what's cookin' this week

can you believe this weather!?!?!?  tonight we had easter dinner instead of easter lunch.  it was great fun  relaxing with family and friends.  dad and mymichael fired up the grill and we had tilapia, mahi mahi, shrimp, grilled vegetables, baked chicken, dressing, homemade rolls and last but definitely not least homemade blackberry cobbler.  to say the least, everybody was stuffed.  so, this week i am continuing my grill usage a couple of nights....here's what i have got...

grilled hamburgers with baked sweet potato fries

boursin chicken (didn't get to it last week)

chicken quesadillas (maybe italian style with fresh basil, capers, peppers, etc.)

grilled salmon

what's on your menu?

what's cookin' this week

slow cooker boneless ribs

bbq chicken, homemade mac & cheese, & green beans

grilled shrimp teriyaki with rice & asparagus

boursin chicken w/ orzo

pepper roast beef sandwiches & oven baked sweet potato fries

the weather is suppose to be so wonderfully nice this week that we are bringing out the grill!  mymichael makes the best bbq chicken so i am quite excited!

what's on your menu this week?

recipe {bbq chicken pizza}

i love homemade pizza!  it's one of our favorite meals.  saturday, while it was snowing outside, we made bbq chicken pizza and it was super yummy.  the crust recipe i use is quick and easy.  it only has to rise for 10 minutes!

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 small packet {2 1/4 teaspoon} rapid rise active dry yeast

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 -1/2 cup all-purose flour

combine water, sugar, and yeast togeter in a bowl

whisk until dissolved

add olive oil and salt

add flour {picture above is what it should look like with half of the flour}

dough should look like this with all the flour added

use hands to form into a ball like above and let REST for 10 minutes

while dough is resting, spray pizza stone with non-stick spray and sprinkle with corn meal.  after dough has rested 10 minutes, place ball of dough on stone and sprinkle with flour.  use your hands and start pressing dough thin, push towards edges of stone.  once you get it pressed close to the edges use a roller to roll the dough a little off the stone.  then fold the dough over to create a crust and press with your fingers. 

once you have your crust rolled out brush with olive oil and then sprinkle with garlic salt and italian seasonings. then bake at 425 degrees until lightly golden. then you are ready to add your toppings!

bbq sauce

rotisserie chicken

red onion

jalapeno

goat cheese

italian cheese

garlic

red pepper flakes

cilantro

just fyi...you can used canned chicken if you would like instead of the rotisserie chicken.  brush crust with bbq sauce then top with chicken, onion, jalapeno, garlic, goat cheese, italian cheese, and red pepper flakes.  place pizza back in oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes until cheese has melted.  finally, top with fresh chopped cilantro and a drizzle of bbq sauce. 

remember, you can use this idea and make your own personalized pizza...same crust different toppings.

enjoy!

we give this recipe

*****

recipe {boursin chicken}

this is the recipe i received from my friend amber and it was wonderful!  very simple and few ingredients.

chicken breasts

boursin chees {found in your specialty cheese section of your grocery store}

olive oil

salt

pepper

pound the chicken breasts to a 1/4" thick

spread 1 tablespoon boursin cheese in the center

roll the chicken breasts like an eggroll

sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper

heat olive oil in skillet

add chicken breasts seam side down and cook until golden, flip and cook the second side until done

i had never had boursin cheese before....boy is it yummy!  it is also great on bread and/or crackers.  be sure and pound the chicken breasts thin.  i didn't do mine thin enough and so it was harder to roll....it still turned out well but i will definitely make them thinner next time. 

i served the chicken with sauteed mushrooms and onions and what i call smash potatoes.

red potatoes

olive oil

salt, pepper, garlic salt

bacon bits

cheese

third or quarter red potatoes and boil in water until fork tender.  toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic salt.  line cookie sheet with foil or you will be scrubbing for a long time!  place potatoes on cookie sheet smash each one with a fork.  sprinkle with bacon bits and cheese and broil until golden.  the thinner these are the better...they get nice and crispy.  they would be great with sourcream and chives...kind of like a potato skin!

we give these recipes

*****

enjoy!

what's cookin' this week?

Here is what's on my menu this week....

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice

Baked Fish w/ Couscous and Fresh Green Beans

Dorito Casserole

Chicken Piccata

what is on yours? 

 i would love some new recipes to try out...leave me a comment!

what's cookin' this week

wow...i feel like it has been a while since i have done one of these posts.  this time of year is always super crazy and i always feel like i am running 90 different ways!  here's what i've got for this week....

lemon pepper shrimp scampi {cooking light magazine}

spinach & ricotta stuffed shells {cooking light magazine}

coconut curry with chicken & rice {coconut curry sauce was purchased at target}

grilled chicken, green beans & couscous

sausage & cream cheese biscuit & crescent roll thingy's {awesome name...huh!}

mymichael's sister and her family will be staying with us a couple of nights.  so friday night i am cooking for everyone....still trying to figure out what to do...........

what are you cooking...or what fabulous restaurants are you trying out this week???

puttanesca sauce w/ chicken & angel hair pasta

wow...that's a long name for a recipe!

6 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta

1 tsp. evoo

2 cups thinly sliced onion

1 tblsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. anchovy paste

1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1 {28-ounce} can crushed tomatoes, undrained

3 tblsp. chopped pitted kalamata olives

2 tblspn. chopped capers

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

5 tblsp. grated fresh parmesan cheese

1. cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. drain.

2. while pasta is cooking, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. add onion and cook 5 minutes. add garlic and red pepper; cook 30 seconds. add anchovy paste; cook 30 seconds. add chicken and next 4 ingredients to pan; bring to a boil. reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3. combine cooked pasta and puttanesca sauce in a large serving bowl. top with parmesan cheese.

YIELD 5 servings {serving size about 1 cup chicken mixture and 1 tblsn. cheese}

PER SERVING: weight watchers points 6 cal 305 fat 7.7g fib 5g

here are a few pics from the kitchen...

the recipe says it takes 18 minutes to cook. it took me a little longer b/c i didn't have my chicken already thawed, probably 30 minutes or so total. add a salad and we are ready to eat!

mymichael and i decided it would probably be even better over orzo.

we give it:

*****