Easy Caprese Chicken

Hello and welcome to one of the few meat-centered meals on my blog! 

Today's recipe was inspired by pinterest, my distaste for steak and fish, and my friend Alec's request to cook dinner together at his place :) 

                                   

Alec insisted that we improvise, but as he once messed up ramen, I was a bit more into the recipe. That said, the original plan was to grill, but sadly Atlanta decided it was the right day to rain. We tried to start the coals, but it didn't work out too well. The state of the kitchen was rather expected from a house of men, but it was great that they had a panini press. Once we cleaned it, we set to work... 

The Recipe: Easy Caprese Chicken (Recipe per serving)

• 1 Chicken Breast
• 1-2 slices of Mozzarella Cheese 
• 1-2 slices of Tomato
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 small slice Butter (about 1/2 tsp)
• Sprinkle of shredded Basil 
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 tsp Olive Oil

The Process: 

1. Heat the panini pan. 
2. Wash the chicken breast. **Raw meats must be handled very carefully!! 
3. Rub salt, pepper, and olive oil into the chicken breast. 
4. Place chicken breast in panini press. 
5. Wash hands! 
6. Heat pan on the stove. 
7. Make balsamic reduction in the pan by mixing butter and balsamic vinegar. 
8. Wash and slice tomato. 
9. Once chicken is nearly finished, place cheese on top and allow to melt. 
10. Remove chicken from panini pan with a spatula and plate. 
11. Place tomato slices on top, drizzle with balsamic reduction, and sprinkle with basil. 
12. Enjoy! 

The Calories: 

Chicken: 250 calories

Cheese: 78 calories

Tomato: 5 calories

Butter: 10 calories

Balsamic: 26 calories

Basil/Salt/Pepper: Negligible

Olive Oil: 40 calories

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TOTAL: 409 calories

What went right: 

         The dish worked well together as a whole and we had fun cooking together! 

What went wrong: 

         Personally, I thought the chicken was a little dry which meant we either over-pressed it slightly or needed to prep it more. It was still very good considering our college kitchen. 

What I would do next time: 

         Marinate the chicken and either bake it or plan to be able to grill it rather than panini pressing it. 

Overall, the dish was a success and a great evening of kitchen experimentation and catching up with an old friend :) 

Grilled Portobello Sandwich

Welcome veggie lovers! 

It probably won't surprise you to hear, that I'm not a fan of burgers. It's not that I have anything against them, they just don't taste right to me. The same goes for steak, pork chops, pork roast, ribs, and most seafood. Because of this, I eat a lot of bacon, salami, ham, and chicken, but if you're not into meat at all, a fantastic substitute is portobello mushrooms!

This recipe was a team effort by me and my dad, and uses three of my favorite ingredients of all time. 

The Recipe:Grilled Portobello Sandwich

(Amounts are per sandwich)

• 1 small bun
• 1/4 Avocado, sliced
• 3 slices of a Portobello mushroom (about 1/3 mushroom)
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, sliced
• Salt 
• Pepper
• 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• (Marinade for mushrooms) Lemon juice, Garlic Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

The Process:

• Set your broiler to high
• Place the red pepper slices in a small pan
• Add olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Toss to coat red pepper in marinade
• Broil close to the flame for about 10 minutes, or until the edges blacken 
• Put mushroom marinade in a sealable bag,
• Add mushroom slices
• Toss for a few minutes
• Grill on a Weber grill or stovetop grill pan for about 10 minutes, 5 on each side. (may differ based on type of grill)
• Lay mushroom slices on one side of bun
• Lay avocado slices on other side of bun
• Lay red pepper on side of bun with mushrooms
• Close sandwich
• Pair with low-fat snack or other side dish, such as steamed corn. 
• Enjoy!

The Calories:

Bun: 113 calories (depends on your bun)

Mushrooms: 10 calories

Peppers: 13 calories

Avocado: 58 calories

Olive Oil: 40 calories (keeping in mind that some of this will end up as residue on the pan)

Salt and Pepper: insignificant amount

Marinade: 20 calories (most of this will still be in the bag when you're done)

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TOTAL: 254 calories

Pretty fantastic considering one hamburger alone (not including the bun or condiments) is 280 calories at a minimum! 

What went right:

        Everything. This is now on my list of favorite sandwiches!! 

What went wrong: 

       Nothing, delicious, filling, addictive taste. Loved it. 

What I would do next time: 

       There's always a way to improve, even when something is wonderful...I might add some shredded cheese, make the same recipe in the form of a panini, or add some roasted zucchini :)

Will I do this in college?: 

       Yes, for sure! Since I won't have a grill in college, it might be faster to just throw the pepper and mushrooms in the same pan and roast both, for faster cooking and faster cleanup. But I will definitely be making this in college. 

Overall, nothing bad to say about this sandwich, and I'm very excited to have it again!

What would you put in a vegetarian sandwich?

Banana Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese on Cinnamon Raisin Bread

If you've chosen this post, you're more than likely intrigued as to how such a strange combination tasted so addicting, I made and ate TWO that night. And even though I've already had dinner, writing about it makes me want another one right now. It's that good.

The Recipe: Banana Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese on Cinnamon Raisin Bread

• 2 slices of Cinnamon  Raisin Bread
• 1/2 banana, sliced long ways, thinly and then each slice should be cut in half
• 1/2 apple, sliced thinly, no core
• 1 strip of bacon, cooked, broken into pieces
• 1 tbsp shredded, low fat Mozzarella
• 1/4 tsp butter

The Process: 

• Heat your panini pan and press on a large burner using high heat
• Set the press aside on the stovetop
• Spread butter on both sides of both slices of the bread
• When the pan is hot enough, place both slices of bread on the pan...remember to turn the heat down!!
• Sprinkle mozzarella on both sides of the bread
• When mozzarella is securely melted on each slice, lay the banana slices on one slice of bread
• Next, lay the apple slices on top of the banana slices
• Finally,  lay the bacon pieces on top of the apple slices
• Close your sandwich, and press until grill marks brown to desired color
• Enjoy with cinnamon sugar pita chips or other all natural snack

The Calories:

Bread: 170 calories

Banana: 45 calories

Apple: 40 calories

Bacon: 42 calories

Mozzarella: 20 calories

Butter: 25 calories

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TOTAL: 342 calories

As a sandwich goes, this is a pretty healthy option! Your typical panini has more than that in the bread alone. If you're looking at that and thinking, "Wait...but you ate two!", think for another second about what I really ate: a banana, an apple, two strips of bacon, and a relatively small amount of cheese and butter, on homemade cinnamon bread. And still ate only 684 calories for a main course for dinner.

What went right: 
           It's a strange but perfect combination! Healthy, natural, well-rounded...I love this sandwich.

What went wrong:
           The first time I almost burnt the bread because I didn't turn the heat down. Came out great though once I noticed.

Will I do this in college:
           Definitely. I might not eat two at once but I will for sure be making it.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful sandwich not only for dinner but for lunch, or even for appetizers if they were cut in diagonal fourths. It's quick, easy, and healthy...Just what every college student needs!