July 2011 - Alida's Kitchen

Grilled Chicken Caprese

July 29, 2011 ·

Happy Friday everyone! I hate to the be the bearer of bad news, but can you believe the end of July is upon us? Summer is whizzing by in the blink of an eye. We are trying to take advantage of all that summer has to offer, though a few activities still remain on our ‘to do’ list. On the other hand, we certainly are taking every opportunity to grill (something we did not do once last summer, back when I was still working, and we were stuck in our pizza/pasta/p’eggs routine).

In any case, we are having a great summer here at Alida’s Kitchen, and I hope you are too!

After making Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes, I developed an appreciation for the delicious flavor of grilled tomatoes. So when I saw a Caprese Chicken recipe that grilled the chicken AND the tomatoes, it went on my ‘must make’ list immediately!

Grilled Chicken Caprese is a simple weeknight (or quick weekend meal) that takes little effort and yields an impressive result. First you make the marinade. Then marinate slices of the fresh mozzarella (yum!). While the cheese is marinating, you grill the tomato slices and chicken cutlets, which takes about 5 minutes. Last, simply put everything together, let it sit a little bit if you can, and then eat!

The result is a delicious Caprese-inspired grilled chicken dish that is quick and easy to make. The original recipe states it takes 30 minutes, which sounds about right…but that includes eating time! 🙂 Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Grilled Chicken Caprese
Yields 4 servings

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vingar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices, halved and patted
4 chicken breast cutlets (or butterflied chicken breast halves)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
8 tomato slices (2-3 tomatoes), cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices

Make marinade/dressing: whisk together basil, vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to your taste preference.
Take 2 tablespoons of the marinade and pour over mozzarella slices, turning the slices to make sure cheese is coated. Set aside.
Pat chicken dry and then drizzle about a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil on each side of chicken cutlet and season with pepper.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat and spray grates with cooking spray or rub with oil.
Grill chicken and tomatoes until chicken is thoroughly cooked and browned and tomatoes are slighly charred (about 2 minutes per side).
Transfer chicken to platter and top each cutlet with 2 tomato slices. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and top with mozzarella. Cover with an inverted plate or tented foil and let sit for 5 minutes (up to 10 minutes, if you can wait that long). Serve.

Adapted from Cook’s Country, August/September, 2011

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, easy, grilled, quick

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

July 27, 2011 ·

As my rosemary plant continues to flourish, so continues my search for tasty recipes using rosemary. I recently made Herbed Balsamic Grilled Chicken, which required a suitable accompaniment. For some reason it was just screaming potatoes to me.

This recipe for Rosemary Roasted Potatoes has a nice short list of ingredients and could not be any easier. It is very hands off, which worked well with cooking the rest of the meal on the grill (or doing whatever else you need to do).

The only changes I made from the original recipe were adding more garlic and increasing the amount of potatoes to use up my 2 pound bag. Otherwise, this recipe is absolutely THE perfect go-to recipe for roasted potatoes.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher flake salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut potatoes in quarters and put in bowl with the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss making sure potatoes are well-coated.
Dump potatoes on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread out so they are 1 layer.
Roast in oven for at least an hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice during cooking to ensure evenly browning.

Slightly adapted from Ina Garten

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, Recipes, sides, vegetarian Tagged With: potatoes, rosemary, vegan, vegetable

Garden Pizza Puffs

July 25, 2011 ·

We eat a lot of muffins in this house. We also eat a lot of pizza. So when I stumbled upon a recipe for pizza made in a mini-muffin tin, it was like two worlds colliding into something brilliant!

Garden Pizza Puffs are cheesy, delicious and very easy to make. With only about 35 calories per puff, they are a fun and healthy option to satisfy your pizza cravings.

The original recipe is made with pepperoni, which would be pretty good. I thought it would be even better with made vegetables and herbs. The recipe written below reflects the vegetables that I used, though you can experiment with the same amounts of whatever meats and/or vegetables you like. I have also used whole wheat and all-purpose flours, and either one works great. The beauty of this recipe is the ability to customize everything to suit your preferences.

Served with a side of pizza sauce for dipping or with a dollop of sauce on each puff, these would make for a super cute appetizer at your next dinner party. Mike and I had 10 puffs each and called it dinner. These puffs would also be a tasty treat for kids.

Given the unlimited possibilities, I look forward to doing lots of experimenting with this recipe. In the meantime, we will just have to continue to test several variations of pizza puffs. Oh the sacrifices we make! 🙂

Garden Pizza Puffs

Yields: Yields 24 puffs (see note)

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup skim milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
pizza sauce, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Whisk in the milk and egg. Fold in the cheese, garlic, onion, roasted red pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper (if using). Let stand for 10 minutes.
Stir the batter and divide evenly among the mini-muffin cups (fill to about ½ to ⅔ full).
Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 mintutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan serve with pizza sauce.

Notes

Yields 12 puffs in a regular-sized muffin pan - adjust baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Adapted from Rachael Ray

Filed Under: appetizers, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, cheese, dinner, easy, pizza, quick, vegetable, whole wheat

Herbed Balsamic Grilled Chicken

July 22, 2011 ·

I love cooking marinated chicken on the grill. It is such a quick and easy way to make a delicious dinner. Mix the marinade, pour it in a Ziploc bag, put chicken in the bag and let is sit. Easy.

So when I saw this recipe for Herbed Balsamic Grilled Chicken, it was calling my name. I made a few changes to the recipe, which are reflected in the recipe written below. I reduced the oil, added garlic and substituted Italian herbs seasoning for the herbes de Provence. Combined with the balsamic vinegar, I dare say the combination resulted in the best grilled chicken ever!

Herbed Balsamic Grilled Chicken is a light, healthy and versatile dish that can easily go with any vegetable, starch or salad.

Herbed Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Yields 4 servings

1 pound chicken breast or breast tenders
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of kosher flake salt

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper until combined.
Put chicken in a Ziploc bag. Pour vinegar mixture in bag with chicken, making sure chicken gets coated. Refrigerate for at least two hours, turning the bag occasionally.
Grill chicken over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly (approximately 4-5 minutes per side).

Adapted from Cooking with Chrissy, originally from Bon Apétit, June 2009

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, dinner, easy, grilling

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

July 20, 2011 ·

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins are a healthy muffin recipe made with buttermilk, brown sugar and topped with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips.

When I boldly declared Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins as my favorite muffin of all time, Mike was not surprised in the least. Not only do they have peanut butter, which I love, but they also have brown sugar and buttermilk, two of my favorite baking ingredients. Chocolate chips and chopped peanuts don’t hurt either. 🙂

Today I am sharing with you a muffin recipe that I thought was lost forever. Many years ago, I bought a bag of whole wheat flour, and featured on the back was a recipe for peanut butter muffins. I decided to give the recipe a try and was blown away. The muffins tasted just like a peanut butter sandwich only in muffin form. They were incredible.

Fast forward years later, after many moves, the recipe sadly got lost in the shuffle. Until now! I googled away and found my beloved recipe at A Tasteful Garden. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so immediately got to work.

I decided to swap canola oil for butter and add chopped peanuts on top. I also used mini chocolate chips. I like that with small chips, it seems as though you get more chocolate per bite. As with most quick breads made with whole wheat flour, these muffins are dense and hearty. I find they are best enjoyed with a big glass of milk.

These muffins are even better than I remembered, and now thankfully will never be lost again!

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (optional)
⅓ cup chopped peanuts, for topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin pan with cooking spray or muffin liners. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
Cream together the oil and brown sugar. Add the peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides of the bowl often to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Add half of the buttermilk, mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and remaining buttermilk. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if using. Bake until golden brown, 22-24 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from King Arthur Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins, found on A Tasteful Garden

Filed Under: breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, buttermilk, chocolate, easy, muffins, peanut butter, quick, snack, whole wheat

Kiddie Cheese Square

July 19, 2011 ·

All right folks, here is a tasty treat for your little ones. Now Adam is not a picky eater per se, but he will not eat plain cottage cheese, and he will not eat plain eggs (no matter how much cheese is added). Put the 2 together, along with some flour and shredded cheese and voila! Kiddie Cheese Square is delicious, protein-packed, and one of Adam’s favorite lunches!

Making Kiddie Cheese Square could not be any easier – just mix everything together and bake. I typically cut the square in quarters and then wrap each quarter in cling wrap to store (and refrigerate after a couple days). I have also stored cheese square in the pan, but fridge space is a premium in our house, so storing them as quarters is easier. Do what works best for you.

To serve, I cut 1-2 strips from the square and heat in the microwave for about 5 seconds (enough to heat and soften the square). I then cut the strips into bite-sized pieces for Adam. At 16 months, he averages about 4 strips per sitting, and at 12 months, he ate 1-2 strips.

I think cheese square tastes like a cheesy pie crust. Others have remarked it is like kiddie pizza without the sauce. Regardless of what we think, Adam just thinks it’s great! Who would have thought that 4 simple ingredients mixed together could turn into something so tasty!

Kiddie Cheese Square
Yields one 9 x 9 square, serving size varies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (see note)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 ounces cheese, shredded (any cheese, such as cheddar, colby jack, mozzarella)
1 cup cottage cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cheese, egg and cottage cheese. Add flour and mix until combined. Be careful not to over mix. (Note: mixture will be stiff to stir, yet sticky to the touch).
Pour mixture in baking pan. Using waxed paper, press mixture to spread out and fill the pan.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake. Cool and cut into squares.

Note: I have tried using whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, and this definitely works best with all-purpose flour. Whole wheat flours made the square too dense for Adam to “chew” but might work for a child with molars.

Adapted from The Everything Cooking for Baby and Toddler Book

Filed Under: Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, cheese, cottage cheese

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

July 15, 2011 ·

Have I told you lately that I love summer produce? Because I do! This weekend we are planning a visit to our local farm to pick up several pounds of blueberries. I am so excited! While we love to eat plain blueberries by the handful, I have a long list of great recipes using blueberries that I can’t wait to share with you!

So in honor, and anticipation, of our future blueberry windfall, I would like to share with you my favorite blueberry muffin recipe.

Years ago, I was flipping through a Bon Apetit magazine, and this recipe for blueberry muffins caught my eye. It just so happened to be an advertisement for Pam Cooking Spray – go figure!

Now I know that I promised you a break from yogurt recipes, and well…I stuck to that for over a week. It would simply not be fair to keep this recipe from you any longer. These muffins rock!

The beauty of using yogurt in baked goods means that you can use less oil/butter, which makes them a healthier option. These muffins also contain oats, which provide a little texture that goes well with the juicy blueberries. And what more can I say about the blueberry-lemon combination – it just works.

Over the years, I have made these muffins using different types of flours and yogurts. This time, I made them using whole wheat pastry flour and Greek yogurt. These muffins are just as delicious using all-purpose flour and/or regular yogurt, so use what you have or go crazy and try something different!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Author: Alida Fischbach

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or regular plain nonfat yogurt)
¼ cup canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare 12-cup regular muffin pan with cooking spray or liners.
Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, oil, egg and vanilla.
Pour yogurt mixture into center of dry ingredients; stir until just blended. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries and lemon zest. (Note: batter is thick)
Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups. Bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove from muffin pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Notes

Adapted from a Pam Cooking Spray Advertisement found in Bon Apetit magazine

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: blueberries, lemon, muffins, oats, yogurt

Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes

July 13, 2011 ·

Growing up, I remember summer was filled with an abundance of zucchini, rhubarb and tomatoes. According to me, zucchini was best served as bread, rhubarb was best served as crisp and tomatoes were best served to someone else. I was not a fan of tomatoes.

Actually, I still do not care for plain tomatoes, unless they are in a salad. I like my tomatoes made into something. And I must say, these Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes are definintely something!

Of course you can’t go wrong with balsamic vinegar, fresh basil and garlic. In fact, that makes for a pretty common (and tasty) vinaigrette. The role of the marinade in this dish is perfectly subtle.

What takes these tomatoes from ordinary to extraordinary is in the grilling. The charring from the grill, combined with the marinade, results in tomatoes literally bursting with fresh flavor. Topped with Parmesan cheese, Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes are an easy, healthy, and delicious side dish made on grill.

Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes
Yields 4 servings (2 tomato halves per serving)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 medium tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese

In a wide shallow bowl (13 x 9 baking dish works well) mix together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.
Add tomatoes, and turn to coat them on all sides.
Prepare grill: brush grates with oil or spray with cooking spray, and preheat to medium high.
Place tomatoes, cut sides down, on the grill rack. Brush once with remaining marinade, and then discard marinade. Grill about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until tomatoes begin to blister, soften and brown. (Note: They can burn easily so keep an eye on them.)
Remove the tomatoes from grill and top with parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Health, June, 2007

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes, sides, vegetarian Tagged With: easy, grilled

Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken

July 11, 2011 ·

If I had to pick my all time favorite food, it would be peanut butter (although cheese is a very close second). I love peanut butter sandwiches, cookies, bars, on apples, plain, ice cream…*sigh* I could go on and on.

So one day when I was opening my lovely jar of peanut butter, this chicken recipe caught my eye. Peanut butter? Chicken? Mmm… I do not often stumble upon many savory peanut butter dishes, so I was eager to give this a try.

As with most of my chicken recipes for the grill, I adapted this recipe to be quick and easy – mix the marinade, put marinade and chicken in Ziploc bag, let sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, grill, eat. It’s that simple.

The peanut butter, soy sauce and ginger combination give this chicken dish a Thai-inspired flavor. It is really quite tasty AND another way to eat more peanut butter. Yum!

Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken
Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into 1 1/2 inch strips

In a bowl, prepare the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients except the chicken.
Put chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Make sure chicken gets completely coated. Set in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Lightly oil grates on grill OR use a foil tray to cook chicken.
Place chicken on grill (or foil tray) and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked thoroughly.