Chicken, Pasta, and Cheesy Garlic Bread

Ever heard of 'monkey bread'? If not, you should look it up. It's a delicious cinnamon and sugar pull apart bread.

(Not my picture..)

While browsing Pinterest, I found a recipe for a savory version of this monkey bread. Instead of cinnamon sugar goodness, it has an Italian flair with its garlic and parmesan deliciousness. The recipe originally came from The Virtuous Wife. I pretty much followed her directions as written on her blog, but I'll write them out for you here!

Garlic Parmesan Bread

• 1 can refridgerated Grands biscuits (not the flaky kind..)
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Throw a cold stick of butter into a bundt pan while the oven preheats. While this is happening, cut the biscuits into quarters. Throw them into a bowl with all the seasonings. Spread the seasoned biscuit chunks into the bundt pan over the melted butter, sprinkling the remaining seasonings on top of the bread. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Turn out onto a dish and enjoy!

(I didn't use a bundt pan and I had issues with it being cooked the whole way through - I had to flip the bread and bake it 10 minutes longer.. so I'd really stick to using a bundt!)

I also came across a recipe for skinny chicken and broccoli alfredo. I was a little skeptical about this because sometimes things labeled 'skinny' end up not tasting too great. However this turned out SO great! It was creamy (through the wonderfulness of Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream!). I omitted the chicken in this recipe because I was making the mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts. I found this recipe on pinterest as well.. can you tell how much I LOVE pinterest?!

Broccoli Alfredo

• 2 c. roasted broccoli florets
• 8 oz. fettuccine (I used 16 and it turned out fine)
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup chicken broth 
• 6 oz. container plain Chobani Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. milk (I used almond, but skim works as well)
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Begin to boil salted water for pasta. 

Cut broccoli into florets, and roast in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Take out of oven, set aside. 

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until garlic has browned a bit. Whisk flour into the oil and garlic until a roux has been made. GRADUALLY whisk in the chicken broth, so to avoid lumpy sauce. Slowly whisk in the yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring all the time. Lower the heat and continue to stir as the sauce simmers and thickens - about 4-5 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese. Mix in broccoli, then toss with pasta. 

Nana showing off my creations

Mozzarella Chicken

• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• fresh mozzarella - preferably a block
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp orgenao
• 1/3 c. chicken broth (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mince the cloves of garlic, and mix together with seasonings and EVOO in a small bowl.

Rinse the chicken breasts and cut off any undesired extra fats. Lay the chicken breasts with the smooth side down and cut a short line longways down the center of the breast, then as if you were making a capital 'T' and making a pocket in the thickest part of the breast, cut up and down (perpendicularly to the first cut). You want the second cut to go more inside the breast than just being on top of the breast. 

Take some of the garlic and oil mixture, and rub into the cuts you've made on the chicken breast. Cut off bite sized chunks of the mozzarella and stuff desired amount into the pocket you created. Roll the breast and put in a pan. Rub remaining oil mixture on the top of the breast. 

Add optional chicken broth into the baking pan to keep the chicken moist. Bake for 40 minutes, or until juices run clear and internal temperature hits 160 degrees. 

Gettin Greek-y

So, as I mentioned in my actual blog, my boyfriend (the non-cook) decided to make me a dinner that is a little out of the ordinary, but something he knew I would LOVE. He picked out this recipe (from epicurious originally) for spanakopita, meaning spinach pie, which is a fabulous greek dish that I adore. It's filled with spinach and feta and, to me, the most delicious pie you'll ever taste.

Here's our version of the slightly altered recipe for spanakopita...

• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, plus more (melted) for brushing
• 5 leeks, white and light green parts chopped (make sure you rinse them really well, leeks are kind of grossly dirty..)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3.5 10 oz. bags of spinach (I know, that's kinda a lot of spinach, but I promise you, it's worth it!)
• 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper (or from a bottle.. whatever)
• 2 - 2.5 c. crumbled firm feta cheese
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh dill
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 thawed (but still chilled) puff pastry sheets

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Add 3 Tbsp. coconut oil to a large skillet (we used a large soup pot) over medium-high heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook until soft - roughly 4-5 minutes. 
3. Add the spinach in by the handful, folding leaves under with a wooden spoon. Let the spinach wilt and cook down a bit before adding more. 
4. Once the spinach has been added, season with pepper. 
5. Transfer the spinach mixture into a colander in the sink. Gently press out excess liquid using the back of a spoon. Set mixture aside to cool down (this will prevent the pastry sheets from getting soggy. 
6. Once mixture has cooled, add feta, dill, and eggs. Fold until well combined.
7. Brush the bottom of a 9x13 in baking dish with oil and place the first sheet of dough on the bottom - pressing into the corners. Make it fit however you have to - if necessary, cut out excess. 
8. Spread the filling out over the dough, evenly.
9. Roll out the second sheet of dough and cover the pie, trimming excess if necessary.
10. Brush the top with oil.
11. Place into oven and bake about 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. 
12. Let sit for 10 minutes - if you can ;)

Enjoy! Post a comment letting me know if you plan to make it, or if you have suggestions! :)

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 c. baby spinach
• 1/2 c. cooked quinoa
• 2 Tbsp. feta cheese
• 5 strawberries sliced 
• 2 Tbsp. pecans

Take all ingredients and mix thoroughly in a large bowl. 

Dressing:

• 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. maple syrup (or honey)

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with salad. 

Makes one large salad or 2 side salads.

Nutrition:
Calories - 348
Fat - 14.8 
Carbs - 41.5
Fiber - 6.4
Protein - 10.2

 

Peanut Butter S'mores Bake

I originally found the recipe via pinterest on Baby Gizmo Blog, and though it was delicious, I thought it needed some sprucing up. While I was getting the ingredients together I changed the recipe for the graham cracker crust. I didn't take exact measurements, but the one's I have estimated should work well enough for the crust to come together. It's hard to mess up, so I'm sure no matter what happens, it will turn out just fine.


Ingredients:

• 9 full graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs *
• 1 1/2 c. oat flour *
• 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 2 spoonfuls molasses
• 2 large Hershey chocolate bars 
• 1/2 c. peanut butter (ish... I didn't measure it the second time I made it)
• 7 oz. marshmallow cream (fluff should work too)

* I, separately, ground up the graham crackers and the 1 1/2 c. oats in the blender to get them into a flour-like consistency; a food processor would work as well. 

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 baking dish (pam works fine)

Beat the butter, sugar, and molasses until well blended. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

Add the salt, baking powder, graham crackers, and oat flour; mix until well combined.

Add the oats and flour until you have a good dough, with a slightly crummy consistency. You may need to add a little more flour, but if you're not sure, then don't. It's better to be sticky than too dry.

Press about 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the baking dish. Put the chocolate bars on top of the dough, side-by-side.

The original recipe says to melt the peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make it easier to spread on. I, being lazy because I didn't want to wash dishes and was pressed for time,  just spooned some globs of PB onto the chocolate and smoothed it out as evenly as possible. It doesn't need to look pretty, as no one is gonna see it.

This picture is when I did melt the peanut butter in the microwave
the first time I made it. As far as taste goes, it didn't make a wink of a difference.

Heat up the marshmallow cream (in a separate bowl - NOT in the container) and spread it over the peanut butter.

Take the remaining dough and press it out on the counter in small portions and piece together on top of the marshmallow. (The original recipe said to roll the dough onto wax paper and peel it off on the top. This, in theory, sounded like a good plan.. but when it came down to execution, it looked AWFUL - pictures below)Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Let cool before cutting, otherwise it will be a sloppy mess - but it will still taste yummy if you can't wait ;)

First time I made it - trying to get the
top of the crust on in one piece... Fail.

Second time I made it - piecing the top layer together. PERFECTO! :)

Buono Apetito!

Greek Style Spaghetti Squash and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

  Spaghetti Squash: Serves 3-4

• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 3 c. cooked spaghetti squash*
• 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes
• 2 c. roughly chopped spinach
• a clove or two of garlic (more if you love it as much as I do.. just make sure you don't have a hot date the next day!!)
• 1/4 c. feta cheese
• salt 
• pepper
• cayenne pepper (if you like a little spice)

1. Heat coconut oil, garlic, and cherry tomatoes a large skillet over medium-high heat until tomatoes begin to burst. You may have to keep moving them around occasionally to keep them from burning; you may also help them to burst by using a wooden spoon to press against them (especially if you're hungry and impatient like I usually am). 
2. Add the spinach until its a little wilty. Not fully wilted, cause it will continue to cook/wilt as you go
3. Add the spaghetti squash. You can honestly add as much or as little as you want - it's like 42 calories per cup, so dive in!
4. Stir everything together and make sure spaghetti squash is completely heated through. 
5. Add feta and mix thoroughly. 
6. Add salt and pepper to taste & serve!

*To cook spaghetti squash: preheat oven to 350. Cut squash together lengthwise. Take out the seeds now - it's much easier than after they cook. Place the squash cut-side down in a baking dish; put in the oven for about 60 minutes. After cooling for about 10 minutes, use a fork to get the meat out of the squash. (I usually do this in advance - I'll get a 4 lb squash, that way I have it on hand for the week!)

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes: 

• large head of cauliflower
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese

1. Cut cauliflower into large chunks and put into boiling pot of water for approximately 10 minutes - until tender. 
2. Strain and immediately place into food processor.
3. Add butter and cream cheese and process until smooth and creamy - you may have to help it along by mixing it every now and then. 
4. Add salt and pepper to taste - I garnish my servings with 1 Tbsp plain non-fat chobani. It's very similar to sour cream, but so much healthier for you.

You can get creative with it and add different spices like chives and garlic to make it even more tasty!

Banana Oat Pancakes

 I love love love breakfast. This is no secret to anyone that knows me. I could eat breakfast for every meal of every day and be okay with it. So, when I originally saw this recipe on Pinterest, I fell in love with it. These pancakes looked so fluffy and delicious, and with some extra ingredients, they're a little fancier than your average pancake.

The original recipe is from a website called cookie + kate. I had originally planned to just make the pancakes as per the recipe, but I usually have a hard time following directions - my mom can tell you that ;). I made a few tweaks and made it more delicious! (Well, I can't really say that its more delicious, because I never tried the originals...)

My work station... with crutches. Ha.

Banana Oat Pancakes Yields: 9-10 pancakes

• 3 small bananas 
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (you can use butter if you don't have coconut oil)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp raw honey (or regular - I just have a mild obsession with raw honey), syrup
• 2 Tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter you have on hand)
• 1/2 c. cooked quinoa
• 2 eggs *
• 1 c. oat flour *
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 c. almond milk or preferred milk (optional

*I have extra large eggs, so I used one egg and one egg white

*if you do not have oat flour, you can put one heaping cup of old fashioned oats into a food processor or a blender until it makes a flour.

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, coconut oil, lemon juice and honey.
2. Mix in the almond butter; then beat in the eggs.
3. Stir in the quinoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg until thoroughly mixed.
4. Mix in the oat flour until thoroughly moistened. Optional: mix in the milk to make the batter less thick.
5. Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes. Begin to heat a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. 
6. Pour pancakes into the pan. I used a 1/4 c. measuring cup to do make this easier, and to make the pancakes relatively even. Cook for 3 minutes on one side then flip to cook about 70 seconds on the other side. 
7. Serve immediately or keep warm in a low temperature (170 is the lowest mine will go) oven. 

I served mine with a peanut butter maple syrup. For 3 pancakes, I put 1 Tbsp peanut butter in a small bowl in the microwave for about 35 seconds. When it was melted, I mixed 1 Tbsp syrup into the peanut butter and immediately poured over the pancakes. (Do not put the peanut butter and syrup into the microwave together; that will cause you to make a peanut butter caramel. Not that I did that...)

If you're not a peanut butter fiend like I am, these would be well garnished with some sliced bananas and some chopped pecans.

Enjoy!