Category Archives: Main Course

Polenta with Shrimp and Kale Pesto

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 23 May, 2014 None comments

Oh- my mouth is watering just thinking about these incredible polenta shrimp bites with pesto. I made these last night and couldn’t get over how incredible they were. This is the PERFECT appetizer or pair this with a delicious smoothie for a great healthy dinner.

My husband prefers this with no avocado but I loved it with the avocado stuffed on top with the shrimp. I thought it was a perfect blend of flavors.

Ingredients:

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tube polenta (any flavor) cut into 12 rounds
1 avocado, sliced

Pesto:

2 cups chopped kale or spinach
½ cup fresh basil
½ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup pecans
1 tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup EVOO
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a broiler pan with foil and lay cut polenta evenly throughout pan. Drizzle with EVOO, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn the oven to broil and broil until lightly crispy (3-5 minutes) keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.

For the Shrimp- Once the polenta is cooked, transfer to a plate and keep the broiler pan lined with the same foil. Lay shrimp evenly on foil and drizzle with EVOO, salt, and garlic salt.

Bake at 400 for 5-10 minutes or until fully pink.

Meanwhile, to make the pesto add all ingredients for the pesto into a food processor.

Puree until well blended (add more oil if needed).

To assemble- spoon pesto atop polenta.

Lay shrimp with avocado stuffed in the middle of the shrimp. If you want to add a little extra touch sprinkle with sea salt and add chopped chives.

If you serve this for a gathering, you will be a big hit!

Prepare to be WOWWED!

Cheeseburger Orzo

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 22 May, 2014 None comments

This is amazing comfort food the whole family will devour. Trying to think of something that would be a good meal while watching three kids has not been an easy task for me. I am beyond worn out by the time later afternoon comes that dinner is the last thing I want to think about.

We have been barbequing a lot lately as it causes for easy clean up, good food and easy makings. :) But when you BBQ, you tend to run through your meat a lot quicker and run out of ideas. So, while starting up the grill has become my friend, not only because it’s easy but also because I’ve just learned to grill and have thoroughly enjoyed it, I decided to steer clear of the grill tonight! :)

Adding a great twist to Mac N’ Cheese and Hamburger Helper, I came up with this…

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Taco seasoning (or 1 packet if not homemade)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups Orzo pasta, cooked
4 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. Sriracha (optional)
2 cups cheese, shredded (any kind works)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook turkey with chopped onions, salt and red pepper flakes until fully cooked.

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Once cooked add taco seasoning.

Once the meat is cooked and seasoned, set aside. In a medium sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat and add in flour. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until it thickens.

Once thickened, stir in parmesan cheese.

Stir in shredded cheese.

Pour cheese mixture over turkey and Orzo and mix.

Mix well.

Place lid on and bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.

Adapted from confessionsofacookingdiva.com

Jumbo Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 21 May, 2014 None comments

These are maniac sandwiches. They are piled high of many toppings leaving your mouth fulfilled with delicious flavor.

Ingredients:

4 ciabatta rolls
½ lb bacon
4 pickles
4 slices of pepper jack cheese (or Colby)
2 avocados, sliced
16 slices of turkey

Cook bacon until desired crispness.

Meanwhile, slice pickles, avocado and cheese. Set aside.

In a small fry pan lay turkey and crisp it up a little bit leaving you with warm, fried turkey.

Toast ciabatta rolls and assemble with toppings. Use Mayo if desired!

Serve with a fresh pasta salad.

Gorgonzola Grilled Chicken

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 18 May, 2014 None comments

I decided since my husband was outside doing yard work and Cooper was playing in the dirt and watering flowers that I should learn to BBQ. I love this easy recipe and really wanted to grill the chicken as we have been in a heat wave lately that starting the oven was last on my ‘to do’ list.

I grilled two chicken breasts and three jalapeño sausages. This was a great way to learn how to grill. I got the chicken extremely moist and was so proud of myself. Cooper at chicken and sausage which made the night even better.

I have been making this recipe for years and have really enjoyed how refreshing it is but this was the first time I have made it will grilled chicken and to be honest, this was probably the best way. :)

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
1 large tomato
½ red onion, diced
1- 8oz container of gorgonzola cheese crumbles
EVOO

Grill the chicken and while the chicken is cooking chop onion

And chop tomato

Add about 2 tbsp. of EVOO and toss with gorgonzola crumbles.

Spoon on top of chicken and serve with grilled fresh green beans, mushrooms and red onion (recipe here).

Chicken Casserole

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 16 May, 2014 None comments

Chicken Casserole in less than 30 minutes. From mixing to baking you can serve your family incredibly quick and with delicious flavor the WHOLE family will love!

I made this in one of my rushed evenings lately and was thoroughly happy with the outcome. My whole family loved it and we all enjoyed the leftovers as well!

Ingredients:

2 cans of Pillsbury Biscuits
2 cans Chicken (or 2 chicken breasts)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayo
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 cup milk
1 can diced olives
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 and split biscuits in half as shown below.

In a greased 9×13 baking pan, lay the biscuits close together, covering the entire bottom of dish. (reserve left overs)

Meanwhile, mix together all remaining ingredients and lay on top of the biscuits.

Top casserole with the reserve biscuits and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until biscuits are fully cooked.

Since this recipe is comfort food, I choose to steam some vegetables and get some yummy nutrients that way. :) It is actually an incredible recipe, my husband and I ate as usual, almost half the pan. Cooper, being the picky eater that he is, also loved this recipe. He usually hates his food mixed together and prefers plain food without cream sauce but tonight, he was loving this recipe and made his mama proud!

Don’t judge by the look of it, it has amazing flavor and is a really easy recipe to conquer!

Quinoa Burgers

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 5 May, 2014 None comments

I forgot about this recipe and was absolutely ecstatic to make them again. They are fabulous, healthy and great twist to your normal go-to quinoa recipes. They are also not your typical burgers. They are bun-less and have about 8 grams of protein per serving.

My family loves this recipe including the little one, except without toppings. :)

Ingredients:

2 cup quinoa, cooked
¾ cup shredded cheese
½ cup cottage cheese
1 cup grated carrots OR zucchini
4 eggs
4 tbsp flour
2 gr onions, chopped
½ + ¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic salt
EVOO

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.

On a headed griddle to 225 degrees, ladle 1/2 cup mixture about 1/2 inch thick. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

You will notice bubbles begin to form as they do with pancakes, this will alert you that it’s time to flip them.

Flip and cook, another 5 minutes.

Once cooked, place on a serving plate and serve warm.

Top with Spinach, tomatoes, olives, avocado and blue cheese dressing!

I served this with pasta salad! Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 2 May, 2014 None comments

Today while I had all three kids, I wasn’t sure how to prepare a meal that was worthwhile while the kids scampered around playing. I resorted to the crockpot as that produces tasty meals while doing the majority of the work. I laid all three kids to sleep and began chopping my veggies and placing them into the pot.

As the kids awoke the smell filled the home and brought smiles to many faces.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 green onions, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
¼ cup buffalo wing sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp Backyard BBQ (optional)
Blue Cheese dressing (for topping)
Grated Cheese (for topping)
Lettuce (for topping)
Olives (for topping)
Tomatoes (for topping)

In the crockpot, place chicken breasts and mushrooms.

Chop onions and celery. Place on top of chicken.

In a small bowl mix together: wing sauce, soy sauce, garlic, cumin, paprika and Backyard BBQ seasoning.

Drizzle on top of chicken and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Once cooked, shred chicken and mix well with veggies and sauce. Scoop into flour tortilla with spinach, tomatoes, olives and blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!

Garlic Infused Pot Roast

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 30 April, 2014 None comments

When we have pot roast in our family, we infuse the roast with garlic and season it well with a nice rub and let it sit over night. Than we continue to keep this precious roast flavorful and slow cook it all day in the crockpot with some parsnips and other vegetables. Topping off the meal with homemade gravy and potatoes to make this a great Sunday dinner.

We had Marlin (Cathy’s husband) over for dinner as we want to try and keep this relationship growing even though my mother-in-law has passed. Not sure how to refer to him as he is technically Michael’s stepdad, but since we’ve only known him for three months it’s not necessarily the term we grab on to! We call him a good friend! :) He’s a very nice man who has our best interests in mind and has a great bond with Cooper. We want to continue this growth and keep the family connections growing.

Although we enjoy spending time with him, Cooper really enjoys spending time with him and has a special bond that is so cute. It was good conversation and good food to be had.

Now for the pot roast… :)

Ingredients:

In the Crockpot:

1 large roast
2 parsnips
6 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Thyme
Garlic salt
Beef Better than Boullion

For the Rub:

1 Garlic bulb
Sea salt
Black pepper
Montreal Seasoning
Celery salt
Sugar
Italian seasoning
Onion powder
Dill weed

For the Gravy:

Beef Better than Bouillon
Milk
Flour
Cornstarch (optional)
Drippings from Roast

The night before (if time permitted) cut slits into the roast and stuff garlic cloves all throughout.

For the rub: top roast with rosemary, thyme, and EVOO and place in crockpot.

Meanwhile begin cutting potatoes in cubes.

Sprinkle potatoes on roast and shove down between the sides of the crockpot and roast to help fill space.

Chop carrots in large chunks

Sprinkle throughout the potatoes.

A little trick to cutting onions without crying: Chop in half, slices ends off and then peel. For some reason this always works. I don’t know why, but it does! :)

Quarter the onion and leave chunks large

Sprinkle on top of roast

And lastly, chop parsnips and celery.

Chop celery in large chunks as well. This helps keep them from shrinking too much and getting mushy.

Add to crockpot

Sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, and garlic salt. Prepare the beef bouillon in hot water to lay upon the roast and veggies.

Heat 2 cups hot water with two bouillon cubes. This will help add additional flavor while the veggies cook all day long.

Mix bouillon until there are no longer chunks and cover the veggies with broth.

Allow to cook on low all day for 8 hours.

For the gravy:

Take a ladle and scoop out as much broth as you wish. Sift out the seasonings and place in a saucepan.

In a small bowl add 1/2 cup flour and water, keeping the mixture thick. Whish well until there are no lumps. (Keep mix thick but soft enough to pour.

Pour into saucepan with juice and bring to a boil. Whisk continuously until the gravy begins to form and thicken up. Boil for 1-2 minutes on a low boil.

Turn down heat. At this point if your gravy is too thick add more juice or water to bring your batch to the proper amount. If gravy is too running at this point, mix a 1-2 tbsp. of cornstarch together with a little water creating a paste. Slowly pour into NON boiling gravy and whisk well. (This can be tricky. Adding cornstarch at this point can create lumps. If this happens simply sift out the lumps yet again.

Once you’ve reached the desired amount of gravy and proper thickness, add 1 tbsp. of Beef Better than Bouillon. Mix well. Add about 3/4-1 cup milk and salt and pepper and bring to med-high heat, keeping the boil at bay. Whisk well. Taste test to make sure you have proper flavor! :)

Enjoy! It’s tasty! Great for guests! And…you can relax all day!

Spaghetti Pizza Bagels

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 27 April, 2014 None comments

Yes, this is incredible and yes it is mind blowing. Spaghetti and pizza all in one meal served on top of amazing bagels with pepper jack cheese. I made spaghetti a couple nights ago and decided to use the leftovers for something meant for a Friday Night meal while watching the NBA Playoffs! Pizza and sports always go well together, but what about spaghetti pizza bagels and sports? I think so!

We always enjoy watching sports in our household but now that the Blazers have won 2 out of 2 in the beginning of the playoffs we can’t peel our eyes from the screen.

Ingredients:

3 bagels
6 slices of pepper jack cheese
Spaghetti Sauce (recipe here: http://bit.ly/1gASUMw)
8 oz pepperoni slices

On a foil lined broiler pan open bagels

Top with Spaghetti sauce

Layer with pepper jack cheese

And top with pepperoni slices

bake at 400 for 4 minutes and broil another 1-2 (baking helps crisp the who bagel rather than only the top)

Serve with a fresh green salad to provide healthy roughage in the midst of the unhealthy. :)

Bacon, Sausage and Beans

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 25 April, 2014 None comments

Deliciously seasoned bacon with Kielbasa sausage and beans. What more can you ask for? Protein, protein and more tasty protein!

I made the bacon from an incredible breakfast place my husband and I attended while on vacation. We thrive off of new breakfast places as this has been our favorite meal of the day. This place in particular had bacon called Millionaires Bacon and have been on the Food Network for this alone. It was cooked with brown sugar, paprika and chili flakes. I wanted something with those flavors and ended up with this meal. Their bacon is so thick that you only got 5 slices from 1 pound of bacon. It was also $6.50 for two slices. But let me say, it was actually the best bacon ever and definitely deserved the title of Millionaires Bacon.

So taking this idea from them, I decided to prep our bacon a somewhat similar to the millionaires bacon but not taking the full amount of time since I have had three little munchkins running around the hours since I’ve returned home…. (more on that later)

Ingredients:

½ lb bacon
1 lb kielbasa sausage
4 tbsp brown sugar, divided
¼ tsp red pepper chili flakes
½ tsp paprika, divided
1 can kidney beans

On a foil lined pan, lay bacon and top with 2 tbsp. brown sugar and 1/4 tsp paprika and chili flakes. Broil bacon until desired crispness. (I did 5 minutes) Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cut kielbasa sausage into small chunks and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar (2 tbsp.) and paprika (1/4 tsp) and add kidney beans.