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Gorgonzola Cheese, Dried Cranberry, and Sage Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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This fancy chicken dinner tastes like something you would order in a restaurant. The dried cranberries burst with flavor and the cheese is slightly melted on the crispy chicken.

Whenever I go out to eat, I usually don’t order chicken. Why? Because it is something I make at home, a lot.  When I’m eating out I want to try a new dish, something I hardly ever buy or cook. Well if I came across this dish on a restaurant’s menu, I might change my philosophy on ordering chicken! It belongs there! It’s that freakin’ good. It is a little labor intensive, so save it for a weekend. But it is well worth the work!


Gorgonzola Cheese, Dried Cranberry, and Sage Stuffed Chicken Breasts
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup Gorgonzola cheese
  • 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1 cup Japanese panko crumbs
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • ½ cup unsalted chicken stock
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a medium-sized saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Turn heat down to medium and add the garlic, cook for 1 more minute.
  4. Add the chopped sage and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are translucent.
  5. Add the dried cranberries and cook until heated through.
  6. Remove pan from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.
  7. Mix in the Gorgonzola cheese and set aside.
  8. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and place ¼ cup of the stuffing down the center of each breast, then roll chicken together. Tie the ends with string if needed. Place the egg in a shallow bowl and panko crumbs in another bowl. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the panko crumbs until completely coated.
  9. In an cast iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and brown all sides, about 8 minutes. Then put the skillet in the oven and bake the chicken 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
  10. After the chicken is removed from the oven, cut off the strings and place chicken on a covered plate to keep warm.
  11. Place skillet back on stove and heat over high heat, deglaze it with wine. Boil until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 1-2 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Boil until reduced by half, 3-5 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
  12. Cut each breast in half and drizzle sauce on top.

 

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

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Asian inspired healthy salmon dish with a flavorful sweet teriyaki sauce. Want it extra spicy? Add red pepper flakes for an extra kick! Served over noodles make it a complete dinner. 

 

I love experimenting with salmon. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is on the grill. That smoky char and grill marks gives salmon a great flavor and look. But when grilling isn’t an option, using a cast iron to get an incredible sear is the next best way to prepare salmon. My cast iron has quickly become one of my favorite kitchen tools. There are endless possibilities one can use it for! I’ve made pizza, desserts, pasta dishes, and tacos all in my iron skillet. If you don’t own one, I highly suggest buying one!

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
 
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Asian inspired healthy salmon dish with a flavorful sweet teriyaki sauce
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 lb salmon
  • ½ box of rice noodles
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ cup chopped carrots
  • ½ cup frozen edamame
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Crushed cashew nuts (optional)
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl, stir together. Place salmon in bowl, cover, and let marinate for 20 minutes in the fridge. Save marinade.
  3. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet. When hot, sear salmon skin side up for 2-3 minutes, flip over and bake in preheated oven 5-7 minutes or until flaky (depends how thick your salmon piece is). During last 3 minutes, add carrots and edamame to cast iron.
  4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
  5. In small sauce pan, pour the reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cornstarch and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring frequently.
  6. Once salmon is done cooking, transfer to a plate. Add noodles and sauce to cast iron, stir together.

 

Cobb Salad

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A healthy, delicious salad that is anything but boring. Prep the bacon and hard boiled egg in advance for an easy weeknight meal.

Who doesn’t love eating salads in the summer months? They are easy to throw together, need minimal clean up, and leave you feeling great, which is especially important when you know you’ll be wearing a swimsuit soon! A cobb salad can be made to your liking. Want more protein? Add grilled chicken or shrimp, some ham or turkey – whatever you desire! When I know I’ll be having a Cobb salad, I like to meal prep a few ingredients ahead of time. The hard boiled egg and bacon can be made in advanced and stored in the fridge until you’re ready!


Cobb Salad
 
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Cuisine: Salad
Ingredients
  • 1 bag of fresh lettuce
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cubed
  • 2-3 strips of bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • Handful of feta cheese
Instructions
  1. Place lettuce in a large bowl.
  2. Top with hard boiled eggs, bacon, avocado, and feta cheese. Stir together.
  3. Finish with your dressing of choice.

 

Make Ahead Elote-Style Creamy Zucchini Noodles

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Elote is the Mexican street corn bursting with flavors of creamy cheese, chili powder, and a hint of lime. For those who love this tasty dish, this is the recipe for you! The zucchini noodles are healthy, easy, and many of the ingredients can be made ahead of time.

When summer comes calling, I start looking through the storage spaces in my kitchen for my spiralizer. In my opinion, it’s a very underrated kitchen tool because I have never made a meal that I didn’t like using it. In addition to being easy to use, the spiralizer can transform a simple zucchini or sweet potato into an elegant recipe!


When I came across this recipe inspired by Cooking Light, I knew I had to try it. Of course their version doesn’t call for bacon, but after reading the recipe, I knew it screamed for it! And believe me, my hubby and I did not complain about the saltiness added by the crispy bacon, and neither will you!


Best Part of This Recipe

Besides the bacon, the best part of this recipe is it calls for ZERO cook time! You heard me, ZERO! The ingredients only need to be prepped and tossed together, hence you can prepare plenty of this dish ahead of time.

All prepared ingredients can be stored in the fridge until needed. I did the following ahead of time, so my prep time the night I served this was only 10 minutes! Can’t beat that!

Steps to prep ahead of time

  1. Cook the corn – can either boil or grill, then allow to cool and cut off the cob.
  2. Cook bacon ahead of time.
  3. Spiralize the noodles.

 

Elote-Style Zucchini Noodles
 
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Elote-style Mexican street corn bursting with flavors of crumbly cheese, chili powder, and a hint of lime.
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 ear of corn, cooked and cut off the cob
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 slices bacon, cooked and cooled, then crumbled
  • 1 large zucchini trimmed and spiralized into thin noodles
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
Instructions
  1. Place first 7 ingredients (corn, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, salt, bacon, and zucchini) in a large bowl, toss.
  2. Combine sour cream and water, drizzle over zucchini mixture.
  3. Top with cheese.

 

 

Southwest Fiesta Quinoa Salad 

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Southwest quinoa salad is delicious, fresh, and healthy! Easy to prepare in advance. Add the creamy cilantro dressing when ready to serve. 


Southwest Quinoa Salad

 Ingredients

  • ½ cup quinoa 
  • ½ cup black beans, rinsed
  • ½ cup corn
  • ¼ cup feta cheese
  • ¼ cup red onion, chopped
  • Lots of fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • Salt

 Steps

  1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions.  
  2. Meanwhile prepare the salad dressing. Combine the Greek yogurt, lime juice, and salt in food processor and pulse a few seconds until mixed well.
  3. In large bowl add the black beans, corn, feta cheese, red onion, and cilantro.
  4. Add quinoa once finished cooking and top with dressing.

 

 

 

Dressing inspired by Gimme Delicious

Easy fettuccine with kale, spinach, and cherry tomatoes

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This is an incredibly easy week night meal. You can never have too much of basil and tomato combo especially in the summer! And that now it’s offically summer, we can celebrate with this easy dinner! 

Easy fettuccine with kale, spinach, and tomatoes

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 box fettuccine
  • 3 cups total of kale and spinach, washed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, washed and halved 
  • 3 oz pesto
  • Handful fresh basil, chopped

Steps

  1. Cook fettuccine according to packaged directions 
  2. Meanwhile heat pesto in large frying pan over low heat, stiring often
  3. Add kale and spinach to the fettuccine with 2 minutes left of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid
  4. Drain pasta and add it along with the kale and spinach to the frying pan with the pesto
  5. Stir together, add the cooking liquid if needed to thin out the pesto
  6. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and serve!

Grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, tomato panini 

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Another great summer classic is the fabulous combination of fresh mozzarella and tomato! Try this easy recipe for a quick weeknight dinner!


My tomato plants are in the garden and hopefully soon I’ll be using fresh homegrown tomatoes! This recipe is as easy as they come! You can grill the chicken outside on the grill or, like me, use a panini press (or George Foreman Grill). I like using the panini press because while the chicken is cooking you can prep all the other ingredients, all three of them! If you’re looking for other quick dinner ideas, click here to read about 12 easy dinner ideas! 

Grilled chicken, mozzarella, tomato panini

Ingredients 

  • 1 loaf fresh panini bread
  • 4 chicken tender strips
  • 4 slices fresh mozzarella
  • 1 large tomato, washed and sliced 
  • Handful fresh basil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar 

Steps

  1. Preheat panini press. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and olive oil, both sides.
  2. Cook on panini press about 5 mintues or until no longer pink inside.
  3. Cut two sections off the panini bread and then cut in half length wise. Drizzle olive oil on inside of bread and cook on panini press until each half starts to brown.
  4. Remove from grill and layer with cooked chicken, tomato slices, mozzarella slices. Return to grill and cook 2-3 mintues or until cheese starts to soften and melt.
  5. Remove from grill, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, add basil.
 

One pan balsamic chicken and roasted vegetables 

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Sweet balsamic chicken and roasted vegetables cooked on the same pan. Which will you love more: the delicious taste, the simple recipe, or the easy clean up? 


One pan balsamic chicken and roasted vegetables

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken tenders
  • 1 head brocolli, washed and trimmed
  • 1 cup baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil 
  • Italian seasoning
  • Roasted garlic seasoning 

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  2. Arrange brocolli and carrots on a sprayed baking sheet, season with salt, peper, Italian seasoning, olive oil, and roasted garlic seasoning.
  3. Bake for 15 mintues, then remove and flip over.
  4. Meanwhile, while vegetables are roasting, mix balsamic vinegar and Italian salad dressing together in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinate.
  5. Once vegetables are done cooking, move them to the side of the baking sheet and place the chicken down the middle.
  6. Brush the tops of the chicken with the marinade. 
  7. Bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
 

BBQ CHICKEN THIGHS 

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Sweet and tangy chicken thighs that are finger lickin’ good! 


BBQ chicken screams summer! There’s nothing I love more than a good bbq on a hot summer day. And what’s better to accompany your corn on the cob and watermelon than finger lickin’ good bbq chicken thighs! 

BBQ chicken thighs


Ingredients

  • 1 package boneless chicken thighs
  • BBQ sauce
  • Salt and pepper

Steps

  1. Preheat grill. 
  2. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Slather BBQ sauce on chicken.
  3. Grill over medium heat 5 mintutes per side.

Easy Blackened Salmon

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Easy, healthy blackened salmon has a powerful taste that will keep you coming back to this recipe! 



It’s official, this is the best way to cook salmon inside.  I’m a big fan of grilled salmon, but when that’s not available, this is a fantastic alternative! The great thing about this recipe is you can make the salmon as spicy as you want it! You can substitute your favorite seasoning and prepare it this way for a kick ass bite every time! The key is you cook it skin side up for a few minutes on the stove, then finish in the oven. 

Easy Blackened Salmon

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb salmon
  • 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • Salt
  • Olive oil

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  2. Season salmon with salt. In a small bowl, wisk together the brown sugar and chili powder. Rub mixture onto salmon.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Sear salmon skin side up for 2-3 minutes (depending on how thick the salmon is). Flip and transfer cast iron into oven and cook for 3 minutes or until salmon is flaky.