best gazpacho ever!

if you know me, you know i detest tomatoes. ketchup literally makes me cringe. however i have recently found a recipe (involving tomatoes) that i do love! its from my across the street neighbor, kerri, and divine (probably because it has onions in it)! it is sooooo fresh & you can taste the "healthiness" of it!

what you need:
1 28-32oz can of peeled tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 red onion
1 hot house cucumber
2 cloves garlic
apple cider vinegar
salt
pepper

what you do: 
wash all the veggies. peel the cucumber. take the core out of the peppers.

in a food processor put the tomatoes, peppers, onions & garlic. chop for a while (till there are no more big chunks)

add salt, pepper & a few splashes of apple cider vinegar as well as the cucumber (cut up into large chunks). chop with the processor until the cucumber is minced up. refrigerate and enjoy!

spicy shrimp & quinoa

i have recently found that i love quinoa! i am trying new recipes and this one was a hit at home!

spicy shrimp & quinoa

what you need...

olive oil

5 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
2 cups uncooked quinoa
1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

6 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1 pound raw tail-on shrimp
salt & pepper

what you do...

Sauté olive oil and 2 teaspoons of the garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the uncooked quinoa and ½ teaspoon chili powder. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute for another 1 minute to add flavor to the quinoa. Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. When the quinoa is done, it will be soft throughout. Fluff with a fork.

Heat1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add the shrimp and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon chili powder directly in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and saute until no longer translucent and golden brown on the outside. Just at the end of the saute, add 1 teaspoon garlic and swirl around in the pan until the garlic is very fragrant.

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter (you may not need this much...I cut mine in 1/2) with the 2 teaspoons garlic to make a sauce for drizzling (for this, crushed garlic or garlic paste would work really well but minced is also fine).

Serve the quinoa and shrimp together in one dish. When the butter is melted and cooled slightly, drizzle over the shrimp and quinoa. Serve immediately, while still hot.

new fave summer salad

after a fun weekend in highlands with friends who eat much healthier than joe & myself i've been turned on to all sorts of new healthy options for sides and meals! one thing that i recreated the moment i got back for a cookout was a great crowd pleasing salad! don't turn up your nose until you've tried it yourself! it is so yummy!

these quantities made enough for a party size salad to feed 10-12 adults

what you need:
-1.5 lbs of fresh brussel sprouts
-1 bag of spinach
-6 slices reduced fat bacon
-1 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella or italian blend cheese
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts
-1 fresh lemon
-olive oil
-salt
-pepper
-dijon mustard

what you do:
get out that food processor or just start chopping those brussel sprouts after you wash and dry them. be sure to peel away any shady looking leaves.

chop the spinach into strips and combine in a large salad bowl with nuts, cheese and brussels.

place bacon on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until crispy [by the way this is my new favorite way to make bacon...looks gorgeous and is minimally messy]. once cooked, blot with paper towels and crunch up for toppings.

add bacon to the salad.

juice the lemon while watching for seeds. add olive oil and mustard by the tablespoon until well mixed. my large very ripe lemon yielded enough dressing with 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons mustard. salt & pepper were added for taste. toss the salad with 1/2 the dressing before putting on the remainder. it does seem to spread throughout the salad as it sits and tastes best when dressed and chilled for an hour or two.

next time i make it which will surely be soon i will need to take a photo before chowing down!

spicy baked sweet potato fries

so joe & i try to avoid white potatoes at all cost and i would never have said i am a sweet potato person. i am however a "fry" person and given that we [with very, very rare exceptions] gave up fried food that doesn't happen too much either! however, on two recent instances i have had baked sweet potato fries and loved them!

this week we recreated the magic and tried to get some lessons learned from our past two experiences.

one thing is that sweet potatoes once you cut them all up make a lot of fries. below is two moderately sized sweet potatoes and their fry offspring!


what you need:
-2 sweet potatoes
-extra virgin olive oil
-salt
-pepper
-seasonings of your choice (crushed red pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder...or all of the above)...i would recommend no more than 1 TBSP total of all flavors combined. it looks like a little but the cornstarch holds it on big time!
-3 tablespoons of cornstarch

what you do: 
this is where it got a bit interesting...cut the ends of the potatoes off so that you don't have odd shaped ends and then slice to about 1/4" by 1/4" and the length of the potato...easy enough. then for at least an hour [& up to overnight] soak [yes...in water...] the cut fries.

preheat oven to 450 degrees. pat off with paper towels after their good soak. line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray. put in a big ziploc the fries, oil, salt, pepper, cornstarch & spices. shake well.

line neatly [not all on top of each other] on a baking sheet. put on the top rack of your oven for 15 minutes then turn the fries and do 15 more.

if they're getting too crispy too quickly, turn down the oven a bit to 400 or 425...we all know how to monitor the cooking process! they very suddenly get cooked and sometimes too much at the end so pull them out before you get them charred!

one caveat that most don't know about sweet potatoes is their nutritional benefits. 1 cup of sweet potatoes can has 2 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and virtually fat free. many mommies to be are mindful of certain vitamins, including vitamin A which these are loaded with.  if you're watching out for that, be mindful of where else you're getting it that day [if you have it included in your prenatal vitamins, other foods like broccoli & spinach, etc]. the recommended daily intake is about 2500IU and 1 cup of sweet potato has upwards of 6000IU

trader joe's freezer faves

if you have a trader joe's near you you likely either love it or have no earthly idea where to begin! i was getting my feet wet a few years ago in the produce section soon after my "kroger fiasco" as its known in our house. they have so many great things but time & time i've heard friends & family say you just can't get a full meal there.  if you saw my post back in august about my cheater meal, you know thats not the case. this chicken still remains a family fave.

here are 5 more faves...i will admit i do give the sodium & fat a critical run down at ti's when I'm there...some things sound divine but are loaded in fat (or let me rephrase, if you eat the whole bag...which you very well could...it would be fatty).

of course the corn dogs are my fave (child at heart) but make sure you don't get the soy/tofu ones...eek!

chicken stuffed with goat cheese & arugula

i love cheese and most types [minus stinky ones]...about par with cheese is arugula these days. this is a super easy way to get rid of any cheese that either is nearing its expiration date or you just want to use! 

i don't know that there is an easier meal than this that looks as pretty when its done. also, you can totally customize it to what you like! 

start off with chicken & marinate it in some balsamic salad dressing or italian dressing. make sure that its trimmed and pounded before you put it in the marinade. i get the 20lb bag from Costco that comes already trimmed & cut to size to make my life even easier. i defrost it in the marinade. 

when you're ready for primetime, make sure you use your chicken room temp [especially important for this dish so you don't dry it out with the folding. pam a pyrex and then lay out the chicken. place some cheese...in this case i used trader joe's herbed goat cheese. add arugula. fold and secure with 2 toothpicks [i did say this was super easy...right?!]. once you are done you can top with some garnishes that do well in the oven. in this case, more goat cheese & fresh diced tomatoes for my hubby and just goat cheese for me. 

two great trader joe's cheese options...one on the left with the blue label is a great one for any crowd & the one that is shown in this recipe! 

my other great combo is spinach & honey goat cheese. the bite of the arugula seems to be soaked into the cheese and chicken though and is a great blend if you are trying to go outside of the box!

bake at 375 for about 20 min. i start checking the meat temp at that time because i think the worst thing on the planet is dried out meat...especially chicken! this is so great served with something not too crazy like a jasmine rice or quinoa and a green like broccoli or green beans so that you can use any extra cheese that may fall out of the chicken as garnish on that as you're eating it without overpowering it! 

new cheater dinner!

in a despearte attempt for dinner to be ready in time for joe earlier this week when rain allowed me to be home from tennis i frantically scurried around Trader Joe's thinking what can i possibly make for dinner?!?!

Boom...who knew they had great [& i really mean it] pre-marinated chicken, lamb, and pork!? I grabbed pesto first of course and figured that would be hard to screw up but i do want to go back for the peppered lamb tips! i'm not one to get these for freezing but i think that it makes a great quick dinner! also, it was reasonably priced at only $5.99/lb compared to their normal chicken price of $5.29/lb at our Trader Joe's...more than normal chicken elsewhere, but worth it in a rush!

taco casserole

taco casserole
what you need...

2 ounces Tortilla Chips (about 24), plus additional for serving
1 Tbs Chili Oil (or olive oil and red pepper flakes)
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 pound Ground Chicken
2 Tbs Taco Seasoning
1 can Black Beans, drained
1 cup Hot Salsa
1 cup shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

what you do...Heat oven to 350.  Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until soft. Add meat and taco seasoning. Cook, breaking up meat with a spatula, for about 5 minutes. Add beans and salsa. Mix well and continue to cook until salsa thickens.

Line the bottom of a large baking dish with tortilla chips, pressing down on them lightly to break them into bite-sized pieces. Spread the meat and bean mixture over the chips and top with cheese. Add sliced jalepenos or other toppings that you want to be cooked. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and gooey. Scoop up or with additional chips or into tortillas if desired.

my fave mac & cheese

here is my favorite homemade mac & cheese recipe ever! 

what you need...

2 Tbsp Corn starch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups (8oz) shredded cheese
8 oz elbows, cooked 5 minutes and drained

what to do...In medium saucepan combine first 4 ingredients; stir in milk. Add butter; stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil one minute.  

Remove from heat. Stir in 1 3/4 cups cheese until melted. Add elbows. Pour into greased 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven 25 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings


Trick is not to over cook the noodles! Might take more then 5 minutes, but DO NOT cook them till they are soft.  If you do not constantly stir when the milk is boiling it will burn aka taste bad.

BBQ Meatloaf

bbq meatloaf

what you need...
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 onion, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup ketchup
bbq sauce of choice (i used Robert Rothschild Farms Hot Pepper Raspberry Chipotle Sauce)

what to do...
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1 cup ketchup. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan. Pour bbq sauce over the meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices.

pasta chicken broccoli bake

This is one of those "invite your neighbors" over meals as it is so filling and makes a huge pan! You can also make in 2 smaller portions and freeze the other half

pasta-chicken broccoli bake

what you need....

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (i left this part out)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup (4 oz.) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated cheese-and-spinach tortellini (not cooked)
• 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli (not cooked)
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 15 round buttery crackers, crushed (reduced fat ritz works well!)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (i skipped these too)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted (i skipped this)

what to do...

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion and next 2 ingredients, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.  Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in broth, half-and-half, and white wine. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat; add 1 cup cheese and next 2 ingredients, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in tortellini and next 2 ingredients. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Stir together 1/2 cup grated cheese and next 3 ingredients. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly.

its all about the butt

so i cooked an amazing boston butt all day monday...it was so fragrant and the house still smells like christmas tree or home cooking (depending on the room youre in)...it all began with a great Publix boston butt...here is the recipe below! I had the pork frozen from a previous week when i thought i was going to be able to come up with the recipe but was unable to get things together. in total, my pork went in the oven around 7:30am and was perfected by 5:30pm. as long as there is liquid (which will be a good amount) you will not over cook the roast. i put mine in the oven for the 1st time ever in a Calphalon dutch oven/stove top cooker that was oven safe.

amazing pulled pork

what you need...

for the pork...

3-5lb Boston butt pork roast (whatever size looks best)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup water

your favorite bbq sauce, mine is sticky fingers carolina sauce

for the rub...

3 tablespoons paprika
1-1/2 tablespoons salt
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne

what to do...

Preheat the oven to 225°F. Prepare the rub by combining the paprika, salt, sugar, mustard, cumin, pepper, garlic and onion powders and cayenne in a small bowl. Trim any large pieces of exterior fat from the pork if desired. Pat the rub mixture on all sides of the pork and place uncovered, in a dutch oven. Roast uncovered for 1 hour.

Remove the pork from the oven, brush with the olive oil, add the water, cover and return to the oven for approximately 5 hours longer. At this point the pork should be very tender and pull apart easily with a fork. Total roasting time runs between 90 and 100 minutes per pound.

Transfer the pork to a large platter and allow to cool enough to handle. With two dinner forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, removing any large chunks of fat in the process.

shrimp tacos & slaw

 shrimp tacos with homemade slaw

what you need....

• 1/2 head Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1/2 head Purple Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Chopped
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Mayonnnaise
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

what to do...

Combine shredded cabbage and sliced jalapenos in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Pour over cabbage. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours if you have the time.

we had this last night with the greatest shrimp--some done in lime juice & cilantro and others done in buffalo sauce. both were fabulous!!! 

pork chops with mustard sauce

so my #1 complaint in life is that pork chops are always dry/overcooked. for some reason i can never get over that thought in my head...until now. For $3.53 from Publix i purchased 5 super thin premium cut pork chops this week. trust me, if you're on a budget its worth getting the thin cut ones (about 1/2 inch thick) and theyre cheap so if its a flop and you overcook them...you're only out $3.53

i found this real simple (& it is really simple) recipe...of course i've noted my modifications, and of course it really was amazing! they were cooked to perfection...just ask joe, he ate 4 of the 5!

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce
what you need...
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops (about 1 1/2 pounds) **note I used thinner ones without a bone.
kosher salt and black pepper
2 shallots, finely chopped (green onions also work)
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream (i used regular cream to save on calories)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (i also used deli honey mustard i had on hand)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (optional)

what to do...

**NOTE: before you get started, these cook times were meant for 1 inch thick chops...so if you have a 1/2 inch thick one or even thinner, cut these times in half. New USDA cook times for pork remember is 145 degrees (some pink is okay...total gray is gross).

Heat oven to 400° F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side (again, mine were in the pan for 45 seconds each side). Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and roast until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes (also, mine were in the oven for 4 minutes total on convection heat). If you're worried about timing, start the sauce, then pop the pork chops in the oven...better to have the sauce waiting then the pork overcooking.

Meanwhile, add the shallots and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the wine to the skillet and simmer until reduced by half. Add the cream and simmer until the sauce just thickens. Stir in the mustard.
Top the pork with the sauce and tarragon. 

how about an easy dinner?

how about an easy dinner? you can't really get more easier [well maybe you can...but not nearly as good]...here is my freezer meal dinner! my goal is to clear out my freezer by july so we can restock, make great sauces, free up some tupperware, and most importantly, fit my kitchen aid mixer ice cream maker attachment back in the freezer!

so as for dinner...this was super easy & what we ate last night. trader joe's has great [cheap] super low fat [5-7grams] chicken sausages in many flavors. once in a while i stock up and get a bunch then freeze the ones that we aren't currently in the mood for. this photo shows one type but we actually ate sun dried tomato [but i accidentally threw away the packaging].

after that publix offers BOGO specials all the time and cheese tortellini was one of them. as you may recall last year i had more basil than i knew what to do with so i froze some in little glass jars. i busted that out and a handful of fresh today and made a fresh batch of pesto. 

with a pound of broccoli to share, the nutritionist would have been proud!

my favorite place in atlanta

my weekly fix...enjoy it

breakfast for dinner

so bacon, challah bread, and red onions are on my top 10 favorite things in the world i do believe...so why would this recipe be anything but amazing! cannot wait to try this after tennis on Sunday!

fried egg sandwiches

what you need...
4 (1/2-inch-thick) challah bread slices
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (0.9-oz.) envelope hollandaise sauce mix
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 cups loosely packed arugula
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 thin pancetta slices, cooked
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes

what you do...Preheat broiler with oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Brush both sides of bread with butter; place on an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Broil 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted.  Prepare hollandaise sauce according to package directions; stir in zest and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice. Keep warm. Toss together arugula, next 2 ingredients, 2 tsp. olive oil, and remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice.

Heat remaining 1 tsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Gently break eggs into hot skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Top bread slices with arugula mixture, pancetta slices, and fried eggs. Spoon hollandaise sauce over each egg, and sprinkle with tomatoes. Serve immediately.

**dont forget if you dont use your broiler normally, you need to watch CAREFULLY if you are going to shut the oven door the whole way...if you cant watch it like a hawk, crack the door so that it can vent...otherwise you'll likely char what ever is in the oven.

creamy spring pasta

i made this last week and had all intentions to get some pictures of the completed product but we ate it so fast & then joe took the rest for lunch the next two days! its a cooking light recipe from this month's issue on 40 meals under $40...with asparagus on sale the past few weeks, this really is a budget meal! joe likes to have some substance on his aka meat so we grilled chicken and added that to the top of this! yummm!

creamy spring pasta
what you need....
2 ounces French bread baguette, torn into pieces **I just used panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 1/2 cups (2-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
1 cup frozen green peas
6 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup packed) **I borrowed Wilson's parm cheese from the jar vs investing in fresh/expensive cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

what to do...Boil water for the pasta. Place torn bread in a food processor; process until coarse crumbs form. If you use breadcrumbs no need to do the food processor bit.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 garlic clove to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs; sauté 3 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Remove breadcrumb mixture from pan; wipe pan clean with paper towels.

Add asparagus and peas to boiling water; cook for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cold water; drain. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the remaining 2 garlic cloves; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add broth mixture and milk to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; add cheeses, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheeses melt. Add pasta, asparagus, and peas; toss well. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Baked Chicken Roulade

cannot wait to try this recipe out saturday night! seems like a great pre-race dinner what do you think?!

baked chicken roulade
what you need...
4 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb.)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (5-oz.) package baby spinach
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 fresh thin asparagus spears (about 1 lb.)
Wooden picks
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons drained capers

what to do...Preheat oven to 425°. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using flat side of a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Sauté spinach and 2 minced garlic cloves in 2 tsp. hot oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat 1 minute or until spinach begins to wilt. Transfer spinach mixture to a plate. Wipe skillet clean. Spoon spinach mixture over each breast, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Top with asparagus, and roll up, starting at 1 short side. Tuck in ends of chicken, and secure with wooden picks.

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter with 2 Tbsp. olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add remaining garlic. Sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until tender and fragrant. Whisk in flour; cook 1 minute. Add white wine; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth and lemon juice; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in parsley and capers; spoon sauce over chicken. Serve immediately.

Caramelized Onion Quiche

this will be a great test to see if joe, who does not like onions, is able to taste them in this quiche. my latest trick is to get them minced as fine as possible so that he cant "feel" them when he's eating! i'll report back!

carmelized onion quiche
what you need...
1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
3 large sweet onions, sliced (about 1 1/2 lb.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 cups fat free half-and-half
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

what you do...
Preheat oven to 425°. Unroll piecrusts; stack on a lightly greased surface. Roll stacked piecrusts into a 12-inch circle. Fit piecrust into a 10-inch deep-dish tart pan with removable bottom; press into fluted edges. Trim off excess piecrust along edges. Line piecrust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Remove weights and foil, and bake 8 more minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 15 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
Meanwhile, cook onions in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes or until onions are caramel colored. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley and bacon. Place half of onion mixture in tart shell, and top with half of cheese; repeat with remaining onion mixture and cheese.Whisk together half-and-half and next 4 ingredients; pour over cheese. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Cool on baking sheet on a wire rack 15 minutes before serving.