Chicken Spaghetti

Who doesn't love creamy pasta with cheese and chicken?!  It's comfort in a bowl!!  I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman, who ismthe ultimate website for comfort food.  It sure hit the spot.

Boil the chicken breasts on the stove.  Once cooked through remove from the heat and let cool.  Shred into pieces and set aside.  Reserve 2 cups of the water. 

Cook pasta al dente then drain.

To the pasta add onions....

and green pepper.

Then add all but one cup of cheese, soup, pimentos and seasoning.  Mix until well combined.

Place in a casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cook for around 45 minutes until it starts to bubble. 

I added some pepper on top for some extra spice.  This dish is a bowl full of delicious.  Sometimes you just need some comfort!

Chicken Spaghetti

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Serves 8

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

3 cups spaghetti - or whatever pasta you wish

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup diced green pepper

1/4 cup diced onion

1 4oz jar pimentos

2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot

1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Boil the chicken breasts on the stove.  

Once cooked through remove from the heat and let cool.  

Shred into pieces and set aside.  

Reserve 2 cups of the water. 

Cook pasta al dente then drain.
Add all the ingredients except 1 cup of cheese to the pasta and stir until well combined.
Place in a casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cook for around 45 minutes until it starts to bubble. 
Serve and enjoy!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Not to be too bossy, but I think you need some spice in you life.  We all need something to add some extra spice in our lives every once and a while, and this recipe is perfect for just that.  It'll knock your socks off... or boots, or sandals, or wooden shoes - depending where ya live of course! 

Gather up all these great spices and get ready.

Place all the ingredients except the chicken in a food processor, or high speed blender.  Process until well combined. 

Rub the marinade all over the chicken.  I used chicken breasts but you can also use drumsticks. 

Place chicken in a plastic bag and marinade in the fridge for at least 6 hours, I did this overnight.  When ready to make, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a cooking dish with non-stick spray, and place chicken in the dish.  Bake for around 45 minutes, or until cooked through.  

I served with green beans but other great sides would be mashed sweet potatoes, rice or even beans.  This dish was so flavorful.  The marinade kind of creates a crust, and is very spicy.  I had to take water breaks, just to warn you!  Enjoy :)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Serves 2

2 8oz chicken breasts

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons allspice

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons dried thyme

1 green pepper, or jalapeno, seeded and cut

juice of one lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

Place all the ingredients except the chicken in a food processor, or high speed blender.  

Process until well combined. 

Rub the marinade all over the chicken.

Place chicken in a plastic bag and marinade in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight.  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  

Spray a cooking dish with non-stick spray, and place chicken in the dish.  

Bake for around 45 minutes, or until cooked through.  

Serve with whatever side you'd like!

Seared Chicken w/ Avocado

I LOVED this dinner.  Believe it or not it tasted better than it looked - and it's healthy for you!  Don't believe that healthy food can't look and taste amazing because this is proof that it's not true.  Simple, fresh ingredients can do great things.

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  I also added a little garlic powder, up to you though.  

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken, cook for one minute or until seared.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for around 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

In a small bowl combine one diced avocado, cilantro, jalapeno pepper and lime juice.  Toss to combine.

Top the chicken with the avocado salsa.  I served with sweet potatoes and green beans.  So delicious, I really have nothing more to say than that.  Please try it and let me know if you agree.

Happy Monday everyone - have a great start to the week!

Seared Chicken w/ Avocado

Serves 2

salt and pepper to taste (I also added a little garlic powder)

2 6oz chicken breasts

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 diced peeled avocado

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  

Add chicken, cook for one minute or until seared.  

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for around 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

In a small bowl combine one diced avocado, cilantro, jalapeno pepper and lime juice.  

Toss to combine.

Top the chicken with the avocado salsa and enjoy.

Mustard Glazed Salmon w/ Lentils

I love salmon, and am always looking for new and interesting ways to cook it.  When I saw this recipe I had to try it.  Even if you're not a huge fan of mustard, you'll enjoy this meal as it doesn't have a strong mustard taste.  It just taste delicious! 

Heat broiler, with rack set 8 inches from the heat.  In a large, oven proof skillet, heat oil over medium high.  Add onion and cumin and cook until the onion is golden brown.

Add lentils to the skillet, stir and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, rub the mustard on the salmon and season with salt and pepper.

Nestle the salmon fillets in the lentils and broil in the oven until opaque throughout.  Should be around 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro to serve. 

Ok, I'm not going to lie to you guys --- this has a lot of potential, but just didn't turn out awesome.  It looks pretty, and the salmon tasted spectacular, but the lentils fell short.  This is the first time I've made lentils on the stove and oven, and they were way under cooked.  To adjust the recipe a bit, I would cook the lentils on the stove for around 10 more minutes, then add the salmon fillets and place in the oven.  If you try this recipe out and have better results let me know!  Lesson to everyone - not everything in the kitchen always turns out great... take a breath and move on! 

Mustard Glazed Salmon w/ Lentils

Serves 4

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

4 skinless salmon fillets (4-6 oz)

2 14oz cans of lentils, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Heat broiler, with rack set 8 inches from the heat.  

In a large, oven proof skillet, heat oil over medium high.  

Add onion and cumin and cook until the onion is golden brown.

Add lentils to the skillet, stir and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, rub the mustard on the salmon and season with salt and pepper.

Nestle the salmon fillets in the lentils and broil in the oven until opaque throughout, around 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro to serve. 

Sesame-Avocado Brown Rice

Such a colorful dinner this was!  Filling and very tasty, the flavors will really surprise you!

I recently bought Mission Street Food cookbook and this is first recipe I tried out of it.  For how elaborate the finished product looks, the recipes are relatively easy and very understandable.  I will be attempting more from the cookbook very soon.

Cook two cups of brown rice in a pot or rice cooker.  Tid-bit from the cookbook: you can easily eyeball the proper water-to-rice ratio by laying your hand flat on top of the rice.  The water level should cover your hand.

Mix the liquid ingredients and season with a little salt.  Toast sesame seeds and cool, set aside.

I also added a bit of fire oil to the liquid ingredients.

The recipe didn't call for chicken, but I decided it would be a good addition.  I simply covered two chicken breasts in almond crumbs and cooked in the oven until cooked through.

Saute the beans in a medium pan over medium heat.

Saute the mushrooms over medium heat as well until tender.

Slice avocado.

Stir the dressing vigorously and mix about half into the rice.  The rice should be well coated but not sopping wet.  Add in the sesame seeds as well.

Add all ingredients on top of the brown rice.  One of the many great things about this recipe is that you can serve it at room temperature and it's still very good.  Prep all the ingredients the day before except dressing the rice and avocado, and you can easily have a elaborate weeknight meal in no time at all.  The different tastes in this dish will leave you very satisfied.  Look forward to more recipes from this book.

Sesame-Avocado Brown Rice

Adapted from Mission Street Food 

2 cups brown rice, cooked

2 large ripe avocados

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

12-15 mushrooms, chopped

~25 green beans

walnut crusted chicken breasts *optional

Cook two cups of brown rice in a pot or rice cooker. 

Mix the liquid ingredients and season with a little salt.  

Toast sesame seeds and cool, set aside.

Saute the beans in a medium pan over medium heat.

Saute the mushrooms over medium heat as well until tender.
Slice avocados.
Stir the dressing vigorously and mix about half into the rice.  
Add in the sesame seeds.
Add all ingredients on top of the brown rice and enjoy! 

Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers

I can't think of a more summer dinner than shrimp and pineapple cooked on skewers over the grill.  The flavor on these were so good and it's a very simple dish.  Perfect for an August evening when all you want to do is have a delicious dinner without a whole lot of effort.  

While you're cutting up ingredients, soak eight to ten wooden skewers in water for around 15 minutes. Cut 2 bunches of scallions into 2 inch pieces.

Cut 1/2 pineapple into 1 1/2 inch pieces. 

You'll need around a pound of jumbo shrimp peeled with tails left on.

Heat grill to medium high and lightly oil the hot grill.  Whisk together honey, soy sauce, and vinegar.  Reserve half the sauce for serving.

Thread shrimp, pineapple, and scallions on the skewers.  

Brush with sauce and grill until shrimp begin to turn opaque.  Brush again with the sauce and flip and cook for another 2 minutes or so.  Pineapple and scallions will be lightly charred when done.

Serve with reserved sauce.  We ate this with corn on the cob and it was the ultimate summer dinner.  The soy sauce marinade was awesome and could be easily used in other dishes, so if you want to make extra I'm sure you'll find a use. Enjoy!

Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers

Serves 4

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

vegetable oil for grilling

6 tablespoons of honey

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar (I used cider vinegar)

1 pound large to jumbo shrimp, peeled with tails

1/2 pineapple, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

2 bunches scallions cut into 2 inch pieces

8-10 skewers

Soak eight to ten wooden skewers in water for around 15 minutes. 

Cut 2 bunches of scallions into 2 inch pieces.

Cut 1/2 pineapple into 1 1/2 inch pieces. 

Heat grill to medium high and lightly oil the hot grill.  

Whisk together honey, soy sauce, and vinegar.  

Reserve half the sauce for serving.

Brush with sauce and grill until shrimp begin to turn opaque.  

Brush again with the sauce and flip and cook for another 2 minutes or so.  

Serve with reserved sauce and eat up! 

Steak Lettuce Wraps

I've posted a few times now about how awesome flank steak is.  I've tried it and really liked it in wraps, pasta, and Mexican dishes.  Plus, when you marinate it over night you can pretty much cook and eat it straight, that's how delicious it is!  I did just that for this recipe, and it turned out awesome.

Salt and pepper both sides of the steak and marinate 8-12oz flank steak over night in soy sauce, and a little olive oil.  You can add any other spices you might enjoy as well.  I like things a little simpler so I stuck with the basics.

You can grill it or saute the steak in a pan.  I chose to do the later, I cut it up into slices and sauteed it over medium until it was no longer pink.

In a separate pan saute until tender any vegetables you'd like in your wrap.  I used onion, green, red and yellow peppers. 

Serve over a piece of iceberg lettuce, I also added some avocado on top of mine.  These were really delicious, I made them as a meal for one and had leftovers for the next night as well.  This is a great summer dish as you can grill or spend minimal time in the kitchen and stay cool... drinks help too!  Happy Monday!

Steak Lettuce Wraps
Serves 2 (or one with leftovers!)


Marinade:
8-12oz flank steak
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Wraps:
1/2 white onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 avocado
6 leaves iceberg lettuce


Salt and pepper both sides of the flank steak.
Combine soy sauce and olive oil and marinate the steak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Slice the steak into two-bite size pieces.
Saute in a pan over medium heat or on the grill until no longer pink.
Saute or grill any vegetables you choose until tender.
Serve over iceberg lettuce and garnish with avocado.