Pesto Chicken Monte Cristos

Pesto Chicken Monte Cristos
Recipe Type: Gourmet Sandwiches
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Claire McCormick
Ingredients
  • 3 small loaves of sweet Italian bread (or similar white fluffy bread good for soaking)
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3 chicken breasts, thawed and pounded thinly
  • olive oil
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • fresh baby spinach (about 1 cup total)
  • 6 thin slices of cheddar cheese
  • dried basil, for sprinkling
  • salt and pepper
  • **(For egg mixture):
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Add garlic and red onion to skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Slice each roll lengthwise and spread each side with either pesto (1 tbsp per sandwich) or dijon and honey.
  3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Remove from pan, slice thinly, and place on top of one side of each roll. Top with roasted red onion, sliced tomato, and spinach. Finally, top with cheddar cheese slices (2 per sandwich) and sprinkle with dried basil.
  4. Crack eggs into a shallow bowl, add milk, and beat together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add cheese.
  5. Dunk each sandwich, one at a time, into the egg mixture (both sides) and shake off excess. Cook on medium-low heat (watch for burning!) for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese is melted. Slice in half and serve!

Pesto Chicken Monte Cristos

Pesto Chicken Monte Cristos_3

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Southwest Benedict over Greens n’ Grains

Ingredients:

Black bean and corn salsa

1 egg

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup quinoa, toasted (see directions below)

salt and pepper

cooking spray

shredded cheese

additional cilantro, for serving

sour cream and salsa, for serving

Directions:

To a medium sized bowl, add quinoa. Cover with water and soak for a few minutes. Then stir with a whisk until the quinoa turns the water cloudy (the film from the grain is being rinsed away). Strain quinoa in a fine mesh sieve.

Heat a large skillet on medium high. Add the quinoa and stir continuously with the whisk until it turns golden-brown and smells “nutty.”

When ready to cook, add quinoa to a saucepan with 1 cup water (2:1 ratio). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the grains split.

To the previously-used skillet, crack an egg gently, making sure not to break the yolk. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for about 1-2 minutes, or until bottom sets. Flip and cook the other side. Remove from heat when egg is set. The yolk should still be runny!

Layer spinach, 1/4 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup corn and bean salsa, and fried egg in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with additional pepper, cilantro, and shredded cheese. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired!

Black bean and corn salsa_2

 

Black bean and corn salsa_3

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Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cans seasoned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans diced tomatoes, southwestern style or with green chiles, drained

2 cans whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained

1/2 red onion, minced

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/4 cup lime juice

salt and pepper, to taste

1 bunch cilantro, shredded

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and combine well. Refrigerate until ready to serve! (I recommend making it at least a few hours in advance to allow the flavors to meld!)

Black bean and corn salsa

 

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Tuna Lentil Burgers with Chargrilled Corn Salad

Tuna Lentil Burgers with Chargrilled Corn

Tuna Lentil Burgers with Chargrilled Corn_3

Ingredients:

1 6 oz can chunk light tuna, drained

1/2 cup cooked lentils

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs, Italian style

1/2 onion, minced

1 red bell pepper, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried dill weed

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

a dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

cooking spray or olive oil

For the spinach and corn topping:

1/4 cup frozen corn kernels

1 cup fresh baby spinach

Crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

Combine all ingredients (except corn and spinach) in a medium bowl. Mash with hands. Form into balls 2-3″ in diameter and pack tightly with hands. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a skillet on medium-high. Coat with cooking spray (or olive oil). Press patties down into pan (to desired thickness- I pressed them down until they were about 1/2″ thick) and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned and heated through. Set aside. (Makes about 6 small patties).

In hot skillet, cook corn and spinach until spinach is wilted and corn is charred.

Serve over my homemade Classic Gazpacho from last week, topped with the chargrilled corn and spinach salad. Also delicious with crusty bread for dipping!

ClaireLeave a comment

Sweet Apple & Turkey Rollup

Sweet Apple & Turkey Rollup

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat tortilla

2 tsp apple jelly (or apple butter)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 slices deli turkey

1 slice Sargento thin sliced Swiss cheese

baby spinach (about 1/2 cup)

2 thin slices tomato

3 thin slices of apple, chopped roughly (I used red but green would work too, just a bit more tart!)

salt and pepper, to taste

Spread jelly on one side of tortilla. Top with Dijon mustard. Layer spinach, turkey, tomato, apple, and Swiss cheese on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven at 375 for about 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

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Classic Gazpacho

I have been DYING to make Gazpacho ever since the weather got warmer. I absolutely LOVE soup, so why should a few degrees and a ton more humidity separate me from that love? Seriously. This calls for gazpacho. Gazpacho: the perfect choice for a light and refreshing summer meal. For those of you who are “fresh” (ha ha) to the idea of it, gazpacho is basically a cold tomato soup, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia and often served as an appetizer or a light supper with some crusty bread on the side.

How to make it? It’s simple. The hardest part is chopping all the veggies beforehand. I used a Real Simple recipe and touched it up a little with my own little additions- namely, a can of cannellini beans, celery, fresh lime juice, cumin, and a few extra pepper varieties. Throw it all into the food processor, give it a whirl, and in just a few seconds you have an incredibly refreshing chilled soup!

Make it ahead of time and stick it in the fridge, too. It only gets better with time because the flavors start a little romance 😛

Ok, let’s get to it!

gazpacho

gazpacho2

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

1 green pepper, chopped roughly

1 yellow pepper, chopped roughly

1 red pepper, chopped roughly

1 large cucumber, chopped roughly

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

2 small sweet yellow onions, diced

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

1/4 cup lemon juice

juice from 2 limes

1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice (V8 works fine too)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried parsley

salt and fresh ground pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels, for topping

aged balsamic vinegar, for topping

Directions:

Chop all vegetables and add to food processor, working in batches. (For me, it took about 3 batches- each one turned out a bit differently but I just mixed them all together in a big bowl in the end!). Add beans, onions, tomatoes, garlic, vegetable juice, spices, and lemon and lime juices. Pulse for a few seconds at a time until the soup has a chunky texture!

Chill until ready to serve. Serve topped with corn kernels and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

ClaireLeave a comment