Red Potato & Dill Salad

Grilling out for the Memorial Day weekend and I wanted to make my own, new potato salad. Fresh from Wegmans MENU magazine I decided to try this tasty recipe.

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs red potatoes, skin on and 3/4" dice
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3.5 TBS Dijon whole grain mustard
2 tsp Wegmans hot pepper spread
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Add potatoes and enough cold water to cover to stockpot. Simmer on medium about 20 minutes (don't boil), until potatoes are fork tender. Drain.

2. Cool potatoes 10 minutes in a single layer on baking sheet.

3. Combine potatoes, dill, onion, yogurt, mustard, and hot pepper spread in large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Summer Bean & Corn Salad

The family is heading to a neighbor's home tonight and we were asked to make a dish to share. BBQ Cuban pork, black beans, etc will be the main focus. I wanted something that blended well, was fresh in the summer heat and delicious. I added avocado because it just sounded yummy to do so!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups corn
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup sweet onion, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, diced, toss lightly in lime juice to preserve color
salt

Directions:
1. Combine sugar and vinegar in large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave about 1 minute, until sugar dissolves, stir.

2. Add corn and oil, stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients, toss. Season with salt to taste.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

It's that time of year again where the new Wegmans MENU magazine is out and I get to try new recipes. Some are things I have cooked with a twist and some are reminders of old favorites and some are completely new.

These came out fabulous and fresh. We topped them with avocado and had a side of black beans. The kids loved the crisp, flavorful tortillas, chicken and beans. These were a lot of work but so worth it!

Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 TBS BBQ Seasoning (I used Wegmans BBQ Seasoning Shak'r)
3 TBS Wegmans Basting Oil (this is a herb infused olive and grape seed oil)
1.5 lbs lemon garlic marinated chicken breast cutlets
4 fajita tortillas, gordita style

Directions:
1. Preheat grill on high for 10 minutes. Treat grill with Pam Grilling non-stick spray.

2. Toss onions and peppers with 1 TBS BBQ seasoning and 2 TBS basting oil. Grill on a skillet, wrapped in foil or in a veggie grill screen until tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, grill chicken until done, about 15 minutes.

4. Brush remaining TBS basting oil on tortilla and place oiled-side down on grill, Brush tops with basting oil and sprinkle with remaining TBS of BBQ seasoning. Turn after 30 seconds, let other side grill for 30 seconds and remove.

5. Slice chicken thin and proportion out on tortillas and top with peppers and onions. Top with whatever options fit your taste buds!

Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

After having two kids I joined Weight Watchers to help me with my weight loss. I can't express enough how amazing that program is. One of my favorite things about it is the way it teaches you to look at your recipes and with small changes they can become so much more healthier and still have the same great flavor. Sometimes even better! This is one of my family's favorite recipes from Weight Watchers, and with spring here, nothing says happy spring like a dish full of lemon zest and bright green broccoli with juicy chicken! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 TBS flour
salt and pepper
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tsp olive oil
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1.5 cups fat free chicken broth
2 cloves minced garlic
2.5 cups fresh broccoli florets
lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 TBS dried parsley

Directions:
1. Place 1.5 TBS flour and salt and pepper in a large zip lock bag. Slice chicken breast in thin strips and toss in flour mixture.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turn as needed, until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate.

3. Put 1 cup broth and garlic in the same skillet, bring to a boil over high heat. Scrapping up the brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add broccoli, cover and cook 1 minute.

4. In a small cup stir together reaming 1/2 cup broth, 1/2 TBS flour and salt. Add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat.

5. Cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and sauce is slightly thickened. About 2 minutes. Stir in chicken with lemon zest and heat through.

6. Remove from skillet and stir in parsley and lemon juice, toss to coat. Serve immediately.

We generally enjoy this dish with sweet potatoes, but tonight we tried something different...Parmesan risotto with peas! Delicious!

Chicken Cassoulet

If you haven't been able to tell by all my posts we LOVE chicken! With that comes the challenge of finding new, fresh ways to cook it. I found this recipe in my South Beach Parties and Holidays Cookbook. I always love a dish that has meat, veggie and starch built right in!

Ingredients:
3- 6 oz chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 TBS olive oil
1 small sweet onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small turnip, peeled and diced
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1.5 tsp dried thyme
2 TBS tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1- 15.5 oz cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 diced tomatoes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
dried parsley

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 TBS oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 TBS olive oil. Add onion and garlic, cook about 3 minutes. Add turnip, carrots, celery, and thyme. Cook about 10 more minutes or until veggies are lightly browned. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir frequently.

4. Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add beans and tomatoes, cook until bubbling. Add broth and bring to a simmer.

5. Transfer skillet mixture to a large casserole dish and top with chicken breasts. Bake until browned and bubbling, 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Pepper Lime Chicken

I am continually looking for new recipes to try while staying in the scope of a toddlers level of food adventure. I am lucky that I have children who will try new things, but I do know their limitations...especially when it comes to consistency. Going through my Better Homes and Garden Cook Book I found a fresh new recipe for chicken. I love bright fresh flavors in the summer, and am trying to get out of my winter cooking rut. This was a huge success. My only change is instead of basting the chicken I would marinate it overnight and also glaze while broiling...I will try that next time and update. I just think that would make the lime punch a bit more, although the flavors were great and the chicken was juicy. We enjoyed this with black beans and roasted broccoli and sweet peppers!

Ingredients:
2 good size boneless skinless chicken breasts
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1.5 limes
1 TBS canola oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Pre-heat broiler

2. Rinse and dry chicken breast. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil and place in oven 4-5 inches from heat. Broil for about 20 minutes, flip halfway between.

3. Meanwhile, make glaze with all remaining ingredients (Next time I will make two batches and marinate the chicken overnight). Brush chicken with glaze, broil for 5 more minutes, flip, glaze, broil, repeat for another 10-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Cheesy Ham & Hash Brown Casserole

This is one of my favorite discoveries from my allrecipes DinnerSpinner app! My husband was going to a potluck brunch at work and wanted to bring some kind of breakfast casserole...well that is what he signed up for and then asked me to make one. I love breakfast, but had never made a casserole. I wanted something easy, that would stay nice until it was served and hold up while it was out at the party. This casserole is now requested at all his work potlucks, a staple when we have guests in town, and Easter and Christmas morning breakfast. It is so easy! It also can be made ahead of time, do not bake, then freeze. When you are ready to cook place it in the fridge over night and then bake as directed. If you have cookware that can go directly from freezer to oven then I assume you would just need to bake a bit longer. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
32 oz frozen bag of shredded hash browns
12 oz of cubed ham
1- 10.75 oz can of cream of potato
1- 10.75 oz can of cream of cheddar
8 oz sour cream
8 oz french onion dip
2 cups shredded cheddar
1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Spray a 9x13 inch backing dish with Pam and pre-heat the oven to 375.

2. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese. Spread evenly into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with the Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake 1 hour or until bubbly and lightly browned. It is best to let it sit about 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Veggie Enchiladas

Our family loves Mexican food, and I love cooking it. The smells, textures and above all the flavors are amazing! I found this recipe for chicken enchiladas in my Cooking Light magazine, and made some minor sneaky veggie adjustments. Like most messy dishes I change it up for the kiddos. For this dish I make their enchiladas like normal, but instead of baking them in the pan with the sauce and cheese, I put the cheese in the tortilla, roll, spray with Pam and salt...then I bake until crispy. They love them!

Ingredients:
4-5 cups water
2 TBS chicken bouillon
3 garlic cloves
10 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
1 celery stalk
1 large carrot
1 jalapeno (seeded)
1/2 medium sweet onion
7 oz salsa verde
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tomato (squeeze out juice before chopping)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
4 oz cream cheese
12 corn tortillas
1-2 cups shredded cheddar
1 TBS olive oil

Directions:
1. Boil chicken in water with chicken bouillon and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Reserve liquid and set chicken aside.

2. Meanwhile, saute garlic, celery, carrot, jalapeno, onion in olive oil until tender. Place in food processor and chop very fine. Add the cilantro and tomato at this point instead of shopping by hand. Next place the chicken in the food processor and chop until fine. Mix veggies, chicken, all spices, and cream cheese.

3. In a small sauce pan add reserved liquid and salsa verde. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 1.5 cups. Reduce heat to low and add whipping cream.

4. Preheat oven to 400.

5. Dip each tortilla in sauce, add the chicken mixture, roll and place in a non-stick pan. Continue until you use all the filling. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and then top with shredded cheddar.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is browned.

We enjoyed these yummy enchiladas with Mexican rice and black beans!

Cheesy Penne with Broccoli

A different, fresher take on mac and cheese thank you to my March Cooking Light magazine. The kids loved this and the cheesy broccoli in it! This will be a repeat in our home!

Ingredients:
8oz uncooked pasta
5 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 1/3 cups fat free milk
2 TBS flour
1/4 cup Parmesean
2 TBS cream cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2/3 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package. During the last 3 minutes add broccoli to water. Drain.

2. Combine milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add to pasta and broccoli, stir and serve.

Hot Mama Salsa

Ingredients:
4-5 tomatoes on the vine
1 jalapeno
1/2 large bunch of fresh cilantro
1 large sweet onion
1 can stewed tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lime
2-3 garlic cloves
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Place all items in the food processor and blend until slightly chunky...or the consistency you like your salsa.

2. Place in fridge or at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

Note: start with 4 tomatoes and when you are done and taste, add the 5th if there is too much heat. Also, decide if you want to use the jalapeno seeds before you throw it in the food processor. Remember the more lines on a jalapeno or the more aged it looks, the hotter it is!