Balsamic Chicken Skewers with Israeli Couscous
Easy Grilled Balsamic Chicken Skewers with Israeli Couscous just in time for summer grilling!
Last weekend we drove out to the lake and spent several days pretending summer has already arrived. We grilled out, hiked through the woods, and swam in the lake. The kids even got pretty good at using the paddle board! Our trip was short because the kids had to be back in school, but it made me long for summer vacation, something awful.
This coming weekend we will do it all over again. I’ve got several grilled recipes on the menu, including a tantalizing balsamic chicken skewers recipe served on a bed of colorful fluffy Israeli couscous.
My Balsamic Chicken Skewers with Israeli Couscous recipe is perfect for summer because it’s easy to make, it’s grilled outdoors, and it’s a meal the whole family will love. (My kids will eat anything served on a stick.)
Roasted Vegetable Tostadas Recipe
Easy Roasted Vegetable Tostadas Recipe, loaded with dazzling flavor and color! A bright zesty tostada recipe piled high with roasted peppers, zucchini, fresh corn salsa, and spicy serrano crema!
It seems the only way I can get vegetables to grow in my yard is to plant them in large pots. I’m not really sure why… Maybe it’s soil quality? Or over abundance of squirrels?
No matter. I won’t allow minor details to stop me from having fresh produce at my fingertips this season. We’ve spent the last couple weeks planting our container garden, then covering it with chicken wire to ward off squirrels.
Just in case.
I’ve collected quite a few enormous pots and have planted all the things I use most in the summertime: several varieties of basil and mint, several varieties of peppers, zucchini, tomatoes galore, tomatillos, cucumbers, radishes and beets. Believe it or not, you can grow all of these in pots if they are large enough.
All this planting makes me want to eat produce in mass quantities, even before it’s ready to harvest.
So I set out to create a recipe that offers the bounty of the growing season, with Mexican appeal. I’m serving up a Roasted Vegetable Tostadas Recipe that is not to be missed!
Placing broccoli, zucchini, and bell peppers in a hot oven to roast, gives them a slight charred quality and brings out their vivid sweetness. Roasted vegetables make a perfect filler for tacos, and today we’re serving them on a lively tostadas recipe.
To layer the tostadas, you simply spread warm Old El Paso Refried Beans over crunchy Old El Paso Tostada Shells…
Then load the roasted vegetables and the fresh corn salsa on each tostada shell.
Drizzle a little serrano crema over the top and sprinkle with cool salty queso fresco.
This is what tostadas are all about. A crunchy platform piled with beans, layers of veggies, a touch of spice, and glorious cheese.
Let’s just hope you have a few left by the time the party starts… these babies disappear fast!
Roasted Vegetable Tostadas Recipe
YIELD: 12 tostadas
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 box Old El Paso tostada shells (12)
- 1 can Old El Paso Fat Free Refried Beans (or Vegetarian Refried Beans)
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 bell peppers, red and yellow, sliced and cut in 2 inch pieces
- 3 small zucchini, cut into 2 inch spears.
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh corn
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoon spoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream (could be low fat)
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 garlic clove
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Then chop all the vegetables. Lay the broccoli, bell peppers, and zucchini in a single layer on the baking sheets. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until tender, but not mushy.
- Meanwhile, warm the refried beans in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Then drain the sour cream so it is as firm as possible and place the sour cream, serrano pepper, lime juice, and garlic in the blender. Puree until smooth and salt to taste. Place the sliced tomatoes, corn, scallions, and cilantro in a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss.
- Once the roasted vegetables are out of the oven. Slather each Old El Paso tostada shell with a dollop of refried beans. Top them with the roasted vegetables, corn salsa, and a sprinkling of crumbles queso fresco. Then drizzle the Serrano Crema over the top and serve!
Here's EXACTLY what whole wheat bread, sugar, and vegetable oil does to the cells of your body (STOP eating these). If this sounds odd to you, I'll explain more in the article below...
Have you ever commenced, or are planning of starting the particular Diet plan? This kind of is probably the prime diets intended for 2014 (as it had been with 2013), and it is recommended as one of the healthiest and many helpful diets these days.
Rose and Vanilla Cupcakes
These pretty confections—perfect for birthday parties, baby showers and all sorts of springtime celebrations—are usually known as fairy or butterfly cakes in England. If you don’t want to bother with assembling the “wings,” you can simply frost the cupcakes and garnish them with your choice of sprinkles, candied rose petals or pesticide-free fresh flowers.Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Roasted Rhubarb
Popular throughout Italy, panna cotta (literally, “cooked cream”) is a delicate dessert with a mild, creamy flavor. Often paired with seasonal fruit, the silky custard is particularly good served with a brightly flavored sweet-tart rhubarb compote.
Baked Onion Rings
No need to deal with hot oil – these onion rings are easily baked to crisp-perfection right in the oven!
Baked Zucchini Fries
These fries are amazingly crisp-tender and healthy with just 135.4 calories. And no one would ever believe that these are actually baked!
This recipe was actually posted back in 2011. I had just started this blog two months prior, and needless to say, the photos did not do any kind of justice to them.
Bang Bang Shrimp
This tastes just like Cheesecake Factory’s version, except it’s way cheaper and so much tastier!
Bang bang shrimp has to be my absolute favorite way to prepare shrimp. After all, how can you beat succulent, crisp shrimp bites drizzled with a sweet chili garlic sauce that’s so good, you’ll want to eat it with a spoon?
Now I actually made and posted this back in June 2012, but I have updated the recipe and photos since. I’ve learned that the shrimp comes out to be much better in a buttermilk-panko mixture rather than initially coating with cornstarch, which can get so clumpy and messy.
I also kept the sauce more or less the same because – well, let’s be honest. That bang bang sauce is the true star here!
BANG BANG SHRIMP
This tastes just like Cheesecake Factory's version, except it's way cheaper and so much tastier!
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or more, as needed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Panko*
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
FOR THE SAUCE
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the sauce, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, honey and rice vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. In a large bowl, combine Panko, onion and garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
- Working one at a time, dip shrimp into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
- Working in batches, add shrimp to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately, drizzled with sweet chili sauce.
NOTES
*Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
One Pan Mexican Quinoa
Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it’s so easy to make – even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan!
Despite my daily 3-mile runs, all the morning donuts have finally caught up with me. So Jason and I made a pact to lighten up our diet before our Cabo trip in 6 weeks. But instead of eating bland, boring salads, I decided to make a fun, healthy quinoa dish that we would both really enjoy.
And that’s exactly what this quinoa dish is. With a fun Mexican twist, this dish is chockfull of so many amazing flavors, from the tangy lime juice to the hint of spiciness from the chili powder and jalapeno. And not only is this healthy and nutritious but it’s also unbelievably easy to make. Simply throw everything into the skillet and that’s it. Even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan, really letting the flavors soak in.
Now who said healthy food has to be boring?
ONE PAN MEXICAN QUINOA
Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it's so easy to make - even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapenos, minced
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
NOTES
Adapted from Cook Like a Champion
Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups
The easiest, no-fuss chicken alfredo you will ever make, conveniently stuffed in the butteriest roll ever!
Have you ever tried those tubes of crescent rolls before? Because if you haven’t, you’re really missing out.
Crescent rolls are one of the most versatile ingredients ever, and they’re so easy to use too.
I’ve made pigs in a blanket, mummy hot dogs and even pizza roll ups using these, although the crescent rolls itself are pretty darn good.
But nothing really tops this creation here with the most epic filling of all: chicken alfredo.
It is the most amazing, creamiest filling you will ever have, loaded with Parmesan-garlicky goodness, all neatly wrapped up in a buttery crescent roll.
To top it off, these babies are covered in Italian breadcrumbs for that extra flavor, and you can even top it off with a super easy homemade cheese sauce.
But the cheese sauce is definitely an added bonus because these babies are still amazing by themselves!
CHICKEN ALFREDO ROLL UPS
The easiest, no-fuss chicken alfredo you will ever make, conveniently stuffed in the butteriest roll ever!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (8-ounce) tube crescent rolls
- 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or more, to taste
FOR THE OPTIONAL CHEESE SAUCE
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before shredding.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, Parmesan, chives, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Remove rolls from the can, separating them into eight triangles. Top each triangle with a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture.
- Starting with the wide end, roll up each triangle, tucking the ends underneath, and dredge in bread crumbs, pressing to coat. Place seam-side down onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cheese, a handful at a time, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve crescent rolls immediately, drizzled with cheese sauce.
NOTES
Adapted from Nancy Fuller
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