Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Veggies and Chicken

So yummy!  Any assortment of veggies can be used in these bowls!  

(I used different veggies from the original recipe.  See my notes in red.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup cubed butternut squash
• ½ cup carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds
• 1 large zucchini, diced, about 1 cup
• (For my veggie mixture,  I used sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and mushrooms.)  

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup uncooked tricolor quinoa, rinsed  (I used regular quinoa.)
• 1 large chicken breast, about 1 cup diced (I used two breasts.)
• For the Greek vinaigrette:
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables along with the olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Pour the vegetables onto a large baking sheet and make sure they’re in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and have a nice brown color to them. (I sprinkled the veggies with a tad more salt and tossed after they were done cooking.)

While the vegetables are roasting, bring 2 cups chicken stock to a boil and add the quinoa. Follow the cooking instructions on the quinoa package.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In a small skillet, brown the chicken on both sides.  Set aside once it’s cooked through.

For the dressing: Add all the ingredients into a small Mason jar, tightly close the lid, then shake!

To assemble the quinoa bowls: Evenly distribute quinoa into bowls, then evenly distribute vegetables and chicken into each bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top, if desired.  (BE SURE NOT TO POUR ALL OF THE DRESSING ONTO THE BOWLS!  Add to taste.  The amount of dressing that the recipe makes is way more than needed!)

*www.tablefortwoblog.com

Crustless Mini Quiches (AKA, Egg Cups.)

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I only used about 2-3 oz.)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 heaping handful of fresh spinach (about 1 cup)
1 cup cheddar cheese (GRATE YOUR OWN!!!)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup 2% milk
5 eggs
3 egg whites

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Position rack in the center of your oven and coat a nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, cooking turkey sausage until golden brown. Transfer your fully cooked meat to a bowl to cool. Add olive oil to the pan, then add mushrooms and spinach and cook until mushrooms are golden brown.  (I bought an 8oz. package of mushrooms {6 in a package} and only used 2 of them.  I food processed them, along with a heaping handful of spinach, until finely chopped.  While the mushroom/spinach mixture was cooking, I put the cooked turkey in the food processor and finely chopped.)  Add cooked mushroom/spinach mixture to the bowl with the turkey sausage.  Add cheddar cheese and stir mixture until combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, pepper, and milk. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups, then drop a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are just beginning to turn brown. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes. 

*Add other veggies if you'd like!!  (Peppers or onions would be delish too!)

*Adapted from www.dearcrissy.com

Turkey Taco Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:  

• 1.3 lbs. lean ground turkey (white meat) (I have also used ground chicken.)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 tbsp. bell pepper, minced
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 oz. can tomato sauce
• 8 large lettuce leaves from Iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• taco toppings (sour cream, avocado, salsa)

Directions: 

Brown turkey in a large skillet, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink, add dry seasoning and mix well. Add the onion, pepper, water, and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Wash and dry the lettuce. Divide the meat equally between the 8 leaves and place in the center of each leaf.  Top with your favorite taco toppings (sour cream, cheese, avocado,  salsa...)

*www.skinnytaste.com

Citrus Marinated Shredded Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Mrs. Dash fiesta lime seasoning

Juice from 1/2 grapefruit

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

pinch cayenne pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 thawed chicken breasts

1/2 lime

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Add the chicken and coat. Pour ingredients into a dutch oven or a pot fitted with a lid. Cook over low heat for 3 hours. Shred the chicken in the pan using two forks. Taste it; then season accordingly with additional salt. Squeeze half a lime over the whole thing. Stir and serve.

*www.parsleyandpepper.com

Spinach Parmesan Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid)
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1⁄3 cup melted butter
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3⁄4 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste (Easy on the salt because there will be a lot of salt with the Parmesan.)
• 1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
• shredded mozzarella cheese (optional) (I used Monterey Jack.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and generously grease a 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, rice, butter, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, eggs, and milk until well combined.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes and then top with mozzarella cheese the last 5 minutes of baking if desired. (I set oven to broil for an additional 3 minutes to brown and bubble the cheese.)

*www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

• 3-ish pound turkey breast

Brine

• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup salt

Turkey

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted or very soft
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest (more if desired- I usually do most of the lemon!)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-2 onions, cut into 3-4 thick slices, each
• optional: small potatoes

Directions:

• 1.
  For the brine: Combine water and salt in a large bowl or roasting pan (you'll want something deep enough to submerge turkey in water). Place turkey breast in brine and let sit for at least 1 hour, and up to several hours.
• 2.
  For the herb rub: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, herbs, salt and pepper. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
• 3.
  Place onions in baking dish that fits your turkey breast. If using potatoes, toss them in there as well. Place turkey breast on top of onions. Gently separate skin from turkey breast without tearing it off (the handle end of a spatula or wooden spoon often works well.) Spread the butter-herb mixture all over the turkey, especially stuffing it under the skin and spreading it all around. If you have extra whole herbs, just place them around the turkey.
• 4.
  Place turkey in preheated oven for 10 minutes and then reduce temperature to 350 without opening oven door. Continue baking until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Baste turkey a couple of times toward the end of baking to achieve nice golden skin. (This means use a baster, or simply a spoon, so grab juices from the bottom of the pan and pour them over the top of the turkey.) Time will vary depending on size of turkey, generally a 3-ish pound breast will take 1-1.5 hours. Use a digital thermometer and remove turkey as soon as it reaches temperature so you don't overcook.
• 5.
  When done, remove pan from oven and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes to let juices redistribute. Carve meat off breast bone and then slice. Make sure to pick the meat off bones- it makes great sandwiches!

Notes:

• If desired, drain off meat juices and make homemade gravy. You can also simply spoon the drippings over the carved meat. They are incredibly flavorful and make a great sauce on their own!
• Serving Amount: Plan on about 1 pound per person when purchasing meat. That doesn't mean that every person will eat an entire pound of meat! That's usually enough to yield a generous serving for each person. For example, a 3 pound breast will easily serve 3 people, plus some left over for sandwiches.
  
  
  *www.ourbestbites.com

Pizza Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
3 cups rotini pasta
1.5 teaspoons EVOO
1 cup diced onion
1 medium green pepper, diced
1.5 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
2 ounces turkey pepperoni, cut into quarters (about 1 cup)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

3. Heat an extra-large skillet to medium-high heat; add olive oil.  Add onion and green pepper and stir frequently for about 5 minutes, until softened.

4. Use a spatula to break up meat into small pieces and continue cooking until cooked through.  Add pepperoni and stir everything to combine.

5. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, marjoram, and salt.  Bring tomato mixture to a low simmer and cook 2-3 minutes.  Turn off heat and add pasta, stirring to combine all ingredients.

6. Transfer mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole is hot and bubbly throughout.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

*Cookbook, "400 Calories or Less with Our Best Bites"

Chicken, Black Bean, and Creamed Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. block pepper jack or colby jack cheese (cubed)
1 10 oz. can white chicken meat (drained)
1 box thawed, creamed spinach
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 15 oz. can black beans (rinsed and drained)
Tortilla chips or Fritos

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients (except for chips) together. Bake for 35 minutes in a shallow serving dish. Serve with chips.

*www.epicurious.com