Cajun Chicken Alfredo May 9, 2012

I love anything alfredo.  Something about that creamy white sauce.  This Cajun Chicken Alfredo was as good as any restaurant dish I’ve had.  The chicken had a nice kick from the Cajun seasoning and I loved the grill taste (the original recipe has you saute it, I decided to let my husband join in on the cooking and grill it).  The sauce turned out great, even with using part heavy cream part skim milk.  I would try a different vegetable next time.  I’m not sure how I don’t have much experience with sun-dried tomatoes, what the original recipe called for, so I chose to use an orange pepper, that’s what I had in the house.  Next time I would try broccoli or asparagus.   Overall I was extremely happy with this dish and will be making it again!

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup blackening spice (recommended: Paul Prudhomme’s Chicken)(I used MUCH less)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes (I used orange pepper, but I would think broccoli, asparagus or other veggies would work also)

1/4 cup white wine

3 cups heavy cream (I used 1 cup cream and 2 cups skim milk – turned out fine)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound cooked fettuccine

1/2 cup sliced scallions (I forgot to top the dish off with this)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the chicken breasts in the blackening spice and grill till cooked through.  Keep warm.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.  Add garlic and lightly caramelize.  Then add the sun-dried tomatoes or other vegetable.  Deglaze the pan with the white wine.  Add the heavy cream/milk, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.

When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.

Slice chicken against the grain.  Place pasta mixture on plate.  Top with sliced chicken.  Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Recipe from Foodnetwork.com (ingredients exact instructions adapted)

Taco Mix April 30, 2012

This doesn’t need much intro.  Instead of buying those taco seasoning packets, I’ve started making my own using this recipe.  I use 2 T per pound of meat and it seems like the perfect ratio.  As mentioned in the Chicken-Taco Cornbread Pie, I used 3 T and it was a little spicier than we like it – even for my husband, which is a shocker, so I will reduce that to 1.5-2 T next time I make it.

Taco Mix (T=tablespoon & t=teaspoon)

2 T chili powder

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/2 t oregano

1 t paprika

1 T cumin

2 1/2 t kosher salt

2 t pepper

Mix all ingredients together.  Mix 2 T mix with 1 pound of meat.

Recipe from Beth (Tried & True)

Chicken-Taco Cornbread Pie April 17, 2012

I recently got a new cookbook called Tried & True.  It is full of recipes that a bunch of moms submitted claiming they were easy quick family friendly recipes.  I went through the book the day I received it.  I then sat on the couch and went through it again that night, and of course, once again the next day.  I LOVE paging through recipe books trying to imagine what each recipe would bring to the table.  Call me a nerd, that’s ok, I’m not going to stop!

I’ve made a few recipes already from this book, hoping to post the others also, but the other night I made something called a Chicken-Taco Cornbread Pie.  I LOVED it!  I think it was something about the cornbread on top that made it so good.  It’s a really simple meal thrown into a pie plate and baked.  I served it with…nothing!  Probably would have served a salad, but I only eat salads in the fam and I had one for lunch, so instead, my husband and I ate 3/4 of the pie!!!  (my husband liked it also, as far as how much he liked it, you will have to ask him) My daughter enjoyed making it with me, trying the chicken as it was simmering and digging her hand into the cheese, but she wasn’t a big fan of the cornbread and the chicken mixture was too spicy for her – my fault!  I will be making this one again!

Oh yes, I also had plans to make THIS Dessert Pizza that night but totally forgot until the Cornbread Pie was in the oven – but that didn’t stop me!  I still put it together and we ate it later in the night, which was a good thing b/c my husband and I were stuffed after dinner…  That dessert was excellent.  It kind of reminds me of an apple pie but better, with more crumble topping and less apples :)

Chicken-Taco Cornbread Pie

1 T vegetable oil

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 pkg (1-1/4 oz) Taco Seasoning (I used homemade and it only needed 1.5-2 T…I put in 3!!!  I didn’t know how spicy it was going to be)

3/4 cup water

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 pkg (8 1/2 oz) corn muffin mix + ingredients as listed on box to make corn muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat.  Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. or until done.  Stir in peppers, seasoning mix and water.  Bring to boil; simmer on med-low heat 10 min.  stirring occasionally.

Spoon into 9-inch pie plate (I added probably 1/3 of the juice, not all of it), sprinkle with cheese.  Prepare muffin mix as directed on pkg; spoon over cheese and spread, completely covering cheese layer.

Bake 20 min. or until golden brown.  Let stand 5 min. before serving.

Recipe from Kelly (Tried & True)

Avocado Spinach Egg Salad March 16, 2012

It’s been a CRAZY week!  For my family at least, many families probably have weeks like this very often, but not us.  Our nights have been super short and sweet because of stuff that had to be done, places that we had to go, etc.  I’ve pulled out a container of Chicken Noodle Soup one night, even in this summer-like weather.  Gave my husband some hot dogs to grill up another night when I had to run out the door and we even headed to Portillos another night when time didn’t allow cooking or eating at home.  Love there beef sandwiches and they have an AWESOME chocolate cake shake….but saved a few calories THIS time from not ordering one of those.  Oh yes, we had a decent meal on Monday night – grilled Cajun Salmon and mashed potatoes.  Good to get some Omega 3s in the body!

For lunch this week I’ve been making this Avocado Spinach Egg Salad which I found when I was searching on foodgawker.com recently.  This is a new fav site for  me – even more than pinterest!  Take a look for yourself but don’t say I didn’t warn you – it’s addicting!  The avocado recipe was posted on the website called We Are Not Martha.  It is a delicious and healthy lunch.  I love the creamyness of it all and the sprinkle of salt adds the perfect touch.

Avocado Spinach Egg Salad

1 hardboiled egg

2 T plain greek yogurt

1/3 avocado

1/3 celery stalk, chopped

4-5 baby spinach leaves, ch0pped

hot pepper flakes, to taste (I don’t like heat, I omit this)

good bread, toasted if desired (I use whole wheat)

Peel and mash the egg with the yogurt, avocado, celery, spinach and hot pepper flakes.  Toast your bread and spread with avocado mixture.  Sprinkle with salt.  Enjoy!

Recipe adopted from We are Not Martha

Creamy Pasta Primavera March 9, 2012

Here is a really simple healthy dish to make for your family.  The recipe is from Kraftfoods.com but it was brought to my attention by a friend.  There is a bit of chopping involved but it seemed to go quickly, although it’s probably because I was chatting on the phone while chopping.  I made 1/3 of the recipe and it gave two pretty good portions.  Also, the nice thing about this recipe is you can use an veggies that you have on hand – substituting the zucchini, red pepper and asparagus with whatever is in your fridge or whichever veggies your family likes.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces

1-1/2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus (1-inch lengths)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package.

Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is done, stirring frequently.  Add broth and Neufchatel; cook 1 min. or until Neufchatel is melted, stirring constantly.  Stir in Parmesan.

Drain pasta; return to pan.  Add chicken mixture; mix lightly.  Cook 1 min. or until heated through.  (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

Recipe from Kraft Foods

Lettuce Wraps January 28, 2012

Have you ever been to PF Changs?  I have been there a handful of times and was introduced to lettuce wraps oone of the first couples times I went.  They are so delicious and haven’t had them for soooo long until just last week, when I went to make them for myself after finding a recipe for them.  They turned out really good.  I made a few changes to my liking and I think they are even better.  This is a great appetizer to bring to a party or it even works as an entree for a lighter dinner/lunch.  It does call for a few ingredients that you may not have in your kitchen, but after making the Asian Slaw, I realized I had all those ingredients on hand now!  Can’t wait to see what else I can make with the Rice Vinegar and Seaseme Oil.  It’s been great to add a little Asian flare into my kitchen!

This recipe is a bit invovled.  You could definitly make the sauces and even cut up the meat/veggies a head of time to make it easier.

Lettuce Wraps

Dipping/Pouring Sauce

4 T sugar

1/2 cup hot water

3 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten free tamari

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup or canned tomato sauce

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Stir-Fry Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar (not packed tightly)

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

(cornstarch and water to thicken – optional)

Stir-Fried Chicken

1 or less tablespoon nice dijon mustard

2 or less garlic cloves, minced (see instructions)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and minced

1/2 cup minced mushrooms (minced to the same size as the water chestnuts)

1/2 yellow onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce (or romaine)

For the Pouring Sauce:

In a small saucepan, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup hot water. Blend in soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and dark sesame oil. Mix well.  Optional:  Combine a bit of cornstarch with water and whisk with fork till smooth.  Add a little to the saucepan, whisking continuasly, until it thickens.  Set aside.

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar. Mix well and set aside.

For the Stir-Fried Chicken:

In a wok or large frying pan over high heat, combine olive oil and sesame oil. Heat until it shimmers, about one minute. Add chicken chunks and stir fry until entirely cooked through, about five minutes. Remove from the chicken pan and allow to cool.  Pour the remaining juice out, no need to reserve.

Heat that same pan to med-high.  Add tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add the garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cooked chicken, and the stir-fry sauce.  Cook everything, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have cooked through and are tender, about four minutes. Remove from pan and place in a serving dish.

Add a bit of dijon mustard and minced garlic to the pouring sauce to desired taste.

Serve the chicken mixture in the lettuce leaves and dip our pour the sauce over the top.

Recipe adopted from The Culinary Life

Chicken Parmesan Bake December 23, 2011

I don’t have a picture this dish, but it was sooooo good and easy that I had to share it with you before I can make it again and snap pictures of it!  If your family enjoys Chicken Parmesan, I cannot imagine them not likeing this recipe!  I found it during a VERY short visit to pinterrest.  I liked the site.  Just didn’t want to waste too much time sitting at my computer looking at all the fun things I could make, bake and create, or so I think I could.  The recipe comes from Food Wishes.  You can find it here along with some great pictures and a video of how to put it all together.  You can also find the recipe below.

Chicken Parmesan Bake

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

hot red pepper flakes, to taste (I omitted)

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 3 and pounded them to about 1/2 inch thickness)

2 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped basil (I used some dried basil)

8 oz mozzarella, shredded

4 oz Parmesan, grated (I would leave out half next time, it seemed a bit too salty to my taste)

1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Put olive oil and garlic in a 9×13 size dish or pan.  Place chicken on top.  Spread marinara sauce on top.  Sprinkle with half the mozzorella and half the parmesan cheese.  Place croutons on top and add the remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (or until your chicken is cooked through).

Recipe from Food Wishes

Ginger Coconut Chicken Strips November 14, 2011

Please bear with my pictures…my camera lens is broke-need to get that fixed, although I’m sure I could work on my photography skills also!

I made this for dinner a couple weeks ago.  This is the first time I used fresh ginger in a recipe.  I was a bit concerned because the fragrance coming from the ginger was pretty strong, but it actually ended up to be very tasty.  The sweet coconut and ginger adds a unique flavor to the chicken.  I wouldn’t make this all the time, but it is a good recipe to go to when I want to change up my normal chicken dinners. I got the original recipe from The Chew.  They tell you to skewer them up and fry them if you want.  Thought the skewers weren’t necessary and baking is a bit healthier than frying.

I made sweet potato wedges for a side to these chicken strips.  I LOVE sweet potato wedges!  That one is not really a recipe so I’ll quick tell you how I make ‘em:  peel and cut sweet potato in wedges (they are pretty hard to cut up, but I manage.  I think you can nuke them in the micro to soften up a little before cutting).  Toss with oil salt and pepper and parsley if desired.  Bake at 450 for 20-30 minutes until crispy on the outside.

Ginger Coconut Chicken Strips – serves 4

4 8-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 4 strips

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs-what I had in the house)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

3 tbsp fresh ginger shredded

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream drained (I used plain yogurt-no sour cream in the house)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a tiny pinch-if you like heat, add it all!)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix flour salt and pepper in one bowl.  Bread crumbs, coconut and ginger in another (mix this with hands to make sure ginger is distributed evenly and there are no chunks).  In a third bowl whisk the eggs.  Dip the chicken strips into the flour mixtures, then egg and then bread crumb mixture.  Place on a greased pan until all chicken strips are coated.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

To make the Honey-Scallion Sauce, mix the sour cream, honey, scallions and cayenne pepper in a bowl.  Chill for at least an hour.  Stir and serve.

Recipe adopted from The Chew

Bacon-Cheese Topped Chicken November 10, 2011

I really love mushrooms.  Especially on my pizza, in eggs, stir fry or really in any dishes.  When a friend brought this recipe to my attention, I knew I was going to love it.  Marinated chicken topped with mushrooms, cheese and bacon!  Not sure what other combo could be better…except of course peanut butter and chocolate, but that’s dessert, I’m talking about supper right now.  I was a bit unsure about the marinade, since I’m not a huge mustard fan, but I adjusted the instructions a little (see below) and it turned out to be great!  I will be making this dish often!

Bacon-Cheese Topped Chicken – 4 servings

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

4-1/2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Dash paprika

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used mozzarella b/c didn’t have this kind in my house at the time)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

8 bacon strips, partially cooked

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (you can omit this, I had some in my fridge so I went ahead and used it)

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, 1-1/2 teaspoons oil and lemon juice. Pour 1/2 cup into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2 hours or longer. Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade.  (I ended up discarding the remaining marinade.  It still had a nice flavor with a hint of the mustard, but it wasn’t overwhelming by any means.  If you don’t like mustard, I would go this route.  If you love mustard, slather the rest of the marinade on the chicken as instructed below :)

Drain and discard marinade from chicken. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in remaining oil on all sides. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Transfer to a  baking dish.

In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in butter until tender. Spoon reserved marinade over chicken (if using). Top with cheeses and mushrooms. Place bacon strips in a crisscross pattern over chicken or just crumbled on top.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Sprinkle with parsley.

Recipe from  Taste of Home

Famous Pork Chops November 7, 2011

Looks like I had a blog malfunction…something happened to my post, probably my fault, looks like I’ll have to re-create, here goes!

I really thought I had a picture of the chops I made…but have had no luck finding it, so I am cheating again, thanks to Tricia from WI for this picture.

I really enjoyed these porks chops!  One thing I would suggest would to bake them in a pan where you can broil the last few minutes.  I used a corelle dish, which recommends not broiling, so I followed instructions and didn’t broil them.  I think broiling would add a nice crunchy top to the pork chop.  This is a SUPER easy recipe to make, no special techniques or equipment needed!  If you’re just started to learn your way around the kitchen and want an simple recipe, try this one.  You won’t be disappointed!

Famous Pork Chops

1 cup crushed butter crackers

garlic salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

3 eggs, beaten

4 pork chops

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a shallow bowl combine crushed crackers, garlic salt and pepper; mix well. In a separate bowl beat eggs.

Dip your pork chops in the egg batter and then in the cracker mixture. Place the pork chops in a casserole dish. Place chunks of the butter around the pork chops. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.  Broil last 5-10 minutes, watching careful not to burn, if your baking in a broil-proof dish.

Serve your choice of sides and enjoy!

Recipe from allrecipes.com