Dinner Series: Shrimp Cobb Salad

I loosely took this from this month's Cooking Light.  We normally would have chicken in this type of salad, but I didn't really think of shrimp!  

Dinner Series: Chicken Parmesan Burger Recipe from Cooking Light

I have some new recipes I am going to be trying out this week and I thought I'd post what we like here.  Last night we tried the Chicken Parmesan Burger Recipe from Cooking Light's April Issue.  They were sooo good!  I ended up using ground all white turkey though (because that's what Trader Joe's had) and some really good focaccia bread from Trader Joe's instead of buns.  The other thing I changed was the herbs, I used an Italian mixture of dried herbs that I get from a local Italian market.  I was a little worried about putting marinara sauce into the meat mixture, it made it kind of soupy, but it held together well in the end and really is what made it.  

I highly recommend making this, and it was really easy!

Recipe here:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-parmesan-burgers-50400000111141/

Chicken Madeira

What's for dinner tonight?  How about something new to try that is easy and delicious?  

Chicken Madeira - Cheesecake Factory Knockoff (serves 2)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless chicken breast
8 asparagus spears
2 slices mozzarella cheese

Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1.5 cups Madeira wine (I used dry)
1 cup beef stock
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute fillets until done and browned just a bit. Remove from pan and wrap in foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.

In chicken pan add olive oil and sliced mushrooms; saute for about 2 minutes. Add Madeira wine, beef stock, butter, and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat simmer 20 minutes until reduce to about 1/2 original volume. When sauce is done it will be thick, and brown.

While sauce is reducing, bring a pan of water to boil. Add salt to water at boil; blanch asparagus (3-5 minutes). Drop asparagus in ice water to halt cooking.

Set oven to broil. In baking dish arrange chicken, cross 2 asparagus stems over each piece of chicken and top with a slice of cheese. Broil until cheese melts.

Put chicken on plate. To serve, top with sauce 3-4 Tbsp on each piece.

Easy Quesadillas

I am a big fan of these, so let's try a how to post.

Ingredients Needed

Diced Green Onions, Sour Cream, Diced Tomatoes,
Shredded Cheese, Diced Chicken Breast, Olive Oil, Tortillas

First, heat the oil in a pan.

Next place one tortilla in the pan and add the toppings you like, such as, diced green onions, diced tomatoes, hot pepper flakes, diced chicken breast, or anything else you want!

Add the shredded cheese last.

Add the second tortilla to the top and press down with a spatula.

The only tricky part is knowing when to flip and the actual flipping.  Peak at the bottom with a spatula and flip it when it's slightly brown.  A large spatula will help with flipping, and also if you don't fill it too much.  It's okay though if some falls out, this isn't a restaurant.

Cut into 6 slices and serve with sour cream if you like!