I found this recipe on Skinnytaste and couldn’t wait to make it. I paired it with the Roasted Pepper, Spinach, and Sharp Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast and it was a delicious, flavorful, and healthy meal. My kids gobbled this up even though it was a bit spicy and they both said they loved it. I’ll be honest, I had seconds and I am fairly certain my husband had thirds. This will be on our table again soon.

Cut broccoli into small florets. Steam covered with a little water until just tender, be careful not to overcook it. Remove the cooked broccoli and set aside.

While the broccoli is steaming, cook pasta per instructions in salted water. Drain orzo in a colander. Add the oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli, crushed red pepper flakes, and broccoli. Cook, stirring constantly, for 90 seconds. Add the orzo and gently mix until well combined. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. Serve with shaved Parmesan. Enjoy.

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Spicy Broccoli and Orzo

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 10 min.

Total Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

5 oz orzo pasta, cooked per instructions
2 cups of small fresh broccoli florets
3 tsp olive oil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, more if you want it extra spicy
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cut broccoli into small florets. Steam covered with a little water until just tender,be careful not to overcook it. Remove the cooked broccoli and set aside.

While the broccoli was steaming, cook pasta per instructions in salted water. Drain orzo in a colander. Add the oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli, crushed red pepper flakes, and broccoli. Cook, stirring constantly, for 90 seconds. Add the orzo and gently mix until well combined. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. Serve with shaved Parmesan. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking
Original recipe by Skinnytaste

I craving chicken for dinner and was inspired by a recipe I found on Skinnytaste.com that looked great. I adapted the recipe to use what I had on hand. I found some roasted red bell pepper, fresh baby spinach, and sharp cheddar in the fridge. I grabbed some Italian panko from the refrigerator along with some olive oil and a lemon. The chicken was easy to make, smelled great while it baked, and was a big hit with all my husband and I and our kids thought it was tasty except for the roasted bell pepper.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. (Side Note:  I used the convection bake setting on my oven but regular will work however you may need to broil the chicken for a few seconds at the end of baking to get a golden color on your breading – watch carefully).

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Place all four pieces of chicken on a cutting board then cover with wax paper. Pound the chicken with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Season the pieces of chicken with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste. Place some shredded cheese down the center followed by roasted bell pepper, and two spinach leaves on each piece. Carefully roll each piece of chicken as tightly as possible and place seam side down.

Place the breadcrumbs on a plate. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste in a small bowl; mix until well combined.

Dip the chicken in the lemon oil mixture followed by the breadcrumbs to coat evenly then place in the baking dish seam side down. Coat each chicken roll with cooking spray.

Place into the oven and bake 25-30 minutes. Let the meat rest for a couple of minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy.

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Roasted Pepper, Spinach, and Sharp Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 25-30 min.

Total Time: 35-40 min.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, finely shredded
4 slices of roasted bell pepper
8 fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. (Side Note: I used the convection bake setting on my oven but regular will work but you may need to broil the chicken for a few seconds at the end of baking to get a golden color on your breading).

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Place all four pieces of chicken on a cutting board then cover with wax paper. Pound the chicken with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Season the pieces of chicken with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste. Place some shredded cheese down the center followed by roasted bell pepper, and two spinach leaves on each piece. Carefully roll each piece of chicken as tightly as possible and place seam side down on a plate.

Place the breadcrumbs on a plate. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix until well combined.

Place the breadcrumbs on a plate. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste in a small bowl; mix until well combined.

Dip the chicken in the lemon oil mixture followed by the breadcrumbs to coat evenly then place in the baking dish seam side down. Coat each chicken roll with cooking spray.Place into the oven and bake 25-30 minutes. Let the meat rest for a couple of minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy.

My kids were having friends over to play so I decided to make them some banana bread. I wanted to try something different and found a recipe for a cinnamon swirl banana bread at Lovin’ From The Oven that looked and sounded delicious. I adapted the recipe a bit by adding cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to the batter. It was quite easy to make and made my house smell absolutely incredible while it baked. I served the bread with a big plate of fresh fruit for a tasty and fun afternoon snack that all of the kids loved.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small loaf pan with cooking spray.

Mix the mashed bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together with a beater until creamy.

Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a separate bowl then mix well. Gently add the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Don’t over mix.

Mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.

Add half of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan.

Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.

Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven then let it cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve with butter if desired. Enjoy.

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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 55-65 min.

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Banana Bread:

3 very ripe bananas, smashed up
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Cinnamon Layer:

1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small loaf pan with cooking spray.

Mix the mashed bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together with a beater until creamy.

Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a separate bowl then mix well. Gently add the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Don't over mix.

Mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.

Add half of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.

Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven then let it cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve with butter if desired. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Lovin' From The Oven

Breakfast:

Breakfast Braid with Egg, Jalapeno Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper, and Mozzarella 

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Peasant Omelette with Potatoes, Mushrooms, Bacon, and Cheddar

Lunch:

Meatball Sandwich

Asian Chicken Sandwich

Italian Grinder 

Dinner:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Dijon and Panko-Crusted Salmon

Garlic Crusted Roast Beef

Dessert:

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich

Blackberry Galette with Homemade Vanilla Whipped Cream

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Check here for more Father’s Day recipes.

After looking online for different Asian rice recipes, I decided to make my own version of coconut cilantro rice. In this recipe I used light coconut milk (because that’s what I had on hand) but if you want the rice to have a stronger coconut flavor and to be extra rich then you should definitely use regular coconut milk. I think the cilantro gave it an extra special flavor and it really paired perfectly with the Asian Salmon and the Garlic-Ginger Bok Choy Sauté.  It turned out really delicious and we all loved it, even my daughter, who usually doesn’t care for rice.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring often so the rice doesn’t stick to the pan, for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk then season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let cook 20 minutes.

Remove the rice from the burner without removing the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and mix until well combined. Taste & re-season if needed. Serve and enjoy.

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Coconut Cilantro Rice

Yield: 4-5

Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring often so the rice doesn't stick to the pan, for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk then season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let cook 20 minutes.

Remove the rice from the burner without removing the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and mix until well combined. Taste & re-season if needed. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

I wanted to make a healthy seafood dinner so I went online to find some inspiration. I came across an Asian salmon recipe from Ina Garten that looked great. I adapted the recipe a bit by adding sesame oil, a little bit of honey, and some water. The salmon was cooked to perfection and absolutely delicious. Both of my kids had seconds – gotta love that!  This salmon paired nicely with the Garlic-Ginger Bok Choy Sauté and rice. It was a quick and healthy meal that we all loved.

Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, honey, water, and garlic together in a small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (for easier clean up). Coat the tin foil with cooking spray.

Lay the salmon, skin side down, on the baking sheet. Pour half of the marinade on top of the salmon making sure to spread it evenly. Reserve the remaining marinade. Season the top of the fish with freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Let the fish sit for 10 minutes while the oven preheats.

Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and serve with reserved marinade. Serve immediately.  Enjoy.

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Asian Salmon

Yield: 4

Cook Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of wild Salmon, skin on
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
1 tsp honey
1 clove of garlic, minced
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, honey, water, and garlic together in a small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (for easier clean up). Coat the tin foil with cooking spray.

Lay the salmon, skin side down, on the baking sheet. Pour half of the marinade on top of the salmon making sure to spread it evenly. Reserve the remaining marinade. Season the top of the fish with freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Let the fish sit for 10 minutes while the oven preheats.

Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and serve with reserved marinade. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Ina Garten - Food Network

I’ve always wanted to try bok choy so I finally decided to pick some up. I found a easy & healthy recipe by Robin Miller that looked perfected. It was quick and simple to make and tasted fantastic! I really loved the garlic, ginger, and soy combination. This bok choy paired perfectly with the salmon and rice I served for dinner.

Cut the baby bok choy in half lengthwise. Cut out the core in the bottom of the cabbage. Remove each stalk then cut them each in half lengthwise.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes then cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds; add the bok choy and soy sauce then stir until evenly coated then sauté for 3-4 minutes or until greens are wilted and the stalks are crisp-tender. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.

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Garlic-Ginger Bok Choy Sauté

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 5 min.

Total Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 head of baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise, core removed
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp soy sauce
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cut the baby bok choy in half lengthwise. Cut out the core in the bottom of the cabbage. Remove each stalk then cut them each in half lengthwise.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes then cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds; add the bok choy and soy sauce then stir until evenly coated then sauté for 3-4 minutes or until greens are wilted and the stalks are crisp-tender. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Robin Miller on Food Network

I saw a recipe for strawberry milk on We are Not Martha and decided to make it for my kids’ after school snack. It was simple to prepare made the most delicious strawberry milk. My kids absolutely loved it and asked me to make it again very soon. I love that this milk put a huge smile on my kids’ faces and that it was made with real fruit.

Place the sliced strawberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat  to medium low and let simmer, stirring often, until mixture thickens into a syrup, about 10 minutes.

I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with soft boiled eggs. Ever since I figured out how to make the perfect soft boiled egg, I have been making them at least a few times a week for breakfast or lunch. Recently I had leftover salad greens and vinaigrette in the refrigerator as well as a piece of bacon leftover from breakfast so I decided to throw it all together along with a soft boiled egg and make a breakfast salad. I absolutely loved this meal! I enjoyed the combination of the creamy egg with the tangy vinaigrette and the crunchy bacon and salty Parmesan. This salad was so delicious and it was beautiful too. This is, by far, my new favorite salad. Loved it!

Prepare Fran’s Vinaigrette; set aside.

Heat an inch of water in a small saucepan over medium high heat until boiling. Add the egg, reduce the heat to medium, and cover with a lid. Let the egg cook for 6 minutes then remove it from the stove. Side Note: if you are using a jumbo sized egg, cook for 6 minutes & 30 seconds.

While the egg is cooking, toss the mixed greens and tomatoes with a little vinaigrette, to taste, until evenly coated. Place into a serving bowl then sprinkle the top with the bacon crumbles and shaved Parmesan on top.

Once the egg has finished cooking, run the saucepan and egg under cold water until the egg is cool enough to be handled. Using a knife, crack the top edge of the egg then gently peel, making sure to be careful so you don’t puncture the egg. Once it is peeled, place on top of the prepared salad,  slice down the center with a knife, season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then dig in. Enjoy!

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Breakfast Salad

Yield: 1 salad

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 6 min.

Total Time: 11 min.

Ingredients:

Fran's Vinaigrette (see link to recipe up above)
1 egg
2 cups of mixed greens
3-4 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 slice of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 tbsp shaved Parmesan
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Prepare Fran's Vinaigrette; set aside.

Heat an inch of water in a small saucepan over medium high heat until boiling. Add the egg, reduce the heat to medium, and cover with a lid. Let the egg cook for 6 minutes then remove it from the stove. Side Note: if you are using a jumbo sized egg, cook for 6 minutes & 30 seconds.

While the egg is cooking, toss the mixed greens and tomatoes with a little vinaigrette, to taste, until evenly coated. Place into a serving bowl then sprinkle the top with the bacon crumbles and shaved Parmesan on top.

Once the egg has finished cooking, run the saucepan and egg under cold water until the egg is cool enough to be handled. Using a knife, crack the top edge of the egg then gently peel, making sure to be careful so you don't puncture the egg. Once it is peeled, place on top of the prepared salad, slice down the center with a knife, season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then dig in. Enjoy!

Photos and recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

I picked up a bag of pre-cooked small shrimp recently so I could make shrimp fried rice. I loved the great garlicky flavor the shrimp added to the dish. We all enjoyed the fried rice and my kids especially loved the shrimp. I served this fried rice with the Soy-Sesame Vegetable Sauté and they paired nicely together. Another quick and easy meal that tasted great – I love that.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. Crumble and set aside.

Remove all but 1-2 tsp bacon grease from the skillet then add 1-2 tbsp of canola oil to the pan; add the shrimp and 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, then remove the shrimp from the pan and place into a bowl. Set aside. Add the remaining minced garlic, ginger and white pieces of the green onion to the pan. Sauté for 60 seconds, stirring constantly then add the rice, crumbled bacon, green parts of the green onion (keeping just a few for garnish), soy sauce and white pepper. Mix the rice thoroughly.

Add the beaten eggs to a separate skillet coated with cooking spray. Cook for 10-20 seconds on each side, flipping it like a pancake, until thoroughly cooked. Remove from pan and cut into small pieces (I used my pizza cutter).

Add the sliced egg to the rice along with the shrimp and mix gently. Taste and add more soy sauce, sea salt, or white pepper if needed. Remove from heat, top with the few remaining green onions and serve. Enjoy!

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Shrimp Fried Rice

Yield: 6-8

Ingredients:

5-6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 cloves of garlic, minced (divided)
2 cups of pre-cooked frozen shrimp, thawed and patted dry
1-2 tbsp canola oil
4 green onions, white part separated from the green part
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
6 cups cold rice – made the day before and refrigerated
2-3 tbsp soy, to taste
Sea salt and White pepper, to taste
2-3 eggs, slightly beaten

Directions:

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. Crumble and set aside.

Remove all but 1-2 tsp bacon grease from the skillet then add 1-2 tbsp of canola oil to the pan; add the shrimp and 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, then remove the shrimp from the pan and place into a bowl. Set aside. Add the remaining minced garlic, ginger and white pieces of the green onion to the pan. Sauté for 60 seconds, stirring constantly then add the rice, crumbled bacon, green parts of the green onion (keeping just a few for garnish), soy sauce and white pepper. Mix the rice thoroughly.

Add the beaten eggs to a separate skillet coated with cooking spray. Cook for 10-20 seconds on each side, flipping it like a pancake, until thoroughly cooked. Remove from pan and cut into small pieces (I used my pizza cutter).

Add the sliced egg to the rice along with the shrimp and mix gently. Taste and add more soy sauce, sea salt, or white pepper if needed. Remove from heat, top with the few remaining green onions and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net