Chicken Pesto Strombolli

Sorry you guys, my real blog takes precedence over this one. I hope I haven't let anyone down.
But made this for lunch for my roomies today. So mmm mmm good.

Ingredients:

1 Whole Wheat Frozen bread Loaf
1/2 cup Pesto Sauce
2 cups Spinach
2 cups Cooked Shredded Chicken
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella
1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Thaw bread according to package. (I laid my bread loaf on a cookie sheet & put a wet towel over the top the night before to let it rise throughout the night)
On greased counter roll out to a rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet
Spread Pesto all over leaving a 1 inch space from edge
Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan on top of pesto. Sprinkle Mozzarella the layer of spinach, last your shredded Chicken.
Now roll, jelly roll style, starting at the long end.
Roll it all the way so it makes a long tube.
Place on a greased cookie sheet, make sure seam is on the bottom. Tuck ends under.
Brush with egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Garlic Salt.
Cut slits along the top to vent
Bake @350 until golden brown, 20-30 minutes.


chomp chomp.

last-minute lasagna

Ingredients
1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
2 30-ounce bags frozen large cheese ravioli, unthawed
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
1.Heat oven to 350° F. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spoon in a third of the sauce.
2.Arrange 12 ravioli on top and scatter the spinach over them. Top with half of each cheese. Cover with another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce and cheese.
3.Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until bubbly.

Quick Chicken & Dumplings

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup prechopped onion
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) box frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and vegetables; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.
While chicken mixture cooks, combine water, flour, and broth. Gradually stir broth mixture into chicken mixture. Stir in salt, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in tortilla strips, and cook 2 minutes or until tortilla strips soften. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information:
Calories:
366 (23% from fat)
Fat:
9.3g (sat 3.1g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.4g)
Protein:
29.8g
Carbohydrate:
40.3g
Fiber:
5.3g

Quick Fall Minestrone

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans

1/2 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add kale, orzo, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
212

Fat:
5g
Protein:
9.6g
Carbohydrate:
36g
Fiber:
3.9g

Quick King Ranch Chicken

Made this one last night. Not healthiest, but quick & easy.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine
1 medium green bell pepper, diced fine
1 medium yellow onion, diced fine
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cans Milder Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (i use the canned chicken)
12 whole wheat tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups shredded cheddar or velveeta cheese
preheat oven to 325 degrees. in a large saucepan, saute the bell pepper and onion in the margerine until tender (about 5 minutes). add both soups, the rotel and chicken pieces and stir until the mixture is well-blended. in a 10x10 lightly oiled casserole dish, start making thin layers with the corn tortillas first, then the cooked chicken mixture and last the cheese. repeat about 3 times with the cheese on top. bake for 40 minutes, covered, or until hot and bubbly. Serve over rice with sour cream on top.

mason jar love

Anyone that knows me knows that I love Mason Jars. There's so much to do with them.

Sara & I have recently decided every Sunday we would make a treat for someone in need & deliver it to become more selfless :)

(i'm not gonna lie, it really bothers me that the pinkish ribbon clashes with the red salsa, but it's all i had & i couldn't send it plain. don't worry, my mama sent more ribbon this week to me. babe.) This Salsa is so good. My mom always makes it & now I make it weekly because everyone loves it so much.

JD even made it as one of Ashley's favorite foods when he proposed.Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 can black beans (undrained)
1 can white corn (undrained)
1 packet of Italian Dry Dressing Mix
Cilantro
Green Onions (optional)
Mix all things together in a bowl. There you have it folks! Easy as can be.

Berry Crumble

The other night my friends & I were in an experimental mood & it payed off. SO SO good, fast & EASY. A must try.

Ingredients:

15 oz. of frozen mixed berries

2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. quick oats
2/3 c. butter softened
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions:
1.Sprinkle lemon juice over frozen berries in an 8x8 pan.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Crumble over berries.
4. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Serve with Ice Cream.

Parmesan Pasta With Chicken and Rosemary

Steph & I made this one in Texas. It was good! Even my picky little brother loved it & has asked me to make it again!

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 15m Total Time: 15m
Ingredients
12 ounces (3 cups) orecchiette pasta (i always use whole wheat pasta so it's healthier)
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
kosher salt and pepper
Directions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Shred the chicken, using a fork or your fingers, while the pasta cooks. Discard the skin and bones.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the water. Return the pasta to the pot.
Add the reserved pasta water, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot. Stir over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Green Goddess Rice

I love Claire Robinson's show on Food Network, "5 Ingredient Fix." Haven't made this yet, but it looked so good! And why not try it? It's so easy & only calls for 5 ingredients!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rice
salt
1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Make rice according to directions. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the avocado, basil, lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 cup water in the jar of a blender and puree; season generously with salt and pepper. Add more water and puree until the mixture is the consistency of sour cream.
Fluff the rice with a fork and gently fold the green dressing into the warm rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately

Chicken Salad With Green Beans, Potatoes, and Peppers

this is yum & so easy.

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 20m
Ingredients
1 pound small new potatoes, halved
8 ounces green beans
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper
1 2- to 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 bunch watercress, thick stems removed
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
Directions
Cook the potatoes in a steamer basket set over simmering water, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and cook, covered, until the potatoes and green beans are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Run under cold water to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, mustard, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Divide the chicken, watercress, bell pepper, potatoes, and beans among bowls. Drizzle with the dressing.