Greek Style Chicken w/ Roasted Tomatoes & Feta Cheese Over Cauli-Mash

This evening we enjoyed a delicious "Greek style" meal. I made Greek Style Chicken w/ Roasted Tomatoes and Feta Cheese and served the chicken over top of Mashed Creamy Cauliflower. It was full of fresh flavors; roasted multi-colored baby tomatoes (tossed w/ olive oil, salt and pepper), chicken breasts pounded and marinated in fresh lemon juice and olive oil (seasoned with Penzey's Greek Style Seasoning) and then grilled. I served the chicken over a bed of mashed fresh cauliflower and scattered the roasted tomatoes and some crumbled feta cheese on top. We had a small piece of Spinach Feta Pie that I made last night for dinner. 

Last night I made a large (9 x 13") rectangular version of my Greek Style Spinach Feta Pie. It turned out amazing. It had crust on the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. I made 1-1/2 times the crust (using 3 cups of almond flour and an additional 1 tablespoon butter), 1 pound of baby spinach and 1-1/2 to 2 cups of crumbled feta, doubled the fresh dill and lemon zest, and used 15 eggs (which triples the eggs used in the standard sized version to make a nice thick piece of spinach feta pie). It turned out amazing. I wanted to make a large one that we could enjoy for lunch and other meals throughout the week (bake once; eat several times). I had it for lunch today and also served a small piece alongside tonight's Greek Style Chicken w/ Roasted Tomatoes & Feta Cheese. This was an absolutely amazing meal. Check it out the photos below. Enjoy!

           

Southern Turkey Burgers w/ Vidalia Onions & Pimento Cheese

This evening I was in the mood to grill a few of the frozen turkey burgers that I had in the freezer (I buy these frozen from Costco). You grill them frozen for about 6 to 7 minutes per side (I spritz them with olive oil before grilling). Since these are made with turkey breast, you need to be careful not to overcook them because they will be dry. These turned out great. Of course you don't need to use turkey you could use ground beef or chicken as well. I also grilled a thick slice of Vidalia onion to go with my burger. We topped our burgers with a small scoop of Pimento Cheese w/ Jalapenos which added a lot of flavor using only a small amount. I had a few of my grain free sesame seed buns left from this past weekend so I put my burger on a bun. I started by placing the grilled Vidalia onion on the bottom of my bun, then topped it with the burger and then the pimento cheese and a few Bubbie's pickles. If this doesn't qualify as a "Southern Turkey Burger" with both Vidalia Onion and pimento cheese, I don't know what does!

We enjoyed our burgers with a side of Bubbie's sauerkraut. It was a delicious, quick and easy meal. I grilled an extra burger to have for tomorrow's lunch. I want to share my excitement with you this evening because I feel like I won the Bubbie's lottery. Wait until you hear the deal I got! Unfortunately, a couple of our local "The Fresh Market" stores are closing and everything in the stores were on sale for an additional 30% off. I headed there straight from work and was so excited that they still had Bubbie's on the shelf. I picked up 2 big jars of their pickles and 2 big jars of their sauerkraut for only $3.48 each (normally $9 to $10/jar depending on where you buy them). I couldn't wait to incorporate them into our dinner tonight. The only regret I have is that I didn't buy all they had left. I snapped a few photos of the easy "Southern Turkey Burgers" below. Enjoy!

           

Mexican Style Chicken Meatloaf - Easy Peasy

Earlier this week I made a 2-pound Mexican Style Chicken Meatloaf using ground chicken breast. It was so very easy to mix together with ingredients that I had on hand. We actually ate that meatloaf for 3 night's dinners and I had it once for lunch and believe it or not, I was sad to see it go. 

Here's the easy recipe that I used: 2 pounds of Perdue Ground Chicken Breast; 1 cup favorite salsa; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 3/4 tsp roasted ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey, or Pepper-Jack cheese. Mix together in large bowl, form in loaf and place in center of shallow baking dish or casserole and bake at 400 degrees F for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins or until done. If desired, spread additional salsa on top of loaf before baking (this helps keep it super moist); top with additional shredded cheese during the last 10 mins of cooking, if desired. No breadcrumbs or eggs necessary. The cheese serves as the binder to hold the meatloaf together. 

The second night that we ate it, I sliced it cold and heated some butter in a non-stick skillet until it began to very lightly turn golden, then I added the slices of meatloaf, covered for a few minutes and once they were nice and golden brown, I flipped them over and browned on the other side. I scooted them over to a plate and cooked fried eggs in a separate small skillet while I added cut up multi-colored baby tomatoes to the skillet I cooked the meatloaf in and sautéed them in the pan drippings. I topped our browned meatloaf with a bit of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a fried egg, and the sautéed tomatoes. It was amazing. We finished up our meatloaf last night and I look forward to making it again soon. 

This morning I made a delicious omelet for brunch filled with sautéed Vidalia onions, red bell peppers, mushrooms and baby spinach along with some sharp cheddar cheese. I served it with local Delia's Chicken Sausage. It lasted us all day long. I got ready to grill steaks this evening and the sky opened up and it began to thunder and rain so that has been pushed until tomorrow (hopefully). We didn't expect any rain today. I was disappointed that our Costco trip last night did not produce any Copper River Wild Salmon. Our consolation prize (of sorts) was filet mignon. Maybe they'll get some in next week I hope! Check out the photos of this week's delicious meals below. Enjoy! 

This was absolutely delicious (egg and tomato topped butter browned meatloaf)

This morning's omelet filled with delicious veggies & chicken sausage

           

Roasting Pan Mediterranean Chicken - Easy Low Carb

This evening I made a quick and simple meal. It was another unseasonably cool day here today, not to mention a day filled with monsoon-like rain. We actually still have our heat on at the end of April believe it or not. I may have run the air conditioner for 2 days when we had a few warm days in a row a month or more ago. So, it was a good day to have the oven running for dinner. I picked up a package of boneless skinless chicken thighs and trimmed them and cut them into nice big chunks. I also picked up a Vidalia onion. I already had fresh broccoli and red bell peppers in the fridge so I used what I had on hand to add to my roasting pan dinner. It turned out so delicious and everything cooks together and the flavors meld and juices mingle as the meat and veggies roast together. I served it in shallow bowls and topped it with crumbled feta cheese. The flavor of roasted chicken, herbs, olive oil, sweet onions and sweet bell peppers topped with tangy salty feta cheese was a perfect meld of flavors. I snapped a couple photos below and included my easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

Easy Roasting Pan Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into large chunks
1 pound fresh broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, sliced into rings
1 medium sweet onion (preferably Vidalia), sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 to 1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, drizzle broccoli with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread in a single layer in bottom of nonstick roasting pan. In the same bowl, toss red pepper rings with another 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Scatter red bell pepper rings over top of broccoli in roasting pan. Using the same bowl, toss sliced onion rings with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt; set aside.

In a separate bowl, toss chicken chunks with remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt, pepper and dried basil. Scatter chicken chunks evenly around the broccoli and red pepper rings in roasting pan. Top with sliced onions and roast for 30 to 35 minutes until chicken is cooked and vegetables are done. Serve in shallow bowls topped with crumbled feta cheese, if desired.

     

Chicken & Cauliflower Veggie Stir-Fry

Last night I didn't really have a plan for dinner so I sort of pulled something together based on what was in my fridge that needed to be used. I had a couple packages of Perdue boneless chicken breasts, a bag of Cauliflower Pearls (essentially small diced fresh cauliflower), a small head of fresh broccoli, a bag of carrots, a few green spring onions, and a few very ripe Campari tomatoes sitting on the counter. That became the basis of our meal. I pulled out both of my woks and had them going at the same time to hasten meal prep time.

I diced 2 boneless chicken breasts and sliced 3 green spring onions and tossed them into my nonstick wok after heating a bit of olive oil in it over medium-high heat. While that was cooking, I cut the broccoli up into florets (about 1-1/2 cups). I diced one medium carrot and then diced 3 small Campari tomatoes. I kept stirring the chicken as it was cooking, and then set it aside when done. In my regular wok, I placed the broccoli and diced carrot along with about 1/4 cup of water, covered it and steamed the veggies over medium-high heat for a few minutes.

I moved the veggies over to a plate and wiped the wok dry and then added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to it and placed it over medium-high heat. I poured the entire 2-lb bag of Taylor Farms Cauliflower Pearls into the wok, seasoned with salt and covered to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring it a few times. I uncovered the wok and turned the heat up to high while stir-frying the cooked cauliflower pearls to let them dry out a bit. I added the chicken, broccoli and carrots to the cauliflower and tossed in the diced tomato, then seasoned with salt and pepper, to taste. Before serving I added crumbled feta cheese because everything is "betta with feta", right? It just added a nice salty little kick. I topped our meal with a few roasted salted almonds to add a bit of crunch. Even though it seems like a mish-mosh of ingredients...and it was, it was really good! We have plenty left for another meal as well. It was an interesting way to combine a lot of veggies and chicken into a meal that was tasty by using what I had on hand. I snapped a few photos below. Enjoy!

       

Greek Style Roasting Pan Chicken

This evening I made a delicious and easy "mostly roasting pan" meal. While the chicken was roasting, I prepared a quick stove-top spinach feta topping to top the chicken with near the last part of roasting. It was so flavorful and simple to make. I had a 2-pound package of boneless skinless chicken thighs. I spritzed them on both sides with olive oil and seasoned both sides with Penzey's Greek Seasoning. I placed them top side down on what used to be the skin side so they would begin browning and caramelizing a bit for flavor. I topped each thigh with a slice of lemon and baked them for 20 minutes. I removed them and flipped them over, placing the lemon slice back on top to flavor the chicken and help keep it moist, and roasted for an additional 15-20 minutes. While the chicken was roasting, I quickly wilted 8 ounces of fresh organic baby spinach in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet on the stove, then set it aside to cool off. I then cooked 3 sliced green spring onions and sautéed them in another tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet until tender. I pressed the excess liquid out of the cooked spinach and then coarsely chopped it. I mixed the chopped spinach, cooked green onions, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, generous grind of black pepper and 1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill together in the same skillet I sautéed the spinach and onions in. I added another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then stirred in 2 small diced Campari tomatoes to the spinach mixture. I removed the chicken from the oven and then divided the topping among the 5 pieces of chicken and put a generous scoop of the spinach-feta mixture on top of each piece of chicken and then placed the slice of lemon back on top of each. I roasted everything together for another 5-7 minutes. It was so delicious and roasting the chicken with the sliced lemon on top gave a strong punch of lemony flavor to the chicken...so if you are not a lemon lover, you may not want to use the sliced lemon on top while roasting. We loved it. I snapped a few photos below. Enjoy!

     

Happy Easter - Chicken Divan: Wheat, Grain & Gluten Free

I hope you had a Happy Easter today. It was a busy weekend. Yesterday I did all of my Easter dinner shopping and started the prep for my Chicken Divan which is what we typically have for Easter; it's a family favorite. Several years ago, I made a grain and gluten free version of the traditional recipe that we have eaten since I was a child and that my kids grew up enjoying. I created a wheat free version of cream of chicken soup years back and then substitute almond flour and butter and sometimes some finely grated Parmesan in place of the buttered bread crumb topping. Yesterday afternoon I cooked lots of chicken breast and steamed lots of fresh broccoli and prepared the cream of chicken soup. I actually made 2 large casseroles and one smaller one so that everyone could take home leftovers to eat for a few days. I assembled the casseroles today. My family likes to eat theirs over rice. I had my first big flop this afternoon when cooking the jasmine rice of all things! I don't make rice that often any more but you'd think it's 2 ingredients...rice and water so how could anyone screw it up, right? Well, trust me when I tell you that when you add 12 cups of water when you should have only added 6 cups to the rice is one of the best ways to insure a total fail. Yup...a big pot of paste. Luckily we have a Chinese restaurant nearby that I sent hubby to so he could pick up a few cartons of steamed rice. I don't think I've ever messed up rice before...but there's a first time for everything! LOL I snapped a few photos of our meal below. If Chicken Divan is one of your old favorites and you want to enjoy it...try my version. It's delicious. I snapped a few photos below. You can get to the recipe here:  Chicken Divan - Wheat, Grain & Gluten Free. Enjoy!

        

Make Your Leftovers Pop - Mexican Style Chicken Meatloaf

This evening I was excited to enjoy our leftover Mexican Style Chicken Meatloaf that I made last night. I sent a huge portion home with my son last night for him to enjoy this evening and I had some for my lunch today and hubby and I had it again this evening for dinner. I sliced it while cold and put a few pieces in an oven proof skillet along with some of the pan juices I saved when I cooked it last night. I began heating it on the stove top to heat the bottom of the meatloaf slices while I grated some of my favorite 3-Alarm Colby Jack Cheese that I get at Sam's Club (made by Great Midwest). It's identical to the Boar's Head version I used to get except this one comes in a wheel that you can slice, cube or grate. I topped the meatloaf slices with the grated spicy cheese and then popped the skillet into the oven for about 10 minutes to heat the meatloaf through and melt the cheese. I already had the oven going to roast some cut up baby red skinned potatoes tossed in olive oil to go with hubby's meal. While things were going in the oven, I tossed some halved fresh brussels sprouts into a large skillet with a little bit of water and then covered them and steamed in the skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. When they began to soften a bit and got bright green, I uncovered the skillet and tossed them around until all water was evaporated, then I added some Kerrygold butter and crumbled 2 leftover strips of bacon I had in the fridge left from Sunday's breakfast and seasoned them with freshly ground black pepper.

I plated the meatloaf and added a big dollop of guacamole, a spoonful of sour cream, some freshly diced tomatoes and added a side of sprouts for my plate (hubby doesn't care for guacamole). I topped hubby's meatloaf with diced tomatoes, added a side of oven roasted potatoes and sprouts. For many of you whose family members aren't interested in low carb eating, you can easily and fairly effortlessly add a side of roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes so you don't feel like you are cooking separate meals for everyone each night. Sometimes that's the hardest part when everyone doesn't eat the same way...you end up feeling like you are running a restaurant. I snapped a few photos below. It's fun to jazz up leftovers and revitalize them. Enjoy!

Mine

Hubby's

     

Mexican Style Chicken Meatloaf - Low Carb

This evening I made a huge Mexican Style Meatloaf using 3 pounds of ground chicken (2 pounds Perdue ground chicken breast and 1 pound lean ground chicken). Since my son was joining us for dinner, I figured that I would have plenty of leftovers to send home with him and enough extra left for a lunch or 2 for myself this week. I added salsa, onions, Poblano peppers, egg, olive oil, spices and cheese as my binder in place of bread crumbs. It works beautifully and keeps everything so moist and tender. I spread a thin layer of salsa on top before baking the meatloaf. 

My son requested sweet potatoes for dinner so I peeled and cut up sweet potatoes into chunks, tossed them with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, cinnamon and a light dusting of ground chipotle powder, then spread them out on a sheet pan and roasted them until done. I also steamed fresh green beans in a large skillet, then tossed them in some butter and gently sautéed until al dente. You would never know that this meatloaf was made with predominantly chicken breast because it was so tender, juicy and flavorful. Hubby said he thought it was the best meatloaf he'd ever had. Check out a few photos and the easy peasy recipe below. Enjoy!

One of my favorite salsas to add to meatloaf

I spread additional salsa on top before baking

My son's plate

Mexican Style Chicken Meatloaf - Low Carb

Ingredients:

3 pounds ground chicken (I used 2-lbs Perdue ground chicken breast and 1-lb Perdue lean ground chicken)

1 cup salsa, plus extra to spread on top, if desired
1 large egg
2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil (I used 3 T)
1/2 cup diced onion, sautéed until translucent
1 small diced Poblano pepper, sautéed until translucent

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Black pepper, to taste

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon roasted ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste

1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese (I used Sargento's Mexican Style 4-cheese blend)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer to a 2-1/2 to 3 quart baking dish. Bake for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes or until done. If desired, top with additional shredded cheese during the last 10 minutes of baking. Let meatloaf sit for 5 to 10 minutes for cheese to set. Slice and serve.