On the Flip Side

 

One of my favorite things about summer is that you can have dinner from the grill virtually every night.  We have hot dogs and hamburgers at least once a week at our house!  But don't forget - you can make tons of different meals on the grill.  Here are some ideas to try for your next meal or cook-out:

 

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

skewers

 

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper.

2.  Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated.

3.  Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.

4.  Preheat grill for medium heat.

5.  Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.

6.  Lightly oil grill grate.

7.  Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

 

California Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup sliced red bell peppers
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Directions:

1.  In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2.  Preheat the grill for high heat.

3.  Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side.

4.  Brush grate with oil.

5.  Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer.  Remove from grill, and set aside.

6.  Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese.

7.  Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn.

8.  Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables.

 

Grilled Lamb with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 lamb chops

 

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, ginger, tarragon, cinnamon, pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

2.  Rub lamb chops with the seasonings, and place on a plate. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3.  Preheat grill for high heat.

4.  Brush grill grate lightly with oil, and arrange lamb chops on grill. Cook 5 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness.

 

Cedar Planked Salmon

Ingredients:

3 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 (2 pound) salmon fillets, skin removed

 

Directions:

1.  Soak the cedar planks for at least 1 hour in warm water. Soak longer if you have time.

2.  In a shallow dish, stir together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic.

3.  Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and turn to coat.

4.  Cover and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to one hour.

5.  Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.

6.  Place the planks on the grate. The boards are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.

7.  Place the salmon fillets onto the planks and discard the marinade.

8.  Cover, and grill for about 20 minutes. Fish is done when you can flake it with a fork. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill.

 

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Bruschetta

 

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1-1/4 cups Italian salad dressing, divided

4 cups fresh spinach, torn

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

8 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, chopped

1 (1 pound) loaf focaccia bread, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1.  Place the chicken and 1 cup salad dressing in a bowl. Cover, and marinate at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

2.  Preheat the grill for high heat.

3.  Lightly oil the grill grate.

4.  Discard dressing used for marinating, and grill chicken 7 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Cool and shred.

5.  In a large bowl, mix the cooked chicken, spinach, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and remaining dressing.

6.  Brush the focaccia bread with olive oil, and cook 1 minute per side on the prepared grill, or until lightly toasted.

7.  Place portions of the chicken mixture on the toasted focaccia to serve.

 

Hot Diggity Dog

Did you know that July is National Hot Dog Month?!  It makes sense, considering that July 4th is the biggest hot dog holiday of the year, when Americans chow down on approximately 155 million hot dogs.  And I'm happy to say that I definitely have had my share of hot dogs this month! 

Even though I'm 19 days late on celebrating this glorious month of hot dog eating, it's not too late to pay homage to the beloved hot dog.  Here are 12 different ways to eat your hot dog, one for each day for the rest of the month!  And always remember - dress the dog, not the bun!

Pete's Famous Hot Dog

In case you can't make the trip to Birmingham, Alabama, to grab a bite to eat, try making one of these at home:  a grilled hot dog served with sauerkraut, ground beef, and homemade "sauce" that resembles New York red onion sauce.

Sonoran Hot Dog

Originating in Sonora, Mexico, this monstrosity of a meal is a hot dog grilled in a processor or on a griddle, wrapped in Mesquite-smoked bacon, topped with freshly chopped tomatoes, onions, shredded yellow or cotijo cheese, tomatillo salsa or red chili sauce, pinto beans, mayonnaise, ketchup and/or mustard, and served on bread and often with a fresh-roasted chili.  Whew - I'm stuffed just looking at it!

The Original Oki Dog

This hot dog "wrap" is found at Oki Dog in West Hollywood - two hot dogs on a flour tortilla, covered with chili and pastrami and wrapped up like a burrito.

Chicago-Style Hot Dog

If you are a hot dog lover, you must travel to Chicago and try one of their famous dogs.  A Chicago-style dog is a steamed all-beef hot dog topped with chopped onions, sliced/diced/wedged tomatoes, both a dill pickle spear and sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard directly on the sausage, pickled sport peppers, and is finished with celery salt, and served on a steamed poppy seed bun.  Chicago-style never includes ketchup, though some street vendors offer small packets for those with the guts to ask for it.

Kansas City-Style Hot Dog

In Kansas and Missouri, they take a simpler approach, by topping their dogs with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese.

The Fenway Frank
A staple for Boston Red Sox fans, ketchup, mustard, relish, piccalilli, and chopped onions are the most common toppings for a Boston dog.  Also unique to Boston - hot dogs are often served steamed as opposed to grilled.

Coney Dog
Originated in lower Michigan, the Coney Dog is very specific as to the ingredients: a beef and pork hot dog served on a steamed bun, topped with a beanless, all-meat chili, diced yellow onion, and yellow mustard.  There are two variations on the Coney Dog: Detroit style, made with a runnier chili, and Flint style, made with thicker, drier chili.  This version of a chili dog has developed into an entire restaurant industry, known as Coney Islands.

Newark Style or Italian Hot Dog
Traditionally, the Newark Style or Italian hot dog is made by cutting a round "pizza bread" into quarters, cutting a pocket into it and spreading the inside with mustard. A deep-fried dog is put in the pocket, topped with fried or sautéed onions and peppers, and then topped off with crisp-fried potato chunks.  A quicker version of this dog, often called a Double Dog, can be found at local New Jersey luncheonettes and pizzerias, where instead of the traditional potato round, French fries are substituted, and a Portuguese or sub roll replaces the traditional round bread.

Seattle Hot Dog

In Seattle, hot dogs are served with cream cheese and grilled onions on a toasted bun.  Before being placed in the bun, the dogs are split in half and grilled.  The typical condiments offered are Sriracha sauce (a type of Thai hot sauce) and jalapenos.

All-the-Way Hot Dog

In West Virgina, hot dog lovers can go "all-the-way" with the traditional toppings of yellow mustard, chopped onions, chili (or "sauce"), and cole slaw.

 Brazilian Hot Dog
Get the feel of São Paulo by filling a non-heated semi-circular bun with a weiner-type sausage, chopped tomatoes, vinaigrette, sweet corn, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and topped with mashed potatoes or French fries.  This weiner is so massive that it is served in a plastic bag!

Japanese Fusion Dog
In the mood for Asian cuisine?  Doesn't mean you can't have a hot dog! Hailing from the Northwestern states, a Japanese Fusion Dog is an invention that pairs hot dogs with Japanese and Asian condiments like wasabi, kimchi (a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings), miso sauce, Japanese mayo, teriyaki, and seaweed toppings.

Spinach, Tomato & Ricotta Pizza

Have I ever told you how much I love pizza?  I could honestly have pizza every night for the rest of my life.  And I wouldn't eat just one slice, either.  I'd take at least two to start, and probably continue to finish the whole pie unless someone else was there to eat it before I got to it.

Now that I've been eating better, I've been buying pizza dough at the grocery store and making my own (more healthy) versions of my favorite feast.  Of course, it's not as deliciously greasy as the local pizza joint, but it still tastes pretty amazing.  Here is a version of white pizza that I tried over the weekend:

INGREDIENTS

1 Boboli whole wheat pizza crust, or similar

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven according to pizza crust packaging directions.

2.  Combine ricotta, garlic powder, and oregano.

3.  Spoon ricotta mixture over pizza crust.

4.  Top with spinach, sliced tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. 

5.  Bake for about 12 minutes, or until edges are golden and cheese is melted.

If this pizza is too bland for your taste, try sprinkling on some red pepper flakes for a little kick, or Mrs. Dash's Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning for some extra flavor!

Royal Wedding Viewing Party Ideas

Ladies, get out your fancy hats and/or fascinators - the countdown is ON!  Less than 24 hours until the Royal Wedding!  Weeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

Whether you are lucky enough to watch the wedding live, or you have your DVR set for a viewing party after work, you need to be totally and utterly prepared to watch the Royal Wedding in style!  Here are some fun ideas for your viewing party that would make Queen Elizabeth proud  :-)

Royal Champagne Cocktail

1/4 cup fresh or frozen (defrosted) raspberries

2 tbsp. water

1/4 cup vodka

3 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. raspberry liqueur

1-1/2 tbsp. simple syrup

1/2 cup chilled champagne or sparkling wine

fresh raspberries for garnish
Puree berries and water until smooth. Combine berry puree, vodka, lemon juice, liqueur and simple syrup in an ice-filled shaker and shake vigorously.  Divide among 2 champagne flutes and top with champagne. Garnish with raspberries.

Crack Baby

Rumored to be Prince William's favorite cocktail...

One part vodka

One part fresh puree of passion fruit

Splash of champagne on top

Blushing Duchess
2 parts vodka

3 wedges peeled and seeded grapefruit

sugar for rimming the glass

1/2 tsp sugar

1 part triple sec

Rub the grapefruit around the outside edge of the glass and then roll in the sugar.  Place the sugar and grapefruit in the bottom of a shaker, muddle thoroughly. Add vodka, triple sec and ice.  Shake well. Pour drink including ice and grapefruit into rimmed rocks glass.

Union Jack Fruit Pizza

1 pouch sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

3 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

1.  Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch or 13x9-inch pan with foil. Spray bottom only of foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms. Press evenly in bottom of pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

2.  In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Spread mixture over cooled crust.

3.  Arrange fruit over cream cheese. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until chilled. Serves 20.

Tea Sandwich Flats

1 can crescent dinner rolls

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 oz. soft goat cheese

pinch garlic powder

fresh dill, basil, or thyme

1/2 cup deli egg salad

6 cucumber slices

3 radishes

1/4 yellow bell pepper

1.  Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough onto ungreased cookie sheet to form 12x8-inch rectangle, and firmly press perforations to seal.

2.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Cut into 24 (2x2-inch) squares.

3.  For goat cheese topping, in medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, goat cheese, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dill. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture onto each of 12 crescent squares. Top with veggies and additional fresh herbs.

4.  For egg salad topping, spoon about 2 teaspoons egg salad onto each of 12 remaining crescent squares. Top with veggies and additional fresh herbs.

Royal Blue Velvet Cake

Inspired by Kate's heirloom sapphire engagement ring...

For Cake:

1 box white cake mix

1-1/4 cups buttermilk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tbsp. unsweetened baking cocoa

2 tsp. royal blue paste food color

1 toothpick-full violet paste food color

For Icing:

1 jar marshmellow creme

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1.  Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.

2.  In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

3.  Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake 23 to 28 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched in center. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

4.  In large microwavable bowl, microwave marshmallow creme uncovered on High 15 to 20 seconds to soften. Add butter. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and salt until smooth.

5.  If necessary, trim rounded tops of two cake layers to flatten before assembling. Place 1 cake layer, top side down, on serving plate; spread with about 1/3 cup frosting. Top with second layer, top side down; spread with about 1/3 cup frosting. Top with untrimmed cake layer, top side up. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting.  Serves 16. 

Must-Have Table Decorations

Fairy-tale inspired carriage centerpiece

Elegant-themed paper products fit for royalty

Coasters

Princess-themed tea lights

And don't be ashamed to wear that tiara that you have in your closet - you can guarantee that I'll be wearing mine!  Cheers! 

Calamari in a Red Wine Tomato Sauce

Kris was in the mood for calamari this weekend, so we tried something new to make our boring, rained-in Saturday a little more exciting.  There is a lot of simmering and waiting around in this recipe, but it's worth it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. frozen calamari rings, thawed

2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce

1/2 cup Chianti wine

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1/3 cup grated Romano cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a saucepan, combine tomato sauce, wine, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper, basil, and Romano cheese.  Simmer on medium low for 30 minutes.

2.  Add the thawed calamari to the sauce mixture, and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.  Do not cook on a higher heat or for a longer period of time, as calamari may become rubbery.

3.  That's it!  Simple, right?!  We served it over whole wheat angel hair pasta and with a side of garlic bread.  Buon Appetito!

Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

First, let me apologize for this picture - we were so hungry that I took our two pieces out before taking it!  But second, let me tell you how much I have loved Sundays lately.  Sundays have turned into my grocery shopping/recipe planning day of the week.  Plus, you have all afternoon to start making dinner, so you can make those meals that take too long to make after work!  Here is a yummy but still healthy lasagna for you to try  :-)

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 lb. ground chicken breast

1/2 cup egg whites

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

15 oz. fat free ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups chopped frozen spinach, thawed

8 whole wheat lasagna noodles

1-24 oz. jar of your favorite tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray, and pour in 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce to make the bottom layer of your lasagna.

3.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add chopped onions.  Cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

4.  Add chicken, and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently, about 4-5 minutes. 

5.  Add remaining tomato sauce, and stir until well mixed.  Remove from heat. 

6.  In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and egg whites.  Mix well. 

7.  Assemble your lasagna into 3 layers.  For each layer, use 2 1/2 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/3 ricotta mixture, 1/3 spinach, 1/3 mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 chicken mixture.  Do not add mozzarella cheese to the 3rd layer just yet. 

8.  Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes.

9.  Uncover dish, and add remaining mozzarella cheese.  Bake uncovered for additional 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly.

10.  Serves 6.  Enjoy for dinner tonight... and tomorrow when you have leftovers!

Teriyaki Shrimp Stir-Fry

This weekend, we broke out the wok and make some delicious teriyaki stir-fry.  There really aren't ingredients or a recipe for this meal - it's basically a throw-whatever-you-like-into-the-wok kind of meal.  But I'll tell you what we used, just to get you started  :-)

Brown rice = I highly recommend getting the bag of brown rice instead of the box of instant brown rice.  It takes much longer - about 45 minutes - but it's well worth the wait.  Plus, it takes absolutely no effort.  You boil the water, pour in the rice, cover, and 45 minutes later, you have a pot full of brown rice.  In fact, the directions specifically tell you NOT to open the lid and check on it.  This is my kind of cooking.

Vegetables = We used carrots, broccoli, eggplant, bok choy, mushrooms, snow peas, and scallions.  We cooked the vegetables in two different parts because some of them take longer than others.  Before cooking each installment, we put in about a quarter-sized amount of stir-fry oil.  After all of the vegetables were cooked, we mixed them together in the wok and sprinkled them with teriyaki sauce.

Shrimp = Since shrimp take about 5 minutes to cook in the wok, we made them last.  Once again, before cooking, we added a little stir-fry oil.  After the shrimp were cooked, we tossed them in some teriyaki sauce.

Once the meal was on our plates, we both added some low-sodium soy sauce to the dish because, well, I love soy sauce.  Everything was soooooo yummy!  I felt like we had our own hibachi grill in our kitchen (which was good, because the whole house smelled like one).  So next time you go grocery shopping, pick up some extra veggies, and have a fun time cooking some Asian cuisine!  

This Little Monkey Is One

This weekend was jam-packed with more fun birthday celebrations!  On Saturday, we celebrated Nathaniel's first birthday.  Nathaniel is the son of one of my good friends.  We shared backyards growing up, so we are basically family!  Unfortunately, his mommy was sick, so she didn't have too much fun at the party.  But that didn't stop Nathaniel from having a blast being one!



After Nathaniel's party, we met my parents to celebrate my birthday.  Usually when I go home to visit my parents, we go to Red Robin for a burger - and my birthday is no exception!  This time, though, my burger was free because Red Robin emails you a Birthday Burger during the week of your birthday!  And don't worry, I had my Birthday Sundae, too!

When we arrived home on Saturday, I had the perfect treat waiting for me in my mailbox - my new Us Weekly!  I had been a loyal Us Weekly reader throughout law school, but after graduation, I never renewed my subscription because I was so busy studying for two bar exams (yes, I said two) and planning my wedding.  So for my birthday this year, I decided it was time to start up my subscription again.  When I opened to the first page, I saw Halle Berry in an Elie Saab Haute Couture gown, which is the same designer as Mila Kunis' Oscars gown.  At first glance, I thought it was the same gown in a different color, but it's not.  Halle is smokin' hot and looks gorgeous - I can't decide which I like best!  Both gowns have the sexy lace peekaboos and the cute ribbon waistline - I think it's a tie!

Halle at an event in Beverly Hills February 22nd



Mila at the Oscars

On Sunday, we lounged around the house and decided to make ourselves a nice, big meal.  That's the one thing about Sundays that I enjoy - you have all day to make something really tasty that you can't cook during the week.  We are in love with making rack of lamb, but the grocery store doesn't always have it in stock.  When they do, we buy them all up and store them in our freezer until we can make them.  Lucky for us, the butcher at the grocery store wanted to have sex with me, so we got $3 off each rack!   

   

Here is a modified recipe:

After you trim the fat off of each rack, cover the lamb with dijon mustard, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese.  Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes for medium, a little longer if you like it more well done.  If the outside isn't crispy enough for you, turn the broiler on for the last 5-10 minutes.  To serve, cut the rack into pieces so it's easier to eat.  We make two racks because one isn't big enough to share.  We paired it with some long grain and wild rice and brussel sprouts (I didn't eat those).  YUM!  Honestly, this lamb is better than any steak I have ever prepared at home - and I'm a steak girl! 

Asian Ginger Mahi Mahi

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which marks the official start of Lent.  I saw a lot of status updates on Facebook regarding what people are giving up for Lent, and to be totally honest, the things that I should give up - like Diet Coke, desserts, and pizza - I have no desire to do so.  I even saw that some people were giving up Facebook, which totally blew my mind.  Who needs to read the news about current events, or call a friend to catch up on their lives, when you just sign onto Facebook?  Within 5 minutes of checking my newsfeed, I can learn about the score of the big game, the turmoil in other countries, and any major events in my friends' lives.

Since I don't give anything up, the least I can do is fast from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays in Lent.  So last night, Kris and I tried another new recipe!  We made an Asian-inspired mahi mahi dish and paired it with shrimp sauteed in white wine, lemon juice, and paprika.  We were going to make a side of veggies, but then it looked like a lot of food, so we didn't!  And it was a good decision because I couldn't finish everything on my plate  :-)  

INGREDIENTS:

2 6-ounce mahi mahi fillets

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, ginger, minced garlic, and olive oil.

2.  Season mahi mahi fillets with salt and pepper.

3.  Place fish into the dish, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

4.  In a large skillet, drizzle enough olive oil to cover the pan, and heat on medium-high. 

5.  Place fish in skillet, and fry for 4-6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

6.  In a separate skillet, pour marinade, and heat on medium until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistency.  

7.  Pour glaze over fish to taste, and serve!  FYI - We didn't use the entire mixture.  I would give it a little taste before covering your fish because it's pretty sweet!

Chicken Rollatini

One of the best parts of being a newlywed is using the new items from your wedding registry.  In fact, I have invited people over to our house for the sole purpose of making hors d'oeuvres and displaying them on our new, white, rectangular serving platter.  Our favorite wedding gift for the kitchen is our leave-in digital meat thermometer (thanks, Megan and Tom!).  You stick the thermometer into the center of the meat, set the digital screen for the type of meat it is, and when your dinner hits that desired temperature - VIOALA!  Your dinner is cooked to perfection, and you didn't have to spend any time opening the oven, cutting the meat in half to make sure it's cooked, etc.  I highly recommend this item for everyone who loves a good piece of meat (that's what she said).  And for all you engaged ladies, I would definitely add this to your registry. 

Last night for dinner, Kris and I tried something new - chicken rollatini with a side of creamed spinach.  Before I post the recipe, I should be honest and tell you that I'm not someone who you would call Susie Homemaker.  Truth be told, Kris is the chef of the family, and it's probably better for everyone if I stick to grilled cheese and baked ziti.  But I can assure you, this meal came out quite tasty.  Also, it's only appropriate that my first "official" post as a blogger be about food because I LOVE FOOD.  Especially when it's covered in cheese. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

4 teaspoons butter

3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto

8 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 cup olive oil

minced garlic

black pepper

toothpicks

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.  Pound chicken breasts flat, and lay them on a working surface.

3.  Coat both sides of the chicken breasts with parmesan cheese.

4.  Place a pinch of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon butter, and black pepper on each breast.

5.  Cover each breast with one slice of prosciutto and one slice of mozzarella cheese.

6.  Roll up each breast, and secure with toothpicks.

7.  In a 13x9 inch baking dish, combine white wine and olive oil.  Place chicken rolls in dish.

8.  Bake for 30 minutes, or set your new digital meat thermometer, and wait for the BEEP!