Carrabba's Chicken Bryan

A few years back we were visiting a very good friend in Arizona.  She mentioned a restaurant her and her sister found and a certain dish they fell in love with.  So we went to the restaurant, and had their Chicken Bryan.  It was VERY good, and with talking with her, we said that we could remake it.  So we looked up a recipe and made it later in the week.  I fell in love and have made it several time since.  While it's probably not a Weight Watchers recipe, I would recommend a smaller portion, rather than making it with substitutes.

Carrabba's Chicken Bryan

    1 tablespoon minced garlic

    1 tablespoon minced yellow onion

    2 tablespoons butter

    1/2 cup dry white wine

    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

    2/3 cup cold butter, sliced

    1 1/2 cups chopped sun-dried tomatoes

    1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

    1/2 teaspoon white pepper

    6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

    extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    8 ounces goat cheese8 ounces other goat cheese, room temperature

    1 Saute garlic and onion in 2 Tbls. butter in a large skillet over medium heat until tender.

    2 Stir wine and lemon juice into skillet, increase heat to medium high, and simmer to reduce by half.

    3 Reduce heat to low and stir in cold butter, one slice at a time.

    4 Stir in tomatoes, basil, kosher salt, and white pepper; remove from heat; set aside.

    5 Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

    6 Grill chicken over hot coals 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.

    7 A couple of minutes before chicken is done, place equal amounts of cheese on each breast Spoon prepared sun-dried tomato sauce over chicken.

Zucchini Bites

Zucchini Bites

A few weeks ago I found this recipe on a “newer” website I have become addicted to, you may have heard of it, Pinterest?  If you haven’t been to the site, DON’T GO!  If you don’t heed this warning, well, there’s a link to the right.

While I’m typically not a huge fan of zucchini, but I’ve been experimenting with this delicious vegetable lately, and I think my mind is being changed.  This is a great dish to make and serve hot or cold. As an appetizer, I would cook it, chill it, the top it with a little goat cheese, or cheve!

Zucchini Bites

Adapted from The Way To His Heart

Ingredients

• Olive Oil spray, to coat the muffin pan
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups grated zucchini (1 medium to large zucchini)
• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
• ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Coat muffin pan with spray.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the zucchini, onion, carrots, cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper and fold mixture together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The batter will be sticky and a little loose.

With your portion scoop, fill each muffin cup just to the top, using about 3 tablespoon of the mixture.

Bake the bites for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the tops are browned and set. The centers of the bites should no longer jiggle when the pan is shaken. Allow the bites to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the bites to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Ganache filling

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Ganache filling

A couple of weeks ago, the volunteer committee at work decided to have a bake sale to raise funds for Relay For Life.  While we had TONS of great items, I have a few recipes that didn’t make the cut (I ran out of time to make them.  So last week, I decided that I would make them for the people I work with (or should I say the people that have to put up with me!)  I made them without making sandwiches out of them.  Next time I will make them smaller, and sandwich them. 

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Ganache filling

Yields about 30 sandwich cookies (or 60 single cookies).

For the peanut butter cookies:

2-½ cups smooth peanut butter, at room temperature

1-½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

2 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate filling:

14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 2 ¼ cups)

4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Make the cookies:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line four cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the peanut butter, brown sugar, and baking soda on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on low speed until just blended, about 25 seconds.

Shape level tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Arrange the balls 1-1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Do not press down. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are puffed and crackled but still moist-looking, about 11 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool about 10 minutes. Using a spatula, move the cookies to the rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Make the filling:

Melt the chocolate and the butter in the microwave or in a medium heatproof bowl set in a skillet with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool and slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.

Assemble the sandwiches:

Turn half of the cooled cookies over so they are flat side up. Spoon 2 tsp. of the chocolate filling onto the center of each cookie. Top with the remaining cookies, flat side down. Press gently on each cookie to spread the filling almost to the edge. Set on the rack until the filling is firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

Prawn and Carrot Sauté with Brown Rice

Prawn and carrot sauté over brown rice

As some of you know I am adamant about writing out a menu each week.  I write my grocery list based on this menu, and stick to it faithfully!  We also have an unwritten  agreement with one of our neighbors about making dinner.  We usually make dinner five night a week, and he makes dinner twice a week.  This week, we had to make some last minute adjustment to the menu, so I had to find pull a few items out of the fridge and throw together dinner.  And as you might know, some of those dinners for me are simply the best.  (remember the store about the Chicken Cordon Bleu).

Tonight’s dinner consisted of

1 lb. bag of prawns, thawed and peeled

½ onion, diced

About 1 cup julienne carrots

Brown & Wild Basmati rice (1 cup or so)

Broccoli

Sweet chili sauce

To make the rice (perfect rice).  Take whatever amount of rice you want (usually 1 cup).  Fill the pan of rice with 3-4 cups of water (or broth).  Boil until rice had a white dot in the center, when you cut the grain in half.  When the rice is ready, strain it, and return the pot back to the stove, reduce heat to medium.  Add a light layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan, and mound up the rice in the pan.  Pour about ⅓-¼  cup of water or broth over rice and cover pot with a clean (non-fabric softener) towel.  Fit a lid tightly on the towel, on the pan.  Cook on medium/low for approx. 20 minutes.  Don’t lift the lid.  If you hear anything happening turn the heat down, a little, or you’ll burn the bottom.

Thaw the prawns and peeled them, set aside.  Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil and sauté onion.  When they are half way to transparent, throw in the prawns and continue to satue until prawns are mostly pink.  Toss in carrots, reduce heat and place a lid on the pan.  Steam for about 2-3 minutes, or until prawns are completely cooked. (pink all the way through).

Steam you some broccoli spears, and your set to plate.  Once you plate, top with sweet chili sauce, and your family will be screamin’ for more!