Chicken Fajita Pasta

CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA (4 servings)

2 Tbsp EVOO, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 envelope (3 Tbsp) taco or fajita seasoning
2 cups diced onion (about 1 whole onion)
2 cups diced bell peppers (2-3 peppers; use green or a green and a red)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup regular or heavy cream
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles or 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (for a less-spicy version)
8 oz (about 3 cups) uncooked penne pasta
1/2 tsp salt

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Season with half of the taco seasoning.  In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring until one side is seared and browned, about 1-2  minutes.  Flip the chicken to the other side and cook until browned.  Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining Tbsp of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on medium-high.  When the oil is very hot again, add the onions, peppers, and remaining taco seasoning.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly blacked.  Turn heat to low, add minced garlic, and stir until fragrant and well-combined, about 30 seconds.  Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.

In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and salt.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, turn heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.  Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet and stir to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Recipe Source:  http://www.kevinandamanda.com/chicken-fajita-pasta/

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps.  They're delicious, healthy, and fun to eat.  There's a bunch of different recipes so you can customize them to suit your tastes. 

ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS (4 servings)

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 Tbps cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp minced pickled ginger

1 dash Asian chile pepper sauce, or to taste (optional)

1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them.  Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook and stir ground beef or turkey in cooking oil in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly.  Drain and discard any grease; transfer to a bowl.

Cook and stir onion in the same skillet used for beef/turkey until slightly tender, 5-10 minutes.  Stir in hoisin sauce, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and chile pepper sauce into onions.  Add water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef/turkey; cook and stir until the green onions just being to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter and pile meat mixture in the center.

ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE

1 tsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp chile paste, or to taste

sugar, to taste

green onion, green part only, sliced, optional

Recipe Source: AllRecipes

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Broccoli and Rice

Another 30-minute one-pot (well, one pot and one saucepan) meal that's got it all: color, texture, and taste!  So easy to put together.  For step-by-step photos, see the link below.

CHEESY CHICKEN BACON BROCCOLI and RICE (4-6 servings)

8 sliced regular or turkey bacon, diced

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

S&P

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 cup diced onion

12 oz (about 4 cups) broccoli florets, roughly chopped into small, bite-sized pieces

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 (10 oz) cans Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles or 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (for less spiciness)

For the rice:

1 cup long-grain white rice

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

SAUCE:

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup extra-sharp shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp each S&P

Add the diced bacon to a very large skillet or dutch oven and turn heat to medium-high.  Cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Season generously on both sides with S&P.

When the bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove to a plate.  If needed to grease the bottom of the pan, add butter and olive oil to the skillet.  Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for five minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Remove the chicken to the place with the bacon.

Add the rice, water, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 14 minutes.  When done, remove from heat.

Meanwhile, add the onion and broccoli to the skillet where you cooked the bacon and chicken.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until broccoli is tender and onions are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Add in minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Top with tomatoes, rice, chicken, and bacon and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to keep warm

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour until just combined.  Add in the chicken broth and stir well.  Increase heat to high and cook until thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat and add in cheese and S&P.  Stir until cheese is melted, then pour in the skillet with the chicken and rice.  Stir to combine and serve.

Recipe Source: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/cheesy-chicken-bacon-broccoli-and-rice/

Skinny Shrimp Piccata with Zoodles

I'd been wanting to try a spiralizer for the longest time, but I really didn't want to spend $50 on one of the better models.  And then I ran across this OXO hand spiralizer costing just $15.  I thought I could try it and if I liked it, then I might spring for the better models.

No need.  This thing does such a great job and it's so easy to use.  I wasn't sure how the "zoodles" would come out knowing how it's so easy to overcook sliced squash.  But these things not only came out with texture after being cook, they still had a crunch when I ate the leftovers two days later!

SIMPLE SHRIMP PICCATA with ZOODLES (3-4 servings)

4 small, thin zucchini (I used half zucchini and half yellow squash)

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

S&P

garlic salt

1 lemon, cut in half

3 Tbsp EVOO, divided

2 Tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp capers

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Spiralize zucchini then add to a colander set atop a bowl.  Lightly salt the zoodles, toss with your fingers to coat, then cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or an hour to drain.  Pat or gently squeeze excess liquid from the zucchini with paper towels or a kitchen towel then set aside.

Pat shrimp very dry between paper towels then season both sides with garlic salt and pepper.  Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large, 12" skillet over heat that's just a touch above medium then add half the shrimp and saute until cooked through (time depends on the size of the shrimp).  About 30 seconds before the shrimp are fully cooked, drizzle in a little lemon juice then remove shrimp to a plate once the lemon juice has evaporated.  Heat remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in the skillet then saute remaining shrimp, repeating the lemon juice step at the end.

Melt butter in the skillet then add the garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds.  Add zoodles then turn heat up slightly and saute until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes.  Add a drizzle of lemon juice, the capers, Parmesan cheese, and S&P to taste, then toss to combine.

Plate then top with cooked shrimp and serve.

Recipe Source:  Iowa Girl Eats

City Cafe Oriental Chicken Salad

There is a restaurant (actually three) here in Chattanooga that Jim and I used to go to every single Sunday morning.  This place has the most incredible, diverse menu and, for me, the selling point was that you can order anything on the menu 24 hours a day (and for someone not overly fond of breakfast foods, this is a blessing to me).  Anything.  Feeling like fried catfish at 7 a.m?  No problem.  Eggplant Parmesan at 9 a.m?  No problem.  Any breakfast item you like, but of course!  And a salad?  Absolutely!

I love their salads.  And their portions are ginormous.  I would generally get three meals out of one salad.

So this really isn't a recipe, but ingredients to make up a great salad.  They offered the salad with the basic restaurant salad dressings, but I used a recipe for a teriyaki vinaigrette I found somewhere on line (I Googled it again, but couldn't find it.  But there are a handful of different recipes you can use if you want).

So here's what I put in my salad.  You can see the City Café menu at the link below.

CITY CAFE ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD

Lettuce (Romaine, Mixed Greens, Iceberg, your choice)

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Sauteed sliced onions and green and/or red peppers, cooled to room temp

Strips of boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinated in teriyaki sauce (I use Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce), grilled

Roasted red pepper strips

Hard-boiled eggs

Toasted slivered almonds

Salad Dressing of your choice

Recipe Idea Source: City Cafe Menu

Spicy (or not) Sausage Pasta

OK, pay attention!!!  This is just about the best recipe I have found in a long time.  I made it a few weeks ago but lost the photos so, alas, I had to make it again.

And not is it divinely delicious, it's a super-easy one-pot meal.  Make a green salad for a complete meal.

NOTE:  The original recipe calls for Rotel tomatoes with green chiles which are a bit too spicy for me.  I used a can of petite-diced tomato.  Perfection!

SPICY (or not) SAUSAGE PASTA (4 servings)

1 Tbsp EVOO
1 lb smoked sausage (I used turkey)
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups lo-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, mild, or 1 can (14.5 oz) petite-diced tomatoes
1/2 cup regular or heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 tsp each S&P
1 cup Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Add olive oil to oven-safe skillet over medium heat until just smoking.  Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, and S&P and stir.  Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions.  Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Recipe Source: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/spicy-sausage-pasta/

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I love this day, not because I'm Irish, but because it's a wonderful excuse to make corned beef and cabbage.  This year I'll be making mine in the pressure cooker.  I love using the pressure cooker because everything comes out so tender.  Mine is a digital PC unlike the stove-top version my mom used to use which scared the bejesus out of everyone (I still don't know exactly why, but can only imagine).  The 21st century version is completely safe and easy to use.