Pineapple Chicken

Pineapple Chicken

I made this dish on a whim, not sure how it turned out and my sister claims its my best yet! Its super easy as well as fast for those in a rush. I paired the chicken with brown rice and fresh corn on the cob.

Ingredients:

6 Boneless chicken breasts

Soy Vay Island Terrayaki sauce

Unsweetened pineapple slices

Directions:

The night before, clean chicken breasts and rest in a pan. Pour enough Soy Vay so that it coats every piece of chicken and there is about 1/4 of an inch of juice sitting on the bottom of the pan. Next, semi-drain the pineapple juice out of the can. Add remaining juice and pineapples over the chicken. When ready to cook you simply pour the sauce from the pan in your saute pan, allow it to heat up over medium heat. Once the sauce is bubbling add first 3 pieces of chicken. Cook for about 6 minutes or until brown. Repeat with the next 3 pieces.

Oreo Cookie Pudding

Oreo Cookie Pudding inspired by Dustin

My boyfriend absolutely loves oreo cookies, so for our labor day family picnic he asked me to make an oreo cookie dessert similar to one he had at a fourth of July picnic. Needless to say, we came up with this recipe and it was a big hit! The cream cheese is key to giving the pudding an extra sweetness. I also reccomend instant pudding because it sets and chills faster.

Ingredients

1 sm. pkg. Oreo cookies

1 lg. pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 lg. pkg. instant chocolate pudding

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 container Cool Whip

Directions:

Crumble cookies and place in bottom of a large bowl. Make puddings following package directions and add 4 ounce cream cheese to each kind of pudding. Layer one pudding on top of cookies, then the other. Follow with layer of Cool whip. Top with whole or crumbled Oreo cookies. Chill and serve.

Gram's best dish ever!

Pasta e patate

When I was a kid there was nothing I loved more then having this for dinner. The aroma it provides sparks hunger in anyone. I call this a "great depression dish," because its super cheap to make and satisfying. This was also a staple in my Grandmother's house during the great depression for those reasons.

Ingredients

1 lb of Mezzo Ditale
1 can Hunt's Tomato sauce
6-8 potatoes, peeled and cubed.
1 cube of garlic, minced
1 package american cheese
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Peel and cube your potatoes.
Boil potatoes with minced garlic until soft, drain and bring them back to the pan to mash. While mashing potatoes add your can of Hunt's tomato sauce. Mash the sauce into the potatoes. This mixture will become very thick which is why it is key to keep a pan of boiling water on the side. While mashing potatoes, add boiling water until you reach your desired thickness.
Now, simply boil your ditale, drain, and mix sauce with the ditale. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Cavatelli with Sauteed Broccoli and Garlic

Ingredients
3 Sauteed Chicken Breasts, cut up.


4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, or to taste

Salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 1/2 cups canned chicken broth

1 pound cavatelli, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Locatelli pecorino Romano

Directions

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook it, stirring, until pale golden. Add the broccoli, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes.



Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the saucepan. Toss with sauce to combine. Serve with the cheese.

Easy Chicken!

Lemon-Grilled Chicken Breasts

This is a super simple week night dish and can be paired with brown rice, or added to a salad. Keep extra lemons on hand for an extra lemony taste!

Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 1 breast half)



Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

7 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.



2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.



3. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.



Nutritional Information

Calories:159 (20% from fat)

Fat:3.5g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:29.5g

Carbohydrate:0.5g

Fiber:0.1g

Cholesterol:74mg

Iron:1mg

Sodium:218mg

Calcium:16mg

Everything goes with cheese

Cauliflower Gratin

When it comes to making side dishes, you want to make sure you aren't sticking to the same old-same old. My solution, vegetables paired with cheese. It's essentially a match made in heaven!

Ingredients



1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets

Kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups hot milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.



Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.



Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.



Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

More Salads...

Blueberry-Gorgonzola Salad

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (5-oz.) package mixed salad greens

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1 cup glazed walnuts

3/4 cup sliced fresh chives (about 1-inch pieces)

3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

3/4 cup bottled raspberry-walnut vinaigrette

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves

Preparation

Toss together all ingredients in a large serving bowl.