It’s almost March and our resolve to cook *most* of our meals (as opposed to going out) has been mostly successful. However, I am personally beginning to lose motivation, since I’m rotating through the same meals each week. My husband has always been the more creative cook, conjuring up everything from Thai Chicken and Rice to a three course French Fondue meal.
Two weeks ago, I was invited to a Fresh & Easy cooking event to celebrate the opening of two new stores in the OC. Chef Cyndi Perez showed several of the local bloggers how to make three quick, easy, flavorful dishes using Fresh & Easy products. Because I have two small children in the house, it’s important that meals are not too complicated, particularly if the hubby will be working late. The first two suggestions are very kid-friendly and can be made rather quickly. I like Chef Perez’s healthier take on chicken tenders. She coats the chicken tenders with breadcrumbs then bakes them and serves them with wild rice and veggies for a complete meal.
Apricot Chicken Tenders
Serves 4
Ingredients:
o 1 package fresh&easy Chicken Tenders
o 1 jar fresh&easy Apricot Preserves
o 1 jar fresh&easy Sweet Hot Mustard
o 1 bottle fresh&easy Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
o 1 package Progresso Breadcrumbs
o 1 bowl fresh&easy Cooked Medley with Wild Rice
o 1 bag fresh&easy Microsteamer Veggies
Cooking Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place ½ jar of apricot preserves into a medium mixing bowl. Going by taste, add 1 tablespoon of sweet hot mustard and 1 teaspoon of whole grain Dijon mustard at a time, stirring and tasting between each addition. Sauce should be sweet with a hint of spicy mustard in the flavor.
3. Place 2/3 of sauce into a serving ramekin for later. Leave 1/3 in mixing bowl.
4. Open pack of chicken tenders and place into serving bowl with remaining sauce. Toss to coat tenders with sauce.
5. Once coated, move tenders to bowl of bread crumbs to cover. Once coated in bread crumbs, move tenders to a sheet pan and place into oven to bake.
6. Cook tenders until they reach 165F internal temperature, and outside is golden brown, approximately 12-14 minutes.
7. While chicken is cooking, follow package instructions and heat rice and vegetables in microwave.
8. Plate veggies, rice and chicken with apricot mustard dipping sauce and enjoy.
What’s nice about building your own pizza is that each family member can personalize it to include those ingredients he or she enjoys. I prefer veggies while my husband and son prefer meat. Tip for parents of children with food allergies: Replace the mozzarella with Rice Shreds or Daiya.
Build Your Own Pizza
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
o 1 package fresh&easy Traditional or Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
o 1 jar fresh&easy Pizza Sauce
o 1 bag fresh&easy Shredded Mozzarella
o Flour for rolling
o Toppings: Include your favorite ingredients
Cooking Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Allow dough to come to room temperature before starting.
2. Start with a small bowl of flour at your work area and remove dough ball from wrapper. Dip dough into flour so it is lightly coated before placing it onto the work surface.
3. Place dough ball down and using a knife or dough cutter, cut dough ball in half. Be sure to dust the cut side with flour so it doesn’t stick.
4. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a long thin rectangle, no bigger than the size of the pan you are going to bake on. You should be able to fit 2 of these rectangles onto a regular cookie pan.
5. Once dough is shaped correctly, move to cookie pans and try to remove any excess flour.
6. Using a large tablespoon, place 4-6 tablespoons of sauce onto each crust and spread to within 1” of the edge all the way around – It doesn’t take very much sauce to make a good pizza!
7. Now, take your shredded cheese and use about 4-6oz of cheese on each crust, sprinkling evenly over the sauce and to within ¼” of the edge.
8. Take your favorite toppings, cut them in smaller portions and then sprinkle on top of the cheese.
9. Bake until crust is golden brown. Cheese should start to brown and bubble in about 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before trying to cut.
10. Cut into wedges and serve.
Shrimp Ceviche is a dish my son would eat if it were broken down. At 3, he can’t really handle the concept but he likes shrimp and avocado. His version would not include jalapenos or sun-dried tomatoes.
Shrimp Ceviche
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
o 1 package fresh&easy 31/40 Cooked Shrimp
o 1 cup fresh lime juice
o ½ cup fresh orange juice
o 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
o 1 jalapeno, stemmed and roughly chopped
o 1 medium ripe avocado, pitted, flesh removed from skin and chopped into ½” cubes
o ¼ cup packed fresh&easy Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
o 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped in ¼” cubes
o ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, stems removed
o 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
o Salt and pepper to taste
o Décor: 1 bag fresh&easy Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
Cooking Directions:
1. Combine shrimp, lime juice and orange juice in a large resealable bag and let sit for 30 minutes to one hour. If shrimp is too big for your liking, chop into smaller pieces.
2. Once shrimp has marinated, toss them in a large glass or stainless steel bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve, no longer than a couple of hours. Serve in margarita glasses with fresh&easy Blue Corn Tortilla chips.
Fresh & Easy is committed to offering families wholesome food choices at affordable prices. Despite the fact that they’re a growing grocery chain, I still find the markets to be inviting and cozy…just like your neighborhood market.
To find a location near you, just visit their website.
No compensation was received for this post. I received a gift bag as a thank you.
Photo and Recipe Credit: Fresh & Easy
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