Mozzarella Chicken (with tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms)

Unfortunately, the boyfriend (a loving term, btw) and I have stopped doing our weekly grocery trips. I no longer plan for an entire week of meals. Instead, I have developed a nasty habit of going every night to buy what I need for dinner. Horrible waste. Not only do I end up wasting food, but it’s a waste of money ($20-$30 every grocery trip…. ick).

I HAVE to change this. I need to go back to my old ways… Starting tonight.

I was given some garden fresh tomatoes today. I had chicken in the freezer, spinach in the fridge. What to make? Chicken topped with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and mozzarella.  (Okay, so I admit: I still had to go to the grocery store for the mozzarella… but it’s better than dropping $30 for an entire meal!)

Whatcha need:

Preheat oven to 425

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I thinned mine down by cutting them in half)
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 pack (12 oz I think) of sliced white mushrooms
• 2 cups of fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup of fresh mini-mozzarella balls
• olive oil, basil (I had to use dried since I didn’t have fresh), salt, & pepper

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Toss in the mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. I forgot to put in the mushrooms, so ended up cooking the mushrooms on the stove and throwing them in the oven when I put in the mozzarella… You can avoid my mistake (and an extra dish to wash) by just throwing them in the oven all together. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & basil, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes, until everything is soft. Toss the veggies a bit. Sprinkle the mozzarella balls on top and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mozzarella has melted.

While the veggies are baking: On the stove top, grill/fry the chicken breasts until they are cooked thoroughly. No pink, people!

Serve the chicken with the veggies on top. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Mmmmm. A fresh, easy, and (almost) grocery store trip-free dinner.

PS: We ate some sweet carrots with our dinner too. (In a microwave safe dish, cover carrots with water. Microwave for 6 minutes. Add some brown sugar or honey. Microwave for 6 more minutes. Not done? Microwave until they are! Easy, peasy!)

Black Bean Salsa Tacos

I had leftover chopped up peppers from our Burrito Bowls the other night. No need to waste ’em! Even if you don’t have the leftover veggies, no worries friends…  These tacos are wayyyy worth the extra 5 minutes it takes to chop some up.

Whatcha need:

8  6″ white corn tortillas
2 chicken breasts (sliced into small chunks)
1/2 of a large red pepper (chopped)
1/2 of a green pepper (chopped)
1/2 of a medium tomato (chopped)
1/8 c red onion (chopped)
1/4 c iceburg lettuce
1/2 c Newman’s Own Black bean and Corn Salsa- Medium
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
optional (but delicious): sour cream

In a medium pan (on medium-high heat), put about a tablespoon of olive oil (once around the pan). Grill the onion and chicken breast strips until they are browned and cooked through. Leave them in the pan and add the chopped red and green peppers. Cook for a few minutes until they are soft. Add the Newman’s Own Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Cover and simmer until it is warm and thickened. Stir it occasionally so that it doesn’t get stuck on your pan.

In a large pan (on medium-high heat), put on however many tortillas will fit without stacking them. Flip them when you think they are brown. Brown the other side and then put them between paper towels to keep it warm. (I fold mine in half after they are browned so they hold all the fillings later! Otherwise they might break) Keep an eye on these so you don’ t burn them! (They take about 30-60 seconds)

After all the shells have been browned, fill ’em up: Put some cheese on the bottom,  a spoonful of the chicken/black bean salsa/pepper mix, some lettuce and tomatoes. If you want- drizzle a little sour cream on top.

Eat ’em up. (& grab a napkin or two!)

Black Bean & Rice Burrito Bowl (aka the naked burrito)

Black beans and rice make me think of my trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua a few years back. Every day for 2 weeks we ate beans and rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It made most people sick, but come to think of it… It was the best I’d felt in a while! (No gluten!!! Who woulda thunk?!)

I’m craving some delicious central american eats. Simple, delicious, and best of all: GLUTEN FREE!

Whatcha need:

2 medium tomatoes (diced)
3/4  c shredded iceburg lettuce
1 small red pepper (diced)
1 small green pepper (diced)
1/2 cup corn (frozen or canned)
1/4 c red onion (diced)
1 can black beans (cooked)
2 cups white rice (cooked)
1/2 c shredded cheese (I like cheddar)

You can make your Burrito Bowl with whatever fixings you want. This is what I used and it was mmmm mmmmm good.

Put a scoop of rice and a scoop of black beans into a bowl. Top with the lettuce, onion, peppers, corn, tomato, cheese, and whatever else you want.

Enjoy!

PS: Leftover peppers, lettuce, onion (etc…) can be used for chicken tacos the next day! (This recipe will be coming tomorrow or the next day)

(Leftover) Meatloaf Pie

2 nights ago we had Maple Meatloaf ( Recipe from Karina’s Kitchen of course- http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/12/karinas-maple-apricot-glazed-meatloaf.html) It was the sweetest, most delicious meatloaf I’ve ever had.

I’d never made meatloaf before (really, I did cook before going GF…. promise! just not meatloaf or desserts). Unfortunately, my loaf wasn’t really a  loaf. It crumbled like crazy after cutting it. I’m guessing not enough oats (I used oats instead of bread crumbs). Either way, it was yummy.

I decided to experiment and make a shepherd’s pie with my leftover meatloaf. Here ya go:

Whatcha need:

1/3 leftover loaf of Maple Meatloaf, crumbled (http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/12/karinas-maple-apricot-glazed-meatloaf.html)   OR if you don’t have this- 1.5 lbs ground beef, browned
6 carrots, peeled and cut into “coins”
8 oz pre-sliced crimini mushrooms
1/3 cup of chopped red onion
2 Tbsp olive oil plus some to drizzle on top of “pie”
*Mashed potatoes- enough to cover the top of your “pie”

pre-heat oven to 400

Put olive oil and carrots into a decent sized skillet over med/med-high heat. Saute until softened. Add mushrooms and onions and continue to saute until tender.

Put leftover crumbled meatloaf into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Sprinkle the sauted mushroom/carrot/onion mix on top so it is spread out evently.

Spoon the mashed potatoes on top. Don’t smush them down. If you spread them out (roughly) and leave some peaks they will get golden brown and crispy. Yum!

Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil to help your pie get nice and crispy!

Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes.

Serve it up and enjoy!

PS: The Maple Meatloaf is sweet…. so just beware that your meatloaf pie will be sweet as well! Just use browned ground beef if you’d prefer a saltier shepherd’s pie instead.

*Mashed potatoes=(boil about 9 medium cut up red potatoes until tender- you can leave the skins on- I do! Drain and put in a bowl along with  about 1/8 c milk and 2 Tbsp of butter. Mash with a potato masher. Add a splash (or 2) of milk if needed to get the desired consistency. I like mine relatively chunky. Salt and pepper to taste.