Bobby Flay's Chicken Cutlet

This is a different take on chicken cordon bleu, and I prefer it to the original, mainly because it doesn't have hollandaise sauce on it :).  Eggs and I aren't always the best of friends, so I prefer to avoid hollandaise whenever possible.  This was a quick meal, and the brie made it super delicious, and the boys are always excited to try different cheeses, so we all enjoyed this.  For six servings, each serving was 435, and Noah gave this a perfect 10, Owen and I gave it a 9, and Aaron gave it an 8, but he didn't have it fresh, so who knows :).  I found this recipe in Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook, and here's what I did:

1/2 c flour
1 egg, beaten
1 c Panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
3 T butter
2 T olive oil
4 oz Brie cheese, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon, cooked

2 T red wine vinegar
1 t whole grain mustard
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
1 bag arugula

Place flour in one bowl, egg in another, then Panko in a third bowl.  Season the chicken tenders well.  Season the flour, then dip the chicken in the flour, then then eggs, then lastly the Panko.  Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet, then brown the chicken tenders on both sides.  Cook until chicken is done, then top with the Brie immediately and 2 bacon strips.
Mix the vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper together, then whisk in the olive oil to emulsify.  Toss with the arugula and serve over the chicken.

Michael Symon's Flank Steak with Bacon Corn Salad

Sorry about the late posting the last few times, I keep losing track of days :).  This was a delicious meal, and I loved the salad.  We actually had salad left over, and had it for leftovers the next day.  Each serving was 340 calories, for six servings, and Noah and I gave this a perfect 10, and Owen and Aaron gave it a 9.  Here's the easy recipe from Michael Symon:

Flank Steak (about 1 lb)
salt and pepper
4 T olive oil
1/2 lb bacon, diced
4 ear sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 c loosely packed arugula
1/2 onion, sliced thinly

Season the steak with salt and pepper.  In a pan, heat 3T oil, then cook the flank steak on both sides until cooked to desired doneness.  Cook the remaining bacon with 1 T olive oil until crispy.  Add the corn and cook until the corn starts to brown.  Add the red pepper flakes and 1/2 c water to deglaze the pan.  Stir in the vinegar.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper.  Cut the steak thinly against the grain.  Top with the bacon, corn, arugula, and onion.

Michael Symon's Pork Tenderloin with Arugula

I found this recipe in Michael Symon's Carnivore cookbook, and it might be my new favorite pork meal.  This is quick, easy, and so full of flavor.  Noah and I gave this a perfect 10, and Aaron and Owen gave it a 9.  Since you can make the pork marinade up to two days in advance, this is just so little effort.  Michael Symon says to grill this, but I don't grill, so we had this broiled.  Each serving, and we made four servings, was 322 calories, so super healthy, even with the changes I made.  Here's what I did:

1 T Dijon mustard
1 t salt
2 t cumin
1/2 c cilantro leaves
1 t smoked paprika
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 lb pork loin, sliced in half
1-2 c arugula
2 T olive oil
1 avocado, diced
dash of sugar
salt and pepper

Combine the mustard, salt, cumin, paprika, lime zest, and cilantro in a large ziplock bag.  Add in the pork, then shake the bag and refrigerate it for up to two days.  (I only did it for one day)
Heat up the broiler.
On a stove top, heat 1 T olive oil, and brown the meat on all sides.  Add some lime juice to the pan, the put the pan under the broiler, until the pork reaches 140-145 degrees on an instant read thermometer.  Let rest, then slice and serve.
Mix the arugula, avocado, olive oil, some cilantro, salt and sugar together.  Serve with the pork.

Pasta Salad from Absolutely Avocados

I liked this salad because of the arugula and dressing, but I didn't love the cheese, and neither did the rest of the family.  I added chicken to this, so we could have a complete meal, and this was such a nice, summery salad.  The original recipe used farro and was vegetarian, so this is really just a take on the original recipe from Absolutely Avocados.  Aaron and I gave this a 9, and the boys gave it an 8.  Each serving was 551 calories, and here's what to do:

3 oz pasta, cooked and set aside
1 avocado
1 roma tomato
1 c small cheese balls, quartered (I would use fresh mozzarella next time)
12 oz chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I cooked mine in the crockpot)
1/4 c olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T Parmesan cheese
1 t oregano
1 t parsley
1 t garlic
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t salt
pepper
2 c arugula

Mix together the olive oil with all the ingredients up to the pepper, then in a large bowl mix everything together except the arugula and avocado.  Let chill for as long as you would like, then when ready to serve add in the avocado and arugula, mix well, and serve.

Penne with White Beans, Bacon and Arugula

This recipe is from my Cook's Illustrated America's Test Kitchen cookbook, and I loved this!  I love arugula, it's probably my favorite green, so tasty without a weird after taste.  No one else felt that strongly about it though.  I gave it a perfect 10, Noah gave it a 9 because he didn't like the arugula, Owen gave it an 8, because he didn't like the beans, and Aaron gave it a 6 because he said "if only it had sausage..." :)  Oh well.  This was simple, filling, and delicious.  This came together in about 30 minutes from start to finish.  Each serving was 325 calories.  Here's what I did, which is just a tiny bit different from the recipe.

1/2 lb penne, cooked, with about 1/2 c pasta water reserved
3/4 c chicken broth
3 slices thick-sliced bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 T minced garlic
1 15 oz can cannellini beans
salt
1 T lemon juice
1 bag (about 4 cups) arugula
cheese to garnish

Cook the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes.  Add in the onion, then cook for about 5 minutes until softened.  Add in the garlic, then the beans, 1/2 t salt, and chicken broth.  Mash up some of the beans, and stir for a few minutes while the sauce comes to a simmer.  Add in the cooked, drained pasta and the pasta water, then cook for a few minutes tossing.  Add in the lemon juice and the arugula, cook until the pasta all comes together.  Garnish with cheese and serve.

I have been eating the leftovers, and it is still delicious the next day :).

Potatoes with Arugula

So we had this warm kind of potato salad, and it was fabulous.  Both Aaron and I really enjoyed it, we gave it a 9, and the boys liked the potatoes, but not the arugula, big surprise there.  Noah gave it a 5 and Owen gave it a 6.  We got the recipe from Michael Symon's Live to Cook cookbook, and it is simple and delicious.

2 lbs red potatoes
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c cream
2 T coarse ground Dijon mustard
2 T butter, unsalted
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 lb arugula

Cook the potatoes in well salted boiling water until soft, then peel if desired (I didn't peel) and chop into bite size pieces.  Cook cream, chicken broth, and mustard until thickened and reduced, then add in potatoes and then add in the butter, salt and pepper to taste, and add in the arugula until wilted, then serve.

This was easy, and hopefully I didn't leave out any steps.  I'll upload my pictures soon, sorry they aren't on here yet!