Chicken Cordon Blue

This entree is easy and delicious! Try to use the largest chicken breasts you can find so you'll be able to roll them easier They look so perfect and delicious people rave over this recipe 

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Coat a  baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 

Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. 

Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately

Chicken Fried Chicken

 

Crispy Crunchy and so moist and tender this Chicken Fried Chicken melts in your mouth for real and so good.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups bread crumbs*
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tsp powdered garlic, and onion powder both
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
About 1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging with 3 tb cornstarch added for crispness
2 large eggs, beaten
4 boneless skinless chicken breast, each about 6 ounces (pounded thin)
1/3 to 1/2 cup oil, for shallow frying

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

First Season the dried bread or crumbs in a food processor with the thyme,  1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. 

Add cornstarch to flour and mix up

With the flat side of a cook's knife or the smooth side of a meat-pounder, pound each breast to equal thickness. Put the flour, eggs, and the bread crumbs each separately in 3 shallow dishes. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each breast into the flour, then shake off the excess. Next, run the breast through the egg to coat it lightly and hold the chicken over the liquid to let any excess fall back into the bowl. Finally, lay the chicken in the bread crumbs, turn it over and press it into the breading to coat. Lay on a piece of waxed paper.

Heat a large skillet (12 inches in diameter) over medium heat. Add the oil. Lay 2 chicken breasts smooth-side down in the pan. Cook the chicken without turning until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until equally brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining 2 breasts. Transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Place all 4 breasts on a rack over a baking pan and bake until firm to the touch, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately

Sweet Italian Sausage Zucchini and Tomatoes

 

This dish incorporates lots of fresh vegetables and great flavor, spice it up a bit with Jalapenos or spicy paprika even a touch of cayenne seasonings.

Serves 4-6
Ingredients
6 sweet Italian sausage links
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried oregano)
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 pound mixed red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

6 fresh mushrooms sliced(optional)

4 potatoes sliced into chunks(washed not peeled)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
fine sea salt, pinch
ground black pepper, pinch 

touch of smoked paprika, cayenne or chili seasoning if you like

How to make it:
Prepare sausages according to package directions, either in a sauté pan or on the grill.
While they are cooking, heat olive oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat.
Add potatoes, garlic and onions and oregano, stir for a few seconds, then add zucchini and cook 3 to 5 minutes. 
When sausages are cooked, cut into large bite-size pieces and add to pan along with tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. I also added a few fresh mushrooms, totally optional.
Continue to sauté until tomatoes are just softened, about 1 minute more.
Transfer to a large platter and serve. If you like jalapenos add some pickled jalapenos now

Nutritional Info:
Per serving: 310 calories (220 from fat), 24g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 55mg cholesterol, 640mg sodium, 8g carbohydrates (2g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 16g protein.

Tuscan Chicken Mac And Cheese

Tuscan Chicken Mac And 3 Cheese is a delicious change over regular mac and cheese
 will be hard to go back to regular Mac and Cheese after this! You can change the flavor by the tomatoes and cheeses you use, keep in mind.

Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts pounded to 1-inch thickness (or 4 boneless and skinless chicken thigh fillets)
Salt and pepper, to season
1/2 teaspoon paprika (sweet or smokey)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon oil, divided (use olive or canola oil)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion chopped
4-6 cloves garlic finely diced
1/3 cup white wine OPTIONAL (use chicken broth instead if you wish)
1 can fire roasted, rotel or stewed tomatoes
3 level tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups milk OR light cream* or half and half, divided
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
10 ounces elbow macaroni uncooked (3 cups)
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1/2 cup grated cheese Cheddar or your choice of cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

How to make it:
Cut chicken in bite size pieces then get your 2 tsp of oil hot in large pot
Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, dried parsley Heat the remaining oil in a large pot or pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden brown, cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Transfer chicken to a plate,  and set aside.
To the same pan, add the butter and fry the onion and garlic until the onion turns transparent, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes). Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until beginning to reduce down.
In another pot get water boiling to cook 3 cups macaroni then while waiting for water to boil
Add the  tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes
Stir the flour into the pot and allow to cook for a further minute. Then, add the broth, 2 1/2 cups of milks (or cream/half and half), herbs, salt and pepper, and bring to a very low simmer (lower the heat if you need to).
Add the spinach and stir through until wilted.
Cook macaroni 8 minutes after water boils, when done, drain and add to pot of sauce stir
Take the pot off the stove and stir all of the cheese in quickly. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce it too thick, add the 1/2 cup milk (or cream) in 1/4 cup increments, until reaching desired thickness. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Sprinkle with parsley, and stir through. Serve immediately

Recipe Notes
*low fat milk is ok. You can also use a light cream, heavy cream or evaporated milk. Depending on your choice of calories or flavor.
**For added cream flavor, add in 1/2 cup light cream (or heavy cream if you wish), right before right before adding in the spinach. Allow it to get hot but do not let boil before adding in the spinach!

Classic Date Nut Bread

This moist date nut bread makes a great breakfast, lunch or brunch. I use walnuts but you can use pecans just as easily. Since it's a quick bread, no yeast or kneading is required and it's ready to eat in just over an hour.

8 servings

1 loaf

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)

408 Calories, 15g Fat, 62g Carbs, 8g Protein

Not only is this bread delicious, but it also freezes well, too. Freeze the whole loaf or spread cream cheese between two thin slices and freeze the "sandwiches" to enjoy later. It's also delicious with orange cream cheese or orange-flavored butter.

Ingredients
1 cup water (boiling)
8 ounces dates (chopped)
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar (white granulated)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg (large)
2 1/4 cups flour (all-purpose)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)

How to make the bread:
Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 350 F.
Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan I use olive oil spray
In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the chopped dates. Add the butter and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and egg with a mixer until light.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the date and water mixture.
Stir in the chopped nuts with a spoon.
Pour into the loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tip

Use butter, shortening, or cooking oil to grease the loaf pan. Using a paper towel helps ensure an even coating so your bread doesn't stick.

As with any quick bread, you do not want to overmix the batter. The final mixing should be just long enough to ensure the ingredients are incorporated.

Don't delay after mixing the batter. The liquids will activate the baking powder's first round of leavening—most baking powder is double-acting, and the second round takes place in the oven. Work efficiently to get the batter into the oven as quickly as possible.

Recipe Variations

Make an easy cream cheese spread to complement the date bread: In a mixing bowl, beat 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 1/2 teaspoons of finely grated orange zest, 3 tablespoons of confectioners' sugar, and a few drops of vanilla.

Instead of walnuts, use chopped pecans.

If you're concerned about tree nut allergies among your guests, skip the nuts entirely. You can also bake a second nut-free loaf.

Sprinkle the quick bread batter with a cinnamon-sugar blend just before it goes into the oven.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

 My homemade version of Hamburger Helper Potato Stroganoff  is easy, and doesn't contain the preservatives that hamburger helper nor as much salt. So it's much better for you and full of flavor

Ingredients
1 lb ground meat
1 C hot water
2 C milk or cream
1 1/2 C pasta, rice, or small sliced potatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1-2 tbs worchestire sauce
1 cup sour cream(optional)
1 to 1/2 cups cheese
extra water if needed

Instructions

Cook and drain 1 lb. of ground beef or turkey.

Add l cup hot water, 2 cups of milk or cream, 1 1/2 cups pasta, rice, or very small sliced potatoes, add seasonings. When meat begins to brown add onions, garlic and worchestire sauce.

Stir the mixture well and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Stir and add liquid if needed.

Add lid and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in sour cream if using and add cheese, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Egg Roll in a bowl

 

we like bowls these days they are very popular, this dish is easy, tasty and keto friendly too if you don't add rice or noodles

 

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground or cubed chicken or any other meat you would like (beef, pork, turkey)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bag pre-shredded coleslaw mix or sliced cabbage(I used red tonight)
1/4 cup shredded carrots 
1 medium onion, minced
2 green onions, sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 jalapeno pepper minced(seeds removed, optional)
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut amino or tamari)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional, any hot sauce of your choice)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (or ginger powder)
Salt and fresh cracked pepper, approx. 1/2 teaspoon each
Fresh chopped chives, for garnish

 

DIRECTIONS 

Heat oil in a skillet or medium-high heat. Add chicken meat and cook until browned then add onion and continue cooking until lightly browned.

 Add garlic powder, chili pepper, ginger, and pepper to the meat and stir well. Pour the 1/2 cup broth. Add the cabbage mix and green onion and stir to coat.

 Cook, stirring frequently until the cabbage is tender.

 Add soy sauce (or tamari) and Sriracha sauce. Stir well to coat and adjust seasoning as desired.

 Garnish with chopped chives, spoon into bowls and serve plain or over cauliflower rice. Enjoy!

 

Seared Scallops

Scallops are so good, especially when cooked correctly. Finding fresh scallops where we live now is a challenge so most are frozen or have come frozen when we get them.

A wet scallop has been soaked in a preservative phosphate solution. This makes the scallop absorb more water, and when you cook them, they kind of shrivel a bit and don’t brown as well because of that extra liquid. The phosphate solution also gives the scallop an off flavor, and they’re usually not as fresh.

A dry scallop has not been treated with any chemicals additives or solutions. Compared to the wet scallops, they are darker (more of a beige color, whereas the wet scallops are whiter), and they have a more pure flavor.

If possible, you always want to buy dry scallops.

Ingredients
FOR THE SCALLOPS:
1/2 lb dry sea scallops
salt
pepper
1 tbsp avocado oil, grapeseed oil or other high smoke point oil
2 tbsp butter
IDEAS FOR WHAT TO SERVE WITH SCALLOPS
Fresh Salad
Herb and Garlic Cauliflower Rice
Sauteed Mushrooms and mini Peppers

Instructions 
Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
In the meantime, pat the scallops very dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the sea scallops with salt and pepper, to season. This is very important to get them dry.
When the pan is hot, add the oil, then drop in your scallops, giving them enough room in between so they don’t steam each other. The scallops should make a sizzling noise when you put them in the pan.
Cook the scallops for 2 minutes, making sure not to move them or touch them at all.
Flip the scallops over with a pair of tongs, and add the butter to the pan. Let the scallops cook for 1 more minute, basting the scallops with the butter.
Remove the scallops from the pan and serve!
Nutrition
calories: 263kcal, carbohydrates: 3g, protein: 19g, fat: 20g, saturated fat: 8g, cholesterol: 127mg, sodium: 317mg
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

KETO CHEESY MEXICAN CHICKEN SKILLET

 

This Chicken Skillet is incredibly tasty, filling, and easy to make when you need dinner on the table quickly without skimping on taste and it's keto friendly.
Servings: 6

Calories: @295kcal depending on toppings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced green pepper
3 garlic cloves minced
2 cups cooked chicken shredded (I prepared mine in the slow cooker)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 12 oz bag steamed riced cauliflower
2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning or taco seasoning packet
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 can whole kernel corn(drained)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cheese such as mexican or monterey jack

Instructions
In a skillet, melt butter then saute onion, pepper, and garlic until softened.
Steam riced cauliflower in microwave according to package directions.
Add homemade taco seasoning, Rotel, chicken broth, and cauliflower to skillet.
Stir to combine then cook on medium/low approx 10 minutes until extra liquid is absorbed.
Add cooked chicken and stir well. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little more chicken broth.
Simmer on low covered for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle cheese on top, cover, and simmer until cheese is melted.
Optional: Serve with your favorite toppings see my list below.

TIPS FOR MAKING KETO CHEESY MEXICAN SKILLET CHICKEN 
Below I've included a few tips I've found that further simplify this recipe.
Slow Cooker - By cooking the chicken in my slow cooker first, it cuts back on cooking time so that I can have dinner on the table in a snap. I simply place the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with chicken broth and salt/pepper. Then, I slow cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.I also like to keep a batch of this chicken in the freezer for recipes.

Instant Pot - If you don't have a slow cooker or forgot to throw it in earlier in the day, you can also cook the chicken in the Instant Pot. You can find detailed instructions to cook chicken in the Instant Pot here. 

 
In a hurry you can also use store bought rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken which is in the same section as canned tuna.
Grab a rotisserie chicken while you are out to shred as it will drastically cut back on preparation time.
Substitute Ground Beef - Out of chicken, but still want to make this recipe? No problem, you can easily sub ground beef and beef broth instead of chicken and chicken broth for a nice variation. 

There are so many options to garnish Keto Cheesy Mexican Skillet Chicken. Here are what we used
lettuce
sour cream
sliced grape tomatoes
cilantro
salsa
sliced avocado
guacamole
jalapenos 
Diced Onions

Nutrition
Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 39.8mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 1.2mg

New York Cheesecake

This is my most requested cheesecake, and I make all kinds but this is number one with everyone who eats it.So delicious you will enjoy every bite.

INGREDIENTS

    5 large eggs, room temperature
    2 cups (one pint) sour cream, room temperature
    4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
    8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    2 tablespoons cornstarch
    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS

    Generously butter the inside of a 10-inch springform pan. Wrap a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil tightly around the outside bottom and sides, crimping and pleating the foil to make it conform to the pan. This will help to prevent water seeping into the pan when you put it into the bain-marie. Position the baking rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 300* Fahrenheit.

    In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sour cream until well blended.

    In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese with the butter until smooth and creamy. Add this to the egg-sour cream mixture and beat until smooth.

    Add the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat thoroughly, about 2 minutes.

    Pour into the prepared springform pan and place in a roasting pan (or other pan) large enough to prevent the sides from touching. Place in the oven and carefully pour in enough very hot tap water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

    Bake for 2 hours, 15 minutes, or until the cake is very lightly colored and a knife inserted in the center emerges clean. Remove from the water bath and carefully peel the aluminum foil from around the pan. Let stand at room temperature until completely cool, about 4 hours. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled. For best flavor and texture, this cheesecake is best chilled overnight.

Top with your favorite toppings, we used fresh mashed strawberries as an option with this one today.

toppings can vary depending on your choice

this one is a New York Cherry Cheesecake

Oreo Cheesecake

This is a good cheesecake to make, not to long to mix up and bake and turns out yummy
yield: 

6 SERVINGS 

Ingredients:
For the Crust
12 whole Oreo cookies, crushed into crumbs
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 whole Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
For the Topping
1 cup whipped cream or whipped topping
8 whole Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
chocolate sauce, optional

Directions:

Tightly wrap the bottom of  7-inch springform pan in foil and spray the inside of the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat oven to 350

In a small bowl, stir together the 12 crushed Oreo cookies and melted butter and press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Place pan in freezer for 10-15 minutes.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Making sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add in the flour, heavy cream, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Fold in 8 chopped Oreo cookies and pour batter into prepared pan.

Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into a pan wider than your cheesecake pan

Wrap the outside of pan with foil, to keep water from seeping into pan when baking. Bake

Place the pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake at 350°F for about 40-45 minutes, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, turn off the oven, but leave the door cracked and allow the cheesecake to rest in the cooling oven for one hour. After one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cheesecake is completely cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.Once the cheesecake has cooled, refrigerate it for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Before serving, top with whipped cream, chopped Oreo cookies, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

.