Back tracking!

May is a very busy month!  I am ready for it to be over!  Too much craziness!  Dance competitions, soccer games, then just the normal soccer practices, dance classes and me teaching.  Then the volunteer hours for school-rendezvous, decathalon, field trips, church stuff, school projects, homework, etc. etc.  Ahhhhh!  Too much!  I'm done!   But...with all the madness...we still need to eat!


So...meals this week:



Mango Quinoa Salad
(Our Best Bites)


Disclaimer:  Never had (keen-wah) before.  Wanted to try it.  This is so good!  Dave thought it tasted like couscous.  But I don't think so.  I served this over chicken.  I took some frozen chicken tenders, poured teriyaki sauce over the top, and let them marinate for about an hour.  Then I  heated up my electric fry pan, with a little bit of EVOO  and let them cook.  Really good and really healthy!  Must try! 


2 cups cooked quinoa* at room temperature, or chilled
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper


*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth.  I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works great too.


Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.  In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad.  Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.









Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo
Recipe by Our Best Bites


8 oz. penne or bowtie pasta
1 recipe Guiltless Alfredo Sauce (1 16-oz. jar would work in a pinch)
2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped (about 2 c. chopped chicken)
6 oz. (1/2 package) cooked bacon, chopped
1 14-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 c. chopped green onions (about 1 decent-sized bunch)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, prepare Guiltless Alfredo sauce (below).  When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 c. mozzarella. Season to taste.
Transfer mixture to an 8×8″ baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.



Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender.


Process until smooth and set aside.
In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic.  Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Potato Soup
This recipe can be found in 'This & That" cookbook.  It's my kids favorite!