Tuscan White Bean & Risotto Salad

This summer I have successfully minimized using my oven unless absolutely necessary. I did use my stove top for recipes such as Penne with Chicken Sausage, Broccoli, and Mushrooms and my Florentine Stuffed Chicken. But overall, most recipes were grilled, salads, or a good ol' Crock Pot recipe. Now that it is cooling off a little, my oven is getting a well deserved welcome again. I kind of missed using my oven.

This evening's meal is a hybrid of fresh, canned, and roasted ingredients. You can serve this dish as an entree for a complete meal or as a side dish. Check out the lovely color from my baby heirloom tomatoes!

Celebrate late summer produce with this colorful salad. Roasted summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant paired with creamy white beans, tomatoes, and risotto are light dressed with a light vinaigrette. This is salad is a vegetarian meal in itself.

Tuscan White Bean & Risotto Salad
(Makes 6 entree servings)

For the salad
1 cup arborio rice
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 14 oz. cans Great Northern Beans or other white bean, drained & rinsed
1-2 zucchini, sliced
1-2 yellow squash sliced
1 eggplant, chopped into 1/2-in cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped

For the vinaigrette
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Arrange the zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant on the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables begin to lightly brown.

Meanwhile, bring 2 1/2 cups water to a gentle simmer in a small pot. Heat another medium sized pot over medium heat, add the rice. Swirl to shake the rice and cook until the rice begins to toast and turn a very light brown. Add 1/2 cup of the water. Stir in a figure eight until the rice until the water is absorbed. Continue adding water and stirring until all of the water is used. Add the Parmesan cheese to the rice, remove from the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the rice, roasted veggies, beans, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, garlic, parsley, and basil. Pour the vinaigrette over the rice and veggie mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated. You can serve immediately or cover and chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

BBQ Chicken Flat Bread

Over the summer, my dear friend Heather made a request to create some recipes for gluten-free flat bread wraps. I asked her if she had any suggestions for a good gluten-free wrap. Most of the wraps I have tried in the past, are a little tough, fall apart in the middle of eating, or just tasted a little too funky for my pallet. She told me that she had found a brand called Sandwich Petals. All summer I searched for Sandwich Petals, but was unsuccessful  until now. Hy-Vee currently carries Sandwich Petals and they live up to my expectations! They are great as a wrap and crust for this BBQ Chicken Flat Bread.

Not only am I infatuated with this wrap, I am also pleased to share this recipe because I am using left-over chicken from Sunday's dinner. A gluten-free wrap serves as a base for smoky BBQ chicken, caramelized red onions, and shredded cheese. Garnished with a little fresh cilantro, this crispy flat bread is perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

BBQ Chicken Flat Bread
Makes 4 individual flat bread pizzas

4 gluten-free wraps such as Sandwich Petals
2 cups roasted chicken, shredded
1/2 cup gluten-free BBQ sauce (divided)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. While the oven pre-heats, heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes or until soft and the onions begin to brown and caramelize. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Lay your wraps on a large baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the wraps begin to turn light brown. While the wraps are crisping, mix the chicken with 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce in a bowl until combined. Set aside.

Remove the wraps from the oven and flip the wraps to the other side using a large spatula. Top each wrap with a couple of tablespoons of the remaining BBQ sauce. Next, divide the chicken mixture among each wrap and top over the BBQ sauce. Top each wrap with 1/4 shredded cheese and the caramelized onions. Place the flat breads back in the oven and bake until the cheese begins to bubble (about 5-8 minutes). Remove from the oven and sprinkle each flat bread with cilantro.

Save Your Left-Overs

Good morning! I hope that everyone is enjoying their weekend so far. We have had a very productive, but relaxing weekend. Yesterday, we finished grocery shopping for the week, got several loads of laundry done, and I made it to the gym. For those of you who know me, I've been trying to get to the gym all week. I am very proud of myself for finally making it in for a good 30 minute run. 

While we still have some house cleaning and about three more loads of laundry to do, I am hoping to get a majority of my meals prepped for the week. I try to do this about every Sunday. I wash and chop all veggies for lunches and meals. I cook all grains that I know we will be using, roast veggies, caramelize any onions that I might use, and prepare lunches to take to work throughout the week. The few hours I put into what I call my "stream lining" saves me a lot of time that I can allocate to other responsibilities or activities. It also helps me to take meals such as this...

a deli roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, and green beans with caramelized onions to my recipe I plan to introduce tomorrow, BBQ Chicken Flat Bread Pizza. Save you left-over chicken tonight for tomorrow's recipe!

Quick Meals Menu Post

We are in full back-to-school mode in the Nickel household. Long gone are the casual, slow-paced summer days. Even some of the trees are beginning to change from their green summer hue reminding us that fall is quickly approaching. Due to our busy, busy schedules I thought it would be helpful to adapt and create a week's worth of fast, easy menus that will also help you stretch your budget a little further. Here is a great example; you know those lovely roasted chickens in your grocery's deli section? Surprisingly, the price usually is equivalent to buying a whole chicken and roasting it yourself. Unless whole chickens are on sale that week. A deli chicken will run you around $5 to $6 and the work is already done for you. Additionally, there are some great uses for the left-over chicken the next day.

Start the week off with a lovely dinner of juicy, roasted deli chicken. Don't throw away any left-over meat from Sunday's bird however, as  I plan to stretch your buck by making some BBQ chicken flat breads for Monday and Tuesday. Mid-week, we are going meatless and celebrating seasonal late summer vegetables with a creamy, yet zesty risotto salad. Finally, to top off a the work week and enjoy and extended Labor Day weekend, I have a marinated pork tenderloin I plan to throw on the grill served with a savory, but sweet side of grilled fresh figs. Here is the rundown:

Sunday 8/26          Roasted Deli Chicken with Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans

Monday 8/27         BBQ Chicken Flat Bread with Spinach Salad

Tuesday 8/28         Left-overs

Wednesday 8/29    Tuscan White Bean & Risotto Salad

Thursday 8/30        Left-overs

Friday 8/31 or        Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Prosciutto & Fig Skewers
Saturday 9/1

Here are the items you will need:

1 roasted deli chicken
2 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 bag mixed baby greens or lettuce of your choice
1 bunch cilantro
1-2 zucchini
1-2 yellow summer squash
1 eggplant
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 red onion
1 head garlic
2 lemons
1 bag flat bread wraps such as Flat Out or Agave Garlic Sandwich Petals a gluten-free option for myself
1 jar roasted red peppers
2 14 oz. cans Great Northern beans
1 box arborio rice
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 bag 2% shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary (I plan to use fresh from my garden, but dried is fine)
Basil (I plan to use fresh from my garden)
Italian flat leave parsley (again, I plan to use fresh)

I look forward to sharing all of these recipes with you this week! Stay tuned for an awesome week!

Good Morning Menu Post

I don't know about you, but I am so happy the weekend is finally here! The weather is absolutely outstanding today. We are headed to Iowa later this morning for Justin's parents' 40th wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary Doug and Marilyn! Since I do not have much time this weekend for menu planning and my usual grocery shopping, I thought I'd put together a menu of some of the most popular recipe posts this year. Hopefully, this will give some of you a chance to try an old favorite or try something new! 

Sunday 8/19          GF French Dip Sandwiches with Oven Fries

Monday 8/20         Left-overs

Tuesday 8/21         Chipotle Chicken Salad with Tortilla Chips & Salsa

Wednesday 8/22    Left-overs

Thursday 8/23        Deep Dish Quinoa Pizza with Salad

Friday 8/24 or        Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Corn Slaw and Sweet Potato Tots

Saturday 8/25

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! 

Chicken Picatta

I feel as though it has been a while since my last blog post. It is only Tuesday, exactly one week back to school, and I feel as though summer is far in the distant past. So was the last time I made Chicken Picatta. With so many chicken recipes to choose from, my Chicken Picatta recipe tends to get shuffled to the back of my recipe binder. I am always really happy when I do think of making it; however, as it is pretty tasty.

Chicken breast with a light corn starch, salt, and pepper dusting is pan "fried" using a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. While the chicken finishes cooking in the oven, I make a tangy sauce using lemon juice, white wine, capers, and artichoke hearts. This meal is great for any night of the week, but elegant enough for entertaining.

Chicken Picatta

1/4 cup corn starch
Salt & pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 white or yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 cup quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers
1 bag baby spinach

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Combine the corn starch, salt, and pepper in a gallon-sized resealable bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken is evenly coated. Spray the skillet with non-stick cooking spray, remove the chicken from the bag, and cook the chicken until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes). Turn the chicken and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until the other side is browned. Remove the chicken, place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray, and bake for another 10 minutes or until cooked through. While the chicken is baking, add the onions and garlic.  Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onions soften and become translucent. Add the artichoke hearts, chicken stock, wine, lemon juice, and capers. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce reduces and becomes slightly thick. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach begins to slightly wilt. Remove from heat. Remove the chicken from the oven. Serve the chicken over the spinach and top with the sauce before serving.

Saturday Menu Post

"Back to school. Back to school. To prove to dad that I'm not a fool. I've got my lunch packed up. My boots tied tight. I hope that I don't get in a fight. Ohhh! Back to school..." ~Adam Sandler in Billy Madison.



I can't help thinking about this movie whenever the back to school season rolls around. New schedules, new clothes and supplies. It's like New Year's Day for kids and those in the field of education. It can all be a little stressful; but, that doesn't mean all that hard work you spent getting healthy over the summer has to go down the pool drain. With some careful planning and healthy choices, you can maintain that hot summer bod. For example, I like to stock up on portable snacks I can keep by my desk for moments when hunger strikes. String cheese for protein. Apples for crunch. Veggies and dip for a salty, filling snack. You can also make extra portions of meals from the night before to pack for a healthy lunch the next day. It is all about keeping things simple and planning ahead.

This week's menu is packed with super foods and can all easily be doubled if you want to keep left-overs in the freezer for another quick meal or for lunch the next day. I'm starting the week off with a light chicken picatta served over a bed of spinach. I'm doing a little preparation this weekend to put together my next meal: veggie meatloaf. This meatloaf stretches your dollar by using only a half pound of lean ground beef bulked up with a large serving a veggies. While I'm prepping over the weekend, I also plan to prep veggies for some chicken sausage kabobs we can throw on the grill in the middle of the week. Finally, to top off the first week back to school, I'm planning on a simple grilled steak with an Italian style salad. Good, clean eats that can be doubled and prepared ahead of time so you can have a quality evening. My goal is to make it to the gym 3-4 times this week instead of working away in the kitchen. Here is the lineup and what you will need:

Sunday 8/12         Chicken Picatta Salad with Garlic Bread

Monday 8/13        Veggie Meatloaf Muffins with Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans

Tuesday 8/14        Left-overs

Wednesday 8/15  Chicken Sausage Kabobs with Baked Sweet Potatoes

Thursday 8/15       Left-overs

Friday 8/16 or       Grilled Steak & Salad
Saturday 8/17

Grocery and pantry items you will need:

1-2 pounds flank steak, or other lean cut
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on if you want to double the recipe for lunch)
1/2 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 package sun-dried tomato chicken sausage links
1-2 bags spinach
1 box mushrooms
1 bag baby carrots
1 stalk celery
1 green bell pepper
1 pound small potatoes (red skinned or Yukon gold)
5 small sweet potatoes
1 head garlic
1 small red onion
2 small white or yellow onions
1-2 lemons
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 bag lentils
1 8 oz. can pineapple chunks
1 14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts
1 bag frozen green beans
1 box reduced sodium chicken stock
1 bottle dry white wine
1 carton egg substitute
1 bag or box gluten-free rolled oats
Skim milk
Butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Ketchup
Dijon mustard
Corn starch
Dried oregano
Garlic powder
Salt & pepper