Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Arugula Cannellini Bean Salad

Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Arugula Cannellini Bean Salad

Chicken White Bean Salad

I am finding out that in the blogging world, things can and do go awry…….I guess I should have know that it would not always be smooth sailing. I use a photo editing program that is currently experiencing difficulty. So this post will not have my usual formatting. As soon as my editing program is back to normal I will replace the photos to the type I usually have.

So, that being said ………..this weeks Date Night Dinner is of a lighter fare. We are still trying to eat “better”. I am once again using beans, but this time in a salad. In one of my previous jobs we had a lemon rosemary chicken marinade that we used for our chicken and I always  thought it made the chicken juicy and flavorful. So since I could not for the life of me remember the recipe, I made up my own. It turned out very good. I used some of the same flavors for the salad and viola`……..a match made in heaven.

Chicken White Bean Salad Collage

Maybe I am thinking of spring and summer and this will be a perfect dinner to eat alfresco. In better weather ……..the day I made this was one of the many days that it snowed this past month……..you could easily grill the chicken for your alfresco dining pleasure!

 

White Bean Bruschetta Burger

White Bean Bruschetta Burger

White Bean Burger

First it was Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years, Super Bowl Sunday, and Valentines Day……whewwww…………can you say food coma.

I am ready to give my body a break. Working as a Food Service Director for a school district, my focus daily is on nutritious, healthy meals…….at school I have that down pat!  At home, I do not practice what I preach, but I am going to give it a whirl. I will never be a vegetarian, or even a total health nut. I enjoy food to much to never have a brownie or a deep fried…….well a deep fried anything again………but I do want to try to make better choices on a regular basis. Biggest problem with that……TASTE. I will not eat sticks and grass….or things that taste like it in the name of healthy eating.

But, give me something tasty that’s good for you ……I’m there! At work I receive tons of recipes from all sources and it gives me inspiration for many of my recipes. Tim is a huge bean fan, me not so much, but I am willing to try new things. So when I saw a bean burger recipe I thought……. maybe????

So, I have always liked a pasta with white beans, rosemary, and tomatoes. Throw in some basil and parmesan cheese, add some garlic bread…….it’s dinner time. So, how to healthy it up? How about a bean burger, they make them from black beans all the time, so why not white beans, a little rosemary, a toasty ciabatta bun (whole grain), just a touch of mayo (lite), and a tasty topping  of bruschetta ( one of my personal favorite things). While I confess it is not the same as the pasta, it was really good. I feel like I have made progress………..

White Bean Burger Collage

 

 

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Lobster Mac and CheeseLobster Mac & Cheese

So, another Valentines Day has come and gone………We had a very lovely dinner of Lobster Mac and Cheese. I had been wanting to make this dish ever since I saw Ina Garten make it on the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network several years back.

Confession time………..1. I am a total Food Network Junkie. I have been hooked on it from day one……2. I want to be the Barefoot Contessa.There is something about Ina Garten and her show that inspires me each and every time I watch it.

I wanted to make something special for Tim for Valentines dinner. Our local supermarket had lobster on sale, and we both love mac & cheese……..sooooo an idea was born! Lobster Mac and Cheese!

Now, when I say we love mac & cheese you must realize that what I am really speaking of is, of course………the boxed velveta & shells…………I know, I know, processed, out of the box……..but even us recipe creating, chefy, food bloggers sometimes just need a day off. Nothing fancy, easy, and lets be honest it really tastes good!!!!!!

But this was not the time for that, and I could not mix real lobster into boxed mac & cheese. So it had to be made from scratch.I tweaked the recipe I found on Food Network and I must say, the result almost put the velveta to shame…….OK it did!!! Continue reading “Lobster Mac and Cheese”