Zucchini Boat Enchiladas

I was getting tired of the same old meals and looking for healthy alternatives to some not so healthy ideas. I of course turned to Pinterest and found a couple options for enchiladas. I have never made nor ate enchiladas before and figured I would give it a shot by taking aspects from a couple different posts I found and read. Below I posted links to the few I flipped through in case you want to make any alterations but here is what I decided on.

3 zucchini, cut in half and center scrapes out

*Brush with (1) tablespoon of the below EVOO and back at 375 for 15-20 minutes until softened 

6 chicken tenders, cooked and shredded

*Toss with cumin, chili powder, paprika and pepper below once shredded 

1 sweet pepper, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons crushed garlic

*Saute in a pan until pepper is softened with (2) tablespoons of below EVOO

3 tablespoons EVOO
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Green Enchilada sauce
1 bag shredded Mexican cheese
1- 2 avocados (optional)
Diced tomatoes (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Combine chicken with veggie mixture

Fill boats with above mixture

Top with green enchilada sauce

Top with Mexican cheese

Bake until cheese is golden brown and serve with avocado, diced tomato and sour cream

ENJOY! 

Sauteed Chicken with Browned Sage Butter

With it being summer most people like to enjoy grilled food.  For us we cook almost every night on the grill, both the meat and the sides.  I am getting to the point that I just can't seem to eat anymore grilled chicken.  So tonight I decided to saute chicken breasts in the house with some browned sage butter.  It was so delicious (and easy) that I plan on making it again this week! Here is what you will need to make this fresh juicy chicken.

2 Chicken Breasts (cut in half and pounded to 1/4 inch)

1/2 Cup Flour

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

5 Tablespoons Butter

2 Sprigs Fresh Sage

3 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

First you want to salt and pepper your chicken to taste.  Next spray down your saute pan with the olive oil cooking pray and heat your pan.  While the pan is heating, lightly coat each side of the chicken breast with flour.  Now it is time to add your chicken to the pan, cook on medium heat about 4 minutes on each side (or until cooked through).  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.  Immediately add the butter and sage sprigs to the hot seasoned pan. Cook until butter is browned.  Remove the sage and add the thyme to the butter, cook about 30 seconds (being careful that the thyme does not burn).  Lastly add the lemon juice to the pan and throw the chicken back in.  It is now time to serve and top with the butter sauce! 

Although I am tired of grilled chicken, veggies are still delish on the grill!  While I was making the chicken my husband threw some fresh corn on the cob and zucchini that be picked fresh from the garden on the grill to have with our chicken.  Perfect summer meal, Enjoy!

Shrimp Mozambique

Tonight I was feeling like shrimp but not wanting the same old shrimp scampi that I always make.  I decided to go with a Portuguese dish, Shrimp Mozambique.   This dish is full of flavor and so easy and quick to make.  I love making it with Shrimp but you can also make it with Chicken.  I actually made this dish last Valentine's Day with both chicken and shrimp and used a heart shape cookie cutter to make the chicken pieces in the shape of hearts! 

 To start off you will need all the ingredients below: 

2 bags of boil in a bag whole grain rice
20 large shrimp peeled and deveined
 2 sticks of margarine
1 bottle of light beer
3 cloves of garlic sliced
1/2 a sweet onion, chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic with two teaspoons of juice (jarred)
2 teaspoons paprika
Salt to taste
4 packets of Goya con azafern seasoning

 First you can start to cook your rice by following the directions on the box.  In a large skillet melt the margarine with the can on beer.  Add the onion, garlic and paprika.  Saute for about 10 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook until pink.  Add the Goya Seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir, turn the heat off and cover for about 15 minutes to let the shrimp absorb the flavor.  Serve over rice and Enjoy!

Whole Grains with a side of Mushrooms

After eating mainly fruits and veggies the past few days I was needing something with flavor and wholesomeness.  I decided to try Near East 100% natural Whole Grain Blends.  I am usually not a huge rice fan but I am now wishing I bought more than one box to try.....it was absolutely DELISH! I used the Roasted Pecan and Garlic but they have many different flavors to try and there is 1 serving of Whole Grains per a 1cup serving as well as a bit of protein to since I am not eating meat this month.

On that note, my husband still is eating meat so tonight I made him zesty herb pan seared chicken tenders topped with sauteed baby bella mushrooms. What you will need to prepare the mushrooms:

1/2 cup baby bella's sliced

2 T EVOO

2 T Margarine

2 T Minced Garlic

2 T green onion chopped

Heat oil in a medium skillet and add garlic.  Let cook for a few minutes while stirring.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of the margarine.  Next add the onion and mushrooms and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Make sure to stir occasionally so that they do not stick and burn.  Lastly add the last tablespoon of butter and simmer for 2 additional minutes.  Remove mushrooms while leaving some garlic and butter behind to cook the chicken in.** Top the cooked chicken with the mushrooms and ENJOY!

 ** The chicken was coated in a Zesty Herb marinade mix by McCormick and then added to the pan after the mushrooms were removed.

Spicy Pineapple Crockpot Chicken

I love the taste of rich foods with lots of flavor and a bit of spice, but after that I always feel like a need something a little sweet.  To cover all the flavors above I came up with my latest crockpot meal.  I love using a crockpot as I can prepare dinner before leaving for the day and it is done and ready to go right when I walk int he door 8 hours later!  It also slow cooks the meat to really infuse and soak up all those yummy flavors!  For my Spicy Pineapple Chicken you will need the following:

Roughly 10 Chicken Tenders (may be frozen)
1/2 Jar Tostitos Pineapple Peach Salsa
1/2 Bottle Archer Farms Hot Chile Pineapple Grilling Sauce
1/2 Package of McCormick Fajita Seasoning
1 Bottle Light Beer
1 Cup Water

I always begin by lining my crockpot with a liner, this means no clean up later! Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with 1/2 a package of Fajita Seasoning.  Next pour in 1/2 the beer and water around the chicken. Top the chicken with 1/2 bottle of Hot Chile Pineapple grilling sauce and spoon the salsa into the liquid.  Cover, set to low and go on with your day.  Return roughly 6-8 hours later and shred the chicken.  Return chicken to the pot and ass the other half of the beer.  Let simmer on low for about 30 minutes more while you cook rice to serve it over.

 Place the Spicy Pineapple Chicken over rice and top with sea salt and parsley! The perfect mix of spicy and sweet all in one bowl.....Enjoy!

Grilled Cornish Hen

As you know, today was my grandmother's birthday and after that delicious rich cake who would have thought we would ever need to eat dinner?!?!?! WELL we did and decided on Cornish Game Hens!  These hens are tricky to grill as they are small and can dry out easily.  With the food processor we created a wet stuffing consisting of mainly celery, onions and a mixture of spices.

We then used a combination of those spices to coat the outside with to give the skin that extra flavor before sending them off to the grill!

 As you can see we were so anxious to bite in that we forgot the after picture.  The meat was very flavorful and extremely moist!  I can not wait to enjoy the rest for lunch tomorrow!