Amanda's Chunky Chicken Quesadilla

I lurvvvvvvvvve Mexican food. The spiciness, the smokiness, the flavour explosion! I could eat refried beans and enchiladas every day. I guess technically it's tex-Mex, but whatever you want to call it it's freakin' delish!

A lot of people have a dish that they judge restaurants by. My husband's is chicken wings. If a restaurant can rock the chicken wings they have his repeat business and he'll try out the rest of the menu. But if their wings leave a bad taste in his mouth, we never go back. My dish is the quesadilla. If it's too greasy, too bland, not enough veggies, or I'm paying an extra $4 for 3 tiny pieces of chicken I'm not a happy chica.

I've taken all the best elements of all the best quesadillas I've ever had and combined them into one totally delicious tex-mex meal. Make this on a couple of 6" flour tortillas for a quick, light lunch, or on 12" flour tortillas for dinner with a side of Mexican rice or a salad.

Start by roasting some red, green and yellow peppers, and some onions in a bit of olive oil and chopping up some cooked chicken.

On top of a flour tortilla (this one is a 6") put a slice of jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese and top with a generous amount of the veggies and chicken

top the chicken and veggie mixture with shredded marble cheddar

top with another flour tortilla. Drizzle a wee bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle on a dash of seasoned salt and cajun seasoning. Bake at 350˚F for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

deeeeelish!

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Amanda's Chunky Chicken Quesadilla
serves 4

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into strips
8 6" flour tortillas
4 slices (1-2oz) jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese
2 c marble cheddar, shredded
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp cajun seasoning

Instructions:

1. Slice peppers and onions and toss with a bit of olive oil and roast in a 450˚F oven for 15 minutes.
2. Slice a chicken breast and set aside.
3. Lay the flour tortillas on a cookie sheet and top with a slice of jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese and a generous amount of the veggies and chicken.
4. Top with shredded cheddar and another flour tortilla.
5. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt and cajun seasoning.
6. Bake at 350˚F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole

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enjoy,

Baked Gnocchi

We're in the middle of one heck of a heat wave. 38-40˚C (that's 100.4-104˚F for my American readers) everyday now for a week. The humidity is wilting, the heat, oppressive. Thankfully my darling husband, foreseeing me being super uncomfortable this summer should the temperature skyrocket (I'm in my 3rd trimester now), bought me central air 3 weeks ago. He really does love me. So I've been coping with the heat fairly well. But the temperature certainly changes how we eat. As it gets hotter you tend to want to eat lighter. Simple salads and cold dishes tend to be what we all crave when the mercury rises... unless you're a pregnant gal and you have A/C. Then you want crazy things like baked pastas.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been trying to cook better for my hubby, really watching every single ingredient I cook with for cholesterol, sodium and fat. I love Gnocchi, as does he, so when I found myself craving pasta this week I headed to the refrigerated section of the grocery store (it's too hot to make gnocchi from scratch!) and picked up a package of gnocchi to read the label. 0 mg cholesterol, low in sodium, low in fat, low in calories... I was thrilled!

In 40˚ weather I made my Baked Gnocchi. I'm crazy, I know. But really it's quite a light dish (as gnocchi goes) and served with a generous side salad we felt satisfied and not like we had eaten a big heavy meal. You could certainly just make this stove top and not turn on your oven, or "bake" it on your BBQ, any way you choose to make it I hope you give it a try cause it's incredibly tasty!

Look at all those Bocconcini pearls. Little balls of cheesy goodness.

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Baked Gnocchi

2 pkgs of premade Gnocchi (I use Maestro but any will do)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
5 fresh basil leaves, jullienned
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 500ml container Bocconcini Pearls*
2 c baby spinach
1/4 c shaved parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt & pepper. Continue to simmer over med-low heat while you cook the gnocchi.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the gnocchi. Cook just until the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water and drain immediately.
4. Add the gnocchi, bocconcini and spinach to the tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. (you can continue on the stove top here if you wish heating over low until the bocconcini pearls melt.)
5. Pour pasta into a greased (Pam) casserole dish and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
6. Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes or until the bocconcini melts.
7. Serve alongside a salad for a light and healthy meal!

* If you're unfamiliar with Bocconcini it's just small balls of fresh mozzarella. I've tried using shredded mozzarella and the larger Baby Bocconcini but I find the pearls to be best because they don't overpower the gnocchi or make it too chewy. Bocconcini Pearls can be found in the deli section with the other specialty cheeses.

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enjoy!

Big Changes at the Best Mom House

If you follow my blog you know I love food. I love chocolate, butter, cheese, peanut butter... you get the picture. My family eats well. I offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, meats and pastas. I try to keep it as healthy as I can but when a recipe calls for a cup of butter I don't shy away.

My wonderful husband had a physical for the first time in years (since I met him I think!) and his blood work came back with bad news. He has really high cholesterol. High enough that our doctor wanted him on Crestor® immediately. I felt terrible. Did I do this to my husband? Did I force him onto a medication that he has to take for the rest of his life so that his arteries don't block, so that he doesn't develop heart disease, so that he doesn't die of a massive heart attack or stroke? Turns out high cholesterol is hereditary and his mom had it, but what I was doing in the kitchen certainly didn't help.

This is why I've been MIA from posting for the past few weeks. As soon as we got the call I was online researching what he couldn't have anymore and what foods would help his medication reverse the damage we'd done to his arteries. All his favourites had to go: chips, peanuts, bologna, butter, hot dogs; others we had to cut way back on: red meat, cheese; and some we were able to find substitutions for that he found to be just as good: switching from 2% milk to 1%, almonds instead of peanuts. I've become a pro at reading labels, scouring the contents for the amounts of cholesterol, calories, fat and the biggie, sodium. I've incorporated cranberry, flax seed and pomegranate into his everyday diet. His daily veggie/fruit intake has quadrupled. And the best part: our whole family is eating better.

I know what you're thinking... "oh no! This blog is going all health nut!". Not quite. My dear husband is not a dessert guy, opting to have seconds instead of cake since he was a kid. So desserts were never an issue (except for cookie dough, the guy can eat a whole bowl of it!) so desserts are staying! Also, I plan to work a monthly "treat" food into our dinner rotation once we get the okay that his numbers have come down. Something that might be a bit decadent, like something made with real butter perhaps. But for the most part I'll be making meals that are good for you AND extremely tasty!

I hope you take this opportunity to follow along and make some changes in your family as well so that one day you don't get a call like we got, or worse. Happy healthy eating!

Chocolate Bran Muffins

I had babies. I got big with both of them. REALLY big. 'People would stop me and ask me if I was carrying twins' big. After I had them I turned to an internationally recognizable weight loss company to help me with my weight watchin' (wink wink).

I learned a lot about my body and what works and what doesn't. What didn't work: trying to cut chocolate out of my life. BIG mistake. I lasted about a day. One long, cranky, bitter, long day. After that I knew I needed to give myself what I craved, but to do it in a way that didn't involve eating a king size chocolate bar. Floating out there on the weight-loss message boards was a recipe for bran muffins, chocolate bran muffins. I've never been a fan of bran muffins but they sold me on the chocolate and low-cal part.

I have no idea who invented these tasty little fudgey muffins but thank you whoever you are! Not only are they great for those who are looking for a low-cal/low-fat snack, they're great for anyone! Loads of fibre and yummy chocolate, a great quick breakfast or a snack on the go. If your kids are a little turned off by the bran texture throw in a handful of chocolate chips and you won't hear any complaints! Also, these are great to make with your kids. When you add the baking powder to the moist cereal it's almost like a science experiment, the mixture begins to bubble and expand and... well, I don't want to ruin the fun, you'll see.

Give these super simple and very nutritious muffins a try, I guarantee you'll never buy a bran muffin from a coffee shop again!

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Chocolate Bran Muffins

3 c. All Bran cereal (the stick kind)
2 1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 box Betty Crocker low fat Brownie Mix

Instructions:

1. Place cereal in a large bowl and add the water.
2. Allow the mixture to sit until the water has been absorbed by the cereal. Mix lightly to make sure all the cereal is moist.
3. Add the baking powder and stir to combine. Allow to rest for a minute or two.
4. Add the brownie mix and stir only until combined.
5. Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes or until set.

Tip: to turn these yummy little treats into a dessert, top with a bit of icing!

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Asian Crunch Salad

I am all about texture. I love mixing crunchy things with smooth things (except peanut butter, don't mess with my smooth PB if you value your life) and mixing flavours like sweet and tangy. That's why this salad speaks to me.

As a mom I rarely make time for me (hence why my baby weight is sticking around longer than I'd like) and lunch is a rare treat. I went looking for some lunchtime inspiration and found this basic salad concept and fell in love. One of the main ingredients: Ramen Noodles! How complicated or time consuming can a dish with Ramen Noodles be right?

This is a real budget friendly recipe because Ramen Noodles are ridiculously cheap and one bag of the colelsaw mix will give you 4-6 servings (depending on how hungry you are!) of this salad. Great for lunch, a side dish with dinner or for a pot-luck or picnic.

A sweet & tangy dressing over store-bought coleslaw mix (hello timesaver!) with a few add-ins and garnishes and you've got a delicious lunch that isn't table scraps from your kids!


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Asian Crunch Salad

1 (3 oz.) pkg. Ramen Noodles, crushed without flavour packet
10 oz. whole blanched almonds (cashews are great also)
1 (16 oz.) package shredded coleslaw mix
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar (any vinegar will do really)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 green onions, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and toast the crushed noodles and almonds until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw and red onion.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and soy sauce.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
5. Garnish salad with the noodles, nuts and green onion and enjoy.

Note: If you're making this salad to eat over the week, don't add the garnishes until you're ready to eat or the noodles don't stay crunchy.

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enjoy,
Amanda

Tomato Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

There's a little café where I live that is only open for lunch. I rarely get to get out for lunch, especially to a place that doesn't have golden arches, so when the opportunity arises I jump at the chance. On one fine afternoon I had the opportunity to step out for this little indulgence of "going out for lunch" and I decided I had to try out this little bistro that was so exclusive with their hours of operation. Mostly sandwiches and salads were on the menu and as soon as I read the description of their Grilled Cheese sandwich I knew I was in love.

Thick cut slices of sourdough stuffed with 3 kinds of cheese, fresh tomato and pesto and brushed with garlic butter and grilled to a crispy golden brown. It was more than a sandwich, it was a food experience of epic proportions. I've since re-created this little masterpiece in my own kitchen on numerous occasions and every time I bite into it I can pretend I'm sitting in that cute little bistro watching the world go by, it's a nice break in the day from the routine of a stay-at-home mom.


Tomato Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2 slices thick cut bread (I used regular old white here)
2 oz. shredded cheddar
1 oz. shredded mozzarella, you can use any light cheese you like, fontina is excellent
1 oz. shredded parmesan (not the grated stuff from the store, it's just not the same people)
4 slices tomato (I use heirloom)
1 tbsp. basil pesto
2 tbsp. garlic butter

Instructions:

1. Put a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat.
2. Spread one side of each of the pieces of bread with the garlic butter. Place 1 piece into the skillet butter side down.
3. Top the bread with the shredded cheddar and mozzarella.
4. Arrange tomato slices over the cheese and spread the pesto over top.
5. Sprinkle the tomato and pesto with shredded parmesan and top with the remaining slice of bread butter side up.
6. Grill until golden brown.

enjoy,
Amanda