Artichoke and Chicken Quesadillas

This fresh version of a quesadilla is perfect when the garden is just beginning to put on spinach and basil. We've had it with and without the basil, depending on if we had any available in the garden, and the basil adds a whole new dimension to it. The basil version pairs wonderfully with Carvalho Family Old Vine Zinfandel wine.

Ingredients:
4 burrito size whole wheat tortillas
8 ounces Jack cheese, grated
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
2 cups of roasted chicken, chopped
1 cup of baby spinach leaves, chopped
(Optional) A few leaves of fresh basil
Sea salt and pepper

Preparation:
Lay the tortillas on a flat surface.
Spread the cheese on the tortillas.
Top with the artichoke hearts, the roasted chicken, and the spinach leaves, and basil.
Fold the tortillas in half to close.
Grill on an indoor grill for 2 minutes.
Top with salsa and sour cream.


Photo/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Roasted Salmon and Dill Yogurt with Radicchio and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of salmon steaks
• 1 lemon, sliced
• ½ teaspoon dill
• ½ cup of yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 head of radicchio, chopped
• ½ pound of fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon lemon pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Lay the salmon steaks on a baking sheet and place slices of lemon on top.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Heat the olive oil in a pan.
Cook the romaine, radicchio, and asparagus in the oil for 5 minutes, tossing frequently.
Sprinkle with the lemon pepper and Parmesan cheese and toss into the vegetable salad.
Stir together the yogurt and dill.
Serve the salmon with a dollop of yogurt and dill on top and the salad on the side.

Photo/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Grilled Chicken with Tabouleh Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• ½ cup of Italian dressing
• ½ cup of bulgur
• 2 tomatoes, chopped fine
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 can chopped black olives
• ½ cup chopped cucumber
• ½ cup of chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
• ¼ cup of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
In the morning, marinate the chicken breasts in the Italian dressing.
Make the tabouleh salad and place in the refrigerator.
In the evening, cook the chicken breasts on an indoor grill until cooked through.
Serve on a bed of tabouleh.

Cook the tabouleh:
Bring 1 ¼ cups of water to a boil.
Pour the bulgur in to the water, cover, and allow to stand for 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.
Pour the bulgur into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Place in the refrigerator for several hours.

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Dinner Magic Menus April Week 3

The Dinner Magic Shopping List for April Week 3 has all the grocery items you need to prepare these meals.

This week, all the menus are for low calorie easy meals. They're light and healthy foods and they fill you up. You can substitute low calorie dressings and low fat sour cream for the regular versions to save even more calories.

Grilled Smoked Turkey, Muenster, and Apple Sandwiches

Chicken Pineapple Kabobs with Salad

Mushroom Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Melon Salad

Baked Pesto Chicken with Sauteed Spinach and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Tuna, Barley, and Black Bean Salad

Chicken Soft Tacos

Sesame Chicken and Salad



More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Dinner Magic Shopping List April Week 3

This is the shopping list for Dinner Magic Menus April Week 3.

Meats:
8 ounces deli smoked turkey breast, sliced thin
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 sirloin pork chops, thin cut
1 small fryer chicken, cut up
2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins

Dairy:
4 ounces sliced Muenster cheese
1 cup vanilla yogurt
4 ounces sour cream

Frozen Food:
Broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower vegetable mix

Fresh Produce:
2 Granny Smith apples
1 nectarine or peach
1 individual size watermelon
1 honeydew or cantaloupe
1 head of garlic
1 red onion
1 yellow onion
3 bell peppers
3 tomatoes
4 cups spring salad greens
2 heads of iceberg lettuce
1 head of Romaine lettuce
8 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cucumber
1 bunch green onions
8 ounces mushrooms
4 ounces edamame
2 sweet potatoes
4 russet potatoes
1 head of broccoli
1 sprig of mint

Canned Food:
1 can (15 ounces) pineapple chunks
2 cans water packed tuna
1 can (13 ounces) black beans
1 can diced green chiles
1 can sliced black olives
1 can yellow corn
Salsa

Dry Food and Staples:
1 loaf whole wheat bread
1 package taco size tortillas
Sunflower seeds
Quick cooking pearl barley
Brown rice
Cooking spray
1 bottle rice wine vinegar
Olive oil
Sesame or vegetable oil
Salad croutons

Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Oregano, ground cumin, 1 package taco seasoning mix, sesame seeds
Dijon style mustard
Raspberry vinaigrette
Asian style salad dressing
Ranch style dressing
1 bottle soy sauce

Other items for your own personal shopping list:





More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Sesame Chicken and Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or sesame oil
• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 small package frozen broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower
• 1 small head of lettuce, chopped
• 1 tomato, sliced
• Any flavor salad dressing

Preparation:
Mix the oil, sesame seeds, and soy sauce in a bowl.
Place the chicken breast tenderloins in the bowl and marinate for 20 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, begin cooking the rice according to package directions.
Toss the salad ingredients with 2 tablespoons of dressing.
Grill the chicken on the indoor grill until the pieces are well done and browned.
Heat the vegetables in the microwave for 6-7 minutes.
Serve the chicken over a bed of rice with the vegetables and salad on the side.

Photo/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Tuna, Barley, and Black Bean Salad

This dish can be made ahead of time and allowed to sit in the refrigerator until dinner. Serve it on a bed of Romaine lettuce with extra dressing on the side.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of quick cooking pearl barley
• ½ cup Asian style salad dressing
• 2 cans water packed tuna
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
• 1 green onion, chopped fine
• 1 head of Romaine lettuce, chopped

Preparation:
Cook the barley according to package directions.
Toss with the tuna, black beans, bell pepper, and onion with ¼ cup of salad dressing
Serve over a bed of lettuce with additional dressing on the side.

You can change the flavor of this salad by choosing an Italian dressing, or a raspberry vinaigrette.

Wine pairing:
This salad pairs perfectly with Daniel Gehrs Oak Free Chardonnay or Barefoot Chardonnay.

Photo/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Baked Pesto Chicken with Sauteed Spinach and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 small fryer chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 small jar of pesto, or use my basil pesto or parsley pesto recipe
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup of sour cream
• 6 cups of spinach
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ head of iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup spring mix salad greens
• 1 tomato, cut into pieces
• ½ cucumber, sliced
• Italian salad dressing
• Croutons
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Lay the chicken in the pan and spread the pesto over all the pieces.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Boil the potatoes and garlic in salted water until they are tender.
While the potatoes boil, toss the salad ingredients with 2 tablespoons of Italian dressing.
Drain the potatoes and smash them with ¼ cup of sour cream.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet.
Add the spinach, and cover with a lid.
Cook the spinach about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is tender.
Serve the chicken on a bed of spinach with the potatoes and salad.

Note: For the photo above, I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I used an 8 ounce jar of sun dried tomato pesto by Classico, instead of a basil pesto. 


Photo/Suzanne Pitner

More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.