Ice Cream Sandwiches

I got this idea from 101 Things To Do With a Cake Mix, p. 117. I changed some things.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

• 1 Box of your favorite chocolate cake mix (I used Triple Chocolate)
• 1/3 C. Oil
• 2 Eggs
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together cake mix, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. The dough will be stiff.
Lightly flour a clean surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Use a round cup or cookie cutter to cut out uniform cookies. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil. Place the cutout dough on the pan.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies onto a cooling rack. When cool, place a scoopful of ice cream in-between two cookies. Wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap. Store cookies in a an airtight container in the freezer.

Note:
We did open-faced sandwiches. Next time I will make some hot fudge to top it off. I may even use other ice cream flavors. Justin said this was the best dessert I'd ever made :)

Chicken Parmesan

Also from Cook This, Not That!, Justin loved this one. It was fast and easy, also.

Chicken Parmesan

• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 c bread crumbs (I used Panko. Awesome)
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1/2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 4 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella (I just used pepperjack. It changed the flavor, but oh well)
• fresh basil leaves (optional)

Pound chicken until it is uniformly 1/4" thick.
Season with salt and pepper
Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning on a large plate.
Dip each breast into the egg whites to coat both sides and then into the crumb mixture, patting the crumbs so they fully cover the chicken.
-Option 1: Fry in skillet --
Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on the first side before turning. (The crust should be deeply browned and crunchy.) Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a baking sheet.
-Option 2: Bake in oven (what I did)
Bake chicken breasts in a 400 degree F oven until the crust is golden and the meat is firm, about 15 minutes.
-With both options:
Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken pieces, then top with the cheese and place underneath the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted an bubbling. Serve garnished with basil (if using).

I served this over spaghetti with some of the tomato sauce mixed in. The book suggests garlicky sauteed spinach. Probably not going to do that yet.

Quinoa Pilaf

I'd heard quinoa was the best grain you could eat, so I wanted to see if it tasted good. I had a hard time finding it first, but they sell it in the "healthy" section of the commissary on our base, next to the power bars and such. I got the kind that is already rinsed, since I guess you have to rinse a bitter flavor off the grains before you cook it. It makes a good substitute for rice.
Anyway, this is from Cook This, Not That! p. 294, and even my 15 month-old liked it!

Quinoa Pilaf

• 1 c. quinoa
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 3 c. low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 c. golden raisins (these make it so good!)
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the quinoa in a large bowl and rinse in several changes of cold water. Drain thoroughly (or buy the already rinsed kind and skip this step)
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot until softened, then stir in the quinoa and cook until lightly toasted and giving off a nutty smell, about 3 minutes. (I could only smell the onions, I never got the "nutty smell")
Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is fully absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Stir in the pine nuts, raisins, and parsley.
Makes 4 servings