The inspiration for tonight's dinner? - the abundance of basil that is growing in my garden. Maybe it's my Italian roots but I just love basil. I use it to make homemade vinaigrette, fresh pesto and salads. I also use it to brighten up the flavor in chicken dishes like this cheesy basil stuffed chicken breast. Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
1 cup mozzarella 4 boneless chicken breasts ¼ cup fresh basil 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise 2 Tablespoons heavy cream 1 cup bread crumbs 3 cloves garlic 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 pint cherry tomatoes Combine cheese, 2 T. basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, salt and pepper. Cut pocket in each chicken breast and stuff with cheese mixture. Transfer breasts to a 9x13 baking pan and spread tops with mayonnaise. Combine bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining basil and 1 T. oil. Sprinkle crumb mixture over breasts. Toss tomatoes with 1 T. oil and salt and pepper. Arrange in baking dish around chicken. Bake 25 minutes at 425 or until crumbs are golden brown. Ever have one of those days when you simply don't have time to cook dinner? Today was one of those days. I prepped the chicken in the morning and put the breasts in the refrigerator, uncooked. At dinner time, I put the chicken in the oven and within 25 minutes, dinner was ready. Ciao!
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To all of you skeptics out there (and you know who you are) you need to give these "meatballs" a try. I feed these eggplant meatballs to my family and they really do like them. I actually prefer them to beef or pork meatballs. These tasty morsels are delicious by themselves or with a serving of whole wheat pasta. Eggplant Meatballs 1 eggplant 1 teaspoon onion powder ¼ cup water 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 eggs. Beaten 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Bake 20 minutes at 400. Turn and bake another 20 minutes.
These eggplant meatballs may just convince some diehard meat eaters that vegetables really are delicious. I am not a vegetarian but this is a great option for those of you that want replace some of the red meat in your diet with healthier alternatives. Ciao! The kids are back in school which means breakfast happens at 6:15 in the morning at my house. Needless to say, I am always looking for healthy breakfast ideas that I can fix quickly in the morning. These french toast bites came together very quickly and they were a big hit this morning. I always feel better about sending everyone off to school and work after they have had a good breakfast.
French Toast Bites 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla pinch salt 6 thick slices rustic bread, cut into 1" cubes 2 Tablespoons butter Stir together cinnamon and sugar. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, milk and vanilla. Place bread cubes in egg mixture and toss until all mixture has been absorbed. Melt 1 T. butter in large skillet. Add 1/2 of the bread cubes and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer cubes to another bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Repeat with remaining butter, bread and sugar. Slide cubes onto skewers and serve with syrup for dipping. If you don't have time to skewer the cubes, serve them in a bowl along with toothpicks for dipping. Ciao! This year I am growing Better Boy, Roma and Sweet One Hundred tomatoes. My favorite? - sweet 100's. Luckily I have an abundance of these tiny tomatoes this year. These tomatoes are best if eaten just after they are picked. I found this recipe for Caprese Pasta Salad on another blog - fortheloveofcooking.blogspot.com. It was super simple and really highlighted the fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden. I made another version of this pasta salad from a 2008 Better Homes and Garden magazine. Both were good but we liked the Caprese Pasta Salad best. Caprese Pasta Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette 8 ounces pasta Handful of grape tomatoes Fresh Mozzarella cheese, diced Fresh basil, diced White Balsamic Vinaigrette 2 Tablespoons canola oil 1 Tablespoon olive oil 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 clove garlic, minced sea salt and fresh black pepper Cook pasta and drain. Combine vinaigrette ingredients and pour pasta into dressing. Add tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. Greek Pasta Salad
12 ounces pasta, cooked and drained 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cucumber, diced 2 green onions, sliced 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 Tablespoons fresh basil 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup crumbled feta (missing from my salad in the picture) Cook pasta and drain. Toss together pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions and olives. In another bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano and anchovy paste. Whisk to combine. Drizzle over pasta and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour. Sprinkle with feta just before serving. The best part about having a garden? - eating the vegetables the same day they are picked. It just doesn't get any fresher than that. Pair this simple side dish with grilled chicken breasts for a meal that is ready in no time. Ciao! This is my new favorite sandwich. What more can I say? Bacon, eggs, avocado and tomato - what's not to like?
B.E.A.T. Sandwich 2 slices of crusty whole grain bread, toasted 2 slices of crispy bacon (I used Jennie O's extra lean turkey bacon on my sandwich) 1 egg, cooked over easy 2 slices of vine ripened tomato 2 slices of avocado 1 teaspoon of light mayonnaise lettuce Toast the bread and spread mayonnaise on 1 side. I built my sandwich in this order: bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and egg. It was a little on the messy side but well worth the mess. Absolutely delicious. We ate these sandwiches two nights in a row. Ciao! |
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