Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

I forgot to take a photo of this for my blog, but I have made it many times and it's a really hearty, filling dinner! Wanted to share...
I can update this entry with a photo the next time I make it!
Enjoy!

Source: Martha Stewart + my own twist

Ingredients:
4 - 6 potatoes, cut each potato into fours
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 package chicken breast (on the bone OR boneless, whatever you prefer)
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
thyme
salt & pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan and season with salt & pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, about 15-20 minutes.
2) Place chicken (skin side up, if using on the bone) in the pan. Season chicken with salt & pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 30 minutes.
3) Scatter asparagus, lemon (give the lemon pieces a little squeeze over everything), remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, about 15 minutes. Serve chicken, veggies, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Chipotle Chicken and Tomato Soup

Source: Cooking Light + my own twist

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (i bought rotisserie chicken breasts already cooked)
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Partially mash tomatoes and beans with a potato masher. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in oil. Place 1 1/4 cups soup in each of four bowls. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons sour cream and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

(http://joelens.blogspot.com)

Baked Pasta with Turkey Sausage

Source: http://cookingthisandthat.blogspot.com + Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 (1-pound) package wheat penne pasta
1 pound hot Turkey sausage links
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from turkey sausage. Cook sausage and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble.

Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna

Source: Vegetarian Times

Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
6 Tbs. pesto, or more to taste
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish, optional
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lb. asparagus spears, tips cut off and reserved, spears trimmed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
16 no-cook whole wheat lasagna noodles (9 oz.)
2 cups shredded Fontina or part-skim mozzarella cheese (8 oz.), divided (i used mozzarella)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup milk in saucepan until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in pesto, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 cup white sauce.
2. Warm oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped asparagus (not tips) and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Coat 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place layer of noodles in dish, overlapping slightly. Layer with half of cooked asparagus, 3/4 cup Mozzarella and half of sauce. Add another layer of pasta, remaining sauce, remaining cooked asparagus and 3/4 cup Mozzarella. Top with layer of noodles, then with reserved 1 cup white sauce. Arrange reserved asparagus tips over top and sprinkle with remaining Fontina.
4. Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes; serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Chicken Enchiladas

I have been making these amazing enchiladas for over a year now, and I have been hesitant to give out my secret recipe! But they are SO good that I couldn't resist. Everyone needs to make these! It's our favorite meal! Your kitchen will be a complete mess when finished, but it's so worth it!

Source: Tyler Florence + my own twist

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped (I don't use onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
canned chopped green chiles (i use old el paso small can)
2 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced (warning: these are for heat)
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
8 - 10 wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned (i use old el paso)
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions:

1. To make life easier, I bake my chicken the night before I am going to make my enchiladas. Simply because trying to shred steaming hot chicken sucks. So, the night before, I put salt & pepper, cumin powder, garlic powder, and any other mexican spices I have on hand, on my chicken breasts and put them in the oven for 45 minutes. I take them out, let them cool, and put them in the fridge til the next day. You could very well cook the chicken however you like or on the same day if you have enough time to let them cool for an hour or so.

2. Saute onion (optional on the onions) and garlic in large pan. Add corn and all chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 5 minutes.

3. Pull chicken breasts apart by hand and fork into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

4. Microwave tortillas on high for 15 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of a (13 by 9-inch) pan with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 - 10 enchiladas in pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and then cheese.

5. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving.

Fresh Corn Chowder

I cut this recipe in half when cooking for two. It is good served as an appetizer. It was not filling at all, so don't make it as your only dish!

Source: Vegetarian Times + my own twist

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups almond milk
2 1/2 cups raw corn kernels, from about 5 ears or thawed frozen
1 small avocado, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
dash of salt
cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Pureé almond milk, 2 cups corn kernels, 3/4 cup avocado and salt in blender until smooth.
2. Pour into pot and cook on low just until warm (about 2 or 3 minutes). Do not boil!
3. Ladle into bowls, garnish with remaining corn and avocado, and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.

Happy Turkey Day!

Turkey Cupcakes!

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
2 containers Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy milk chocolate frosting
1 tube (4.25 oz) Betty Crocker® white decorating icing
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® brown decorating gel
Candy corn
Chocolate candy sprinkles

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.
2. Frost cupcakes with frosting. Place remaining frosting in corner of resealable freezer plastic bag. Snip off small corner of bag.
3. To decorate each cupcake, pipe 1-inch mound of frosting on 1 side of cupcake to look like head of turkey. Make eyes with white decorating icing and brown decorating gel; add candy corn for beak. To make feathers, pipe frosting on opposite side to hold candy corn; place candy corn upright on frosting to look like feathers. Sprinkle chocolate candy sprinkles near head and at base of feathers. If desired, add candy corn at base of cupcake for feet. Store loosely covered.

Chicken Siciliana

I have been making this recipe in the winter months for about two years now. It's great to prepare it and just leave it in the oven for 45 minutes, then have a hot meal ready for ya. Totally delicious.

Source: BUITONI

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) BUITONI® Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese divided
1/4 cup BUITONI® Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
2 tablespoons capers (I omitted)
4 (about 1 1/4 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 container (15 ounces) BUITONI® Refrigerated Marinara Sauce (I used sauce I had on hand)
1 package (9 ounces) BUITONI® Refrigerated Fettuccine

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Line 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil.

COMBINE 1/4 cup cheese, pesto and capers in small bowl.

CUT each chicken breast horizontally three-fourths of the way through the meat creating a pocket for stuffing, being careful to not cut all the way through. Place 2 tablespoons pesto mixture into each breast pocket. Secure with wooden picks. Place chicken in prepared baking pan. Drizzle lemon juice over chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. (I also added some shredded mozzarella cheese on top.)

BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center or reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. (I cook for 45 minutes just to be safe.) Remove from oven.

PREPARE pasta according to package directions.

REMOVE wooden picks from chicken; cut into slices and serve over prepared pasta.

Tip: May assemble stuffed chicken ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Before baking, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with sauce and cheese.

End-of-Summer Pasta

Wow. Yum! The flavor of this marinade on the chicken is amazing! Make sure you take the time to marinade the chicken and leave it in the fridge 45 min before you begin cooking. It's worth it!

Source: MyRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds boned, thin sliced chicken breast, rinsed
1 pound zucchini
2 red bell peppers (12 oz. total) (I used yellow)
2 portabella mushroom caps (I omitted this)
1 red onion (12 oz.) (I omitted this)
1 package (1 lb.) dried penne pasta (I used wheat)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade for basting vegetables; pour remaining into a 1-gallon zip-lock plastic bag. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips and add to bag. Seal bag and turn to coat. Chill about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, rinse zucchini, bell peppers, and mushroom caps. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Stem and seed bell peppers; quarter lengthwise. Peel onion and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Brush vegetables with reserved marinade.
3. Cooking in batches if necessary, lay vegetables and chicken (discard marinade) on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until vegetables are slightly charred and chicken is no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 6 to 10 minutes total. Let cool a few minutes. Chop vegetables and chicken into 1-inch pieces.
4. Meanwhile, in a 6- to 8-quart pan over high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add pasta, stir, and cook, uncovered, until barely tender to bite, 9 to 13 minutes. Drain.
5. In a large bowl, mix pasta with remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, parmesan cheese, half the chopped vegetables and chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining vegetables and chicken. Garnish with sliced basil.

Turkey-Thyme Meatloaf Patties with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This is a Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meal...but it took me a good hour to make and my kitchen was a disaster. As I was making the sauce, I thought for sure it would be gross...it did not look appetizing, throwing in so many ingredients into the sauce. But to my surpirse, it was pretty damn delicious!!! I will definitley make this again.

Source: Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
Salt & Pepper
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (a couple of generous handfuls)
2 scallions, white and green parts only, finely chopped (I omitted this)
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped (I used dried)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon whole milk or half-and-half
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small red onion or 1 large shallot, chopped (I omitted this, I hate onions)
Juice of 1 orange plus 2 teaspoons grated peel
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Directions:
1. In a deep pot, add the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
2. While the potatoes are working, in a bowl, season the turkey with salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs, scallions, parsley and thyme. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk; mix into the turkey mixture. Shape the meat into 4 oval patties about 1 inch thick. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over mediumhigh heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until browned, about 15 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the orange peel and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour on the red onion and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in 3/4 cup chicken broth and the orange juice; cook until thickened, 30 seconds. Whisk in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Mash the potatoes with 1 to 1 1/4 cups chicken broth. (Stir the broth in a little at a time so you don't make it too watery). Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the turkey patties and the gravy on top.