Zucchini Chicken for one

I don't think I have ever had zucchini before (well, except in zucchini bread, but that doesn't count). But that didn't stop me from getting a big craving for it when I saw it in at the farmer's market. So of course I had to buy a big, beautiful one. It sat in my fridge a couple days before I actually figured out what I was going to do with it. I had seen this recipe on allrecipes.com awhile back, so I figured this would be easy enough for me to whip up on a weeknight. Below is the recipe how I made it. Keep in mind that I made just enough for me.

Zucchini Chicken

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs plus 2 tsp
• 1 teaspoon parmesan cheese
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 medium zucchini, sliced (I actually used three slices cut on a bias)
• 1 slice of tomato
• 2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Mix 1/4 cup bread crumbs with pepper and parm cheese. Coat chicken in buttermilk, then breadcrumb mixture.

In skillet, brown chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Saute zucchini slices until they begin to brown.

In a greased baking dish or pan, lay down zucchini slices down and sprinkle with leftover bread crumbs and tbsp of cheese. Layer tomato slice, then chicken. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes (I of course baked it in the toaster oven at 350 for about 30 minutes), then sprinkle with remaining cheese and cook for 10 minutes more to melt cheese.

I served this with brown rice mixed with little slices of sauteed zucchini.

The whole time I was putting this together I was talking to Justin on the phone, and I kept asking him if he liked zucchini. And if I like zucchini. And what did zucchini taste like. Turns out he's never had it either. Too bad he wasn't home to try it, because it was really good! I think I like zucchini now, but I can't really describe how it tasted in this. The chicken, though, was really moist and had a lot of flavor to not have a lot of ingredients. The only thing I didn't like was the tomato. But then again, I'm not very fond of tomatoes. But I will say that it added a nice sweetness to the dish that wasn't bad when eaten with both the zucchini and the chicken.

Stuffed Shells

The last time I made chicken stuffed shells I just wasn't too impressed with it. Justin really liked it, but to me it was just dry and plain tasting. But I decided I wanted stuffed shells again, so last week I whipped some up with my new favorite vegetable - spinach (this was why Justin said "no more spinach"). All measurements are definitely approximate :)

Spinach & Chicken Stuffed Shells

• 15 jumbo shells, cooked according to directions and drained
• 2 chicken breasts (mine were about 4-5 oz each) boiled and shredded
• 7 1/2 oz ricotta cheese
• 4 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• couple shakes of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesean cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups marinara sauce (that's about what I had left, you can use more if you have it)
  

Heat oven to 400 and spray baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix together all ingredients from shredded chicken to salt and pepper.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of baking dish.

Fill cooked shells with chicken mixture and place filled side up in baking dish. Pour rest of sauce over shells. Sprinkle extra cheese on if desired.

Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, removing foil last 5 minutes.

P.S. I really liked the flavor these had and will keep making them this way.
P.P.S. The original recipe I used for stuffed shells can be found on Amber's blog; that recipe is how I learned how to make stuffed shells.

Teeny Tiny Comfort

I don't like even like meatloaf. Most people think of it as real comfort food, but I don't like the thought of eating a big hunk of meat. That's probably why I didn't eat hamburgers for over 10 years. But despite my loath, every now and then I crave meatloaf. Don't ask. So this last time my craving hit, I went looking for something a little different than my usual egg/oatmeal/meat/ketchup/blah/blah/blah. And Italian Style Meatloaf I on allrecipes.com was what I found. I thirded (is that the right word) the recipe since I just wanted to make enough for Justin and me to have one serving for dinner. Below is how I made it.

Italian Style Meatloaf

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 2/3 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ketchup plus more for top
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp parmesean cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Press into two mini loaf pans or shape into two loaf shapes on a baking sheet. Spread extra ketchup on top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

(have I mentioned I love my teeny tiny loaf pans)

So I really liked this meatloaf. It was bursting with flavor and was anything but just a big hunk of meat. I'm glad that I replaced the canned tomatoes with fresh. Justin also really liked this meatloaf, and he hates meatloaf more than I do, and said he would love to have this again.

To go along with the meatloaf I sauteed some green beans. I would like to tell you how much...but I have no clue. Let's just say it was enough for us.

This is how I did it. I originally got these instructions from this recipe on Recipezaar.com. I do different seasonings depending on what I am making, but sauteeing is my favorite way to prepare green beans.

• Bring a large sauté pan of water to a rapid boil and add the beans.
• Simmer until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
• Drain well and return to the saucepan.
• Lightly coat with evoo and italian seasoning.
• Sauté, tossing frequently, for about 1 minute more. (I actually do this until a few sides get brown and crispy)
• Serve at once.

So I wanted to serve this meal with some yummy garlic mashed potatoes (this is supposed to be comfort food right?), but Justin had other plans.

See that yellow blob on the plate? That's right. We had the blue box: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Justin wanted mac 'n cheese, but he didn't want homemade mac 'n cheese. Now there is nothing wrong with the blue box. It's just that I prefer to eat homemade and I am really trying to limit the chemicals we take in from our food. And chemicals this has. When I opened up the powder packet to add to the noodles I was taken back by the unnatural orange color of the "cheese" (that I should have gotten a picture of). The things we do for those we love...

But, alas, I must admit I enjoyed my meal, all of it.