Month: March 2019

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Garlic Chicken with Broccoli & Spinach

Garlic Chicken with Broccoli & Spinach

Cheesy and creamy with a nice hint of garlic, this Garlic Chicken with Broccoli & Spinach is delicious, healthy and Keto friendly. It is fresh and simple to make with everything cooked in one pan and great for a week night dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken breast cut into 1″ pieces
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3-4 cloves garlic miced
  • 1 cup tomatoes chopped, or use cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, or any melting cheese)
  • 4 oz cream cheese or light cream cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh & Healthy Ingredients

Preparation:

  1. Heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the chopped chicken breast and season with Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Sautee for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
  3. Add the minced garlic and sautee until it becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Add tomato, broccoli, spinach, shredded cheese and cream cheese. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes until broccoli is cooked through.

Serve the Garlic Chicken with Broccoli & Spinach by itself or over pasta, zucchini noodles, brown rice or cauliflower rice. Enjoy!

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Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce and Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano

Italian Meatballs! Serve these up as a main dish, meatball sub-sandwich or as an appetizer. They are easy to make ahead, store, heat up and serve. They go well simply served with a little Marinara Sauce and fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shown above. See my previous posting for a simple Marinara Sauce recipe as well.

Italian Meatballs Hot Out of the Oven!

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup of plain bread crumbs
  • 1 medium/large white onion, grated and save the onion juice (1/2 cup)
  • 1 pound ground beef (85%/15% lean minimum)
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 bunch fresh parsley
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 Tbsps. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Soak bread crumbs in reserved onion juice for 10-15 minutes, add a little milk if you don’t get enough juice from grated onion.
  2. Mix ground beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir in grated onion, soaked bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour as this helps to firm the mixture and makes it easier to form the meatballs.
  4. Preheat oven to 425°.
  5. Spray a large baking sheet with light cooking oil. Use a baking rack if you have one. This helps the hot air circulate around the meatballs, maintain round shape and allows any grease/oil to drip away from the meatballs.
  6. To form the meatballs, use a 1-1/2 Tbsp. scoop, gathering from the meatball mixture and then finish by rolling into a ball by hand. The meatball should be about the size of a golf ball. You can use smaller or larger amounts depending on how you plan on serving the meatballs.
  7. Place on baking rack/pan and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until thoroughly cooked and browned. Don’t over cook them as you may end up reheating them later where they will continue to cook.

Notes:

  1. I use the grated onion, it makes for a more consistent texture to the meatballs and is easier than trying to get a petite dice. It also produces the onion juice to soak the bread crumbs.
  2. I use the onion juice as an added boost to the flavors of the meatballs, you could substitute milk if you wish.
  3. I use a mixer to combine all the ingredients which incorporates all of them consistently, but you can use a wooden spoon and they’ll be fine.
Italian Meatballs Hot Out of the Oven!