Chicken and Spinach with Pasta

Tonight was a special celebratory dinner in our household. It's the night before the last day of school for the boys….We call it The Eve of the Last day of School! They are so excited and so am I. Oh who am I kidding I'm even more excited than they are! For 2 months no more packing lunches, no more homework, no more laying out clothes and no more rigid structure! Yippee!

To celebrate this amazing occasion for me, I mean the boys, I made a full of flavor, healthy, easy to prepare chicken and spinach pasta dish. There were only 7 ingredients total but it was truly just bursting with flavor. Only 7 ingredients you say? Yep, chicken breasts, baby spinach, spaghetti, garlic, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes and olive oil. That's it! The other great thing about this dish is that it's a 30 minute meal…fantastic for serving on a weeknight. The boys couldn't get enough they thought it was that good. Luckily Dave was out of town tonight because there wouldn't have been any left for him…that's how much the boys ate. I had to stop them at three servings! My litmus test of the quality of a meal I cook is by what's left on one's plate…this was a keeper recipe because I didn't see a speck left on their plates! Salute to a must try pasta dish to celebrate the night before the last day of school…woo hoo!

Delicious, easy to prepare, healthy

You wont stop at one plate!

Perfect meal for any occasion, even the night before the last day of school!

Yay! One more day of school! 

School's out for summer! 

No more homework, tests, projects or reading logs to fill out!

Great meal after a good swim! Nate adding extra parm cheese to everyone's plate.

Obviously Nate didn't add enough to Zachary's plate…he is our cheese lover don't forget!

Chicken and Spinach with Pasta (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 (or 3 very hungry boys!)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of spaghetti cooked according to package
• 4 chicken breasts
• 10 oz bag of baby spinach
• 2 pinches of crushed pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• reserved juice from chicken breast (from resting on plate)
• salt and pepper to taste
• shaved parmesan cheese as garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and bake in oven on a baking sheet for 20 minutes until browned or no longer pink in the middle. Set aside when done being cooked. After 5 minutes, slice chicken breasts into strips and set juice aside. Meanwhile cook spaghetti according to package. When spaghetti is done strain the water and place pasta back in pot. Add olive oil, 1/2 cup chicken stock, grated parmesan cheese, baby spinach, crushed pepper flakes, garlic and add reserved juice from chicken. Stir until well blended. Add salt n pepper to taste. Place spaghetti in a serving bowl and add sliced chicken to top and add shaved parmesan cheese to top. Serve with a side salad and artisan bread.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "One word mom…YUM!"

Tyler: "After just one bite my food impression is this is awesome."

Zachary: "This is so good I promise I will lick my plate clean." And he did!

Andrea: I can't wait to make this again because it was so good, easy to make and flavorful. When I talked with Dave on the phone I told him he missed out on a great meal. I will make this again when we have friends or family over for dinner.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp

So I was on the internet and looking through my cookbooks for a good rhubarb recipe. I love rhubarb in desserts but honestly I have never cooked with it before. I know it's in season so I figured why not give it a try. I swear I wasn't even 20 minutes into my search and my friend Christa texted me a picture of her her son cutting rhubarb from her garden and her daughter chopping rhubarb for the muffins they were making. I immediately texted her back and said "Oh my gosh, I was literally just searching for rhubarb recipes minutes ago." She said "I have a bunch at the house, I'm leaving for Peru for 10 days and if you don't take it it may go to waste." So the good friend that I am, went to her house the next day  to pick up a bunch of rhubarb, so it didn't go to waste. Nothing made me more excited! I love getting fresh produce from farmers markets but getting produce from a friends' garden is even better. Plus, she said she would save me a few of her rhubarb muffins…total bonus!

Since I never cooked with rhubarb before Christa educated me a bit on the best way to prepare it. 1) cut the ends off at the base and at the leaves. Make sure to wash it well. 2) Cut it into small pieces 3) Use lots and lots of sugar to offset the tart taste. She also said that rhubarb was easy to grow so I know next season I'll be planting some rhubarb in my garden.

I make an awesome apple crisp so I figured why not make a crisp using the rhubarb and strawberries that I already had. It was so easy to make…in fact easier than an apple crisp because there was no peeling. It took me 15 minutes to prep if that. And the funny thing is that while I was prepping the rhubarb the boys walked by a few times and thought it was celery. When the dessert was ready to come out of the oven I asked Nate to take a peak and smell the deliciousness. He was like YUM! When he asked what it was I told him and he said "Oh no, don't tell me you put that celery looking stuff in there?" I said "don't knock it until you try it." Luckily he did try it because he thought it was amazing! Especially with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top. Salute to Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp and getting the rhubarb from Christa's garden!

Rhubarb fresh from the garden 

Red juicy strawberries

Crisp topping

Just out of the oven 

Add vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, then indulge yourself!

Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 70 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 pound rhubarb cut into small pieces, 5-6 stalks
• 1 pound strawberries cut in quarters
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tb cornstarch
• 2 t. lemon juice

For Crisp:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cold and sliced

For topping:

• whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a bowl. In a 9 x 13 glass dish, coat with cooking spray or butter. Place mixture in glass dish and evenly spread. For crisp, in a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, oats and butter. Using your hands mix until butter is evenly distributed into the flour sugar and oats. Top fruit mixture with crisp. Bake for 1 hour or until crisp is browned and fruit is bubbling. Serve warm and top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "I do not want to eat that dessert if it has that celery looking stuff in it." Nate just try it!!! "Oh wow, this is super good. It's sweet and I love the crisp topping."

Tyler: "I really like this dessert."

Zachary: "The crispy stuff on the top is awesome. What kind of fruit is this? Can I have more?"

Dave: Dave is not a dessert guy but I made him try it. "I'm impressed, this is really good without being too sweet."

Andrea: Loved this! Rhubarb was actually easy to use in this recipe and it turned out great. You could really use any fruit in this crisp recipe. I can't wait to add some rhubarb to my garden!

Grilled Tequila-Lime Shrimp Skewers over Quinoa

I've referenced in several of my posts that I love recipes that require wine. It's the perfect excuse to have a glass of wine while cooking and then a glass with dinner. Oh, who am I kidding, even if the recipe doesn't call for wine, I find an excuse to have a glass of wine while cooking. Well, this recipe goes beyond cooking with wine. The recipe I am sharing with you today requires T-E-Q-U-I-L-A!!! Yes, tequila! I felt a bit adventurous and even a little on the wild side when I cracked open the bottle of tequila. I couldn't help myself but take a swig of tequila right from the bottle. Whoa, it cleared up my sinuses all right, and only wished I remembered to finish it off with a bite of sugared lime….the way Dave and I did it in Playa Del Carmen last year. Had it been a weekend night I would have certainly grabbed my Ninja and started making margaritas to go along with these divine shrimp skewers, but the shot of tequila while cooking stopped that.

The recipe I made was Grilled Tequila-Lime Shrimp Skewers over Quinoa. It reminded me of eating a light and refreshing meal in the tropics. It had some heat, although not too much and there was a nice lime flavor. This is the perfect recipe to grill up on a warm day. They are so easy to make and cook in minutes. The longest part of the recipe is letting the shrimp marinate…and the longer you have it marinate the better the flavors. The boys devoured the shrimp…they love shrimp though, so I knew it would be a hit. I served it over quinoa and a caprese salad on the side. The whole meal was delicious. I am so happy that the warm weather has finally arrived so we can grill outside. I am also so happy that the warm weather has arrived so I can add a splash of tequila to future meals. Salute to cooking with tequila!

Tequila and Lime

Marinating for at least 30 minutes

Ready to be grilled, 3 minutes per side

Just off the grill

Perfect over quinoa!

Grilled Tequila-Lime Shrimp Skewers (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds peeled, deveined and cleaned raw large shrimp, tails left on
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1/2 t cayenne
• 1 tb chili powder
• 1 tb cilantro
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 6 skewer sticks

In a large baggie, add all ingredients and mix until well blended and shrimp are coated. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer in the refrigerator. Add 5-6 shrimp per skewer. Grill for 3 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Serve over quinoa.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "Mom, why don't you ask for our food impressions anymore?" Because Nate, I try to capture your food impressions unprompted. "Oh okay, well this shrimp is deeeelicious!"

Tyler: "I agree with Nate, it's delicious and it's a little spicy."

Zachary: "I hope there is more of this because it's that good and if there isn't I'll have a lot more of the tomato mozzarella salad."

Dave: "Great summer dish and the flavors are spot on."

Andrea: Quick, simple, light, refreshing meal that's great to make on a weeknight and special enough to make for guests. The quinoa is a perfect compliment.

Corn, Tomato and Black Bean Couscous Summer Salad

One of my favorite things about Memorial Day weekend is making summer pasta salads. This couscous salad is the perfect recipe to kick-off your summer season. It was a total hit for us this weekend. It's packed full of fresh ingredients and bursting with flavor. Make sure to serve it in a white or clear bowl because the colors alone makes this salad look like a 4th of July fireworks display. Bright yellow corn, lime green avocado, cherry red tomatoes, black beans, red onions, and pearl colored couscous allow this dish pop with vibrancy. That's all that's added to this salad is fresh lime juice, scallions and a little salt n pepper…the ingredients are so tasty by themselves that a heavy dressing would mask their flavors.

I served this salad room temperature but you could serve it hot or cold. What's great about being able to serve it cold or at room temperature means not having to worry about it going bad if it's sitting out at a BBQ or outdoor dinner party. You can also make this recipe in advance, just make it in the morning, refrigerate it and serve it later. I don't think you'll have to make this ahead because it's so quick to prepare. Plus, it's not a recipe you dread making because it's labor intensive….anyone can make this pasta salad it's that simple.  It will keep well until the next day but it really tastes best eaten the day you make it, so please keep that in mind.

This salad goes excellent with any poultry, beef or seafood. But honestly it makes an amazing vegetarian dish, so eating it alone will totally satisfy your appetite. Yes, you will love me for this recipe my dear vegetarian friends! So if you are looking for a vegetarian dish, a crowd pleaser dish, or an easy to prepare pasta salad dish, make this for your next summer gathering. It will be a total hit like it was in our house this weekend. Salute to summer pasta salads!

Avocado, corn, red onion and black beans…look at the colors!

Now the cherry tomatoes…even more vibrant

Add the cooled couscous which takes less than 10 minutes to make

And there you have it…a summer salad bursting with color and flavor!

It goes well with anything or even as a satisfying vegetarian dish

Corn, Tomato and Black Bean Couscous Summer Salad (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 1 5.8 oz box Near East brand roasted garlic couscous (cooked according to package) 
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1/2 diced red onion
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 scallion sprigs, chopped
• salt n pepper to taste

Cook couscous according to package and let cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl add corn, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, onion and stir. Add cooled couscous and stir. Now add lime juice scallions and salt n pepper and gently mix until the ingredients are all well coated. Place salad in a large decorative platter.

Food Impressions:

Nate: He just ate some plain couscous….he doesn't like onions or avocado…but you all probably know this by now!

Tyler: "I think this salad tastes so good. The corn makes it really sweet." He ate two helpings and also had a helping of plain couscous….he couldn't get enough.

Zachary: "Wow, mom this is good with the couscous."

Dave: "Love the avocado. Anything with avocado is good with me but it really is a nice compliment to the rest of the ingredients."

Andrea: This recipe is top notch. I plan on making this often throughout the summer. It really keeps well until the next day as well. It's one of those salads that you take one bite and then you can't stop, especially a you are preparing it!

Taco Turkey Burgers

If you are thinking of making just plain ole' beef burgers this weekend, seriously reconsider after you read this post. Three simple words will make you say "I'm grilling those tonight"…..Taco-Turkey- Burgers. They are out of this world delicious and super healthy for you. What's better than super delicious and super healthy?…not much in my opinion. They will taste like you are biting into a juicy taco, only better. The boys thought we were just having hamburgers tonight and after taking a bite each one said "Wow, these taste like a taco!" The toppings also make this burger irresistibly delicious…melted muenster cheese, sliced avocado, red onion, nacho strips and salsa. Oh, and be warned, these taco turkey burgers are so huge you'll need a fork and knife to eat them. Unless, they are meant to be sliders, nothing makes me more disappointed when I get a puny burger. So, I always make mine extra large, so I'm extra satisfied. Plus, the hungry men in my house would have it no other way. So make your next BBQ extra special by making these amazing turkey burgers. Salute to big, fat, juicy, healthy, taco turkey burgers topped with melted, muenster cheese, avocado, red onion, nacho strips and salsa….YUMMO!

The diced chili peppers add a nice kick 

A few of the toppings, avocado, red onion and nacho strips 

Just grilled and the muenster cheese is melted

Fork and Knife required!

Taco Turkey Burgers (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and grill time: 30 minutes

Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds ground turkey 
• 1 egg
• 1 small can diced chili peppers
• 1 package of your favorite taco seasoning
• salt and pepper

Toppings:

• 10 slices Muenster cheese
• 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
• 1 avocado sliced
• thin nacho strips (you'll find in the crouton section)
• salsa
• 10 hamburger rolls

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Divide ground turkey mixtures into 10 equal sized hamburgers. Grill 7-10 minutes per side. Add muenster cheese until melted. Place on a hamburger roll and add toppings.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "These taste like tacos. Super good."

Tyler: "These really do taste like tacos. They are a little spicy too."

Zachary: "Yep, they taste like tacos."

Dave: "I'll have a send one please!"

Andrea: Such a nice alternative to plain beef burgers, plus they are healthy. 

My Summer Signature Cocktail: Blueberry Mint Lemonade with Vodka

Are you looking for a refreshing festive cocktail for Memorial Day Weekend or this summer? Well look no further because this adult cocktail I'm sharing with you is simply amazing! Last week Dave, the boys and I went to Liberty Hound Restaurant on the waterfront. Love it there! It was a warm night and everyone was ordering LH's signature cocktails. I ordered the Liberty Lady and was blown away by the taste. It had tons of muddled fresh mint, blueberries, strawberries, rum, soda water and lime juice. Talk about a spectacular adult concoction…yum! I told Dave it would certainly be my signature cocktail for the summer.

Knowing that Memorial Day was right around the corner and the weather forecast was calling for temperatures in the 70's and sunny (FINALLY!) I went out and bought ingredients for this cocktail inspired by Liberty Hound's. I didn't make mine exactly like the Liberty Lady because I wanted to make my very own concoction. Mine includes muddled mint, fresh blueberries and strawberries, vodka, fresh lemonade, soda water and a splash of cranberry juice. Let me tell you, it's pretty darn good! Be careful because they go down quickly and there are two shots per drink. yep, they'll make you feel good in more ways than one! I also made these for the boys but without vodka of course, and they loved them too!

And what's an amazing cocktail with out amazing stemware, right? Liberty Hound serves their signature cocktails in mason jars, which in my opinion sets a cool rustic summer vibe. Well, I was so excited because I happened to find the cutest mason jars for my signature cocktail! Take a look at those babies, aren't they perfect? I love them because they have lids, come with plastic straws and have a chalk board medallion to write names or a quote. Dave just shakes his head now when I buy stuff like that. He used to say "why did you buy that, do you really need that, don't you have a hundred of those already?" but we've been together waaaay too long for him to question my frivolous spending habits anymore. He knows it's a loosing battle. So I simply told him I planned on making him the most amazing, the most refreshing, the most satisfying adult libation ever. Once he took a sip, he forgot all about my frivolous spending!

So if you plan on hosting a party this Memorial Day weekend or you plan on just hanging with your family in the backyard, treat yourself to this Liberty Hound inspired cocktail. You deserve it! Salute to my summer signature cocktail: Blueberry Mint lemonade with Vodka! Cheers!

If you don't have a mortar and pestle simply tear the mint with your fingers. The mint really makes this drink so good!

Look how refreshing it looks!
Impress your guests with this adult libation!

Do you see why I couldn't resist these mason jar babies??

Blueberry Mint Lemonade with Vodka (Click to print recipe)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces of vodka
• 12 ounces fresh lemonade
• 8 ounces soda water
• 10 sprigs of fresh mint, muddled
•  20 fresh blueberries
• 4 strawberries, cut in half
• cranberry juice, a couple of splashes

In a medium sized pitcher add vodka, lemonade, soda water and mint. Shake or stir until well mixed. In 2 small mason jars or glasses, add some ice cubes. Pour the vodka/lemonade mixture equally into the glasses. Add blueberries and strawberries in each glass and then add a couple splashes of cranberry juice and gently stir with a straw. You can make this cocktail ahead of time and put all ingredients in a pitcher and keep in the refrigerator…this allows the flavors to meld together, especially the mint.

Haricot Verts with Almonds and Lemon

You say haricot verts and I say green beans. Same, different, just a fancy name you say. Well let's see what Wikipedia says. If you type in "haricot vert" in their search it redirects you to "green beans." There are over 130 varieties of green beans and haricot verts otherwise known as french bean happens to be a variety of a green bean. The unique quality of haricot verts is that they are longer and thinner. I actually prefer cooking with haricot verts because they cook quickly and their shape is more uniform. Plus, I consider the haricot vert the prettier and snootier variety… and I like that! You can get them from Wegmans or Trader Joes and they are pre washed, prepped and nicely packaged. I just grab them and go without having to dig through bulk green beans and picking through the good and the bad.

Steam them, sauté them or eat them raw, haricot verts never go to waste in our household. Actually as I was making this recipe Dave kept hovering over my shoulder grabbing raw beans. I had to slap his hand a few times, but that didn't stop him. Oh who am I kidding, I kept eating them raw myself. What I love about green beans is that they go with anything and I can't say that for many vegetables. Seriously, think of a dish where green beans don't make a good side? I can't think of any. Plus, they are super healthy for you…they are a good source of fiber, filled with vitamins and minerals. Plus, one cup of green beans is only 35 calories. So eat away with any meal.

I love making green beans with a little butter and salt and pepper and I'm a happy camper. But sometimes I like to jazz up my green beans, so tonight I made Steamed Haricot Verts with Almonds and Lemon. This recipe is so light and refreshing, the lemon gives it a bit of tang and the almonds give it a nutty crunch. My preferred method of cooking green beans is steaming them. 5 minutes in the microwave and your done. A friend of mine, Tracy F. asked me what my favorite cooking accessories where. I told her it was a great question and that I never really thought about it before. I also told her that her question would eventually provoke me to post about them, because I have tons! Well Tracy, here is one of my favorite kitchen accessories that I use often…it's the Pampered Chef Large Micro Cooker for the Microwave. I've had mine for years and it's never failed me. It steams all vegetables perfectly and quickly. So if any of you are at a Pampered Chef party make sure to buy yourself one and you will love it. And Tracy, more of my kitchen favorites coming, so thanks for asking!

So I steamed my haricots in my Pampered Chef steamer and they came out perfectly. I added a drizzle of Wegmans basting oil, a handful of sliced almonds, a squeeze of fresh lemon and a dash of salt n pepper. Simply delicious! Salute to haricot verts, the longer, thinner, prettier and more snooty green bean variety!

My Pampered Chef Micro Cooker, my favorite steamer

Don't you agree they are the prettiest and snootiest of green beans? That's why I love them!

Haricot Verts with Sliced Almonds and Lemon (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 10 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of haricot verts
• generous drizzle of Wegmans basting oil (If you don't have on hand add 1 tb minced garlic with olive oil)
• juice of half lemon
• 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
• salt n pepper

In a steamer add beans and 1/4 cup of water and microwave for 5 minutes. Place on a platter and add a generous drizzle of Wegmans basting oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, almonds, and salt n pepper to taste. 

Food Impressions:

Nate: "I don't want any almonds on my beans." 

Tyler: "I could just eat these all day. Can you put some in my lunch?"

Zachary: "I like the almonds because they are crunchy and nutty."

Dave: "Perfectly cooked and tasty."

Andrea: One of my favorite vegetables. They are versatile and go great with any dish. I didn't give Tyler any for his lunch because I saved them for my lunch! Sorry Tyler baby!