Crispy Ritz Chicken

INGREDIENTS

FOR CILANTRO RICE
1 1/2 c. of uncooked rice
1/8 c. lime juice
2 tbsp. tried cilantro

FOR THE CHICKEN
3 chicken breasts
2 sleeves of Ritz crackers or roasted veggie flavor
1/2 c. of buttermilk or regular milk
2-2 1/2 c. of shredded cheese or mozzarella
Salt and Pepper to taste

FOR THE SAUCE
1-10oz can of cream of chicken
3 tbsp. of sour cream
2 tbsp. butter

Dried cilantro for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

For the rice:
Combine 1 1/2 c. of uncooked rice-- my favorite are Jasmine or Basmati rice-- and 3 c. of water. Set rice cooker to cook. Once the rice cooks, in a large pot or bowl, mix together rice and lime juice together. Then add cilantro and toss together. Set aside.

For the Chicken:
There is a bit of set up first.  Grease a large baking tray with cooking spray, butter or shortening. In a food processor grind Ritz Crackers into fine crumbs, mix with salt and pepper to taste. Place the crumbs in a pan or shallow dish. In a bowl, pour the buttermilk. And in another dish, spread the shredded cheese. I set up my pans/dishes/trays in this order: milk bowl, then cheese dish, then crumbs, and finally baking tray.

First dip the breasts into the milk. Then roll into shredded cheese- the cheese will not stick too great so use your hands to press in the cheese. Finally, cover with crumbs. Do not worry- the cheese will fall into the crumbs- that is okay! Place the breast onto the baking tray. Repeat for the remainder of chicken breast cutlets. Once all the cutlets are on the baking tray- sprinkle any non-covered areas with additional crumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes until breasts are thoroughly cooked and center is no longer pink.

For the sauce:
In  a small pot, over medium-high heat, bring cream of chicken, sour cream and butter to a boil. Remove from heat, whisk together and allow to cool.  Serve chicken breast on top a scoop of cilantro rice. Serve sauce over chicken. 

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Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 cups low or no-sodium beef broth

1 (28oz. can) petite diced tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauce

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. sliced mushrooms 

1 green bell pepper

1 small onion

4 slices pre-cooked bacon 

4 oz. sliced pepperoni

1/2 of a loaf of Italian bread 

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

instructions

Turn on the broiler and position the rack 6-8 inches from the heat source.

Put a large pot or Dutch oven on high heat. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and black pepper. Stir and cover. When it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the mushrooms. Stir. Chop the green pepper roughly and add it to the mushrooms. Stir. Chop the onion and add it as well. Stir. Chop the bacon and add it. Chop the pepperoni and and add it. Stir. Stir occasionally until onions and peppers are softened a bit.

Cut the bread into 4 thick slices. Put the bread on a broiler pan and put it under the broiler to toast it lightly. Remove and flip it over. Put 1/4 cup of the cheese onto each bread slice. Return it to under the broiler just until melted and browned in spots, 1-3 minutes.

Stir the mushroom mixture into the soup. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the remaining cheese. Serve with the cheese toast.

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Tomato Mozzarella Tart

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 plum tomatoes (or 1 large heirloom tomato), cored and sliced ¼-inch thick
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the puff pastry in the center of the baking sheet and brush all over with the egg. Form a crust by folding over the edges about a ½ inch, then brush the edges with egg. Use a paring knife to cut the folded edges and corners.

3. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese, then poke the dough all over with a fork, making sure to go the whole way through the dough. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

4. Meanwhile, place the tomato slices on a triple layer of paper towels. Sprinkle with the salt and let sit for 30 minutes.

5. When ready, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the bottom of the crust. Press any excess moisture out of the tomatoes with paper towels, then layer the tomato slices evenly over the mozzarella. Whisk the olive oil and garlic together and drizzle evenly over the tomatoes. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with basil. Slide the tart onto a cutting board, slice into pieces and serve.

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Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

For the Crust
– 1 head of cauliflower
– 1 cup part skim mozzarella
– 1 egg

For the Toppings:
– 1/2 cup basil pesto
– 4 ounces fresh mozzarella
– 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
– 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
– 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
– 5 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. First, we’ll start by making our crust. Cut the florets from the head of cauliflower and drop into a large food processor. Process until completely shredded, then a add to a skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat to reduce some of the moisture and cook the cauliflower. Once you’ve cooked your cauliflower, transfer it to a large bowl to cool. Once the the temperature has cooled off, add your egg and mozzarella. Mix together until well combined. Lightly grease a baking sheet or we actually recommend covering with parchment paper if you have some on hand. Spread the crust out into an even layer and pop in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Now it’s time to gather your toppings. Start by covering the crust with a thin a layer of pesto. Then place chunks of your mozzarella followed by a sprinkling of the parmesan and basil. Finally toss some chopped sun-dried tomatoes on top. Bake for 5 minutes. Now top with your 5 eggs and toss the pizza back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, depending on how runny you want your yolks to be.

 

Enjoy it!

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Carpese Salad with Tortellini

8-10 servings as a side

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cheese tortellini
• olive oil, for drizzling

Dressing:

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ½ cup olive oil (preferable extra-virgin)
• salt and pepper

Salad:

• 8 ounces mini mozzarella balls, cut in half or cubed mozzarella
• 8 ounces grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 3 ounces chopped prosciutto
• ½ cup fresh torn basil leaves

Instructions

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions in plenty of well salted water to al dente. Drain well and place in a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil so they don't stick together and toss. Let them cool off a little then cover and refrigerate until cold.
2. Meanwhile make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar and mustard together in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly while whisking. Stir in the garlic and a couple dashes salt and pepper.
3. Add the mozzarella, tomatoes, prosciutto, basil and tortellini to a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently with a wooden spoon.
4. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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Pizza Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

16 oz. rotini pasta
1 cup pepperoni, diced 
1 can olives, sliced
1 cup mozzarella, cut into small pieces 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup tomatoes, diced 

1 bottle of Bernstein’s Restaurant Recipe Italian dressing (or what you like)

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While the pasta is boiling, you can get everything else ready to assemble. Cut up the cheese, olives and pepperoni if needed.

When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.

 Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

 You can serve it immediately if necessary, but is ideal to let it chill for at least a few hours before serving.  

I like to prepare this the night before so everything has a bit of a chance to marinate. Just make sure to re-stir everything up again right before serving to make sure the dressing is well mixed!

Enjoy!

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Grilled Chicken Pesto Wraps

Ingredients for 6 servings:

·         2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         1 teaspoon dried basil

·         1 lb raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used kitchen shears – it’s faster than using a knife!)

·         2 tablespoons pine nuts

·         ¾ cup fresh basil leaves

·         2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

·         1 teaspoon water

·         1 teaspoon lemon juice

·         1 garlic clove

·         Pinch of nutmeg

·         Salt & pepper to taste

·         ½ cup shredded 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese

·         6 light original Flatouts

·         1 plum tomato, diced

InstrucTIONS:

1.    In a large skillet, bring one tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic clove and dried basil and stir into oil. Cook for about a minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken to the pan and stir to coat chicken with the oil and herbs. Cook for 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked completely through. Remove chicken along with any excess oil to a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.

2.    Bring a small dry skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally until nuts are golden brown.

3.    Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, water, lemon juice, whole garlic clove, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the bowl of your food processor and process until minced together into a pesto paste. Add the pesto to the reserved mixing bowl with the chicken. Add the Mozzarella cheese and mix all ingredients together until well combined (see photo above).

4.    Lay a flatout wrap on a clean surface and spoon 1/6 of the chicken pesto mixture (about 2.5 ounces by weight) onto the center of each flatout and spread the mixture lengthwise, leaving about an inch at each end. Sprinkle about 1/6 of the diced tomatoes over the chicken. Fold in the 1” ends of the flatout over the filling and then fold in the long ends to cover it.

5.    Lightly mist the large skillet with cooking spray and bring over medium-low heat. Place the wraps fold-side down onto the skillet (I did them in batches of two) and mists the tops with cooking spray as well. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until bottom is golden. Flip the wraps and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes until golden on the other side. Cut in half and serve.

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Skinny veggie lasagna

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups chopped veggies of your choice
• ½ chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 12 uncooked oven-ready whole grain lasagna noodles
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop the veggies. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil over medium high heat. Add veggies and saute until tender. Set aside.
2. Whisk egg into ricotta cheese and stir in fresh spinach.
3. Pour a little sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Top with 4 lasagna noodles,1/2 cup ricotta mixture, ½ of the veggies, and ¾ cup sauce. Repeat; top entire pan with noodles, remaining sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
4. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more or until cheese is bubbly.

NOTES

For my veggies, I used broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and red peppers. Check the lasagna at 30 minutes and add ¼ cup vegetable stock if the lasagna looks too dry.   

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