Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu

I made this last week and it was SO easy and SO delicious.  Its one of those awesome meals that looks and tastes very fancy, but you can seriously throw it together in 5 minutes.  

image found here

Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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• 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), pounded to 1/4-inch thick or cut in half to form two thinner cutlets (see note)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 to 8 slices deli ham (exact amount depends on brand/size of slices)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (I used sliced Swiss)
• 15 Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 3/4 cup)

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts side-by-side on one side of the prepared baking sheet (to help them fit, you can alternate thicker end to thinner end as you lay them down). Placing them close together (without overlapping) will help the cheese stay put as they bake.
2. Spread the mustard lightly over the top of each chicken piece. Top with 1 to 2 slices ham to cover and then add 1/4 cup or so of the shredded cheese evenly across the top.
3. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the cheese, and press lightly so the crumbs aren’t loose. Bake for 20 minutes until the chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.  I would recommend using very thin slices of chicken breast (or pounding thicker breasts w a mallet before using).

Italian Potato Sausage Soup

Love this recipe from their cook book. Its delicious and filling!

Ingredients

• 20 ounce lean Italian turkey or chicken sausage
• 1/2+ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 8 cups (2 boxes) chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups low-fat milk
• 3 ounces light cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups kale or spinach, chopped

Instructions

Remove the sausage from casings and crumble it into a large soup pot. Begin cooking it over medium heat and add red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, onion, and garlic. Saute until the sausage is fully cooked and drain if necessary. Add the chicken broth and Italian seasoning, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook potatoes until tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, then add the milk mixture and cook over medium heat until thick (like a very thick cream soup or a stirrable pudding). When the potatoes are cooked, add the thickened milk mixture and chopped spinach. Season with additional crushed red pepper flakes and kosher salt to taste and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 8-10.

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Mom's Moist Banana Bread

I've been using this recipe that a friend here in NYC gave me and it never disappoints. It makes a moist, big loaf and is super easy.  The trick is to mix as little as possible to keep the moisture and lightness of the loaf.

Mom's Moist Banana Bread

Becca Mattoni

1/3 c. shortening or ¼ c. oil ( I always use oil)

½ c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. sifted flour 

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 c. mashed ripened bananas (about 3 bananas)

½ c. chocolate chips  

2 Tbs. white chocolate chips (optional) 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease  9½” x 5”x3” loaf pan. (You can also use mini loaf pans or muffin tins; you’ll probably want to check for doneness a few minutes early for the mini loaves and after about 25 min for the muffins.) . Mash bananas well.  Mix all ingredients together in one large bowl and then add bananas and chocolate chips with rubber spatula.  Mix only until chips are evenly distributed and no more- don't worry about it being perfect!!

Pour into greased loaf pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten free, dairy free, sugar free)

I know, they sound gross, but they are so good for being so healthy! Very coconuty-tasting, which I like.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

yields 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil at room temp or palm shortening

1 egg at room temperature

1/4 coconut crystals (coconut palm sugar)

2 Tbs. honey

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

2 Tbs. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup dark chocolate pieces (dairy free)

1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350

2. place the shortening and egg in a food processor and process for 15 seconds

3. add the coconut crystals, honey, and vanilla. Process again until combined.

4. add the flours, baking soda, and salt. Process for 30 seconds.

5. Scrape down the sides and pulse again if necessary to fully incorporate the dry ingredients.

6. stir the chocolate in by hand.

7. use a large tablespoon to scoop balls of the dough, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly press them down to flatten, making disks about 1/2 inch thick.

8. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies are browned around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

Easiest White Chili

We had this the other day at a friend's house and it was so delicious.  She said she makes it all of the time because its so easy- you just throw everything in the pot and simmer.  To make it even easier, grab the rotisserie chicken at your grocery and zero prep involved!

White Chili
From Lizzie Davis

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 pound cooked, shredded chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can chicken broth
1 jar salsa verde, 7 oz.
1 small can diced green chilies, undrained
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed coriander seeds
1/4 tsp. cumin
2- 16oz. cans cannellini (white kidney) beans
3 Tbs. lime juice
1/4 tsp. pepper

Top with: Sour cream, shredded cheese, lime wedges, tortilla chips

Saute garlic in oil in large pot for 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth,  salsa, chilies, and spices.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Add chicken and beans; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Stir in lime juice and pepper.  Serve.

The Ultimate Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yeah, I know...another chocolate chip cookie recipe.  This one definitely deserves a turn in your regular cookie rotation though.  Its our new favorite and its incredible. I bought Maldon Sea Salt off of amazon and it transformed the flavor, making these totally irresistible.  And, that extra little sprinkle of salt also makes them look very fancy, which makes them great for giving away...which you'll want to do because if these are around, you're going to eat every single last one.

The Ultimate Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Barefeet in the Kitchen

• 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup butter melted
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour *
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Maldon flaked sea salt  or coarse sea salt
• GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE:
• 1 ¾ cups brown rice flour *
• ½ cup tapioca starch *
• ¼ cup potato starch *
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum *

1. Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the hot melted butter and beat until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs and vanilla and beating once more.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir well to make sure they are evenly distributed. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour, or until thoroughly chilled.
3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Scoop the dough into golf ball sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Remember, just three cookies to a baking sheet!)
4. Bake for 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with Maldon salt. Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Notes

The size of the cookie will determine the texture. If you want a giant bakery-style cookie with crisp edges and a perfectly chewy center, follow the recipe exactly and make the cookies huge. (Just three to a baking sheet, seriously!) There is no way to get that perfect texture without the giant cookie (Rachel here- I've made them small and they turned out bakery perfect and perfectly textured). Trust me on that, okay? I made some of the cookies smaller and they were really good, but the giant ones were so much better! The finishing salt is really important here. There aren't a lot of fancy spices and ingredients in my kitchen, but Maldon flaked sea salt is a key ingredient in these cookies. You can buy it in some grocery stores, but I found the best prices by far on Amazon. (I promise that if you buy it, you'll use it for more than just these cookies!) However, if you don't want to buy a fancy salt, coarse sea salt or even kosher salt will work. Just be extra careful when sprinkling the salt on the cookies, as the smaller grains of salt can quickly make them "salty" instead of giving just a hint of salt with the sweet cookie. Last but not least, don't let the oatmeal in this recipe deter you from trying them. There is barely a hint of oatmeal flavor, but it provides a chewy texture that can't be beat.

Slow Cooker Sante Fe Chicken

This is now in our regular dinner rotation- we all LOVE it.  Its really versatile, in that I can make it into a salad, a Mexican rice bowl, a taco/burrito, or eat it straight up.  Its really good and very easy.

Serving size is 3/4 cup and macros are F: 3, C: 17, P: 24

Slow Cooker Sante Fe Chicken

From Skinnytaste

24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast

14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz frozen corn

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth

3 scallions, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

salt to taste

1. Combine chicken broth, beans (drained), corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot.  Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.  Cook on low for 8 – 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.  Thirty minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred.
2. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste.
3. Serve over rice or tortillas and with your favorite toppings.

Instant Pot: Cook high pressure 25 minutes, quick or natural release.

Chocolate Chip Power Balls

I've made a LOT of protein balls, but these are by far the very best ones I've ever had.  They are so so so good- taste just like cookie dough. :) 

Chocolate Chip Power Balls

Adapated from Clean Eats and Treats

• 2 cups old fashioned oats 
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Ideal Lean French Vanilla) and 1 scoop Collagen Peptides
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• dash of sea salt

We made these with a hand mixer and broke the oats down a little so they were smaller.  Also, the gram measurements for the peanut butter is 266 (for those who have a kitchen scale).  I also used Trader Joe's coconut chips (which are sweetened) and broke those apart as well because they're big.  Biggest problem? Eating just one!

How to sub ground turkey for sausage

I know this isn't a typical recipe, but I wanted to keep it here because I know I will use it again and again.  I often find recipes that call for sausage, but I don't love buying it because I think its kind of gross (taking the casings off, etc) and its usually really high in fat.  I made soup tonight that called for sausage and actually couldn't find any at the store, so I googled this recipe and it turned out so delicious, had the same exact flavor as sausage, was more cost effective and better for you!
                                    
How to sub ground turkey for sausage
From New Leaf Wellness Blog

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or equal parts dried basil, oregano, and thyme)
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon packed light brown sugar (optional, but recommended)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground or whole fennel seeds

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine all spices (including brown sugar, if using) and set a aside.
2. Brown ground turkey in a large pan on stovetop.
3. Add red wine vinegar and stir.  Add spice mix and stir to combine.

Drumsticks from heaven

A friend brought me dinner the other day and brought copies of her recipes along with dinner which I thought was a great idea. The main were a tray of baked drumsticks that were to die for and when I looked at the recipe I was shocked to see how simple it was! The ingredients (other than the chicken) are something I always have in my pantry anyway. They go great with pretty much any sides and are a neutral but absolutely delicious flavor.

Ingredients

1 large pack chicken drumsticks (4-5 lbs)

1 onion grated

1 tsp cracked pepper

1 tbsp course salt

2 tbsp greek yogurt or mayo

Instructions

1. Mix all marinade ingredients together.
2. In a large bag or bowl, toss the marinade with the drumsticks, coating them evenly.
3. Marinade overnight or 6-8 hours, of you think ahead. If not, it was still delicious without marinading!
4. Coat a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up and load up with the drumsticks, skin side up.
5. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes, then flip over and bake for 15 minutes more.
6. Flip back to skin side up for serving!
7. Let sit for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala

I've tried a LOT of different tikka masala recipes over the last few months because its one of my favorite dishes.  This is by far my favorite.  Macros for 200g are C10 F8 P49.  Everyone gobbled it up- only wishing I had made more!!

Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp curry powder

1-14 oz can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

2 tsp paprika

1 Tbs. white sugar

4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic; cook and stir just until fragrant.  Stir cumin, salt, ginger, cayenne, curry, cinnamon and turmeric into onion mixture.  Fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  

Stir tomato sauce into onion mixture, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 10 minutes, then mix in cream, paprika and sugar.  Bring sauce back to simmer, stirring often until sauce is thickened, 10-15 minutes.  In a separate pan, coated with cooking spray, sear chicken until lightly browned, but still pink inside- about 3 minutes.  Transfer chicken and any juices into sauce. Simmer in sauce until no longer pink, about 30 minutes.  Adjust salt and sugar to taste.  I always serve Indian food with MKC's coconut rice . Sometimes, I even go nuts and get some of Trader Joe's frozen garlic naan- which my kids love- and serve that as well.  

Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip

I made this dip last night for a New Year's Party and it was a huge hit.  Its definitely a BIG indulgence, but so worth it.  Everyone loved it!

Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip

The Rookie Cookie

16 oz (2 blocks) light cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the frozen garlic at Trader Joe's)

2 Tbs. Franks red hot sauce (or other wing sauce)

Juice from one lime (about 2 Tbs)

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided

16 oz. bag frozen corn, thawed (I used TJ's frozen grilled corn)

4 oz. low fat feta cheese

1 jalapeno pepper, diced (leave seeds in for more heat)

2 Tbs. red onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for topping)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a high-powered blender (used my Vitamix) mix the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, hot sauce, lime juice, and 1 cup of pepper jack.  Blend until fully combined into a sauce.  Scoop into a large bowl and then add remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a prepared baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes (longer if corn isn't thawed), or until hot and bubbly.  Garnish with more cilantro, feta and hot sauce, if desired.  Serve with chips and enjoy!