Friday is for Food: Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

I love everything about summer. The weather, the longer days, and especially the food! Summer is great for cold dishes. I found this recipe a few years ago and now I have no idea where I got it! It has sort of morphed into my own creation over these years, so I am not even sure how accurate it is to the original. Daniel and I really enjoy it and it is super easy. It also works well as a potluck dish. And you know how us church-folk love potlucks (or at least the Reissig's do!).

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts
1 box of bow tie pasta (cooked)
1 package of feta cheese
4 Roma tomatoes (quartered)
1 jar artichoke hearts (if desired)
Capers (if desired)
1 green pepper, chopped
Kraft Greek dressing
Lemon pepper seasoning

Recipe:
Season chicken breast with lemon pepper
Cook chicken breast and chop

Mix cooked pasta, chicken, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, green pepper, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Add Greek dressing to moisten as needed

Refrigerate overnight or for 2 to 3 hours

Serve cold

Friday is for Food and Fotos

Today starts a new thing on the blog and it is going to be Food Friday and/or Foto Friday. Depending on what is going on that day, I will post a new recipe I have tried (and there are many for this novice housewife!) or a picture that captures what has been happening in our life here in Louisville. Today you get both!

We had a cookout at work a few weeks ago and I needed to make a dessert. I happened to have some fresh strawberries and blackberries in the fridge, so I thought I would try this delicious Berry Crumb that my mom makes a lot!

Berry Crumb: by Deb Tarter

Ingredients:

3 cups of fresh or frozen berries (12 or 16 oz package frozen)

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/3 cup of softened butter

1/2 cup of flour

2/3 cup of quick cooking oats

3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Spread berries in a square 8 x 8 baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix remaining ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkly evenly over berries. Bake for 30 minutes or until light brown in oven

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and enjoy the goodness!

My Fish Experience: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

I made fish for the first time ever tonight. For some people this might be no big deal. But for someone who has had a major fish aversion since getting sick from fish sticks in elementary school, this was a huge milestone. Daniel likes fish and he also likes to try new things. He has been trying to get me out of my boring food routine since we met and tonight was a big breakthrough.

I am sort of dramatic about things, so I was nervous about this meal all day. Would I overcook it? Would I gag when I touched the raw fish? Would it taste fishy? Would it stink up our apartment? None of those things happened, which made for a relieved me and a happy husband. I try to make a few new things a month to build my food repertoire so I think this counts big time!

I made Broiled Tilapia Parmesan. A friend of mine made me a cookbook for one of my bridal showers and it has come in handy. It is a collection of easy and budget friendly recipes that she enjoys. To be honest when I first read the Tilapia recipe I thought, "I am never making that. I hate fish." But I am really glad I did.

Here is the recipe. It is SUPER easy.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan (serves 8)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

2 lbs. Tilapia filets

• Preheat your boiler. Grease broiling pan or line another raised-edge pan with aluminum foil.
  
• In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan, butter, mayo and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.


• Arrange filets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes.


• Flip the filets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the filets from the oven and cover them with the parmesan mixture on the top side. Broil 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork.

It really did taste good. And I don't even like fish.