Baked Zucchini Fries

I wanted to find a way to incorporate "french fries" into my diet without having all of the added calories that come along with them.  I searched the web and found this recipe for "zucchini fries" on a blog entitled "Our Best Bites".  I wasn't sure how impressed I would be with this recipe but it turned out to be fab!  This recipe should yield about 4 servings depending on how big your zucchini are.  

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk 2 eggs together in a shallow bowl and set aside.
4. Cut the zucchini into strips to create "fries".
5. Spoon a small amount of the bread crumb mixture into a shallow bowl or pie pan.  (You don't want to use the entire mixture at once because the bread crumbs will soak up the moisture of the eggs and won't stick to the zucchini.)
6. Dip a few of the zucchini strips into the egg and shake to remove any excess.
7. Roll them in a small amount of bread crumbs to coat.
8. Place on the lined baking sheet.
9. Repeat until all strips are coated.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 425.  Flip the fries half way through.  Coating should be crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.  

Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups

Right now my cooking obsession is using fresh lemon on everything!  The fresh flavor it brings to any dish reminds me that summer is on the way!  Therefore, this year for Easter lunch, I chose to create something that had a touch of lemon along with my faves - mushrooms and cheese!  This stuffed chicken breast recipe I created was just what I was looking for.  It was a hit!  This will now be a staple in my list of recipes that are quite easy to make yet looks like you spent hours in the kitchen!  I served this dish with fresh corn on the cob and  home made pasta salad.  

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 packages of pre-cleaned sliced mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 oz part skim shredded mozzarella (approximate)
• pepper to taste
• 3 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon
• olive oil non-stick spray 

Directions:

To prep the chicken:

1. Pound out each chicken breast to approximately 1/4 inch thick.
2. Combine the juice and zest of one lemon with 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper. 
3. Marinate the chicken breast in the mixture above for 30 minutes. 

To make the stuffing:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Saute the chopped onion, chopped mushrooms and chopped garlic. 
2. Set aside to cool. 

To make the coating:

1. Combine 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese in a measuring cup. 
2. Spoon 1/3 of the mixture onto a plate. (You don't want to work with all the bread crumbs at once because the panko crumbs soak up the moisture very quickly and won't stick to the chicken!!!)

Set up an assembly line to stuff and coat each chicken breast.

1. Lightly spray a baking dish with some olive-oil cooking spray and place at the end of the assembly line.
2. Lay one marinated chicken breast down on a working surface and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese across the entire breast. 
3. Spoon 1/3 of the mushroom mixture onto the breast and spread evenly.
4. Loosely roll up the stuffed chicken breast. 
5. Roll the chicken in 1/3 of the coating mixture and coat as evenly as possible.
6. Place the rolled chicken seam side down into the baking dish.

Repeat with the 2 remaining chicken breasts. 

Once all chicken is in the baking dish, lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 25-30 minutes on 450. 

Side note - I put 2 or 3 toothpicks in each chicken breast to help hold it together when baking.  However, I don't know if this was actually needed.

Until next time...

XOXO

Suzanne

Roasted Broccoli

When you are trying to eat healthy, it seems as though you eat the same things over and over again. This is why I began looking for a new way to cook your typical veggies. Broccoli seems to be our "go-to" side for our week night dinners. So, when I saw the Barefoot Contessa "roasting" broccoli instead of cooking it on the stove - I was pumped!  I was even more excited after I tasted this masterpiece! The broccoli was amazing! (and I don't normally say that about any vegetables)

I modified her recipe to include less ingredients, making it more budget friendly and easier for our simple week night dinners. This is a must try if you are tired of having the same old broccoli night after night! Who knows, you might even get your kids to actually eat their broccoli!

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 large heads of broccoli (about 8 cups of florets once they are cut from the stalks)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 5 tbs olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• dash of lemon zest
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

• Directions

1. Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks and pull apart the larger florets.  
2. Toss the broccoli florets with the 5 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Please the florets on a sheet pan in a single layer and sprinkle the sliced garlic all over.
4. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes on 425 - until the tips are slightly browned.  
5. Remove the broccoli and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and grade some lemon zest over the top.
6. Top it all off with a bit of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Until next time...

XOXO

~Suzanne

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