Greek Garlic and Herb Stuffed Chicken

This was a very easy and flavorful dish.  I served it with my cauliflower mashed potatoes and it was a big hit.

INGREDIENTS:
6 small boneless/skinless chicken breasts (or 4 large)
4 wedges Laughing Cow lite garlic and herb cheese spread
1/4 cup feta crumbles
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp sliced black olives
salt
pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Mix together the cheese, oregano, garlic and black olives.
2.  Cut a small pocket in one side of each chicken breast being careful not to cut all the way through, leaving 3 sides in tact.
3.  Stuff the chicken with equal parts of the cheese mixture in step 1.
4.  Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
5. In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through.

Makes 4-6 servings.

The Perfect Pizza Crust

I used this recipe to make the best homemade pizza I've ever tasted.  A nice healthy whole wheat crust that's easy to make and tastes delicious can be hard to find.  From the start of the dough to a finished oven baked pizza, it was only an hour and a half.  Plus now I have more dough in the freezer for next time.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg dry yeast or 2tsp from a jar
1 cup of warm milk (about 110-115F)
1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 T olive oil divided
2.5 cup flour (I used 2 cups bread flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Mix the milk, sugar, salt, yeast and 1Tbsp of oil in a small bowl and let set until foamy.
2.  Add to the flour in a stand mixer with a dough hook.
3.  Mix on low until just pulled together (dough should be slightly sticky).
4.  Mix (knead) on medium for 6-8 minutes.
5.  Coat the dough in the remaining oil and let stand covered in a warm place free of drafts until doubled in size.
6.  Punch down and divide the dough in 1/2.
7.  Spread one 1/2 on a 13inch pizza pan.  It may take some working to spread it out and make it stick.  Start from the middle and work your way out.
8. Load with your favorite toppings and bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
9.  Wrap the other 1/2 in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use or make a second pizza.

Tuscan Frittata

Sorry no picture for this one.  My frittata technique needs some work.  LOL!  But that doesn't affect the taste.  This is amazing.  This recipe is for one frittata

INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 cups baby spinach
1tsp minced garlic
1tsp dried basil
salt and pepper
sliced tomato


DIRECTIONS:
1. Wilt the tomato with garlic in 1tsp EVOO over medium high heat in a non stick or cast iron skillet.
2. Beat the eggs and egg white pour on top of spinach.
3. Sprinkle basil, salt and pepper on top and cook until set.
4. Flip and finish cooking (this is the hard part. Mine ended up scrambled)
5. Top with tomato and enjoy.

Grilled Pull Apart Pesto, Tomato, and Mozzarella Sandwiches

We made this while camping this weekend and it was just amazing. So full of flavor and so very easy to make. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can stuff the sandwiches full of whatever ingredients you want. This way everyone gets exactly what they want.

INGREDIENTS:

1  round or oval shaped loaf of italain or sourdough bread
1/2 jar pesto
3-4 medium tomatoes sliced
16oz or 2 balls of fresh mozzarella

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Pre-heat gas grill or charcoal coals for medium heat.
2.  Slice the bread into 12-14 slices making sure not to cut all the way through to the bottom.
3.  Spread pesto between every other slice to create 6-7 sandwiches.
4.  Stuff the pesto pockets with tomato and mozzzarella.
5.  Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray.  Make sure the foil is large enough to enclose the whole loaf of breaqd.
6.  Wrap the bread in foil loosely and place on the grill.  If using charcoal, it would be best to used indirect heat by putting an aluminum foil tray in the bottom of the grill and spreading the coals around the outside.
7.  Grill the bread 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is warm and crispy on the outside.
8.  Slice or pull apart individual sandwiches and enjoy.

Homemade Sandwich Bread

We've started trying to make our own bread and this recipe came out the winner. It's so soft and yummy and extremely easy.

1 envelope active dry yeast or 1Tbsp from a jar
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 Tbsp honey or 2Tbsp sugar (I haven't tried it with the honey yet)
1.5 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
1/2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
3 cups all-purpose flour (for whole wheat, use 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)

1. In bowl of electric mixer, sprinkle yeast over warm water.

2. Add honey/sugar, butter, salt and mix until yeast is dissolved.

3. Let stand for about 5 minutes until foamy.

4. Add flour and mix on low using a dough hook until pulled together. You may need to add either a little extra water or a little extra flour depending on consistency. It should be slightly sticky, yet pull away from the bowl when mixed.

5. Turn mixer med and let go for about 6-8 minutes (the dough hook does the kneading for you).

6. Coat a large bowl with melted butter or cooking spray and let dough rise until doubled in a warm place free of drafts.

**Hint about getting a faster rise.  Before you even start turn your oven on to warm or about 100F.  When you get to step 6.  Turn the oven off and put the bowl of dough in the oven to rise.  This cuts down on time by quite a bit.

7. Punch down dough and knead until smooth. Then shape into a log with the seam underneath.

8. Place in a well greased bread pan and let rise until 1-1.5 inches over the top of the pan.  (If you place it on top of the stove while the oven pre-heats it will go faster and should only take about 45 minutes)

9. Pre-heat oven to 400.

10. Bake for 20 minutes until internal temperature is 190-200 degrees and loaf sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom after removing from the pan.

11. When done, immediately turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf 20-25oz.

Ranch Chicken Salad Squares

This recipe was fantastic. It was so delicious that my 4 year old ate more than I did. She ate 1 1/3 squares for dinner last night. I was amazed. These are so easy, espeically if you have leftover chicken and don't know what to do with it. I got the idea from this recipe:  http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=14502&WT.ac=HP_Feature_Recipe1  I think the Caesar squares would be good too, but I was in the mood for ranch.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5-2 cups cooked chicken breast either shredded or diced
3 slices cooked bacon crumbled
1/4 cup light ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup light mayo
1 can crescent roll sheets
3oz shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Combine all ingredients except crescent roll sheet in large mixing bowl.
3. Unroll crescent sheet and cut into 4 rectangles.
4. Take 1 rectangle and press out into a square and add 1/2 cup of chicken mixture to the center.
5. Roll up sides to make a pocket and place on a greased cookie sheet.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 with the remaining crescent rectangles.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Makes 4 servings.

Optional add ins: celery, broccoli, or anything else you would add in to chicken salad

Fabulous Caramel Fruit Dip

I just made this for the 4th of July weekend and it really truly was fabulous. I could have eaten the whole bowl and it makes a ton.

Ingredients:

8oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup skim milk
1 small box french vanilla instant pudding
2tsp vanilla
2tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Cream together cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and beat well.
3. Chill and serve with your favorite fruit salad or fruit tray.

Makes about 3 cups of dip or 24 servings of 2 Tbsp each.