All-American Monday Night Dinner

Happy Nom Nom Monday!  Today's dish is a classic American Monday Night Dinner.  Pan seared chicken breast, crispy baked potatoes, and cheesy zucchini.  This dish takes little to no time to prepare, yet it's still flavorful and filling.  

Ingredients: (for two people)

- 2 chicken breast (boneless skinless)

- 2 russet potatoes

- 1 medium zucchini

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese

- 2 tablespoons of butter

- 1 tablespoon of sour cream

- salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Scrub the potatoes, pat dry, and puncture a few times with a fork.  Brush about a tablespoon of olive oil onto the potatoes, and sprinkle salt over them.  Then place on the middle rack of the oven (if it's reached the desired temperature), and place a bit of tin foil on the rack below to catch any drippings.  They should take about 45 minutes to cook.  

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the zucchini by rinsing them off, cut the ends off, and then slice in half length wise.  Rub butter on a baking dish large enough to accommodate the zucchini.  Then place the zucchinis in the dish, and sprinkle the cheese on top of them.  Any type of cheese will be yummy.  I used cheddar, and a packaged mix of 3 Italian cheeses.  Also add some small pats of butter on top of the cheeses, and then season with pepper.  They will take about 20 minutes to cook, so once there is about that much time remaining on the potatoes stick them in with them.    

After you've prepared the zucchini, season the chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides.  Once their is only about 10 - 15 minutes left on the potatoes, heat a skillet large enough to fit both breast with the remaining bit of olive oil.  Then gentle place the breast in the pan after about a minute.  Flip only once, and each side should only take about five minutes, or longer depending on how thick the chicken is.  

Once everything is done, dish up and serve.  I added some sour cream, butter, and some salt and pepper to the baked potato.  

This dish was so savory and filling.  Adding cheese to the zucchini is a great solution for anyone who might be a bit hesitant to try this great winter veggie.  I can't believe how easy this was to prepare either.  I could make this every night!  Happy Nom Nom Monday, and happy DIYing, chris!

Sautéed Zucchini

Happy Nom Nom Monday.  Today we have more zucchini.  This time sautéed.  Perfect veggie dish for a summer meal.  We had the Sautéed Zucchini with burgers and homemade french fries.  

Ingredients:

- 1 medium sized zucchini

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

- 1 teaspoon lemon juice

- salt and pepper

Directions:

I cut the zucchini up into very thin slices.  Or at least as thin as I could manage.  The thinner they are the quicker they'll cook.  Then I heated up a medium sized frying pan with half the olive oil.  Minced and sautéed the garlic in the heated pan.  After a minute I added the zucchini slices, and the rest of the olive oil.  I let it cook for a couple minutes and then seasoned.  I used Krazy Jane's Mixed Up Salt and McCormick's Ground Black Pepper.  I covered the pan and cooked until they were throughly cooked, or almost see through.  About six more minutes.  

 I used some straight sea salt too, because I'm salt crazy.  I definitely went overboard with the salt.  If I ignored the salt though, it was a great flavor.  I'm thinking this is the best way to cook up zucchini.  The zucchini slices tasted great wrapped around the french fries!  I want to try this again with the appropriate amount of salt.  

Hope ya'll have a great start to your week, and happy DIYing, chris!  

Zucchini Chips & Creamy Caesar Dressing

I made Zucchini Chips with a Creamy Caesar Dressing for dipping.  

Zucchini Chip Ingredients:

- 1 zucchini

- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

- 1/4 teaspoon powdered garlic

- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

- 1/2 cup 2% milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Cut the zucchini in 1/4 thick slices. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour the milk into a separate small bowl.  

Spray a cooking rack with oil, and place in a larger cookie sheet.  Dip the individual zucchini slices into the milk, and then into the breadcrumb mixture, and sit on the cooking rack.  

Fill the rack with breaded zucchini slices, and place in the oven for thirty minutes.  

While they are baking mix up the creamy caesar dressing.  

Creamy Caesar Dressing:

- 1 fresh lemon (just the juice)

- 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

- 3/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

- 1 clove of garlic (pressed)

- 1/4 cup mayonnaise

- 1/2 cup olive oil

- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Whisk together the lemon juice, dijon, worcestershire sauce, and garlic clove.  Once combined whisk in the mayo, then slowly add the oil.  Finally stir in the parmesan cheese.  

Now pick up a little zucchini chip, dip in the caesar dressing, and enjoy!  

Happy Nom Nom Monday, and happy DIYing, chris!  

Zucchini Bake with Feta and Fresh Thyme

We were recently given a few giant zucchini, and I trolled the internet looking for some fun recipes.  I came up with this Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme from Kalyn's Kitchen.  We had most of the ingredients in the house, so I had to give this one a try for tonight's dinner.

Ingredients:

- 8 cups zucchini

- 1 tablespoon of garlic

- 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 2 eggs

- 1 cup crumbled feta

- 2 tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese

- 1/3 cup sour cream

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375ºF.  My mom helped me out, and chopped up all the zucchini after washing it off.  We used about eight cups, and threw in a yellow squash to add some variety to the mix.  

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the garlic and fresh thyme to the pan, keep the heat on medium, and be sure not to burn the garlic.  It cooks up fast, so keep your eyes on the pan.  

Toss in the zucchini and cook for about four minutes, or until they are just softening up. 

While the zucchini is cooking mix together the eggs, feta, parmesan cheese, sour cream, and lemon juice.  

When the zucchini is ready layer half into an oven safe 2 quart dish.  Then add a layer of the egg-cheese mixture.  Spoon the rest of the zucchini on top, and cover with the rest of the creamy mixture.  

Add a handful of feta and parmesan cheese to the top with some freshly ground black pepper, and pop into the oven for 40 - 45 minutes.  

I served it with some ham, and a creamy tomato pasta dish.  It was tasty.  A great way to cook zucchini, and so easy too.  But maybe I'm biassed since I think anything with cheese is good.  Hope you're having a great Nom Nom Monday, and happy DIYing, chris!

Fun Friday Fascinations #13

#1. Concrete stamped to look like hardwood flooring!  Genius.  Found on The Lil' House That Could.

#2.  I love all the colors and patterns in this photo.  I want a funky chandelier in my bedroom!  Adds so much class to sleepy time.  Found on Better Homes & Gardens.  

#3.  Looking for some painting inspiration, and I found this awesome photo.  Love everything about this colorful little nook.  Found on Sweet Peach.

#4.  More interior design inspiration, and a room that's perfect in every way.  Found on Modern Home Today.

#5.  We have a bunch of zucchini some friends grew, and I found this awesome recipe for Sauteed Zucchini on My Recipes.  You'll probably be seeing more zucchini here on Monday.  :)    

Hope ya'll had a great week!  Happy friday, and happy DIYing, chris.  

Vegetable Tian

Font by Miss Tina

Welcome back to Nom Nom Mondays!  Today I made this fantastic Veggie Tian.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, and made it for the first time about a month ago.  Everyone loved it, and it was so easy to make I wanted to make it again.  I can't emphasis how easy this is to make, and it's healthy-ish while staying tasty.  

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- 1 large yellow onion

- 4 - 5 cloves of garlic (this is my addition to the recipe)

- 3 large roma tomatoes

- 2 medium sized russet potatoes

- 1 zucchini

- 1 yellow squash

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

- salt and pepper

- dried thyme

Heat the oven to 375ºF.  If you'd like to prepare this dish ahead of time, just leave the oven off :).  Dice the onion into small squares, and mince the garlic.  Clean your veggies, and cut into quarter inch thick slices.  Leave the skin on the potatoes.  I liked to cut the potatoes a bit thinner, and the tomatoes a bit thicker, so they both come out the right consistency.  

Heat a skillet with one tablespoon of olive oil, and then lightly brown the onion and garlic.  Then evenly spread over the bottom of a greased pie dish.  

Arrange all of the veggies in a spiral on top of the browned onion and garlic.  Make only one layer, you should be able to fit everything in.  The first time I made this I doubled the ingredients and baked them in two pie dishes.  

Drizzle the other tablespoon of olive oil over the top, and season with the thyme, salt and pepper.  We had tons of fresh thyme, and none dried which worked too.  Cover with foil, and you can either refrigerate until you're ready to bake, or stick it directly into the oven for 35 minutes.  

After baking for 35 minutes, remove from the oven, and coat the top with parmesan cheese.  Make sure to use the shredded kind, and not the powdery kind.  Stick the dish back in the oven uncovered for another 25 - 30 minutes.  

When the cheese is bubbly brown over the top the veggies are ready to be served!  

Here's a close-up of the yummy bubbly cheese.  Hope ya'll are having a good Monday, happy DIYing, chris.