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.

smoked chicken panini

quick and easy recipes are what i need with the busy month of march with work!!! enjoy!

smoked chicken paninis
what you need...
4 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
8 sourdough bread slices
1/2 pound smoked Gouda cheese, sliced
1 cup loosely packed baby spinach
1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons butter, melted

what you do...
Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 10 minutes, and cut into slices.  Stir together mayonnaise and next 2 ingredients. Spread mixture on 1 side of each bread slice. Top 4 bread slices with chicken, Gouda, and next 2 ingredients. Top with remaining bread slices, mayonnaise mixture sides down. Brush sandwiches with melted butter.  Cook sandwiches, in batches, in a preheated panini press 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.

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.

guacamole goat cheese toasts

here is another great recipe! can you tell that i love goat cheese!?

guacamole goat cheese toasts
what you need...
2 ripe avocados
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, divided
1/2 medium-size jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 fresh tomatillo, husk removed
1 (7-oz.) package miniature white pita rounds or french bread baguettes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped

what to do...
Cut avocados in half. Scoop pulp into a bowl, and mash with a potato masher or fork until slightly chunky. Stir in 2 Tbsp. red onion and next 5 ingredients. Gently fold in cheese. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of mixture, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°. Finely chop tomatillo. Separate pita rounds lengthwise into two halves. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375° for 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted. Top each with 1 rounded teaspoonful avocado mixture. Stir together tomatillo, tomato, and remaining 1 Tbsp. red onion. Top avocado mixture with tomatillo mixture. Sprinkle with coarsely ground pepper to taste.

baked goat cheese appetizer

we have a party coming up this weekend and i can't wait to try the recipes i will be posting this week. i will have updates on how they all turned out & pictures to share too on Friday!

baked goat cheese appetizer
what you need...
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 (14.5-oz.) can petite-diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
8oz goat cheese, softened
8oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened

what to do...Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté onion in hot oil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and next 3 ingredients, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in diced and sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat, and stir in basil and salt and pepper to taste.Stir together goat cheese and cream cheese until well blended. Spread into a lightly greased 9-inch shallow ovenproof dish. Top with tomato mixture. Bake at 350° for 15 to 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with assorted vegetables and bread cubes.

Make ahead: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. Cover and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake as directed.