Tasty Tuesday

It's 'Tasty Tuesday' and Thanksgiving in two days? Good times all around! Last week I had a little extra time on my hands so decided to spend some time in the kitchen! I made an awesome vermicelli recipe that I hadn't made in such a long time (it's not very weight friendly!) and created a delicious, easy appetizer, Parmesan Zucchini Crisps, for any future parties. Both were delish AND easy. How can you go wrong? We all want to make easy, low maintenance meals but if they're delicious, even better, right? The vermicelli is a great recipe if you have a group of 5-6 people over, but don't make it if you're watching your waistline! The Parmesan Zucchini Crisps are great to make as an appetizer or a vegetable side dish to a chicken or a fish.

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

2 medium zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400°. Place foil on a baking sheet. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Slice zucchini into pieces 1/4 thickness. Place the zucchini rounds on the foil (they should be in one layer). Once the rounds are on the foil, rub each one with olive oil. Mix the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or plate. Dip each zucchini round into the cheese mixture. If it doesn't stick, place some of the mixture on the rounds. Sprinkle any extra mixture over the zucchini. Bake at 400° for 22-26 minutes. If you want them crispy (that's when they are the best!), leave them in for 26 minutes and if need be, turn the oven off and leave them in for a few minutes longer (just make sure they don't burn!). If you like them on the softer side, cook them for 22 minutes. The thinner they're sliced, the crispier they will be.

Serves: About 40 pieces

Vermicelli

1 box vermicelli pasta
4 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 packages mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup peas

Boil water for pasta and cook vermicelli according to the directions on the box. Rinse, pat dry, and slice fresh mushrooms. Set aside. In a large skillet melt butter. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 4 minutes on low heat. Add reserved mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in peas, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Once the vermicelli is done and drained, place it in a serving dish. Add 1 tbsp of butter to saucepan. Stir in mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.

                                                                                    Serves: 4-6

Don't forget to let me know if you make any of these & how they come out! Tweet pictures :)

Enjoy! Happy cooking!

Tasty Tuesday

Every Monday I'll be sharing a recipe that I love. I love to cook and bake but since I haven't had much time as I have in the past to do so, I'll be sharing mostly easy, delicious, low calorie meals that you'll be sure to love. Please let me know if you want me to share anything in particular or if you have a great recipe that you love, please tweet me @ alexis_jordana to share!

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, pounded thin

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup flour

1 tbsp. vegetable oil 

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lemon

3 tbsp white wine

4 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup capers (drained)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture. Shake off the excess.

In a large frying pan, heat butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Add chicken breasts. Cook about 4 minutes on each side until tender and opaque. Remove and keep warm.

Add wine to pan juices. Cook 1 minute, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan, cover with lemon slices and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Serve garnished with capers and parsley.

On the side: For a vegetable, try either peas, broccolini, or roasted string beans and asparagus. I make a delicious, garlic infused broccolini. To make it, place broccolini in a sauce pan, add 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and cook on medium-low heat until the broccolini is slightly browned and soft.

Notes:

1. Cut 4 breasts of chicken in half so there are 8 (for leftovers the next day). It is also thinner which gives off more taste. If you only want 4 pieces, cut 2 breasts in half.

2. Put the chicken over pasta or rice pilaf for an added starch.  If adding pasta or rice, you might want to double the sauce (especially if you're making 8 pieces of chicken)

Scrumptious!

Fall is in the air! I have used the grill a lot this summer and this week I was craving a different kind of dinner. I made an awesome turkey chili and stuffed flounder. They are both very healthy and filling. For the recipe, go to the food tab at the top of my blog. Stay tuned for more yummy recipes!

Stuffed Flounder

4 flounder fillets

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped scallions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1/3 cup & 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp parsley

Paprika

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

In an 8-inch skillet heat the butter over medium high heat until bubbly and hot, add vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and sherry, stirring for one minute. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add breadcrumbs, sour cream, worcestershire sauce, parsley, mustard, salt and pepper, mixing until thoroughly combined. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture onto a flounder fillet. Roll fish and transfer, seam side down to a casserole dish. Pour wine, water, and remaining lemon juice, and sprinkle with paprika. Cover and bake, basting occasionally with juice. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serves: 4