Broccoli and rice casserole with breaded chicken - easy peasy 1 dish dinner!

This dish is probably one of my biggest "comfort foods" - and it's so simple with very little prep time and the cook time is long enough to tackle a few evening chores, but not TOO long that it leaves your family starving. 

Broccoli and Rice with Italian breaded Chicken

In bottom of 9x13 casserole dish combine:

2 (10 oz) cans Cream of Broccoli condensed soup
1.5 cup rice
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Mix well. Set aside.

For chicken:
5 chicken breasts
In large Ziploc bag add 2 cups whole wheat Italian seasoned bread crumbs.
Crack 3 eggs and a little milk in shallow dish and mix well.
Dredge chicken breasts (one at a time) in the egg mix, then add to Ziploc bag and shake until coated well. Add chicken on top of rice mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Sprinkle top with remaining bread crumbs if desired then sprinkle with paprika.

Bake on 350° for 45-60 minutes until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.

How simple is that?!? 

Salad Dressings!

I love salads and playing with dressing creations so here are a few of my favorites I've made compliments of my newfound loves from Half Moon Bay, California - infused vinegars and oils from Olive Crush in downtown HMB. They're a local place I go to every time we visit family in Half Moon Bay and the variety of their oils and vinegars is AMAZING and they're so goooooddd! I picked up 6 bottles of different flavors a few visits ago and already have my list going for our trip down. I definitely recommend checking them out! If anyone is interested in trying out fun flavors or olive oil and balsamics, check out www.olivecrush.com 

Basic vinaigrette:

1/2 cup good olive oil (I used Olive Crush's Garlic Olive Oil)
1/4 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar is probably best)

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
3 gloves garlic, minced

A pinch of salt and a few pinches of black pepper. 

Combine in a mason jar and shake well. Shake well before each use. Best if made a day ahead of when you want to use it or when it's at least had time to chill in the fridge for a bit. Store in fridge and let sit out for a bit before use because it will solidify in the fridge.

Garlic vinaigrette: 

1/2 cup good olive oil (I used Olive Crush's Garlic Olive Oil)
1/4 - 1/3 cup vinegar (I used Olive Crush's Oregano White Balsamic Vinegar but apple cider vinegar would be my best recommendation if you don't have what I used!)

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
1-2 Tbsp sugar
3 gloves garlic, minced
A few pinches of black pepper

Combine in a mason jar and shake well. Shake well before each use. Best if made a day ahead of when you want to use it or when it's at least had time to chill in the fridge for a bit. Store in fridge and let sit out for a bit before use because it will solidify in the fridge.

Sesame Ginger Dressing (great on a Chinese Chicken Salad!) 

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/4 Tbsp white sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh (or frozen) ginger, grated

Combine in a mason jar and shake well. Shake well before each use. Best if made a day ahead of when you want to use it or when it's at least had time to chill in the fridge for a bit. Store in fridge and let sit out for a bit before use because it will solidify in the fridge.

Lemon chicken artichoke pasta

This is another one of my favorite recipes because it quite literally combines a lot of my favorite things into one amazingly easy dish - lemon, chicken, zucchini, artichokes and pasta. This recipe makes A LOT because we'll have it for lunches and/or our leftover dinner night.

1 box of spaghetti noodles
1 lemon
4-5 chicken breasts
5 cups chicken/turkey/vegetable/whatever type of broth you prefer
1 large zucchini (or 2 medium), julienned (*prep tip for this below if you don't have a Julienne peeler)
6 cloves of garlic
1 (14.5 oz) can of marinated artichoke hearts (yummmm!)
1/4 cup live oil + some for cooking chicken
2.5 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning + more for chicken
Salt + Garlic Powder for chicken
Parmesan cheese, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Season chicken breasts with salt, lemon pepper and garlic powder. Cook on stovetop in a little olive oil until cooked through. Set aside.

2. While chicken cooks, break pasta in half and add to stock pot or dutch oven with 5 cups broth and juice from 1 lemon. Cook pasta until tender; it will absorb most of the cooking liquid.

3. Drain artichokes in colander. Add artichokes, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2.5 tsp lemon pepper rub and 6 garlic cloves to food processor and pulse until artichokes are coarsely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary to make sure everything gets chopped.

4. Prepare zucchini. Cut off ends of zucchini. Using Julienne Peeler, cut zucchini into long strips (avoiding seeds) to measure 2 cups, cut strips in half crosswise to make shorter strips. *If you don't have a julienne peeler use a regular vegetable peeler to peel the sides down to the seeds then cut these lengthwise into skinny strips similar to the size of your pasta; cut crosswise to make them shorter.

5. Once pasta is cooked, add artichoke mixture, zucchini and diced chicken. Toss to coat; let stand 5 minutes. Serve, top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serve with a side salad - I just did a simple spinach and balsamic dressing this time, 

**I've done this with spinach incorporated into the pasta too, just add spinach in the last 3 minutes or so of the pasta cooking so the spinach wilts down. Easy way to incorporate veggies without them looking like veggies!

Summertime salsa perfection!

Nothing says summertime quite like chips and salsa! This recipe is one of my favorites! 

6 large tomatoes (I used a variety of types - some heirloom, some romas, etc.)
6 garlic cloves
Handful of cilantro 
1/4 of a red onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes, if desired. I add about 1/4 tsp or so. 

Blend to desired consistency - I like mine a little chunky. It's good served right away but it's even better if you have the time to let it sit and let the flavors blend overnight. 

3 meals in one - Chicken Caesar Spinach Pasta!

Ever had those days where you just can't decide what you want for dinner because so many things sound good? This recipe was the result of one of those nights - and I wasn't even pregnant at the time! I was wanting lemon pepper chicken, caesar salad and pasta - so....I combined it all into one meal! 

Chicken Caesar Pasta with Spinach.

- Cook chicken however you'd like, I sautéd it in olive oil and seasoned it with lemon pepper. Chop up and set aside.
- Cook pasta al dente. Drain and set aside with a tiny bit of oil so it doesn't stick together.
- Sauté 3 cups spinach in light olive oil
- Combine all ingredients and add Caesar dressing* and cook until warmed through. Yum!

* will add Caesar dressing recipe soon - once I can find it in all of my piles of recipes! 

{Big Batch} Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are a staple in this house! I'm terrible about eating breakfast so it's SO easy to just whip up a big batch of this for the week and fill my burritos every morning or if I'm feeling like a really lazy week I'll pre-fill the burritos and freeze them.

Ingredients for a BIG FAMILY BATCH:
1 dozen eggs
1 pound ground turkey 
2 bell peppers, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 zucchini (green or yellow, or one of each!) diced
2-3 cups spinach
Cheese

Hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

{one of my favorite things about this meal prep is that all of the cooking is done in ONE big saute pan!}

Brown turkey meat; drain & set aside.

Scramble eggs; add spinach and cook until wilted. Set aside.
Sauté zucchini, peppers and onions until tender. Add eggs/spinach and meat. Mix to incorporate.

Fill your favorite tortillas - I love spinach tortillas - and top with cheese and hot sauce if desired.

Filling for individual burritos if you don't want to do a big batch:
1 egg or 2 egg whites
Ground turkey
Diced zucchini
Diced bell peppers
Diced onions
Handful spinach
Sprinkle of cheese
Favorite hot sauce on top if desired.

Sad lettuce?

Got sad lettuce? Lettuce is so temperamental...if it gets left exposed to air too long it wilts and looks sad. I'm totally guilty of buying a head of lettuce and just shoving it in the fridge instead of chopping it up and storing it properly as soon as I buy it. So, here's what to do to get happy lettuce again in case anyone didn't know this trick yet! wink emoticon
Chop all of your lettuce up and rinse it. Then fill the bowl with water and top with ice. Let sit until the ice melts then drain all the water and spin well in a salad spinner if you have one, otherwise just be sure to pay dry or dry well however you choose to dry it. Excess water will make it go bad faster. Ta-da! Happy, crunchy lettuce again.

smile emoticon

Warm winter comfort - Kale-Tofu Soup!

I'm not a big fan of "measuring" ingredients when I'm in a rush to prepare dinner so I typically just toss stuff together in approximate measurements until it tastes good --- and looks good. I'm definitely one to eat with my eyes first so I love for my food to LOOK good and taste good delicious, too! 

This is one of my favorite soups because it's so light but still filling and definitely warms you up on cool fall and winter evenings! 

*** Please do not be affraid of tofu! It's packed with protein and it's SUCH a versatile food! It gets a bad wrap but it really can be delicious and it takes on the flavor of whatever you're cooking it in, so seasoning is a MUST. In this case, it's boiling and simmering in the tasty broth, so it soaks up the flavors of the broth and spices wonderfully. Give it a try before you decide to just skip the tofu in the produce section from now on! ;) ***

KALE-TOFU SOUP

Ingredients:
* 1 pkg firm tofu
* 1 bunch kale, stripped from the stems and cut up into bite size pieces (I use curly kale but lacinto-aka "dinosaur" kale - or any other variety is great, too)
* 6ish cups of your favorite broth (I've literally used every broth there is and it's great every time but I think chicken is probably my favorite)
* 4ish cups of water
* (4) garlic cloves, minced
* (1) onion (I use yellow or purple, depends what's in my onion box!), diced small
* salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
* 1/4 tsp or so red pepper flakes (if desired - I LOVE the spice this gives the soup and the flavor it brings to the tofu)

Directions:
* add about 2 Tbsp broth to the pot and saute onion and kale until onion is soft and kale is bright green and starting to get tender, add garlic and saute another minute or so until garlic is fragrant 

 * add broth, water, tofu and desired spices and bring to a boil.

* Once boiling, lower heat, cover and let simmer 15-20 min. Stir well before serving. Yummm!

* If you want to add a little (or a lot) of spice, add 1/4 to 1 tsp of red pepper flakes when you add the liquids, tofu and other seasoning to it. We love the extra heat but obviously the kids may not approve. wink emoticon

Easy Peasy Breakfast Burritos!

I knowwww breakfast is good for you “the most important meal of the day” especially right now when I'm once again eating for two, but that doesn't make up for the fact that I just do not like eating breakfast. I do not want green any eggs and ham. I do not want it, Sam I Am. I’d rather get a few extra minute of sleep than chomp on a bowl of cereal and some fruit or butter a bagel or have a cup of coffee or any of that nonsense. Sleep…I just want to sleep. So…for the same reason I love meal-planning and mass quantities of food-prep, I love meals that are easy to cook-ahead and devour at one’s leisure. Alas – breakfast burritos made easy. These are super simple and great to have on hand for the work week.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground breakfast turkey sausage
1 zucchini, diced small
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1 bell pepper, diced small (I used half a red one, half an orange one)
Eggs
Cheese
Tortillas
Hot sauce, optional

Directions:

Brown turkey in skillet; remove to plate with paper towel to drain any grease.

Add zucchini, onion and peppers to skillet and cook until tender. Add turkey back to skillet and mix to combine.

Scramble eggs and add desired amount of turkey and veggies. Add to tortilla, top with cheese and hot sauce, roll up and enjoy!

Tip(s):

- I make the sausage & veggie mix at the beginning of the week and make the eggs each day and just add the sausage/veggie mix then add into the tortillas + cheese + hot sauce.
- Or I prepare everything (using about a dozen eggs) and make all of the burritos, wrap in plastic wrap then foil wrap and freeze them individually and microwave or heat in the toaster in the mornings. 

Hope these make your mornings more enjoyable and breakfast a little simpler! 

Breakfast: Eggs in a Nest!

Easy home-cooked Sunday breakfast from last week!

This is one of my favorite breakfasts, and one of the easiest.

INGREDIENTS: 

2 eggs per person

2 slices of Whole Wheat toast per person (I usually prefer sourdough but we didn't have any in the house, so wheat it was!) 

Butter or Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Using a cookie cutter (or the rim of a drinking glass if you don't have a cookie cutter) cut out a hole in the center of the bread slices

Spray a non-stick pan with olive oil or melt butter in the pan

Place the bread slices in the pan; crack one egg in the middle of each slice of bread. Cook until the bottom of the bread starts to brown.

Once browned, flip the slice of bread and egg over and cook the other side to desired yolk consistency. (I like mine cooked all the way, hubby likes his a bit runny.)

Enjoy! We enjoyed ours with turkey bacon and fresh OJ.

I'm back...hopefully for keeps this time. ;)

Holy smokes, y'all! It's been a LONG time since I was last here posting and not just reading other people's posts...2 and a half years to be exact. Wow! It doesn't seem like it's been that long at all! 

SO much has happened in those 2 and a half years, I don't even know where to start. 

I guess I should definitely start by saying October 2013 brought us the biggest blessing in the birth of our first born who is now our now sweet, spunky and sassy two year old daughter, Laurelai. She truly changed our worlds and I don't know what I ever did with my life before I had her. 

2014 brought a new business venture for me as I became an Independent Designer with Origami Owl, a custom jewelry company featuring gorgeous glass and stainless steel lockets that can be filled with delicate charms that represent everything from birthstones to sports, family to friends, hobbies and interests. They truly are one-of-a-kind pieces that are perfectly customizable to tell everyone's story. Cody also started a new job at a skilled nursing facility where he helped the physical therapists with their day-to-day duties and patients. 

Next up, fast-forwarding to 2015 - Cody and I celebrated 10 years together this year - a whole decade together! Holy smokes. Additionally, we recently celebrate Laurelai's 2nd birthday and are all anxiously awaiting next spring as we anticipate the arrival of Laurelai's little brother who is due to arrive in April 2016 - along with three other couples we know who share the same due date! 

I know I missed a lot in that little re-cap - this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what's happened the last 2.5 years, but let's be honest - y'all are here for the recipes, meal planning and DIY stuff, not my personal life...so let's get back to the good stuff!

*Lots of recipes will be added soon!*