Pesto and Artichoke Chicken Alfredo

I don't mean to pat myself on the back, but this was pretty tasty and came mostly from my small-ish head. It is easy to switch up the ingredients and make it your own with what you have in the fridge. I love to cook, however, lately it seems my purpose in the kitchen is a little less noble. The hubby is a firefighter and it turns out a lot of those guys at the station can really cook. I now try to outdo every recipe my lover tells me was delicious that he experienced at work. Isn't that creepy of me? He sure doesn't complain.

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups milk (depending on how thick you like it)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese (I just had this in the fridge, a good Italian cheese Asiago, for example, would be good)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of artichoke hearts
4 Tbs of pesto (in a jar in the Italian section, or homemade if you are incredible)
1 box of whole wheat penne pasta cooked
1 pound of chicken grilled with Italian seasoning

Directions:

Cook the first 3 ingredients like a basic white sauce, add seasonings as it thickens. Stir in cheese and pesto and remove from heat once cheese is melted. Grill the chicken while the sauce and pasta are cooking. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside while dicing up the grilled chicken into bite size pieces. Mix pasta and chicken into a large bowl and add artichoke hearts. Pour sauce over the pasta and chicken and mix. Serve with a salad or veggie and homemade bread sticks. Recipe for that to come! Serve and Enjoy!

Egg Rolls and Chicken Wrapped Pies

In my last post we talked about stir fry. This week let's talk about the egg rolls. I have a really hard time eating egg rolls from restaurants after eating these. My mother has always made them and now that I can make them, I would prefer to not have any other kind. It would be an easy recipe to make your own with the ingredients that you love. Here is what I love in mine.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast cooked and shredded ( I used one rotisserie)
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 carrot julienned
1/2 cup celery diced
1 medium head cabbage finely chopped
3 green onions thinly sliced
1/2 cup of tofu (drained and chopped)
1 cup bamboo shoots
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon accent (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and season to taste. Place a little over a tablespoon amount in center of wrapper, wet edges of wrapper with water and follow folding instructions as pictured on package. Heat about 6-inches of oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Fry egg rolls 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

WAIT!! What do you do with the leftover egg roll wrappers? You make Chicken Wrapped pies! You will probably also have celery and carrot left over. Throw it in with this recipe and you will feel very clever using your leftovers in such a tasty new way!





1- Place egg roll wrappers in cupcake tin.

2- Make chicken pot pie filling as shown here.

3. Then place 1-2 tablespoons of mixture in wrapper and fold over. Bake until crispy and delicious!
Here is the exact recipe that I adapted for my own: Chicken Pot Pie Bundles

Enjoy!

Chicken Mushroom Soup (and a bit of everything else)

I love Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup. I am not crazy in love with the spicy sausage. My ideal soup is a chunky, creamy soup with chicken, lots of veggies, and that tasty kale and red potatoes found in the Zuppa Toscana recipe. I combined two recipes together and came up with the best of both worlds in this tasty soup. It was a HUGE hit at my house. It didn't hurt to add some homemade cinnamon rolls on the side either.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon garlic puree
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cups chicken broth
chicken bouillon to taste (optional)
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup sliced celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 cups quartered baby red potatoes
1 cup chopped yellow squash
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 bunch of kale slightly chopped
2 teaspoons thyme
2 cups light cream
1/2 bunch
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Directions:
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and mix until smooth. Gradually add the broth, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn, and thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Add the cream,kale, and chicken. Heat the soup for an additional 10 minutes, but do not let it boil.
Serve and Enjoy!
Makes about 15 cups.

Crock pot Sunday Chicken

I recently learned of crock pot liners. Why hasn't anyone told me? I used to loathe my crock pot because it just doesn't clean up very easily. Enter crock pot liners and I am hoping to use that handy appliance daily. Between the crock pot liners and this easy recipe, I should be able to amazing things around here. This is tasty. It reminds me a bit of chicken marsala.

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken cut into bite size chunks
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can french onion soup
12 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
2 stalks of celery diced

Directions:

Place chicken in the crock pot and cover with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. Serve and enjoy! You can make it your own by adding carrots, peas, or whatever you love.

Thai Chicken Pasta

Wowie! Where have I been? Well to answer that I should be sharing a recipe with sugar and spice and everything nice because I am now the proud mother of a darling baby girl. The nursery has been filled and so have our hearts. For a while there, our bellies were neglected. However, I am back in the kitchen and ready for summer dishes. This turned out to be pretty tasty if I do say so myself. My complaint is it was more sweet teriyaki tasting than Thai, but we loved it anyway.

Thai Chicken Pasta

3/4 Pkg of fettuccine noodles cooked
1 pound of chicken breasts
1 cup snow peas
1 cup carrots sliced thin

For the Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut oil
juice of one lime
1 clove of garlic minced
3 TBS of spiced ginger (the tube in the produce section )
3 TBS peanut butter (I used more to taste)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together. Pound the chicken into flatter pieces and place in ziplock bag. Poor sauce over the chicken leaving about 1/3 cup reserved for later. Place chicken in fridge for an hour or longer to marinade. Grill chicken basting a little more sauce over each piece. While chicken is cooking, cook pasta. Put the snow peas and carrots in the boiling water with the pasta in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and add diced chicken to pasta and veggies. Add remaining sauce if more flavor is desired. I used about 2 more additional tablespoon of sauce stirred into mixture. Serve and enjoy!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

In the words of my mother, "these are the best enchiladas I have ever had!" I wish I had thought of the lime and honey combination myself. You have probably seen this recipe floating around. I adapted mine from Double Batch. Everyone adds their own special touch. My change was to cook the chicken in chicken broth for extra flavor, add black beans to the filling, and omit cumin powder (no thanks on cumin ever!) The sweetness of the honey with the twist of lime was the perfect marriage of flavors. I can never get enough of any chicken enchiladas, but this might have to be the only recipe I use from now on. Thanks for stopping by. Have a bite when you can!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
About 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 cup chicken broth (for cooking chicken)
1 can black beans
12 corn tortillas
2-3 cups cheese, grated (the Mexican blend is best)
28 oz. can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream

Directions:
Simmer chicken with 1 cup chicken broth until cooked and easy to shred. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the honey, lime juice, chili powder, and minced garlic.

Place chicken in bowl with mixture and stir together. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, about thirty minutes in the refrigerator.

Heat the oven to 350. Heat tortillas in oil for about 20 seconds on each side. Be careful not to burn them. For a healthier version simply place tortillas in microwave for 20 seconds covered in paper towel.


In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 3/4 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.

Drain can of black beans. Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Add one spoonful of black beans on top of the line of chicken in each tortilla. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.

Pour enchilada sauce mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This recipe has been floating around our family for years. The funny thing is, it has been called barbecue chicken. I, however, feel it is more accurate to name it sweet and sour chicken. It is pretty easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. I served this with fresh pineapple on the side. I have to say lately I have been quite the fruit picker. If you can, try to take me along the next time you need a pineapple or cantaloupe. I am on a roll for picking some good ones.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken breasts skinned and boned. Season with garlic salt and seasoning salt.

1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
3/4 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Accent

Directions:
Prepare chicken and place in casserole dish. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. In separate bowl combine 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and add then add to the sauce mixture. Stir and mixture to the chicken. Cover and bake at 325 for 90 minutes. Serve and enjoy over rice!

NOTE: We all know that the more fat, the tastier it is. You can also make this a little tastier, but not as healthy by coating the chicken with cornstarch and then cooking in oil before adding the sauce and baking. If you do this, omit the cornstarch mixture above. The sauce will thicken from the coated chicken breasts.

Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps

This is my version of a lettuce wrap. It is very easy and such a refreshing meal in the summer. What do you eat when it is 105 degrees outside? Better yet where do you live that it is 105 or hotter? That genius would be me, and for the most part I love Arizona. However, sometimes it is so hot I have no idea what to eat. This is where cool crisp lettuce sounds like the perfect choice.

Ingredients:
1 head of Romaine Lettuce
1 Rotisserie Chicken or 1 fryer chicken baked and shredded
1/2 pkg of Chinese Rice sticks (follow cooking directions on package)
1 cup diced fresh mushrooms
2 green onions diced
1 can water chestnuts (diced)
1 bottle of Yoshida's teriyaki sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Remove chicken and shred from whole chicken. I cooked my own in a portable roaster I plugged in outside to avoid heating the house. Saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil and then add chicken and water chestnuts. Pour 1/4 cup of Yoshida's teriyaki sauce into mixture. Remove from heat and prepare lettuce by removing whole leaves, rinsing and drying. Prepare Chinese rice sticks. Add mixture to Romaine lettuce leaf and top with Chinese rice sticks. Serve and enjoy!

What about Bob? .....and his pasta......and where have I been?

Well hello! Thanks for coming back even though I have been gone. I had a little vacation with the husband to see in-laws and attend a wedding. Don't worry my in-laws are very cool. How have you been? I missed you.

Once upon a time my Dad invented this pasta recipe and I have hated all other sauces since. What makes it even cooler is the chef's name is Bob. Bob the chef/dentist! A good guy to have around I'd say.

This sauce really is pretty easy and tastes healthy and light. The best thing about this recipe is you could easily add-in whatever you love and it would be quite tasty.



Ingredients:
One chopped onion
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (to taste)
1 teaspoon of capers (or black or green olives)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 jar of artichoke hearts sliced briefly with knife
2-3 cans of diced canned tomatoes with oregano, or basil or other seasonings
1 pound of cooked and shredded chicken (I used my canned chicken and it just shreds perfectly once it hits the pan)
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese

Saute the onion, garlic, capers, pine nuts, and seasonings in olive oil. Add the tomatoes,artichoke hearts and chicken. You can exchange the chicken for shrimp, sausage, or whatever protein you prefer and it will work perfectly. Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors marry. While sauce is simmering, cook desired pasta. I use whole wheat pasta and can't tell the difference from white anymore. Serve over pasta, top with cheese, and enjoy!



I had lots of sauce left over and made a basic Alfredo sauce the next day to combine with the leftovers. It was creamy, and so flavorful with the tomatoes and pine nuts.

The Soup's Chicken Tetrazinni

Chicken Tetrazinni has been running through my mind and tummy ever since I saw this episode of The Soup. I had no idea what Chicken Tetrazinni was but after some research I put this delicious recipe together. It really is yummy! What I loved about this recipe is it is fully of chunky vegetables. I recently canned chicken by using my pressure cooker and I have been looking for recipes to use it in. This recipe was a great way to use my canned chicken.



Ingredients:
4 cups cooked chicken breasts (cubed)
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (I use a brand with no MSG)
1 (12 ounce) package pasta (angel hair or spaghetti) cooked as directed
1 large onion (chopped)
3 large celery ribs
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 cup green pepper (chopped)
1 cup carrot diced
1 (10 ounce) bag frozen peas
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Italian Style bread crumbs



Directions
Prepare pasta as directed on package, set aside.
Saute onions, green peppers, celery, and mushrooms in a lightly oiled large pan (preferably a deep skillet, 12" or more).
Dissolve the bullion in the hot water to make broth.
Stir in soups, broth, peas and shredded carrots and cook until all is heated. Add in seasonings.
Transfer above into large casserole dish.
Mix in the chicken and cheddar cheese.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese followed by bread crumbs over the top(s).
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients for the salad:

2 whole chicken breasts
1 whole ginger root cleaned and trimmed
1-2 heads chopped lettuce
1/2 pkg. rice sticks
3-6 green onions diced
1/2 c. toasted almonds
1/2 c. sesame seeds toasted


Cook the chicken in water with ginger and salt til done. 20 - 30 min. Fry rice sticks(see pictures) in hot oil and drain on paper towel. Cut up cooled chicken. Combine above and add the dressing. See below.

BEFORE:
AFTER:


The rice sticks are really quite fun to make and eat. They can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store near the soy sauce, chow mein noodles, etc. Follow the instructions on the package to cook.


For the salad dressing:

4 T sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Alpine touch
4 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 c olive oil

Combine all but the oil and heat for 30 sec or so in micro and stir so sugar dissolves and spices blend. Add oil. Refrain from adding the dressing to the salad until you are ready to serve.

My Take on Chicken Gargonzola Pasta

It's pretty easy and oh so tasty. The flavor of the sharp Gorgonzola mixed with the flavors of prosciutto, asparagus, and cream makes for a lovely dish.

Ingredients:
2-3 grilled and diced chicken breasts
1 cup asparagus tips
1/2 cup diced prosciutto
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 stick of butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 box of Penne pasta cooked al dente

Directions:
Melt butter in saucepan. Add cream and hit to just boil adding Parmesan and Gorgonzola cheese just to a boil stirring constantly to avoid burning. Grill Chicken and boil pasta 8 minutes adding asparagus for the last 4 minutes. Drain and add sauce to pasta. Add prosciutto and grilled chicken. Serve and enjoy the goodness.





What is that drink in the background? Well that was sparkling cider, with thawed frozen raspberries, and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was a hit! Thanks for stopping!

Simple Sunday Part Two: Crock Pot Italian Chicken

My new favorite! It is so easy, yet so tasty!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds of chicken
1 Family size can of Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups milk
1 block of cream cheese
1 packet of Italian Dressing Seasoning mix (Found in the salad dressing Aisle next to Hidden Vally Ranch Packets)
1 Box of your favorite pasta (I used Penne pasta)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except pasta into crock pot. Cook on High for 4 hours, or longer at a lower temperature depending on your schedule. Once cooked, boil pasta, drain, and serve mixture over pasta. It is creamy and so yummy. It tastes like an enhanced Alfredo sauce. Nobody will ever know it was that easy. I promise I won't tell.

Thankful Thursday - Firefighter Stir Fry

I am thankful for Firefighters. I bet you are too!:) I am not only grateful for the obvious reasons, but also because now that my husband is a firefighter he is learning to cook! He went from burning mac and cheese from the box to learning how to cook pure deliciousness. This recipe is one of my new favorites straight from the fire station kitchen to your plate!




Firefighter Stir- Fry

Marinade Sauce (Double this mixture)
5 dried Arbol Chile's (located in the Hispanic food section of your grocery store with the other bagged dried chile's)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic minced

Blend the ingredients in the blender and pour 1/2 of mixture over 1 pound of chicken breasts. Marinade in the fridge for 3-5 hours. Set aside the remaining sauce for completed dish.

For the Rice
2 cups long grain enriched regular rice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups water

Pour olive oil in deep, large frying pan. Add rice and heat on high until rice turns to just barely golden brown. Add water, cover, and simmer for approx. 25 minutes. Try to avoid removing lid. This should make the perfect white rice.

While rice is cooking, cook chicken in pan until just brown. Remove chicken from pan and place your favorite stir-fry veggies(broccoli,carrots,peas,water chestnuts) in the pan and steam with a little bit of water until just tender. Add Chicken into vegetables for 2 minutes with remaining sauce. Pour stir fry over serving of rice and add extra sauce if desired. Serve and Enjoy!




Stay tuned for more recipes from the Fire Station kitchen!


What are you thankful for today?

I Can Never Have Too Much Mexican Food

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breasts
1 packet of chicken taco seasoning
1 small chicken bouillon cube
1 pkg of corn tortillas
1 can green enchilada sauce
2 cups Monterrey jack cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small can of mild green chili's
1 cup re fried beans (optional)

So the recipe might seem a little odd because I had ingredients I just wanted to use up such as the re fried beans. I am glad I did it though because it was delicious.

Directions:
Start by placing chicken breasts in large pot over medium heat with taco seasoning, water, and chicken bouillon. Cover and allow to simmer until chicken is tender enough to shred. When Chicken is cooked add re fried beans. Add 1 cup of cheese and half of green chili's (or less depending on how spicy you like it) to chicken mixture. Place mixture in tortillas and roll up. Place rolled up tortillas into casserole dish that has half of the green enchilada sauce already covering the bottom of the pan. Pour the remaining half of green enchilada sauce over the top. Bring sour cream and cream of chicken soup mixture to a simmer and pour of enchiladas. Cover the rest with the remaining cheese and place in oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees covered in tinfoil. Serve and Enjoy!

Alfredo and Red Pepper Pasta

I had a red pepper, leftover Alfredo sauce to use up, and a hankering for pasta. This is what I came up with. Too bad the picture sucks (part photographer, part camera's fault)

1 red pepper
1 cup of your favorite Alfredo sauce
1 tbs minced garlic
1 pound chicken
1 tbs Cajun seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large tomato
3 cups cooked Bowtie pasta (I used whole wheat)

Take the red pepper and tomato and throw them in the food processor. Meanwhile saute the chicken in garlic with a little bit of oil. Add Alfredo sauce and processed tomato and red pepper to saucepan. When chicken is no longer pink sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, paprika, and salt and broil till outside is crispy and golden brown.(this may be unnecessary, but I like my chicken slightly crunchy in a dish like this. Add chicken to sauce and pour over pasta. Sprinkle with black pepper. Serve and Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Wraps

1 pkg casesar salad kit
Spinach garden herb tortilla (located with other tortillas in the grocery store)
1 rotisserie chicken ( cheapest at Costco)
George Foreman Grill

Plug in George Foreman Grill to heat up. Mix up salad kit according to pkg directions. Cut up rotisserie chicken and add to salad. Place mixture on tortilla and roll up like a burrito. Place on grill and close lid for 1 min just to crisp outside. Serve and Enjoy!

Easy Chicken and Rice

1 lb or more of chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz of sour cream

2 cups prepared rice (brown or white)

Cut chicken breasts into small pieces. While chicken is cooking until slightly brown on the outside, place soup and sour cream in small soup pan. Heat through until mixture begins to boil stirring constantly. Place Chicken on top of rice followed by soup mixture. Serve and enjoy! Remember brown rice is healthier!

Easy ciabatta sandwiches

Package of Ciabatta rolls

jar of pesto sauce (found in pasta section, or in the cooler near cheese and cooled pasta)

jar of artichoke hearts

1 rotisserie chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place ciabatta rolls on cookie sheet sliced in half and open. Spread pesto sauce on one side. Spoon artichoke hearts evenly on the same slice with pesto sauce. Place pulled chicken pieces from rotisserie chicken on the other half evenly. Place in oven for 2-4 minutes depending on your oven. Watch for edges to become slightly golden, but not burnt. Once ingredients are warm and buns are crisp place halves together to make a sandwich. Serve and enjoy!