Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream! Just in time for Valentine's Day!

Recipe coming tomorrow!!!

A few recipes I've made recently, and failed to photograph!

a few amazing recipes that i've tried recently! (i over-cooked and over-photographed over the holidays - so i've been slacking on it all....wompwomp)

Korean Beef Tacos (i just made the beef) - these were seriously flavorful and delicious! simple to make, but make sure to watch the crock pot.

Sweet & Spicy Green Beans (i omitted the honey) - these were crispy, full flavor - and i added sriracha sauce to give it an extra kick!

doesn't get much more simple than a toll house chocolate chip cookie - but if you want to stick to a tried & true recipe, try the Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie!

I'm sure there are plenty more and I'll be sure to share them as they come! And I promise to try and do a better job sharing my life with the few readers that I still have!

holla!

Baked Brie - YUM!

how good does this look!?!?! (before we baked it!)

and after!gimme!

baked brie is one of my favorite appetizers! especially since we set this one up like a little christmas tree! simple as halved cherry tomatoes, pesto drizzle and basil! YUM!

Recipe: Skinny Beef Barbacoa

{Recipe via SkinnyTaste}

This recipe is spicy, juicy, easy, amazing and delicious! Please make this ASAP! tastes just like Chipotle Beef Barbacoa....if that doesn't sell you on it, then i dont know what will.

 Beef Barbacoa - Via Skinnytaste.com

(with my adaptations in italics)

"Ingredients: 

• 3 lbs beef eye of round or bottom round roast, all fat trimmed
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 lime, juice (whole lime)
• 2-4 chiptoles in adobo sauce (to taste) (i used the whole can, minus the sauce)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• salt and pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 cup water

Directions:
Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chiptoles, cloves in a blender.

Trim all fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper and brown on high heat in 1 tsp oil. Add liquefied spices, water, bay leaves and simmer on high in a crock pot for 4 hours.

Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot, adjust salt and cumin (you may need to add more) to taste and add some of the reserved liquid back. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to let the flavors penetrate."

note: i served mine with black bean and corn salsa, sofrito rice, and avocado slices. i suggest all of this. ah-mazing.

Easy Appetizer: Roasted Sweet Peppers with Mozzarella

I could have spent a bit more time on these appetizers to make them more pretty, but the flavor was all there. Next time, I think i'll toss the mozzarella balls in a pesto sauce to change it up a bit!

Recipe from The Italian Dish!

Recipe: Individual Baked Spinach Dip Cups

eat me.

whoa, you guys. i found this recipe over at Picky Palate and considering my track record with her recipes, i knew i had to make it. she never fails me. 
i made these mini spinach dip cups for my parents friends for their annual christmas party. i'm happy to say that these, along with my other appetizers, were no where to found at the end of the night. you guys know how much i love when people like what i cook, and i love it even more when they compliment me. (bratty, i know)

mix me.

bake me.

Individual Baked Spinach Dip Cups
{slightly adapted *via Picky Palate}- adaptations in italics.
"1 roll of refrigerated biscuits
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped (1 medium frozen bag)
4 clove fresh garlic, minced
3 oz softened cream cheese
1 small container of Fage 0% greek yogurt (any kind of fat free greek yogurt will do)
4 Tablespoons fresh shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Ancho Chile Pepper
1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Garlic Salt
1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Sicilian Sea Salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 16 muffin cups with non stick cooking spray.  Unroll package of biscuits and cut each pre-cut biscuit in half.  Press each slice into about a 3 inch round, I did this by pressing in between my hands.  Press into the bottom and up sides of the muffin cup.  Set aside.
2.  Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.  Cook and stir spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes then add garlic, cook and stir for another minute then turn heat off (mine took a bit longer since it was frozen).
3.  Place cream cheese, greek yogurt, cooked spinach and garlic, Parmesan Cheese, Ancho Chili Powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper into a medium bowl.  Mix until well combined.  With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dip into each of the centers of biscuit bowls.  Top evenly with shredded cheese and bake for 15-17 minutes until just turning brown on edges.  Remove and let cool for 3-5 minutes before removing from oven."

make these, you won't be able to stop eating them! thank you Picky Palate!

Recipe: Sausage Cheddar balls

finished product, so delicious!

this is a different version of a meatball! perfect for appetizers for any time of year!  i only made a few modifications to the recipe - i used lowfat sausage as well as low fat cheese. anything to make it a bit healthier this time of year!

ready to bake!!

i highly suggest you make these little guys! super simple, super flavorful, and crowd-pleasing!

Sausage Cheddar Balls
(slightly adapted *via Martha Stewart)
"Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups grated cheddar (1/2 pound) (low fat)
• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage (low fat)
• 1/2 large yellow onion, grated on large holes of a box grater (i diced)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and baking powder. Add cheddar and toss to coat. Add sausage, onion, and butter. With your hands, mix until well combined and roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until balls are golden and cooked through, 25 minutes. Serve warm."

Thanksgiving: Italian Wedding Cookies!

papi requested these italian wedding cookies for thanksgiving without knowing that what he really wanted was french macarons.

doesn't really matter because i got a fancy new camera (Nikon D5100) and wanted to take a picture of anything and EVERYTHING!

aren't they pretty??? i have a lot more to edit, but i really wanted to share them with you!


for those wanting to make them - i did it differently this time. Instead of rolling out the cookie dough, which i'm terrible at, i used my hands to roll little balls of dough and flatten them with my palm. i then pressed them into the sprinkles before i baked them.  to make sure they were all the same size, i used two things - a mini muffin tin and a whoopie pie mold. both small circular shapes. keep in mind that using this method will make them a bit thicker and require a few extra minutes of baking. also - dont be an idiot like myself, and make sure to remember to poke holes in the cookies with a fork prior to baking. after baking, assemble the same way.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies!!

HOLY WOW!!! you guys!! you HAVE to make this cookie for your thanksgiving spread!

this is the ultimate come back from my baking hiatus! i finally figured out how to use my damn gas oven, and i'm pumped! these cookies are soft little pillows from heaven, and i swear by that. i didnt bother with icing - and the cookies were still ah-mazzzinggg!

i randomly got stressed out that i had unused pumpkin in my pantry, and immediately googled "easy pumpkin cookie recipe" - i kid you not, this was the first recipe that i saw that was on a blog and clicked on it. turns out, the recipe was super easy, super quick, and super delicious (and i had all the ingredients in the house already - hi, my name is madeleine and i am a food hoarder!). google for the win!!

Old fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

{via *Very Best Baking}

"Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely"

how easy is that?? i highly suggest getting a cookie scoop thinger for this, i had to use an actual teaspoon and it sucked because its a fairly sticky batter!

Enjoy!

food pics because i have nothing else as of yet....

the flower actually blooms in your glass and makes the BEST tea! @houseofnanking in san francisco

umm...we did damage.

flower tea before the flower opens up! so cool! i love House of NanKing

first homecooked meal back home - amazing. definitely could have seared the scallops a bit more, but they were still cooked well.

please disregard my fancy plate and utensils - but this salad was too good to not share! arugula+spinach+beets+sundriedtomatoes+romatomatos+goatcheese+greekdressing

i promise ill be back with more fun stuff coming up!

'lasagna'

This "lasagna" is soooo easy and delicious!!! i put quotations around lasagna, because there are no noodles. the various veggie layers act as my noodles.

make this as you would any lasagna. brown the meat, put in the layers as you wish (sauce, cheese, meat,  uncooked veggies - in whatever order. just put the sauce at the bottom so it doesnt stick!!)

in mine, i used yellow onions (diced at the bottom mixed in with sauce), yellow squash, red bell pepper, and zucchini. and then for my cheese i used 4cheese italian (reduced fat!) and a bit of shaved padana cheese (i think?? it's like parm). and ground turkey - but you could use ground chicken or beef as well!

hmm guess which side is mine, and which side is sissy's?

 bake at 400 degrees 25-30 minutes, covered with foil. then take the foil off and add the cheese to bake for another 15-20 minutes. i put mine in the broiler on hi for about 4 minutes at the end to get that crunchy, browned cheese effect!

make this! and enjoy!!!

Sloppy Joe Remix

sloppy joes are always one of my favorites! i looove them. i think that there are two reasons i love them so much: 1) my mom makes the BEST ones and 2) they remind me of It Takes Two with the Olsen Twins....love me some old school olsen twins! hahah!

i tweaked this recipe a bit to make it a little less tangy, and a little more sweet! so delicious. please make these, sloppy joes are such a crowd pleaser!


 Open-Faced Skinny Sloppy Joes
{slightly adapted from *Gina's Skinny Recipes}

• 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground beef sirloin
• 1 tbsp steak seasoning or seasoned salt
• 1 medium onion, minced (i used a pre-diced frozen bag)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup mixed bell pepper, minced (i used a frozen blend)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Chop all the vegetables really fine, using a chopper or food processor.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Season with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns, then add onion, garlic, and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 5 more minutes. Add brown sugar. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Using a measuring cup, pile 1/2 cup of sloppy meat onto toasted buns - we used whole wheat pita bread or whole wheat sandwich thins.

Enjoy!

Crrraaazzzyyy Feta!

guys, this picture is unappealing. but i kid you not, this is the MOST amazing dip/spread/condiment i've ever had. EVER. and i know i say that a lot, but this time i mean it! for realz.

Cava is one of my favorite restaurants in the DC area (a few locations), and they have this appetizer called Crazy Feta....and How Sweet It Is is one of my favorite foodie blogs..and she made a home made version of this.

needless to say, i had to make it. immediately. and it was well worth the expensive block of feta and burning my eyes after touching jalapenos (will i ever learn??).

MAKE THIS:

Crazy Feta

{*via How Sweet It Is}

From her site:

"makes about 2 cups [a little goes a long way!]
2 bricks of feta cheese, 8 ounces each
3 whole jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tablespoon
1 bulb garlic
the juice of half a lemon
the zest of half a lemon
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop the top off the garlic bulb and drizzle it with a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap it in foil and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until garlic is golden in color. At the same time, brush the jalapenos with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Either grill or roast them – I stuck them in the oven with garlic and just watched until they were charred. Remove both from oven and let cool. Once jalapenos are cooled, remove skins, cut in half and discard the seeds. Chop into small pieces. Don’t touch your eyes!
In a large bowl, crumble the feta bricks. [Crumbling the bricks yourself works best, but if you can only find crumbled feta that is fine.] Add chopped jalapenos, the zest of half a lemon, and the juice of half a lemon. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb directly into the feta. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and mash with a fork. You want the feta to be a bit “wet” – I can best describe it as a cross between a spread and a dip. There is no right or wrong – make it however you’d like. Taste the feta and season with salt and pepper. Serve with pita chips, warm pita or naan, or spread it on sandwiches. Store it in the fridge for up to one week."

Enjoy! seriously.

Caprese Quinoa

ahhhh, i've had this recipe at the top of my to-make list since i first saw it! and it lived up to its hype! except i suck and put too much salt (more than the recipe called for apppparenntllyyy)....so yea. anyway, i ended up rinsing the whole thing off and then topping with basil oil..and what do you know? it turned out perfect! i love when mistakes turn out well in the end.

i only slightly adapted this recipe by adding lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice (umm and too much salt)...because apparently i cant go a day without lemon juice in my life.

Caprese Quinoa
{slightly adapted from How Sweet Eats}
makes about 3 cups worth
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 large & 1 small heirloom tomato, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella pearls (or just buy a fresh mozzarella ball and cut it into chunks)
10 large basil leaves, chiffonade
tsp of lemon zest, and juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Prepare quinoa according to directions on box (which is most likely: 2 cups water + 1 cup quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes).  Add in the tomatoes, cheese, basil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of basil oil over top and serve!

Homemade Basil Oil
from myrecipes
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups packed basil leaves (I used 3 handfuls), coarsely chopped
Blend oil and basil leaves in a blender or food processor for 30-60 seconds, just until the two are mix. Pour mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, just until bubbles appear around the edges. Heat for about 5 minutes, the remove from heat and let cool completely. Once cool, pour through a fine mesh strainer and press on the basil leaves to release all the oil. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks – stays fresh best if set in the fridge.

Enjoy!!!

Golden Oreo Cheesecake

golden oreo individual cheesecakes. oh so so so good! nothing more to say, here is the recipe:

Oreo Cheesecake Recipe
{slightly adapted from Pink Parsley}

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
makes 30 cupcakes

• 42 Golden Oreos - 30 left whole, and 15 food processed (just pulsed, not liquified...)
• 2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature (I use 16oz of reduced fat, and 16oz of fat free - this REALLY increased cooking time)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners, and place 1 Oreo in the bottom of each cup.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Gradually add the sugar, and beat until smooth.  Beat in the vanilla, then drizzle in the eggs.  When well combined, mix in the greek yogurt and salt.  Stir in the chopped cookies by hand.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, filling each one almost to the top.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until the filling is just set, about 22 minutes (Mine was more like 45 mins by the time they were freaking done. I highly recommend using full fat cream cheese for this recipe...mine were still DELICIOUS)

Transfer the tins to wire racks to cool completely, then refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours.  Remove from tins just before serving.


such creamcheesy goodness should be shared with everyone! i brought mine to work and passed them out around 3pm when people start usually start to fall asleep at their desks :)

Enjoy!

summer pasta salad!

i just posted about some of my farmers market purchases, and i was not kidding when i said how delicious the produce was! my whole car smelled like a caprese salad before i even got home thanks to fresh basil and tomatoes :)

i knew i had to use most of this immediately. sadly it wasn't because i thought it would go bad, it was because i couldn't handle another minute without it....

so i made a delish, fresh pasta salad!

ingredients for the salad:

• handful or two of cooked whole wheat pasta - i used penne
• handful of grape tomatoes (yellow or red), chopped into two or four pieces
• two or three radishes, thinly sliced
• palmful of frozen (or fresh!) sweet white corn kernels
• a small plum tomato, diced
• handful of basil, chiffonade

ingredients for dressing:

• juice of one lemon
• teeny bit of lemon zest - gah, im so good at measuring...
• pinch of cayenne - or in my case, a lot more than a pinch
• pinch of sugar, salt and fresh ground pepper
• tablespoon or two of evoo

preparation:
whisk together dressing ingredients and toss all salad ingredients in with the dressing! 

enjoy! i know you will! it's the most refreshing salad ive had in a while! i'm going to try it with more veggies and no pasta next time! mmmmm!

mexican lettuce wraps!

i suppose this dish was inspired by pf changs lettuce wraps...but mostly because me and sis didnt want to fill up on carb loaded fajita wraps!

most simple dish ever! and SO flavorful!

ingredients:

• chicken breasts, each breast cut into 4 pieces (however many you need...we used three chicken breasts and that provided a LOT of shredded chicken)
• a packet of reduced sodium taco seasoning
• guacamole, store-bought or homemade
• refried black beans
• large romaine lettuce leaves
• extras:
• reduced fat sour cream
• reduced fat mexican shredded cheese blend

to prepare the chicken, toss the pieces of chicken in about half a packet of taco seasoning. put some EVOO into a skillet and heat on high. add the chicken, brown it on one side and flip. brown the other side, add some chicken stock, reduce to medium heat, and add a lid on the pan.  cook through, flipping occasionally, about 5ish minutes! (i suck at timing, i just check every few minutes)

to shred the chicken, use two forks to pull the meat, or use a handy dandy choppy choppy from pampered chef like i did!

 

wash your romaine lettuce, and layer all the ingredients as you wish!

seriously delish, and if you omit cheese and sour cream - superrr healthy! :)

enjoy!! :)

chicken tenders!

baked chicken tenders are my new fave! baked chicken is SO much more moist than on the pan or grill. maybe i just suck at both of those. it's entirely possible.

anywho.

i added some cayenne pepper - YUM. spicy chicken tenders that tasted a little like Wendy's spicy chicken nuggs! mmmmm. this was the second time i've made them in about a week. that good.

this recipe is slightly adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes!

• 16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp panko
• however much cayenne - i prob put about a 1/2 tsp.
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• olive oil spray (I used my Misto)

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.

Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.
Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked though.

Funfetti Cupcakes - from scratch!

soooo - this is usually how our nights go at our house (lots of girls living together):

roomie 1: mads, make cupcakes!
roomie 2: yea, yea ,yea! do it!
me: no guys, make them yourselves. we dont even have the ingredients.
roomie 3: whatever mads, just go to the store, get the ingredients, and then make them and serve us.
roomie 1 and 2: good idea
me: **expletive** i hate you all. no.
roomie 1: COME ONNNN!!!
me: whatever, we have heavy whipping cream and no milk, and old eggs. you guys enjoy the outcome.
roomie 1, 2, 3: YESSSSSS!!! sounds amazing.
me: you are all retarded.

and thats how cupcakes usually get made at our house....or any food, for that matter. old ingredients and sprinkles make anyone happy, right?

anyway, the point here is that we all wanted funfetti cupcakes, and we didn't want to go to the store to get the box. sooo - i made home made ones - the ones that Mrs. How Sweet posted yesterday! how convenient!


all i can say is - damn i'm glad i made them with heavy whipping cream mixed with water (disgustingly awesome) - because they turned out amazing and i didnt even ice them because 1: toooooo effing lazy. and 2: didn't need icing. and 3: my greedy ass roomies couldn't wait another minute. (but i love them.)



Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes 
{*via How Sweet Eats, only slightly adapted}
makes 12 cupcakes
1/2 cup butter (light butter in our case)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs (old eggs. whatever)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup milk (umm...mostly heavy whipping cream with a little bit of milk)
1/3 cup assorted brightly colored sprinkles + more for top of frosting...*or just to eat out of the palm of your hand

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the milk. Once mixed, add remaining dry ingredients. Fold in assorted sprinkles.

Pour into cupcake tins and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool, then frost.

puppy is helping me bake!

make them. do it. 

Pesto Baked Chicken

 you guys. this is OMG amazing and it takes 4 ingredients. FOUR. that's it.

 Baked Pesto Chicken
{from kayln's kitchen}

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chickenn breasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto (I used my homemade Basil Pesto with Lemon, but you can use purchased pesto.)
2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. (I cut the larger ones into 3 strips and the smaller ones into 2 strips.)

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (or use a baking dish with a tight-fitting lid) and bake the chicken for 25-30 (**i did 20 because my chicken was cut a bit thinner) minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted. (If your broiler is separate from the oven, start preheating it when you take the chicken out.) After I melted the cheese for 5 minutes I switched my oven to broil and broiled for 5 minutes more, just long enough to get the cheese lightly browned.

Serve hot. There will be some flavorful juice in the bottom of the dish when this is done, so you may want to serve with rice, couscous, or quinoa to soak up the juice, but if you're eating this for phase one, just spoon the juice over the chicken.

ready for the oven - bake at 375 for 20-25 (depending on how thin/thick you cut the chicken strips)

ready for the oven part 2 - broil on high for 5 mins.

the flavor was so intense and the chicken was cooked perfectly! i cant wait to make this again! next time, i think i'll make my own pesto - my dad has the best recipe that i have yet to make on my own!