Cook: Maple Mustard Chicken

Ok, I know that's not the most appetizing title but trust me when I say this stuff was good! The original recipe can be found here. 

Ingredients: 

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or strips
• 1/4-1/2 cup sweet and spicy mustard
• 1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Parsley and/or chives for garnish

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the mustard and maple syrup. Don't skimp and use crappy syrup. Get REAL maple syrup...you know...the kind from a tree! Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima aren't cuttin' it anymore. Not in this household anyways! I used 1/4 cup of each but I think next time I'll do 1/2 cup of each so there's more sauce. Just do it however you think it'll taste best! If you like mustard, add more mustard!

This is how I made the recipe, but I think it would be even better if the chicken was marinated overnight in this sauce. That's how I plan to make it next time. 

Lay your chicken out in an oven safe dish.

Drizzle your EVOO on top.

Salt and pepper those bad boys!

Pour on the maple mustard dressing. 

Sprinkle some parsley and/or chives (I did both because I already had them mixed) for some pretty garnish. Just do it, it's not like they taste bad! Or like anything for that matter.

Bake for about 30 minutes. The downside to this is that the sugars in the maple syrup burn and make a horrible black crust on the dish. Another note for next time, either use a disposable baking pan or line your dish with aluminum foil! It's nothing a good soak in the sink won't cure, but still, if you're like me, you hate dishes and especially ones that require more work!

Add a little salad on the side and some fresh pineapple and there you have it! My husband LOVES pineapple so I bought one at the store the other day and knew he'd love to see it cut up and ready to eat.

A very delicious dish that will be sure to please your family! My husband couldn't get enough of it! 

Are you a fan of mustard? What kind do you like to stick with? This recipe would be great with just about any type of mustard! 

Till next time,

Catherine

Cook: Lasagna Spinach Rolls

Today, I'm thankful for honesty. I love when people are able to get over themselves and just be honest. Honest in the little things, honest in the big things. More honesty in this country would make this country a better place. But today, I'm thankful for those who are being honest already and make it a point in their daily lives to be an honest, genuine person.

Looks delicious, right? It is! It's like your own personal roll of lasagna heaven. I pinned this recipe on Pinterest a while back and am SO glad I finally made it! I used that recipe as a guideline but added my own taste to it. My recipe also makes double what the original recipe makes. So, be prepared to put half in the freezer or feed a large family! Or, just half the recipe!

Ingredients: 

• 1 box of lasagna noodles (20 in the box, used 19 because 1 broke)
• 1 10oz frozen package of spinach, thawed and drained
• 15oz container of ricotta cheese
• 16oz container of cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (more or less to taste)
• 2 eggs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Jar of tomato pasta sauce
• Jar of alfredo sauce

Directions:

Boil your noodles ahead of time then strain them and lay them out so they cool off. You should probably use wax paper, but I didn't have any, so I used aluminum foil. It worked fine. Also, preheat the oven to 350.

Put your spinach, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, and a dash of salt and pepper into a medium bowl.

Mix tit together well. Mostly be sure your eggs and spinach are mixed in. I used a wooden spoon that I guess might be considered a spork and that helped separate the spinach.

Spoon out maybe 1/4-1/3 cup of the mixture onto your noodles and spread it evenly. I didn't measure which gave me a little trouble later...whoops!

Roll 'em up!

Before placing them in your pan, pour your pasta sauce in the bottom and spread it around. As you can see, using the whole box of lasagna makes a lot! Once you've done that, place your rolls in the pan...or panS in my case. 

Then, take your alfredo sauce and spoon it over the tops of the rolls. If you don't like alfredo, you don't have to do this. I thought the combination was delicious!

Then, take your shredded mozzarella and sprinkle it on top! It's looking real good now, huh? You could also add more parmesan on top if you wanted. Or do parmesan instead of the mozzarella. All of these choices would be delicious!

Now, pop them into the oven at 350 for about 40-45 minutes. If you did as many as I did where they're all touching, you'll need closer to 45 minutes. If you did less with them not touching, check them after about 30 minutes. If they're getting crispy and a little browned, they're good to go. 

Mouth watering deliciousness! I baked the large dish first and put the small one into the freezer for another time. 

Mmm mm mm! Enjoy!

A couple recommendations:

• If you plan to make a lot and freeze half, buy some of those metal pans at the grocery store. 
• If you want them to be crispier, lay them in the pan so that they are not touching each other. 
• Don't put too much in each roll! I started with putting too much in the first 6 but ended up barely having enough for the last few!
• Save your extra sauce for those who like their lasagna extra saucy!

What's your favorite lasagna recipe? Do you like to keep it simple or go all out?

Till next time,

Catherine

I've linked up to Make Your Own Mondays 9/9/13 with Nourishing Treasures!