Spinach and Chicken Penne

David really enjoys pasta dishes but being gluten free makes that....different.  There are actually a lot of gluten free pasta options. 

For me the hardest to find is lasagna...but I have found it and you can't tell any difference...even my dad says so!  Anyway, back in April I made a penne chicken dish.  Y'all, it's been so long I can't exactly remember what I did but I'm pretty sure it was easy and something like this.  We all enjoyed it, especially David and Kate!

Gluten Free Chicken and Cheese Penne
1 rotisserie chicken
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with peppers
1 cup spinach
1 small bag penne pasta, cook as instructed (I eyeballed this...do as much as you like more or less to taste
cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta per instructions.  Take meat off chicken in small, rough pieces.  Stir chicken, pasta, spinach, tomatoes and 1/2 cup cheese (more or less) together and pace in a casserole dish.  Sprinkle top with cheese  1/2-1cup.  Bake in oven until bubbly.  Enjoy!

Hummus Chicken

WAAAAY back in March, David found a recipe for a chicken dish.  It was quick and easy but I must say that I was surprised he picked this one.  It was a hummus chicken.  I'm glad I saw this again because I'll need easy meals coming up and this is SUPER easy!  My mom even tried it at her house and enjoyed it.  Gonna have to do this one again. 

Hummus Chicken
chicken breasts
salt
pepper
hummus

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut chicken breasts to the desired size.  Season as desired with salt and pepper.  Place into a baking pan.  Spread hummus over the top of the chicken breasts.  Place the pan into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear.  Enjoy!

Moroccan Eating

Several weeks back, David found a recipe on a Kroger publication of all places!  It was for Moroccan quinoa.  He's not a big fan of quinoa but Kate and I both like it.  She actually said "I love quinoa" last night.  :-)  So, if he suggested it, you better believe I'm making it.  It really turned out GREAT!   I ended up leaving out the corriander because all I could find was corriander seeds.  Forgive me, but I am NOT crushing my own seeds!  The spices I used were paprika and cumin.  With just that it turned out SPICY.  I guess it's the paprika?  I also added some bell pepper.  I just felt like it needed some veggies in it.  Looks like a great dinner to me?  Try it!

Moroccan Quinoa Chicken Skillet from Healthy Living Made Simple July/August
2 lemons (I just used lemon Juice because I oddly enough couldn't find lemons!  I found limes but no lemons)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I didn't use this)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves (or 3 tsp preminced garlic) minced
1 cup dried apricots, chopped (I used about 1/3 cup craisins - despite loving apricots, they were too pricey for me)
1 cup quinoa
2 cups veggie stock
2 chicken breasts, cubed

In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.  Toss in the cubed chicken.  Once coated, place chicken in a pre-heated skillet sprayed with cooking spray (or a small amount of olive oil).  Cook until browned.  Add the onion, bell pepper and craisins.  Add lemon juice at this point (or the thinly sliced lemon).  Cook until the onion is softened.  Add the quinoa and stir for about two minutes.  Then add the veggie stock and more lemon juice.  Raise heat to a boil.  Then cover the pan and lower heat to medium low.  Cook for 20 minutes, covered.  I cooked about 30.  Remove from heat and let cool five minutes.  I meant to top with sliced green onion but forgot.  Oops!  Fluff the quinoa gently and enjoy!

New Year and New Recipe

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years with family.  We enjoyed time with both of our families and had Christmas morning with just our little family of three.  I'll share that later.  K is with family.  David is on service this week and hasn't been feeling well, so we didn't do anything last night. 

After clinic, I came home and we got an estimate on floors for the house (oh the joys of getting ready to sell).  Then I spent 4 plus hours putting away the Christmas decorations while David did notes from work.  I "watched" the MS State game while I worked.  Hail State!  Then we watch the Duke game.  I made macaroni and cheese for David and heated up my crab cake.  Yum!  Then I made a dessert for the residents who are on the New Years portion of holiday schedule.  I think we were in bed around 1130...but our lovely neighbors were shooting fire works.  Today, I've enjoyed "Gifted Hands" about Ben Carson.  I HIGHLY recommend it!  We'll see what the rest of the day bring. 

And now for your tasting pleasure, a recipe to start off the new year.  I made this back in October when my family came for homecoming and David wants me to bring it back.  It was actually in a Kroger coupon mailout.  It does call for 2 cups of tortilla chips but I'm pretty sure I used about 1 cup.  It is called Chilaquiles.  It calls for ground chicken but you could use ground pork, turkey, or even beef.  Everyone really enjoyed it and it was easy and quick to make.  Try it out for a new recipe this year.

Chicken Chilaquiles
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground chicken (or other ground meat) - or 2 cups shredded chicken, cooked
2 cans diced tomatoes and chiles (10oz. cans, could use any brand)
15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups broken tortilla chips (I used LESS)
1 cup cheese
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook meat. Drain.  In heated pan, cook onions and garlic.  When softened and browned, add meat, tomatoes, beans and 1/4 cup water or broth.  Stir then reduce heat to medium; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the chips and cook for 5 minutes.  Add cheese and cook about another minute.  Sprinkle with cilantro and ENJOY!

Crockpot Indian....Really!

When we went to London on our honeymoon (which I STILL need to post about...but first I have to finish the wedding!), one of my goals was to have different foods that usual.  Since London isn't especially known for food, that could be difficult except that they do have lots of ethnic foods available...and the Mexican isn't stellar which kept us from eating there.  :-)  The last night we had Indian.  We both REALLY enjoyed it.  Fast forward 6 months and I'm trying to find quick dishes for Tuesday nights when K has ballet until 630.  Score...crockpot Indian chicken!  I actually combined two recipes, sort of.  The night before, we had the yummy eggplant dish, which was very tomato-y; so, I didn't want to have another tomato dish the next night. So, I planned to combine recipes.  The first recipe was from here but it appears that domain name is no longer working...alas!  The other recipe I ended up not using at all...I forgot to add the spinach!  Again...alas!  In the end, the recipe ended up being good.  David enjoyed it and took leftovers one day.  My mom came in that weekend and had some for dinner and said it was perfect.  I'd make it again to shake things up in our routine for sure!

Crockpot Curry Chicken
1 pound ground chicken
1 can chickpeas
1/2-1 cup water
2 tsp curry
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
rice

Put all ingredients in slow cooker.  Set to low and cook for 8 hours.  Break up chicken.  Enjoy over cooked rice.

Burrrrrrrrrrr-ito!

We love Mexican dishes around here...especially David and K.  I think they would eat Mexican daily if I'd let them.  I mean, I like Mexican but three weeks of Sunday Mexican out AND me making Mexican during the week is enough.  I definitely prefer the Mexican at home. 

I found a recipe for Chicken Verde Burritos the other day and thought it sounded really good.  I thought I pinned the recipe but then later I couldn't find it; so, I just made my own!  It turned out REALLY good.  I think I'll likely repeat this in the future.  Despite K's face here...she LOVED this.  Devoured it!

 And you can easily make it vegetarian if you want to.  I actually used a Rotisserie chicken that was on sale at Kroger, which made the dish super quick and easy...perfect for ballet nights!

Chicken Verde Burritos
1 rotisserie chicken (breast meat only)
8 flour tortillas (we used low carbs...K picked them out)
1 jar tomatillo salsa
1.5 cans beans (I ran out with two tortillas to go!)
1 can sliced mushrooms (this was for me)
cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Open one can of beans.  Stir in 1/2 cup of tomatillo salsa.  Pull the breast meat off the chicken. 

Then place the ingredients in each tortilla as follows: chicken, beans, cheese.  (Omit chicken and add mushrooms for vegetarian)

Do this on the side of the tortilla closest to you.  Then wrap the tortilla by folding the tortilla towards the center, then fold the edges in (toward the center), then keep rolling into the closed burrito.  By folding the edges in, that keeps the chicken filling in.  Do this with all the tortillas.  Then pour the remaining tomatillo salsa over all the tortillas and top with more cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until everything is bubbly.  Enjoy!

Satay Sandwich

In a "celebration" of past Daring Baker and Daring Cook challenges, Lisa challenged all of us to search through the Daring Kitchen archives and pick any one we'd like! The REAL challenge was picking which delicious recipe(s) to try!  In looking through the many challenges, there were so many that I would enjoy trying.  So many, in fact, that I almost waited too long to choose one!  Last week, I made cashew butter...which was quite simple to do.  I tried to make a cashew sauce but it just didn't turn out.  However, I chose to do some satay and make it into sandwiches this past week.  I was a bit nervous about it, as David isn't a big fan of Asian flavors and this satay involved soy sauce.  Despite my worries, we all enjoyed it...and it was so easy with lots of flavor.  I did use the "easy and cheap" version but I don't think, it was lacking in any way.  I chose to marinade some chicken and mushrooms then grill them on my Le Creuset grill pan.  Then I put it atop whole wheat hoagies with some green bell pepper and cheese and toasted it.  Success!!!  Satay Sandwich.  I'd do it again for sure!

I also redid the biscuit recipe that Audie had us try.  Added some garlic salt and cheese to it in an attempt to mimic Red Lobster.  It wasn't QUITE as buttery as Red Lobster but was definitely enjoyable.  Such a fun challenge this month!

Satay:
Ingredients:
T vegetable oil (or peanut or olive oil) (1 oz or 30 mls)
2 T lemon juice (1 oz or 30 mls)
1 T soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp ginger powder (5 mls)
1 tsp garlic powder (5 mls)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (5 mls)
Directions:

1. Mix well.
2. Cut meat into 1 inch thick strips (2-2.5 cm thick), any length.
3. Cover meat/mushrooms with marinade and chill.  I used a bag.  Chill overnight.
4. Cook on grill pan until cooked through.

 Basic Scones (a.k.a. biscuits)
Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm/5 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) (10 gm) (⅓ oz) fresh baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) salt
2 tablespoons (30 gm/1 oz) frozen grated butter (or a combination of lard and butter)
approximately ½ cup (120 ml) cold milk

Preheat oven to 475.  In a bowl, triple sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.  After that, put cold butter into bowl and cut into flour (I used my pastry blender but you could use two knives or your hands).  Then stir in about 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk and it was fine).  You should have a slightly sticky dough.  Place dough on pastry cloth or board.  Roll out to 1/2 inch thick.  Then cut into desired shape.  If you have a biscuit cutter, use that.  If not, just use a knife.  Place biscuits on baking stone and place stone in oven.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Easy Salsa Chicken

When I go to D's to make dinner (or he comes here - a little less frequent) we usually look for something quick to made since our schedules don't allow us to start making dinner prior to about 6 or a little after.  The other night, D came here and we had decided to make chicken.  He bought tenders, which turned out great!  He told me he wanted something "spicy."  Basically, I took the tenders and seasoned them with Tony's Chachare's original seasoning.  I browned one side (3-5 minutes) then turned the chicken over.  Once the other side was browned, I poured some salsa on top and then placed half a piece of Sargento's swiss thins on each piece.  I was afraid that it would be dry but it actually turned out perfectly.  I served it with mashed cauliflower (which D said was tolerable...glad of this!) D took the leftovers to work for lunch the next day.  I'll definitely try this one again...hopefully, K will eat it!

Salsa Chicken
1 package chicken tenders
salsa - your choice, we used medium thick and chunky (I like this kind, D prefers restaurant style...so kind to give me my choice of salsa :-)  What a guy!)
seasoning
cheese - swiss, mozzarella, colby-jack (mmm, that would be good, too)

Heat a skilled on the stove.  Sprinkle seasoning on one side of tenders.  While browning one side, season the other. When browned, flip tenders to other side and brown.  After they are browned (not completely cooked) pour salsa on top of chicken (1/2-1 cup but you can do how ever much YOU want!).  Top each piece with a small piece of cheese.  Now, cover the chicken with a top and allow to cook for 5 more minutes until cheese melts.  Be sure the chicken is cooked through and enjoy!

Product Review - A First!

So, I don't normally do this but D and I have tried the Kraft Fresh Take blends several times.  This is a season breading with cheese combo.  They market it at being good to add to fish, chicken, pork...really whatever you want.  We've tried the rosemary and herb version as well as the Italian Parmesan version.  Both were really good.  The first time we had it, we put he Rosemary version on fish. 

It was pretty good.  The next time, I put it on chicken strips. D liked it on the chicken better. 

I do think that it would go really well on pork chops, too.  So, if you're looking for a quick and easy was to season your mean, try this out...it's on sale at Kroger right now!  (I did not receive any compensation for this, so Kraft...just thank me!) :-)

Fresh Takes Chicken or Fish
Open your chosen fresh takes pack and mix the cheese and bread crumbs.  If you will be using the whole package, just toss in your desired meat and toss to coat.  I didn't use the whole thing, so I poured some into a bowl in order to save the rest for later use.  For fish, preheat oven to 400.  Coat fish and place on baking sheet.  Cook for 12-14 minutes or until fish flakes.  For chicken fingers, preheat oven to 350.  Toss to coat chicken and place on baking sheet.  Cook for 12-15 minutes or until center of chicken is cooked through.  Enjoy!

Park and Nachos

A couple of weeks ago we had some really pretty weather.  Actually, we've had several weeks of really pretty weather, I just haven't been able to enjoy it due to my rotation.

 However, this time, I met K and D at the park and we played for a little before going to D's house for supper.  I knew there was some precooked and cubed chicken in his refrigerator, so I suggested chicken nachos.  His response..."Ooo, what are chicken nachos?"  My response..."I don't know, I'd just make it up!"  :-)  We had fun at the park.  K enjoyed the swings and running up the grassy stairs. 

Then when we got to the house, I made dinner.  Just mixed together some of the cubed grilled chicken, a can of black beans, and a can of rotel tomatoes. 

Then I put a layer of tortilla chips on the pan, topped it with the bean mixture and then cheese.  Cook until cheese melts and enjoy.  D said "Mmmm. Like what you'd get in a restaurant."  Nice!  K picked the beans off...I'll take that.

  I had a couple and then topped my salad with the chicken/bean mixture.  YUM!  A good meal for all.

Chicken Nachos
1 package Tyson cubed, grilled chicken (no compensation made for this...hehe!)
1 can black beans
1 can rotel tomatoes
tortilla chips (about 1/3 cup)
cheddar cheese
sour cream (optional)
salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place a layer of tortilla chips on the pan.  In a bowl mix together then cubed chicken, black beans, and rotel tomatoes.  Top the chips with this mixture.  Then sprinkle this with cheddar cheese.  Place pan in oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese melts.  Remove from oven and enjoy!

Fajita Soup

A few weeks back, I got off early and decided to go ahead and make soup for dinner for me and D.  The night before I grilled some chicken on my George Foreman grill.  It worked surprisingly well!  I think it looks like actual grill-grilled chicken, especially when it's cut.  Anyway, I wanted a Mexican flavored soup and had gone in search of a fajita soup. 

I found one that looked good here at Maria's site.  She always has great food and I know I can trust her recipes.  The soup was easy to make and tasted great.  D liked it and brought it to work the next day for lunch....I had my leftovers for dinner on call that weekend.  He did wish there was more chicken and I thought maybe a bit more beans would have been good.  Once again, a great recipe.  Served it with the buttermilk bread I made.  All went well together though you could serve it with cornbread or chips just as easily.  Top with sour cream, salsa, or avacado for some extra yumminess!  (Sorry for the poor quality pictures...I forgot and this is the end of my leftovers.)  Try it out. For a veggie entree, forego the chicken and add another can of beans.

Chicken Fajita Soup from Two Peas and a Pod
2 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 jalapeño, minced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small orange red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 ounce) cans vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
several squirts key lime juice

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat...or the one setting on your George Foreman! Season chicken breasts with Season All and put on grill. Grill, turning chicken breasts until cooked through, about about 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove chicken from the grill and let cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into thin strips. Set aside.

In a large pot, spray with cooking spray and add the onion and peppers, cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño.  Cook until tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, black beans, and broth. Add the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let soup simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken strips. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm with garnishes, if desired.  Enjoy!

Stovetop Meal

Last night we went to the H's house for dinner.  Poor Anna's oven is out but she still made a great meal!  We had such a good time.  However, I can't imagine not having an oven.  It would make cooking quite difficult.  I mean, I couldn't do ANY baking.  Not good!  BUT, if you find yourself in the position of not having an oven, here is a quick and easy meal to try. 

White chicken chilli.  I've made it before and it is so good.  It makes just enough for four...or enough for two with lunch for the next day.  D said it was good.  The cheddar biscuits were the perfect pairing.  Sometime soon I'd like to try the red chicken chili....mmmm!  Now, we just need some cold weather!

Chicken Chili
1 1/2 pound (I used two boneless skinless breasts and it was perfect) chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup broth (calls for chicken but I used veggie)
1 teaspoon garlic powder,
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano (didn't have)
1/2 teaspoon cilantro (didn't have)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper (Didn't have) - appears I need to shop for spices!
1 can chopped green chiles
19oz can white kidney beans undrained (I used two cans that were 12 oz each)
2 green onions, sliced (Forgot these but they are good)

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan.  Add the chicken and onions, cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked.  Stir in brother, chiles, and spices.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in beans and simmer for five minutes. Top with onions and garnish with cheese if desired.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tabouleh

My first brief return to cooking started last week with a simple tabouleh salad for lunch.  Unfortunately, I left it at home one day and when I pulled it out yesterday to take to lunch today, the peppers had begun to mold.  However, the days I did eat it, I enjoyed it.  The chicken gives it a nice fullness.  I must say, though, there was still something missing.  I think adding some goat cheese would help...though that still wouldn't make it quite like "real" tabouleh.  This just doesn't have the strength of taste...something missing in the seasoning.  Any ideas?!  Coming soon...an old childhood favorite!

Tabouleh with Chicken and Red Pepper from Cooking Light March 2009
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups diced pulm tomatoes
3/4 cup (I used 1 full cup) shredded, cooked chicken
3/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine the bulgur and boiling water.  Cover and let sit for 15 minutes or until bulgur is tender.  Allow to cool.  Drain if needed.  Add all remaining ingredients and toss well.  Enjoy!

A Casserole for the New Year

When I was at home over New Years, my parents had a party to attend and gave me the task of making dinner. Mama suggested pizza but I had seen a recipe from Kraft that I thought looked good, so I made that instead. It was really good and could be made with left-over chicken (that's what I used). I don't think I quite used the full amount of chicken (probably would have been 3-4 breasts and I used about 2-3). Even at that, I would have preferred more veggies/beans and less chicken. However, the flavor is really good and the tortilla, which gets very soft, adds a nice change in texture. This recipe has cream cheese mixed in, which probably serves to soften the spice from the salsa and to thicken the sauce but you don't really taste, and cheddar cheese on top. I honestly did not taste the cheese at all; so, you could probably leave it off without a decrease in taste, though it wouldn't look as pretty! This is a rare casserole that is healthy and zesty at the same time. I'd likely make it again, maybe with a few minor changes. I think it could be kid-friendly as well, especially if you use mild salsa.

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (or any leftover chicken you have)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 green pepper, chopped

1-1/2 cups Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

1 can (15 oz.) no-salt-added black beans, drained, rinsed

1 tomato, chopped (I did not add this)

2 whole wheat tortillas (6 inch - mine was a full tortilla)

1/2 cup Mexican Style 2% Milk Finely Shredded Four Cheese, divided (or cheddar - whatever cheese you have if you decide to use cheese)

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK and stir chicken and cumin in nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 2 min. Add peppers; cook 2 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa; cook 2 min. Add Neufchatel; cook 2 min. or until melted. Stir in beans and tomatoes. (If using leftover chicken, cook the peppers and then stir in the chicken and cumin until warm)

SPOON 1/3 of chicken mixture into 8-inch square baking dish; cover with 1 tortilla and half each of the remaining chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Top with remaining tortilla and chicken mixture; cover.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until melted.

Chicken Wrap

I have my first interview tomorrow. It's at my home hospital, so I already know all the residents and doctors, but it's still an interview. We start tonight with a dinner at a local restaurant called Julep. I've heard it's good but have never been. I'll post a review later but no pictures as I'll be "officially" on an interview dinner.
All that said, cooking is slim around here. So, let me give you a way to use leftovers from that crock-pot dish. I used it in a wrap for lunch one day and it was delicious! Just use a whole wheat high fiber wrap, place some lettuce on the bottom, top with spaghetti squash followed by some chicken and sauce, wrap in aluminum foil and you're ready to go the next day. When it's time to eat, just place it all (foil and all) in the toaster oven and toast. Be sure to check the inside to see that it's warm! YUM!!!

Crock Pot Chicken

Last week I thought about doing NoMo....whatever it is when you blog everyday in November. Then I decided that I'd get stressed trying to do that. So, I'll just try to post frequently! Last week, I decided to make a recipe that I found on a friend's website. Casey is a cute and precious friend from college who is now married to Jonathan (a dentist), has a cute 1-year-old Nora, and is expecting again! Needless to say, she's busy. So, this recipe is a great one if you don't have time to stand around in the kitchen. It is a crockpot version of chicken stroganoff. Usually, I'm not a big fan of chicken from the crockpot, and, at first, I thought this was going to have that same texture; but once you put the chicken over whatever you're serving it with, it's a non-factor. I chose to serve mine over spaghetti squash (SO GOOD) but you could use angel hair pasta or rice or even mashed potatoes. I really enjoyed this and even have another post coming with a way to use the leftovers. Originally, I didn't think there was enough chicken, but it ended up being fine. However, I think that if you did want to spread out the sauce some, you could put more chicken and/or mushrooms with no problem. I'd make this again but have a "real" chicken stroganoff I want to try first! Casey, thanks for the recipe.

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff (from Weight Watchers)
1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces (I used 2 breasts)
1 package of Onion Soup mix (I used Kroger, Lipton's is recommended)
1/4 cup water
1 8 oz. fat free or low fat cream cheese, softened (I used fat free)
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 4 oz. can of mushrooms, drained (I used 6 oz)

Directions:
In crockpot, combine chicken, soup mix, and water. Cook on low heat for 4 hours. I cooked for 3 hours and it was ready.
In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, mushroom soup, and mushrooms. Combine with cooked chicken in crockpot. Continue cooking for one additional hour. (4-5 hours cooking time total). Serve over angel hair pasta, spaghetti squash, rice, mashed potatoes...whatever you want!

Yummy Peppers

When I went to Sam's Club a few weeks ago, they had a pack of 6 peppers for a little over $6. That's really good considering the peppers were red, yellow, and orange and ONE of these colors in the store is $2-3. So, I picked up the peppers with good intentions. I ended up making some yummy chicken stuffed peppers with them. I wanted to use couscous as the grain but only had around 1/4 cup. I know...HOW and WHY!? My mom would say it's the "Nettles" in me! Anyway, these were just perfect except for needing more couscous. So, you really could make them with or without. Chicken Stuffed Peppers
6 peppers of any color, stem cut off, seeded, and then cut in half lengthwise
1 zucchini, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1-2 SMALL eggplants, cubed
2 chicken breasts, cubed
goat cheese (this MAKES the dish)
spaghetti sauce
garlic powder
Season Salt
couscous (optional)

Boil a large pot of water. Place prepared peppers in the water and cook for 10 minutes (parboil). In a saute pan, place the cubed chicken. Season with garlic powder and season salt. Cook until done. Remove from pan. Place the zucchini, onion, pepper from around the stem of the peppers, and eggplant in the pan. Season with garlic powder and season salt. Cook until veggies are tender. Add couscous if using and chicken. Stir in desired amount of goat cheese. In a large casserole or 11X8 pan, pour some spaghetti sauce. On top of this, place the peppers. Then fill eat pepper half with filling. Any remaining filling should be places around the peppers.
In a 350 degree oven, cook for 15 minutes. When you serve, scoop the spaghetti sauce on top of the pepper when it's on the plate.

Healthy Meal...Even for Picky Kiddos!

I had trouble deciding what to post tonight. I think I shall do something healthful (word ala Rachel Ray!). You see, I'm preparing to start a four night run of 7pm to 7am shifts in the pediatric ER. It will be my first shift back since the end of May. I hope I'm not too rusty. While I was at home last week, we had the new physics professor and his family over for dinner. They have an almost 7-year-old little boy who is deaf and blind in one eye. He is the cutest, most animated little boy I've seen. When I was getting dinner ready, I wondered if he would eat this. Mama said not to worry about it. So, I did a veggie and chicken stir-fry. Apparently, he really liked the way I seasoned everything because he at a good bit of chicken and even some vegetables...of course, it probably helps that he likes really salty stuff (soy sauce, thank you!). I would love to spend more time around him and learn more sign language. That night, I learned "no," "hot," (for the stove) "dirty," (for the fly swatter) and "finished." However, for now, my ER children will have to suffice. Hopefully, the stir-fry that I have here will give me the energy to get through the *aweful* night shift...I usually start struggling around 3am! Chicken Stir Fry ala Claire ]
3 chicken breasts, cut in small pieces
garlic powder
Nature's Seasoning
1 green bell pepper, cut in small strips
1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
2-3 yellow squash, sliced
handful of salad tomatoes
water
1 T corn starch
soy sauce
Lite Catalina/Russian dressing
cooking spray

After cutting the chicken, sprinkle garlic powder and Nature's Seasoning (or seasoning of choice) over the pieces. Put the chicken in a large skille,sprayed with cooking spray, and cook until done. Remove from pan. In the same pan, place the onions and peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash. Season the veggies with Nature's Seasoning (or choice of seasoning). Cook until the veggies are to the tenderness you desire. I like mine a little softer than most...I am from the south! Add the tomatoes. Meanwhile, whisk corn starch into cold water. Add several squirts/shakes of soy sauce. Pour this into the hot vegetable mixture. Stir. Once it thickens, taste and add soy sauce as needed. Return the chicken to the pan. At this point, squirt some Catalina dressing over all of it (I go back a forth over it like a salad). Stir all together. Put in serving dish and serve with rice.

K-bobs!

When I was home last week, my mom asked if there was anything I wanted while I was home. I had already been thinking that we needed to have kabobs. She later suggested another dish, a dish a like but can make on my own at home. NOPE! I wanted kabobs. So, we pulled chicken and steak out of the freezer, thawed them on an aluminum pan (This thaws things SO quickly! If you don't believe me, try it!), marinated them, and then Daddy grilled them. SOOOO good. The chicken was perfect...moist, tender, and so flavorful! We marinated the chicken (I think) in raspberry vinegarette and the steak in Dale's. Apparently, the steak was over marinated, but I didn't have any. As to the vegetables, this is what makes it great for ARF Tuesday over at Cate's. We used onions, peppers (great for Vitamin C!), tomatoes, and mushrooms. Oh so good. (This picture is my leftovers...I forgot to take cooked pictures the first night!) So, for a great summer dinner full of antioxidants, try kabobs!

Almost a Ruined Dish

Sometimes, my intentions in cooking don't go like I want them to go. A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to try and make chicken spaghetti-squash (i.e., chicken spaghetti made with spaghetti squash). So, I pulled together the chicken and veggie mixture, cooked the squash, and was about to combine them when I tasted the squash. OH MY GOODNESS, I don't know if it was the squash or if spaghetti squash and rotel tomatoes don't go together, but that was the worst taste I had had in my mouth in a long time. I mean, I almost involuntarily spit it out! I'm glad I decided to taste the squash first because it would have ruined the whole thing. So, instead of my attempt at a morph, I just pulled out the already opened box of whole wheat spaghetti and used that. It was less noodles than called for, but that's fine with me. This turned out really good except that I think I overcooked the chicken...it ended up a little tough. I did make a few changes (one intentional, the other accidental), which I'll not in pink below. With the peppers in this recipe, it's a good entry for Sweetnicks' ARF Tuesday. Check out her blog and give a little encouragement...she's got to have a root canal, which is not much fun! Chicken Spaghetti from my mom's recipe box

4 chicken breasts (I used 3)

medium onion, chopped (I used a bag fof frozen pepper and onion)*

small green pepper, sliced (I used a bag of frozen onion and pepper)

1/3 stick margarine (I just sprayed with PAM)

1 can mushroom soup, 98% fat free

1/2 can water

1 can Old English cheese (I used grated sharp cheddar - 1/2 cup, could have used more - I would stick with the Old English cheese, it makes it creamier, but if you want to make it healthier, just use some sharp cheddar - high flavor with less!)

1 can water chestnuts (forgot to get these and missed them)

small bottle sliced stuffed olived (forgot these, too...missed them as well)

small box angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat and less, because that's what I had...still would like to try spaghetti squash...what do YOU think?)

1 can Rotel tomatoes

Cook chicken until tender. Chop. In skillet, saute onion and bell pepper. Add soup, water, and cook over low heat. Add cheese. Allow to elt and add water chestnuts, olives, and toatoes. Remove from heat. Cook noodles. In a casserole put a layer of spaghetti, chicken, and sauce. Repeat layers (OR just mix it all together and pour in the casserole!). The casserole can be frozen at this point. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

*With the price of peppers right now, this is probably more friendly for the budget as well.