Grilled Chicken Topped with Creamy Fire-Roasted Corn and Baked Onion Rings

Grilled Chicken Topped with Creamy Fire-Roasted Corn and Baked Onion Rings

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast (marinated for 1 hour in equal parts lemon juice and soy sauce)

½ cup feta cheese

2 ears of fresh multicolored corn

Chimichurri sauce-I used a store bought kind by Mezzetta

Fresh Chimichurri is cilantro, parsley and garlic

Husk and clean your corn and wrap in tin foil with a drizzle of olive oil.  Fire up the grill and cook corn over medium heat for 10 minutes.    Grill chicken for 4 minutes on each side(if you have larger pieces cook for 3 minutes on each side and flip.  Repeat once, and then cook another 2 minutes on each side.  Flipping several times prevents flare-ups and allows bigger pieces to get cooked.

Cut corn of the cob and place in a bowl with feta and chimichurri.  Mix well, corn should still be hot enough to slightly melt the feta.  Use microwave or stove top if not.  Pour mixture over chicken and serve.

 

For the onion rings:

1 cup flour

1 cup Chicken Bake

1 large yellow onion

Salt to taste

Crispy Baked Onion Rings:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray onion rings with Pam and dredge in flour, then egg, then chicken bake. Cook for 12 to 15 or until brown and crispy.  Serve with your favorite sauce.  I used Kraft Horseradish Dijon Mayo

 

 

 

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Horseradish Dijon Mayo

Easy recipe that was ready in about ten minutes with prep time.  I used frozen tuna fillets from Publix and I was pleasantly surprised.  You can get two fillets this week for under $7 dollars which is a steal.  Marinated in soy sauce and lemon juice.  I didn't get too crazy with the marinade since I was serving this dish with the Horseradish Dijon.  Grill over medium med for 2 minutes on each side.  Plate and drizzle with Kraft Horseradish Dijon Mayo.  Garnished with sliced leeks.

Creamy Goat Cheese and Butternut Squash Soup

It’s nearly fall and I’m in the mood for soup. 

1 Bag fresh cut butternut squash

1 large leek-white part only-chopped

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 shallot

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 vegetable broth

1 cup fat free milk

1 cup goat cheese crumbles

Salt, pepper

Teaspoon cayenne pepper

I cook this soup in the pressure cooker to avoid the mess of a food processor.

Sauté shallots and garlic with olive oil for 1 minute in pressure cooker.  Turn up to high heat and add broth and milk.  Secure lid and cook until .  Turn off the stove top and let the pressure come down naturally in the cooker.  Remove lid after about 15 minutes and mash the tender squash with a potato masher.   Add in wine, leeks, goat cheese, spices and clams.  Put the lid back on and cook over low heat for about 20 more minutes.  Garnish with raw leek and thyme. 

Fried Egg with Polenta Mozzarella and Mushrooms

 

I sautéed my mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil with salt and pepper while my egg was cooking.  Follow the recipe below for the polenta.



 

 

 Polenta Recipe from Food Network

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (less salt required if using soup base)
• 1/2 tablespoon rosemary (optional) or 1/2 tablespoon thyme (optional)

Directions:

1. You may have to adjust ratio, depending on altitude and or type of flour.
2. I use a Pyrex round unit with lid, large enough to hold (7) seven cups water and (2) two cups cornmeal flour, Mix flour with water and salt , and microwave at f ull power for 22 to 26 minutes, (depending on power and quantity) stopping to stir every five to six minutes..
3. You can substitute some broth or milk, not too much milk or it may boil over.

Peanut Butter and Strawberry Smoothie

I’m on a  peanut butter and strawberry smoothie kick these days.  The strawberries are sweet enough so I didn’t add any sugar. 

 

5 to 6 frozen strawberries

1 cup of fat free milk

1 teaspoon peanut butter

Blend and serve

 

 

 

 

Goodwill Finds-Halloween Items

Halloween is just around the corner and this year we’re helping throw a party with some of our neighbors.  I’m not the type to spend a lot of money on costumes and decorations so each year I look for bargains.  People that know me know that I love shopping at my local Good Will.  I’m constantly finding clothes, furniture and other goodies and spending next to nothing on them.  Target donates their unsold clearance items to the Goodwill near our house.  They drop down the price of their clearance items 3 times in the Target stores and whatever is left over goes to Goodwill.   My friends are astonished when I show them all my finds from Goodwill.   I always warn them that it’s a hit or miss when I go and sometimes I walk out empty handed.  The secret is to go at least once or twice a week.  Call your local store and find out when they get new items in from Target.  My store in Casselberry Florida gets Target items in on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon’s.  Friday I paid them a visit and found the first bunch of Halloween items.  Each week, more and more items related to the holiday will come in.  It’s the same thing around Christmas time too.   I found a few things for my costume this year as well as some décor for the party.  The total for it all was $14 and I saved 10% with my college I.D. 

What you can find for Halloween at Goodwill:

• Kids costumes ranging from infants to teens
• Halloween Decor
• Accessories for costumes such as swords, hair color spray, tights and masks 
• Gift Bags and candy holders

  *selection varies from store to store


I’m going to continue sharing my finds and posting pics as I go.  Please leave me a comment if you need more info.  Also, donating and shopping at the Goodwill helps contribute to the community.  Goodwill services are designed to meet the diverse needs of youth, seniors, veterans and military families, immigrants, and people with disabilities, criminal backgrounds and other specialized needs.  Happy Hunting!

                                  Brand New Costume Courtesy of GoodWill from Halloween 2010

Rosemary Goat Cheese and Fig Meatballs

 

I tried figs with goat cheese on a crostini at one of my favorite restaurants recently and loved them.   I decided to try my own version by stuffing meatballs with the combination.  My husband said these were the best meatballs he’d ever had and I have to agree, they are good.  So, I decided they’d have to go up on my blog and will end up becoming my go-to recipe for parties and other occasions.  They are easy to assemble and fairly inexpensive to make.   See recipe cost below.

 

Instagram

Close

Username:
Password:

Forgot password?

 Recipe:

1 package lean ground beef

1 egg

1 teaspoon honey Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

½ cup goat cheese (crumbled)

½ cup fig preserves

1/3 cup falafel mix (I used this instead of breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary

 

 Mix together all ingredients, adding the cheese and figs last.  Roll into balls and place on a broiler pan so the drippings fall to the bottom.  This recipe made 12 rather large size balls.  You could get about 24 meatballs if you make roll them smaller.  Broil for 8 minutes, then plate.

 

Lean Ground Beef $5.60

Fig Preserves $3.49

Goat Cheese $2.99

Entertain a crowd for $12.08-not bad

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo with Tofu Noodles

 

 

With only 25 calories per serving, you can eat the whole bag.  (2 servings per bag)  They also only contain 5 carbs per serving compared to the 40 plus from real pasta.  This is seriously the best version of tofu pasta I’ve tried.  You still need to rinse the noodles before cooking because they don’t have the most pleasant smell.  They need to be patted dry, microwaved or heated up on the stove alone before adding any sauce.  You don’t want to have a watery sauce and the noodles are bagged in water.  I usually prepare my sauce separately to later pour over the noodles.  I would also suggest cutting the noodles up a bit because they are slightly tougher than real pasta.  The upside to this is that you can never over cook or under cook these noodles.  For the sauce:  I’ve prepared many different sauces but I really seem to enjoy the creamy cheesy ones.  This is my skinny version of Pesto Alfredo.  See recipe below:

 

2 bags of Wildwood Pasta Slim-Spinach Fettuccine

½ cup of grated Parmesan Cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh or dry pesto sauce

1 cup low fat milk-I actually used fat free

Pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper

Serves 2

In a small sauté pan coated with olive oil, cook garlic for 1 minute.  Add in milk and bring to a boil.  Lower to medium heat and add the cheese and pesto, stirring vigorously.  Pour over pasta and serve

Baked Ham Cups with Egg and Mozzarella

 

 

Years ago I used to skip breakfast, now its one of my favorite meal times.  Its also important for my body's metabolism to eat several times a day.  I like to listen to my body, especially when it's telling me to eat!  I absolutely love Dunkin Doughnut runs in the morning, but I feel like I get better quality healthier meals when I make them myself.  These ham cups only take 30 seconds to assemble and 10 to 12 minutes to cook. (depending on how you like your yolks)  The ham crisps around the edges while baking and will hold the mixture in place upon removal. 

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray muffin cups with canola oil and place one large piece of ham in each cup.  Crack one egg into each cup and top with mozzarella, salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Fuel Perk Recipe- Open Face Chicken Cordon Blue with Sauteed Spinach

 I'm wanting to expand my blog and focus not just on food but also on food savings.  For the last six months I've been taking advantage of Winn Dixie's Fuel Perks Program.  Gas has never been higher and everyone's buzzing about the high prices.  I typically save anywhere from $10 to $20 dollars per gallon on gas when I fill up with my fuel perks card. (this is only available at Shell Stations)  I also have some other handy tips that can make your card go even further that I will share with you. 

Each week I would like showcase a recipe or deal where you can earn fuel perks.  This week Winn-Dixie has all of these items below on sale and they are fuel perk deals too:)  8/22-28  This week's recipe is one that's already posted on my blog, Chicken Cordon Blue.  Paired with Sauteed spinach all for under $18.  Also, you're earning a whopping $0.20 off the per gal at the pump.  Why not save on dinner and gas?  Not to mention, this is a super quick and easy recipe that anyone could make.  If you need to cut the cooking time in half, Winn Dixie has pre-made oven ready breaded chicken breasts in the deli.  They are about $3 a piece and super convenient.  If you want a save a buck or are feeding a large family, I would opt for the boneless skinless breasts and bread them myself.

Ingredients:

4- Winn-Dixie Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Tenderloins, 40 oz, at $10.99 ($5.49)

 1 package Dole Classic Salads or Tender Leaf Spinach, 9-12 oz, $1.99
5¢ Fuel perk WYB (1)

 4 slices of Kraft Cheese Crumbles, Chunk, Shredded, Cracker Cuts, or Cubes, 5-9.6 oz, $3

-$1/2 Kraft natural cheese, shreds or chunks, 8 oz+ (EXP 08/29) printable

 5¢ Fuel perk WYB (2)-makes it $5 for 2 packs

 Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunch meat, 16 oz, $6.99
10¢ Fuel perk WYB (1)

 $1 off Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh lunch meat printable-print 2 and get two pack for $4.99 total

 This is a quick alternative to stuffed chicken.  I breaded and pan fried the chicken first for 3 minutes on each side.  Removed from pan, then top with ham and swiss cheese.  Broil in the oven for about 5 mins.

You'll have plenty of leftover lunch meat and cheese for lunch for the rest of the week.  Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts are also buy on get on free, making it a super deal.

 Total cost for Chicken Cordon Blue with Sauteed Spinach:  $17.47

Total Fuel Perk Savings:  $.20 off the price per gal (up to 20 gallons)

Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner and double you savings
 Graffinga Centenario Wine, 750 mL, $9.99
35¢ Fuel perk WYB (1)
Total savings with the bottle of wine:$0.55 off per gal

Info on gas perks and other ways to save:

In addition to earning on particular fuel perk items, you can also earn $0.05 in fuel perk for every $50 spent at Winn-Dixie.  The best part about this deal is that your savings are stored on your card each time you shop and only expire monthly.  So if you spend $30 one week and $20 the next, you will earn points as long as they haven't expired.  

If your a publix shopper as well, you can cut the cost of gas down even more.  Publix usually runs a special monthly where if you spend at least $25 you can purchase a $50 Shell gas card for $40.  Here's how much I saved a few weeks ago:

My gas savings:

I had .065 cents off per gallon
Gas was $3.23 per gallon so my fuel perks savings took it down to $2.58 per gal
$2.58 multiplied by 17(gal my car holds)=43.86  
I had a balance remaining on my $50 shell card from publix for $6.14
My all together savings from Fuel Perks and Publix gas card was
                                                                                                   
                                                                                                   $54.91-cost without perks
                                                                                              -   $43.86-actual cost to fill up
                                                                                                 $11.05 is savings to fill up
                                                                                   Plus        $10.00 off a $50 in gas
                                                                                   Total savings:  $20.05 
For additonal info on fuel perks and to find out how to sign up, visit https://www.winndixie.com/SR/fuelperks/Aboutfuelperks.aspx

4 course meal for $15 at outback

                                                                      

Baked Eggs with Ham, leeks and Parmesan

I saw this recipe on Pinterest this morning and I had to try it.  I crave a hot meal in the morning, but don't always have the time to prepare it.  I had about 30 minutes to spare before work and decided to try this quick throw together breakfast.  Add your favorite ingredients in with 2 eggs and bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes.  By the time I was showered and dressed, it was time for breakfast.  The eggs were still runny which I prefer so I enjoyed this with a slice of toast.

My Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 slice of sweet ham-cut into small strips

2 tablespoons chopped leeks

2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Falafel Crusted Sweet Potato Cakes

This was a tasty little experiment that ending up taking on a Spanish flavor that reminded me of  tostones.  (which I love)  I decided to top the cakes with some caramelized onions and chimichurri.  I didn't have a lot of time tonight so I microwaved the sweet potatoes and used store bought chimichurri. (do not over cook the sweet potatoes)  Total cook and prep time was about 15 minutes.  Two sweet potatoes made six cakes.


Ingredients:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

splash of soy milk

1/2 cup of dry falafel mix

1egg white

salt and pepper

Mash sweet potatoes after cooking and discarding the skins.  Add milk, heavy cream or soy milk and salt and pepper.  Form into balls to make patties.  Toss in egg whites and then falafel mix.  Oil a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side.  The flatter the cake, the crispier it will be in the end.

For the caramelized onions:

1 large onion

1 teaspoon butter

splash or two of lemon juice

Drizzle with chimichurri sauce once plated and topped with onions

Haricot Verts Wedge Salad

 

Iceberg wedge

Haricot Verts-or French green beans

Bacon crumbles

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Balsamic Dressing

Salt and pepper

London Broil Salad

click to enlarge

1/2 pound london broil


Leaf lettuce


Arugula


Blanched asparagus spears

1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese


3 slices pancetta-broiled for 3 minutes until crispy


red onion chopped lengthwise


1 avocado


Balsamic Dressing-my was store bought


Serves 2

click to enlarge