Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Chops over Sauteed Spinach Pasta

Sun dried tomatoes are not a new ingredient for me. I love using them to brighten dishes and salads. I have recently started buying them without the oil. I can definitely tell the difference in color, texture and freshness. I remove them from the package and reconstitute them in olive oil, I prefer the Spanish Olive Oil from Krogers. Then store them in an air tight jar in the pantry. They will then last for up to six months, if you don't use them before then. 
I love to experiment with different ingredients for the thick cut pork chops. We have tried anything from sweet (apples and raisins) to savory (spinach and mozzarella). This dish is, hands down, my favorite. I paired it with sauteed onions, pine nuts, sun dried tomato and spinach pasta. I hope you will enjoy this as much as we did. 

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

2 cups fresh basil
2 cups fresh parsley
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Oil from the sun dried tomatoes



-->Puree all ingredients in a food processor except the oil. 
-->While machine is running, slowly drizzle the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to create constancy desired. 

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Chops over Sauteed Spinach Pasta

3 Thick Cut Pork Chop, you can use bone-in or boneless
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
Gluten Free Pasta, cooked per package
1 Container Baby Spinach
1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1/2 cup Yellow Onions, sliced
2 Slices Bacon, diced
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/2 Parmesan Cheese



-->Preheat oven to 375*, line baking pan with parchment paper. 
-->Slice a pocket into each pork chop and stuff with sun dried tomato pesto. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice (reserve half the lemon for the pasta.) Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145*F.
-->While the pork chops are baking, render the bacon in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Remove bacon from pan.
-->Saute onions, pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes until onions soft. Add cooked pasta, spinach, and lemon juice to pan. Mix together with salt and pepper until spinach starts to wilt. Remove from heat and add cheese. 
-->Remove pork chops from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. 
-->Enjoy with a glass of white wine. Happy Eating!

Pan Fried Chickpeas & Zucchini over GF Pasta with Classic Pesto

Pan Fried Chickpeas & Zucchini over GF Pasta with Classic Pesto

1 lb Ground Turkey Meat
1 can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Zucchini, sliced thick in 1/2 moons
1 small Onion, sliced
1/4 Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
1 Package of Gluten Free Pasta, your choice, cooked according to package
Classic Pesto
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup Vegetable broth

->In a large skillet, on med-hi, heat 2 Tbsp Olive Oil and "fry" up chickpeas until toasty. (They will start to pop off the pan, kinda like popcorn, when they are done.) Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside. 
->Add 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil to pan, brown meat and saute onions. When meat is half way cooked, add zucchini and sun dried tomatoes. 
->When meat is browned, add chickpeas, vegetable broth. Let simmer for 5 minutes. 
->Add pesto to pasta, stirring until pasta is well coated. Move pasta to large serving bowl and top with meat mixture. 
->Serve with your favorite dry wine and gluten free bread. 

Lemon Basil Chicken with Wilted Greens and Gluten Free Pasta

Browsing either through Pinterest or Facebook one day, I happened upon the inspiration for this recipe. It looked beautiful on the screen of my face. Chicken drenched in lemons and tomatoes. My mouth started watering. I immediately placed it on my menu list for the next weeks menu. I should have also put where I found recipe as well. Hide sight is 20/20, so they say; but if I had the recipe, the one I am about to share with you would not exist.
I hope you and yours enjoy this recipe as much as we have,

Lemon Basil Chicken with Wilted Greens and Gluten Free Pasta

You Will Need:


1 pound Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 container cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 large Lemons
2 cloves garlic
3 cups Spring Salad Mix
5-8 Fresh Basil Leaves, shredded
3 cups vegetable broth
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 box of pasta, cooked according to directions on box for Al Dente pasta.



Directions:

• In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil on med-hi heat. Add shredded chicken and garlic. Season with S&P.
• Slowly add 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth and the juice from one lemon.
• Let simmer for 10 minutes. 
• Add tomatoes and the juice from 1/2 lemon, slice the remaining half to add to mix,  and 1 cup vegetable broth. Season with S&P and Italian Seasoning.
• Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
• Add Spring mix and half basil leaves shredded. 
• When the spring mix starts to wilt, add remaining vegetable broth and pasta. 
• Simmer for 5-10 more minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the remaining basil on top of dish before serving.
• Serve with a nice glass of white wine.
• Happy Eating! 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Butternut Squash Lasanga

Lent came early this year. For those who are not familiar with the term, Lent is the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter. 40 days for reflection and spiritual growth. Many use this time to "give up" something with the thought of the lack of the something will bring them closer to God. Truthfully, it is all done with the best intentions. This year, and last year, instead of giving something up, I decided to add better habits into my life. One of those habits is fasting on Fridays. No meat Fridays. Hence, this is where this recipe has been created.
At first, I was wary of the diary free cheese products. In the last 6 months, I have become increasingly sensitive to dairy. I broke down one day when I found a gluten free and dairy free pizza. I was overjoyed and seriously craving pizza. I tried it. This is good. Then I looked on the back of the box and noticed the product brand also made diary free cheese shreds and cheese blocks. Our local Kroger surprisingly carried the product. Thus, my round about explanation is complete.
I hope you enjoy this spin on the classic lasagna.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Butternut Squash Lasagna

You will need:

1 lb butternut squash, cubed
1/2 cup onions, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups baby spinach
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of Rosemary, nutmeg and thyme
1 jar gluten free marinara sauce
1 package gluten free lasagna noodles, cooked according to package
1 package Daiya dairy free mozzarella shreds
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Directions:

• In a large skillet, on medium heat, saute squash, onions and zucchini. Season to taste,
• When the squash is soften, add garlic, broth and a handful of cheese.
• Preheat oven to 400 degree, prepare baking dish by adding a spoonful of marinara sauce to bottom,
• Add spinach to skillet. Remove skillet from heat when spinach starts to wilt. 
• Now it's time to start layering. Start with the noodles, then add a thin layer of sauce, sprinkle cheese, then the vegetable mixture, sprinkling more cheese, then another layer of noodles. Repeat until you run out of noodles, sauce, mix and cheese. 
• You will want your last layer to be noodle, sauce and cheese. 
• Bake for 30-40 minutes. This cheese does not like to melt as well as I would like. Just FYI, the top layer of cheese will be on the crunchy side.
• Enjoy with a glass of wine and your favorite gluten free bread!

Happy Eating!

White Bean, Sausage and Spinach Stew

As with a lot of my recipes, I have found inspiration on the website Pinterest. For the most part, I reinvent the recipe to make it my own. 9 out of 10 times, I have had to make the recipe gluten free, dairy free, and corn free to fit into my diet plan. As I have said in my disclaimer, I will give credit where credit is due when it comes to the recipes I post. That being said, the original recipe can be found at www.itsmysideoflife.com . Instead of chicken broth, I use vegetable broth. Instead of tomatoes, I use zucchini. Instead of kielbasa, I use Aidell's Chicken and Apple gluten free sausages.
This recipe is a perfect warm meal for the cool months ahead. Full of delicious ingredients and easy to make, My husband was pleasantly surprised with this stew.  I hope your family will enjoy it as much as we did. Happy Eating!

White Bean, Sausage, and Spinach Stew

You will need:

1 large can of Cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1 package of Aidell Chicken and Apple sausage, sliced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 large zucchini, diced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp thyme

Directions:

• In a large deep skillet, on med-hi heat, heat oil and add sliced sausage, zucchini, onions, and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes, then add 1/2 cup vegetable broth.
• Add beans and let simmer for 7 minutes. 
• Add 1 cup of vegetable broth, spinach and thyme. Cover and let simmer for 7 minutes.
• Add the remainder of broth and let simmer for another 7 minutes.
• Serve with your favorite gluten free bread and a glass of cider.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 31 minutes

Total: 41 minutes

Serves; 2-4 people

Happy Eating!

Ham and Swiss Cheese Pasta Bake

This recipe is one of the first recipes I created when I first started cooking. I love Mac and cheese has always been a favorite of mine. My grandmothers made the best Mac and cheese. Both very, very different but definitely not out of the box. In fact, they spoiled me such, I can't even  think about eating the boxed stuff. This dish is a twist on the classic, adding ham and tomatoes for a fulfilling casserole the whole family will love. Hope your family enjoys it as much as ours. Happy eating!

Ham and Swiss Cheese Pasta Bake


You will need:
1 Package of ham cubes
1 1/2 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
1 package of gluten free shell pasta
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch of dry mustard

Directions:

• Make pasta according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 350* and grease large casserole dish.
• In a medium bowl, mix together egg, milk, butter, 1/2 cup cheese, and dry mustard together.  
• Rinse pasta in cool water, mix in the egg mixture. Add ham and tomatoes with 1/2 cup cheese. 
• Pour into casserole dish and top with rest of cheese.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheese is melted. 
• Enjoy with a nice green salad. 

Chicken, Mango, Black Bean Rice Bowls

Mexican and Tex-Mex food are staples in our house. The flavor combinations, the variety of ingredients, and the general comfort the food brings to us. As I have said in previous posts, I am looking for a good substitution for corn in my recipes. In this recipe, I used zucchini in place of corn. Truthfully, we didn't miss the corn. The real stars in this recipe are the black beans and mangoes. This is another easy 30 minute meal. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Happy Eating!

Chicken, Mango, Black Bean Rice Bowls

You will need:

2 Chicken breasts, shredded

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small zucchini, peeled and diced

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small mango, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 cup cooked rice

Spices, to taste:

Salt and Pepper

Green Chile Powder

Red Chile Powder

Paprika

A dash of Sriracha Sauce

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

• In a large skillet heat coconut oil on med-hi heat, saute chicken with zucchini, onions, garlic and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
• When onions are translucent, add mangoes, black beans and rice. Season with salt, pepper, chile powders, and paprika. Add 1/4 cup vegetable broth and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add sriracha sauce and remainder of vegetable broth. Simmer for another 8-10 minutes.
• Serve with Avocado slices or sour cream with a cold Mexican beer,