#79 :: Grilled Chicken & Roasted Zucchini

With our Sweet Potato Fries came the healthy portion of the meal -- grilled lemon pepper chicken and roasted zucchini. Honestly, I think I could eat any vegetable if it was roasted. Something about roasting them makes them taste sooo good! Much better than out of a can, and it doesn't take any more work than a can would!

Ingredients

3 zucchini, sliced into quarters
4 chicken breasts
Lemon Pepper marinade

Directions

We marinated the chicken breasts in a store bought lemon pepper marinade. I should have made my own, and now I wish that I would have, but sometimes you just have to take a short cut! After it sits in the marinade for at least an hour, grill it on med-high heat on each side for 8-10 minutes.

For the zucchini, trim off the ends, slice them into quarters and lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil, add salt & pepper to taste, and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.





No "recipe" used

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#36 :: Green Vegetable Omelet

This is something we came up with on our own, just trying to use up the produce before it spoils! I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but when we were finished and took the first bite, I looked at Jamie and said "It's official....we can COOK!" It turned out delicious! I'm really surprising myself!


Jamie cooked our eggs on the griddle -- he loves using that instead of a pan!

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (we used an Italian blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Provolone and Romano)
  
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Reserved shredded cheese (for topping)
  

Directions

In a medium pan saute the zucchini, green bell pepper, green onions and garlic in the olive oil & butter. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Fold in the sour cream. Add the bacon and shredded cheese, then season with salt & pepper. Add in the sauteed vegetables. Cook the egg mixture in a large skillet {or, if you're like Jamie, a griddle} on medium/high heat until eggs are scrambled. Serve immediately with a little extra shredded cheese sprinkled on top.



Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Amy & Jamie.

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5

#28 :: Fried Zucchini

We had finger food night for dinner because we're testing out some recipes for Super Bowl snacks. This was definitely a good one to consider!

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for frying
• 1 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 medium zucchini, cut into 3-inch long by 1/2-inch wide strips

Directions

Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F.

Stir 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, the panko, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk the eggs in another medium bowl to blend. Working in batches, dip the zucchini in flour, then in eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Coat the zucchini in the panko mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the zucchini strips on a baking sheet.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the zucchini sticks until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.

Arrange the fried zucchini on a platter. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Everyday Italian on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#25 :: Veggie Pasta

**We haven't posted for a few days. Shame on us! But we've still been cooking and have a lot to blog posting to catch up on. So here we go!**

Jamie says this recipe is one of his favorites so far. It was simple to make, but big on flavor. I made a couple adjustments to this recipe, and I noted them. This is something we'll definitely be having again soon!

Ingredients

• 2 ears roasted corn (*we omitted the corn, we didn't have any)
  
• 1 pound rotelle pasta, or any spiral-shaped pasta (*we substituted angel hair)
  
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup roasted garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (*we substituted dried parsley flakes)
  
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (*we substituted shredded mozzarella)
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap corn in foil and roast in preheated oven for about 1 hour. This can be done in advance on a prep day. Do the same with the garlic cloves.

Cook rotelle according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn cut from cob, zucchini and onion and saute for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Add oregano and cook 1 minute. Add broth and roasted garlic and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes. Pour mixture over pasta and toss to combine, adding cooking water, if necessary, to moisten pasta. Fold in parsley and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Transfer pasta to a serving platter and top with feta cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller on Food Network.

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars