Spinach, Artichoke, and Ricotta Lasagna

Dear people, Hello! It has been a long time since there has been a recipe added. Tag, your it :) But please forgive the picture, I didn't think about taking one until it was all put away so you get a picture of Josh's lunch. This was delicious!!  Zach even ate a bunch of it, but maybe I am really lucky... he seems to eat most anything I make for dinner.  This recipe came from Precious For the Love of Lasagna cookbook.

 

8 oz. shredded mozzarella
15 oz. container ricotta
1 egg
2 cups onions, 1/4-inch dice (I used one whole onion because who seriously measures out two cups?)
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry (I used a 12 oz bag)
4 1/2 cups bechamel sauce (see recipe below)
12 sheets no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups artichoke hearts in brine, quartered (bought from Costco)
3 oz. shredded Parmesan, about 1 1/2 cups
Preheat oven to 400. Mix ricotta and egg in a small bowl.
Saute the onions in oil in a large saute pan on medium until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper (I didn't).
Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan and top with four noodles.
Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 of the spinach mixture, 1/2 of the artichokes, 1 cup bechamel, 1/2 of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
Continue layering with 4 more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, spinach mixture, artichokes, mozzarella, 1 cup bechamel ( I only used 1/2 cup here so there was enough for the top), and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
Cover with parchment and then aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes until slightly bubbling.  Remove foil and parchment and continue to bake until top is browned, about 10 minutes more.  Cool 10 minutes before serving to allow lasagna to set up. 
{{I forgot the mozzarella and Parmesan on the first layer but did put it on the second layer and it still turned out delicious.. Mind you I didn't put all of it, just what was requested for one layer.  Maybe that made it healthier  ;) }}


Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used salted)
4 shallots or 1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
3/4 tsp. nutmeg, grated (umm is that just your normal spice nutmeg?  that's what I used)

Melt butter until foaming in medium sauce pan on medium.
Add shallots or onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about four minutes.
Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes making sure not to brown.
Whisk in milk slowly and bring mixture to boil.  Stir in nutmeg.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (again I didn't do this, and it really didn't need it).
Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Well hello again! My Aunt Toni gave me this recipe a couple of years ago and I had forgotten all about it until she mentioned it the other night. I decided I better blog about it so we don't forget about it again! Please forgive my horrible picture, the camera must have been on a weird setting. Seriously the best recipe because it is so yummy and it only uses 4 ingredients that we all usually have at home! Don't worry, the mustard really isn't overpowering. Lizy, my picky eater, went back for thirds!

4 chicken breasts "butterfly" thick pieces while slightly thawed

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Oven @ 350 degrees...Place chicken in shallow baking dish. In saucepan combine rest of ingredients and stir til butter is melted. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 to 60 minutes...basting every 15 minutes.

I made another batch of sauce and served that over rice

I doubled this recipe for my family and used chicken tenders instead of breasts. If you use breasts make sure they are thinner so the chicken can really soak up the sauce. Real butter is a must with this recipe people!! Don't forget to baste every 15 minutes! I also made another batch of sauce to serve over the rice. If your family is a saucy family I'd even double the sauce to serve on the side. It is super delish on the rice!!

Ranch Baked Chicken

(Picture thanks to here.)

Okay, anybody here? I once again didn't take a picture and I've made it twice in the last week! Honestly, I think this is my new favorite chicken. I've paired it with rice and baked broccoli and peas. ALL of which the kids LOVE!!!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

3 garlic cloves, finely minced (see garlic tutorial here)

2 thick slices whole wheat bread (for about 2 cups fresh bread crumbs)

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Combine butter and garlic in an 8- or 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour the butter/garlic mixture into a shallow pie plate or similar dish and cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor, tear the bread into large chunks, and pulse until the bread is ground into crumbs. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow pie plate or shallow bowl and toss with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Dip each chicken breast in the melted, cooled garlic butter. Transfer to the bread crumb mixture and turn until coated on all sides. Arrange the chicken in one flat layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any of the remaining melted butter over the chicken. Bake the chicken until it is lightly browned and just cooked through, 40-50 minutes. The baking time will depend on the thickness and size of the chicken you are using. Don’t overcook or the chicken will be dry.

Recipe Source: adapted from Sara Moulton and www.Melskitchencafe.com

*Note: If you don’t have a food processor to make fresh bread crumbs, you can try using a blender and pulsing the crumbs or try using panko bread crumbs (usually found in the Asian foods aisle). If you are using a food processor, you can also add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the bread crumbs and pulse to combine to create an even finer crumb.

Ashley's Two Cents: I used hamburger buns as the bread crumbs and for the parmesan cheese- it was the shake out kind used for spaghetti. My little add-in was half a packet of Ranch Dressing Mix added to the bread crumb mixture......LOVED IT! I also only used 3 chicken breasts, but there was definitely enough to make the extra.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I have my own recipe for chicken enchiladas that I've used for years but after making this one I don't think I can ever go back. SO GOOD! The only things I did differently were using colby jack cheese (when I went grocery shopping and looked at my list I thought I wrote Monteray jack on accident so I bought colby jack) and I used corn tortillas because Josh complains when they are flour.

*Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Honey Glazed Chicken

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not taking my own pictures lately. By the time I think of it it's already gone or my picture doesn't do the food justice. So once again I borrowed the picture and recipe from here.

Honey Glazed Chicken

from Kristin E.

2 lbs of diced uncooked chicken breast

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

4 TB butter

1/4 cup honey

3 TB lemon juice

2 TB soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flower and seasonings. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.
Melt 2 TB butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.

Serve over rice. I usually double the sauce ingredients to make more to serve over the rice.

*I would definitely suggest doubling if not tripling the sauce recipe. Also I ended up using half lemon juice and half orange juice.....I ran out of the lemon juice. I mixed brown and white instant rice and served ours with broccoli. YUM!

Raspberry Lime Ricky

(Picture from here!)

I came acrossed this recipe last year when Mel posted this. I knew it was love at first site. It's so refreshing and once it's made you can keep enjoying this drink until it's all gone!

12 oz. package frozen raspberries

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

4 teaspoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 limes (It took 4 limes to get the 1/2 cup juice but I only used the zest from 3 limes – it was plenty)

Club soda, chilled

Ice

Heat raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the raspberries begin to release their juices, about five minutes. Mash the berries with a potato masher until the berries break down, then stir in the lime zest and juice. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about five minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids to extract the liquid. This works best done in batches so the seeds don’t clog up the bottom of the mesh strainer. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups syrup. Discard the berry solids. Refrigerate the syrup until completely cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. To serve, combine 3/4 cup club soda and 3 tablespoons syrup in tall, ice-filled glasses.

Thai Chicken Pasta

The Chili-Garlic Sauce looks like this: (I found some at Walmart but it wasn't garlic! Ooops! It was HOT chili sauce. I just added a little extra garlic and used what I bought and it worked.)

What you'll need:

12 oz Linguine

2-3 Cooked Chicken Breasts (cubed or shredded)

Sauce:

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped

1 C finely shredded Carrots

3 tbsp minced Garlic (yes 3, but it's really not too much, promise)

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Cilantro and additional green onions to garnish. (I left out the cilantro)
Peanuts to taste, chopped

Directions:

Break pasta into thirds and then cook pasta according to box directions. Drain, return to pot, and then set aside.

Heat 1 TBS of sesame oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add green onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.

Combine honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl and mix well. Add to vegetables. Add chicken. Simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta and toss well with the chopped peanuts.

Notes:

I found this recipe here and here. The ingredients reminded me of my favorite pasta dish at The Cheesecake Factory. I added the chopped peanuts to the recipe. I loved it!! It came together really fast and was surprisingly simple. I think once you've made it the first time you'll have all the liquid ingredients on hand so that will help with future shopping lists:) Also, I don't think you can buy just 12oz of pasta. I only found 16oz boxes so I cooked it all. When it was drained I set aside some plain before I added the sauce. Lizy is a weirdo about new food so she was able to eat the plain noodles tossed with butter and parmesan cheese. You could also half this recipe.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

From Betty Crocker International Cookbook. Fresh mushrooms are key here. Just rinse them under water and pat dry. DO NOT soak them.

INGREDIENTS:

* 8 ounces FRESH mushrooms (not canned or dried)

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium diced onion

1/4 cup white all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 can condensed chicken broth (~10 oz)

1 soup can water

1 cup half & half (or cream if you want a real creamy soup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Slice enough mushrooms to measure 1 cup.
• Chop remaining mushrooms.
• In 3 quart saucepan, saute sliced mushrooms 2 Tbs of the butter until golden brown & remove from pan & set aside.
• Cook remaining chopped mushrooms and onion in remaining butter until onion is tender.
• Stir in flour, salt, and white pepper.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute then remove from heat.
• Stir in chicken broth and water
• Heat to boiling stirring constantly - boil for about 1 minute.
• Stir in half& half & sliced mushrooms & heat (but not boil).

Makes about 5-6 servings of the best mushroom soup you ever had.

This was delicious! I know a lot of you won't make this because way too many people don't like mushrooms and think of them as "fungus." Even my picky eater Zach ate and LOVED it! I gave him some in a bowl and gave him stick pretzels and told him it was "dip," but soon after he saw mom and dad eating with a spoon he also picked his up and ate with his spoon. He kept asking for more which is saying something. Yum Yum Yum :)

Zesty Chicken with Corn Salsa

I got this recipe from eatbetteramerica.com. I used the whole can of kidney beans not just 1/2 cup and I also used a regular size can of corn. Who has ever seen a 7 oz can of corn? not me :) This was a really fast, simple recipe and it tasted delicious! Josh thinks next time I make it he might grate some cheddar cheese to put on top but still told me I could make the recipe once a week and he'd still happily eat it. Zach ate all the veggies but I think the chicken may have had too much chili powder for him so maybe if your feeding children cut back a little on the chili powder.

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:30 min

makes:4 servings

2	teaspoons chili powder
2	teaspoons brown sugar
1	teaspoon ground cumin
4	boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
2	tablespoons olive oil
1	can (7 oz) Green Giant® whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1/2	small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2	small cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2	cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3	tablespoons lime juice
1/4	teaspoon salt

1.	In cup, combine chili powder, brown sugar and cumin. Rub both sides of chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
2.	In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in hot oil 12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion reads 160°F and juices run clear.
3.	Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together corn, red pepper, cucumber, kidney beans, lime juice and salt.
4.	Evenly divide corn salsa onto 4 plates. Top each with a chicken breast.

BYU Mint Brownies

BYU mint brownies are one of my favorites! I found this recipe in a Utah Valley magazine a few months ago. It is awesome.

1 box of brownie mix

(I like Betty Crocker Hershey Supreme Brownie Mix w/Frosting Pouch)

Walnuts (optional)

5 tablespoons butter, softened

dash of salt

1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

food coloring

3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make brownies according to the box directions. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts if desired. Bake in a 9x13 dish.

To make the mint frosting combine butter, salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar.

Beat until smooth and creamy, but it will look a little crumbly. Add the mint extract and food coloring. Mix in and then add the milk gradually until the frosting is a little more runny than cake frosting.

Spread the mint frosting over the cooled frosting and then place in the freezer for a short period of time to stiffen. Take brownies out of freezer and immediately frost with chocolate frosting.

I like just mint frosting on the top. Most like the chocolate too. If the chocolate frosting is too much just drizzle stripes instead of full on frosting it. So tasty!!

Caramel Clumpies

Josh found this recipe on the Despicable Me blu-ray and thought it sounded good so we made them.

10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt
2 ½ cups rolled oats
7 oz chewy caramels, coarsely chopped

Directions: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla mixture and mix in well. Finally add the oats and caramels and stir. Chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes just until brown but do not over-bake or they will lose their “clumpiness”. Slide parchment paper and cookies onto counter top to cool. Enjoy!

If you like oatmeal and caramel then you'll like these cookies :) I've eaten way too many already!

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

I got this recipe from http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/

1 1/2 Lbs chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream

FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

We LOVED this recipe, it got the stamp of approval from Josh, Steph and even Zach! I omitted the celery and put in a few more carrots.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscano

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups chicken stock
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and stock to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Baked Ziti

I found this

foodblog when a friend of mine posted this recipe on FB.

I was a little skeptical when it didn't have much to it, but we had this tonight and I think it was a hit. It's filling and makes a large 9x13.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dry ziti or mastaccioli pasta

2 cups onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 pound lean ground beef

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce**

6 ounces provolone cheese,

sliced16 ounces sour cream (fat-free is OK)

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce; warm through.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil or spray a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Layer as follows:

1/2 of the ziti

Sour Cream

Provolone cheese

1/2 sauce mixture

remaining ziti

mozzarella cheese

remaining sauce mixture

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.Allow to rest on counter for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!

**Be sure to buy a nice, flavorful sauce or it will be bland!

***Ashley's tweeks: Less chopped garlic, added garlic salt instead.

Omitted the onion and used onion powder.

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

I found this recipe on the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Yummy!! You have to make this!

I went out shopping so I printed this recipe off and handed it to Jeff to make and have ready when I got home:) Bless his heart. He said it went together quickly and was easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh broccoli. Break into pieces and steam for 2 minutes

3 cups cooked chicken breasts broken into small pieces

3 cups grated cheddar cheese divided

2 tubes Ritz Crackers

1 stick melted butter

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Sauce:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 c COLD water

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups of the above cheddar cheese

Directions:

In greased 13x9 pan layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low and add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.

Melt the butter and add the poppy seeds. Stir well. Crush the Ritz crackers in a large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don't crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

**This was SO super good! My kids gobbled it up in no time! The sauce is like a cheese sauce but not too liquidy or overwhelming. I left out the poppy seeds because they freak my kids out. I like this recipe because it is a casserole without cream of something soup!! It makes me feel like there is less sodium:) Also, if you used less cornstarch and didn't make the sauce so thick I bet it would make a good cheese sauce for potatoes or veggies.

Spinach and Rice Casserole

I got this yummy recipe from eatbetteramerica.com

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2/3 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups water
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 boxes (9 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup diced cooked ham
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water and soup; heat to boiling. Add spinach, rice, Italian seasoning and pepper; return to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in ham, 1/4 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spread in baking dish. Cover with foil.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Let stand uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This recipe was delicious! I had two 12 oz packages of spinach that I used because it was what I had. I also omitted the celery(gross!). Plus my family is a cheesy family so I put on more than the recipe suggested.
The website also gave this tip...For this recipe, be sure to use instant brown rice. Regular brown rice requires a different amount of liquid and takes longer to cook.
However I have a ginormous bag of brown rice that I got from Costco that will go bad if we don't start eating it so I think next time I may attempt to use less water and use precooked brown rice, it may not turn out but its worth a shot.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

(Give your beef a good coating of flour. Make sure your pan & oil are hot and brown those edges good!)

(This is what it looks like after all the ingredients are combined and ready for cooking)

YUM!! If I think back to my favorite dinners as a child my Grandma Liz's beef stew was one of the top five. She would make it on cold snowy days along with cheese biscuits. I remember the smell filling her house. I remember my Grandpa in his hoody sitting in his recliner saying it was a good day for stew and a fire as he would watch the snow falling in the morning. I remember setting the table with the stone colored bowls rimmed with a light brown stripe. I remember us girls fighting over who got the brown cup. I remember my Grandma never sitting down until everyone was served and ready to eat. I remember the feelings of comfort and love, especially on beef stew nights. I have searched high and low for a recipe that could even slightly compare to my Grandma's stew. She never had actual recipes for a lot of her famous dishes. This one was the most similar to the ingredients I remember her using. It's from the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Ingredients: 2 lbs. of stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/2 cup flour 2 tablespoons of oil 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 onion chopped (optional) **I used onion flakes to taste instead so my kids wouldn't freak out. 2 beef bouillon cubes 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 6 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cup celery, sliced (optional) **I love celery but she said you can use 1 tsp of Bon Appetit seasoning instead. 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 cups of water Directions: Coat meat with flour; set excess aside. (I didn't have excess. I used 1/2 cup to coat and 3/4 cup later to thicken) In large skillet heat oil. Brown meat on all sides. In crock pot, combine browned beef, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, bouillon cubes, pepper, salt, and vegetables. Pour water over all of it. It will be almost to the top of your crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. After that time turn your crock pot to HIGH. Thicken with flour left over that has been dissolved in a small amount of warm water. (I just took out some of the broth from the crock pot and used that to dissolve the flour before adding it back to the stew) Cover and cook on high for 15-20 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with a green salad and bread.....or cheese biscuits! (My Grandma's stew was a little thicker than this recipe makes it. The flavor however was extremely close. YaY!! That is why I used more flour to try for the thicker broth. Next time I will be making it even thicker.)

Granny B Pink Cookies

I roll out the sugar cookies on wax paper with powdered sugar so they don't stick. Yum! Look how puffy they are! Just like good ol' Granny's

I am a Pink Cookie freak. So are many people I know. My friend, Amy (a fellow freak), found this recipe on her sister's blog and gave it to me the other day. I couldn't wait to try it especially for Valentines Day. Today was the test run and they are awesome!!! Sugar Cookies:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sour cream

Cream butter and sugar together. Slowly add eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture along with the sour cream. Mix until smooth.

Chill 2 to 3 hours.

Roll out 1/4-1/3" thick depending on your preference and cut into shapes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown on bottom. Let cool.

Frosting:

4 Tablespoons butter

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

(for chocolate frosting add 3 tablespoons cocoa)

Put butter in bowl and beat with electric mixer until fluffy. Then add about half of the powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tablespoon milk and the vanilla. Slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar. Add more milk if needed. Add food coloring if desired.

*I cooked mine at 350 for 9 minutes because I'm a dork and thought that is what I read! They turned out just fine so if you do it right at 375 I'd say cook them for 8-ish minutes depending on your oven. Just don't over cook! I let mine chill on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to the cooling rack. Also, I used almost twice the milk it called for. I got 24 medium sized heart cookies out of the dough. I doubled the frosting recipe and it was perfect for the 24 cookies. If you are making the cookies larger I'd triple the frosting recipe.

*Update 4/7/11* I added approx. 3-4 tablespoons of cream cheese to a doubled batch of the frosting to make it a little less sugary. It was awesome! I think it's the best frosting I've made so far:)

Winger's Sticky Chicken Salad Remake

It's no secret that especially when prego I don't love to cook. As Josh says, "It tastes better when someone else makes it!" I came acrossed this recipe remake here.

I knew I had to try this since Wingers one of our favorites to get take out from.

Honestly, it's pretty close. Enjoy!

Sticky Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts, breaded and baked until cooked through (I just dredge the chicken breasts or tenders in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. I then bake or fry them until they are golden brown. In a pinch for dinner? Use pre-breaded chicken for a quick and easy meal!)

2-3 tomatoes, dicedCroutons (can make homemade croutons)

½ c. cheddar cheese, shredded

red onion, sliced thinly

Ranch dressing

Sticky Sauce

2 ½ c. brown sugar

1/3 c. Franks Hot Sauce (you can buy this for inexpensive in a large, bulk size at Walmart--believe me, you will go through it!)

3 T. corn syrup

½ c. apple cider vinegar

Combine all dressing ingredients in sauce pan. Stirring constantly on medium high heat, boil for one to one and a half minutes. If you cook longer than that, the sauce will turn hard like candy.

This dressing can be used on salads, wings, chicken, etc. This dressing will stay good in your fridge for weeks, so double the recipe if you like leftovers. Serve the salad with the ingredients mentioned above and then drizzle with ranch and then the Sticky Dressing. You could also mix the ranch and dressing to make the 'Creamy Amazing Sauce' like at Wingers.

EASY Chocolate Mousse

This recipe I found while looking for new menu ideas. The Sisters Cafe has TONS of great ideas, but this was super easy and really tasty.

Heavy Whipping Cream

Chocolate Bar

The amounts are really to taste. I used 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 4 pieces of a chocolate Symphony bar.

Whip the heavy cream until you get stiff peaks. Then melt chocolate. I used the microwave and every 10 seconds or so I stirred it around. Then just fold the chocolate into the cream. And DONE!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

I got this recipe from melskitchencafe.com

For the Chicken and Sauce:

4 TBS butter

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 TBS flour

1/2 cup apple juice

1 1/4 cups chicken broth (can use 1 3/4 chicken broth if you don't have apple juice on hand)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS prepared yellow mustard

1 TBS dried thyme

2-3 cups broccoli florets

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:

4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls (I bought some from the store and it came in a 3 pack which was perfect because there wasn't enough for 4 when I made this)

8-10 thin slices smoked ham

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I had some in the freezer that I pulled out, but I am sure its better with fresh)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

In a 10-12 inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 min. Stir the onions and garlic in and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for 1 min.

Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 min, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. Leave about 1/4 inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 min in the preheated oven.

Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon divide the chicken mixture evenly between the loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving (there was probably only 1 or less cups left when I made this, I might use more liquids next time I make this). Top chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes (I checked mine @ 8 min and they were done). Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

Josh and Steph really really liked this recipe but they like mustard. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was yummy but it could've been yummier without the mustard (yuck). Next time I make this I plan on leaving it out.

Oriental Cabbage Salad

Recipe from: Beth Potter

I love making this salad for lunch, because if you are like me, lunch is a pain!  My kids usually eat PB & J's, or chicken nuggest and mac and cheese.  Not the most healthy selections for mommy!  Usually what ends up happening is I'll snack on the left over mac and cheese, or just skip lunch all together and wonder why I'm starving at dinner time! 

This salad makes enough that Kirk and I can have it for lunch for 3 days.  And the 2nd and 3rd day the salad tastes the best because it has had time to soak up all the flavor.  And today for lunch I didn't have any almonds so I threw in a bunch of sunflower seeds instead and it was just as yummy! Now onto the recipe:

Oriental Cabbage Salad

1 package Cole Slaw mix, cabbage and carrots only
1 bunch green onions
1 package slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 jar sesame seeds, toasted
1 package Top Ramen-chicken (save the seasoning packet for dressing)
1/2 cup oil
5-6 TBS cider vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1 seasoning packet from Top Ramen
Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

Break noodles inot pieces.  Place sesame seeds and almonds in oven (broiler) in seperate pans and toast.  Mix Cole Slaw mix, onion, almonds, seeds, and noodles in a large bowl.  Stir remaining ingredients for salad dressing.  Pour dressing over salad and mix good. 

Variation:  Add cooked diced chicken breast to salad and serve in pita pocket bread for a yummy sandwich!

**I am usually able to find the almonds and sesame seeds already toasted at the grocery store.  I have burnt the almonds/seeds too many times now and ruined the recipe, so I just go the easy route of buying them already done!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

This recipe is one I booked marked forever ago and finally got around to making it. It is from The Recipe Club. It was Casey's 17th birthday yesterday and he loves spice cake and cream cheese frosting. Rather than buy the same old mix from the store I decided to make it all from scratch and remembered I had this recipe. So glad I made it because it is hands down the best cupcake I have ever made!! If you follow the directions exactly they will end up perfect!! Don't be scared of the pumpkin. You can taste it but if you don't like pumpkin it isn't overwhelming. I used 4 tbsp of water in the frosting and I cooked the cupackes for 19 mins. I think the frosting would be awesome on cinnamon rolls!!

{pumpkin spice cupcakes}
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1- 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cup flour
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp. all spice
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
In a large bowl, beat together sugars & oil. Add eggs & vanilla. Beat until incorporated. Mix in pumpkin & buttermilk & beat well.
In a small bowl whisk together all dry ingredients until combined. Add to pumpkin mix & beat until combined & creamy.
Grease or line 24 muffin cups & fill 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, top with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

{cinnamon cream cheese frosting}
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 bag powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
2-4 TBSP water
Beat together cream cheese & butter. Add half the powdered sugar, salt, cinnamon & vanilla. Beat until incorporated. Add other half of sugar & water. Beat on medium high until light & fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Chicken Taco's

Recipe by me!! Jackie!!

I created this meal when we lived in Connecticut living on a VERY small income.  When we were first married, we never really cooked at home.  My husband worked at a pizza place, so we ate plenty of pizza!  And really, we went out to dinner ALOT!  So when we made the move to Connecticut and were living on less than half of our normal income, eating out was out of the question.  One thing I did know how to cook was taco's.  Brown the hamburger, put taco seasoning in, plop some onions, cheese, and sour cream on a tortilla and viola dinner was served!  After a while, those taco's got really old.  I remembered back home, my bro-in-law had made taco's one night for us all.  They were heaven to eat, and I had to see if I could come up with some sort of copy-cat recipe.  This has got to be one of the most simple meals I make, but oh so delicious.  My kids LOVE it and always go back for seconds and thirds. 

Chicken Taco's 

1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast cut into chunks
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 pack of taco seasoning (if you buy the LARGE container from costco use 1/4 cup seasoning)
3/4 cup water
1 can of corn
1 bag of spanish rice
grated cheese
tortillas
sour cream

Heat a little oil in a skillet and add chicken.  Cook chicken til golden brown.  Add the drained/rinsed black beans to chicken.  Then add your taco seasoning and water.  Cook on low and simmer covered about 10 minutes.  While the chicken is simmering heat up your corn and cook your spanish rice by following the package directions.  Grate your cheese and warm up your tortillas.  And that's it!  Pile all that yummy goodness onto a tortilla and enjoy!  This makes plenty for my family, I would guess about 6-8 taco's. 

Thai Chicken Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Recipe by Rachel Ray

Friends of ours made this for dinner one night and raved about it.  I love Thai food, and LOVE spicy peanut sauce so I had to try it! 

A few suggestions:  I didn't use the mint, it just seemed weird to me.  If you're going to make this for kids just grab a bag of cole slaw veggies and use that.  Bean sprouts and cucumbers were not a big hit with my kids.  Use the rice vinegar, or if you have to use just white vinegar use about half the amount it calls for.  I used white vinegar and it was too strong of a taste for me.  And lastly, double or triple the sauce if you're saucy people:)  And don't worry its not spicy at all!  If I were to make this just for Kirk and I, I would add more cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

• 3 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning

Salad:

• 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches in produce department
• 3 scallions, sliced on an angle
• 12 leaves basil, chopped or torn
• 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (4 sprigs)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
• Salt

Spicy peanut sauce:

• 1/4 cup room temperature chunky peanut butter, soften in microwave if it has been refrigerated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 (12-inch) flour tortilla wraps

Directions

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Toss chicken with soy and oil and grill 6 minutes on each side.

Combine cucumber, sprouts, carrots, scallions, basil, mint and sesame with a generous sprinkle of sugar and vinegar. Season salad with salt, to taste.

Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne together. Stream in vegetable oil.

Slice cooked chicken on an angle. Toss with veggies and herbs.

In a very hot nonstick skillet or over a gas burner heat tortillas 15 seconds on each side.

Pile chicken and veggies in wraps and drizzle liberally with spicy peanut sauce before wrapping and rolling.

Beef & Brown Sugar Enchiladas

This is a recipe from The Recipe Club! Super yummy recipes over there!!

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can black refried beans
1 can red enchilada sauce, divided
1/3 cup brown sugar-- or to taste
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
10-12 flour tortillas

Brown ground beef in a large pan. Drain off fat & add refried beans, 1/2 of the enchilada sauce, brown sugar & onion powder. Mix well & bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Fill one tortilla with about 1/4 of a cup of filling & 2 Tbsp. cheese. Roll up & place in a 9x13 pan. Repeat process until pan is full. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over prepared enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, diced onions, shredded lettuce, avocado or guacamole.

Alright, my enchiladas stuck to the bottom of my pan a little so next time I think I'll spray it with pam or put down a little extra sauce. It calls for 1 can of enchilada sauce and I bought 2 of the 12 or 15 ounce size cans. (I already threw them away, sorry!) I used one can in the meat mixture and one can on top of the rolled tortillas. I think it could have used one more can of sauce on top! We like things saucy:) This was really good and it made up really fast! I used the mild enchilada sauce but it could definitely handle the medium if your kids don't mind the spice.

Harvest Chicken & Potatoes

I got this recipe from the magazine but I believe you can find it on their website familycircle.com

Makes:6 servings

Prep: 20 Min

SLOW COOK: 5 hrs on HIGH or 7 hrs LOW

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces

3 TBS flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

12 ounces small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved

2 cups baby carrots, cut into thirds

2 celery stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion chopped

1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried sage

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 TBS unsalted butter, softened

1)In a medium bowl stir together chicken, 2 TBS flour, 1/4 tsp of the salt and pepper; add to slow cooker. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 tsp of the thyme, the sage and broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

2)In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 TBS four and the butter until a paste forms. Push the chicken and veggies to one side and whisk paste, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of both salt and thyme into the slow cooker. Cook one more hour or until thickened.

It was a lot more tasty than the picture makes it look :) I don't have unsalted butter so I used normal butter and normal chicken broth (but I love salt!). I also didn't add celery because I detest it. Lastly my crock pot seems to burn everything I cook in it so I added more broth than it called for and it turned out great. Zach even ate everything but the potatoes from his bowl.

Lemon-Herb Chicken Fettuccine

Recipe from Our Best Bites.

My ward had a cooking class this summer called Cooking with Lemons....best class hands down. Ever.  Everything I tried that night was so scrumdidiliumptious, but this fettuccine recipe stood out above all the rest.  It tastes best with fresh herbs and garlic and has a super lemon kick to it that I love! And sorry, I'm horrible, I forgot to take a picture:(  Just click on the link and she has all the pictures on her blog!

2 Large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Lemons
2 T Red wine vinegar
Olive Oil
1/2 lb Fettuccine (half of the box)
2 medium zucchini
1 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
5-6 Cloves garlic
Fresh basil (about 1/2 cup)
Fresh oregano (about 1/4 cup)
Salt and Pepper

Prepare grill. You could also do this on the stove top in a skillet, or a grill pan.

Place chicken in a zip-lock bag with the juice of one lemon, a couple TBS of olive oil, and a couple TBS of red wine vinegar. Smoosh around and set bag aside while you get your other things ready.

Put the pot on the stove to boil water for the pasta.  While you are waiting for the water to boil, slice the zucchini in half length wise.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Press, or finely mince garlic cloves.  In a small sauce pan on the stove, place about 1/4 cup olive oil and add garlic.  Turn burner onto low heat.  It shouldn't be popping and frying, it should just slowly warm, infusing the oil with the garlic and removing that zing that fresh garlic has.

When water boils, add pasta and a spoon full of salt.

Remove chicken from bag and salt and pepper both sides.  Place chicken, and zucchini on grill.  While chicken and zuchs are grilling and pasta is boiling, chop herbs and get out cheese.  Zest both lemons and juice the one that hasn't been juiced.

See, now you're all ready.  When everything is done cooking you can throw it together.  Keep an eye on that garlic.  You DON'T want it to get brown and crispy.  It should still look nice and white.  Give it a stir.  If it starts really cooking, just take it off the heat and set aside.

When zuchs and chicken are done take them off the grill and chop them up.

Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water.  Drain pasta and immediately place in a big bowl.  Place chopped zuchs and chicken on the top.  Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, herbs, and garlic olive oil mixture.  Just pile it all in there.

Now take some tongs and give everything a big toss.  If you feel it needs more moisture, add a little of the pasta water, or a little more olive oil.  This will make 4 generous portions.  Garnish with a little more Parmesan on top and another squeeze of lemon.

Teriyaki Sauce

Tauna's Teryiaki Sauce

8 oz soy sauce

10 oz water

1 1/2 - 2 c brown sugar

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp garlic salt or powder

1/2 - 1 cube butter

Pour over meat and bake!

I got this recipe from my Sister-in Law, Gina. It can be found on her family's recipe blog.

This sauce is super easy, yummy, and my kids will eat it!!

The recipe is enough sauce for a 13x9 dish. I combined all the ingredients in a sauce pan first and warmed until the sugar dissolved and the butter melted. Then I poured over the chicken. I baked mine with chicken tenders tonight. 375 degrees for an hour-ish. I served over rice (the extra sauce is good on the rice) and broccoli.

I can't wait to try the leftover cold chicken on a salad tomorrow!

Rosemary Chicken Pasta

(Recipe and picture from: vittlesdivine.blogspot.com)

Ok, so I know I just posted, but I gave this new recipe a try and we LOVED it! My Dad and Brady came over to help fix our washer and Brady ate 3 helpings of the chicken.....so it has to be kid friendly and good. My favorite Brady quote, "Um...there is a little grass on my chicken!" aka rosemary, I ended up buying the dried leaves.

*My only substitutes were less garlic, no onion and next time I will probably just use the whole 16 oz. of pasta......I like to live on the edge!


Ingredients

3 breasts of boneless, skinless chicken

2/3 cup flour

4 tsp olive oil (divided)

4 tsp butter (divided)

1/4 cup diced onions

4 minced garlic cloves

2 cups water

1 cup unsweetened white grape juice

4 cubes chicken boullion

1 tsp ground or regular rosemary leaves

1/2 tsp salt

dash pepper

12 ounces angel hair pasta (not 16 oz!!)

fresh chives (optional; I have never used them)

Directions

Cut thawed chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and put into bowl. Pour flour into bowl and stir until chicken is well coated with flour. In a wide, deep skillet, combine 3 tsp olive oil and 3 tsp butter and heat over med-high until bubbly hot. Add chicken and cook, turning until lightly browned and cooked through (approximately 5-10 minutes). Remove chicken and set aside.

To skillet, add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil. Add onions and garlic cloves, saute until softened (about 2-4 minutes)

Add water, white grape juice, bouillon, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered approximately 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and simmer covered approximately 8-10 minutes. Sauce will thicken slightly and chicken will be heated through.Before chicken is added to the pot, get started on the pasta. Cook angel hair pasta and drain as suggested on package, but do not rinse (tip I learned from America's Test Kitchen).

One idea for this recipe is to break pasta into 2-4 inch pieces before boiling.When pasta is ready, slowly add pasta to the skillet with the sauce and chicken. Optional: cover and simmer for 1-2 minutes, serve warm. (I say "optional" because I sometimes forget to keep simmering it and it's ok. Last night I just dumped the sauce and noodles together into a serving bowl.) It will look very soupy, high-liquid when you first add the pasta to the sauce if you have done the previous steps right -- covered-- but after it sits for a few minutes, most of the liquid will absorb into the noodles. Don't be alarmed! Trust me, you want it this way! It all works out in just a few minutes!

Pineapple Chicken Tacos

About a year ago my friend Rachel posted on her facebook what she had made for their dinner. It sounded so good I immediately posted asking her to send me the recipe. It's been a favorite since! I use fresh pineapple when available and pre-chop everything then add it all at once. We like to add a few extras like: tomatoes, avocado, cheese, fresh tortillas and sour cream.

Ingredients:
1 large lime
1 can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 red pepper and 1 orange
1 small onion
1 bag flour tortillas
*2-4 boneless chicken breasts cut into strips (I usually use 2, but it depends on how many people you are making it for)
Jamaican Jerk seasoning (I couldn't find it except through pampered chef so I used Caribbean Jerk)
Salt/Pepper

Slice chicken and cook in skillet with a little extra virgin olive oil add a little S/P and squeeze lime over chicken. While it's cooking slice peppers and onion into thin slices add seasoning. Once chicken is cooked add peppers/onions let simmer. Once they look cooked through add pineapple.
To serve: Heat tortillas in microwave to soften and spoon in mixture. Wrap up and enjoy!
*I like to cook the chicken ahead of time, dice and add.

Start to finish it takes me maybe 15-20 min. It's nice to have something so yummy on a day that you don't have a lot of time to cook dinner. I hope you like it, it's one of my favorites.