Chicken Sesame Pasta Salad

This is a great fresh, yummy recipe i got from Cassie Katschke in our ward. 

1.5 c Chicken, cooked and cut up

12 oz bag pasta, cooked and drained

1 bag baby spinach

1 green pepper, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

.5 c sliced almonds

3 Tbsp sugar

Melt Sugar over medium heat and add almonds. stir until almonds are fully coated and sugar begins to crystallize. combine all other ingredients in large bowl. Add nuts and dressing just prior to serving. 

Dressing: 

.5 c oil

.33 c soy sauce

.33 c. red wine vinegar

.25 c sesame seeds

.25 c fresh parsley

2 Tbsp sugar

6 Cheese 3 Meat Mac & Cheese w/Corn Bread Topping

this recipe is literally to have a heart attack and die for... it is really amazing tasting and definitely not so good for the arteries. Needless to say, I got the recipe from a true Southern lady from my mom's ward so you know it is AMAZING. I made this for Trevor for his birthday (way back in december) and haven't done a very good job of keeping up with posting on this blog. I vow to try harder! 

here goes:

16 oz pkg. elbow macaroni

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 C grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 C grated each: Muenster, Provolone, Colby Jack

1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. Velveeta, cut up

2 beaten eggs

2 C half and half

1/2 C Chicken Broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

2-3 drops of Tobasco Sauce

Cooked & Chopped Meat: 

(ham, chicken breast, 1lb Jimmy Dean Sausage- i used the sage kind) 

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

2 T. Parmesan Cheese

4 tsp melted butter

Bake Muffin Mix according to directions in an 8x8 pan. Cool and Set Aside

Cook Macaroni according to directions on package, adding the olive oil and salt to the water. 

Drain, and place back in big pot. 

Add all cheese and mix together. 

Mix eggs, half and half, broth, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. 

Add to Macaroni Mixture.

Add meats and stir to mix. 

Put into a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. 

Crumble about half of the cooked muffin mix and mix with the remaining parmesan and butter. 

Sprinkle on top of macaroni mixture and bake at 350 (325 if using dark pan) for about 30 minutes. 

Cover with foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until it bubbles. 

*No joke, this was a fantastic party in our mouths... if i told you how much of it we ate i would have to kill you because it is embarrassing. 

-it has been awhile, but i swear i used my pyrex dish that is the next size up from a 9x13 that way it wouldn't overflow, it was looking sketchy. 

Enjoy!!! (also enjoy not fitting into your pants for a week after, but well worth it) 

chili shrimp with garlic noodles

chili shrimp

7 oz cooked, shelled and deveined jumbo shrimp
4 TBS sweet chili dipping sauce
4 TBS peanut or vegetable oil
4 scallions chopped
2 oz snow peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
1 TBS red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
2 oz canned drained bamboo shoots
1/3 c. fresh bean sprouts

garlic noodles

4 oz dried medium egg noodles
2 garlic cloves, crushed
handful fresh cilantro, chopped

toss the shrimp with the chili sauce in a bowl. cover and set aside.

heat half the oil in a preheated wok. add the scallions and snow peas, then stir-fry over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. add the curry paste and stir well. pour in the coconut milk and bring gently to a boil, stirring occasionally. add the bamboo shoots and bean sprouts and cook, stirring for 1 minute. stir in the shrimp and chili sauce, then reduce the ehat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until just heated through.

meanwhile for the noodles, cook in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes until just tender, or according to the package directions. drain and return to the pan

heat the remaining oil in a small nonstick skillet, then add the garlic and stir fry over high heat for 30 seconds. add to the drained noodles with half the cilantro and toss until well mixed.

transfer garlic noodles to serving bowls and top with the chili shrimp mixture. serve immediately with remaining cilantro

Stuffed Chickens

This is SUPER EASY and one of our favorites to make (especially when we have people over). Trevor actually made it up... i am not creative and HAVE to HAVE a recipe. I will just include the instructions for 1 breast and you can multiply as you need. 

1 Boneless skinless chicken breast (we use the foster farms frozen individual ones from costco)

1 lite laughing cow cheese wedge 

1 strip of turkey bacon*

cooking spray

parmesan cheese

1. thaw chicken breast

2. slice open along side to make a slit to fit stuff in (i usually cut it halfway on the side and then take the cut all the way to almost the other side, so the meat is still attached) 

3. open the cheese wedge and mash it a little with your fingers and then put it on both sides of the inside of your cut

4. put the piece of turkey bacon in there too! 

5. spray both sides with cooking spray and top with parmesan cheese and your favorite herbs

I usually use my roasting pan (the one that comes with your oven) line the top with tin foil and then put the it on the second rack down and then broil the chicken on high. (This is actually how i cook all my chicken and it turns out juicy as ever and amazing!!!) Flip once the chicken is white/opaque on one side and then respray the other side and add your seasonings. it usually takes about 10 min a side.

*we have tried regular bacon, canadian bacon, ham, and turkey bacon. We like the turkey bacon the best because you get extra cooking juices but not the fat of regular bacon. 

i don't have the nutritional info for these, but they are very rich tasting but each breast is under 250-300 calories with all the stuffings! 

(btw i took like 20 pictures of this and i couldn't get one good one, trevor totally was making fun of me) 

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

Here's a really easy dinner idea. It's nice because you can easily vary how much for the number of people. We usually do a chicken breast per person and then about the same amount or more of veggies. You can use whatever you have on hand. We've done this with peppers and onion too, but it was sunday and all we had was broccoli.

Prep:

+Cut up the chicken & veggies into bite size pieces
+Marinate in Teriyaki sauce (we use kinkoman's) for 5+ minutes
+While it's marinating start the rice and start the grill
+Make up the kabobs alternating meat and veggies
+Put on the grill on low heat, turn once and baste with remaining juices from the marinating bowl
+Cook till done... your grill's temp may vary so you just have to watch so they don't burn. Ours took about 10-15 minutes.

Voila!

Really Amazing Meatballs!!

So I got this recipe from Ina Garten (on food network she has the show barefoot contessa). They tasted AMAZING!!! Up til this point my favorite meatballs were the premade kind from Costco-but these ones kicked Costco-kind's butt! It does take 1 hour 20min from start to finish-but it is so worth the work. Plus it makes a TON, there was enough for Marcus to take some to work for luch and for us both to have it for dinner the next night! Sorry no picture :(

HERE IS THE RECIPE:



For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 extra-large egg, beaten Vegetable oil Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

HOW I VARIED IT:
This was a last minute plan for dinner, so I altered the recipe a little bit according to what I had at home. For the meat I substituted the veal and sausage portions for ground turkey. I also didn't have fresh parsley but I had some dried and I used that in the same amounts. I also only had whole wheat multigrain bread and used that instead of white bread. It honestly was THE BEST meatballs I have ever eaten-super moist and delicious. I was skeptical about putting the water in the meat mixture, but now I'm totally sold on it. There is NOTHING worse than dried out meatballs! I also cook with wine occasionally, and all the alcohol cooks out by the time it is done cooking, but it really gives the sauce amazing FLAVOR!

A NOTE ABOUT COOKING TIME:
I'm all about making a great meal fast and easy-but every once in a while it is nice to take the time to prepare something truly AMAZING for your family. I definitely wouldn't make a meal like this all the time-but it was an amazing treat. I was excited about making it and the time seemed to fly by, it really didn't feel like an hour and a half by the time I was done. If you think it really made dinner for two nights it saved me time the follow day!
HOPE YOU LOVED IT AS MUCH AS I DID!!!

chicken pillows w/gravy

this is a great super fast recipe. i tried it for the first time tonight and it took me 10 minutes tops to put together. you can also really lighten up the recipe, but i'm a fatty and like to use the full flavor stuff.

chicken pillows

1 rotisserie chicken {you can use any flavor, but i used the herb and garlic}

1 8 oz. package cream cheese {you can use neufactel cheese for less fat}

2 rolls of refridgerated crescent rolls

4 TBS butter melted

1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed

shred the chicken into a bowl and combine with cream cheese until cheese is evenly distributed through chicken. separate crescent rolls. put 1-2 TBS of chicken mixture on each crescent roll triangle and fold dough around the chicken pinching at all sides to seal. dip in butter and then coat with the cracker crumbs. bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

for the gravy:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c. sour cream

1/2-1 c. milk

whisk soup, sour cream and milk over medium heat. i poured a little milk in and whisked it until it got to the thinness i desired. pour gravy over baked chicken pillows.

Grilled Chicken with Bruschetta Topping

okay, so this is a great recipe out of a cookbook i love... it is called the most decadent diet ever! by devin alexander (it isn't really a diet book, but just healthy recipes). all of the recipes in here are foods you would love to eat.... 

ingredients: 

1 recipe bruschetta topping (recipe follows)

4 4.5 oz chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, visible fat removed

1 tsp EVOO

1.5 tsp fresh garlic

Salt and Pepper

Prepare Bruschetta topping

Preheat Grill to High

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper on a flat work surface and hammer them out with a meat mallet for more even cooking (i didn't do this)

Transfer chicken to a medium bowl. add olive oil and garlic. mix until well combined. Season generously with s & p to taste.

Place chicken side by side on the grill. Turn heat to medium, if possible. Grill 3-5 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. 

Transfer to plates and use 1/4 of bruschetta topping on each chicken breast. 

Bruschetta Topping Recipe: 

1 1/3 c seeded and finely chopped Roma tomatoes

1 tsp finely slivered fresh basil leaves (i just used dry until it looked right)

1 Tbsp EVOO

1.5  tsp garlic (i definitely used more than this but we are garlic lovers)

.5 tsp sugar

.25 tsp salt 

black pepper to taste

just put all the ingredients into a smaller tupperware and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs. serve cold or room temp. 

Notes: This is a VERY easy, VERY healthy recipe. The only thing you have to do that takes any brain power is make the bruschetta topping 2 hours ahead. You could easily make it when you make breakfast (that is what i did).  The bruschetta topping was a total party in my mouth. As a matter of fact i would probably double the recipe just so i could have more tomatoes, but that is just me! it is the same as you get in a restaurant so you could also use the topping for bruschetta with bread or as a pasta topping with angel hair! yum, yum! 

Total prep time: <15>

Total cook time: <15>

We ate this with a side of mixed veggies, but would be great with pasta, etc. The pictures didn't turn out that great, but it tasted MUCH better than it looked! 

Serves 4! 

Nutritional Info: 

199 calories

30g protein 

4g carbohydrates

6g fat (1g sat fat)

74mg cholesterol 

232 mg sodium