Grilled Chicken Salad - Light and Delicious!

Okay, so those of us that are food focus, occasionally need to watch their weight, or at least I do. This salad is one of my favorite go-to meals when I am counting calories and carbs. The great thing is, my family loves it too.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Cool and Cream Cottage Cheese

4 C Salad greens, washed and spun dry

1 Cucumber, sliced

4 Mushrooms, sliced

2 Tomatoes, minced

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 C Cottage cheese, fat free

2 Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless - 8 oz each

1 tsp oil (I use MCT oil)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Seasoning salt

Italian salad dressing, fat free and low carb (no added sugar - I use Cysco)

Pound the chicken to an even thickness, about 1/3 inch. (I use a rolling pin.) Season with seasining sal, drizzle with oil, lemon and zest. Let stand which the grill preheats. Grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through, about 8 minutes. (I turn it every 2 minutes to get crosshatched grill marks.)Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest.

Meanwhile in a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumbers and mushrooms, and toss to combine. Dress with salad dressing. Top with cottage cheese and spread it a bit to cover the top of the salad. Finely chop the chicken into small pieces and scatter warm chicken over the salad. Serve.

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planner

Crockpot / Slow Cooker Cooking Keeps the Kitchen Cool

When thinking of crock pot cooking, cozy fall and winter evenings with hearty soups and stews likely come to mind.  Don’t relegate the crock pot to two seasons only.  Keep it on the counter and use it in the spring and summer as well.  It is a great way to have a hot nutritious meal without turning on the oven and heating up the house. It is a fantastic way to braise a pork should or Boston butt into meltingly tender pulled pork sandwiches. Think about having a pulled pork slider bar at your 4th of July party. A main dish that cooks itself cannot be beat!

Crock pots come in all shapes and sizes.  Some have digital settings and others simple dials.  The most important feature is a removable crock.  Since the heat unit cannot be submersed, a removable crock is facilitates clean up. It is also important to have variable heat settings.

For best results, keep the crock half to two thirds full of food with at least 2 inch gap between lid and food. It is best to start cooking on “high” to bring the ingredients quickly to a safe cooking temperature (140 degrees), and then reduce to low setting for slow cooking. Frozen ingredients are to be avoided because they take so long to heat leaving the food in the danger zone longer than is ideal.  The heating element is on the bottom.  If layering ingredients, place ingredients that will take the longest to cook on the bottom. Consider adding seasonings just before serving for maximum flavor.

On most crock pots, “high” cooks at about 300 degrees and “low” equals about 200 degrees.  It takes about twice as long to cook a meal on “low” as it does on “high.” Be sure to keep lid on; it takes a long time to build up lost heat. To avoid frequent lid lifting, use a remote meat thermometer. Because the crock pot is a moist cooking environment, the actual cooking time in generally flexible.

Many of your favorite recipes can be adapted to be cooked in a crock pot.  Be sure to brown meats before putting them in the crock and use half the amount of liquid called for in the recipe.   If layering ingredients, place the ingredients that have the shortest cooking time or have been previously cooked on the top to avoid over cooking.  Another technique is to add these ingredients the last 30 minutes of cooking time.  Dairy and other delicate items should be added just before serving.  As a general rule a recipe that would simmer on the stove top or cook in the oven for 35-45 minutes will cook in 3-4 hours on the “high” setting or 6-10 hours on “low.”

These simple rules will allow you to get the most out of your crock pot.  You might even find out that you use your crock pot for the main dish and a side dish and need more than one!

General Rules:

• Fill crock half to two-thirds full
• Start on high to bring temperature up quickly
• Avoid frozen food
• Place longest cooking ingredients on bottom
• Keep lid on

Adapting Recipes:

• Brown meats first
• Use half of the liquid
• 35-45 stove top/oven minutes equals 3-4 hours on “high” or 6-10 hours on “low”

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planner

Creamy Crab and Avocado Soup

This is an amazing summer soup than is an excellent starter, or a great light supper. Pair it with a nice chardonnay.

Creamy Crab and Avocado Soup

2 Avocados, peeled and chopped

2 C Chicken stock

8 oz Sour cream

2 Tb Lemon juice

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 lb Crab meat

1/2 C Diced tomatos

Cilantro leaves for garnish - optional

Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. In a small bowl mix tomato and crab. Ladle soup into bowls and divide the crab mixture among the servings. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planner

Seared Chicken with Rosemary Fig Sauce

This recipe is delicious. It cooks in about 15 minutes, has few ingredients, but is packed with flavor. It is a great dish to serve to company. I served it on the deck last night to rave reviews and was then rewarded with a lovely sunset.

Seared Chicken with Rosemary Fig Sauce

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - 6 oz ea

1/2 tsp each salt, pepper and garlic powder

Butter flavored cooking spray

2/3 C Fig all fruit spread

1 Tb Rosemary - fresh, minced

1/4 C port or other sweet wine

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Combine the 3 spices and season chicken on both sides and coat the chicken with cooking spray. Brown chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. In a small bowl whisk together remaining ingredients and pour into the pan with the chicken. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook for another minute to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce drizzled over.

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planner

Grilled Halibut with Lemon Pesto

This is a perfect summertime dinner. It is on the table in 10 minutes! It is light and fresh and delicious.

Grilled Halibut with Lemon Pesto

4 Halibut (or tilapia or other white fish) fillets, about 6 oz each

Cooking spray

Salt and pepper

2/3 C Basil leaves, firmly packed

1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tb Olive oil

2 tsp Garlic

1 Tb Lemon zest, grated

1 Tb Lemon juice

Preheat the gill and spray it with cooking spray. Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth and thick. Grill halibut about 4 minutes per side, or until done. Serve the halibut drizzled with pesto.

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planner

Butternut Squash Risotto

This microwave version of risotto is lightning fast and every bit as good and the long slow stirred version.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 1/4 C Arborio rice

2 Tsp Olive oil

2 1/2 C Chicken stock

1 C water

1 package Frozen Butternut squash puree (12 oz)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 Tb Parmesan cheese

Mix rice and olive oil in a 1 1/2 quart microwavable dish. Microwave 3 minutes on high. Stir in broth and water and microwave 9 minutes. Stir well. Microwave for 6 more minutes. Remove and let stand to let the liquid be absorbed. Meanwhile, heat the squash in the microwave until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add squash and cheese to rice, then salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planner

Turkey Cobb Sandwiches

Are you looking for a quick yet delicious lunch? A fast and easy dinner? This recipe puts the classic Cobb salad ingredients in a sandwich. Pack them up and take them to the beach or the park to eat them. Delicious!

Turkey Cobb Sandwiches

8 Slices Bread, toasted

2 Tb Mayonnaise

4 Leaves of lettuce

1 Tomato, sliced

1/2 lb Deli sliced Turkey

1 Avocado, peeled and sliced

4 slices of Bacon, cooked

2 eggs, hardboiled and sliced

Spread mayonnaise on the toast and top with lettuce, tomato, turkey, bacon and eggs.

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planner

Quick and Easy Gazpacho

With bathing suit weather looming, it is time to break out some lean and delicious recipes. This is a go-to recipe for me, and I keep canned tomatoes in the fridge so my gazpacho is already chilled and ready to eat immediately.

Quick and Easy Gazpacho

I can Diced tomatoes - preferably Italian or Mexican style - 14.5 oz

1/2 Englich cucmber, chopped, plus 2 Tb minced for garnish

2 Green onions, chopped, plus 2 Tb minced for garnish

1/4 tsp Salt

2 Tb Cider vinegar

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Add all ingredients (except garnishes) to a blender and whirl until well blended, but not completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve topped with garnishes.

Julie Languille - busy wife and mom, owner

Dinners In A Flash dot com - Easy Dinner Recipes and Dinner Planning

Crispy Two Potato Pancakes with Ricotta Filling

Not just one potato pancakes, but two potatoes! Sweet potatoes, russets and carrots combine in this savory, sweet, crispy, creamy recipe that is filling, economical and a huge hit with the kids. It is also a great way to get them to eat their vegetables!

Crispy Two Potato Pancakes with Ricotta Filling

Potato and vegetable pancakes fried crispy and golden sandwiched with creamy ricotta. Yum! Frugal, company worthy and kid friendly! Serve these on top of a big salad and you’ve got a complete meal.

Serves 4

1/2 C Flour
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
2 C Potato, grated
1 C Carrots, grated
2 1/2 C Sweet potato or yam, grated
1/2 C Parmesan cheese - grated
2 Tb Parsley - flat leaf, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil - for frying
1 C Ricotta cheese

Heat a skillet with a little oil over medium high heat.

In a bowl add flour and whisk in eggs, Add vegetables, parmesan, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Spoon 3 TB piles of the mixture in the pan and flatten slightly. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden. Work in batches until all pancakes are cooked. Sandwich together potato pancakes spread with cheese. Serve hot.

Julie Languille - Easy Dinner Recipes and Online Dinner Planning