Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Happy Friday everyone. Happy Not So Fat Friday!!!!!!!! And Happy I'm Going to NY today Friday & Happy I am the mom of a pre-school Graduate Friday! Last night's graduation ceremony was beautiful. As soon as Tristan's name was called & the director mentioned he had been there since he was crawling I just lost it. To see my little 5 year old in a red cap & gown was breath taking. Guess what my next Wordful Wednesday will be?????????

Anyhoo, these lettuce wraps are just wonderful ~ healthy & delicious. I was not happy with the original recipe so I modified it by combining it with a recipe we all really enjoyed for the Asian Shrimp Lettuce Wraps I made a while back.


3 tblsp fresh lime juice
1 tblsp vegetable oil
1 tblsp sesame oil
2 tblsp soy sauce, divided
1 tsp ginger
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 bell pepper, green or red or orange
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/4 cup onion or scallions
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 8oz can water chestnuts (optional)
1 tblsp hoisin sauce
1 pkg Bibb lettuce
Sweet garlic chili sauce for serving
Soy sauce for serving
Slivered almonds or lightly salted roasted peanuts

In medium bowl, combine lime juice, 1 tblsp vegetable oil, sesame oil, 1 tblsp soy sauce, ginger & garlic. Add chicken & marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat medium skillet with cooking spray. Add bell pepper, carrots & onion (& any veggies you want). Cook for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add chicken & marinade & cook until chicken is cooked through. Stir in 1 tblsp soy sauce & 1 tblsp hoisin sauce.


Using a slotted spoon, spoon a few tblsp into each romaine lettuce cup. Garnish with either slivered almonds or roasted peanuts. Serve with sweet chili garlic sauce and soy sauce.

{My Thoughts}

Use whatever veggies you like but think about color & presentation. Even the pic above could use more red bell pepper. And definitely taste your filling before putting it in your wraps. You can always add a sauce or more garlic. And I really enjoyed the Bibb lettuce on this one, the taste as well as not having to trim it, but Hubs preferred the romaine I used for the shrimp wraps.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

And after you click ~ have a great weekend :)

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Good morning!!!! I feel like it's a holiday for some reason ~ maybe because my little guy is graduating tonight from the pre-school he has been at for 5 years. And tomorrow I head to NY for my 20 year high school reunion & to visit with some of my oldest & dearest friends. I am excited!!!!!

On to the food -while these mushrooms aren't as special as my Tuscan Stuffed Mushrooms from Giada, they are super easy & taste wonderful. How can you go wrong with pork & mushrooms all in one bite. My sweet friend Kacey - you can fill them with chicken perhaps :) I made them for Mother's Day & made the filling the night before to make things easier.

• 20 to 24 large fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 pound bulk pork sausage, cooked, crumbled & drained
• 3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 egg white

Remove mushroom stems from caps. Set caps aside (discard stems or save for another use). In a small skillet, saute onion & garlic in butter until tender. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley & egg white. Stir in onion mixture. Fill the mushroom caps; place in a lightly greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until mushrooms are tender & tops are browned. Yield: about 2 dozen.


{My Thoughts}

Just one tip: prep the mushrooms ahead of time to make it easy on yourself. Remove the stem & wipe down mushrooms with a damp towel. Store in a ziploc bag until you're ready to fill. Also, make the filling ahead of time & then take out of fridge for enough time to take the chill out of them so they heat nicely.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

My Little Boy.....

My little boy....



goes to Kindergarten in August.



And he's ready!



My baby can read.



He's not a baby anymore!

Brought to you by Angie & Wordful Wednesdays from:

Cheesy Spinach Bites

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!!! Mine was one full of BBQ's, good times, great food & lots of rain. But that didn't stop me. Friends were over on Saturday, family over on Sunday. These were made as an appetizer out of one of my fav recipe sources, A Taste of Home. I just can't seem to have a get together without an appie so here's a taste from my home. Everyone loved 'em. So easy to make too!!!!!

• 2 tblsp butter, melted, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 pkg (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Sliced pimientos, optional

Brush the bottom & sides of a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish with 1 tblsp butter; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, seasonings, eggs, milk & remaining butter. Stir in the spinach, cheeses & onion. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean & edges are lightly browned. Cut into squares. Garnish with pimientos if desired.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Visit Blessed with Grace for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!!!!

Grilled Chicken Piri Piri

This is some of the best grilled chicken I ever had. I watched it being made on Food Network a few months ago & it always stayed in my head. I made it last weekend for our BBQ with family & I can't express enough how much everyone enjoyed it. The marinade really stuck with the chicken & gave it such an awesome flavor. The reason why? I divulge in my thoughts below. This was so good, I am making it again for our BBQ with friends tomorrow. Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!!!!!

• 2-3 lemons, zested & juiced plus 2 sliced for garnish
• 1/2 head garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 red peppers, seeded & roughly chopped
• 5 chili peppers like serrano or jalapeno
• 2 cups fresh parsley leaves (use fresh)
• 1 1/2 tblsp paprika
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pkgs cut up chicken pieces, skin on

{ just before grill time }

In a food processor add lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper, chiles, parsley, paprika, red wine vinegar & oil. Process until it becomes a paste (wasn't too pasty to me). Season with salt & pepper. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce as set aside for garnishing cooked chicken later.

Divide chicken pieces into 2-3 large resealable plastic bags. Divide the marinade into both bags & seal. Turn the chicken around in the bags to distribute the marinade. Place chicken in the refrigerator & let it marinate for at least 1 hour & up to 1 day. I did mine overnight after baking it (see my thoughts).

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from bags with tongs & drain well. Season with salt & pepper. Place on grill, skin side down first & grill for about 15 minutes on each side turning occasionally until cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges & the reserved piri piri sauce (optional).


{My Thoughts}

Whenever I grill out with chicken on the bone I always bake it first for about 25 minutes with just a bit of salt & pepper in a 375 oven. Not only does this cut down on the time on the grill it also allows the marinade to really penetrate the chicken better. And it’s still on the grill long enough (about 15 min) to get that delicious grilled flavor. My Dad & I have been doing this for years & swear by it!!!!! For this recipe, I needed 2 baking sheets, one for the thighs & legs & the other for the breasts.

I halved the original recipe (here) & the amounts are reflected above. 3 pkgs of cut up chicken feeds about 6 with a few leftover. As for the peppers, I used about 4 jalapenos because I didn't want it to be too spicy for my in laws. It was perfect.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

From the Barefoot Contessa, this was one of the best pasta salads I have ever tasted. It was so flavorful due to the roasting of the veggies & fresh simple ingredients like garlic & lemon juice.

I made this last Sunday a few hours before both sets of our parents came over for a BBQ & there just wasn't enough. Everyone devoured it & would have had more. This was so delicious I am planning to make it again this Memorial Day weekend as we have a couple of friends coming over for another BBQ. C'mon by!!!!!

1 small eggplant, peeled & 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled & 1-inch diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb orzo

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 scallions, sliced thin (white & green parts)
3/4 lb. good feta, 1/2-inch diced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion & garlic with the olive oil, salt & pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain & transfer to a large serving bowl. 3. Add roasted vegetables to the orzo, scraping all the liquid & seasonings from roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper & pour on orzo & vegetables. Add the scallions, pignolis, feta & basil.

{My Thoughts}

Instead of using plain feta & adding fresh basil, I always buy the reduced fat tomato basil feta. And rarely do I add the pine nuts.

This dish is also great at room temp but we prefer it cold

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Come on back tomorrow night for the amazing Grilled Chicken Piri Piri that paired so perfectly with this delicious salad. Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend!

The Boy

Keeping it simple today...

My love on Mother's Day.

Brought to you by Angie & Wordful Wednesdays from: