We actually had some exceptionally cool May weather the last few weeks. To the point where it was necessary to wear sweaters and pants. We have seem some wacky Florida weather this year, but I’m not going to complain about   extra cool weather in May. We all know the hot and humid summer is right around the corner.

It was nice to be able to eat chili out on the patio. And the best part about this recipe is how quick it cooks. After a busy day of work this is an easy recipe to place on the table. Who would think you can make delicious chili in less than 30 minutes.

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven 

The marinade for this chicken is perfect. Very tangy and keeps the chicken so very juicy while it cooks. I found myself eating it right out of the pan rather than putting the chicken onto the quesadillas. I love stretching one chicken breast to feed four people and this is a great recipe for it. I slice the chicken very thin so it cooks in no time at all. Layered on the quesadilla your whole family can enjoy the meat without eating tons of it.

Greek is one of our favorite foods to get takeout, but now that I can whip up these chicken souvlaki quesadillas in no time. I think we might be changing our tune.

One time in those three years we decided it would be fun to have a dinner party. We invited a few of our friends and we each made or brought a dish.  I don’t even remember what I made, but I distinctly remember my roommate calling her dad for his Panzanella salad recipe. This was the first time I had ever heard of Panzanella salad.

Last week while doing my weekly menu plan I could not get Panzanella salad out of my head. I had to have it. I searched the web and came across this Grilled Cheese Panzanella Salad by Panini Happy. Um, yes please! This salad is like a marriage of my two favorite things. It has the elements of a Caprese salad with the twist of a Panzanella salad and grilled cheese, ok make that three favorite things. All tossed in a light and tangy vinaigrette.

Publix has been offering the new Flatout flatbreads for sale BOGO for a few weeks now. I am having so much fun creating easy dinners out of these.

Just this weekend I was talking to a friend who said she didn’t have time to cook dinner. I pointed her towards the idea of flatbreads in general. In about 15 minutes you can have dinner on the table. What restaurant can you go to and get dinner in 15 minutes? Even takeout takes longer than 15 minutes. There are some days when I don’t get home until 7 or 8pm and on days like that I need to have an easy meal to turn to.

I love the sweet mango flavor next to the slightly jerky shrimp. And well, you know I love goat cheese! These flatbreads made a great weeknight dinner.

I hope all the mom’s out there had a great Mother’s day yesterday. I spent some time out on the boat with my parents and had a delicious late lunch of buffalo grouper tacos! Because we like to eat, a lot, we ended up fixing the Grilled Cheese Panzanella Salad for a late dinner while we watched TV. I’m telling myself it’s kind of healthy since it has tomatoes and onion, just never mind the grilled cheese croutons.

Jerk Shrimp and Mango Flatbread

Grilled Cheese Panzanella Salad

Chicken Souvlaki Quesadilla

Black Bean Chili Stuffed Baked Potatoes

The items with the + are used in more than one recipe, be sure to check the actual recipes to make sure you have everything needed. The items with the * are featured in this week’s Publix ad, which is ending Weds/Thurs (5/15 or 5/16).

Flatbread

• spinach
• small salad shrimp
• mango
• goat cheese

Panzanella Salad

• sourdough bread
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 large tomatoes + *
• 1 small red onion +
• fresh basil
• white balsamic vinegar

Quesadilla

• 1 lemon
• shredded Mexican blend cheese +
• Greek yogurt +
• 1 small cucumber

Chili Stuffed Potatoes

• 1 white onion
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 4 small potatoes

Already in Pantry

• Flatout flatbreads * (BOGO)
• olive oil +
• jerk seasoning
• salt and pepper +
• shallot (or can just use red onion that was already bought)
• Dijon mustard
• 1 chicken breast
• italian seasoning
• flour or whole wheat tortillas
• garlic+
• 1 bottle of beer
• 3 cups prepared black beans (or purchase 3 cans)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt

I never thought I was a fan of quiche, that was until I made Julia Child’s Quiche Lorraine. Mom made quiche growing up but it was never quite so buttery.  She tries to keep things lower calorie, but I have learned with quiche you can’t try to cut calories. It’s just not the same. I did cheat on the crust with a premade and I still haven’t made Julia’s crust, but I have made a few other homemade crusts.

Since I first made Julia’s quiche back in November it has become a staple at our family brunches.  For Mother’s Day I am made a big batch of blueberry muffins, instead of my now famous quiche.

After a night of heavy, creamy pasta I needed to lighten it up a bit with a healthy salad. I have always been a fan of beets, but had not yet roasted my own.

When the Greek restaurants include beets in the salads I steal everyone elses. I don’t know what it is about them. While flipping through Ina Garten’s Foolproof cookbook I came across this recipe (which I have slightly amended). I was immediately drawn to it, because just a few weeks ago I had seen some beautiful organic beets at the farmer’s market. Plus anything with arugula and goat cheese and I’m game!

We ate this as a main course salad, but it would also be great for a dinner party starter.

My research shows that nutrition wise beets are very low calorie and high in tons of different vitamins and minerals. For a healthy salad that is a little different than the usual, you can’t beat this one

I wanted to throw together an easy grilled chicken dish when my in laws where in town a few weeks ago. I already had plenty of chicken and knew I wanted to grill it. I remembered the Orange Soy Pork Tenderloin and thinking how good the marinade would be on chicken. Those ingredients are all staples, nothing to add to the grocery list!

Three large chicken breasts was plenty for four people with leftovers. I did serve the Southwestern Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes and a salad on the side. I try to serve large, healthy side dishes to lessen our meat intake. And so far it’s working.

Lentil Tacos are both a great meatless option and cheap dinner. Taco nights are nothing fancy in our house. I don’t go out and buy specialty shredded lettuce or salsa we use what we have, which means I usually chop up some spring mix and either have chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo (if I have everything to make it). We always have Greek yogurt in place of sour cream and the guacamole this time was just a bonus. When taco shells are on sale I usually buy them and plan tacos into our menu in the next few weeks.

I thought lentils made a surprisingly good taco filling. And leftovers were made into a tostada. I broke tacos shells in half so they laid flat and piled on the toppings. Whether you make these for Meatless Monday or just a penny pinching night. I don’t think you will even miss the meat.

Adapted from Taste of Home

I was thrilled to find organic whole wheat orzo at the Fresh Market recently and on sale! For years I have been wondering where the whole wheat orzo has been hiding and I found it, on the end cap at the Fresh Market with a big sale sign.

I bought a few bags of it because we are big fans of orzo and turned to Facebook wondering what I should make first. Chicken Lemon Soup was the winning suggestion, but I didn’t want to do just any Chicken Lemon Soup I wanted Greek Chicken Lemon Soup, Avgolemono. I order it a lot when out, but I was never really sure what it was.

After some research I learned avgo = egg and lemono = lemon. So not only is it chicken lemon, but there is also egg in it which is where the creamy appearance comes from. My research also shows that rice would usually be used, but for this not so traditional Avgolemono orzo is perfect.

Adapted from Simply Recipes