Chicken Quesadillas

An easy weeknight meal that's wholesome and delicious.  This is a versatile dish.  Add your favorite veggies, swap out chicken for steak, or leave out the meat to make it a veggie quesadilla. 

Here's what you'll need...

  Chicken, peppers, garlic, taco seasoning, sour cream, montery jack cheese,

EVOO, flour tortillas, and butter (not pictured)

Dice up chicken and coat with taco seasoning...

 

Heat up olive oil over medium heat...

 

Meanwhile, slice the peppers... 

 

Add chicken to the skillet and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes...

 

Turn chicken, add a few pats of butter, and cook an
additional 5-7 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate...

 

 Add peppers to pan with 1 TBSP of minced garlic...

 

While the peppers are cooking, shred the cheese...

Once peppers are tender, remove from pan...

 

Using the same skillet, arrange the quesadillas...

Add a pat of butter to the pan, place a tortilla shell in the pan, top with cheese, chicken, peppers, and more chicken...

 

 

 

 Top with another tortilla shell, cook for about 3 minutes and flip, and cook another 2 minutes. 

 

Transfer to a cutting board, slice, and enjoy!  Top with your choice of sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole...

 

 

Enjoy!!!

French Crepes

 

For some reason, I was always afraid of crepes. Something so delicate and delicious had to be complicated, right? I finally faced my fears last summer and came up with this recipe, which is so simple and delicious!

FRENCH CREPES

1 Egg
1... Egg Yolk
2/3 C Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp Sugar
Splash of Vanilla
2 Tbsp Butter, Melted

Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs & milk. Add dry ingredients. Stir in melted butter.

Spray small skillet pan with cooking spray (or a little butter) and heat pan to med-high heat. Pour a small amount of batter in the pan and spread by liefting the pan and rotating until pan is coated with batter. Once edges start to cook and bottom is very light brown, flip and cook about 1 more minute. Place on dish and cover with warm moist paper towel. Repeat until all crepes are cooked.


Serve with your choice of marinated strawberries, nutella, fresh fruit, whipped cream. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Enjoy!!!

Chicken Club Ring

Yesterday afternoon, Hubby and his friends were outside working

on their ice fishing shack and I needed to throw something quick together for lunch.

(Every year, the “he man woman haters club” treks up to Lake Winnipesaukee,

New Hampshire, for their annual ice fishing tournament.

They sleep in the “Shrek Shack”, drink beer, complain about women, and eat!

I’m not so convinced that they even really fish?)

 

Shawn and friends in front of the Shrek Shack

I was introduced to this recipe at a Pampered Chef party many years ago,

and it quickly became my go to recipe for lunches whenever company is over.

This recipe is so versatile.

You can add crumbled bacon, walnuts, grapes, whatever you'd like!

Swiss cheese can sometimes be overpowering,

so feel free to swap it out with the cheese of your choice - any will do!

Here's what you'll need...

Crescent Rolls, Swiss Cheese, Tomatoes, and Chicken Salad.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On a baking sheet (or baking stone),

arrange the crescent rolls in a circular shape,

overlapping each one.

This does not have to be in a circular shape. Go on, get crazy, get creative...Valentine’s Day is coming up...make a heart shape!!

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the chicken salad onto the wide end of each triangle.

Add any optional ingredients (bacon, walnuts, grapes, etc.)…

Next, slice the tomato…

 

Layer the tomatoes on top of the chicken salad…

Split the cheese slices in half and layer on top of the tomatoes…

 

Fold the points of the crescent rolls over the filing, tucking under the bottom…

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown…

 

Serve immediately.

If you want to get fancy schmancy,

place the chicken club ring on a platter

and serve chips or fresh veggies with dip in the middle.

 

Enjoy!!

Chicken Soup

There's something so comforting about chicken soup when you're sick.  Hubby was sick, so I whipped up a batch of this hearty soup. Using a cooked rotisserie chicken is a real time savor, without sacrificing any flavor! 

Here's what you'll need...

1 cooked rotisserie chicken (any flavor)
4-6 stalks celery, diced
6-8 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
2 QTs chicken broth
1 QT water
1/2 C orzo, or pasta of your choice
1 C grated parmesan cheese
1/3 C heavy cream (or half & half)
1 Tsp italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
sprig of rosemary and thyme, tied together (optional)
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp pepper

1. In a dutch oven or large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and water to a simmer. 
2. Add the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf.
3. Meanwhile, remove meat from chicken and shred or cut into pieces.
4. Set meat aside and place remainder of chicken into broth.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the chicken pieces and herbs from the stock and discard.
7. Add the vegetables and remaining seasonings and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
8. Add the pasta and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Add the chicken, parmesan cheese, and cream. 

Enjoy!!

Smothered Pork Chops

This was the perfect dish to keep us warm during the blizzard!  Pork chops smothered with onions & mushrooms, covered in a creamy sauce.  I can't wait to try this with chicken as well!

Here's what you'll need..

6 boneless pork chops
1 onion, diced
Mushrooms, sliced (small package - I used baby bellas)
1 stick of butter
2 C milk
1/2 C flour
1 TBSP paprika
1 TSP garlic powder
1 TSP onion powder
1/4 TSP salt
1/4 TSP pepper
1/4 TSP Dill (optional)
1/4 TSP Tarragon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a bowl, combine half of the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. 
2. Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture and set aside. 
3. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. 
4. Brown the pork chops in the skillet and transfer to a casserole dish. 
5. Saute the onions and mushrooms until tender.
6. Add the remaining flour to the onions and mushrooms, blending well for about 1 minute.
7. Slowly add the milk, stirring until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the dill & tarragon
8. Pour over the pork chops, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.

Enjoy!!

Venus De Milo Soup

This simple yet satisfying soup is a variation of the original 'Venus De Milo' soup that is served at a local restaurant. 

Here's what you'll need...

1 bag of frozen mixed veggies
1 lb ground beef
2 small cans (10-14 oz) of condensed chicken broth
6 1/2 C of water
1 can of tomato paste
1 pkg dried onion soup mix
1 can diced tomatoes (I use Hunts fire roasted)
1/2 C orzo pasta
Bay leaf
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
S&P

Brown beef, seasoning with garlic powder, onion powder, S&P. Add soup mix, broth, water, tomatoes, and paste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add frozen vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add pasta and bay leaf and simmer for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Sugar Cookie Icing

This is a great icing that will dry hard and shiny, looking like it came out of a bakery. 

Here's what you'll need...

1 C Confectioners Sugar
2-4 tsp Milk
2 tsp Light Corn Syrup
1/4 tsp Almond or Vanilla Extract
Food Coloring

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more milk.
2. Divide into separate bowls and add food colorings
3. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.