I'm baaaaaaack!! Happy Saturday! As promised I'm bringing you some great tips and recipes for this gorgeous weekend!
Yesterday I spent most all day cleaning my kitchen and downstairs. My my my how spider webs do collect let alone the day to day "stuff" that my cats bring in on their feet. I know James and I couldn't be at fault for this! hehe
I may have told y'all about this tip before but I'm telling you, I think I've found my favorite household cleaner! Scrubbing Bubbles! I used it to clean my stainless steel stove -I WISH I had taken before and after pictures -- it looks brand new! Y'all know I've been canning for most of last month so you can imagine how much grime and stains had gotten into the crevices...ALL GONE! Now - I didn't cook on it at all yesterday to be sure that all of it had dried and I wiped it down good too so there wasn't any residue - but I've never used a product that cleaned my stove as well as this did. I also cleaned my sink (also stainless) and the granite counter tops too. I used it to clean the doors and around the light switches and in any other area that just had more dirt than just the daily stuff. I'm amazed. Once I finished that, I took it into the bathroom and cleaned the sinks, toilet seats, and around in there. It took no time to get it done and everything was left sparkly and clean. I even sprayed some in the toilet and used the brush in there, too. I took it outside and cleaned some of the ceramic pieces on my front porch and on the back porch too. Nice Nice!!
So...this week I kind of got back to my routine of cooking. I made some simple dishes that took really no time to prep/cook. They are healthy, don't cost a lot and I hope you'll enjoy them. I've also added a couple of tailgate snacks for football Saturdays that I hope you'll enjoy!
Chicken Pasta Bake
1/2 box Penne Pasta, cook al dente according to package directions. Be sure to salt your water!
1 cup of Tyson frozen chicken breast pieces (any flavor is fine - I just used the roasted) - this is the green package -- they come grilled, southwest, teriyaki, roasted, NOT breaded)
2 T. Olive Oil
1 can Artichoke Hearts, quartered (in juice, not oil)
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped medium
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 small bell pepper (or half large)
1/2 T. Greek or Italian seasoning.
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup Chicken broth
Parmesan Cheese (shredded), Shredded cheddar (optional)
Salt, Pepper to taste
Heat Oven to 350F. Begin cooking pasta. Heat a large skillet (I used cast iron) with oil until oil ripples. Toss in shallots and cook to clear and soft, not brown. Add bell pepper, tomato and garlic and saute' until pepper is bright green. Add artichoke hearts and chicken. Add seasoning and salt and pepper and stir well. Cook until chicken is thawed and begins to brown. Add Chicken broth to deglaze pan. Simmer for just a couple of minutes. Remove pasta from water but don't discard water. Spray a casserole dish lightly with cooking spray. Add pasta. If broth has cooked out of chicken mixture add just a ladle full of pasta water. Pour this mixture over Pasta. Scatter frozen peas on top of this mixture. Scatter Parmesan cheese across the top and a little shredded cheddar cheese too if you wish -- I don't measure - just use what you like. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until heated through. Serve with a tossed salad and some garlic bread or rolls. Delish! This is also great as leftovers -- just add a little more cheese and reheat at 300 until heated through. James said it was "almost too pretty to eat!" and then had two helpings!
Easy Quick Bread
1 ball of pizza dough (ready made or homemade)
Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper
1 1/2 T. Olive Oil
1 sliced shallot (thinly sliced)
1 finely minced garlic clove
Heat oven to 425F. Lightly brush a baking stone or pizza pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Press out pizza dough just shy of the edges. It's ok if it tears, or is uneven - but just kind of use the tips of your fingers to press indentions into the dough. Brush generously with olive oil - all over it! Make sure it's not greasy but well coated - this will make a wonderful crust! Sprinkle Italian seasoning over dough just to have a light dusting (you'll probably use close to a teaspoon and a half). Lightly salt and pepper -- very lightly. Sprinkle shallot over -- make sure that it's not big pieces - but lightly sprinkled all over dough. And then sprinkle garlic clove over in the same manner.
Place in HOT oven and watch carefully. In about 7 to 10 minutes you'll have hot delicious "garlic" strips to serve with your pasta, salad or as a snack with some marinara sauce. This is sooooo good you'll never want that prepackaged stuff ever again! HINT: I sprinkle a little freshly grated Parmesan on top of the bread right when it comes out of the oven -- Oh goodness...delicious!!
This next recipe is an adaptation of one I picked up at Publix. I tasted the Publix recipe and compared it with my own and both are wonderful! Here's the link to the original: http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/AllRecipes/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=6290&mealGroupId=1000
and here's my adaptation:
Perfect Panko Chicken w/Hummus and Zesty Honey Carrots
juice of 2 limes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 package of thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets (about 1 lb)
Salt, Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup ready made roasted garlic hummus (I used Publix brand)
3/4 cup panko seasoned bread crumbs
1 pouch of fresh fettuccine
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken broth + 1 cup water
Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish and add salt, pepper. Mix well. In another shallow dish add 3/4 cup of hummus. Place chicken breast 1 at a time in hummus and coat both sides thinly. Then move over to bread crumbs and coat each piece well on both sides. Let sit while you heat oil in pan.
Cook Chicken in medium hot skillet in small amounts (1 or 2 breasts at at time). These cook quickly so cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, to golden brown. Remove from pan and place on a dish or plate. Cover lightly with foil to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat broth and water to cook fettuccine. I added about a tablespoon of salt to this liquid - bring this to boil.Cook pasta according to package directions and when done, remove from liquid and put in a large bowl.- don't discard - this is a great soup base! Put a pat of butter on the pasta and toss lightly.
Sauce:
In a small mixing bowl, place remaining hummus, 1/2 of chopped cilantro and the lime juice. Stir well and set aside.
Put pasta on a platter and then top with chicken. Pour sauce down the middle of all the chicken and then sprinkle remaining cilantro on top to make a pretty presentation.
Zesty Honey Carrots
1 package of crinkle cut carrot chips (fresh) 16 oz.
2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 T. butter
Place carrot chips in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand for a couple of minutes. Remove cover carefully and add remaining ingredients. Stir well and serve hot. SO good!!
Serve this meal with sliced warm Cuban bread. It's great the next day too!! :)
Ok, so you have this wonderful chicken broth leftover - what do you do??
Chicken and Dumplings - quick style!!
1 1/2 cups Tyson frozen Roasted chicken strips (see 1st recipe)
Pasta Broth from Recipe #2
1 package Flour Tortillas
1 to 1 1/2 t. dry poultry seasoning
Bring broth to a rolling boil. Add poultry seasoning. Add Chicken - if you want to cut this in chunks, just let it thaw a little bit. Using a pizza cutter, slice tortillas in half and then cut into strips about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. When broth is boiling rapidly toss in chicken and then add tortillas a little at a time making sure they don't stick together. Let this all cook for about 5 to 7 minutes -- watch tortillas, they'll puff a little bit and then go limp -- they are ready when they turn an opaque white and look soft. You can pull one out and taste it. Just before serving, add a little freshly ground pepper. Taste to see if salt is necessary but it shouldn't be.
Serve with a fruit salad and some hot cornbread! A great, fast weeknight meal that takes just minutes to make!
Ok - Tailgate snacks...
This is an adaptation of a recipe we got from our friend Sara Boggs. It's a great tailgate snack and takes absolutely no skill to make at all.
Snack Attack
1 bag of Chex snack mix - Traditional
1/2 can Honey roasted peanuts
Here's the adaptation:
2 handfuls jalapeno flavored almonds
Pour all into a zippered storage bag and shake to mix. Serve in a large bowl -- Done!
Corn and Black Bean Dip or Salad
1 cup frozen white corn (you can use canned, just drain it good)
1 can black beans, washed and drained
2 T. olive oil
1 fresh jalapeno
1 small bell pepper
1 can Rotel tomatos and chilis
1 lime
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 red onion
1 large garlic clove
Salt, Pepper to taste
Rough chop fresh veggies (peppers, garlic and onion) to small size pieces. Toss in bowl. Squeeze lime juice over this mixture and add can of Rotel and cilantro and add salt and pepper.
Heat a medium skillet with oil. When ripples, toss in corn and black beans. Let cook until corn is lightly browned and mix is heated through. Pour fresh ingredients over corn and black beans and toss together lightly. Pour this mixture back in bowl and serve. Great warm as a side dish or with scoopable chips or at room temperature. Won't need refrigeration until serving is completed. This is so fresh and good! Great with hamburgers off the grill!
Ok - so there you go! Some great recipes to get you going again. I hope you enjoy them! We certainly have been...
See ya next week! Blessings!!! and oh yeah...Roll Tide!! Amy
Yesterday I spent most all day cleaning my kitchen and downstairs. My my my how spider webs do collect let alone the day to day "stuff" that my cats bring in on their feet. I know James and I couldn't be at fault for this! hehe
I may have told y'all about this tip before but I'm telling you, I think I've found my favorite household cleaner! Scrubbing Bubbles! I used it to clean my stainless steel stove -I WISH I had taken before and after pictures -- it looks brand new! Y'all know I've been canning for most of last month so you can imagine how much grime and stains had gotten into the crevices...ALL GONE! Now - I didn't cook on it at all yesterday to be sure that all of it had dried and I wiped it down good too so there wasn't any residue - but I've never used a product that cleaned my stove as well as this did. I also cleaned my sink (also stainless) and the granite counter tops too. I used it to clean the doors and around the light switches and in any other area that just had more dirt than just the daily stuff. I'm amazed. Once I finished that, I took it into the bathroom and cleaned the sinks, toilet seats, and around in there. It took no time to get it done and everything was left sparkly and clean. I even sprayed some in the toilet and used the brush in there, too. I took it outside and cleaned some of the ceramic pieces on my front porch and on the back porch too. Nice Nice!!
So...this week I kind of got back to my routine of cooking. I made some simple dishes that took really no time to prep/cook. They are healthy, don't cost a lot and I hope you'll enjoy them. I've also added a couple of tailgate snacks for football Saturdays that I hope you'll enjoy!
Chicken Pasta Bake
1/2 box Penne Pasta, cook al dente according to package directions. Be sure to salt your water!
1 cup of Tyson frozen chicken breast pieces (any flavor is fine - I just used the roasted) - this is the green package -- they come grilled, southwest, teriyaki, roasted, NOT breaded)
2 T. Olive Oil
1 can Artichoke Hearts, quartered (in juice, not oil)
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped medium
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 small bell pepper (or half large)
1/2 T. Greek or Italian seasoning.
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup Chicken broth
Parmesan Cheese (shredded), Shredded cheddar (optional)
Salt, Pepper to taste
Heat Oven to 350F. Begin cooking pasta. Heat a large skillet (I used cast iron) with oil until oil ripples. Toss in shallots and cook to clear and soft, not brown. Add bell pepper, tomato and garlic and saute' until pepper is bright green. Add artichoke hearts and chicken. Add seasoning and salt and pepper and stir well. Cook until chicken is thawed and begins to brown. Add Chicken broth to deglaze pan. Simmer for just a couple of minutes. Remove pasta from water but don't discard water. Spray a casserole dish lightly with cooking spray. Add pasta. If broth has cooked out of chicken mixture add just a ladle full of pasta water. Pour this mixture over Pasta. Scatter frozen peas on top of this mixture. Scatter Parmesan cheese across the top and a little shredded cheddar cheese too if you wish -- I don't measure - just use what you like. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until heated through. Serve with a tossed salad and some garlic bread or rolls. Delish! This is also great as leftovers -- just add a little more cheese and reheat at 300 until heated through. James said it was "almost too pretty to eat!" and then had two helpings!
Easy Quick Bread
1 ball of pizza dough (ready made or homemade)
Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper
1 1/2 T. Olive Oil
1 sliced shallot (thinly sliced)
1 finely minced garlic clove
Heat oven to 425F. Lightly brush a baking stone or pizza pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Press out pizza dough just shy of the edges. It's ok if it tears, or is uneven - but just kind of use the tips of your fingers to press indentions into the dough. Brush generously with olive oil - all over it! Make sure it's not greasy but well coated - this will make a wonderful crust! Sprinkle Italian seasoning over dough just to have a light dusting (you'll probably use close to a teaspoon and a half). Lightly salt and pepper -- very lightly. Sprinkle shallot over -- make sure that it's not big pieces - but lightly sprinkled all over dough. And then sprinkle garlic clove over in the same manner.
Place in HOT oven and watch carefully. In about 7 to 10 minutes you'll have hot delicious "garlic" strips to serve with your pasta, salad or as a snack with some marinara sauce. This is sooooo good you'll never want that prepackaged stuff ever again! HINT: I sprinkle a little freshly grated Parmesan on top of the bread right when it comes out of the oven -- Oh goodness...delicious!!
This next recipe is an adaptation of one I picked up at Publix. I tasted the Publix recipe and compared it with my own and both are wonderful! Here's the link to the original: http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/AllRecipes/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=6290&mealGroupId=1000
and here's my adaptation:
Perfect Panko Chicken w/Hummus and Zesty Honey Carrots
juice of 2 limes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 package of thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets (about 1 lb)
Salt, Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup ready made roasted garlic hummus (I used Publix brand)
3/4 cup panko seasoned bread crumbs
1 pouch of fresh fettuccine
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken broth + 1 cup water
Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish and add salt, pepper. Mix well. In another shallow dish add 3/4 cup of hummus. Place chicken breast 1 at a time in hummus and coat both sides thinly. Then move over to bread crumbs and coat each piece well on both sides. Let sit while you heat oil in pan.
Cook Chicken in medium hot skillet in small amounts (1 or 2 breasts at at time). These cook quickly so cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, to golden brown. Remove from pan and place on a dish or plate. Cover lightly with foil to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat broth and water to cook fettuccine. I added about a tablespoon of salt to this liquid - bring this to boil.Cook pasta according to package directions and when done, remove from liquid and put in a large bowl.- don't discard - this is a great soup base! Put a pat of butter on the pasta and toss lightly.
Sauce:
In a small mixing bowl, place remaining hummus, 1/2 of chopped cilantro and the lime juice. Stir well and set aside.
Put pasta on a platter and then top with chicken. Pour sauce down the middle of all the chicken and then sprinkle remaining cilantro on top to make a pretty presentation.
Zesty Honey Carrots
1 package of crinkle cut carrot chips (fresh) 16 oz.
2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 T. butter
Place carrot chips in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand for a couple of minutes. Remove cover carefully and add remaining ingredients. Stir well and serve hot. SO good!!
Serve this meal with sliced warm Cuban bread. It's great the next day too!! :)
Ok, so you have this wonderful chicken broth leftover - what do you do??
Chicken and Dumplings - quick style!!
1 1/2 cups Tyson frozen Roasted chicken strips (see 1st recipe)
Pasta Broth from Recipe #2
1 package Flour Tortillas
1 to 1 1/2 t. dry poultry seasoning
Bring broth to a rolling boil. Add poultry seasoning. Add Chicken - if you want to cut this in chunks, just let it thaw a little bit. Using a pizza cutter, slice tortillas in half and then cut into strips about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. When broth is boiling rapidly toss in chicken and then add tortillas a little at a time making sure they don't stick together. Let this all cook for about 5 to 7 minutes -- watch tortillas, they'll puff a little bit and then go limp -- they are ready when they turn an opaque white and look soft. You can pull one out and taste it. Just before serving, add a little freshly ground pepper. Taste to see if salt is necessary but it shouldn't be.
Serve with a fruit salad and some hot cornbread! A great, fast weeknight meal that takes just minutes to make!
Ok - Tailgate snacks...
This is an adaptation of a recipe we got from our friend Sara Boggs. It's a great tailgate snack and takes absolutely no skill to make at all.
Snack Attack
1 bag of Chex snack mix - Traditional
1/2 can Honey roasted peanuts
Here's the adaptation:
2 handfuls jalapeno flavored almonds
Pour all into a zippered storage bag and shake to mix. Serve in a large bowl -- Done!
Corn and Black Bean Dip or Salad
1 cup frozen white corn (you can use canned, just drain it good)
1 can black beans, washed and drained
2 T. olive oil
1 fresh jalapeno
1 small bell pepper
1 can Rotel tomatos and chilis
1 lime
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 red onion
1 large garlic clove
Salt, Pepper to taste
Rough chop fresh veggies (peppers, garlic and onion) to small size pieces. Toss in bowl. Squeeze lime juice over this mixture and add can of Rotel and cilantro and add salt and pepper.
Heat a medium skillet with oil. When ripples, toss in corn and black beans. Let cook until corn is lightly browned and mix is heated through. Pour fresh ingredients over corn and black beans and toss together lightly. Pour this mixture back in bowl and serve. Great warm as a side dish or with scoopable chips or at room temperature. Won't need refrigeration until serving is completed. This is so fresh and good! Great with hamburgers off the grill!
Ok - so there you go! Some great recipes to get you going again. I hope you enjoy them! We certainly have been...
See ya next week! Blessings!!! and oh yeah...Roll Tide!! Amy
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