. You could serve this as a Vegetarian dish or if you have some leftover chicken you could add that in. Publix has mushrooms, onions and baby arugula on sale this week. I grabbed mine from the Farmers Market because that's where I stopped today after work.
Makes 2 Quesadillas:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
1 8-10 oz. package mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
squeeze of lemon
1/2 cup shredded cheese (monterrey jack, swiss, muenster, etc.)
1 cup baby arugula
2 10-inch flour tortillas
In large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add mushrooms, trimmed and sliced, and cook until mushrooms are browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Wipe skillet clean.
Divide cheese, mushroom mixture and arugula over the bottom half of the two tortillas. Fold top half over filling to close. Heat another teaspoon of olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat and cook a quesadilla until cheese melts and tortilla is crisp, 1-2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining quesadilla. Cut into wedges and serve.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Everyday Food)
These sliders would be great to make on Super Bowl Sunday. The avocado inside is such a nice surprise. Tamara's has a burger with bacon and avocado and I just love it! So much cheaper though to be able to recreate it at home. Publix has Hass Avocados 2/$1 this week, and Smithfield Bacon is B1G1. These would be great on the grill. The weather is bad, so I cooked them in a skillet like the original recipe said. Next time I will do them outside. These were so yummy. I will definitely make this again. 
8 2-inch dinner rolls
1 lb. ground beef
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 avocado, cubed
bacon, optional
cheese, optional
ketchup, optional
mustard, optional
In a large bowl combine ground beef, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper. Form into 8 2-inch balls. Cut avocado into cubes. Press an avocado cube into each ball and shape into patties (I didn't even use half of the avocado).
Cook in a skillet over medium high heat until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Split the rolls and assemble the sliders with the patties and desired condiments.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
This is such a great recipe! Especially with the Super Bowl around the corner. Not to mention, it puts those Tostitos Scoops to good use! I found this one several years ago and have made it a couple of times before. It only calls for a handful of ingredients, all of which I had on hand (except the chives, but I just left them out).You can add so much to these and really jazz them up. See below the recipe for some of my suggestions and how I changed it up tonight. One of the comments on the Rachael Ray site said they used biscuits shells like the Taco Puffs and filled them with this cheesy filling. What a great idea! I saved some of the filling and will do that on Saturday! I'll update this with the details.
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or whatever you have)
1 large egg
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (I used canned)
48 Tostitos Scoops
chopped chives or cilantro, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, egg and corn (I used my stand mixer).
Arrnage the chips on a large rimmed baking sheet and place 1 teaspoon corn mixture in each. Bake until the filling sets. About 20 minutes.
Sprinkle the corn bites with the chives; serve warm.
**I sauteed some diced chicken breasts (2) with taco seasoning. I wasn't sure how I was going to work it, but I ended up topping the corn bites with a chunk of the seasoned cooked chicken after they came out the oven. YUM-O! You could really dress it up however you like. Add the chives, a pickled jalapeno, some sour cream, maybe a slice of an olive...its endless! Put this one on the Game-Day spread!!
Enjoy!
(adpated from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Dawn Hoover, the columnist from Spice of Life, sent this recipe to me. She makes this a lot around the holidays and for company. I know the holidays are almost over, but its a great recipe to keep on hand for an appetizer for a party. This is great served on crackers, or for those who are trying to low-carb it, use toothpicks and serve just the cheese. This comes together quickly and you fix it the night before.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (I used regular white vinegar)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 good lemons)
1/2 16-oz. jar roasted red peppers (about 1/3 cup diced)
3 green onions minced (I omitted these)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 8-oz. block sharp cheddar (I used white cheddar)
1 8-oz. block pepper jack
1 8-oz. block cream cheese, very chilled
Whisk first three ingredients together until mixture is blended- stir in diced peppers and next five ingredients. Set marinade aside. Cut block of cheddar in half lengthwise. Cut halves crosswise into 1/4" thick slices. Repeat procedure with the other 2 cheeses. (Put the cream cheese in the freezer for about 30 minutes before slicing. It makes it a little bit easier.) Arrange cheese slices alternately in a shallow serving dish, standing slices on edge. Pour marinade over cheeses. Cover and chill atleast 8 hours. Serve with crackers.
Enjoy!
(recipe from Dawn Hoover- originally from Southern Living)
My Dad has made these mushrooms for years. They are so delicious, and couldn't be any easier. These are great served as an appetizer or simply as a snack. Publix has their whole button mushrooms on sale as well as the Jimmy Dean sausage. The sausage was 2/$5 and if you used the $1/2 coupon in the Winter Savings booklet each roll was $2. I always keep sausage on hand. It is great browned and added to a can of baked beans or cooked and scrambled in some eggs. But, I digress. These mushrooms were fabulous. And I even have some stuffing leftover that I'm debating on how to use.
1 16-oz. package whole mushrooms
1 16-oz. package Jimmy Dean sausage
2 cups shredded mozarella cheese (I used 1/2 white cheddar, 1/2 mozz)
Brown the sausage in a skillet. Remove and drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Chop stems and saute in skillet over medium heat in sausage drippings. Add the sausage back to the pan and fold in the cheese until melted.
Put mushroom caps on a broiler pan or baking pan fitted with a wire rack (I put my cookie cooling rack- make sure yours is oven proof- on top of my baking sheet). This allows the juice from the mushrooms to drip down. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.
Thanks Dad!
Enjoy!
The first time I had this dip was several years ago at a baby shower one of my friends threw. I was hooked from the beginning. I have made it several times since then, and have even found a way to make it a little bit quicker. It is great with fruit, especially pineapple and strawberries. Both of those happen to be on sale this week at Publix. I also love it with Nilla Wafers, which are B1G1 this week at Winn Dixie. Even the Cool Whip and cream cheese are on sale! This is so yummy. I could just eat it with a spoon. Shhh, I won't tell you if I actually have or not!
1 8-oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8-oz. tub Cool Whip
Pinapple juice (a couple of tablespoons)
Fruit to serve with (pineapple, strawberries, grapes, melon, etc.)
Nilla Wafers (optional)
Soften cream cheese and then whip with the powdered sugar. Combine with the Cool Whip and add just enough pineapple juice to get the desired consistency. (I just used the juice in the tub with the fresh cored pineapple). Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve with fruit and Nilla Wafers.
Enjoy!
(adpated from Paula Deen on FoodNetwork.com)
Rondele cheese has been B1G1 a couple of times the last few months at Publix. I wanted to try a cheese dip with it. I found this recipe on their website. It was quick and easy, and had few ingredients. All of which I have gotten on sale recently at Publix. If you're having a Holiday party this is a great appetizer to make. It was rounded out nicely by the fruit dip and stuffed mushrooms I also made. I forgot to take a picture of it. It was halfway gone before I realized that I had forgotten. So, use your imagination, and take my word that it was really good!
1 8-oz. container Rondele cheese spread
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup coarsely crushed buttery crackers (I used Ritz)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix Rondele cheese, cheddar cheese and mayonnaise. Spoon into a 9-inch pie plate. (I used a shallow oval holiday baking dish I had). Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed crackers. Bake an additional 10 minutes. (I put the crackers on the first time I put it in the oven and I baked it for 30 minuts. It turned out just fine). Serve with Bagel Chips or other crackers.
Enjoy!
(from Rondele.com)
