Making this recipe reminded me of making foil packets on the fire, while camping during the summers in my tween-years.

So easy, tweens can do it!

No – really.

My new (old-school) favorite way to cook meat: because you basically slap it on some foil and roll it up in a pop-tart-like sandwich and you’re good to go. Clean up involves crunching up the foil and throwing it in the trash.

Cooking For Dummies at it’s best.

Serves 2

You will need: aluminum foil

Ingredients: 

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 small zucchini, sliced thin
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• dash of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1/8 cup fresh basil, minced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Chop (and pat dry) the zucchini. Continue on choppin’ the bell pepper and green onions then toss in medium size bowl.

Cut up tomatoes and throw into a second bowl.

In a separate small bowl, combine garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, oil, and a dash of pepper.

Pour half of the mixture into the first bowl of vegetables and and the second half to the tomatoes. Stir both bowls of veggies.

Cut 4 12 inch sheets of foil – keep 2 as a main base, lay two aside.

Plop half of the zucchini mixture in the middle of each of the 2 main foil squares.

Add 1 chicken breast on top of each zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add half the tomatoes on top of each chicken breast.

Place the two foil tops on the meat and roll edges of foil into packets.

Put on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for 29-30 minutes.

Open the packets carefully, sprinkle with basil and serve!

We are at 3 for 3 with winning recipes adapted from or inspired by The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

At this point, I’m just going to keep on going!

 Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

Maaaaybe we should start calling this blog “…Makes all the Recipes from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook,” because it is AWESOME and everything we’ve made so far from there is delicious.

For some reason I have really been craving Mexican food lately. Ok – I am always craving Mexican food. In college I would eat Chipotle multiple times a week. Those were the days.

I originally wanted to make this recipe because I had a bunch of frozen corn in the freezer and figured I could use it up with this. Of course I got all pumped up to eat it and then realized you need to use fresh, NON FROZEN corn. I don’t really know why, the directions just ominously decree it. I obeyed and bought some fresh corn – even husked it and everything!

Makes approximately 2 cups of salsa.  For a party size, double the batch. Eat with tortilla chips, on a burrito, atop a romaine salad – the list goes on!

You will need: paring knife, 12 inch nonstick skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 2 ears corn (slice off the kernels with a paring knife)
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1/2 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (if you want it extra spicy, add the whole thing)
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat for until warm.

Carefully add the corn and cook. Stir on and off until golden brown for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Dump the browned corn to a large bowl.

Stir in everything else.

Recommended but not necessary: cover and refrigerate for an hour or so – this will blend the flavors better!

Store in the fridge. Keeps for several days.

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

I am all about quinoa right now. I can’t get over how easy it is to make and how versatile it is. It’s good as a side dish with chicken, alongside crackers as a snack, or plopped on a bunch of salad for lunch. That’s pretty much the order I ate this in. 😉 Tuna has decreed it into the usual rotation, so I’m excited to eat it lots this spring and summer!

Serves 2 (main) or 4 (side dish)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 oz grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 cup basil leaves, chopped and for garnish
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Add water and quinoa to a medium/large pot.

Add in garlic, onion, tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Heat the uncovered pot to a rolling boil.

Cover, reduce to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove from burner and let cool for 5 minutes.

Toss in basil and olive oil to serve.

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

I promise this is the easiest thing ever to make and is really good for you. Done and done.

It is also nice to get in some veggies other than in salad form (especially in the winter!).

Don’t forget they are low in calories, fancy-looking…I could go on forever!

Oh yeah, and good for vegan, gluten-free guests. 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini squash (thickly sliced)
• 1 yellow squash (thickly sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced into pieces)
• 1 red onion (sliced into pieces)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss zucchini, squash, red pepper, and onion with olive oil and seasonings.

Stab a wooden skewer through the veggies (stacked as you please).

Bake for 20 minutes and serve!

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

The freezing temps of late have made me only want to eat WARM things. There are only so many soups that I like 😉 so I am being forced to get creative with new, WARM recipes to throw in the weekly mix. This mock risotto is a definitely a good hearty dish you can come home to after a long day battling the winter weather!

I think I am starting to have an orzo obsession.

This recipe was inspired from HERE!

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 28 oz vegetable broth
• 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 cups frozen peas
• salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat a saucepan over medium heat.

Add olive oil, onion, and garlic.

Cook while stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.

Add broth and stir until boiling.

Add pasta.

Reduce heat to low and cover.

Simmer until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes) while stirring occasionally.

Microwave frozen peas and toss into orzo.

Season with salt & pepper and serve!

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!