Jazzed Up Greek Chicken Pasta

The "Greek Chicken Pasta" that I originally posted HERE has become one of my favorite, turn-to dinners. Maybe it's the combo of the pasta, chicken, and feta cheese. Either way, both Brad and I love Italian and Greek food, so this one is naturally one of our favs. I recently jazzed it up a bit by simply adding fresh baby spinach near the end of the cooking process. It's just a simple, easy addition that kicks it up a notch. Anyways, I just wanted to share this idea and a new photo. Enjoy!

I "LOVE" Blueberry Pancakes!

Yes...MORE blueberries! Just look at these pancakes...they were so much fun to make!!! The recipe certainly isn't anything too fancy or complicated. I just whipped up some mix by following the pancake recipe on the Bisquick box...then I added beautiful, fresh blueberries. I love this time of year! There's a multitude of fresh produce at all the markets. I have a confession to make, though...I have yet to make it to the local Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. I have GOT to go!

Until now, the extent of my pancake skills have been limited to Mickey Mouse ears...hah. I was able to make these pancakes into heart shapes by using a handy little heart-shaped pancake tool. I can't remember where I found them. They came in a pack of two. The pancakes turned out to be really thick. I was worried that they wouldn't be cooked all the way through, but they were. So yummy! This is a breakfast you won't be able to eat without a smile on your face.

Blueberry Scones

I have to admit, I saw THESE scones on Katie's blog a while back and I've been thinking about them ever since...haha. They looked SO good! Like Katie's husband, Brad loves the scones at Starbucks. Actually he loves Starbucks, period. Believe it or not, Brad and I first met while working together in a coffee shop. Pretty romantic, huh? Needless to say, we are big coffee fans. The baristas know Brad's order before he even rolls his car window down...lol. Lately, his orders usually include a scone...the flavor varies depending on what they have available. When I mentioned making homemade blueberry scones, he was in complete agreement!

Last Sunday, I finally had the blueberries and extra time to make these scones. The blueberries were calling my name! So, I gave in...it didn't take much convincing. Here they are!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour, plus 2 Tbsp, plus 1 Tbsp

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 Tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

6 Tbsp butter, plus 1/2 Tbsp, chilled

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 c. half and half, chilled

2/3 c. frozen Maine wild blueberries (I used fresh blueberries...they weren't frozen, but I couldn't wait long enough to let them freeze!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In small bowl combine frozen blueberries and 1 Tbsp flour and toss to combine. Place blueberry mixture back into freezer.

In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Take butter out of fridge, cut into chunks and add to flour mixture. Cut butter into flour until pea sized or smaller. Add vanilla and half and half and mix in with a spoon until just barely incorporated.

Take blueberries out of fridge and knead into mixture until mixture forms a ball of sticky dough. Turn dough out onto floured surface and pat down into rough 9-10 inch circle. Cut into 8 triangles and place triangles onto prepared baking sheet at least an inch apart.

Take 1/2 Tbsp butter and cut into 8 small pieces. Place one small piece of butter on top of each scone. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy.

Source: Katie's Blog @ Good Things Catered

Tilapia With Zucchini and Tomatoes en Papillote

***I love cooking with tilapia...it's light, fresh, and doesn't have that strong "fishy" taste. I've made it a number of ways...broiled, fried, baked...pecan-crusted, lemon-flavored, etc. But, I have to say that this recipe from Cooks Illustrated is one of my favorite tilapia recipes I've prepared. The fish came out incredibly tender and moist, with a great flavor. This is certainly because of the way it's cooked...in a packet of aluminum foil. This is one of those dishes that won't leave you feeling too stuffed. It's light but very satisfying. I might be making it again tonight for dinner...it's that good!***

"En Papillote" (a.k.a. - foil packet)

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and ground black pepper
3 medium plum tomatoes (about 12 ounces), cored, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini (about 6 ounces each), sliced
1/4-inch-thick
4 haddock fillets, 1-inch-thick (about 6 ounces each)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves



Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 F. Combine the oil, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Measure half of the oil mixture into a separate medium bowl and toss gently with the tomatoes. Add the zucchini to the remaining olive-oil mixture and toss to coat.

Cut four 12-inch squares of heavy-duty foil and lay them flat on a work surface. Shingle the zucchini in the center of each piece of foil. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and place on top of the zucchini. Top the fish with the tomatoes, then tightly crimp the foil into packets.

Set the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fish just flakes apart, about 20 minutes. Carefully open the packets, allowing the steam to escape away from you, and let cool briefly. Smooth out the edges of the foil and, using a spatula, gently push the fish, vegetables and any accumulated juices out onto warmed dinner plates. Sprinkle with the basil before serving.

Source: Cook's Illustrated - Light Recipes Special Issue

Banana Bread with Pecans

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 overripe bananas

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Source: Tyler Florence - http://www.foodnetwork.com/