Spinach Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Original recipe http://www.littlespicejar.com

CHICKEN BREAST

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PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

45 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour

Delicious chicken rolls with spinach and cream cheese. Spinach cream cheese stuffed chicken breast with Panko parmesan breadcrumbs are rolled up and baked. An easy everyday dinner or perfect for entertaining!

Author: Little Spice Jar

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the spinach and cream cheese filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese (light is fine but don't use fat free)
• ½ cup packed, baby spinach, chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves (1 tablespoons) fresh garlic, minced
• ½ jalapeno, minced (optional)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the stuffed chicken breasts:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 slices of swiss cheese (or mozzarella)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1½ cups Panko bread crumbs (regular or whole wheat)
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or asiago cheese)
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

For the spinach and cream cheese filling:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients are mixed throughout.

For the stuffed chicken breasts:

1. Place a rack near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper or a silicone mat in a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Butterfly the chicken breast and using a meat mallet or rolling pin, flatten each chicken breast to about a ½ inch.
3. Spread a quarter of the mixture onto each chicken breast; top each with swiss cheese. Carefully roll up the chicken and secure with toothpicks.
4. Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine Panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the eggs and then into the panko parmesan mixture. Make sure the breasts are well coated. Discard any extra mixture.
5. Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and the outside is golden brown. Serve warm.

MARZIA'S NOTES

Note: Make sure to remove toothpicks before eating

Banana Bread Bunt Cake

This is by far my favorite Banana Bread recipe. I tried a lot of recipes over the year, but I keep coming back to this one. The original recipe does not ask for chocolate chips, cinnamon or nutmeg. I add those ingredients to give it a little more spice. 

Photo By Anika Charron

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (2 sticks)  unsalted butter, at room temperature (or 1 stick butter and 4 ounces coconut oil)
• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup of chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
• 2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
• about 4 very ripe banana, mashed (1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup  plain yogurt (or a combination of the two) or 1 cup sour cream (or a combination of the two)

Directions:

1. 1
   Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone pan there's no need to butter it.) Don't place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven's heat to circulate through the Bundt's inner tube.
2. 2
   Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.
3. 3
   Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes inches Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don't be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to debubble the batter and smooth the top.
4. 4
   Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature. If you have time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit overnight before serving - it's even better the next day.
5. 5
   OPTIONAL LEMONY WHITE ICING: Sift 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a bowl and squeeze in enough fresh lemon juice (start with 2 teaspoons and add more by drops) to make an icing thin enough to drizzle down the Bundt's curves.
6. 6
   MUFFIN OPTION: Halve the recipe. You can add nuts or chocolate chips. Bake 28-32 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.
   
   

   The original recipe can be found on www.food.com

Slow-Cooker Pork Taco

Taco Tuesday is a new tradition in our family. Ever since my kids watched the LEGO movie, they love Taco Tuesday. Here is a new recipe I found on the food network. My Slow-Cooker is my best friend, ever since I had kids. This is easy to prep while the kids a great school (or napping) and ready in time for dinner.

Photo source: www.simplyrecipes.com

Total Time: 5 hr 36 min

Prep: 25 min


Cook:5 hr 11 min

Yield:about 8 servings



Ingredients

3 whole ancho chiles

3 whole pasilla chiles

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce

1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican

3 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (untrimmed), cut into chunks

Freshly ground pepper

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving

Assorted taco toppings, for garnish



Directions

Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl; add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Microwave on 
high until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles; peel the garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.

Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.

Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees; uncover and cook 30 more

minutes.)

Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper. Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.

Photograph by Tina Rupp

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine



Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-pork-tacos-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Buffalo Caulifower

I love Buffalo Chicken! The Buffalo sauce is definitely the star for me in this dish.  The combination of the tangy/spicy yummy sauce on the pretty blend chicken,  is turning this dish (or usually basket in a Sports Bar)  into something I really want to eat.  This is why I was intrigued by his recipe the minute I stumbled upon it on Facebook. 

Skinnytaste.com  posted it on Facebook  where saw it a couple days ago. I eat meat, but I always preferred vegetables. This is just a perfect veggie option for me.

The recipe is originally of Peta's website. 

One thing to note, if you are watching your sodium, you'll have to look for a lower sodium hot sauce, or use half of the sauce. Frank's is my favorite for buffalo sauce, but it's not low in sodium. If anyone knows of a lower sodium buffalo sauce, kindly share!

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Skinnytaste.com 

Servings: 6 • Size: about 1 cup cauliflower • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts

Calories: 119.4 • Fat: 2 g • Protein: 4 g • Carb: 21.4 g • Fiber: 3 g • Sugar: 0.2 g

Sodium: 1172 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 22 oz (6 1/2 cups) cauliflower florets
• 3/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
• 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray a large non-stick baking sheet with oil.

Combine the water, flour, and garlic powder in a bowl and stir until well combined.

Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture and place on the baking sheet; bake for 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower is baking, combine the hot sauce and butter in a small bowl.

Pour the hot sauce mixture over the baked cauliflower and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with skinny blue cheese dressing if desired and celery sticks.

Adapted from Peta

Split Peas Soup (Erbsensuppe)

I spent all my Childhood in a region called Rheinland in Germany. One of my favorite winter dishes is the Rheinische Erbsensuppe (Split Pea Soup).  Here is my favorite recipe! Always a classic!

Image Wholefoods Market

• Ingredients:
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried green split peas, rinsed 
• 1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham (I use bacon from instead of ham)
• 1 Kielbasa Sausage 
• 1 cup sliced baby carrots 
• 1 cup chopped yellow or red onion 
• 2 ribs celery plus leaves, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth 

In a frying pan heat some olive oil and brown onions and garlic. Remove from pan and place into slow cooker. Brown bacon in the same pan. Discharge bacon fat and add browned, crisp bacon into slow cooker. 
Layer rest of the ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Add the whole Kielbasa Sausage without without slicing it. Cover and cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.

Serve with toasted flat bread or sour bread.