Sheet Pan Fajitas

Here is a recipe we've found over the last few years that's become a family favorite.   We did keto for about 6 months to see if it would help with my daughter's seizure control.   It did, but ultimately she decided that it was too hard for her to stick to and we are back to just eating lowish carb, but nowhere near as strict as true keto.  This is one of those recipes we discovered during that time that we will keep on the menu no matter how many carbs we are eating.  It's easy and delicious!   I love how perfectly the chicken turns out every time...no fuss, no muss!     I make them as a fajita bowl over a cauliflower rice/cabbage mixture, but the rest of my family generally eats them in low-carb tortillas.   Of course, you can serve them in whatever you want and they'll still be delicious!  

Click here for printable recipe.    

The ingredients:

3 bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup oil
1-1/2 - 2 -lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
3 Tbs. taco seasoning (This homemade version makes the perfect amount)

Desired toppings:  sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, salsa,  guacamole
Cauliflower rice* or low-carb tortillas
( *I cooked some shredded red cabbage with my cauliflower rice.  I like the extra color and jolt of nutrition.)

Directions:   Preheat oven to 400º.   Toss together chopped peppers, onions, chicken thighs in a bowl.   Add oil and taco seasoning. 

Toss together and mix well. 

Spread into a single layer on a large cookie sheet. 

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.   While chicken/veggies are cooking, prepare the cauliflower rice. 

Serve hot over cauliflower rice or in a low carb tortilla with desired toppings. 

Enjoy! 

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Remy's Ratatouille

OK, admit it.  When you saw the end of Disney's Ratatouille movie you had the desire to make the ratatouille the way the rat Remy did, didn't you?  No, Just me?  Well, OK.  ( But maybe we can at least agree that while the movie was cute, it was also disturbing to see all the rats in the kitchen.) Thankfully there was another person on the internet that also wanted to recreate this dish and this recipe mostly comes from SmittenKitchen.  Well, no rats in this kitchen, only colorful vegetable goodness.  I've made this a couple times and it's so beautiful.  It tastes good and it's good for you as well.  

Click here for printable recipe.

The first time I made it I actually could stand up the vegetables vertical just like in the movie.  I think that this time it was a little different because the veggies were different sizes.  Still good though!

Post by: Jen

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 eggplant (try to find one that is long and less fat at the end)

1-2 zucchini (try to find the fattest ones)

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper (optional)

1 yellow zucchini (or squash) (preferred instead of the yellow pepper, but I couldn't find any)

1 c tomato sauce

1/2 small onion, diced (I didn't use onion in this one because my company couldn't eat onions)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped OR 1 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp Olive oil, separated

2 tsp Herbs de Provence OR 1/2 tsp Oregano, 1/2 tsp Thyme, 1/2 tsp rosemary combined

Parchment paper

Goat cheese, optional

Oops, forgot the Herbs de Provence in the picture. 

Directions:

Mix tomato sauce, chopped onion, chopped garlic and 1 Tbsp olive oil in the bottom of a shallow baking dish.  I imagine you could use a glass pie plate, but I think that this recipe would make two pie plates.  Spread tomato sauce all over the bottom of the dish.

Cut off the ends of the pepper and then cut out the inside ribs.

 Thinly slice all the vegetables.  As thin as you can.  If you have a mandolin, then use it.  Slicing the peppers was a little difficult.  It's hard to keep them in the round shape.  But in the end it was fine if they were also cut in half.

 Line up the veggies in a pattern.  As you can see, some of the peppers were a bit large and the zucchini I had on hand was too skinny.  I ended up cutting the peppers in half and bending them to fit.  But I didn't have to the first time I made this.  I wish I would have taken pictures from the first time.  Oh well.  My friends even asked, "are you going to take a picture of this for the blog?"  And I said "Naw, I'll make it again later depending on how good it is." Silly me.

 Keep going all the way around.

 Then go around in the middle. And fill in your pan with vegetables.*

 Now drizzle the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle the herbs all over.

 Cut out a piece of parchment paper the same size as your pan and place it over the top.

 Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes until you can see the vegetables are softened and the tomato sauce is bubbling up.

 This is best served warm.  Serve alone or with a dallop of goat cheese on top.  Or serve along side with couscous or rice.  This is perfect for a cold autumn evening.

*I actually had left over cut up vegetables that didn't fit in the pan.  I took the left over vegetables and cooked them in an omelet the next day. Yum.

IF you happen to have left over ratatouille, then it is super yummy in a crepe with goat cheese.

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

We've made this flavorful pasta dish a few times now and I have to say it's a success!   Even my picky eaters declared that I could make it again any time.  Enjoy! 

Don't be intimidated by the Creole spice mixture this calls for.  I found it very inexpensively ($2-$3) in the spice section at our normal grocery store.  I also use it on mashed potatoes. 

Recipe Source:  Minnesota Bread

 Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara. 

Ingredients:
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

3 tsp. Cajun (or Creole) spice mix, more to taste (I found this very inexpensively in the spice section at our grocery store)

1 pound fettuccine noodles

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. butter

1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 large red onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (14-oz. each) diced tomatoes, DRAINED

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. salt

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnishment  (I used about a tablespoon of dried parsley)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain when pasta is still al dente; do NOT overcook! 

Sprinkle 1-1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet (I recommend a cast iron skillet) over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute.

Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter.

When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed.

Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add drained tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste.

Finally, add chicken making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 2-4  minutes,  or until chicken is cooked through.

Add vegetables and heat until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately!

Enjoy! 

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Christmas Tree Veggie Pizza

Day 22's savory holiday recipe is the perfect combination of funky, fresh, and festive and is sure to be a hit at any holiday party!   Thanks Jen!

Vegetable pizza a treat?! My boys certainly don't think so. But I have to admit that I feel like I've had a bit too much sugar lately and my body is in need of some good vegetables. So this is definitely a treat for me. This is easy to make and so fun to serve at a holiday party. In fact, I recently had people at a party asking me if this was going to make it on the blog. Even though it's not coated in chocolate, people will still gobble it up and ask you for the recipe.

Recipe Inspiration:  Pillsbury magazine dated in 2005

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Jen.

The Ingredients:1 tube crescent rolls
1/2 pkg (4 oz) cream cheese, softened*
1 box garlic/herb soft cheese *
1/2 medium red pepper
1/4 yellow pepper (not pictured)
1/2 c fresh broccoli, finely chopped
1/4 c sliced or shredded carrots
1/4 c chopped cucumber

*you may use an 8 oz container of herbed/flavored cream cheese spread in the place of these.

The Directions:
Take out the tube of dough and do not unroll it. Cut it into 16 equal thin slices. (I cut it in half and then in half again to better make equal slices)
Place slices cut side down on baking pan lined with parchment paper. First start with the top, then put two underneath, then three, then four, then five. Place the final slice on the bottom middle to be like the trunk. Make sure they are slightly touching. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until it is a golden brown. Slide onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, slide onto your serving platter.While baking, cream together the cream cheese and the herbed cheese. (or just make sure the herbed flavored cream cheese is spreadable). I personally added a tiny bit of dill and a Tbsp of ranch dressing to my spread as well. It depends on what kind of dip flavor you like for your vegetables.
Spread cheese mixture onto cooled crescent rolls.
Cut out a yellow star shape out of the yellow pepper. Finely chop the rest of the pepper. Cut the red pepper into long slices. Finely chop the cucumber, broccoli, and carrots. Arrange the star on top of your "tree" and then string your "garland" red pepper back and forth. Finely chop the rest of the red pepper when you're done with the "garland". Sprinkle chopped vegetables all over but not covering your special designs. If desired you can use chopped almonds to cover the base to be like the trunk.
Serve immediately or loosely cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Once the holidays are over, you can make this anytime by just unrolling the crescent dough and pinching the perforations together. Bake the same as above or until golden. Cool. Then add the creamed cheese and chopped veggies.

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Quiche Lorraine

My mom called me the other day while she was at the grocery store, to have me tell her the ingredients for this family favorite quiche.  I went straight to the computer to look it up here on Recipe Shoebox and lo and behold, I've never published it.  I decided to remedy the situation and make it ASAP.  So here it is, the quiche recipe we've been making and loving for the better part of a decade.  :)  Look for the make-ahead tips at the bottom to cut down on the morning prep time. 

 

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

9-inch pie crust

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup ham, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 green or red pepper, diced
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard



Directions:  Bake unpricked pie crust for 5 minutes at 425 degrees.

Remove from oven  and arrange cheese,

bacon,

 

and ham in bottom of shell.

 

Sprinkle with green onions and green or red pepper. 

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cream, lemon peel, salt, and dry mustard.  Pour evenly over cheese mixture. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.  Remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes before serving.  Serves 8. 

Enjoy! 

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MAKE AHEAD TIPS:

The night before you can:
Cook and crumble the bacon
Chop the ham, peppers, and green onions
Shred the Swiss cheese
Make and bake the pie crust (it only needs to bake for 5 minutes before adding everything)

In a gallon size Ziploc baggie, combine everything, but the crust and the egg mixture.  In the morning, you can put all the ingredients in the crust and throw it in the oven. 

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