Zucchini Chicken and Rice casserole

So I have been looking everywhere to find recipes to help use up the many, many zucchini that we have. I was definitley pleasantly suprised with this one.

4 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
2 cups onions-chopped
1 garlic clove-minced
3 cups zucchini-diced
2 cups mushrooms-sliced
3 cups chicken-cooked & diced
1 cup uncooked brown or white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp. chili powder

Heat 3 tbsp. of the oil in a large saute pan, and saute 1 cup of the onions with the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, and saute for 3 minutes more. Combine the vegetables with the chicken, rice, broth, and spices, and the cheese. Mix and season to taste with salt & pepper. Place this mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil, and saute the remaining cup of onions for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the topping over the rice and chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve hot. Casserole is quick to prepare and can be made up in advance and held until ready to cook in oven.

Cobb Pasta Toss

Oh my, this pasta is so delicious!!! I saw it on Rachael Ray and made it for dinner one night...it is now one of our favorite dishes.

• 3 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 avocado, pitted and diced
• 4 to 5 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
• 1 cup blue cheese or feta cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup (about a handful) fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup cooked chicken (optional)

Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Scatter the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons EVOO, some salt and pepper, and grated garlic. Toss lightly to coat and roast them in the hot oven until they burst open and are tender, 12-15 minutes. Cook the bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels.

Cook pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is ready, reserve a large mug of the starchy cooking water and then drain the pasta and return it to the pot it was cooked in. In a large serving bowl, mash cooked tomatoes together with scallions; add the pasta water and pasta. Crumble the cooked bacon over the mixture, and toss with the diced avocado, blue cheese (or feta), basil, chicken (if desired) and salt to taste. Toss everything together and serve.

Ginger Peanut Chicken Wraps

Peanut Ginger sauce:
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T minced fresh ginger (I used bottled)
3 T lime juice
1 T low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 garlic clove crushed (I normally use garlic powder-about 1-2 tsp)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 T water

Put everything in a blender or food processor except peanut butter and water and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and water and process until smooth. (My friend that gave me this recipe sometimes uses supermarket peanut dressing instead of making it herself-I haven't tried that but you can if you'd like)

1 cucumber peeled and chopped into chunks
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
Cooked cubed or shredded chicken (however much you think your family eats, 1 large breast for us makes about 7 wraps)
Bagged shredded cabbage-coleslaw mix (can use cabbage head, but only takes about 1/3 of the head)
Wheat tortillas (white work too)

Warm tortillas and assemble taco style. Pour sauce over before closing wrap. We also like to use ranch dressing with the peanut dressing. I love these, hopefully you all will too. Enjoy :)

Breaded Porkchops

1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 large egg whites
4 boneless thin-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

Mix bread crumbs, parmesan, basil, salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl. In another small bowl put flour, and in yet another place the egg whites and mustard wisked together. One at a time dredge pork chops in flour, then in egg whites, then in bread crumbs. Heat oil in a pan and then place breaded pork chops in for about 3 minutes on each side, or until done.

Serve with either mashed potatoes or, if you want to get a little fancy, polenta.

7 Layer Casserole

I guess I'll be the one to start. I LOVE this recipe because it is so easy and tastes delicious. All of the ingredients can be stored in the pantry…just open some cans and you’re ready to go!

1 ¼ cup water
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 can (15 ounce) corn
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (4 ounce) diced green chilies
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 can (10 ounce) chicken or turkey, drained (optional)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and heat until boiling while assembling the rest of the casserole. Spread rice on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with corn, then black beans, then green chilies. Sprinkle with dried onion and then the chicken or turkey. Pour the tomato mixture over the top. Bake the casserole, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Serve in flour tortillas with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Note: Any leftovers can be rolled in flour tortillas and frozen – when ready to serve, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Great for when you don’t feel like cooking dinner!

Best Idea Ever

So Eric came up with this great idea to share our recipes with eachother. It was probably so I would quit hounding him for ideas. So he thought we should share our menus every week with all the recipes that we have to go with them, and I said "ya, and who has time for that." So I thought maybe we could share our best dinner recipe of the week. It is understandable if you have a couple weeks or whatever between posts. Just when you have time and find an absolutely delicious recipe, share.

Also if you are looking for a certain recipe, don't hesitate to ask for one.

Thanks to you all and happy cooking!