Caprese Salad

My daughter was given this recipe by one of her school friends who is gluten free. With the simple list of ingredients and basic chopping skills required, it's a great way to involve your kids in the kitchen!

Caprese Salad
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber
• 4 tomatoes on the vine
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese pearls (about 1/2 cup)
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Dice cucumber and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces; place in large bowl.
2. Add cheese pearls to bowl.
3. Slice basil leaves into thin strips and add to bowl.
4. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over ingredients in bowl; gently toss to coat.
5. Refrigerate an hour (or more) before serving.
6. Leftover salad keeps up to 2 days in refrigerator.

Variations

• Drizzle balsamic vinegar on individual servings for added flavor.
• Add quinoa to make more filling and turn into main entree.

Bagel Breakfast Casserole

Turn your favorite egg and cheese bagel sandwich into a make-ahead breakfast casserole!


Bagel Breakfast Casserole
Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 5 gluten free bagels
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups lactose free skim milk
• 1 lb turkey sausage
• 3 cups shredded cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Using serrated bread knife, cut each bagel into bite-size pieces.
3. In large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until no yolk is visible and mixture is smooth. Add cut bagels to egg mixture and toss to coat. Set aside to allow bagels to soak while browning sausage.
4. In nonstick pan over medium-high heat, brown sausage and break into small chunks with wooden spoon as it cooks.
5. Once sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, add it to bagel and egg mixture. Add 2 cups shredded cheese. Stir until thoroughly combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese and cover with aluminum foil.
7. Make-ahead step: At this point, place casserole dish into refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove casserole dish from refrigerator twenty minutes prior to baking, then proceed as follows.
8. Bake, covered with foil, in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then carefully remove pan from oven, remove foil, and return pan to oven. Bake additional 15-20 minutes, or until surface has browned and center has set.
9. Serve hot!

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes.

Garlic Lemon Butter Chicken

After browsing through multiple chicken recipes online, I created this dish based on the ingredients I liked best from each one. I didn't think to take a picture of the dish straight out of the oven because I had no idea it would be such a resounding success! My kids regularly request this dinner and the leftovers (pictured) are just as delicious.

Garlic Lemon Butter Chicken
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips)
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• splash white wine (optional)
• 2-3 Tbsp minced garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Line chicken tenders in single layer in dish (do not overlap). Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. In small bowl, stir together melted butter, lemon juice, wine, and garlic. Drizzle evenly over chicken.
4. Cover dish with foil. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
5. Serve hot! Sauce tastes delicious when drizzled on rice, mashed potatoes, and/or steamed vegetables. Enjoy!

How to Cook Burgers in the Oven

Before our long-distance move, we decided not to bring our grill along with us (it was old and dirty, plus we ran out of space in the U-Haul!). We have yet to replace it three months later. Luckily, I found a convenient way to cook burgers inside so we can still enjoy one of our favorite summertime dinners!

How to Cook Burgers in the Oven
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ground beef burger patties (about 1/3 lb each)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Line sheet pan with foil using two pieces folded together that extend over all four sides of pan. (This makes for easy clean up later!)
3. Place piece of parchment paper on top of foil. Line up 8 burgers on parchment (leave space in between and do not overlap).
4. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until each burger reaches internal temperature of 145-150°F.

Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats.

Ginger Sesame Kale Stir Fry

This aromatic, plant-based side dish is bursting with Asian flavors and comes together in less than 15 minutes!

Ginger Sesame Kale Stir Fry
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 16 oz bag chopped kale (about 10 cups)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. Heat sesame oil in large cast iron pot over medium heat.
2. Add kale and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to wilt. Add garlic, ginger, and coconut aminos. Cook a few more minutes, to desired level of doneness.
3. Transfer to serving bowl and toss with lemon juice and sesame seeds.
4. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Glue & Glitter.

Easy Margarita

The lemon-lime tang of Sprite combined with the crisp bite of tequila is a quick and simple way to enjoy the flavors of a classic margarita on a budget.

Easy Margarita
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 oz tequila
• 4 oz Sprite
• splash of lime juice

Directions

1. Fill highball glass with ice.
2. Pour tequila over ice.
3. Top off with Sprite (approximately 4 oz).
4. Add splash of lime juice, to taste.
5. Stir gently with bar spoon.
6. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Occasional Cocktails.