Category Archives: Quick and Easy

Roasted Cauliflower

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Healthy, Quick and Easy, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Roasted Cauliflower

Not only does this make a quick and easy side, it’s also super healthy and delicious.  Truly delicious…it will convert even the most adamant cauliflower hater!  I often make it to accompany fish such as tilapia, haddock, or mahi mahi.

Roasted Cauliflower
Yield:  2-4 side-dish servings
Time:  35 minutes total

One head cauliflower
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
½ to 1 tsp coarse sea salt
¾ tsp crushed thyme

1.  Grease a large baking sheet and preheat your oven to 400°F.

2.  Cut the cauliflower into quarters.  Slice into ¼-inch sections.  Lay the pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Roasted CauliflowerRoasted Cauliflower

3.  Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt and thyme.

4.  Cook at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, until the edges begin to get golden brown.  I usually broil mine for about three minutes at the end because I like some pieces really brown and a little crispy.  It really brings that roast-y flavor out!

Roasted Cauliflower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oven Baked Chicken Parm

27 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in Dinner, Quick and Easy

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Oven Baked Chicken Parm

This is a lighter version than traditional chicken parm, but still packs 100% of the flavor!  I personally like baking the chicken better than frying it because it cuts out a ton of the fat, and it also leads to fewer dishes to wash!

Oven Baked Chicken Parm
Yield:  4 servings
Time:  25 minutes active;  50 minutes total

4 chicken breasts (fat trimmed off)
4 cups marinara sauce
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
10 basil leaves

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.  Cut each chicken breast in half.  Pound to tenderize and thin out the chicken.

3.  In a shallow bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese.

4.  In another shallow bowl, beat together the two eggs.

5.  Dip each piece of chicken in egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs/cheese.  Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet.

6.  Bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

7.  Spoon marinara sauce over the baked chicken, spreading to evenly coat the chicken.  Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Return to the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.  Garnish with basil prior to serving.

Oven Baked Chicken ParmOven Baked Chicken Parm

Oven Baked Chicken Parm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Holiday Fudge

24 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Chocolate, Dessert, Quick and Easy

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Holiday FudgeMerry Christmas Eve!!!

Here’s a fantastic recipe to make as gifts for the holidays!  It’s great for coworkers, your kids’ teachers or daycare workers, hair stylists, or anybody else you want to give a holiday gift to without breaking the bank.  Each Christmas season I usually make one batch of this with dark chocolate chips, and another batch with white chocolate chips.  This makes plenty of fudge for me to give an assortment of white and dark chocolate fudge to various important people in my life!

Holiday Fudge
Yield:  about 100 pieces of fudge (each piece being 1×1-inch square)
Time:  25 minutes active plus 2 hours chilling

4 tbsp. butter
4 cups marshmallows
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 cups chocolate chips (dark, milk, or white chocolate)
decorative sprinkles
parchment paper
cooking spray

1.  Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by lining with parchment paper.  Lightly grease the top of the paper with cooking spray.

2.  Place butter in a medium saucepan.  Melt over medium heat.  Stir in cream, sugar, salt, and marshmallows.  Melt together over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, mixing frequently.

Fudge

3.  Remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Mix until smooth.

4.  Pour into prepared pan.  Top with decorative sprinkles.  Refrigerate until firm (2 hours to overnight).  Cut into squares, roughly 1-inch by 1-inch.

NOTE:  I have tried cutting the heavy cream out of this recipe by substituting it with various different ingredients, including fat-free half and half.  Sadly, without the heavy cream, the fudge simply won’t set.  It stays really soft and melty and will not hold its shape.  This is one of those recipes where you just need to use the heavy cream.

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Peppermint Bark

18 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Chocolate, Dessert, Holiday, Quick and Easy

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Peppermint BarkI simply cannot go an entire Christmas season without making this recipe at least once.  I keep some in a bowl on my counter to munch on, I bring it as hostess gifts to holiday parties, it works as a spin on cookies for swaps with friends, and it’s always a crowd pleaser at corporate potlucks!  I love getting creative in the kitchen and trying out tons of new recipes, but this is a staple that’s here to stay!  Plus, it transports really well and it’s super quick and easy to make…who doesn’t love that during this busy holiday season?

Peppermint Bark
Yield:  6-8 gift boxes (6x3x2-inches) or one gallon-sized ziplock bag
Time:  60 minutes total

36 oz dark chocolate
36 oz white chocolate
36 candy canes
parchment paper
canola cooking spray

1.  Spray the bottom of the 12×18-inch pan (I use a jelly roll pan).  Line with parchment paper.  Lightly spray the top of the parchment paper.

2.  Unwrap the candy canes (I recommend enlisting help…it gets tedious!) and place them in a large ziplock bag.  Cover the bag with a rag and hit with a mallet until the candy canes are broken up into small pieces.  (Be sure to use a rag you don’t care about since the mallet may punch tons of teeny tiny holes in the fabric!)  Set the crushed candy canes aside, but leave them easily accessible.

crushing candy canes

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave.  I find it works well to use 50% power for about 1 minute, stir, then return to the microwave in 20-30 second increments, to prevent scorching the chocolate.  Once it’s fully melted, pour it into the parchment-lined pan.  Spread it out evenly with a spatula, and tap a few times to pop some of the air bubbles that will form on the top.  Set aside for about 5-10 minutes at room temperature so the chocolate hardens.  It’s ideal if it’s not still wet and runny, but you don’t want it rock solid either.  Just firm enough that you can spread the white chocolate on top.

dark chocolate

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Melt the white chocolate in the microwave.  Pour over the dark chocolate layer, being careful not to spread it around too much.  It will warm the dark chocolate underneath and if you move it around too much you’ll get a swirled effect on the top.  I find it’s best to pour the white chocolate all around the edges of the pan, then dump the rest in the middle to allow for minimal spreading.  Tap a few times to even out the surface and release the air bubbles.

peppermint bark 8

white chocolate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Working quickly so the white chocolate is still wet, evenly sprinkle the crushed candy canes all over the top surface of the white chocolate.  Cover and place in the fridge until hardened, about 15+ minutes.

top with crushed candy canes

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.  Once the bark is totally hardened, remove it from the pan in large chunks, and snap it into bite-sized pieces with your hands.  (You can use a blunt knife too, but I find that leaves dents that aren’t so attractive.  For the prettiest bark, use your hands!)

break it into pieces

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you’re ready to wrap up the bark to give it as gifts or just start munching!

peppermint bark 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes about the chocolate:

* For the dark chocolate, I prefer Wilbur Dark chips or Dark Cocoa Candy Melts by Wilton.  Of course, feel free to substitute milk chocolate for the dark chocolate if you like that better!

*For the white chocolate, I use Merckens Super White chips or Bright White Candy Melts by Wilton.  I like the “Bright White” or “Super White” because I think the regular white chocolate looks too dingy against the candy canes.  It’s more creamy/tan that white.

Here are photos:

chocolatechocolate

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White Bean Dip

08 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

White Bean Dip

This recipe is one of my all time favorites for a few reasons:

1–It’s a total crowd pleaser.  Without fail, guests always ask for this recipe.  (Who doesn’t love the taste of roasted garlic??)  Also, it’s vegetarian, so it’s a safe appetizer to make for large crowds in case someone doesn’t eat meat.  (Also vegan if you omit the cheese.)

2–It comes together really quickly.  Last time my husband called me to say he was bringing home hungry friends, I threw this together in less than 15 minutes total, including clean-up time!

3–It is made entirely of ingredients that I always have on hand in my pantry and fridge.

White Bean Dip
Yield:  12 servings
Time:  25 minutes total

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup plus 1 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
30 ounces cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
5 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large handful (about ½ to ¾ cup) fresh parsley (just the leaves, stems removed)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Serve with:  pita chips and/or chopped veggies (I like to use serve this dip with Stacy’s naked pita chips as well as zucchini, carrots, celery, broccoli, bell peppers, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes.)

1.  Place the garlic and 1 tbsp EVOO in a small sauté pan.  Cook over medium heat until the garlic browns and begins to get crispy, about 3-5 minutes.

2.  Combine the following ingredients in a food processor:  cannellini beans, ½ cup EVOO, lemon juice, Parm, parsley, and roasted garlic (with any remaining oil).  Process until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve room temperature or heated gently.

Note:  To change up the flavor, I’ll often add two or three roasted red peppers prior to processing.

White Bean DipWhite Bean Dip Dippers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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