Sauteed Summer Veggies and Bacon over Cheese Grits

Leftovers… seems to be the theme this week! I guess that’s not a bad thing, right?! Who wants to throw out the leftover bits of food in their fridge? Not me! I like to try to use it here and there before it goes bad! I freeze a lot of leftovers so I have time to use it. Sometimes on the weekend I copy what my mom used to do. I remember, when growing up, we used to have 1 day a week where all of the leftovers would come out of the fridge or freezer, be heated up, and that was our lunch or dinner. We didn’t want to waste good food! So these past few recipes have been me using up food from previous recipes this month. Works well!

This one I actually made for lunch! And I was able to whip it up really quick since I used leftovers!!

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Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 cup of leftover (or fresh!) cheesy corn grits (or leftover polenta!)
1 small zucchini
1 large carrot
1 piece of bacon
handful of chopped baby spinach
1-2 TB unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
optional topping of parmesan cheese
1 TB chopped onion (I used some leftover onion I had storing in my freezer)

 

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Directions:

Start out by chopping your carrots, and zucchini. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add your zucchini and carrots first. After they start to cook, add the onions and bacon and let the onions caramelize. While this is cooking, heat up your grits, either by cooking from scratch, or if you have leftovers  you add 2-3 TB of water (because the grits absorbs all of the liquid when it’s stored in the fridge) and microwave for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth and creamy again. Place the grits into a small bowl or onto a small plate and set aside. At the last minute, when the veggies are slightly browned, but still have a bit of a crunch, toss the chopped spinach into the pan and let just slightly wilt. Pour the veggies over the grits and add parmesan cheese if so desired and serve (or eat!) immediately! Enjoy!

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This dish is bright, colorful, crunchy, creamy and filling! Give this quick dish a try today!

And now, for the quote of the day:

#inspirational #quotes

Pork Loin Chops in a Crock Pot

I love crock pot meals when I am really busy. The other day I had a ton going on, and I knew I was not going to be home to cook dinner, but wanted my sweet hubby and my brother who was helping with the kids, to have dinner. The nice thing about crock pot meals is that when you do have time, in the morning, you can toss everything in and not think about it for the rest of the day! It was so great just knowing it was there and not having to rush before I had to leave.

So… CROCK POT meals! You can use it in the summer or the winter… cold or hot outside… there’s always a good reason to use a crock pot.

Pork Loin Chops in a crock pot:

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Servings: 2… so double for more…

Ingredients:

1 butterflied pork loin chop – 1.5 lbs
1 TB flavored vinegar (I used a pear/cranberry vinegar that I got from an oilery)
2 TB olive oil
Cooking spray to grease the inside of the crock pot
1 onion sliced thin
1 clove garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
5 carrots cut into large pieces
8 yukon gold potatoes quartered (I washed and did NOT peel)
1/4 cup white wine
2 TB unsalted butter
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 cup chicken broth

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Directions:

Cut up the carrots, onions and potatoes and set aside. Take the pork loin butterflied pork chop (or 2 separate thick-cut pork chops) and salt and pepper both sides evenly. Heat a skillet on medium and put 1 TB olive oil in the skillet. Sear both sides of the pork chop for 2-3 minutes per side and place into the bottom of the crock pot. Put all of the veggies and starches on top. Sprinkle all the seasoning and then add the liquids. Then take the butter and cut into small pieces and placed intermittently on top of the meat and veggies. Let cook for 6-8 hours on LOW or 4-5 hours on HIGH.

It is a wonderful blend of sweet and salty… it’s got a great savory taste with just a hint of sweet. My husband and brother RAVED over this, and the pork just FELL APART when it was ready. WINNER!!!

Try this one for sure!!

And now… a bit of a giggle for the quote of the day:

This blackboard was in a pub/restaurant in Devon, UK and I have kept the photo ever since to remind myself that I should not be afraid to try something new and that no matter how old I get, there are still new people to meet, experiences to have and things to learn every day!

Chicken and Veggie Parmesan Skillet

I can’t believe I forgot to post this last night! This one was so fresh… and the veggies added a nice crunch! We did eat a bit later last night though.
This one took me about 20 minutes. It’s quick, easy, low carb (unless you have bread as a side like I did… haha) fresh and summery! Perfect quick dish on a weeknight!
My mom had my daughter last night, so I had just my son when I was making dinner. Isn’t it strange how when you go from 2 kids (or however many you have) to 1 less… the world suddenly seems so easy? Everything is simple all of a sudden . Butterflies are everywhere, birds are chirping, you can smell the roses… lol. But seriously. I sat and talked with him and had time to give him my full attention… and he LOVED IT! I’ve gotta do that more. Have focused one on one time with each of them. They just BLOOM (only term that seemed to properly describe it) in that time. I learn new stuff about them, they talk and just snuggle into me. I cherished it. 🙂
Ok, back to food.

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INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tsp garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 TB)
6 chicken tenderloins (or 3 chicken breasts)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Dash cayenne pepper powder
1/4 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
2 TB butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 sweet mini peppers chopped
1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets
1 cup frozen veggies: carrots, green beans, etc. Your choice
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook garlic, carrots and onions in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt and pepper, oregano, cayenne powder and lemon juice and the black pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done (165º F.).

2. Add in the vegetables and white wine (or chicken broth) and butter; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

3. Sprinkle generously with the Parmesan cheese.

Serve! This makes 3 – 4 servings depending on the size of serving you take. I served it with a couple of slices of bread. You can do quinoa, pasta, or some fruit! Totally up to you! This one was amazing!

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And now, for the quote of the day:

 

!

Comfort Food: Beef Stroganoff

It was rainy and cold today. I guess I should specify that “cold” was like 57 degrees, but still. So, I felt like eating comfort food. It has been about 4 days since I had pasta (which I think, besides when I did the South Beach Diet before my wedding, it’s the longest I’ve ever gone without having pasta!). So, I saw a recipe for Beef Stroganoff and I was absolutely craving it! It looked so delicious!

Earlier today we had one of my friends and her little baby come over. Don’t you just love the smell of babies? This sweet girl also very obviously loved her mommy. I so desperately wanted to take pictures of her sweet face, and every time she saw her mommy, she smiled REALLY big and put her face in her hands! Precious right? Hard to get a picture though… have a few cute blurs though! 🙂 So while she was over it was rainy and cruddy all morning. Luckily we were ok with being inside. But it definitely put me in the mood for one of my planned meals: Beef Stroganoff. So, here it is!

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Ingredients

3-4 servings

Inspired by: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/beef-stroganoff.html?soc=socialsharingpinterest&oc=linkback
Buttered Egg Noodles:
8 ounces Egg Noodles
1 tablespoons salted butter

Beef Stroganoff:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 TB butter
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into small cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine (your favorite) **optional
2 1/4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons Corn Starch
1/4 cup FULL FAT Greek Yogurt PLAIN
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

wpid-1429230708966.jpgDirections
For the buttered egg noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

For the beef stroganoff: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add half the meat to the pan and brown it quickly (but don’t quite cook through). Remove the first batch and cook the rest of the meat. Remove and set aside with the first batch.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and cook the carrots, garlic and onions until lightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the wine and 2 cups of the beef stock. Turn the heat back on and reduce the liquid for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup stock, getting out all the lumps. Pour the slurry into the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens.

Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream, and beef. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

To finish the noodles, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked egg noodles and toss to heat through and coat with the butter.

Serve the stroganoff with the noodles, and sprinkle with the parsley.

wpid-1429230825084.jpgThis seriously hit the spot. Rainy day? Want a filling and enjoyable meal made with whole and fresh ingredients? THIS IS IT! Delicious, seriously. I would have eaten more if I wasn’t so full. I had to keep myself out of the skillet with the leftovers. I, personally, am allergic to mushrooms… so if you notice that my Beef Stroganoff does not have any mushrooms… it’s because that was intentional. If you look at the original recipe, hers does. FYI. 🙂

And now, for the quote of the day:

One of the most SIMPLE and DOWN-TO-EARTH EXPLANATION of ministry that qualifies all of us.

Beef and Lentil Pasta Fagioli

It’s cold. I know I shouldn’t complain, especially coming from me who wished for snow… today it was cold enough to snow! It definitely did NOT snow though. Boo. If it’s gonna be below 30 degrees most of the day, I seriously think that there should be snow. Ugh.

So, SOUP is on the menu!! I just have to say, when it is cold outside, I LOVE to have soup. It can just simmer on the stove top and make the whole house smell delicious while we wait for dinner time. Then all of the flavors just meld together into warm deliciousness.

I love chili, and I also like the Italian version: Pasta Fagioli. I made my own version of both.

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Ingredients:

  • Lentils : 1/4 cup lentils boiled/simmered in 1 cup water and 1/4 tsp salt for 20 minutes and set aside
  • 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped baby carrots
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 can (4 oz.) tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 TB fresh chopped basil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 cups cooked pasta (I used shells, you can use any small pasta)
  • dash hot sauce

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Directions:

  1. In a large pot, over Medium heat, cook the ground beef.
  2. Drain the liquid from the cooked beef (if any).  If you use ground beef with a lower fat ratio then you will have little to no liquid to drain.
  3. Stir in the chopped onions, carrots, seasonings, and minced garlic.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in the can of diced roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, black beans (drained and RINSED) and corn.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  6. Add 1 cup of water and stir and simmer. Add additional water as needed to consistency that you desire.
  7. When the soup has 10 minutes left to simmer, cook the pasta in boiling water for 7 minutes or until a bit firmer than al dente.  Do not over cook the pasta.
  8. Drain the pasta and stir it into the soup. Add the cooked lentils at this time as well.  Simmer for 10 more minutes.
  9. SERVE! (Have with bread, or just sprinkle a bit of cheese on top and ENJOY!

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And now, for the quote of the day:

hahahaha….

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(I experienced this today with my 3 year old son… and discovered and ENTIRE roll of toilet paper in the toilet… took him like 10 seconds to do it. I think it’s a world record!)

Dill Chicken and Potato Skillet

Doggone it…

Yeah. That’s how my Tuesday went! We have a large dog. Well, I guess technically he is in the medium to large sized dog family. He is around 80 pounds…. and he’s part bloodhound. The part about him being a bloodhound mix is quite important because he can literally smell a crumb under the kids bed from last week. He’s quite persistent too. During quiet time today, both of my kids were in 1 room playing together and having a snack, and my son decided to open the door. Four times. Guess what happened each time. Yep, Duke got in, ran straight for the snacks and tried to gobble it up as quickly as he could and tried to shove himself under my daughters bed to get all of the extra crumbs. I had to run from my room where I had a pile of laundry in my lap, each time, and pull the 80 pound dog off of the snacks and drag him out of the room. I’m going to get some serious Madonna arms!!! HA! It’s like, son, can you not see that if you open the door, your NATURAL CONSEQUENCE is: the dog will eat your food. And of course my son looks at me with a blank stare and says “Duke eat my food!”. Um. Yes, yes he did. Wow.

So, this is what happens every night when I make dinner:

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After he gets in trouble around 10 to 15 times for trying to stick his nose in dinner, he will finally sit down on that rug, completely in my way, and lay there while I make dinner. 🙂 He likes to smell it I assume.

Last night I was craving beets and potatoes. Weird craving? Not sure! But it sure sounded good!

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Ingredients:

4 large yukon gold potatoes
10-12 organic baby carrots cut in half
3 frozen chicken tenderloins (for 2 people… I use 1.5 per person.)
1 small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
2 TB olive oil
1 TB unsalted butter
3/4 cup FF low sodium free range chicken broth
1/4 sweet onion diced
1 small piece of bacon chopped
Optional: Can of beets… YUM! 🙂

Dill Seasoning: (Mix together in a small bowl and set aside)
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons dried dill
2½ teaspoons garlic powder
2¼ teaspoons kosher Himalayan sea salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

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Directions:

Partially peel the potatoes… I peel just the “eyes” out of the potatoes, and then dice. Drizzle the olive oil into a large skillet, and heat up at med. high. Place the potatoes, bacon and carrots into the skillet and place lid on. After about 5 minutes, when the potatoes might start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add the diced onions and chicken broth and stir around to “unstick” all of the ingredients, and sprinkle 1/3 of the above seasoning (that you mixed and set aside) over the potatoes and replace the lid. In a separate skillet, place 1 TB olive oil and the 3 (or more) chicken tenderloins and 1/3 of the dill seasoning sprinkled generously over both sides of the tenderloins. Cook on medium to medium high for approximately 8-10 min. per side until there is no pink left in the middle. (This is from frozen). While the chicken is cooking, sporadically stir the potatoes and carrots, adding more seasoning as desired. When the carrots are mostly soft with a bit of crunch, they are done (about 20 minutes)! Add 1 TB butter, melt in, stir around and serve with the chicken, and some slices of beets if so desired! Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and ENJOY!

Quote of the Day:

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Warm Asian Flavor Shrimp and Bok Choy Soup

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Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • About 1/2 head of baby bok choy, chopped (separate white and green pieces)
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced very thin
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. shaved fresh ginger (on the small side of a cheese grater)
  • 4 c. vegetable or broth
  • 2 c. water
  • 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce )
  • 2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
  • 4 oz thin rice noodles (1/2 package)
  • 1 lb. raw shrimp (I used jumbo, but you can use whichever you prefer)
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced

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Instructions:
  1. Place shrimp onto a baking sheet (with a lip… you don’t want the liquid spilling over the side!) and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min depending on size of shrimp. This is from FROZEN.
  2. Heat sesame oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add white pieces of bok choy and carrots, saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and saute one minute longer.
  3. Add broth, water, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil.
  4. Add uncooked noodles, and cook 2 minutes, separating noodles as they cook. Stir in green onions, and green pieces of bok choy. Cook 2-3 minutes longer. Add the cooked shrimp and stir in.
  5. Turn off heat, stir in rice vinegar, and serve immediately.

My husband LOVED this!! This would be great on a cold and rainy day!! Very comforting soup!

and now, for the quote of the day:

beth moore quote 2

Lemony Orzo Chicken Sausage Soup

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Ok, so since it’s officially fall, I figured I wanted to do some posts on SOUP! What’s better in the fall and winter than soup? The ultimate comfort food, even when it’s low cal! And this one definitely fits both descriptions. Delicious, filling, high in protein and low in fat. So, over the next 2 weeks you will be seeing a lot of soup recipes as I figure out which I like best, which I will put in jars for freezing and lunches… and which I should leave for someone else to perfect… 😉 . So, this one was a winner. I loved it! It was inexpensive to make too. A box of orzo was only $0.89 at Publix! Woohoo! Try this one out for sure!

Ingredients

  • 1 10 oz package chicken sausage halved and sliced (I used 4 out of the 6 links and froze the remaining 2) I also used “Thin&Trim” brand chicken sausage “Sweet Italian” version that is 95% fat free, and has all natural ingredients w/out nitrites!
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 TB butter
  • 1/2 small onion diced
  • 1/2 tsp garlic minced
  • 2 medium carrots, sliced
  • 1/4 teaspon dried sage
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • splash white wine (only if so desired)
  • 1/2 cup orzo
  • 1 cups fresh spinach
  • juice and zest of 1/2 lemon (about 1-2 TB of lemon juice)
  • 2-3 TB shaved parmesan for garnish

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As you can see, I served this with Grilled cheese that had a couple of sliced of avocado in it… YUM!

Instructions

  1. In stock pot heat sliced sausage until heated through, about 5-8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  2. Add olive oil to pan. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add carrots and herbs, lemon zest and juice and 1 TB butter. Continue cooking just until carrots begin to soften. Add splash of white wine if so desired.
  3. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in orzo. Continue cooking for 8 minutes or until pasta has finished cooking. Add 1 cup water. Stir in sausage and spinach, stir and bring back to simmer. Serve.

Enjoy!

And now, for the quote of the day:

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Short Ribs – Served 2 Ways… and mighty good either way!!!

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Short Ribs, served on top of cheesy grits OR garlic, parmesan mashed potatoes…. You choose!!

I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows the other day, and someone made short ribs. I was thinking… short ribs?! I could do that, right? I have GOT to try that if they make it on a cooking show. They must be amazing!!! So, I found a recipe and adapted it to make it my own. And I have found out…. I LOVE short ribs! They were incredibly easy too!!! You could cook a roast the same way! LOVE! You could even do sirloin tips, etc similarly. Easy and quick recipe!

Ingredients (including grits AND potatoes… you can choose either though)

6-8 individual short ribs (or more depending on the size of your crowd! You want about 1-2 per person)
3-4 TB butter (4 if you want to top the ribs after serving with a bit of butter)
1 TB minced garlic
1/4 onion cut roughly (larger pieces)
1 cup red wine (I used an “Old Vine Zinfandel”) this is optional, you can just use beef broth; OR substitute with a dark beer
1 cup low sodium organic beef broth
4 carrots cut into large pieces
salt & pepper
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
3 TB quick cooking white grits (or yellow grits… your preference)
3/4 cup water (for grits)
5-6 red potatoes
2 TB milk
2 TB parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

Place cast iron skillet (or normal skillet) on stove and heat up. Do not put oil in the skillet. While it is heating up, dry the short ribs with a paper towel, and sprinkle sea salt and pepper on all sides of the short ribs. Then, making sure the skillet is hot, sear the short ribs on all sides so they have a nice crust. Only about 30 seconds per side. Then, place into your crock pot. When you remove the short ribs from the pan, DO NOT dump any drippings from the pan. (You can also do this in a dutch oven baking at 350 for 3-4 hours). Put your crock pot on HIGH for cooking for 4-5 hours, put on LOW to cook for 7-8 hours. Add 1/4 cup of the beef broth to the skillet that you just finished searing the meat in. Then add the garlic and the onions to the skillet and stir into the simmering beef broth. Once that’s simmering, add 1/4 cup of the wine and a tsp of the worcestershire sauce and 1 TB of butter. Simmer that until it reduces by half. While that is simmering, add the remaining liquids into the crock pot and place a small amount of the butter onto the top of each of the short ribs. Once the liquid in the skillet has reduced, pour that into the crock pot and place the lid onto the crock pot.

Cook as directed above until the meat is about falling off of the bone…. And… if you want some gravy, just take about 1 cup of the drippings, place into a sauce pan, add a TB or a bit more of flour… Simmer and WHISK vigorously until thickened!

When it’s about time to serve the short ribs, you’ll want to make your sides. The wilted spinach in the above picture, all I did was sautee it in some of the “au jus” from the crock pot for about 2-3 min. Done. The carrots I also sauteed in the au jus, just for about 5-10 min until starting to soften.

The mashed potatoes was a version of a previous recipe of mine: https://dancinandcookininthekitchen.com/2014/06/08/crispy-coconut-encrusted-chicken-with-mashed-potatoes/

The grits, I just followed the instructions on the package for quick cooking grits. Once they were done, I removed from the heat and stirred in about 2 TB of shredded cheddar cheese. That’s it!

Serve up, and ENJOY!!! My hubby said “I’d order this in a restaurant, develop a craving for it, and then have to keep going back just to order it!”. So, I’d say it was a major success!!!

And, for the quote of the day:

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Leftover “Crustless Pot Pie”

Wasn’t even sure what to call this… It started out as me trying to use up leftovers and extra veggies unused in my refrigerator before I go grocery shopping again. Then, as I sat down to eat it… it tasted like pot pie filling… but no crust… and the pieces of chicken were still full tenderloins. Hmmm…. Well? Why not!?

LeftoverCrustlessPotPie

(This will make 3 servings or 4 small servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 bag of fingerling potatoes
1 lg carrot
3 chicken tenderloins
1 cup low sodium free range chicken broth
1 TB olive oil
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash
salt&pepper to taste
1/2 onion chopped
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cob of corn (I used leftover) with kernels removed from cob
1/2 of a zucchini
Grated Parmesan Cheese (sprinkled on top at the end)

Start out by putting the potatoes in a skillet w/the olive oil and carrots chopped. Stir, and add onions and garlic. After about 5 min add the chicken broth, lemon zest and juice, and seasonings. Drop in the chicken. (Mine was still frozen, but yours can be frozen or thawed). Simmer with lid on for about 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are soft and easily cut through with a fork. Sprinkle in the zucchini and corn, stir and put lid back on pan, and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 min. Remove lid, sprinkle with cheese and stir. Add any salt&pepper to taste.

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ENJOY!

I also made a quick little dessert. I used cherries, brown sugar, raw organic sugar, lemon juice, oatmeal, flax meal and butter. Stirred it all together and baked covered w/tin foil for 30 min. Voila! 🙂

DSC_0622(before baking)