Thai lemongrass chicken in lettuce cups

This is one of my all-time favorite meals; the crispness of the ingredients remind me of hot summer days and what better way to usher in our first really warm day then to make this dish.

1 lb. ground lean chicken or turkey

2 cubes each frozen garlic and ginger

3 Tbs. hoisin sauce

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbs. sweet chili sauce

zest from 1/2 lime

2 Tbs. Garden Gourmet lemongrass

Saute above ingredients in a nonstick pan until chicken is fully cooked and crumbled.  Set aside.  

1/2 package cellophane noodles

1/2 English cucumber, peeled

2 carrots

1/2 mango

1/2 red pepper

2 scallions

1/4 C. fresh Thai basil (regular is fine if you can't find Thai)

1/4 C. fresh mint

1/2 C. fresh cilantro

1 head lettuce, romaine or iceberg

1/4 C. salted peanuts (optional for garnish)

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook cellophane noodles for 3 minutes.  Drain and combine with ground chicken and set aside in a bowl.

Julienne the cucumber, carrot, mango and red pepper.  I use this great julienne tool that looks like a peeler, but is much easier than doing it "long hand"-you can find it in most kitchen supply stores or amazon.com.

Chop scallions, basil, cilantro and mint, mix together in a bowl and either combine with cellophane noodles and chicken.  Pull apart lettuce leaves and place on a plate until ready to use.  Place chicken mixture in a lettuce leaf and enjoy!

Spinach and mushroom stuffed chicken breasts

I made these delicious stuffed chicken breasts for dinner the other night and they were a big hit!  I made the stuffing earlier in the day and kept it in the refrigerator until I was ready to stuff the chicken.  You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

For the stuffing:

1/4 C. diced onion

1 tbs. olive oil

1/2 C. thinly sliced mushrooms

3 C. fresh baby spinach
3 cloves chopped garlic or frozen garlic
1/4 C. white wine

zest from 1 lemon

3 thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 C. toasted pine nuts
3 Tbs. Boursin cheese
kosher salt and pepper

4 chicken breasts ( I used bone-in and skin on, but you can also use boneless, skinless)

Saute onion and olive oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat for 1 minute.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking for another minute.  Add spinach, garlic, white wine and lemon zest, and cook until spinach wilts down.  Remove from heat and add pine nuts and Boursin and stir to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375.  Slice chicken breast 2/3'rds of the way lengthwise, but be sure not to cut all the way through the breast. Stuff each breast with 1/4 of the mixture and secure the end with a toothpick.  Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper.   Sear chicken in a hot cast iron (or Le Creuset) pan with a little olive oil, cover loosely with aluminum foil, place pan in oven and continue cooking another 20 minutes.

Pan seared chicken with white wine cream sauce

Made a delicious dinner tonight for a gaggle of my daughter's friends. The running joke is that while kids would never eat these things at home, when they come to our house they gobble it up.

I made steamed green beans and thinly sliced crispy roasted potatoes to accompany the chicken.

Here's my recipe for pan roasted chicken and crispy potatoes.

2 split chicken breasts
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
smoky paprika
1 C. chicken stock
1/4 C. white wine
1/4 C. chive or plain cream cheese

2 Russet potatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

green beans

Preheat oven to 425. Thinly slice 2 Russet potatoes. Place on a Silpat lined cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Place in lower 1/3rd of oven.

Heat a cast iron/Le Creuset pan on high heat. Season chicken breasts with kosher salt, pepper and smoky paprika. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and when hot place chicken breasts skin side down in pan. Cook for 2 minutes until chicken is seared and golden brown. Turn breasts, add chicken stock and place pan in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, add white wine and cream cheese and whisk to combine.

Turn potatoes carefully to crisp on both sides and continue cooking chicken for another 10-12 minutes. 5 minutes before chicken is cooked, steam green beans.

Pasta with asparagus, brussel sprouts and chicken with garlicky bread crumbs

Last night was one our (now) typical Monday's school, homework, basketball practice at dinnertime!!!

I threw this dish together based on what was in our refrigerator. If you have leftover cooked chicken, use it, I had bought some poached chicken at Trader Joe's and used that. Although the kids didn't want the pasta mixed with the veggies, they ended up mixing it in their bowls...

elbow pasta
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 cubes frozen garlic
1 pint brussel sprouts, quartered
1/2 C. chicken stock or water
1/4 C. creme fraise or sour cream
2 C. cooked chicken, cut into small cubes
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1/3'rds
1/2 C. Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp. garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
kosher salt and pepper

Boil pasta in salted water. While the pasta boils, heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat. Add brussel sprouts and garlic cubes. Stir to combine and add chicken stock and creme fraise. Saute for 3 minutes, add chicken and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Reduce heat to medium and add asparagus. Stir to combine and cook for 1 more minute. Drain pasta and add to pan. Garnish with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese before serving.

Chinese chicken salad

I've been wanting Chinese chicken salad for about a week now and although it's the "wrong" season for salads, I decided to make it today. I knew it was going to make a lot, so I invited my friend over to join me.

The thing I love about salads is you really can add in whatever you have and make it work!

Here's my delicious recipe for Chinese chicken salad:

Salad
1 C. cooked shredded or diced chicken
2 C. shredded cabbage
2 C. romaine lettuce
1/2 C. chopped snap or snow peas
1 C. chopped cilantro
1 C. chopped celery
1 C. shredded carrots
1 C. thinly sliced red pepper
1/2 C. diced scallions (white and green parts)
1 C. mandarin oranges
1/2 C. toasted sliced almonds
1/2 C. fried lo mein noodles, ( I didn't have any so I crumbled up a package of Ramen noodles and threw that in instead)

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.

Dressing:
juice from 1 lime
1/4 C. rice wine vinegar
1/2 C. toasted sesame oil
1/4 C. soy sauce
pinch of sugar
1 cube of frozen ginger

Combine all dressing ingredients in a leftover jam jar with a lid, shake vigorously until combined.

This salad was really a snap to make and feeds at least 6 for lunch.

Creamy chicken enchilada tostadas with pickled onions

I love the flavor of enchiladas, but I find them to be pretty filling with all of the cheese. Here's my take on a healthier version. I served them with black beans and rice and shredded lettuce.

1 tsp. vegetable oil
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. chili powder
3 tbs. whipped cream cheese
1 C. enchilada sauce (trader joe's makes a good one or make a homemade sauce, recipe below)
1 thinly sliced onion

flour tortillas

Directions:
Heat oil on medium high in a large nonstick skillet with a lid. When oil shimmers, add chicken thighs and season 1 side with salt, pepper and chili powder. Brown chicken on both sides, this will take about 3 minutes per side. Add enchilada sauce and cream cheese. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low, add onions, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

In the pan, shred chicken with 2 forks and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or reduce heat to low and continue simmering until ready to serve.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in a 400 degree oven for 3 minutes.

Serve with shredded lettuce and a spoonful of pickled onions.

PICKLED ONIONS:
1 thinly sliced purple onion
1 C. red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. sugar

Add all ingredients in a tupperware or jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake a few times to incorporate sugar and place in fridge. Onions will be ready to eat in 4 days, but will last for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1/4 cup chili powder
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
salt to taste
Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.
Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.

Thai coconut curried chicken and shrimp.

Norway was amazing and after eating delicious seafood for a week, I was longing for a curry.

Here's my recipe for Thai coconut curry with chicken, shrimp and vegetables. This dish is also delicious as a vegetarian dish, simply omit the chicken and shrimp and use diced extra firm tofu.

1 Tbs. peanut oil
salt and pepper
2 cubes each- frozen garlic and ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 chopped onion
1 C. baby carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 peeled potato, cubed
1/2 C. red bell pepper cut into slices
1/2 C. button mushrooms, cut in half
1 12oz. can light coconut milk
3 Tbs. mild curry paste
1/2 lb. uncooked shrimp
1 C. green beans, cut in half
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 C. chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large pan with a lid on medium high heat. Season each side of chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add onions, garlic and ginger to pan and saute for 1 minute. Add chicken and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add carrots, potato, bell pepper, mushrooms, coconut milk and curry paste. Stir to combine, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 15 minutes. Add green beans, shrimp and lime juice, cover and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over rice.

Stuffed chicken tacos with cilantro salsa

We had eaten these from Trader Joe's a while back and I figured they would be fairly easy to make. Here's my recipe for stuffed chicken tacos.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (diced)
3 Tbs. taco seasoning
1 C. finely diced onion
1 C. shredded cabbage
1/4 c. water

1/2 C. shredded cheese
8-10 small corn tortillas
1 C. vegetable oil

Finely chopped lettuce
diced tomato

For Salsa:
2 cubes frozen cilantro
1 cube frozen garlic
juice from 1 lime
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 C. olive oil

Heat a large nonstick pan with a lid on medium high heat. Add diced chicken and onions and saute for 1 minute. Add taco seasoning and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes until beginning to brown and add cabbage. Add water, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Add chicken to a cuisinart and pulse a few times until chicken is finely chopped but not pureed. Remove chicken into a bowl and add shredded cheese. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, add oil to another nonstick pan and heat on medium high heat. Heat oven to 350 and line a plate with a few sheets of paper towels to place tacos.

Add a few tablespoons to 1 side of each corn tortilla. Gently place in pan and fold other side over to cover. Press down with a spatula and turn after about 20 seconds, each side should be nicely browned. Remove from oil, dry on paper towels, then keep warm on a cookie sheet in the oven.

To make cilantro salsa. Add all ingredients to a jar, shake to combine.

Serve tacos with a big handful of shredded lettuce, tomato and a drizzle of the cilantro salsa on top.

You could also serve with a dollop of sour cream and or guacamole.

Enjoy!

Chicken with leeks and mushrooms

I was busy cooking all day today and by the time dinner rolled around I had no idea what I was going to make!

I knew I had a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the fridge, some leftover chopped leeks and half used can of diced tomatoes, here's what I came up with.

1/2 C. chopped leeks
1 Tbs. olive oil
4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
Greek or Italian seasoning
1/2 C. canned diced tomatoes with juice
3-4 mushrooms, quartered
1 cube frozen garlic
1 C. chicken stock
splash of white wine (optional)
1 bay leaf
splash of light cream (about 2 Tbs.)

Saute leeks in olive oil in a high sided nonstick pan on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until leeks begin to soften. While leeks cook, season each side of chicken with salt, pepper and Greek seasoning. Add chicken to the pan and let brown for 1 minute per side.

Add tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic cube, chicken stock (white wine if you are using it) and bay leaf. Stir to combine, cover pan with a lid and reduce heat to medium low. Simmering for 15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and chicken is tender. Add a splash of light cream and cook another 2 minutes uncovered. Serve with couscous.

My kids loved this dish and couldn't believe I had just made it up. Give this chicken a try, it will certainly be made in our house again!

Chicken pot pie.

I had some leftover puff pastry and decided it would be yummy to make a chicken pot pie. I used to love these growing up, and my mother loved making them too- remove from freezer, open box and bake 40 minutes...

These are from scratch! Don't be intimidated by the ingredients. You can buy mir au poix (diced onion, celery and carrot) from Trader Joe's and leave out whatever veggies you don't have on hand.

3 C. shredded chicken - I poached 2 chicken breasts in water with a few bay leaves for an hour, them removed the meat and shredded. Leftover cooked chicken is fine too.
1 tbs. olive oil
3 tbs. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 finely diced onion (think Vidalia chopped- small dice)
1/2 C. diced mushrooms
1 C. diced carrot
2 diced celery stalks
1/2 C. frozen corn kernels
1/2 C. frozen peas
1/2 tsp.celery salt
1/2 tsp. Greek or Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
3 tbs. flour
1 c. Chicken stock or water
1 package puff pastry/ pie crust or even biscuit dough- these are all readily available.
1 egg- beaten with a fork

Preheat oven to 375.

Saute onion and mushrooms in olive oil and 1 Tbs. butter in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat. After 1 minute, add celery and carrots. Continue cooking for another minute or two and add frozen corn and peas. Season with salt, Greek seasoning and pepper and remove from heat. Add chicken and vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, melt remaining 2 Tbs. butter, once melted, sprinkle flour and whisk until combined and thick. Add 1 C. chicken stock or water and continue whisking until completely combined. Add to bowl and stir to combine.

Add vegetables and chicken to a deep oven-proof dish and cover with puff pastry, pie crust or biscuit dough. Brush pastry with egg wash before baking, this gives the pastry a nice shiny crust.

Bake in oven to 30-35 minutes. Lower heat to 350 if the pastry is getting too brown. Serve with a green salad.

Curried chicken salad with dried cherries

I was having a friend for lunch today and wanted to make a delicious (and healthy) meal for us to share. I made this recipe a while ago for a Holiday hors'dourves and desserts class and thought it would be the perfect meal for us to share.

Here's my recipe for curried chicken salad with dried cherries:

1 lb. chicken tenderloins (you could also use leftover cooked chicken and season it)
2 Tsp. olive oil
pinch of each: curry powder, tumeric, cumin, dried coriander, salt and pepper
1/4 C. green onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely diced (the Vidalia Chop Wizard works well)
1/2 C. fat-free plain Greek yogurt
zest from 1 lime
1/4 C. dried cherries or cranberries
optional (1/4 C. toasted slivered almonds)

Preheat oven to broil. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Lay chicken on foil, drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of each of the spices to each piece of chicken. Cook for 5 minutes per side.

While the chicken cooks, combine yogurt, lime zest, green onions, cherries and celery. Stir well.

Add chicken to a food processor and pulse a few times until chicken is shredded. Remove chicken and combine with yogurt mixture (and almonds if using). Taste and add salt as needed.

Chicken cacciatore

Although summer is still here, the smell of fall is in the air. This makes me very happy because I love the cool sunny days, I also love making foods that warm our home with their delicious scents.

Here is my recipe for chicken cacciatore.

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 C. quartered button or baby bells mushrooms
3 cubes frozen garlic
3/4 cup white wine
1 ( 28-ounce) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
5-6 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Directions:
Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano in a pie plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture to coat.

In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion , mushrooms and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine, tomatoes with their juice, broth, and capers. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce.

Serve over rice, couscous or pasta.

Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked about 30 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Greek Chicken and olive tapenade pizzas

As the long days of summer dwindle to an end, we are spending these last few days having friends over for leisurely dinners.

Tonight I grilled some boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I marinated for a few hours in the juice from 1 lemon, 3 Tbs. of olive oil, a large pinch of kosher salt and pepper and 1 tsp. of dried oregano. I grilled it on a very hot grill for 4 minutes per side, then removed from the heat, wrapped in aluminum foil and continued cooking in a 450 degree oven for another 5 minutes. This always produces very tender and juicy chicken.

We had some steamed broccoli, and a fresh spinach salad with feta cheese, dried cherries and cherry tomatoes from the garden.

I also made a tiny pizza using olive tapenade (Trader Joe's makes a great one), a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce, a few more teaspoons of the feta cheese and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

These baked in the oven at 450 for 8 minutes while the chicken cooked. I sliced the pizza into little bite-sized pieces.

The dinner was easy, healthy and a great way to enjoy the last days of summer with friends.

Thai chicken wings

I haven't posted a new recipe in a while as I haven't been making anything worth writing home about. Today, however I made a version of Chicken Satay, but as a wing.

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a glass casserole pan with aluminum foil. While the oven heats, add 6-8 chicken wings to the pan. Add 1 jar (8 oz.) of Peanut Satay dipping sauce (Taste of Thai makes a good one, so does Trader Joes), 1/4 C. honey or agave and 1/4 C. soy sauce. Smear the sauce around the wings and bake in the oven uncovered for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes cover with foil and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.

We ate the wings with some steamed green beans from our garden tonight. I added a few shakes of toasted sesame seeds to mine, and the kids dipped theirs in soy sauce.

This would also be delicious using boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

For a little heat, make a slurry of 1 Tbs. soy sauce with a good squeeze of Thai red chili paste- YUM!

Coconut curried chicken with vegetables

I love coconut curry, but don't often make it at home.

Here's my recipe for coconut curry chicken with vegetables:

1 tbs. olive oil
1 cube frozen garlic
1 cube frozen ginger
2 tsp. red curry paste
4 pieces boneless, skinless, chicken thighs- cut into cubes
8 oz. coconut milk
1 C. quartered mushrooms
2 peeled and sliced carrots
1 C. thinly sliced peppers, (red, green, yellow)
1 C. snap peas
Kosher salt to taste
cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan with a lid on high heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir to melt. Add cubed chicken and curry paste and stir to combine. Let chicken brown for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Add coconut milk and carrots and reduce heat to medium. Cover and let cook for 8 minutes. Add peppers and mushrooms and season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Add snap peas before serving. The heat from the chicken will steam the snap peas.

I served the curry with basmati rice.

Mahogany roasted chicken thighs with sauteed kale

I bought a bag of freshly chopped raw kale last week and have just gotten around to making it tonight. I had completely forgotten about a product that I used to use a lot called Chicken Base. It's almost the same thing as Better Than Bouillon and can be found at Costco.

Here is the recipe for Mahogany chicken (of which the kids completely devoured) and sauteed kale (of which 1 kid devoured).

Chicken:
4 chicken thighs
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 C. hoison sauce
1/4 C. plum sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a shallow glass pan, combine 3 ingredients and add to the chicken. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken skin has turned a dark golden color. The skin will look similar to roasted duck, dark and shiny.

While the chicken cooks, add 1 Tbs. of olive oil to a large nonstick pan with tall sides. Add 2 cubes frozen garlic and rinse 5 C. chopped kale. Heat pan to medium high. Add kale to the pan and stir to combine. Add 1 Tbs. of Chicken Base and 1/2 C. water. Stir to dissolve, cover and continue cooking until the kale is soft but still bright green, about 20 minutes. If the kale is looking dry, add another 1/4 C. of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Stuffed chicken breasts

Tonight's dinner was met with mixed reviews. The grown-ups loved it, the kids... not so much.

Anyhow, here's my recipe for goat cheese and artichoke stuffed chicken breasts.

Saute 1/2 C. mire au poix (which you can buy pre-chopped from Trader Joe's) in 1 Tbs. olive oil and 1 cube frozen garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in 3-4 jarred artichoke hearts that you have roughly chopped and continue cooking. Turn heat off after a few minutes and add in 3 Tbs. goat cheese. If you don't have goat cheese, you can also use cream cheese or boursin.

While the veggie mixture cools, preheat the oven to 425 and slice 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts almost in half horizontally, being sure not to slice the breast completely in half. It should look like a pouch.

Add 1 tsp. olive oil to coat the bottom of a casserole pan. After stuffing the chicken, add them to the pan.

Smear a little dijon mustard to the outsides of the chicken breasts and add 1-2 Tbs. of the vegetable mixture to the pocket of the chicken. Finally, add a sprinkling of Italian bread crumbs or Panko to the top of the chicken breast. This will give it a nice crunch.

Bake chicken for 18-20 minutes or until the top of the chicken is golden brown.

I served this with quinoa and green beans. My kids had a FIT, and my adventurous eater even started to cry! I made her try a bite which she choked down and I eventually heated up some of the leftover barley soup from the other night.

The adults loved the dinner so I guess it wasn't a total loss!! Give it a try and let me know what your kids think.

Easy Chicken Enchilada Burritos

Tonight was another softball practice night and I got off easy with a playdate. I still made a dinner that could have been transported rather easily and takes almost no time to make.

Here's the recipe:

1 C. precooked chicken, chopped (I had 2 chicken thighs and a drumstick leftover that I had grilled a few days ago)
8 oz. enchilada sauce
1 C. shredded cheese (if you don't keep your shredded cheese in the freezer, do so, it will last 6 months frozen and thaws in about 5 minutes)
1/4 C. shredded cheese for topping
4 large flour tortillas
(optional to add to burritos)- 1/2 C. frozen brown rice, 1/2 C. frozen corn, 1/4 C. salsa

Preheat oven to 450. Rub a little olive oil or spray a little Pam to the bottom and sides of a casserole pan, this will prevent the enchiladas from sticking.

Mix the chicken, enchilada sauce and shredded cheese in a bowl. Spoon equal amounts of the mixture into 4 tortillas. Fold over the smaller edges first, then roll the tortilla. It should look like a burrito and be fully closed.

Place the burritos into the casserole pan, sprinkle remaining cheese atop burritos, and bake for 10-15 minutes.

I boiled some corn on the cob while the enchilada burritos cooked. Once the cheese has melted and looks golden brown, they are done. To take these on the road, simply wrap each burrito in aluminum foil and a couple paper napkins and they're good to go.

Dinner for a practice.. a.k.a. - what to make when your kids have sports at 6 p.m.!

I have officially joined the leagues of parents whose children have after school activities at "dinner time". Besides the fact that I don't understand why softball has to be practiced during the time that dinner, homework, baths and books should be occurring, I can't beat 'em, so I'm joining 'em.

I now have to make dinner that can be 1- eaten in the car, 2-eaten at room temperature and/or 3- eaten both before and after softball practices.

Here's tonight's dinner:

Oven roasted potato wedges, chicken drumsticks and steamed broccoli.

Potatoes:
Preheat the oven to 425. Peel 1 or 2 large potatoes. Cut each potato in 1/2 lengthwise then into 6 wedges total. Place wedges on a Silpat lined cooked sheet and drizzle with olive oil, Adobo seasoning salt and garlic salt.

Chicken:
Place 6 chicken drumsticks in a casserole pan and drizzle with olive oil, the juice from 1/2 a lemon, a pinch of Kosher salt and a good sprinkling of Greek Seasoning or dried oregano. Bake in the oven with the potatoes until chicken skin is crisp and golden, about 35 minutes. Chicken can be baked a couple hours ahead and served at room temperature.

When chicken is cooked, wrap each drumstick base with aluminum foil so kids can eat the chicken easily.

To pack potatoes:
Make a cone out of wax or parchment paper, and add a few potato wedges. Kids can easily eat their wedges from the parchment cones.

Steamed broccoli:
Cut 1-2 heads of broccoli and steam in 1 C. of chicken stock for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and still crisp.
To serve: Skewer 3-4 broccoli crowns on bamboo skewers, easy for kids to carry and eat.

If you have any great dinner ideas for your practice nights, I'd love to have them.

Roasted chicken with olive tomato sauce and mushroom risotto

Today was a beautiful sunny day, and it was a treat to cook dinner with the windows open. I made mushroom herb risotto (Trader Joe's sells a mix) and roasted 3 chicken thighs which I served over an olive tapenade tomato sauce.

Roasted chicken thighs:

Preheat oven t0 450. Add chicken thighs to a glass casserole dish. Drizzle a little olive oil over the thighs, the juice from 1 lemon, a good sprinkle of celery salt and a pinch of black pepper. I also added a tablespoon of sun-dried tomato paste and a tablespoon of olive tapenade. Add these over the chicken and bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is crisp and cooked through.

While the chicken baked, I made a simple and delicious sauce that I used as a bed for both the risotto and chicken.

Add 1 C. of tomato sauce to a pan, add 1/4 C. of olive tapenade and cook until tomato sauce thickens up, about 5-6 minutes.

Ladle the sauce onto the plate, then add a chicken thigh and a serving of risotto. We had a simple salad of sliced tomatoes and garbanzo beans with some chopped fresh mint, olive oil and lemon juice. The kids wouldn't touch the salad, but we loved it!