Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

What a great idea, it's healthy, it's fresh, it's delicious and it just screams summer.

This recipe comes from this fantastic recipe blog http://www.skinnytaste.com. Seriously everything this lady posts looks amazing and the recipes are mostly very healthy. So I recommend you check it out.

So my new favorite summer dish - Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

Ingredients:

3 vine ripe tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Kosher Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

3 oz part skim Mozzarella, diced

1.25 lbs (8 thin sliced) chicken cutlets

(I'm not too worried about exact measurements - and I used chicken breast because that's what I had in the fridge and I just used the regular tomatoes I already had , I don't have Kosher Salt but it still turned out fantastic)

Directions

Combine onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Set aside a few minutes

Chop tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic, basil, onion-balsamic combo. Set aside and let sit for at least 10 min. or overnight. Add the cheese when ready to serve.

Grill your chicken, best if only seasoned with something plain like salt and pepper.

Put the bruschetta on top of the chicken (that way the chicken absorbs the taste from the bruschetta) and serve.

For pictures and the recipe you can also see it on skinnytaste.com

Enjoy

Jana

Chicken Crescent Rolls

This is one of my favorite recipes from my mom that we don't make anymore (cursed milk allergies!), but I really miss it, so I thought I would share it so others could enjoy it. :0) It's pretty simple, and oh so good!
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1/2 pound chicken breasts
2 packages Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 package Cream Cheese
1/8 - 1/4 cup milk
Garlic powder to taste (maybe a tablespoon if you like garlic)

Cook and cut up two chicken breasts). Unroll 2 pkgs of Pillsbury crescent rolls. Keep them in rectangles (they normally would be divided into 8 triangles). Squeeze or "smoosh" the lines together in the middle of the rectangle so the dough will hold together.

Soften a package of cream cheese with a little milk (to taste, but less than a quarter cup - you want the sauce thick) and stir in garlic powder to taste. Use a whisk so it all mixes well.

Add chicken to cream cheese mix and put a mound in middle of dough rectangle (about the size of an ice cream scoop). Fold sides of rectangle over chicken mix and squeeze edges to seal.

Bake in oven for 11 to 13 minutes at 375 (follow the instructions for the rolls), and enjoy!

Super Easy Sloppy Joes

This is my mom's recipe, and it's really fast and absolutely delicious!

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion
1 can tomato soup
1 tbs mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Hamburger buns
Cheddar cheese slices

Brown the hamburger with chopped onion. Drain off the fat. Add the tomato soup, mustard, salt and pepper, heat it all up together. Serve on hamburger buns with cheese.

Sweet and Sour Hot Dogs

I was telling Linsy how much I've been enjoying your recipes, and she asked if I had any to share. I thought I might have a few, so she invited me to join in. Here's one of my absolute favorites that my mom would make growing up. Not only is it easy to make, it's also got the healthy stuff you "have" to eat, and has the added bonus of having hot dogs so even your kids will love it!

Sweet & Sour Hot Dogs

9 oz. pineapple tidbits
6 hot dogs
2 tbs butter
1 medium onion
1 green pepper
1 bouillon cube
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 tbs corn starch
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
Rice

Drain pineapple tidbits, saving the juice for later. Slice the frankfurters, and cut up the onion and green pepper into strips. In skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and the green pepper, cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

Dissolve the bouillon cube into the hot water. Mix the corn starch and brown sugar and pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and bouillon/hot water. Pour over vegetables. Cook & stir until thick. Add franks & pineapple and heat. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Chicken Salsa Tacos

This is a recipe my cousin recently shared with me. It is SO good and WAY easy. I made it in my crock pot for about 4-5 hours. She suggests flour tortillas but my little family prefers corn tortillas. Mmmm...

6-8 Chicken breasts
Jar of Salsa ( medium sized )
1c. brown sugar

Mix Salsa and brown sugar pour onto chicken breasts and cook. (Either in Crock pot or oven) Shred chicken and serve in soft flour tortillas with regular tacos mixings. (ex. sour cream, lettuce, tomato, olives, re-fried beans, etc.)

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

This recipe is in my top 3. It is pure deliciousness. It’s so good, you just sit there and savor. SAVOR people. The first time I made this it seemed a bit time consuming, so naturally I was ticked and swore I would never make it again. But once I tasted it, it was worth it – and now it goes pretty fast. It is a Giada recipe care of Danielle. Huge plus: the manicotti freezes well.

- 1/2 pound ground beef (I use turkey)

- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (from one onion)

- 1 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta cheese

- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 3 teaspoons olive oil

- 12 pieces of manicotti pasta (from one 8 oz box)

- 1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce (I just use plain canned tomato sauce)

Heat a medium size skillet over medium. Add ground beef and onion and saute until meat browns and onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in the meat mixture and set aside.

Brush 1 teaspoon olive oil over large baking sheet. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook manicotti until softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer manicotti to baking sheet and cool.

Preheat oven to 350. Brush remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Fill manicotti with cheese-meat mixture. (I put the filling in a ziplock and cut the corner to fill the manicotti.) Arrange filled pastas in a single layer in dish. Spoon remaining cup of sauce over manicotti. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and then the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese over the manicotti.

Bake uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the bottom of the dish, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Pizza pizza pizza

I love pizza so here comes the recipe to my pizza crust - very simple

1 cup milk (you can also use water)

1 tbsp dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

3 cups Wheat (if I'm feeling extra healthy I mix it with whole wheat)

1 tbsp olive oil

salt

If you can let the dough rise for approx. 1 hour

I've recently discovered Giada for Target - she makes great tomato and basil pasta sauce which I love to use as pizza sauce and the huge jar is only $2.99

Then top the pizza with all your favorites or whatever you have in the fridge.

Personal favorite pesto chicken, peppers, tomato, zucchini, red onions, mushrooms, basil, oregano and mozzarella.

If you have a pizza stone or a plate you can put on the grill that's the best - grill it for 5-7 minutes - just be careful the crust burns easily.

Chicken Breast Supreme

• 4 lb chicken breasts
• 2 cans cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. savory seasoning
• Rice

- Cover chicken breasts with water and add savory seasoning. Boil until done. Place in 9x13 inch baking dish.

- Mix soup, mayonnaise, whipping cream, and Worcestershire sauce.

- Pour mixture over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.

- Serve over rice.

This is another easy breezy recipe from Darin's mom. Very tasty! I often don't have all the ingredients, and its still really good with various substitutes. (cream of chicken instead of cream of celery) (milk instead of whipping cream) (low fat mayo instead of the real deal). Also, I sometimes bake it with the rice on the bottom.

Cream Sauce Meatballs

Another favorite from - you guessed it - Tiffany! Thanks!

Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 soft breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. milk

Sauce:
2 T. vegetable oil, plus a little leftover bacon grease (don't you save yours)
3 T. flour
1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 8 oz. carton sour cream

Serve over hot rice or noodles

Combine meatball ingredients and shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Brown in hot oil in large skillet. Drain: reserve drippings in skillet. Add flour and 1/2 tsp. pepper to drippings and mix well. Gradually add broth, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool. Add sour cream and meatballs. Reheat over medium until heated. Serve!

Mongolian Beef

2 lbs. sirloin tip sliced very thin (have the meat guy at the store do it)
Add 2 1/2 T. sugar, stir through meat and let sit overnight

Combine:
4 1/2 T. soy sauce
2 bunches of green onion ends
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. seasame seeds
dash of black pepper
2 T. oil

Pour sauce over meat 10 minutes before cooking. Just before cooking add the oil. Cook quickly in a hot pan (if the pan isn't hot enough the meat tastes chewy). It only takes about 3-4 minutes to cook. Serve over rice.

Another recipe from Tiffany - thanks!

French Dip Sandwiches

~Roast
~1 16 oz can beef broth
~1/2 can water
~1 packet dry au jus mix
~1 packet dry Italian dressing (I use half the packet if it is a smaller roast and it cuts down the amount of sodium)

~sub rolls
~pepper jack cheese

Put the first 5 ingredients in a crock-pot. Cook on low 10 hours (less if it is just a small roast). Remove roast and shred or slice. Serve in sub rolls and place pepper jack cheese on top. Broil for a few mins or place in a panini grill until cheese is melted. Dip in the aujus from the crock-pot or if it grosses you out use another au jus packet and make according to package directions. It is yummy. We like it with sweet potato fries and a salad.

Chip dip-dip

This is a recipe from my sister-in-law June. It's a sort of chip-dip that serves as a meal. Really easy and really good!

-1 chicken breast (cut into smaller bite-size cubes)
-2Tbs of oil

Brown chicken in oil and then add:
-1 can chicken broth
-1 can tomato sauce
-1 packet of taco seasoning
(Bring to boil, 5 min)

Add:
-drained canned corn (or frozen)
-1 1/2 cups minute rice

Put lid on, turn off heat, cover and let sit 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top. Serve with tortilla chips. Whala!

Salsa and Black Bean Chicken

This is another favorite from my friend Tiff - thanks Tiff!

cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook with 1/2 packet taco seasoning in skillet until juices run clear. Add:
1 c. salsa
1/4 c. apricot jam
1/2 c. water
1 T. cilantro
2 T. lime juice
boil and then stir in 2 cans of drained black beans. Delicious! You can also serve this over rice. I sometimes double the water and add more jam too.

Winter Carnival Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1 1-lb. 12 oz. can tomatoes

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp. cornstarch

3 cups cooked macaroni or rice (I've never used rice)

l cup cheddar cheese-grated

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain grease. Drain tomatoes; save 1/4 cup of liquid from tomoatoes. Add tomatoes, molasses, salt, chili powder, pepper and bay leaf to meat mixture. Bring to boil; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Blend cornstarch with tomato liquid; stir into meat mixture. Bring to boil, stirring. Add macaroni; pour into 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven about 30 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

This recipe is unbelievably delish! It is from Natalie R. She brought be this casserole when Beau was born and I am telling you, my life has not been the same since. Yummy!

Darin's Fav' Chicken Enchiladas

• 4 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups monterrey jack cheese
• 1 can diced green chiles (4 oz)
• 1 bundle of green onions (sliced)
• 1 pint sour cream
• 8-10 flour tortillas

- combine cream of chicken soup, cheese, diced green chiles, sliced green onions, sour cream together in a bowl

- set aside 2 cups of mixture

- add cooked and diced chicken to remaining mixture

- grease bottom of 9x13 casserole dish

- fill flour tortillas with chicken mixture, roll up, and place in dish (8-10 will fit)

- cover the enchiladas with the remaining mixture

- bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Thanks to Darin's mom Karen for this great recipe. It is Darin's all time favorite meal and a staple in our home.

Tortilla Surprise Casserole

• 1 -2 cans tomato sauce
• package of small round corn tortillas
• 1-2 pounds ground beef
• 1 green pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 package frozen corn (or 2 cans drained)
• A large jar of salsa (any kind of salsa - I use this liberally)
• shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)

- Pam bottom of casserole dish

- Cook ground beef on the stove with chopped green pepper, onion and taco seasoning

- Layer all ingredients twice in dish: starting with tomato sauce to cover the bottom of dish, cover sauce with corn tortillas, cooked beef mixture, corn, salsa, then cheddar cheese. Repeat.

- Bake at 350 until cheese melted (usually 25 minutes), and broil 1 minute

- You can also add sliced olives to the top before baking

Thanks to my best Tiffany for this excellent concoction - she is a FABULOUS cook!

Chicken Madeira

This meal is a fave of mine. I have also made it without the cream and sour cream and it is still really good. The meal is way better than it looks in the picture it is creamy and flavorful and delish!

*6 boneless chicken breasts
*12 oz sliced, fresh mushrooms
*flour for dredging
*salt & pepper
*1/4 cup butter
*1/3 cup chopped shallots (I usually just use red onions if I have them instead)
*1 Tablespoon minced garlic
*1 cup Madeira wine (I substitute with Marsala cooking wine, which they sell in any grocery store and then you don't have to go to a separate liquor store).
*1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream if you can't find it)
*1 cup heavy cream
*2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pound chicken breasts so that they are thin.(recipe doesn't call for this but I like it better this way).
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess. Heat half of the butter in a saute pan and cook chicken over medium low heat until browned on both sides, 8-10 mins.
Remove and place in an oven proof casserole dish.
Add the rest of the butter to the saucepan along w/ the shallots, mushrooms and garlic. Saute over medium heat for two minutes.
Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the creme fraiche, cream lemon juice and 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper.
Boil until mixture thickens-5 to 10 mins.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake 12 mins, or until chicken is heated through.

Serves 6

Honey Baked Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
(I usually use chicken breast cut into strips)

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup (4 TBS) Butter
1/4 cup mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder

pour sauce over chicken in baking dish

375 degrees for 1 hour

Serve over white rice.

The added bonus to this recipe is these are ingredients most have on hand. A deliciously done deal!

Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs (slowcooker)

This is a favorite of ours.

1 package (18 ounces or so) frozen cooked meatballs
1 can (14 ounces) crushed pineapple, with juice
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Place frozen meatballs in greased 31/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. In a saucepan, combine pineapple with juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together, then add to simmering sauce to thicken. pour sauce over meatballs. Cover and coon on low heat 3-4 hours.

Meatballs can be served on a platter with toothpicks as appetizers, or over hot cooked white rice.

Thai Peanut Pasta

• Linguini
• 1 lb. cooked and cubed chicken
• Pineapple chunks drained
• Handful of snow peas

Sauce: (serves 2)

• ¼ c. chicken broth
• 2 T. peanut butter
• ¼ tsp. crushed red peppers
• 1 T. lime juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 T. soy sauce

(The sauce is so great that I double it, but only use ¼ tsp. of red peppers still. You can add more for a hotter sauce. You will want more sauce on it too!)

Cook pasta, and then drain in colander. Put snow peas and chicken cooked and cubed in colander. Put back in pan and add pineapple, and add the sauce.

Sauce:

Heat chicken broth and Peanut Butter until PB melts then add other ingredients and pour on pasta.

(Thanks to my friend Kelli for this excellent recipe!)