End of Summer Side

As summer slowly fades to fall, we’re all preparing and gathering recipes to start using up the fall bounty of fruit and veggies. Today I wanted to share a side dish that can use up some of the leftover summer/beginning fall vegetables. Sometimes a good meal needs to be accompanied by a great side to be truly complete. Who doesn’t like a fresh piece of garlic bread with spaghetti or a fresh green salad with grilled goods? This side dish can pair well with many dishes, which is another reason it’s great!

Tomato-Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sliced zucchini
• 1 1/2 c fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/4 lb sliced vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1/2 C Panko breadcrumbs
• 1.4 c finely grated Parmesan

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Meanwhile, coat a 2-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray, and alternatively layer zucchini, corn, and tomatoes. (With this recipe, I divided it into four square ramekins for individual sides.)
• Combine Panko and cheese, and sprinkle on top.
• Bake, uncovered, in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
• Then cover with foil and bake 10 minutes more or until vegetable are tender. Serve immediately

What’s your favorite easy pleasing side dish?

Stay tune tomorrow for a VIDEO post! :-)

Start Your Week Off Stuffed

Monday’s can sometimes be the worst day of the week—back to school, work—you know the feeling. But there is something that can make it a tad bit better. How you ask?? With a super stuffed recipe of course ;-) What can be so good that it would transform a whole day, even a Monday? Here’s a clue..

If you guessed chicken, you’re right! But not just your everyday chicken—this recipe was inspired by one of my favorite restaurant meals. It’s cheaper than the restaurant ($2.28/serving vs. $9.99), and even though it took awhile to compile the ingredients to perfection, it was soo worth it. And lucky for you, it’s pretty easy as well!

Crab Stuffed Chicken Breast

*Serves 1, but you can easily double or triple.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz skinless/boneless chicken breast
• 2 Tbsp FF block cream cheese, room temp
• 6 tsp imitation flaked crab, 1oz
• 1/6th an envelope of Lipton savory herb&garlic mix(about 1 1/2 tsp)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp butter or butter spread (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
• Handful of spinach, optional

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F and smear butter spread in a 12-inch skillet on stovetop.
• In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, crab, and Lipton soup mix.

• Take 4 oz chicken breast and slice into it horizontally, stopping about 1-inch towards the opposite end.

• Spread the inside of the chicken breast with the cream cheese mixture and flip the opening shut. If you’re having trouble getting everything to stay inside, you can seal with a toothpick, just remember to take it out before you eat it—ouch!

• Roll chicken breast in egg whites until completely coated. Then dredge it in the bread crumbs—you may need to add a few more breadcrumbs if you can’t cover the whole piece.
• Cook for approximately 10 minutes on MED-HIGH heat, flipping once. If the outside starts to get extremely charred, turn down heat.
• Next place in baking dish, and bake, uncovered for 15 minutes, and you’re done!!
• Serve on a bed of baby spinach if desired.

Have a great start to your week!