Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Chicken quesadillas are such an easy meal to whip up. Their simplicity provides a great base for you to add your creativity. Today I chose to add sauteed spinach and mushrooms to my chicken quesadillas, but you can add any of your favorite vegetables. Buying a rotisserie chicken from the store cuts your time in half and makes this a perfect weeknight meal.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
2 lb Rotisserie chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups baby portobello mushrooms
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 large flour tortillas

Mince the garlic and add it to a hot saute pan with the sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until reduced and tender.

Wash your spinach and dry it off before adding it to the saute pan. Cook until wilted and then remove from the heat.

Coat the bottom of a clean skillet with non-stick cooking spray and add a flour tortilla. Top with a layer of cheese and shredded chicken.

Add in your vegetables and top off with a second flour tortilla. Cook in the skillet for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook for another minute or so to brown the tortillas.

Slice into triangles and serve alongside sour cream or your favorite salsa. Enjoy!

Kale and White Bean Soup

In the early days of spring we still have those days that there is a chill in the air. This is the perfect soup for those nights. It is a light soup that is filled with ingredients to feed your hunger, such as the beans and the kale. Kale seems to be the hot topic lately in the health food world because it is filled with so many nutrients. This soup is a great way to incorporate kale into your diet. If you do not like kale, you can switch it out for escarole or spinach or any other green of your choice.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion
6 cups vegetable broth
15 oz. tomato puree
15 oz. can Cannellini beans
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tsp basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 cups chopped kale leaves
Parmesan cheese, for topping

Mince the garlic and chop the onion.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your garlic and onion and saute until fragrant. Watch to make sure it does not begin to brown.

Add the vegetable broth and tomato puree and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to a simmer and add the beans and the rice along with the basil, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once the rice is tender, add the kale and stir it together. Cook for another minute or so to allow the kale to wilt.

Transfer to serving bowls and top with a spoonful of grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Super Moist Carrot Cake

Sorry for the lack of posts last week, my Internet was down. Luckily, it is now back up and running just in time for me to bring you this delicious treat. This carrot cake is so moist and flavorful all thanks to a few 'secret' ingredients. The oil keeps the cake moist and the pineapple really pumps up the flavor. This is such a classic recipe that is sure to please every time. I am the first one to admit I have an obsession with chocolate, but who doesn't love a good carrot cake.

Recipe yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
3 pineapple rings (from the can, in juice)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup walnuts

Frosting:
8 oz. light cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Start by preparing your pan with butter and flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

In a larger mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil and pineapple rings. Using a hand mixer or your stand mixer, blend together.

Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, blending together between each.

Finely shred the carrots into a bowl and set aside for now.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir together until just incorporated. You want to fold the ingredients together and be sure not to overmix. Add in your carrots and half the walnuts and mix it all together.

Fill up your pan with your cake batter and place it in the middle of the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once the cake is finished, remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer, blend together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Blend until the sugar is incorporated before adding more. You want your frosting to have a smooth consistency.

If you have the patience, slice your cake in half and make two layers. Add the extra icing in between the layers for a surprise filling. As I was in a bit of a rush to eat this cake, I made only one layer and coated the top with the icing. Decorate the top with rest of your chopped walnuts and if your ambitious, draw some carrots with colorful icing. Slice and enjoy!

Baked Lemon Sole

I am all about simple meals that come together in a quick amount of time. No matter how delicious a fresh roasted chicken is, we don't all have 3 hours a day to spend on dinner time. Seafood is always a quick option that can seem detailed and put together, but take only very little effort.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
8-10 pieces sole
2 lemons
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp parsley
Salt, to season
Freshly ground black pepper, to season

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Clean sole and arrange on a greased baking sheet.

Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Chop the parsley and oregano, remove thyme from stems. Season fish with spices.

Squeeze the juice from one lemon on top of the fish. Slice the second lemon and arrange slices on top of fish.

Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Fish will be ready when white and flaky.

Remove from the oven and plate. Serve & enjoy!

Reese's Peanut Butter Egg Cookies

Happy Easter, everyone! It has been a long 40 days, but I can finally eat cookies again. I can't think of a better way to jump back into them, then with my favorite Easter candy - Reese's peanut butter eggs. If you like Reese's peanut butter cups, then you will love these eggs, which are filled with creamy peanut butter and a milk chocolate coating.

This year's masterpieces:

Recipe yields 24 cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 Reese's peanut butter eggs

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the sugars and butter until smooth and creamy.

Add your egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until egg is completely incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. In batches, add your dry ingredients to the mixer.  Mix until just incorporated, being sure not to overmix.

Cut your eggs into little bite sized pieces. Add them to the cookie dough and mix together with a spoon.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. As the dough is chilling in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Using a cookie scooper, spoon 1 tbsp of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Serve and enjoy with your Easter feast!