Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Feta Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe was wonderful. I am excited about making it again. It really was a great recipe. I served it with corn and the biscuits below.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water


Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Spoon into a bowl; stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar. Combine chopped tomatoes, garlic mixture, cheese, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add broth, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and thyme; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over chicken. (Approximately 2 tbsp per chicken breast.)

4 servings.

Source:http://good-eats-n-sweet-treats.blogspot.com/

Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Biscuits

These biscuits turned out wonderful and they were the perfect compliment to the Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes. Since it was just the two of us, I halved the recipe below.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon banking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cold butter milk
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 - 4 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus 2 Tablespoons of the oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450. With a fork, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in bowl. Mix butter into dry ingredients with a fork. Blend evenly. Mix in garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and oil, and cheese. Stir in buttermilk with fork until dough just comes together. Form dough into about 10 coarse balls and pat down on greased baking pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

10 biscuits.

Source: Cook Smart by Pam Anderson (insert in Parade Magazine)

Rib-Eye Steak with Black Olive Vinaigrette

This recipe is wonderful. It truly tasted like something I ordered from a four star restaurant. The original recipe can be found at
http://mealsbymonica.blogspot.com/2008/02/rib-eye-steak-with-black-olive.html

Rib-eye Steak:
2 rib-eye steaks, boneless
1 tablespoon Herbe de Provence (or any steak seasoning you prefer)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Black Olive Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup black olives, pitted (I used black olive tapenade)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For the Rib-eye:
I seasoned the Rib-eye with the seasonings and cooked it on the grill.

For the Black Olive Vinaigrette:
Combine the olives, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until mixed. Drizzle the oils into the blender with the machine running. Transfer the vinaigrette to a serving dish. Stir in the parsley and serve with the rib-eye.

Pesto Cream Sauce over Pasta

This is the most delicious meal I have ever made! Enough said.

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package linguine or spaghetti pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese
1 cup prepared basil pesto
20 mushrooms, chopped
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in garlic and butter, and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Dissolve flour in milk, then stir in. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in pesto. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook 4 minutes, or until heated through. Toss with pasta until evenly coated.

I added pesto chicken to Brent's plate. http://workingwifedinners.blogspot.com/2008/01/pesto-chicken.html
Yield: 6 Servings

Source: http://good-eats-n-sweet-treats.blogspot.com

Braised Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the seasoned chicken breasts. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. I usually remove the chicken and tomatoes and then add the brown sugar and cornstarch to the balsamic liquid and simmer until reduced.

4 servings.

Source: http://good-eats-n-sweet-treats.blogspot.com

Mexican Meatballs

DH loves Mexican food, but I get tired of tacos all the time. I decided to try something different but still with a Mexican flare. We both loved them.


1 lb extra lean ground beef
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped object
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs object
1 large egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 16-ounce jar salsa


Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, preferably ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat; let cool. In a large bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, and onion mixture. Shape into 12 meatballs. Wipe out skillet, add the remaining oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Pour the salsa over the top and cook on medium for 20 minutes.

I served this with Mexican rice, and topped the meatballs with diced tomatoes.

4 servings.


Source: RealSimple cookbook

Easy Baked Ziti

This recipe is tasty but easy.

Ingredients:

1 lb extra lean ground beef

8 oz ziti

14 oz jar spaghetti sauce

7 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon Parsley

1/2 onion, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions. In skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic until done. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix egg, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, and Parmesan, and Parsley. Drain beef and add spaghetti sauce. Preheat oven to 350. In casserole dish, spoon in spaghetti meat sauce. Top with 1/2 of pasta. Top with cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 of pasta. Add remaining 1 cup of cheese to top. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake and additional 5 minutes.

4 servings

Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

These are delicious! Brent is a huge potato eater, so I try to mix it up with different flavorings. This attempt was highly successful.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds potatoes (I used small red)
3 cups whipping cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup fresh or 4 teaspoons dried Parsley
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Thinly slice the potatoes. In a dutch oven or large stew pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in potatoes, whipping cream, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring gently. Spoon potato mixture into greased 13 x 9 pan. Top with cheese. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

6 servings.

Source: http://good-eats-n-treats.blogspot.com/

Gingered Pineapple Pork Chops

These are wonderful. The pork chops were so tender and the ginger and pineapple flavoring went really well together. I highly recommend these.

Ingredients:
2 pork chops (you can use an type, as long as they are thick cut)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1 can (8 oz) pineapple pieces

Preheat oven to 375. Place the pork chops in a shallow oven-proof dish. In a bowl, mix together sugar, vinegar, ginger, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup syrup from canned pineapple. Mix well and pour over chops. Cook uncovered for 30 - 35 minutes. Turn the chops once half through cooking. Top with the pineapple pieces and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

2 servings.

Source: The Quick and Easy Cookbook, by Alison Burt

Nacho Spuds

These are wonderful! I made as an appetizer when my family visited. They were so perfect, delicious, and went over well. For recipe info, see Celeste's blog: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/nacho-spuds.html

Hawaiian Chicken Stir-fry

This is so delicious, and once again, I was able to get Brent to eat vegetables. The broccoli in this recipe tastes so sweet. I served the stir fry over brown rice that I had added a touch of low-sodium soy sauce to.


2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 cups fresh or frozen broccoli

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 teaspoon onion powder

4 teaspoons EVOO

1 cup diced pineapple

Rice

Cook rice according to package directions. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. If the broccoli pieces are too big, you may need to cut them into smaller pieces. Heat EVOO in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup water. Cook 6 minutes. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and onion powder. Mix well, and pour over chicken. Cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in pineapple. Cook 1 minute. Serve over rice.

4 servings

Tuna Noodle Casserole

This recipe does not sound appetizing at all, but it was so good. I am not a fish eater, and I ate several plates full. Its just a very easy recipe and a great way to use the tuna cans in the cabinet you can't seem to get rid of.

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
3 cups uncooked rotini or penne pasta
1 can (12 1/2 oz) tuna packed in water
1 package (10oz) frozen peas and carrots (I just used a can of peas)
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/3 cups French fried onions, divided

Drain the tuna and rinse. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the soup and milk in a 2 quart casserole dish. Stir in cooked pasta, tuna, 2/3 cup fried onions, vegetables, and cheese. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Top with remaining fried onions and cook for additional 5 minutes.

6 servings.

Source: "25 Years of Favorite Brand Name Recipes" cookbook

Creamy Chicken Primavera

This is a picture of the primavera cooking in the pan. I didn't get a picture of the finished meal, but the primavera is best served over hot linguine. Its very good, and I was even able to convince Brent to eat despite the peas, which he detests.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon EVOO
2 medium green peppers, chopped coarsely
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup peas, frozen or canned
1 jar Parmesan Alfredo Sauce (I used Ragu Cheesy)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 oz linguine (or spaghetti)

In a nonstick skillet, heat EVOO on medium-high heat. Cook the green peppers and onion for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and peas and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions. To the chicken, add the Alfredo sauce and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot linguine.

4 servings

Source: "25 Years of Favorite Name Brand Recipes" cookbook - Seriously one of the best cookbooks I've ever bought.

Rigatoni Toss Baked

I am on a vegetable kick lately, as you can tell. Brent is not good about eating vegetables by themselves, so I've been putting them in any foods I can. This turned out so good. I wish I had made more.

Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (20 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained (optional - I did not use)
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pounds rigatoni pasta
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

In soup pot, brown beef and drain. Add bell pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, except rigatoni. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 300. Toss the pasta with the sauce and mix well. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

5 - 6 servings.

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

These are so delicious. For the recipe, check out Celeste's blog at http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/oven-roasted-red-potatoes-with-rosemary.html
She's a very talented food photographer, and as her pictures show, these are as good as they look.