Greek Chicken Tacos

Greek Chicken Tacos

1 lb. Chicken tenders or Chicken breast

1 seedless cucumber, grated and chopped

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 can diced beets, drained

1 Greek yogurt container

1 container hummus

1 lemon

Feta Cheese

Olive Oil

Lemon Pepper, salt and pepper

Season chicken with olive oil, lemon pepper and salt. Grill over grill pan on both sides until browned. Meanwhile, prepare the Tzatziki Sauce. Grate 1/4 to 1/2 of a seedless cucumber over the Greek yogurt. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and a squeeze of a 1/2 a lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Warm pita bread wrapped in foil in oven for 10 minutes. Spread pita with hummus. Add grilled chicken, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, feta cheese and top with Tzatziki sauce.

Sorry for the picture quality - cell phones don't take the best pictures. :)

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 10/10 - one of my favorite meals!

Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

1 lb ground lean turkey

1 white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans Hunts diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel tomatoes

Red pepper flakes

Chili powder

Salt and pepper

Fritos and sour cream, topping

Brown ground turkey; drain. In saucepan, combine onion and garlic. Cook until softened. Add green pepper. Cook for 2 -3 more minutes. Add turkey, tomatoes and kidney beans. Season with red pepper flakes, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a slight bowl; stirring often. Lower to a simmer and let cook over med-low heat for 30 minutes.

Top with Fritos and sour cream.

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 8/10

Tomato Sausage Lasagna

Tomato Sausage Lasagna

12 dried lasagna noodles, (about 10 ounces), uncooked

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes in puree

Coarse salt and ground pepper

6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, (about 1 1/2 pounds)

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, (about 3 ounces)

Fill a 9-by-13-inch baking dish two-thirds of the way with hot tap water. Add noodles, and arrange them in alternating directions to prevent sticking. Let soak while preparing sauce.

Make sauce: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, and cook, stirring and breaking it up, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and their puree, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon or your finger; bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. (You should have about 8 cups of sauce.) Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain noodles, transfer to a baking sheet; dry dish with paper towels. Spoon 1 cup sauce in bottom of dish. Fit 4 noodles in dish (crosswise if using short noodles, lengthwise if using long), overlapping slightly. Cover with 2 cups sauce, 2 cups mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat with another layer, then top with remaining noodles, 3 cups sauce, and the rest of mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake 1 hour.

Remove foil, and continue baking until bubbly and browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 20 minutes. Cut and serve.

Chad's rating: 10/10

Amy's rating: 9.5/10 - Easy to make and very good!

Recipe from Everyday Food - PBS. Picture also from Everyday food - I forgot to take a picture.

Homestyle Chicken and Mushroom

Homestyle Chicken & Mushroom

1 pkg. McCormick® Seasoning Mix
1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice (I used brown rice)
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
½ cup frozen peas (I omitted)
2 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1½ cups milk
1 cup water

PREHEAT oven to 375º F. Place rice, mushrooms and butter in 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Top with chicken.
MIX milk, water and Seasoning Mix until well blended. Pour over chicken and rice. Cover with foil.
BAKE 45 min. or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender. Let stand 5 min. Cut chicken into serving-size pieces. Stir rice before serving.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9/10 - Easy to make and so good!

Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower Gratin

1 head cauliflower, chopped

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups hot milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup grated Gruyere, divided

1/2 cup grates Parmesan

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Cook the cauliflower in salted water for 5 - 6 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, stirring for about 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir till it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking for about 1 minute will thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of Gruyere and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place drained cauliflower on top of the sauce. Combine breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until browned.

Chad's rating: 6.5/10

Amy's rating: 6/10

We picked up purple cauliflower at the Farmers Market over the weekend. I am not sure if it was that the cauliflower was purple or that the gratin was just not good - but overall this was not a favorite recipe.

Recipe adapted from foodtv.com (Ina Garten).

Flu Fighter Cookies

Flu Fighter Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves - I omitted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup low fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cup golden raisins

1 1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Spray Pam on 2 baking sheets. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in bowl.

2. Beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy - 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at time, fully incorporate each before adding the next. Add the molasses, yogurt, ginger and lemon zest and beat until smooth. Reduce mixer to low and slowly beat in flour mixture to make a sticky batter (do not over mix). Fold in the oats and half of the raisins, cranberries and walnuts. Mix the remaining dried fruit and nuts in a bowl and set aside.

3. Drop spoonfuls of batter on prepared cookie sheets. Top each with reserved fruit and nuts and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375.

5. Bake cookies until dark golden but still soft, 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Chad's rating: 10/10

Amy's rating: 10/10; Yummy!

Flu fighter ingredients: ginger, cranberries, oats, walnuts and yogurt

Recipe adapted from October 2009 Food Network Magazine.

Pasta Stuffed Peppers

Pasta Stuffed Peppers

Green or Red Peppers; tops, seeds and veins removed

1 lb pasta

1 28 oz can Hunts diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

1 zucchini, diced

1 lb ground beef

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Parmesan Cheese

Brown meat in skillet, drain and set aside. Bowl water in large pot for pasta and in medium pot for peppers. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet. Saute garlic and onions until softened. Add zucchini. Cook until softened. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat. Add pasta to salted water; cook and drain. Add peppers to boiling water and cook for 7-10 minutes; drain. Add cooked meat to tomato sauce. Season with red pepper flakes. Add drained pasta to tomato sauce. Fill in peppers and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Cauliflower Fritters

Cauliflower Fritters

This recipe was found (and slightly) adapted from Rachael Ray's magazine under Take 5.

1 head cauliflower, chopped (I used 1 frozen bag)

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

1 bag salad greens (I used spinach)

1 lemon

Steam cauliflower in steamer bag in microwave. Transfer to bowl, mash and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in flour and egg, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll 1/4 cupfuls into balls, then flatten into patties. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over med - high heat. Working in batches, fry the patties until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve over salad greens tossed in olive oil and lemon juice.

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 8/10 - recipe was missing something - maybe because only 5 ingredients could be used for the Take 5 article.

Chad and I both agree that adding cheese would make these a lot tastier!

Ultimate Tacos

Ultimate Tacos

We love Taco night - and we always look for ways to "spice it up". Last night's Tacos were by far my favorite!

1 lb ground beef

Old El Paso Hot and Spicy Taco seasoning

1 block Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, chopped - squeezed with a lime

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tostitos Medium Salsa

Daisy non fat sour cream

Flour and corn tortillas - warmed

Brown meat, drain. Add seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. In tortilla - layer Monterrey jack cheese first, then meat, onions, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese and finally sour cream.

Chad's rating: 8.5/10

Amy's rating: 10/10

Chicken Panzanella

Chicken Panzanella Salad

1 loaf fresh bread (I used Tuscan Italian that I baked before cubing)

1 seedless cucumber, halved

4-5 tomatoes, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 red onion, diced

1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart (or grilled chicken breasts)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese, shaved

Place chopped tomatoes in bowl with salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. Add cucumber, onion, celery and garbanzo beans. Season with salt and pepper. Combine with chicken and bread cubes. Toss with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Top with shaved Parmesan.

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 8.5/10

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package Nestle semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla till creamy. Slowly add flour, salt and baking soda to mixture. Once all combined, stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheet in rounded spoonfuls. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool on rake for at least 10 minutes.

Chad's rating: 10/10

Amy's rating: 10/10

Steak, Potatoes and Spinach

New York Strip Steak with sauteed mushrooms; Spinach with zucchini and shaved Parmesan; Red potatoes with onions and garlic

New York Strip Steaks

Fresh mushrooms, chopped

6 red skin potatoes, thinly sliced

1 white onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 bag fresh spinach

1 zucchini, chopped

Parmesan cheese, shaved

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Coat steaks in olive oil and season with salt (Lawry's seasoned) and pepper. Cook over grill or grill pan. While steaks are working, preheat pan over med - high heat with olive oil. Add 1 clove chopped garlic and onion slices. Wait till onions are soft and add sliced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and continue to stir to cook potatoes on both sides.

In separate pan, preheat a little olive oil over med - low heat and add mushrooms. Season with pepper and cook until soft.

In the final pan, preheat olive oil over med - high heat. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant. Add zucchini and continue to cook. Season with salt and pepper. When steaks are close to being cooked - add spinach leaves to zucchini. Cook until spinach has wilted down. Remove from pan and shave Parmesan cheese over dish.

Top steaks with sauteed mushrooms.

Chad's rating: 9.5/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Turkey Feta Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Turkey Feta Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

1 lb ground turkey burger

1 package crumbled feta cheese

6-8 oz non-fat greek yogurt

1/2 seedless cucumber

1 garlic clove

1 lemon

salt & pepper

honey wheat buns

Place greek yogurt in a bowl. Grate 1/2 seedless cucumber over the yogurt. Grating over the bowl lets the juice from the cucumber combine with the yogurt. Grate 1 garlic clove. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over mixture (careful to catch the seeds.) Season with salt and pepper. Mix together and chill in fridge covered.

Combine turkey meat with feta cheese and pepper. Score into 4 patties and form. Make patties indented in the middle to allow for even cooking. Cook on grill or grill pan on both sides till cooked throughly. Spray grill with Pam - to prevent sticking.

Serve on honey wheat bun with Tzatziki Sauce.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9.5/10

Sausage Rigatoni

Sausage Rigatoni

1 lb Rigatoni noodles

1 package Italian Sausage (casings removed)

1 small white onion - diced

2 cloves garlic - chopped

2 cans Hunts diced tomatoes

1 package fresh spinach

1 red bell pepper - diced

Olive Oil

Oregano (to taste)

Salt & Pepper

Parmesan cheese

Boil noodles in salted water till al dente (10-12 minutes). Drain.

In medium skillet, cook sausage over med-high heat. Crumble meat as it cooks. Once meat is browned, drain.

While noodles and sausage are cooking, work on the sauce. In a separate saucepan, combine oil, garlic and onion until softened. Add in bell pepper. Once pepper is soft, add tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Add cooked sausage. Cook on med-low heat for 10 minutes. Add fresh spinach leaves and cook till spinach has wilted down. Re-season to taste and add a handful of parmesan cheese.

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Served with fresh bread makes the dish!