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Simple and Quick Meal: Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa

YumSugar — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:16 -0700

Like many of you, I find myself pressed for time, but still crave a somewhat sophisticated meal. This week I came up with a recipe for Mediterranean chicken that didn't cramp my schedule or my style. It's also wholesome, with the Peruvian grain quinoa, which has a high protein content. Next time I make it (which will definitely be soon), I'll stir in the basil at the last minute to prevent wilting. If you're not a fan of raw garlic, sauté it for a minute to mellow out its flavors. To look at the recipe, read more.

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa
Original recipe by YumSugar

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound chicken breasts, butterflied
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup chopped pitted Spanish Manzanilla olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped capers
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely crushed

Directions

Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray. Grill chicken until cooked through.
In a large pot, cook quinoa with 2 cups water until water is completely absorbed and grain appears soft and translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. (It is normal to see the filament-like germ ring along the edge of the grain.)
In a large bowl, combine olives, capers, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to olive mixture. Add quinoa to olive mixture.
Just before serving, stir in basil.

Serves 4.

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Easy Weeknight Meal: Ham and Cheese Quesadillas

YumSugar — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:00:08 -0700

You'd be hard pressed to find a simpler dinner than these quesadillas served alongside melon. The quesadillas, with their flour tortillas encasing oozy, gooey melted mozzarella, are inspired by Mexican and Italian cuisines. Next time, for even more of an Italian twist, I'll swap the ham for prosciutto to balance out the mozzarella, which is mild and doesn't contain much salt. The cantaloupe proves to be a sweet, aromatic complement to the prosciutto.

Although you can use any type of mozzarella, I recommend the fresh kind over the low-moisture variety because it melts differently. Since I had them on hand, I replaced the mozzarella with bocconcini, or small mozzarella balls. Regardless of what mozzarella you use, I recommend patting it dry with a cloth or paper towel, so your cheese doesn't seep moisture, resulting in a soggy quesadilla. To get the recipe, read more.

Ham and Cheese Quesadilla
From Real Simple

Ingredients

4 10-inch flour tortillas
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1 cantaloupe, cut into small wedges

Directions

Heat broiler.
On one half of each tortilla, layer the mozzarella and ham.
Fold the other half of each tortilla over to cover and place on a broilerproof sheet pan.
Broil until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Cut into wedges and serve with the cantaloupe.

Serves 4.

Nutrition per serving
Calories 680 (47% from fat); Fat 35g (sat 19g); Cholesterol 109mg; Carbohydrate 50g; Sodium 1427mg; Protein 35g; Fiber 3g; Sugar 12g

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Monday's Leftovers: Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:45:47 -0700

This recipe for lasagna may not be the most traditional, but it's a great addition to your collection, especially for those days when you don't feel like eating pasta, or if you have some extra mushrooms on hand. In this variation, portobello caps are an unusual breather from the typical noodle. It's a great way to get the little ones to eat vegetables! For an easy weeknight meal, read more.

Portobello Mushroom Stacked Lasagna
From Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 extra-large portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed
1 1/4 tsp. salt
15 ounces whole milk ricotta
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2/3 cup coarsely shredded asiago cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup marinara sauce, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine oil and 1 minced clove of garlic in a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat until aromatic and lightly golden. Brush oil onto both sides of mushrooms, and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Arrange caps smooth side up in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together ricotta, spinach, Asiago cheese, egg, nutmeg if using, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and remaining garlic in a large bowl. Remove mushrooms from oven.
Turn over 4 caps so that the underside is up, and divide the filling evenly among caps. Drizzle 1 tablespoon marinara sauce over each cap. Top with remaining caps, top side up. Alternatively, trim the caps into uniform squares and slice them horizontally to make 4 squares out of 2 caps. Place 1 square on bottom in pan. Spread 1/3 of filling on first layer of mushrooms. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients to end with mushroom cap on top.
For either version of this lasagna, pour remaining marinara sauce evenly over mushrooms, and bake 12 to 14 minutes more, or until filling is hot and slightly puffy. Remove from oven, and, using a large spatula, lift stack off baking pan, including any stuffing. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

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Reader Recipe: Greek Penne and Chicken

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:00:31 -0700

Audreystar says she's been on a Greek cooking kick lately, and she's not alone. I've also been somewhat fixated on feta cheese recently, and this Mediterranean mix of chicken, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and feta looks incredibly yummy.

I love that she found the recipe while looking for a way to use up her surplus of fresh parsley! Leftover herbs are always inspiring my dinners, too. This dish looks like a fast and easy weeknight meal, so to get her recipe plus step-by-step photos, read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar Member audreystar

Greek Penne and Chicken
Greek Penne and Chicken

I had some leftover fresh parsley I needed to use up and googled this recipe. It sounded so yummy and boy was it!

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package penne pasta (You might want to use less than 16 oz., say between 8 & 16)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces (I cheated and got the pregrilled, bagged chicken to save time)
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water (or the canned marinated artichoke for more flavor)
1 tomato, chopped (with the tomato scare and my laziness I got the canned tomatoes instead)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Not my hands, my hubby's, didn't want you to think I had "Man Hands"
Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.

I served mine on a plate with a side Mediterranean Mix salad and two pieces of toasted Rye Garlic Bread.

Up close and personal!

You guys, this was SOOOOOOO good. I have been on a Greek cooking kick lately, have you noticed?

Next time I will be using a little less pasta. On the link of the recipe above some people reviewed it and said they would use the marinated artichoke hearts instead of the plain because it would add more flavor but I thought this had lots of flavor.

I will DEFINITELY make this again. I couldn't get enough of it.

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Make Your Own Goulash

YumSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:15:22 -0700

A few weeks ago I asked my dad if he could give me his recipe for goulash. I grew up eating this tomato-pasta-ground-meat goodness - which is nothing like Czech goulash - on a regular basis and was really craving it. However, when I asked him for it, he just laughed and said there was no real recipe. He tweaks it and makes it up each time, depending on what is available. So I went to the store, grabbed a few items, and made my own version.

The dish is easy enough for a weeknight meal, but hearty enough for a weekend. If you want to see how mine came together, read more.

Have you ever had a dish like this? What variations do you do?

Turkey Goulash
Adapted from YumSugar's Dad's recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups uncooked radiatori pasta
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground turkey (you can use ground beef, chicken or pork)
1 28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
chili powder
salt
pepper
olive oil

Directions

In a large pot, cook the pasta as directed.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, season ground turkey with chili powder, salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat several tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add onions. Sauté for several minutes then add garlic.
When onions are nearly translucent, add ground turkey. Cook until turkey is fully browned and cook all the way through. Note: If there is excess oil from the meat, drain at this point.
Next, add the tomatoes. Cook until heated. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
At this point, the pasta should be about ready. Drain and return to pot. Add tomato mixture to pasta. Stir until fully incorporated and serve!
Garnish with parmesan cheese, minced green onions, etc.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Turkey Spinach Toss

partysugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:01:18 -0700

A delicious turkey meal shouldn't only be reserved for Thanksgiving. In fact, I like to serve quick-cooking turkey breasts all year long. For tonight's dinner I suggest this scrumptious turkey and spinach salad. An easy sauce is made from orange juice and crispy ham adds a light crunch to the meal. Serve with a soft red wine or robust rosé for a special weeknight dinner. To look at the recipe please, read more

Turkey Spinach Toss
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine

2 8-oz. turkey breast tenderloins, halved horizontally
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 oz. thinly sliced deli ham, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup orange juice
2 9- to 10-oz. pkgs. fresh spinach
1 orange, cut into wedges

Season turkey with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In very large skillet heat butter over medium-high heat; add turkey. Cook 12 minutes or until no longer pink (170F); turn once.
Remove turkey from skillet. Slice into strips; cover and keep warm. Add ham to skillet; cook and stir 1 minute or until heated and starting to crisp. With slotted spoon remove ham from skillet. Add juice; bring to boiling.
Add spinach, half at a time, to skillet; cook 1 minute or until just wilted.
Add orange wedges with second batch of spinach. Using tongs, remove from skillet; divide among plates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with turkey and ham. Drizzle with remaining juices from skillet.

Serves 4.

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Today's Special: Easy Pork Chop Simmer

partysugar — Tue, 01 May 2007 07:58:19 -0700

This week I am super busy, I have events and places to be every night. As much as I love eating out I simply can't afford to do it on weeknights and besides a delicious, homemade meal is comforting when there is so much running around going on. Also taking the time to cook, even if it is only 15 minutes relaxes me. However I'm not going to have a lot of time tonight so I need a meal that can basically cook itself. By mixing together a few staple condiments I can create a quick and easy sauce for pork chops. This is a great technique and one that can be used in infinite ways. Add in some freshly cut veggie chunks and a little white rice and dinner is done. To run your eyes over the recipe, read more

Easy Pork Chop Simmer
From Kraft Foods

1/4 cup Barbecue sauce
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1 tablespoon honey mustard
4 bone-in pork chops, 3/4 inch thick (1-1/2 lb.)
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1-1/2 cups instant/cooked white rice, prepared according to package directions

Mix barbecue sauce, dressing and mustard in glass baking dish or large resealable plastic bag until well blended. Remove 6 tablespoons of the marinade for later use.
Add chops to remaining marinade in baking dish; refrigerate at least 10 min. or overnight to marinate.
Cook chops in large skillet on medium heat 5 minutes; turn chops over.
Add reserved marinade and carrots; cover. Cook 7 to 10 min. or until sauce thickens and chops are cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Serve with the hot cooked rice.

Serves 4.

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Take It Easy: Make Calzones For Dinner In 20 Minutes

partysugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 10:01:18 -0700

After the long week, who wants to jump right into the kitchen and cook? To lessen the stress of a hard week, make a super easy calzone for dinner. Store bought pizza dough makes it a perfect quick fox meal for a busy weeknight. Serve the calzones, which are filled with a quick spinach, cheese, and ham mixture, with warmed bottled marinara dipping sauce. Stock your freezer with frozen spinach and canned pizza dough crust and you'll be able to whip this up for you and the hubby any hectic time. I can't wait to make this for dinner tonight and if you can't either get the recipe, just read more

Ham, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomato Calzones
From Cooking Light magazine

1 cup part-skim ricotta
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
3 ounces lean ham, chopped
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and chopped
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.
Combine first 9 ingredients.
Divide dough evenly into 5 pieces; pat each dough piece into a 5-inch circle.
Spoon about 1/2 cup spinach mixture onto half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold dough over filling until edges almost meet. Bring bottom edge over top edge; crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.
Place calzones on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 450° for 14 minutes or until browned.

Makes 5 calzones.

NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 356(32% from fat); FAT 12.5g (sat 5.6g,mono 4g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 25.2g; CHOLESTEROL 37mg; CALCIUM 497mg; SODIUM 967mg; FIBER 3.2g; IRON 3.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.3g

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