Chicken Enchilada Pasta

CHICKEN ENCHILADA PASTA

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 {4 oz.} can diced green chiles

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

2 {10 oz.} cans green chili enchilada sauce

2/3 cups red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheese

1 cup sour cream

Penne pasta

Optional toppings

Avocado

Green Onions

Black Olives

Tomatoes

Sour Cream

Cook chicken, drain, and shred. Meanwhile boil pasta according to package and chop the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook onions for about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic & red pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add cooked chicken, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, & enchilada sauces. Let sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and heated through. Now toss in the sour cream, but whatever you do, DO NOT bring to a boil! Cook on low heat or the sour cream will curdle. Stir until sour cream is well mixed and heated through. Drain pasta & return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta and mix well. Serve and garnish with avocado, tomato, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream.

This recipe comes from http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-starsand-then-some.html

Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts cut up
2 cups heavy whipping cream
12 oz tomato paste
1/2 cube butter
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp curry powder hot
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp black pepper
4-6 cloves minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and put on low for 6-8 hours. Make a side of rice and naan. Can garnish with cilantro if desired.



Naan (to go with the chicken tikka masala)

Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic if desired. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. During second rising preheat grill. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly butter dough. Place dough on grill and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Turn over, cook until browned, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue process until all the naan has been prepared.

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa
Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2012 
 
(I stole it from Our Best Bites)
-Kimberly Pueblo

1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
2 limes
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breasts
4-6 lime wedges

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and the juice from half a lime.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper.  Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes.  Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of hte beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes (or longer if needed).  Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice.  Divide rice and beans among plates.  Top with some chicken and apple salsa.  Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges.  Serves 4-6.

Bourbon Chicken (without the Bourbon)

Bourbon Chicken (without the Bourbon)

Time: 30-40 minutes

Yield: 5 servings

Courtesy of Jamie Cooks It Up!

5 chicken breasts

2 T oil

1 t garlic

1/4 C apple or pineapple juice

1/3 C brown sugar

2 T ketchup

1 T apple cider vinegar

1/2 C water

1/3 C soy sauce

pinch red pepper flakes

1 T cornstarch 

1. Cut your chicken into small 1-2 inch pieces with some kitchen scissors. 
2. Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it is hot, pour 2 T Olive Oil into it. 
3. Add your chicken pieces to the pan and let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. The chicken will start to get a bit juicy and bubbly. Put the lid on the pan, slightly tilted and drain the juices out into the sink. Return the pan to the stove top and continue cooking over medium high heat. 
5. Into a medium sized mixing bowl combine 1 t garlic, 1/4 C apple or pineapple juice, 1/3 C brown sugar, 2 T ketchup, 1 T apple cider vinegar, 1/2 C water, 1/3 C soy sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1 T cornstarch. Whisk it all together until the cornstarch is dissolved and all ingredients are well combined. 
6. When your chicken has a nice brown sear on some of the pieces...
pour the sauce into the pan. Stir it around to cover all the chicken pieces. 
7. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pan with the lid at an angle to allow some of the steam to escape. Let this baby simmer away for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times during the cooking period. 
8. Serve over white or brown rice. 


-I haven't actually made this; trying new foods is not smart for me in my current (pregnant and ill) state, but it sure looks good! 
Kimberly Pueblo

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

Oh My Yumminess!!! i made this last night for dinner and I am in L-O-V-E! It was so quick and easy, and lets not forget refreshing and delicious! I got the recipe from Our Best Bites Blog. Here it is and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

Posted By Kate @ Our Best Bites On 06.28.2011 @ 12:01 am

Grilled Chicken & Berry SaladRecipe by Our Best Bites, Inspired by the Pigtailed Red-Head of Hamburger Fame
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces (I just bought a bag of pre-mixed romaine and baby spinach)
6-8 oz. baby spinach
12-16 oz. chicken, marinated, grilled, and sliced* ( I used 1 Chicken breast for 2 1/4 eaters)
8 oz. strawberries, sliced
8 oz. blueberries
4 oz. crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese (I used Feta because I love it on my salads)
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste
For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.
*For a vegetarian dish, omit the chicken.

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Article printed from Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com

URL to article: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/06/grilled-chicken-berry-salad/

Berry Poppy Seed VinaigretteRecipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries (I used strawberries in mine, but I am sure any berry would be delish)
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Easy Spinach Lasagne

I have made this twice in one week because it was so quick and easy. And it is yummy too. :)

6-8 Uncooked Lasagne
1 Jar Pre-made Spagetti sauce
1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes -Diced
3 Garlic Cloves
1-2 boxes Frozen Chopped Spinach
1 Large Container Cottage Cheese (or Ricotta)
1 lb Ground Turkey
Seasonings
Shredded Mozzarella

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook Turkey meat, add pre-made sauce, the can of tomatoes, garlic, and whatever additional seasoning you like in your lasagna. Let mixture simmer.

In a medium bowl add cottage cheese and defrosted spinach. (make sure that the spinach has been squeezed out and has most of the liquid out) Mix together.

In a 9x13 casserole dish put a little of the sauce at the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of uncooked noodles on top. Add a later of the spinach mixture. Add a layer of the sauce. Then add layer oh shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers. Then place in the oven for about 45 minutes. Then it is done. :) I usually serve with war, bread and a salad. Enjoy!

Orzo Salad with Spicy buttermilk dressing

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and drained
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

• 1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse; drain well. Place orzo, corn, and next 3 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl; toss.
• 2. Combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over orzo mixture; toss. Top with avocado; garnish with remaining cilantro and parsley.

Yummy Play Group Granola Bars aka Cookie bars with Flax

(Adapted from the Best Recipe Big and Chewy Oatmeal -Raisin Cookie)

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a cookie sheet with foil.

In a medium bowl, wisk dry ingredients:

1.5 C flour (use half all-purpose, half whole wheat)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 rounded tbsp. milled flax (we buy the bag from Costco. It is good in smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, bread, etc.)

Cream 2 sticks of cold butter with the kitchen aid.

Add 1 C brown sugar and 3/4 C white sugar. Mix, medium for 2 minutes.

Add 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Mix on low the following:

Add 1 cup flaked coconut (unpacked)

Add dry ingredients.

Add 3 C old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)

1.5 C raisins (optional)

1.5-2 C chocolate ships (NOT optional)

Spread the batter evenly over the cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 22-28 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center starts to set. Allow the cookies to cool, uncut for about 30 minutes to help the center firm up a little more. OR scoop it hot onto vanilla icecream.

Grilled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Grilled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

from Real Mom Kitchen

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1-1/4 pounds boneless pork loin chops, sliced 1 inch thick
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 white corn tortillas

1. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sugar, salt and the pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil until blended making a dressing. Stir in cilantro.

2. In medium bowl, combine pineapple, tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

3. Combine remaining dressing with the pork in a resealable plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator about 30 minutes, turn over after 15 minutes to get both sides of the chops in the marinade. Grill  pork about 6 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Slice into thin strips, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

4. Warm tortillas. To serve, fill a warm tortilla with a few pork strips and some salsa, and fold up.  Makes 5 servings (2 tacos each) 

Note from Kimberly: I did this recipe for the first time as stated here, except for we don't have a grill so I broiled the pork in the oven. In the future, I will make the following adjustments based on my families preferences...

flour tortillas instead of corn
add sour cream
add onion  to the salsa

~Kimberly Pueblo

Brown Rice Cooking Method

I hate getting a pot of mushy icky brown rice. This is the recipe method we have been using for a few years.

Cooking brown rice, or at least cooking it well, is tricky. The goal is to soften the texture of each grain's fibrous bran coating—a process that takes longer than that called for in the cooking of white rice—without causing the rice to become mushy. Unfortunately, the labels on most packaged brown rice recommend an ineffective method that suggests boiling water and rice in a two-to-one ratio, then allowing the mixture to simmer for 40 minutes or more, until all the liquid is absorbed. We followed those directions and ended up throwing away more than a few pots of unsatisfying rice. What we ultimately found is that brown rice looks and tastes the best when it has been boiled and drained like pasta and then steamed in the small amount of moisture that remains in the pot. The boiling cooks the rice, while the subsequent steaming allows the grains to retain their integrity and come out light and fluffy.

1 cup short, medium, or long-grain brown rice

Kosher salt, to taste

1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds. Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the rice, stir it once, and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.

2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Cover the pot and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt.

MAKES 2 CUPS

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #11

Curried Apple Salad

It sounds a little crazy, but honestly it is surprising how many people like the flavor of this super simple salad. I hope you do too!

Salad
3 lrg. apples (I prefer Fuji)
2-3 celery stalks, from the center w/ leaves attached (there is a ton of good flavor in celery leaves)
3/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 - 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts, lightly toast on a dry pan before chopping
1/3 cup of chopped flat Italian parsley

• Combine all the salad ingredients into a bowl

Dressing
1/2 - 3/4 cup of mayo (depending on how creamy you like it)
Juice of one lemon
1 small shallot, finely minced (optional, but good)
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

•  Mix the dressing in a smaller seperate bowl until well incorporated and gently fold the dressing into the salad.  ENJOY!

Rigatoni

1 pkg rigatoni noodles
1 can italian stewed tomatoes
1 lb ground sausage
1 can tomato sauce (optional)

Cook noodles as instructed (usually about 14 minutes). Brown sausage, add tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes. (I usually use a hand blender to puree the stewed tomatoes first). Put cooked noodles on a platter and top with sauce.

This is one of the easiest recipes and it is both of my kids' favorites.

Creamy Spinach Pasta

Creamy Spinach Pasta

(adapted from allrecipes.com recipe "Laura's Unbelievable Chicken and Pasta")

I have no idea if this is easy, because Michael made it, BUT IT IS SO YUMMY. AND the children gobbled it up. And asked for 2nds. That is A+ in my book.

Ingredients

• 4 (6-10 ounces total) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips/cubes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained and cut into smaller pieces
• 1 (8 ounce) package cold cream cheese, cubed
• onion powder
• 1 tsp crushed garlic in a jar (Christopher Ranch)
• 1/2 - 3/4 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta
• 6-10 fresh basil leaves, washed and cut or torn into small pieces

Directions

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil, and stir in penne pasta.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken cubes in broth, garlic and onion powder; simmering until done, about 10 minutes. Stir in cubed cream cheese and spinach. Return to simmer, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cherry tomatoes, and cook about 3 minutes more.
3. In a large bowl, mix together cooked, drained pasta and sauce. Add basil and stir gently to incorporate. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

We made this the first time WITHOUT the tomatoes because we had none. But I am excited to try it with them in the future.