Country Club Chicken

This is one of those Pinterest recipes I've seen circling around being pinned + repinned 27+ times! Every time, I think to myself..."mmm that looks so good!" So I finally got around to making it...my way. Made a lot of alterations but the basis stayed pretty much the same. For once I opted out of using bacon [gasp!]. Primarilly because instead of using a mushroom condensed soup, I made low-fat [seriously] white sausage gravy to top the chicken with. This sausage gravy is not to be believed. I've used several variations of this gravy on tons of different dishes. Including country-fried steak [say whaaat?!]. This drool-worthy gravy comes straight to you [through me] from celebrity chef + cookbook author Rocco Dispirito. I've mentioned before and I'll remind you again about his fabulous book "Now Eat This!". It's chock full of 150 recipes that are under 350 calories. Seriously. Including this gravy recipe! Check. It. Out.

This country club chicken recipe inspiration comes from the Kayotic Kitchen, which may be one of my new fave-follows. And I am pleased to report this dish turned out great! It's not one of my "quickest" meals...but definitely worth a little extra time and effort. And as always you could alter it to fit your tastes and time constraints!

such a fabulous tool to have! thanks Stark family :)

[if you haven't noticed yet...I like to play with my food]

Country Club Chicken
serves 4
adapted from Kayotic Kitchen 

• 2 chicken breasts, halved 
• 1 apple, skinned and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz of baby bella mushrooms, sliced and cleaned
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 Italian chicken sausage links, casings removed 
• 1-2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley 
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, separated 
• 1 tsp nutmeg 

white sausage gravy---> step-by-step 

[starting in the upper left photo-going around clockwise]

1. brown Italian chicken sausage over med-high heat. mince the meat as it cooks. [karate-chopping skills are helpful] 
2. once sausage is browned, add chicken broth + corn starch mixture.
3. bring to a boil. sauce will begin to thicken, 2-3 minutes. 
4. remove from heat and add Greek yogurt, nutmeg, and salt + pepper to taste. 
5. set gravy aside until it's time to add to the chicken. 

cue chicken! 

1. pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. tenderize chicken using meat mallet or frying pan. [need a stress reliever?] 
3. season with EVOO and salt + pepper.
4. place chicken in a large frying pan, over high heat. your goal is to get a quick sear on both sides. when both sides are browned, place in oven-safe casserole dish. [chicken will not be cooked through, it will finish cooking in the oven]
5. meanwhile in pan, add onions, mushrooms, apples, and wine. bring to a simmer, until mushrooms and onions are tender and soft. 
6. add sausage gravy and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. stir well!
7. pour combined mixture over chicken in casserole dish. top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
8. bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.  
9. serve over your pasta of choice + sprinkle with parsley! 

sweet aaaand savory, this is one dish you + your loved ones are sure to enjoy!

this + that

TGIF people! we made it! survived the week, got through conferences [with lots of positive words of affirmation from happy parents, score!], hubby had another successful Jump Rope for Heart [whew hoo-take that Heart Disease!], and even managed to squeeze in a Friday date-night movie [Act of Valor]. More about that later.

this + that

greek yogurt + pumpkin-spice granola + blueberries + honey =

a little bowl of breakfast heaven 

check it! this deelightful granola is made in MD!! [Baltimore]

found at Wegmans. go figure! 

wanna preserve your berries?

soak them in 1 tbsp white vinegar to 10 tbsps of water.

then drain and rinse off before storing in fridge.

seriously keeps them from getting moldy [bleh!] and mushy [eww]

can't take the credit for this brilliant move-- thanks Pinterest! 

sweet little night light made a new cozy corner in the kitchen, thanks momma! xo

daffodils mean spring is comin' 

[[happiness]]

bouncy ball? cat toy? ehh not quite. 

sooo...I have chronic back pain. 

Read more »

Rhapsody in Blue

It was a Gershwin kind of day-more specifically a Rhapsody in Blue kind of day. There were really peaceful moments and really chaotic all-over-the-place moments. Really rushed moments and really slow-as-glue moments. Moments you felt like all the right notes were coming together and moments you wanted to punch-piano keys. I feel like this piece of music could be the soundtrack to what our [teachers'] days are like. What a range of emotions, actions, paces, thought-patterns we zip through?! This music hit me tonight as I was coming home in the quiet rain from my acupuncture appointment...feeling quiet peaceful + reflective {apparently}. 

This is why I love holistic health. 

This sweet guy was my company until my acupuncturist was ready. 

 hi Chico :)

Tonight was one of the first nights all week that my husband and I got to sit down and eat dinner at-the-same-time. So, I wanted to make it a good one. After he got his second bowl; I mentally brushed my shoulders off ;) 




Here's what I came up with...

EVOO + s/p + grape tomatoes + 375 degrees = roasted tomatoes. mmmm. 

for no mess meatballs- make little foil cups in a cupcake pan! 

Tortellini and Turkey Meatballs 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp oregano 
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp salt + pepper
• 1 package tortellini, cooked
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp pesto
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, roasted 
• sprinkle or two of parsley 
• 1-2 tbsp parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium sized bowl. 
3. Make 2-3 tbsp sized meatballs with mixture. 
4. Place in cupcake pan [as seen above] or in even rows on a cookie sheet. Spray either [vigorously] with non-stick olive oil spray. 
5. Place in oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. Meatballs should be firm.
6. Meanwhile, in large bowl combine Greek yogurt, pesto, and red pepper flakes. 
7. Add freshly cooked pasta to Greek yogurt mixture- and stir carefully. 
8. When meatballs are finished, add to the pasta mixture. 
9. Spoon out pasta + meatballs. Add desired number of roasted tomatoes.[the more the merrier!]
10. Sprinkle with parsley, parmesan and enjoy! 

~~~

it's almost Friday!! 

Crock-Pot Chicken Curry

oh if only the internet had a smell button.

i adore my crock-pot. it makes life so easy when it comes to meal planning! 

[[AND]] it fills your home with the most amazing, cozy,

mouth-watering fragrances to come home to.  

yesterday I made a delicious version of one of my favorite meals... chicken curry 

it's so simple, it's stupid. 

try it out- I dare ya!

Crock-Pot Chicken Curry


Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz jar of medium chunky salsa 
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 3 tbsp curry powder
• 1 lb chicken thighs, skin removed 
• 1 cup Greek yogurt 
• pinch [or 2] of chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Place chicken in crock-pot.
2. In a medium bowl combine first 5 ingredients.
3. Pour over chicken. 
4. Cook for 6-8 hours on low.
5. Turn off heat.
6. Using tongs, remove chicken bones [that's right, it just falls off the bones!].
7. Mix in Greek yogurt.
8. Serve over rice, mashed-taters, or even grits! 
9. Garnish with parsley. 

[[ I served mine over my favorite; Uncle Ben's Jasmine Rice]]

--------->super yummy + quite low in fat and calories.<-------- 

sweet score!

xo

Sando's Skinny Shrimp Alfredo

"keep it simple, stupid!"
It may be one of the harsh(er) mantras I've adapted recently, but as we ring in the new year, it's one I'm really keen on sticking to for the simple fact that I can translate it into all aspects of my life.


I find it so easy to over complicate things. Everything from what I'm wearing, to my daily lesson plans at school, to what I am making for dinner. Nine times out of ten the simplest things turn out the best. And the over complication of things just causes frustration, anxiety, and in my case pre-mature chest pains. Hence my need to keep it simple, stupid!


This brings me to dinner tonight. A simple dish, that is both delicious and low in calorie consumption. This is a recipe that I have adapted from one of my food crushes, Rocco DiSpirito.  Not only is he an Italian dream-boat, he also has a fantastic cookbook (that I HIGHLY recommend) called Now Eat This!: 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods, All Under 350 Calories. It's simply fabulous. He has some fantastic, simple [stupid] tricks that cut calories like crazy, but doesn't cut out any flavah (*flavor, for those of you who don't speak Sha'Naynay)!


And it goes a little something like this...


Sando's Skinny Shrimp Alfredo


Ingredients:

• 16oz uncooked linguine [whole wheat, if ya got it!]
• 1lb shrimp [uncooked, deveined + tail off ]
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch 
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano 
• pinch of nutmeg
• small bunch of fresh chopped parsley
• red pepper flakes [if you like a little kick!]
• 1 tablespoon EVOO 
• S+P (duh)

Serves 4



I cut the recipe in half when making din-din for me and the hubs ;) [duh, again.]



Directions:

1. Time to cook da pasta, mon! Bring a large pot of salted water to a roOOolling boil. Drop the kids into the pool (oye, I watch too much Rachael Ray) and cook to desired done-ness. For linguine, 8-10 mins is pretty standard. 
2. While the pasta is cooking it's time to get the sauce started. Begin by sauteing up your EVOO, garlic, S+P, and onions in a large pan over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic or else it will be yucky and bitter!! [approx. 2-4 mins]
3. While the onions and garlic are becoming one, [ahh take a moment...] whisk together cornstarch, nutmeg, and chicken broth in a small bowl. Or mix it right in the measuring cup, like I do! Reserve for later use. 
4. Once the onions are shiny and but not all the way see-through, add the shrimp. They cook quickly, so watch carefully. When they are light pink all around you know they're done. Remove shrimp to a separate plate [holding area] - to avoid over cooking.
5. Crank up the heat on the onions + garlic left in the pan and add your cornstarch mixture to the pan. Let the bubbly magic begin. Whisk occasionally, and bring to a simmer. Slowly but surely, add the parm, whisking as you go. Once the cheese has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the Greek yogurt until the sauce is creamy and smooth!
6. Drain and rinse your pasta. Add shrimp back to the "finished" sauce pan. Toss pasta with sauce in large bowl or directly in the pan, like me! Plate it up, sprinkle with parsley, and eat up! YUM, enjoy :)

Did you know that if you put a wooden spoon above boiling water it won't boil over?

Yeah, me either- but thanks to Pinterest, I do now ;)










Steps 2-5 



looks good enough to eat! 



• Extras: 
• If you like things spicy [like we do] feel free to add red pepper flakes during step 2.
• Also, I make a "cowboy" version of this that includes adding Old Bay [any Marylander's spice of choice] during step 5. Adds a nice smokey-kick!