Category Archives: Damn Good Dinners

Pesto Chicken & Tomato Kabobs

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It’s officially the season to get to grilling and dining alfresco! (Thank God!) And although it’s easy enough to just throw burgers or steaks on the grill with some veggies, it’s time to mix it up a bit. But don’t worry, these kabobs have just as much yumminess in them! They’re perfect and quick for a summer BBQ, right along with this refreshing lemonade spritzer.

  • 1 pack of skewers (if you’re using wood ones, be sure to soak them in water for at least a half hour before grilling)
  • 4 chicken breasts, cubed
  • 1 large package of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 package of pesto sauce (Knoll’s instant pesto sauce is perfect)

Soak the skewers for at least a half hour before grilling. (I know I’ve already said this but it’s super important! I didn’t do this the first time I used skewers and they burnt to ash, obviously…). While the skewers are soaking, mix the pesto sauce according to package instructions. Marinate the chicken in the sauce in a plastic bag for a half hour. (Feel free to do it longer for a bolder flavor.)

When you’re ready to start kabob-ing, layer the chicken and tomatoes on the skewers and put directly on the grill. Let them cook for a total of 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.

Pesto chicken & tomato kabob

Happy Eating, XO.

Rolling with My Homies

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So as per usual, I was hung-over & laying on the couch watching the Food Network channel. Much to my dismay though the show on the screen was making something much too difficult for anything I’d want to replicate. So I took the basic premise of the dish they were constructing and watered it down to the point that the home cook can make it (i.e. I tossed out the whole section about making your own fresh pasta dough, I mean please, if I could do all that I wouldn’t need to dine out. I don’t have the time nor the energy to get down like that). Anyway, I liked the concept of the dish and was craving some home cooking, good ole Italian food. Some prefer some southern comfort food, but pasta or anything Italian is the way to get me feeling all cozy & loved. So when I was finally hydrated and rid of the shakes from a super fun weekend with my homies- I got rolling in the kitchen. (ha get it, rolling because its a rollatini recipe!) Hope you guys enjoy & if you have any suggestions or spins of your own, please do comment below!

  • 3 oz. Prosciutto de Parma (thinly sliced, finely chopped)
  • 1 box of Lasagana Sheets (I think you could even use manicotti tubes & stuff those, but I guess that takes away the “rolling”/”rollatini” fun?!)
  • 1/2 cup Whole milk ricotta
  • freshly grated parmesan (I just grabbed a lil chuck of the reggiano from Whole Foods, try to avoid the pre grated stuff if you can)
  • 1 tsp. of crushed garlic
  • a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 12 oz. frozen spinach (completely thawed & drained of excess water, this is imperative so don’t rush past this step)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. of butter

Boil the pasta just al dente. You want the lasagna sheet to be ply-able, but not so over cooked it tears when rolling. I’d say about 10-15 minutes in salted water. While the pasta boils: combine the egg, dried/thawed spinach, garlic, seasoning, cheeses, & prosciutto. Lay out the pasta sheets and pat them dry. Layer the mixture of the other ingredients like you would for a lasagna, but then roll the pasta up (don’t make too thick of a layer the stuffing will spill when rolling, also it helps to leave a little margin at both ends so that you have a seal to create when all rolled up). Flip it so its standing upwards in the pan, not laying down (See photos below). Repeat with all sheets. When the pan is filled, brush the tops with the butter and grate some more cheese on top. Stick in the broiler at xxx degrees & cook for xxx minutes while keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

photo

Happy Eating, XO.

Leftovers

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Happy Cinco de Mayo! Holidays are centered around food and drink. So let me share a Spanish inspired recipe with you that I threw together this weekend with a bunch of leftovers. Feel free to chow down with a fresh and strong margarita! Ole!

  • 4 large green bell peppers
  • 1.5 cups of rice (I used left over Spanish rice that I made from a store-bought package)
  • 1 cup of chopped yellow Spanish onion
  • 1 tbsp. of crushed garlic
  • 1 packet of taco seasoning (do not add your own salt & pepper, there is plenty in the store-bought taco mix)
  • 1 lb. of ground turkey* (I had some leftover from a taco salad)
  • 1 tbsp. of ketchup
  • 2 tsp. of sriracha
  • 1/2 cup (or 4 tbsp.) of shredded cheese (Anything works I did a Mexican blend, but plain cheddar is good too).

**Add frozen corn or canned beans (About 1/2 a cup should do the trick) to stretch the ground meat further in case you don’t have that much leftover. Although if making fresh do a 1lb. package of ground turkey. (chicken or beef would work just as well).

Brown the meat with a little vegetable oil, taco seasoning, the onions, & the garlic in a nonstick pan over medium heat. My secret tip is that when the meat is done, stir in the ketchup and sriracha. It adds a good tomato-ey flavor and keeps the meat moist. Plus the sriracha adds a yummy spice/kick. Once the meat is cooked, crumbled and cooled, mix it with the corn (or beans) & rice. Note that while the meat is cooking, prepare the peppers by slicing off the tops and cutting out the ribs & seeds. Rinse and dry before stuffing. Lastly, stuff the pepper and top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or until the cheese has melted & pepper has charred. Serves 4 people, 1 pepper per person.

image

Happy Eating, XO.

 

Date Night Dinner

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We all need a lil night to indulge. Some yummy food, a good bottle of wine, and a night in to cozy up with your hunny. This is the ideal dinner for a candle lit night at home. So get the DVD ready, grab some fresh flowers and get this meal on the table. Lucky for you, there is wine in this recipe so the bottle will be open before your significant other even comes over. I restrained and didn’t use garlic in this dish (for the obvious reasons involving kissing & bad breath), but most certainly will next time. Anyway, Serves 3-4 so you will have left overs unless you double-date it..

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
  • 3 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 Tablespoon of olive oil (I cut down to 1 tbsp. because I figured there was enough butter)
  • 2 Tablespoon of butter
  • 2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves (you know if you have a herb garden or if you are normal and want to use 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy cream (subbed for the half & half I had in the fridge for coffee)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

In a skillet over medium – medium/high heat melt butter and combine with olive oil. Prepare chicken breasts by sprinkling both sides with a little sea salt.
Saute the chicken breasts until golden and cooked through; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms until soft and starting to brown (5 minutes). Add the thyme, wine, and vinegar. Let the wine reduce, then add 2-3 Tablespoons of the half & half, and heat until warmed through. You can serve with a vegetable and some rice.

Chicken Marsala

Happy Eating, XO.

Fall Stew

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Guys, I miss football. I miss Fall. I mean if its going to be this cold I’d rather us be back in Fall than pretend to be in Spring. There aren’t any flowers, the showers are more like snow, and there just isn’t great spring food. I mean there is good Spring food, but not mouth watering great. Although I will say to stay tuned for an Easter Sunday themed blog post with yummy tea party sandwiches and snacks. (shameless blog plug) Anyway, point being I am going to eat like its still Fall and still can before summer comes around and I need sultry salads, fruits, and iced tea. Ok so back to this divine stew. I can’t even tell you how flipping good it is. There is this amaze balls Italian market near my work and not only do I get lunch from there AT LEAST 2x a week, but I always pick up tasty imported items from Italia whenever I can (aka last time I was there I picked up truffle butter AGAIN, whatever, Jess said we don’t judge here). Anyway, Tredici is the bomb.com for all the delish food they have on their regular menu, but they also have daily specials. This puppy was debuted in September and it made its way back once a month throughout the fall and I miss it so. I decided I must re-create it and have it available all year round. (or I’ll die, because I love it THAT much).  Ok melodramatics aside, I don’t think I can say I replicated the magical stew 100%, but this is pretty darn close, say 99.9% for all you math nerds. Anyway, it satiated my hankering for this delish stew and I hope it does the same for you! (ha “stew”, “you”, rhyming, happy camper, belly full).

  • 2 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 12 oz. hot Italian sausage, cut into small chunks (I just did droppings of the sausage by cutting out the casing, that lets the stew grab on to all the spices of the sausage).
  • 12 cipollini onions peeled (pearl onions can be substituted)
  • 1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes (Cento is my fav canned brand)
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • ½-oz bundle of herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage or oregano (there is a trio packet that’s sold at my grocery store, saves time & money so I just used that. It was parsley, thyme, and oregano)
  • 1-  2 ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks (again I buy the pre-prepared stuff from Trader Joe’s)
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces (I hate cooked carrots but I left them in and just fished them out so I could get the flavor but not have to eat them. I know I am a child).
  • 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch long sticks
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in half
  • 12-15 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Fall Stew

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add sausage, stirring until the sausage breaks into small pieces and is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside. Raise heat to medium high, add onions. Then cook, stirring until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. (At this point, I put the sausage and onions in the slow cooker and added the remaining ingredients. Stir to mx.)Add tomatoes, stock, and herbs. Simmer over medium heat until liquid starts to thicken, 20 to 25 minutes. Add sausage back and the squash, carrots, parsnips, and fennel. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add Brussels sprouts now and cook, covered about 5 minutes more. (or cook on high in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours if not doing it stove top). Remove cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid thickens, 10 to 15 minutes more. Adjust seasonings and serve warm. This will serve 4 – 6 people based on if you are making this a meal or a 1st course.

Happy Eating, XO