Pesto Chicken Marinara

This one is a personal favorite, it is full of flavor and on the healthy side.

for the chicken:
1 chicken breast
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Mediterranean basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbl humus
2 Tbl pesto sauce
1 Tbl olive oil
1.5 cup of garlic marinara sauce
small amount of Pecorino Romano cheese, or Parmagianno Regiano, or a combination. for garnish.

in a freezer bag add ingredients from (poultry seasoning-pesto) then add the chicken breasts and thoroughly cover them with the ingredients in the bag. then in a skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil and cook the chicken breast on both sides for 7 minutes per side, then add the tomato sauce and let it simmer with the chicken for another 7 minutes or until done. then plate and garnish with cheese.

i added a simple spinach salad under the chicken just to get the greens in.

Baked Empanadas

these are really good quick pocket pies.

for the empanadas:
1 pre made pie crust
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup guimi sauce (listed below)
4 oz creamy goat cheese
1 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 Tbs chipotle pepper
1 Tbs fajita seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1tsp granulated garlic

in a large pan brown the meat with the garlic, chipotle, fajita, paprika,cumin, salt, black pepper, and the granulated garlic. put the meat in a bowl and let cool. if you have a pocket pie former great, if not hands work well. in some of the prepared dough add the goat cheese, guimi sauce, and a good amount of the beef, then close the pocket and cut vent holes in the top. set the oven to 450 degrees, and cook the pocket with a small amount of olive oil on the top. cook them until they are golden brown.

these are great party foods, and fun lunch foods for a kid's lunch, most empanadas are deep fried but i like how the baking tastes on these.

Prosciutto Wrapped Bison Steak & Sweet Potato Gnocchi

This is a little more exotic, it can be a little difficult to find buffalo steaks, and even harder to find good quality ones, and the gnocchi adds a nice sweetness.

For Bison:
1 bison steak
good quality prosciutto
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp all purpose seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika

For the Gnocchi:
2 (8oz sweet potatoes)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour

Pat dry the steak and season with all the spices, then wrap it in the prosciutto, then i prefer to broil it but grilling works too, ( medium rare is a good) bison is easy to overcook so be careful not to turn it to charcoal. let sit about 5 minutes after cooking.

for the gnocchi: cook the potatoes for bout 30 minutes at 350 degrees then set aside to cool.once they are cool to the touch, remove skin and push them through a ricer or mash them blend in all the spices and the egg, then add the flour little by little until you have a soft dough. put a pot of lightly salted water on the stove and bring to a broil. on a floured surface roll the dough into long snakes and cut 1 inch sections of the snakes, drop the pieces into the the pot and cook until the pieces start to float, then remove them with a slotted spoon, then they are ready to eat, you can also pair them with butter or cream sauces. ( as you can see i hand formed my gnocchi)

i paired these two recipes together for a nice mix of the american southwest, also with them i added a baby spinach salad and the guimi sauce (recipe listed below)

Prosciutto Wrapped Tenderloin with Goat Cheese

This is one of my favorites. Tender, juicy, and delicious

for the steak:
1 good quality tenderloin
good quality prosciutto
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp all purpose seasoning
1 tsp granulated garlic

for the cheese:
half a cup (4 oz) french style goat cheese (chevrie is good)
1tsp fresh dill
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried Mediterranean basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried Italian parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder

pat dry the steak and wrap the steak in the prosciutto and evenly distribute the spice on both sides, i prefer to broil it about 4-6 minutes on both sides. (this makes it rare-medium rare)

for the goat cheese add all the ingredients into a freezer bag and mix thoroughly, when the steak has about 2 minutes left in the broiler put the cheese on top of it to let it soften. let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy

i paired it with a wilted baby spinach and brocco-slaw salad (wilted in garlic and olive oil)

Sirloin with basamic reduction

This is a simple recipe but is very good, and quick!

For the steak:
1 Good quality sirloin steak
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp paprika

For the balsamic glaze:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs teriyaki sauce
2Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
dash of salt

mix all the spices for the steak together and mix, pat dry the steak and evenly put the spices on both sides of the steak. set aside for five minutes. while steaks are sitting add all the ingredients in order to a pot over medium heat, and let reduce by half. once steaks have set, either grill,broil, or cook in a pan to desired doneness. it wont take long on any of the steaks because the fat content is low, in my personal opinion medium rare tastes best. once steak is done let it set for 10 minutes. then drizzle balsamic glaze over steak. I paired it with a simple green salad with Moro (blood) oranges and red grapes with a simple butternut squash puree.

seafood Panang Curry

Ok this is my first recipe I am going to be sharing. Seafood panang, panang curry is a dish from Thailand. It is not very spicy, but it has a little kick with some sweetness to it. It is one of my favorite curry dishes, hope you like it!
( on the side are mini empanadas, which i will post the recipe later for those)

For the Panang:
Serves 2

8 large scallops
1/4 lb small-medium shrimp ( about 6 per person)
1Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Panang curry paste ( you can find it at specialty markets or online)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots
1/4 sweet onion chopped small
1/2 cup of coconut milk
salt & pepper to taste

In a wok, or large saute pan heat the oil over medium heat. once oil is hot add the garlic and onion with some salt and let sweat. once the onions and garlic are done (once onions begin to brown) add the curry paste and allow it to heat until you are able to smell it. At this point cook the shrimp in the mixture until almost fully cooked, then add the coconut milk , peas, and carrots and let cook over medium heat until the curry has mixed with milk fully and shrimp are done cooking.

Cook the scallops with a light dusting of salt and pepper to taste in a medium pan, or cast iron skillet (be careful not to over cook the scallops, it is very easy to do) once they are done put them on top of a good amount of jasmine rice in a bowl, then pour the contents of the curry dish onto the scallops. This allows the rice to soak up all the delicious curry sauce that falls off the scallops.
lastly, and most importantly enjoy!