Spinach Artichoke Chicken

• I found this recipe at www.addapinch.com.  It was a hit with the whole family.
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• olive oil spray
• 8 chicken breasts
• 13.75 oz artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray baking dish with olive oil nonstick baking spray.
2. Place chicken into baking dish. Salt and pepper chicken and then bake 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and then pour on top of chicken. Bake 20-25 minutes.
4. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe and photo source: www.addapinch.com

Easy Brunch Casserole

I found this recipe from a post on Pinterest listing a variety of breakfast casseroles.  It uses Stove Top, but we decided that if you didn't know it was in there, you wouldn't realize it was Stove Top.  Everyone in our family really liked it.  I think Grant had 3 servings.

2 cups Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
2 cups milk
8 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Spoon into a greased 9x13-inch pan.  Bake 45-50 minutes, until center is set.

Recipe and photo source: www.kraftrecipes.com

Pavlova

We've been studying the continents in our history lessons.  Grant has a passport and we "travel" to the various continents and learn about them.  The first continent we visited was Australia.  I thought it would be fun to find a food that they eat in each place and try it together.  This recipe is for pavlova--a meringue shell topped with whipped cream and fruit.  It turned out really yummy.  It was crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle.  

4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
Whipped cream (preferably homemade)
Fresh fruit

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Gradually add in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat until thick and glossy.  (Overbeaten egg whites lose volume and deflate when folded into other ingredients.)  Be absolutely sure that no particle of grease or egg yolk gets into the whites.  Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and cornstarch.

Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper.  Working from the center, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly. This should leave a slight depression in the center.

Bake for 1 hour.  Cool on a wire rack.

For the whipped cream, beat 1 pint heavy cream until it becomes the consistency of yogurt.  Gradually add in powdered sugar until you reach the desired sweetness.  Add a splash of vanilla extract.

To serve, fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream and top with fruit.

Recipe and photo source: www.allrecipes.com

Pot Roast

Finally a Pinterest recipe that we liked!  This was super easy and really delicious.  Even the kids loved it...Kate licked her plate clean.

3-4 pound Boneless Cross Rib Roast (or shoulder roast)
1 McCormick's Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast seasoning packet
1 can of Pepsi or Coke
1 powdered Au Jus packet

Put your roast in the crock pot.  Mix the Slow Cooker seasoning mix with 1 cup of water.  Pour on top of roast.  Add the whole can of Pepsi.  Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours.  Do not lift the lid.  Right before you pull it out, sprinkle the Au Jus packet over the top of the roast.  Remove from the crock pot and slice.

Recipe source: www.youretoocrafty.blogspot.com

Thai Pork Tenderloin

I could not stop eating this. I didn't have high hopes for how it would turn out, but I thought it was amazing. I didn't use 2 tenderloins as the recipe calls for, but still made the full amount of sauce. It ended up being a perfect amount of sauce for the one tenderloin, so if you use the full 2 tenderloins, you might want to double the sauce recipe if you are a sauce lover like me. Also, my tenderloin took much longer than the specified 8-10 minutes to reach 145 degrees. I don't know if it was my stove top or a misprint in the recipe.













1 TB vegetable oil
2 (12-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 TB grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sambal oelek chili paste (in the Asian food section of the supermarket)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook pork until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Add ginger to now-empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in coconut milk and chili paste, scraping up any browned bits, until incorporated. Add pork and any accumulated juices and cook, turning occasionally, until sauce is thickened and meat registers 145 degrees, 8-10 minutes. Transfer pork to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes. Off heat, stir cilantro into sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork and serve with sauce.

Recipe source: Cook's Country Magazine

Chicken Diane

I'm really into recipes with pan sauces lately. This one is really good. The recipe is for 2 servings, so adjust as needed.
1 TB canola oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper (about 6 oz each)
1 TB unsalted butter
1 TB minced shallots
1 tsp minced garlic
3 TB brandy
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 TB minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 6 minutes, flip, cover, and cook an additional 6 minutes. Remove chicken to a small plate and tent with foil.

For the sauce, melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic; cook 30 seconds.

Off heat, deglaze skillet with brandy, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Return skillet to heat and boil brandy 30 seconds. Whisk in Dijon and Worcestershire.

Off heat, whisk in half-and-half and parsley. Return skillet to heat to slightly thicken the sauce; season with salt and pepper.

Return chicken to skillet turn to coat in sauce. Remove chicken to a plate and top with remaining sauce.


Recipe and photo source: Cuisine at Home

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Gravy

A little time consuming, but it turned out to be really delicious. I ended up adding the pan juices from the cooked tenderloin to the gravy to enhance the flavor. Just make sure to skim off the fat before adding it to the sauce.

2 TB unsalted butter

1/2 pound Cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, and finely chopped in a food processor

1 medium shallot, finely diced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pinch dried thyme

1/4 cup brandy

3 slices uncooked bacon, 2 slices chopped, 1 reserved

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

4 pieces cooking twine

Olive oil

1 cup Merlot wine

Salt and pepper

3 TB flour

1 1/4 cup beef stock

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms, shallow, salt and pepper, and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy. Return to heat and cook until all of the moisture is gone. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 450. Using a fillet knife, butterfly the tenderloin down the center, being careful not to cut all the way through. Season with salt and pepper, add the 2 chopped slices of bacon, basil, and seal the cooled mushroom mixture inside the tenderloin. Roll the tenderloin over, and seal (in 4 places) with the cooking twine. Drizzle with olive oil, and season the outside with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining slice of bacon. (The tenderloin is lean, so the bacon adds a bit of fat during the cooking process).

Cook tenderloin in the oven, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven, reduce the heat to 300 degrees, cover with foil, and cook for about 45-60 minutes, until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1-2 inch medallions.

While the meat is cooking, place the wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in the flour, beef stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is well thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Plate medallions with a generous drizzle of the red wine gravy.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com