Seared Chicken in Tomato Basil Sauce with a Warm Carrot, Zucchini & Bean Salad.

What You Will Need: Chicken breast (butterflied if the pieces are thick), whole or canned tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, northern beans, butter, fresh parsley, fresh basil, panko bread crumbs & flour.

Cut your zucchini & carrots into any shape you like. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat up a good amount of olive oil. 

Season the chicken simply with just some salt & pepper.

Dip into the flour. Coat both sides well. 

Shake off the extra flour & place into the hot oil. 

When it turns golden, its time to flip.

Once both sides are seared, remove from the pan & set aside. If you need to check that the pieces are cooked through, either make a small cut in the thickest part & check that there is no pink or using a thermometer, the internal temp needs to be 165. 

Get rid of the extra oil in the pan, making sure your not scraping out any brown bits because those are extra pieces of flavor for your sauce. 

Return back to the heat.

Add in the tomatoes. You just want enough to lightly cover the chicken.

Season with salt, pepper, fresh parsley & basil. 

Return the chicken back to the pan. 

Flip & turn the heat to low.

In another large skillet, heat a mixture of olive oil & butter.

Once the butter is melted, add in the carrots. Season with salt & pepper. 

After 2-3 minutes, add in the zucchini. 

Drain the northern beans & rise through. 

Add the beans & heat throughly. 

Throw in a handful of the breadcrumbs & give them a few minutes to toast. 

Finish with fresh parsley. 

Garnish your plate with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese & some extra fresh herbs. 

I couldn't decide how best I liked this dish plated but no matter how you plate it, its delicious! 

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love! 

New & Improved Sausage-Pepper Pizza

What You Will Need: Grilled sausage (I used johnsonville original brats), corn meal, bell peppers, garlic, butter, pepper jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, whole or diced tomatoes & pizza dough. Parmesan & fresh basil for garnish not pictured. 

Preheat your oven according to the pizza directions, mine is 425.

In a skillet, start sautéing the bell peppers in some butter or olive oil, salt & pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes till tender but not mush. 

In a small bowl, place a couple of pads of butter with the minced garlic. Place in the microwave for 30-40 seconds until the butter has completely melted. 

On a baking sheet, sprinkle with the corn meal & roll out your pizza dough.

Brush the garlic butter all over!

Par bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes. 

Add the diced tomatoes. You don't want a ton, just a light layer. Salt/Pepper. 

Sautéed peppers & half of the sausage go on next. 

Shredded pepper jack & mozzarella cheese. 

Then another layer of the peppers & sausage. You want the peppers & sausage to be the star, not hidden underneath a pile of cheese. 

Place the pizza back into the oven till the crust is golden brown & the cheese is all melted. 

Garnish with plenty of parmesan cheese & torn basil. 

My wine pairing for this super delicious pizza in a Cabernet Sauvignon called Josh by Josh Cellars. Which just happens to be my favorite wine of all time! They also have a nice Chardonnay called Josh that is a good choice if your a white wine drinker.   

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Grilled Potato Salad

What You Will Need: Red skin potatoes, onions, bell pepper, celery, sour cream, honey mustard & fresh parsley. 

Wash & cut the potatoes.

Place in a pot of water, bring to a boil & allow to cook till tender. 

Drain & place in a grill basket. Add olive oil, salt & pepper.

If you don't have a grill basket, I would recommend getting one. I use it constantly throughout the summer to grill potatoes, veggies or smaller pieces of meat like shrimp.

Turn on your grill & give it a few minutes to get hot.

In a large bowl add diced bell pepper, onion & celery. Sour cream & honey mustard go in next, followed by some salt & pepper. 

Taste & adjust to your liking. Set aside.

Grill the potatoes making sure you shake the basket every couple minutes to rotate the pieces.

Add the hot potatoes right into the sour cream mixture.

Combine till all the potatoes are nicely coated. 

Finish with plenty of chopped parsley & serve while the potatoes are still warm.

I apologize for the poor plated photo. Someone got too excited about this meal & didn't take enough time to get a better picture. 

Ive been making this potato salad all summer & my husband absolutely love it. The other cold, mustard potato salads just don't compare. With just a few ingredients, this variation is sure to please at any summer cookout! 

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Mean Green Meatloaf

Packing some extra nutrients into the classic meatloaf. 

Feel free to swap the lean ground beef for ground turkey or chicken.

What You Will Need: Ground beef, frozen spinach, frozen kale, eggs, onions, garlic, panko bread crumbs, green onions, worcestershire sauce, honey mustard, horseradish, ketchup, & grill seasoning.  

Defrost the spinach & kale. Place in a dish towel. 

Over the sink, twist & drain out as much of the excess liquid as you can.

In a large bowl mix the beef, spinach, kale, both onions & garlic. 

Add in the eggs, bread crumbs, w. sauce & seasonings. 

Best tools in the kitchen are clean hands. Get in there!!

If its to wet, add more bread crumbs. To dry, add in a splash of milk. Go by feel, the texture should be moist & be able to hold shape. 

Allow the mixture to chill for at least 30 minutes. I allowed mine to refrigerate for 4 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 & mold the mixture into a large loaf.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mustard & horseradish. Mix & taste till you find the right balance.

Spread half the mixture over the meatloaf. Reserving the other half for later.

Cover with foil & bake for 40 minutes. Uncover & bake another 15-20.

(Cooking time will depend on how much meat you use. Smaller amounts will take less time.)

Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Spoon on the rest of your sauce. 

To serve, use a very sharp serrated knife to cut thick pieces.  

I served my meatloaf with mashed sweet potatoes & steamed broccoli. 

This dish is filled with bold flavors & healthy nutrients. 

Its an all around win in my book!

The following day I used the leftover meat combined with some stock, veggies & whole wheat noodles for a hearty soup!

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!