Almond-Stuffed Chicken

Almond-Stuffed Chicken with Salted Green Beans & Couscous

I must admit two things: One, I stole this from Cooking Light and its awesome because you can make it in under 30 mins, and two, I did not know how to solve the problem of not knowing weather the chicken was done on the inside. The cheesy goodness makes it hard for the chicken to warm on the inside and due to the fact that my lovely boyfriend doesn't quite get the fact that ecen though I said, "cut the chicken in half," does not actually mean cut the entire chicken in half but merely enough to stuff it (honest mistake), I ended up just baking both sides and stuffing the cheesy goodness in after cooking it in the pan. If you find a better way, please feel free to comment. All in all, I thought it was awesome, creamy, but still tasty, which says a lot from an anti-creamy person.

Ingredients:
1/3C light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese (I swear, it exists. You can also use Boursin)
1/4C slivered almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 Tblsp. parmesan (optional)

Ingredients for sides:
box of Mediterranean couscous
1/2 lb. green beans, cut ends
salt to taste

Directions:
Toast Almonds in skillet without oil. Combine spreadable cheese,
3/4 of the almonds, basil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cut horizontal slit in chicken to form a pocket. DO NOT cut all the way through. He who shall not be named in this blog ("HWSNBNITB," I will only use this when he does something less than stellar), took my directions a bit too literally and thus we ended up having to sew chicken breast halves back together with toothpicks, not the prettiest end to the chicken. I'm not sure how to cook the chicken all the way through with the cheese in the middle so you might want to broil the chicken on low for a few mins before placing it in the skillet, but that's really for the next set. Stuff chicken pocket with the cheese mixture. Salt, Pepper, and paprika both sides of the chicken.

Heat butter (or oil for a healthier option) in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan. Again, not sure how to solve the issue of cooking the chicken thoroughly on both sides enough to cook the middle because of the cheese mixture inside. If you solve this issue, leave a comment on the post. I ended up separating the halved until cooked then stuffing the mixture back in before taking it off the heat, but not the prettiest outcome.

Cook couscous according to the package and set aside.

Boil salted water, then cook green beans for 2-3 mins. Once chicken is done, throw the green beans in the hot skillet with some salt and toss in the pan. This keeps them crispy.

Place chicken on plate covering with parmasean if you wish. Then place couscous and green beans on the plate, covering everything with remaining almond slices and basil to decorate.

One Pot, One Pan, Balsamic Chicken

One Pot, One Pan Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous


This is probably one of the fastest "real" meals you could possibly make. Seriously, it can be done in about 15-20 mins and is super easy. Also, it only takes up one pot and one pan. You cook the couscous in a separate pot, and everything else gets cooked in a large skillet, so very little cleanup. I took/stole this from a recipe book called, "The Food You Crave" and it contains less than 500 calories, leaving you plenty of calories left over for wine :) I would serve with Merlot or Cab Sav.

Ingredients:
olive oil (enough to heat up in the pan, about 3 Tablespoons)
2-4 chicken breasts, pounded and thin enough to brown on both sides
1/4 teaspoon of salt, and more for taste
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper and more for taste
Tablespoon of minced garlic (or for the true foodie, 3 cloves minced)
8 cups of baby spinach (or roughly one package)
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (I like the ones with garlic, oregano already added)
1 package of whole wheat couscous (I like the Mediterranean olive oil option), about 2 cups cooked
*leftover red wine or whatever you plan on drinking that night (optional)
*a few teaspoons of flour (optional for thickness)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet at med. heat. Season the chicken with pepper and salt (and some cayenne or paprika if its around). Add to the pan and brown on both sides or else have a pretty boy do it for you :P (about 6 mins). When finished put on plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm
2. Put 1 Tablespoon of olive oil back in pan and throw in the garlic to brown (about 1 min). After garlic is browned, throw in the baby spinach and cook until slightly wilted (about 1-2 mins), but be careful because if it wilts too much it will be soggy. Season with salt and pepper, put in bowl and set aside.
3. Make the couscous from the package in a separate pot.
4. Add the vinegar, broth, and tomatoes to the pan and stir making sure to get the bits of flavor off the bottom. Add in the sugar (it cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar, but if you liek it acidy, then no sugar for you!). Let bubble a min or two, then bring down to a simmer while occasionally stirring. Let the sauce thicken for a bit, about 5 mins. If it is too runny for you, throw in some flour until desired thickness is reached.
5. Put 1/2-1 cup of couscous on bottom of plate, cover with some spinach, then top with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the whole thing and ta da, dinner!

No soundtrack for tonight, but if I could have chosen it would have been Better than Ezra for sure!

Liquid Smokin' Turkey Burgers

This is named after a quote from one of the recipes I pillaged from which stated, "if you don't have mesquite seasoning, go ahead and use liquid smoke," as if liquid smoke is so plentiful in all our kitchens, specifically in a kitchen that is so sparse as to not have any kind of BBQ seasons in it, that we can substitute accordingly. This is fast, easy and you can pretty much sub out any of the main ingredients and still be ok (except the meat. That part is somewhat vital to the burger process).

Here is my man cooking over the hot stove. He's very excited about our endeavor, if you couldn't tell. Since I actually refuse to touch any form of raw meat, therefore Ry is put in charge of the cutting, mushing, and grilling of said meat. So credit given to one, Ryan H. A 9 rating by the way. I'm a little proud.



Ingredients:
1 lb of ground turkey (or chicken if you like)
1 jalepeno or red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1/4 red onion diced
red pepper flakes to taste
1 Tablespoon of minced onion
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder
1 egg
2 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce
1 packet of mesquite seasoning (or if you happen to magically have liquid smoke in the cupboard, I am impressed, go ahead and use that and give yourself a gold star from me!)
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I like a LOT of crushed black pepper)
4-5 leaves of garlic chives (optional. I had them in the garden, so I used it)
2-4 slices of pepper jack cheese (or packet of shredded cheddar if you don't like pepper jack)

The fixins:
tomato
lettuce
BBQ sauce
...and don't forget the buns, or you'll be like me and have to send your angel of a boyfriend out to get some

Directions, and here's the easy part:
1. Dump everything into a bowl and mush together (with the exception of the jack cheese, unless you wish to tear up in pieces and have melt in the meat, which also is good)! There's probably a right order, but seeing as I don't have time or patience for it, I don't bother so you shouldn't either.

2. Throw on the grill and cook until done. I would guess about 5 mins on each side. When you are 2-3 mins from done, toss the cheese on there so it gets all melty and nice. That's it! Piece of cake! Speaking of which...


****DESSERT BONUS*******

Drunken Strawberries

This is kind of cheap since I am going to make it, but haven't made it yet, but I'll write and let you know how it is!

Ingredients:
1/2 bar Dark chocolate (I mean the real stuff with 70% cocoa)
Leftover wine (doesn't matter if its red or white, depends on your mood). I would recommend a Merlot or a Zinfendel.
Fresh strawberries (or peaches, or whatever is in season)
Vanilla bean ice cream (again, the good stuff with the beans inside! no cheating!)

Directions:
1. Slice up some strawberries and let chill in the freezer while you make the sauce.
2. Melt the chocolate in the pan on low/med heat. make sure to use a chocolate melter or a nonstick pan because cleanup will be awful otherwise.
3. When the chocolate is done melting but before it starts to bubble, pour in the wine. I don't know the exact measurement, but until you reach the thickness you desire. I would say no more than about 1/2-1 cup. You want it to be creamy, not liquid.
4. Take off heat and let cool until it reaches just a touch warmer than room temp.
5. Place cooled strawberries over ice cream, then spoon sauce over everything. Drink rest of wine and watch strawberries become complacent with life :)

Super Easy Chicken and Roasted Garlic Risotto

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while, but life got in the way. Now, it's a great follow up to Mel's last recipe. You can slave away making fabulous asparagus risotto, complete with music and wine, and then make this super easy, but equally delicious fake risotto meal. Jamie (my adopted sister and roommate, for those who do not know) nearly died when she had this meal, she loved it so much. And unlike real risotto, which you literally have to stand over and stir the entire time, this meal is great for one of those nights when things are crazy and you are running all over the place because you pretty much throw everything together and let it all simmer. And the added bonus is that its a one pan meal!

Chicken & Roasted Garlic Risotto

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I just used 2 chicken breasts, but if you are making this for more than 2 people, go ahead and use the 4 halves)
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
1 cup frozen peas

1. Season the chicken as desired. Heat the buttter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from the skillet.

2. Stir the soups and water in the skillet and heat to a boil. Stir in the rice and peas, and return chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the rice feels tender. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

And in 30 minutes, you have delicious, full flavored chicken and risotto! This recipe is perfect for those nights when you really want risotto but don't want to slave over the stove all night. Enjoy!!

AMAZING Semi-Homemade Broccoli Chese Soup

I LOVE Broccoli Cheese soup, and I've always wanted to make it at home. Everytime I would go to Barnes and Noble or Borders, I would go to the cookbook section and search in vain for a recipe. Or, if I ever did find a recipe, the soup would never come out quite as it should. I have a recipe for broccoli cheese soup for the crockpot that is good, but just way too watery. I had pretty much given up hope of every finding a truly perfect recipe to make broccoli cheese soup at home.

Well, one day I was at Publix, and I'm not sure if you two have discovered this yet, but Publix has these amazing recipes that you can get for free there for fast and easy meals. I always go to the little kiosk and grab any recipe I don't already have. One day, I found a recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup and figured I would try it just to see how it was. OH MY GOD! It was the best Broccoli Cheese soup I've ever had. It's thick and cheesy and so full of flavor. It was perfect. And the best part about the recipe: It's so fast and easy!! It took me no time at all to make the soup, because it's made from a lot of already pre-made soup! This recipe was a great find for me, and I hope you guys like it, too!


Broccoli Cheese Soup with Pasta

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh pre-diced onions
2 (14 oz) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 oz) box deluxe macaroni and cheese dinner (the kind with the cheese sauce pouch)
12 oz fresh broccoli florets
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Preheat large saucepan on medium heat 2-3 minutes. Swirl oil in pan and add onions; cook 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and bring to a boil for pasta. Measure 1 cup of the macaroni pasta from dinner kit and stir into boiling broth. Boil for 9 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Microwave broccoli (in bag or in microwave-safe bowl) on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
3. Whisk the soups and cheese sauce from dinner kit together in a medium bowl.
4. When pasta is tender, stir soup mixture into the pasta and broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the broccoli. Cook 7-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, or until soup is heated through. Serve and sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired.

Et voila! Fantastic Broccoli Cheese soup in no time! Since this is a Publix recipe, everything can be found there, down to the pre-chopped onions and the broccoli florets in a microwave bag. Steaming the broccoli in a steamer is acceptable, as well, it will just take a little bit longer. I hope you guys enjoy this amazing and simple recipe! Happy cooking!

My Most Coveted Recipe

In honor of our brand new blog and the idea of sharing, my first recipe post will be my highly coveted Summer Chili Recipe. Yes, Mel, THE Summer Chili recipe. You can do a little dance now. This chili is a turkey based chili which is perfect for the summertime, as the name alludes, but it's so fantastic, I eat it any time. It's not your basic white chili either. It is hard to describe, but it is pure heaven. It's quick and easy to make, and one batch can feed an army, or you for about a week.

Summer Chili

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tsp ground cumin
1 can chicken broth
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz bag frozen corn
1/2 cup white rice (not instant)
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tsp lime juice
4 oz sour cream
chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Brown meat in large pot with garlic. Add cumin and stir.
2. Add broth, beans, corn, rice, and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
3. Remove chili from heat, stir in onion, lime juice, and sour cream. Add cilantro if desired.

And that's it! So easy, and yet so delicious. You can also add salsa to the chili at the end, as Mel loves to do. All the ingredients are easy to find, too. Just look in the Mexican section in your grocery store for the salsa Verde. This recipe is one of those meals that is great to come home after a long day, throw everything together, and have a fantastic meal. Enjoy!

ps- Carly, you'll have to try this with tofu or some alternative to turkey and let us know how it is!