herbed shrimp and white bean salad

healthy. fresh. and satisfying.

most times salads can leave you with a feeling on wanting more (maybe that's just me?), but this recipe is quite the opposite. the protein-packed white beans and shrimp fill you up and make you feel full longer. i love all the different components to this meal - especially the fresh herbs. they really help bring new flavors to an ordinary bland salad. don't let the long ingredient list fool you - this couldn't be easier to pull together on a week night.

ingredients:
source: cooking light

1 roasted red bell pepper
4 cups arugula, loosely packed
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

directions:
combine bell pepper, arguar, red onion, chives, basil, parsely and beans in large bowl. in a separate bowl mix lemon rind and juice, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. coat pan with cooking spray. season shrimp with salt and pepper. cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. add shrimp, lemon mixture, and nuts to arugula mixture; toss.

serve immediately.  goat cheese would be a great addition to this as well.

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orange pineapple teriyaki salmon

as part of my new job as super nanny, i have taken on the role of house cook (i won’t call myself a chef until i have the degree).

i really lucked out with these kids – they will eat just about anything. as was making this last night the 4-year-old exclaimed “I LOVE SALMON!” i almost choked. when i was 4 i’m pretty sure i was throwing a hissy fit on my kitchen floor (probably half naked) screaming for more french fries. these kids are saints.

i got this recipe from cooking light. it’s so so easy to make that you probably have most of the ingredients in your cabinet already. serve it with some brown rice and lemon green beans.

ingredients:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon orange zest
6 oz pineapple juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 6oz salmon filets
evoo

directions:

combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan over high heat. bring to a boil. reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). set aside.

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. season salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. add fish to hot pan and cook 3 minutes. turn fish over and place in oven. bake at 400° for 3 minutes. remove from oven and brush 1 tablespoon sauce over each fillet. return to oven, and cook 1 minute or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

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italian herb and cheese fettuccine

i'm a sucker for anything new in the food world. i've been seeing commercials and advertisements all over the place for kraft's philadelphia cooking creme. it's one of their newer products that is being marketed as a spoonable version of cream cheese. it comes in four different flavors (original, savory garlic, italian cheese & herb and santa fe blend) and is designed to be stirred to casseroles, pasta dishes, and pizzas to add a little zing to your meals. i'm usually not one for processed foods but it was on sale at the grocery store this week so i picked it up and decided to try it out for myself.

i went with the italian herb and cheese blend and added it to fettuccine noodles and stir-fried vegetables. all and all it was pretty good. i ended up adding some of the pasta cooking water because i felt the sauce was a little too heavy/creamy. if you're in a pinch and don't have time to make your own cream sauce, i would say use this because it's quick and easy. but if you have the time i would make a sauce from scratch because nothing beats fresh ingredients.

ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine noodles
1 tub (10 0z) philadelphia italian herb and cheese blend cooking creme
1 lb turkey sausage, sliced thin
1 (16 oz) package frozen vegetable medley (any will do)
1/2 cup-1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
garnishes: parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes

directions:
cook noodles according to directions. reserve pasta water.

heat large skillet over medium high heat with evoo. brown sausages for about 7 minutes. add frozen vegetables, cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables have thawed out. add cooking creme and noodles to skillet and stir together. add reserved pasta water, one ladle at at a time, until sauce is to your desired consistency. sprinkle with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. serve immediately.

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shrimp pesto pizza

i turned the leftover shrimp from my toaster oven meal and into a gourmet pizza with very little effort and boy was it amazing. something about goat cheese and pesto really make my tastebuds happy.  i didn't really write down a recipe for this one, it's more of a throw-whatever-you-like on there type of thing. i've included measurements but use however much {or little} you want depending on your tastes!

ingredients:
16 oz package store-bought pizza dough
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, cut into small bites
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
1/3 goat cheese crumbles
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup pesto

directions:
preheat oven according to pizza dough directions - should be somewhere around 400-425 degrees.

on a floured surface, roll out pizza dough into whatever shape you like. transfer to a large baking sheet. smother dough with generous amount of pesto. top with mozzarella cheese and roasted red pepper strips. bake for about 10 minutes (cook time depends on the brand of pizza dough you buy...basically cook for about 5 minutes less time than what the package says). take pizza out of oven and top with cooked shrimp and goat cheese crumbles.  cook for additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and shrimps are warmed through. 

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grilled pizza with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto

grilling pizza is much simpler than you might imagine. i even think it's easier than making pizza in the oven. sometimes when i cook pizza in the oven i have a hard time getting the crust to cook all the way through. but by using a grill, you ensure you'll get that wonderful charred taste on both sides that pairs so nicely with the melted, fresh mozzarella. add whatever pizza toppings you love most; i just went for the basics.

ingredients:
fresh pizza dough
roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch
fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch
fresh basil, cut into small strips
proscuitto, cut into small strips
wegman's basting oil (if you can't find this, just use evoo)

directions:

preheat outdoor grill to medium high heat. (make sure you grease the grill!)

using a floured surface, shape pizza dough into desired shape - square, rectangle, round. place on rimless cookie sheet and bring out to grill. let the dough slide off the cookie sheet onto the hot grill grates. close the lid of the grill and let cook for 2 minutes.

open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is getting browned. if not, close grill and cook for a couple more minutes. this step shouldn't take long. the top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets.

once the dough has cooked on one side, use the same cookie sheet to remove it from the grill. flip dough so grilled side is facing up on the sheet.

brush surface with basting oil and top with your favorite pizza toppings. slide back on grill, close top and cook for 4-5 minutes. cheese will be bubbly and bottom side will be charred.

remove from grill and let rest for a couple minutes. garnish with fresh basil leaves. cut into slices and serve!

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turkey burgers with a fried egg

ever get sick of eating just plain burgers? i do. so i decided to switch things up last night by adding a fried egg on top and serving it over a bed of sauteed spinach. not too shabby - plus it was healthy. i like to liberally season up my turkey burgers so i never feel like i'm missing the real thing.

ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 tablespoon hamburger seasoning
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes, you be the judge on how many
american cheese
fried eggs
sauteed spinach

directions:
in a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, hamburger seasoning, red pepper flakes, worcestershire sauce, garlic cloves and salt and pepper. form into patties - i made about 6, but they were on the smaller side. you decide how big you want them.

preheat skillet with evoo over medium high heat. cook burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on one side, about 5 minutes. flip burgers over and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until it's cooked throughout. turn stove off and add cheese to patties, letting it melt.

to serve, place generous portion of sauteed spinach on bottom of plate. add turkey burger and top off with fried egg. poke small hole in egg yolk, letting it run down the side of the burger and into the spinach. make sure to get all the elements of this dish into each bite!

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grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce

with the weather in the 70s yesterday, i just had to go home and heat up the grill for dinner. chimichurri is one of my absolute favorite sauces because it packs so much flavor and really isn't that bad for you. it's a tangy herb sauce that originated from argentina and is usually spooned over any grilled meat. i served it with grilled flank steak but kept the steak marinade simple because i knew the chimichurri would outshine anything i paired with it.

ingredients:
1/2 cup evoo + 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (use more or less depending on how much heat you want)
2 pounds flank steak
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

directions:
mix 2 tablespoons of evoo, worcestershire sauce, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and s&p in plastic bag. add steak. marinate for at least one hour, turning occasionally.

meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup evoo, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, parsley, basil, 3 minced garlic cloves, minced shallot and oregano in food processor. pulse until well-blended - do not puree. should be a chunky herb sauce, not baby's food. stir in salt and red pepper flakes. transfer to a small bowl and let sauce sit for at least an hour.

when you're ready to cook the meat - remove flank steak from bag and discarde marinade. heat grill over medium high heat and cook steak about 8 to 10 minutes per side or to desired degree of doneness. cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin strips.

to serve, place thin strips of steak on plate and drizzle chimichurri over top. enjoy!

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steamed asian chicken packets

cooking chicken in foil "steam packets" is one of my favorite go-to weeknight dinners. it produces great results every time and the chicken always comes out perfectly moist. it's easy and really versatile. you can add whatever seasonings you're feeling that day - whether it be tex-mex, greek, italian, etc..  you can also add whatever vegetables want (or do as i did and use up whatever you have in the fridge). the chicken will take on whatever flavors you give it. i went for an asian theme and served it over brown rice. simply perfection.

ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
red pepper flakes (you be the judge)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
assortment of vegetables - bell pepper, carrots, onions, water chestnuts, snow peas

directions:
heat oven to 350 degrees. in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic cloves, honey, ground ginger, dark sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.

tear off 2 sheets of aluminum foil that are large enough to wrap each around chicken individually. place your assortment of veggies in the middle of foil. top with chicken. drizzle half of marinade over chicken/veggies and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. gather foil loosely around chicken and fold over to seal. repeat with second piece of chicken. place foil packets on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes. be careful when peeling apart and use oven mitts to protect hands from hot steam. serve over brown rice with a drizzle of soy sauce.

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roasted greek chicken

whole chickens were on sale this week at harris teeter so i picked one up and decided to go greek with it. the flavors worked great together - the zing from the lemon paired nicely with the savory herb rub i made. the only downside to this meal is that it takes awhile to cook - i would save this for a weekend dinner.

ingredients:
3.5-4lb whole chicken
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lemon, cut in half
1/2 yellow onion, quartered
6 garlic cloves
parsley
evoo
s&p

directions:
preheat oven to 425 degrees. in a small bowl mix together dried oregano, dried thyme and garlic powder.

remove the chicken giblets and rinse the chicken inside and out. remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. liberally salt and pepper the inside and outside of the chicken. squeeze half of lemon juice on the outside of the bird and the other half on the inside of the cavity.

drizzle evoo over outside of chicken. using your hands rub herb mixture over entire bird, getting under the skin too. stuff the cavity with a bunch of parsley, onion quarters, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic cloves. tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

place chicken on a roasting tray in a tinfoil lined baking dish. roast about 1 1/2 hours or until juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. **warning i took mine out of the oven after cooking for 60 minutes and it was still raw so be careful.**

remove from oven and let chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving. serve with your favorite greek side dish - i did greek orzo salad.

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top taco - best shredded beef taco ever.

picture via gimmesomeoven.com
i forgot to take one myself, but this is pretty close to what they looked like.

last weekend, my roommates and i hosted "top taco".  we got together with a group of our guys friends that live together to stage the ultimate cooking showdown with a mexican fiesta. the rules were simple - each team had to cook three dishes - queso, guacamole and tacos - and each round would be judged individually.  the boys ended up with the winning queso and the girls with the winning guacamole. that meant it was up to the taco round to decide our fate. inspiration came after my visit to salt lake city last month. we had stopped by a diners, drive-ins and dives favorite - red iguana - where we sampled a little taste of heaven in their shredded beef tacos. i tried googling to find the recipe but came up with no luck. i even called red iguana and asked for the recipe where a little mexican man simply laughed on the other end. so i ended up watching the ddd segment on youtube and wrote down all the spices they used to marinate their meat and came up with my own recipe.  the meat turned out absolutely delicious - it was moist, juicy, packed with tons of mexican flavor and just a little bit spicy. in the end, we won the taco round and became the champions of top taco!

ingredients:
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
4 lbs boneless chuck roast
3 bay leaves
28 oz can of tomatoes
2 cups low sodium beef stock
3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
toppings: flour tortillas, monterrey jack cheese, sour cream

directions:
in a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, oregano, thyme, paprika, marjoram, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. trim fat from beef. using your hands, rub spice mix over all sides of meat and set aside. meanwhile, add can of tomatoes, bay leaves, onion, garlic, chipotles in adobo, more salt, and beef stock to slow cooker. add beef to slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. add back to slow cooker and keep on warm until ready to serve.

to assemble, heat small skillet with a little evoo. take a flour tortilla and smother it with sour cream. add a good about of cheese and beef (make sure to get some of the juices that the beef was cooking in). fold in half and sear for 1 minute on each side in the skillet until tortilla is a little bit crispy. eat it up immediately before someone else does. repeat for the rest of the tacos.

feel free to use your own favorite mexican toppings - we just went with something traditional!

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seared sea scallops with citrus fennel salad

ingredients:
4 radishes, thinly sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
¼ cup grapefruit segments, cut into mini pieces
¼ cup orange segements, cut into mini pieces
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 shallot
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
8 large scallops
2 teaspoons olive oil
s&p

directions:
in a blender, mix together orange juice, shallot, white wine vinegar, canola oil, dijon mustard and salt and pepper. combine radishes, fennel slices, jalapeno, cilantro, grapefruit and orange segments in a small bowl.  mix together with salad dressing. meanwhile, heat a small skillet with olive oil.  season scallops with salt and pepper.  sear in skillet about 2-3 minutes per side, until scallops are browned on each side. to assemble, place a half of fennel salad mixture on plate.  top with 4 scallops and drizzle with more dressing.

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shrimp with curry coconut milk sauce

this is the second part of the dinner i made for my family over the weekend. it's another 30-minute seafood dish that i had while volunteering at CulinAerie.  when i first saw this on the menu, i was disappointed because i absolutely hate the smell of curry. something about it makes me want to gag every time. i was pleasantly surprised that red curry paste does not smell or taste like that yellow curry powder stuff. when making this, don't forget to add the lime juice - it helps to cut the fatty/creaminess of the coconut milk.  

note: this recipe serves 2.

ingredients:
1/2 lb jumbo shrimp
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon red curry paste
juice of one lime
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup baby bok choy, sliced thinly
cilantro, to garnish
cooked rice, as a side
evoo
s&p

directions:
heat evoo in large saucepan over medium heat. saute onion, ginger, bok choy and garlic about 3-4 minutes, just until soft. stir in coconut milk, water, red curry paste and s&p. bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. stir in shrimp and increase heat to medium-high. cook and stir until shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. add juice of lime at the last minute. serve over a bed of rice with a garnish of cilantro.

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asian steak fajitas

i know it seems a little silly to be posting another fajitas recipe, but this one was different. this was a fusion between asian and meixcan flavors. let me explain.

denise (meagan's mom) had us over for dinner on monday night. she made grilled asian flank steak and her signature hashbrown casserole (seriously you guys must make this asap.) she sent us home with leftover steak to eat up this week. meagan and i were craving something mexican so we decided to make fajitas. i sauteed up some sweet bell peppers and onion, re-heated the beef and topped it off with our favorite extras - sour cream, monterrey jack cheese and pre-made guacamole salsa from wholly guacamole.

i was a little skeptical at first to be mixing the two cultural flavors, but it actually turned out pretty delicious. the sweetness from the asian marinade paired nicely with the creaminess of the guacamole salsa and sauteed onions and peppers. below is the recipe for the steak marinade. it's best to let it sit over night to get the maximum flavors.

ingredients:
1/3 cup canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup diced scallions
s&p
2 pounds flank steak

directions:

combine the marinade ingredients together in a plastic resealable bag with steak. coat well with the marinade and chill/marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. preheat the grill (indoor or outdoor) with high heat. take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse s&p. grill about 5-10 minutes on each side, depending how rare/cooked you like it. meanwhile, make another batch of marinade. cook on stove over low heat while meat is cooking. 

remove steak from grill, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 20 minutes. make very thin slices, against the grain, and at a slight diagonal so that the slices are wide. serve with reserved marinade.

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a glamourous meal made by the ultimate glamour girl

it only seems fitting that raelynn surprised us roomies with a meal that she found while reading glamour. rae is an absolute girly girl who still gets kicks out of curling her eyelashes every morning.


the magazine featured an entire meal made by one of my favorites, ina garten. it was simple, fresh and light. with lots of vibrant herbs and a zing of lemon juice, this is the perfect entertaining menu for any type of cook. click on the links below to get the recipes.


roasted salmon with green herbs
french string bean salad
couscous with roasted pine nuts

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sizzling chicken fajitas

as i said yesterday, this week's meals are simple, but tasty. i used a bottled fajita marinade to flavor the chicken. the brand i used is called world harbors and you can get it at about any grocery store in the salad dressing/sauce aisle. i served the fajitas with homemade reduced fat guacamole that was made with peas. get the recipe here.

ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup premade fajitas marinade
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, cut into thin slices
favorite fajita toppings - cheese, sour cream, black bean dip, refried beans, lettuce
flour tortillas
s&p
evoo

directions:
cut chicken breasts into thin strips and marinate in fajita sauce for up to an hour. keep in fridge. heat skillet over medium high heat with evoo. add bell pepper and onions, cooking until onions have softened - about 5 to 7 minutes. remove veggies from pan, add more evoo and cook chicken about 5 minutes. season with s&p. meanwhile, wrap tortillas in tinfoil and keep warm in 350 degree oven. the next step is easy - take a warm tortilla, add your favorite condiments, top with chicken, fold it up and dig in. don't know how to fold up a burrito (ahemmmm ton)? here's a quick demonstration.

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grilled buffalo chicken salad

for some reason, i have really been craving buffalo chicken bites. no matter how hard i try, i always seem to give into my food cravings. this time was no different, except i made a much healthier version of the real thing. i served it with a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing that i found on annie's eats. we didn't have buttermilk at home, so i improvised and made my own. just combine 1 cup of skim milk with 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tarter. you'll get the same rich, tangyiness!


ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup butter, i used brummel and brown (it's yogurt based and has half the calories of real butter)
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
your favorite lettuce, chopped
celery, diced
cherry tomatoes, cut in half
monterrey jack cheese, cubed
homemade ranch dressing
s&p
evoo

directions:
heat grill pan over medium high heat. season chicken breasts with evoo and s&p. grill on each side about 5 to 7 minutes. remove from pan and cut into strips. in a small sauce pan melt butter with hot sauce, worcestershire, garlic powder and s&p. mix chicken strips with hot sauce mixture, making sure every piece is coated. to serve, place a bunch of lettuce on place. add toppings (celery, tomatoes and cheese) and chicken. drizzle with homemade ranch dressing. it's that easy. i'll never miss fried chicken again...i hope.

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spicy vodka pasta with sausage, spinach and sundried tomatoes

i wish i could take credit for this wonderful delight, but i can't. denise (meagan's mom) makes this on the regular for her family and passed along the recipe. its crazy simple and tastes even better. i used flavored sausage from costco (smoked mozzarella, garlic and artichoke to be exact) but feel free to substitute any kind you like - chicken, turkey, reduced fat, regular.

ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat pasta - any shape you like
1 pound sausage links
1 bag fresh spinach
25 oz jar of arrabiata pasta sauce (it's spicy!)
15 oz jar of sundried tomato alfredo sauce
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried italian seasonings
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced into strips
red pepper flakes, to your liking
freshly grated parmesan
fresh basil for garnish
evoo
s&p

directions:
add evoo to large skillet. brown sausages about 4 minutes per side, until fully heated through. (i bought the kind that were already cooked, so i just needed to re-heat them. if you buy the ones haven't been cooked previously, add more cooking time.) in a large sauce pan, add evoo, garlic and shallots. cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. add both jars of pasta sauce, dried italian seasonings, red pepper flakes (if you want it more spicy) and s&p. keep heated over medium low heat. once sausages are done, chop into 1/4 inch slices and add to pasta sauce. next add sundried tomatoes and spinach and let it wilt into the sauce. season with more s&p if needed. meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. add tablespoon of salt and cook pasta according to directions. to serve, put generous heaping of noodles on plate and top with pasta sauce. garnish with freshly grated parmesan and fresh basil. serve with warm toasty garlic bread and you have yourself a fantastic meal.

side note: meagan added sauteed mushrooms to her pasta sauce - but i don't dig on the shrooms so i left them out.

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burgers for book club

obviously this isn't my photo - the pictures i took didn't turn out as i had hoped.

(photo credit - womansday.com)

last night, megg and i hosted book club at our house to celebrate finishing the third book in the millennium trilogy - the girl who kicked the hornets nest.  (if you haven't read these books yet, go do it now.) the books are set in sweden and talk a lot about coffee, pickled herring, and frozen pizzas. in the past, when we met to discuss the first and second books, we tried to make food that went along with the theme of the book. this time we opted for a different scenario - summer sliders. i made three different kinds of mini burgers to suit everyone's tastes:

1. greek style burgers with feta aioli
2. turkey burgers with bacon and cheddar
3. bbq chicken burgers with coleslaw

the recipes for each of these was pretty simple. you can click on the link above for the greek burger recipe from cooking light. i followed the recipe exactly except i didn't add the roasted red peppers.  here's what to do for the other two:

turkey burgers with bacon and cheddar:
in a small skillet, brown about 6 slices of turkey bacon with evoo (or else it will stick) until it's really crispy. combine cooked bacon with 1 pound of ground turkey, 3-4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, a dash of garlic and onion powder and s&p. form into mini burgers (should get between 8 and 10) and grill for about 2-3 minutes per side. top with slice of cheddar cheese and serve on mini bun with light mayo.

bbq chicken burgers with coleslaw:
season 3 chicken breasts with s&p and spread your favorite bbq sauce all over it. grill for about 5-7 minutes per side. before taking off the grill, top chicken with monterrey jack cheese and let it melt. cut each chicken breast into thirds, top with prepared coleslaw and serve on a mini bun. if you want - you can add more bbq sauce to the chicken once it's done cooking, but i slathered it enough before i cooked it.

everyone had their own personal favorites, but i really enjoyed the greek sliders.

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grilled chicken and peach salad

this is one of those go-to summer salads when you're craving something light for dinner. there is no real recipe for this - i just used ingredients i thought would go well together. you can substitute any kind of fruit you like for the peaches - apricots, plums, nectarines, or tangerines. i personally loved the warm grilled peaches because they paired perfectly with the cool tangy goat cheese crumbles.

ingredients:
chicken breast, sliced into strips
2 peaches
goat cheese crumbles
dried cranberries
candied almonds
spinach
balsamic vinaigrette

directions:
preheat grill pan over medium high heat with evoo. season chicken strips with garlic powder and s&p. cook for about 3-4 minutes per side. remove chicken from pan and let rest. coat pan with pam and grill peaches about 4 minutes per side until they have nice grill marks. to make salad, start with a layer of spinach leaves on a plate.  top with chicken, peaches, goat cheese crumbles, dried cranberries and candied almonds. drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette to finish.

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birthday dinner part 1: mustard crusted filet mignon

i made this recipe as part of rae's birthday dinner. to make if even more special, i wrapped the filet mignon in bacon. ooooo bacon. i whipped up a quick herb mustard compote to spread on top and grilled it - that simple. here's how to do it.

ingredients:

4 filet mignon steaks, between 4-6 oz each

4 slices of bacon

1 tablespoon horseradish mustard

1 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup low sodium beef stock 

1 tablespoon butter

evoo

s&p

directions:

preheat skillet over medium high heat with evoo. wrap one piece of bacon around each filet, securing with small toothpick. meanwhile mix together mustard, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, 1 teaspoon evoo and s&p in small bowl. brush tops and bottoms of steaks with mixture. grill for about 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on how rare you like it. remove steaks from heat and let rest before serving. add beef stock to pan and use a wooden spatula to scrap up the brown bits. let this reduce by half. add butter to get a beautiful glaze to the pan sauce. pour over steak before serving.

as a side note, i read a really interesting article about using the palm of your hand to test the doneness of you meat. try it next time you're cooking!

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