Barefoot Contessa's Parmesan Chicken

I confess. I am a food network junkie. And Ina Garten (from the Barefoot Contessa) is one of my faves. Pretty much everything she makes is fabulous. This recipe was so delicious! The egg and flour coating before the breadcrumbs made all the difference. I didn't have any baby greens on hand so I left out that part but I did spritz the chicken with fresh lemon juice after it had been cooked and it tasted amazing! I also left out the butter and cooked each chicken breast for about 8 minutes on each side. And of course, I forgot to take a picture! I promise to be better about that.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter (I left this out)
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 Tbsp. of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Coat chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into egg mixture and dredge both sides in bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of butter and 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and olive oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with Lemon Vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), 1/2 cup good olive oil, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.

Berry smoothie

I was in the kitchen this afternoon looking for something to eat when I noticed this recipe sitting on Michele's counter. So I decided to whip it up. I'm sipping it as I type this and it is yummy!

3/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup frozen fruit (I used the frozen berries from Costco)
1 frozen banana (I don't like bananas so I just added more berries)

Mix in your magic bullet or blender.

Yum!

Salmon with Basil Pesto

I found this recipe in better homes and gardens. I am always looking for new ways of cooking Salmon and liked it. It definitely needed the pesto for full flavor.

4 - 5 oz fresh or frozen salmon fillets ( I used 1/2 of Costco salmon which I think was about 20 oz
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt or 1/8 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto ( I only used 1/2 of the container and hope to find a good recipe to use the other half!) I will try to post what I find.

1. Thaw salmon, if frozen. Place salmon fillets on greased unheated rack of broiler pan. Measure thickness of salmon. Brush salmon with 1 TBSP of balsamic vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil salmon from heat for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, in bowl whisk together remaining vinegar and pesto until combined and eat along side of salmon. ( I honestly didn't measure the pesto and balsamic vinegar).

Carly's Salsa

My sister Carly makes the most delicious salsa. It's a perfect meal for little G because of all the nutrients and she loves it. I usually make half of the recipe at the beginning of the week and then the other half in the middle of the week so it's fresh. Our family noshes on it all week long. If you're making it for a party then definitely make the entire recipe. Enjoy!

2 cans black beans, drained well
2 cans corn, drained well
2-3 large tomatoes
2 large avocados
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
1 Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Chop up the tomatoes, avocados, cilantro and green onions. Mix all together in a bowl with the black beans and corn. Sprinkle Italian dressing mix over everything and then stir to coat.

Chicken and vegetable Quesadillas

I saw this recipe on the food network the other day and thought it looked mighty scrumptious. I haven't tried it yet though. If you make it let me know what you think.

{Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas}

2 cooked chicken breast halves
8 (6-8 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
1/2 cup sliced artichokes
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese for each quesadilla

Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Set pan over medium heat to preheat. Using fork or your fingers, pull chicken meat from bone in shreds.
Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top 1 side of each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken, mushrooms, red peppers, and artichokes. Top vegetables with shredded cheese. Fold over tortillas, making a half moon. Place quesadillas in prepared pan and cook 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese melts.