Spinach & Egg White Pancakes

My friend Meg over at Food Tastic Sisters is a great cook.  She is always tweaking recipes to be healthier.  She is an amazing personal trainer and knows how to eat healthy.  She put this recipe on Face Book the other day and I admit, I had my doubts.  I was very surprised at how good they were for being super healthy and having spinach in them.  I know, I'm so pessimistic, right?!  I slathered my son's pancake with peanut butter and syrup (before he saw them to cover up any remnant of green color) and while eating them he kept saying, "MMMMMMM, Mom these are SO yummy MMMMMM!"  He doesn't even say that about regular pancakes ha ha.  The regular pancake recipe I make has cinnamon in it and I think its the cinnamon that makes this recipe tasty.  For a version of a healthy pancake, this was delish! :)  Thanks again Meg!


1 cup egg whites (If I remember right, it took about 7 real egg whites)
1 handful spinach
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder...
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla

Blend and slap on a griddle! 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

YIELD: SERVES 6-8

Make-Ahead Tip: I made the entire casserole the morning before I wanted to serve it and stored it in the fridge all day. It cooked up beautifully. The original recipe recommends making the topping and cheese sauce and then refrigerating them in separate bowls for up to 1 day. To reheat and assemble, poke several vent holes in the plastic wrap covering the sauce and microwave it for about 3 to 5 minutes, until it is hot. Cook the potatoes and assemble and bake according to the recipe directions.

INGREDIENTS

Topping:
• 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters (I used a long forgotten bread bowl tucked in the back of the freezer – thawed it in the microwave before using)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
• 3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
• 6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, about 2 cups
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly
• 9 ounces deli ham, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. For the topping, process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.
2. For the filling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, making sure the oven rack is in the middle. Place the potatoes, 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 2 minutes (don’t overcook because they will continue to cook in the oven!). Carefully drain potatoes, or remove them with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a bowl. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute (this helps cook out the flour taste in the roux). Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the cream or milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until slightly thickened (if using milk instead of cream, you may have to cook longer for it to thicken up a bit). Off the heat, whisk in the Swiss cheese, Dijon, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
4. Toss the potatoes with half of the sauce and spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Layer alternating pieces of the chicken and ham over the potatoes, overlapping as needed. This is not a scientific procedure, just make sure that the chicken is in a single layer (not on top of each other) so that it cooks thoroughly. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the casserole is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes (add about 5-7 additional minutes onto the baking time if baking it after it has chilled in the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours). Sprinkle with parsley and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Original Source: Cover and Bake from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated

Gyro Burger Pitas, Tzatziki Sauce & Flatbread

I FINALLY found it!!  A few months ago, I made this Gyro Burger Pita recipe.  I meant to post it on here, but then I couldn't for the life of me remember where I got it from.  Hallelujah!  All is right in my world again :)  We love Greek food around here and I do have a yummy gyro recipe already, but this was more a more simplified recipe.  I admit I have not made the recipes below for the Tzatziki sauce and flatbread, I just used my previous recipe.  You better believe I am trying these recipes on my next go around.  

Gyro Burger Pitas
Photo and Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground lamb (if this is hard to find, ask a butcher to grind 1 lb. of lamb leg or loin)

(I always just use ground beef and its great....probably not as "authentic" but still delish.)

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dry onion
1 Tbsp. Dijon or coarse grain mustard
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. rosemary, dry or fresh and chopped
Tzatziki 
4 whole wheat pitas or 6″ rounds of flatbread (see this recipe to make your own; just make 4-6 circles instead of 1)
Fresh tomato and thin onion slices

Instructions: Gently combine lamb,garlic, onion, mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, oregano, and rosemary with your hands and shape into 4 oblong patties. Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side and remove from heat. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Place on pitas or flatbread and add onions, tomatoes, and Tzatziki. Fold like a taco and serve immediately. For easy serving and clean-up, wrap in aluminum foil.

Tzatziki

Photo and Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt (that’s 2 6-oz. containers)

1 clove garlic, minced

1-2 tsp. lemon juice

3 green onions, firm ends finely chopped

1 tsp. dry dill weed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Flat Bread
Recipe adapted from Epicurious, My Photo and Recipe Source:Our Best Bites 

Ingredients:

1 c. warm (105-115 F) water

2 packets or 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 1/4-2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, combine 2 c. flour, olive oil, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Add in yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add in another 1/4-1/2 c. of flour or until a very soft dough is formed. Cover with a clean towel and allow to stand about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Spray a baking sheet and then your hands with cooking spray. Punch dough down and then remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet and spread into a circle about 1/2″ thick and 11-12″-ish inches in diameter. Cover and allow to rise another 30 minutes.

While dough is rising, preheat oven to 400. When dough has risen, use your fingers to make indentations in the dough. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining Kosher salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly and then just tear pieces off instead of cutting it–it just tastes better that way… :)

Triple Chip Blondies

My friend Jenny makes these bars all the time.  I kept asking for the recipe and she told me it was on the Our Best Bites website.  I had heard of their website, but never been on it before.  They look like they have some good recipes there so I will need to check more of them out.  Anyway, these bars do not contain any baking powder or baking soda-in case you do a double take like I did when I read the ingredients.  This dessert is rich and dense, but super easy and great to serve when you need a quick dessert.  Also, the recipe is for a 9x13 pan, but Jenny experimented and they can be made thick in a 9x13 pan or thin in a 12x16x1 (large cookie sheet with a 1" raised edge all the way around).  Just watch the baking time if you make them thinner so they get too dark.  They are so rich you would be happy with both versions.  Also, the chocolate drizzle on top is optional in my opinion.  :)  You can also easily switch out the chocolate chips for whatever you have on hand.  Enjoy!

Triple Chip BlondiesSource: Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
2 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with the back of a knife
2/3 cup chocolate chips, plus 1/3 cup for drizzling on top
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
2/3 cup peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Melt the butter. Combine in a large mixing bowl with the brown sugar. Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips (excluding the 1/3 cup reserved chips), white chocolate chips, and peanut butter or butterscotch chips and mix until combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool completely. When cool, combine the reserved chips and the coconut oil or shortening in a small freezer zip-top bag, seal it, and heat it in the microwave in 15-second increments, mashing the bag with your hands until the chocolate and oil are smooth (repeat as long as necessary). Cut a small corner out of the bag and squeeze the melted chocolate over the baked blondies. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.