Baked Fajitas

Skip frying and bake this instead.

YOU NEED: 

1 cooked chicken breasts, in slices

1 onion, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 green pepper sliced

juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons oil

2 packets fajita seasoning

1. toss together

2. bake, optionally add cheese on top

3. 30 minutes or so

Meditteranean Shrimp & Feta Mac and Cheese

A twist on mac and cheese!

YOU NEED

oven, preheated to 400 F

12 cooked peeled shrimp

1 cup pasta

1/2 cupfeta cheese

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cuplemon juice

1 cup greek yogurt

italian breadcrumbs

oregano

1. get a greased or lined baking dish, preheat oven

2. cook shrimp and pasta, seperately. shrimp can be bought precooked, or boiled.

3. toss shrimp and pasta with yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and half the feta cheese. 

4. put in baking dish, top with breadcrumbs and more feta, seasoning like oregano

5. bake for 30 mins or so until top is browned.

Beligian Endive & Ham Gratin

Omit ham for vegetarian. still delicious.

YOU NEED:

a greased baking dish, or parchment paper

belgian endives, cut in half

ham

lots of CHEESE. gruyere, swiss, mozza, parmesan, but preferably a mix. 

lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil. 

1. line baking dish in parchment paper,

2, cut endives in half, toss with lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil.

3. wrap in ham.

4. put in baking dish, smother in cheese. 

5. bake for 30 mins until browned. 

6. good, seasoned with fresh parsley.

Shrimp Gratin

Pop this in the oven and YUM!

YOU NEED:

12 shrimp, cooked and peeled

1/2 cup milk

1 tbs melted butter

2 tbsp softened cream cheese

2 cloves minced garlic

salt, pepper

lemon juice

fresh parsley

2/3 cup grated cheese [try gruyere, emmental, swiss, parmesan, or a mix]

crumbled crackers or breadcrumbs

mix ingredients to make a sauce, toss shrimp, top with cheese, parsley and breadcrumbs!

Gruyere & Broccoli Casserole

This easy creamy casserole... yum!

1. preheat oven to 375 F

2. blanche broccoli florets for 5 mins.

3. toss broccoli with sour cream, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and chunks of bread. 

4. add some gruyere, mix a little, breadcrumbs on top. 

5. bake for 30 mins until cheese is brown.

Spicy Merguez Pasta Casserole

Very tasty pasta dish! Merguez is a tasty north-african spicy lamb sausage. 

YOU NEED:

1 cup al dente pasta

a bunch of cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato sauce [add some red pepper flakes and garlic, maybe some fried onions, seasonings for extra yummy]

feta or goat cheese

fresh basil

2 fried merguez sausages

toss together and bake for 30 mins or until cheese has melted and browned,  at 375

Cassoulet

This french/spanish dish is surprisingly easy! Very hearty and full of protein.

YOU NEED:

beans, soaked overnight, in cold water [black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, a mix, etc]

meat [sausage and/or bacon, duck and lamb work too]

onions and celery, diced

tomato paste

garlic paste

cayenne 

chicken stock

tomato diced

red pepper diced

green pepper diced

1. diced everything. 

2. preheat oven to 400 F.

3. in a deep saucepan, fry bacon and meat. render the fat. put meat aside, keep fat in pan.

4. fry onions and celery in fat, add garlic, a bit of oil if needed.

5. add beans, tomato paste, cayenne, pepper [NO SALT] and keep frying.

6. add chicken stock, just slightly covering, bring to a boil. 

7. add in some thyme stems, bacon rind and a bay leaf [you will remove this before serving] and put in oven for an hour.

8. after an hour, return to stovetop and simmer. check if beans are cooked through. right before serving, add tomato, peppers. remove bay leaf, rind, and thyme stems, and salt to taste

9. serve!

Egg & Broccoli Casserole

SOUNDS WEIRD? NO!

YOU NEED:

1 head broccoli cut into florets

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

salt pepper

breadcrumbs

1. blanch broccoli, just a few mins.

2. grease a baking dish, dump in broccoli

3. mix eggs and milk. dump over broccoli. season with salt, pepper

4. add breadcrumbs to top, a bit of parmesan if being exciting. 

5. bake until eggs are set, 375 F for about 30 mins.

Patates Savoyarde

LIGHTER scalloped potatoes. You'll see.

1. Cut raw potatoes [yukon gold will do] into rounds

2. put in a greased baking dish, slightly overlapping.

3. fill with chicken stock, or veg about 1/3 full 

4. add a tiny bit of milk or cream, and  a bit of garlic for good measure [optional]

5. top with CHEESE. gruyere and/or emmental or parmesan, salt, pepper, chives, green onions.

6. bake for 45 mins until top is crisp and potatoes are tender.

Easy Baked Tacos

EASY!

YOU NEED:

cooked taco meat

cheese

veg of choice

1. preheat oven to 400 F.

2. lay out taco shells on parchment paper

3. fry stuff. LIKE? ground beef, chicken, turkey, or pork, add things like hot chili, bell peppers, onions, tomato, mushroom

4. put in tortilla, top with cheddar, monterey jack, mozza, etc

5. bake for 20- 30 mins until cheese and tortillas are crisp

Lemon, Garlic & Green Bean Casserole

 

1. toss greens beans in olive oil minced garlic and lemon juice, salt and pepper.

2. top with shrimp.

3. bake for 15-20 mins at 400 F. parmesan cheese is a good addition!

Creamy Bruschetta Chicken Breasts

1. preheat oven to 400 F.

2. line up chicken breasts. top with minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped fresh basil, lemon juice, and a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. for creaminess, top with a can of cream of chicken soup [or any creamy soup]

4. bake for 15 minutes. 

5. sprinkle on some parmesan, bake for another 10 or until done.

Easy Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp

 EASY! delicious, great to put on anything.

1. get raw, peeled and deveined shrimp.

2.toss with lemon juice, lots of minced garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes, chopped fresh parsley, olive oil.

3. bake for 10 minutes at 375 F with lemon chunks, flip, bake another 5. done!

Easy Chicken Divan

The ultimate comfort food! 

you need:

1 broccoli chopped into florets, boiled slightly
2 to 3 chicken breasts, cooked.
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup, OR make your own sauce.... see below
a bit of lemon juice

 salt and pepper to taste, and any other seasoning.

bread cut into cubes

a bit of parmesan cheese

MAKE YOUR OWN SAUCE: 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. add in some chopped mushrooms, maybe a bit of garlic and lemon juice, and finally some low-fat sour cream or skim milk. if too liquid, mix in a bit of flour, a roux, or some corn starch dissolved in water. season with salt and pepper. you could also add in a bit of healthy mayo. spices like curry powder or cayenne work nicely. 

1. preheat oven to 375 F. 

2. toss cooked broccoli and chicken in cream sauce, put in a greased casserole dish.

4. sprinkle with bread chunks, and finally, some parmesan cheese.

Roasted Endive with Goat Cheese and Endive

YUMMY. just lay this out in a baking dish.

YOU NEED:

2 belgian endives, sliced thinly
balsamic vinegar\
2 cloves minced garlic
olive oil\
salt and pepper
oregano
goat cheese
pine nuts or any nuts

layer it all together and bake. sprinkle with dry oregano

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken on a Bed of Roasted Endives with Blue Cheese

This was sort of invented by my mom and I. soooo delicious, and easy!

1. preheat oven to 400 F.

2. get 2 chicken breasts, slice in halves.

3. wrap all 4 chunks with a slice of prosciutto or serrano ham.

4. place in a baking dish, on top of sliced endives. drizzle everything generously with lemon juice, and a bit of olive oil. 

5. top with blue cheese and pine nuts, salt and pepper.

 

actually soooooo good. 

White Mac & Cheese

Parmesan & White Sharp Cheddar. I hope you love cheese as much as i do.

1. Boil pasta, drain. I like shells for this, for some reason.

2. Mix together 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a tablespoons of milk, with 2/3 cup shredded white cheddar

3. put in a greased baking dish with pasta, top with 1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar and a lay of crushed crackers and parmesan. you can also add some herbs, such as oregano or parsley.

4. bake for 30 mins until top is crisp, golden, and bubbly.

Creamy Green Bean Gratin

OH YUM. Gratins are the best. Try green beans!

1. boil green beans until tender but not fully-done, about 5 minutes.

2. toss grean beans with 1/4 cup sour cream, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, salt,  pepper. [you can also experiment with cheddar, or a blend of cheeses.] place in a greased baking dish. 

3. top with crushed saltine crackers or stale bread and some more cheese.

4. bake for 30 minutes or so at 400 F until top is browned.

Cheesy Baked Penne with Butternut Squash

A yummy and cheesy way to use this fall's produce. Squash!

1. Boil pasta, drain.

2. preheat oven to 400 F. 

3. puree together 1 cup butternut squash, cooked. add 2 cloes minced garlic, 1/4 cup milk or cream, some chopped fresh parsley and simmer until thick in a saucpan on low heat. i like to add ground turkey to the recipe. 

4. put in a greased baking dish with pasta, top with a layer of mozzarella, goat cheese or a mix of cheeses. 

5. bake until cheese is brown and bubbly. 

Spasagna

Lasagna or spaghetti?no need to choose!!

1. boil pasta, drain.

2. preheat oven to 350 F.

3. place a layer of spaghetti in the bottom of a greased baking dish, then layer with tomato sauce [herb or bolognese] and cheese [ricotta or mozzarella works fine] and optionally add spinach, mushrooms, peppers, or any other vegetable.

4. do this 3 times to make layers, then finally top with cheese [some parmesan too] and some crackersor bread for a crispy topping.

5. bake for 20 minutes coered in foil, then another 10 without to brown the top.