Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

These are seriously the best quesadillas - and I've had a lot of quesadillas! A chicken quesadilla is typically my stand-by order at restaurants when nothing else pops out at me. I've made quesadillas at home before, and they've been good, but these are better than good. And paired with THIS salsa - OMG! Bob said they were the best quesadillas he's ever had, and he doesn't just hand out compliments when it comes to my cooking because I urge him to be brutally honest.

I was having a spastic day in the kitchen the first time I made these. It was the night after I had frosted and decorated these and these, plus I had an 11-hour work day, so I was exhausted. I didn't start making them until 7pm, and when I saw the "marinate for at least 1 hour" bit, I was having none of that! I decided to cut the chicken into small pieces before marinating to speed up the process. I guess I ended up changing the recipe a bit, but the original is linked below, which includes button mushrooms, so check it out if you like mushrooms!

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for sauteing/grilling

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Juice of 1 lime

1 large or 2 small chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1 large clove garlic, grated

fajita seasoning to taste (~1/8-1/4 package, I prefer McCormick)

~1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves, torn

2-3 large flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Add marinade ingredients to a resealable plastic bag and squeeze to mix. Marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat with a little olive oil. Add grated garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add all of the contents of the plastic bag and sprinkle on fajita seasoning. Cook until chicken is done and moisture is absorbed. Toss in torn spinach and cook until wilted, remove from heat.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush lightly with olive oil. Place a tortilla down on the pan, add some Monterey Jack cheese, then 1/2 or 1/3 of the chicken/spinach mixture (depending on how much you have), and top with more of the cheese. Fold over the tortilla and cook until tortilla is crispy and grill marks have formed. Flip to cook other side. Repeat with remaining quesadilla(s).

4. Cut quesadillas with a pizza cutter. Serve with salsa and light sour cream. Enjoy!!!

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Chicken Caesar Salad

My mother in law passed along this Cooking Light recipe a few weeks ago. I thought it looked really good, and Bob and I love to have dinner salads in the spring and summer. I've been inspired by Kerstin's recipes using turkey bacon, so I thought I'd throw some of that in. I had tried turkey bacon a few times over the years, and I never thought it was that great - it didn't crisp up like traditional bacon. But Oscar Mayer brand turkey bacon was on sale this time, and it is SO good! It becomes crispy and has a very similar texture to bacon. I'm so excited to start substituting it in recipes that call for bacon and pancetta!

This salad is so delicious! We both loved it. I'm not sure how necessary the pasta is, so the second time I made it, I omitted the pasta, upped the amount of bacon, and used red onion instead of green since it was all we had. I think I like the green onion best though. I've included my changes below.
Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, diced (I used a rotisserie chicken)
2-4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 container grape tomatoes, halved
half a bunch of green onions, sliced
2 ounces feta cheese
1 bunch of Romaine lettuce
3 Tablespoons fat-free Caesar dressing (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat penne (3 ounces uncooked)
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (or a small amount of basil puree)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Top with freshly ground pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Turkey Sausage Soup

One of my favorite soups from the hospital cafeteria across from my lab is Tomato Florentine. It's a basic tomato soup with spinach and pasta shells. I was reminded of this soup when I saw Jenny's recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Sausage Soup. I loved that this recipe comes together in just 10 minutes! Of course my version takes a bit longer since I had to complicate it by adding some pasta and spinach, but it's still a super quick recipe, and it's delicious!
Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Turkey Sausage Soup

Ingredients:
3 sweet Italian turkey links, casing removed
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (or 1-2 teaspoons purchased basil puree)
1 26-ounce jar of pasta sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half
1 cup small whole wheat pasta (such as macaroni)
6 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:
1. Boil a small pot of water. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat a medium-sized dutch oven over medium heat. Brown sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, or smaller. Drain grease (or use paper towels to squeeze out grease), if desired.

3. Stir in pasta sauce, basil leaves or puree, water, and half-and-half. Cook until warm then reduce heat to low.

4. Add cooked pasta and season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the fresh spinach and simmer until wilted. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Picky Palate

Chicken Sausage and Penne in a Pumpkin Cream Sauce

From the title, and even the picture, you may think this a rich dinner made with heavy cream. I'm delighted to say that's not the case - but it tastes like it is! I saw this recipe on Cara's Cravings last year and have made it several times. Cara ingeniously came up with the idea to make a puree using skim milk, canned pumpkin, and - get this - 1% lowfat cottage cheese! I was skeptical when I first made it, and a little worried when I added this 'cream sauce' to the pan and saw tiny bits of cottage cheese peppering the pan. But then, the most amazing thing happened: the tiny bits melted and created this creamy, slightly cheesy, sauce. I really want to use this trick to make this Giada recipe again, because it was far too creamy for me the first time. This idea can also be adapted for other sauces, like a butternut squash cream sauce - mmm.

Bob and I both really like this recipe. I've made it using different kinds of chicken sausage, but the combo of the apple sausage and the pumpkin is quite nice. I've made a few slight modifications to the recipe, but Cara's original version, which serves 2, is available through the link below. My version serves 3-4 because we like to have leftovers for lunch.

Chicken Sausage and Penne in a Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
6 ounces penne pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, grated or more to taste
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
3 sliced chicken sausage links, such as apple from TJ's
3/4 cup 1% low fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup skim milk
5 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, sage, and chicken sausage; continue to saute.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. In a small food processor or blender, combine pumpkin, cottage cheese, and milk. Blend until smooth. Add to sausage mixture in the skillet and continue to cook over low heat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

3. Drain pasta and add to sausage mixture with the baby spinach. Toss together until the spinach is wilted. Raise heat if necessary to melt any remaining bits of cottage cheese, while continuing to stir until creamy. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Cara's Cravings

For Cinco de Mayo: Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas

Happy Cinco de Mayo! :) Several years ago Bob found a Rachael Ray recipe for Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches. He adapted the recipe to something we called "Bob's Honey Lime Chicken," which was simply the marinated chicken baked in the oven and served alongside pasta/rice and vegetables. The chicken has a delicious, sweet flavor. I started thinking how this chicken could be used in other recipes, and fajitas came to mind. I usually just use McCormick fajita seasoning, and we love it, but I thought I'd switch it up a bit. These fajitas were great! I have some ideas for how to use this chicken in other ways too. I'll have to experiment!

Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons honey
1 rounded teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
salt and pepper, to taste

1 green pepper, 1 orange pepper, 1 red onion, 1 yellow onion - each cut into strips (any veggie of choice works here - zucchini, squash, mushrooms, spinach, etc.)

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Flour tortillas

For the toppings:
Light sour cream
Salsa
Monterey Jack cheese
Shredded lettuce

Directions:
1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle strips of chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the marinade and stir to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions. Cook until softened, about 7-10 minutes.

3. Transfer the peppers and onions to a serving dish. Add the contents of the small bowl to the warm skillet containing 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, if necessary. Cook until chicken is done and browned and liquid has evaporated. Transfer to serving dish.

4. Warm tortillas between wet paper towels in the microwave, and transfer toppings to serving dishes. Serve all components separately and fill tortillas as desired. Enjoy!

Source: Recipe idea from You're Gonna Bake It After All, marinade from Rachael Ray

For Cinco de Mayo Eve: Fresh Homemade Salsa

Happy Cinco de Mayo Eve! I've never really celebrated Cinco de Mayo before (I took French in high school), but Bob and I love Mexican food, so I thought this was a great opportunity to post some of our favorite Mexican recipes!

I've already posted my favorite homemade salsa here, but for Superbowl back in January I decided to try out a new recipe I had seen on Annie's Eats. It just looked so good in her picture. I was skeptical that I would like it, especially since I was making it with winter tomatoes, but the Black Bean Salsa better watch out because this one is now vying for the title of my favorite salsa! It's so fresh tasting, and the flavors work so well together. It tastes like salsa from a really good restaurant. I also love the consistency, and the fact that it's SO easy to make - almost no chopping involved, and it's done in just minutes. If you like salsa, this recipe is a winner!

When I first made the recipe, I followed it exactly except I replaced half the amount of canned diced tomatoes with fire-roasted because I think they are SO good. I was really happy with the resulting flavor. I've made this salsa a total of 3 times, and each time I've tweaked it ever so slightly, and I think I've finally got the perfect balance for our taste. If you're sensitive to spice, scale back on the cayenne. We happen to think the spiciness is just right.

One note about the garlic: The original recipe calls for 4 cloves of garlic. The first time, I used 3 very large cloves and one medium-sized thinking you can never have too much garlic! It turns out, you can. It was way too garlicky. The overpowering garlic flavor is not necessarily apparent while you're eating it, but rather later that night . . . and at 3 am . . . and during breakfast the next morning. Each time I've made it, I've scaled back on the garlic and finally ended up thinking 1 clove was about right for us. You can always add more later. Just keep in mind that the garlic flavor seems to intensify over time when the salsa is stored in the fridge.

This salsa is the perfect accompaniment to so many dinners, many of which I will be posting in the next week or so. If you're looking for an excuse to celebrate Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, whip up a batch of this salsa - I promise you won't be disappointed!

Fresh Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and very coarsely chopped

1 large clove garlic, halved (or more to taste)

2 large or 3 small/medium vine-ripened tomatoes, seeds and juice removed

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained with some juice reserved

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon cumin

1/2 sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

juice of one lime

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the jalapenos and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.

2. Add all other ingredients to the food processor. Pulse in very brief pulses until the vegetables have reached the size you desire. Add reserved juice from fire-roasted tomatoes if needed to achieve desired consistency.

3. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Garlic Chicken

When I was growing up, my mom made this recipe often, and we called it Chinese Chicken, although the 'official' name is Garlic Chicken. I've made it many times on my own, and Bob and I both love it. It has a wonderful, slightly sweet sauce, and it's so healthy. We serve it over white or brown rice. Rice noodles would probably be good too. It's not the most photogenic meal, but if you're looking for a quick, simple weeknight recipe, this is a great one!

Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

broccoli flowerettes

carrots, cut into match-sticks

mushrooms, fresh or canned (I omit)

green onions with some tops, sliced

1 can water chestnut slices

2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon

2 teaspoons chopped or grated garlic

*Notes: Any vegetables can be added to this, such as snow pea pods or bamboo shoots. Amounts of chicken and each vegetable are up to your discretion - for the two of us, I'll use 1-2 chicken breasts, 1-2 carrots, a handful of broccoli flowerettes, and 1 bunch of green onion.

For the marinade:

1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium is fine)

For the sauce:

3 heaping teaspoons honey

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

1. Mix together cornstarch and soy sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Add chicken, stir, and set aside to marinate for ~30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut vegetables and dissolve chicken bouillon into 1 cup hot water.

3. Saute chicken in 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry until chicken is white. Add the chicken bouillon water, the carrots, and 2 teaspoons chopped garlic. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Uncover and add the rest of the vegetables and a sauce made of 3 heaping teaspoons honey and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Stir-fry until done. Serve over cooked rice.

Source: My mom!