This was another one of those shot in the dark recipes. I used what I had available. I usually make marinara in big batches and freeze it so I have it on hand. This chicken actually came out sooooooo tender just by cooking it in the sauce!! I must say I was pleasantly surprised!!
We really enjoyed this meal....I hope you will too!!
4 lg boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half long ways and pounded thin (so it looks like one becomes two)
4 cups marinara
4 cups fresh spinach
8 slices swiss cheese, or whatever kind you want
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb of cooked pasta of your choice
Once chicken is pounded thin, place your slice of cheese and 1/2 cup spinach. Then roll chicken over to cover spinach and cheese, then fold each side over to close in spinach and cheese. Finally continue rolling chicken the rest of the way. You can insert toothpick to hold together. Continue with remaining chicken breasts. Once you have completed that, heat a large saute pan and add about 2 T of olive oil. Brown chicken breasts on all sides. Once that is done add marinara sauce. While these are cooking you can boil your pasta. The chicken should simmer on medium for about 20 minutes. Serve with sauce over pasta.
This.......well this was just one of those nights. You know the night I'm talking about....where you defrosted chicken thighs.....but really had no plan for them. This was that night!! I looked in the frig and I saw pizza dough and marinara sauce left over from the night before, and half a bag of kale. So....I thought....I'll make bread sticks out of the dough and cook the chicken thighs in the sauce. Then for some greens I will throw in the kale!! And wha la.....a dish is born!!
6 Chicken thighs
3 cups marinara sauce
4 cloves garlic, grated on micro plane
2 cups kale
3 T olive oil
1 med onion diced
In a very large dutch oven heat olive oil. Add chicken thighs and brown on both sides. Add onion and saute while chicken is browning. Add marinara and simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. At the last 5 minutes add kale and grated garlic. Check for seasoning, but mine needed not salt because of the flavor in the marinara sauce. Serve over pasta and with bread sticks or garlic bread.
Well hello.......Ive missed you all!! Where have I been you ask........well......its been summer.....and gorgeous outside.....I've been in the sun, on the boat, at the lake, at bbq's, at friends houses, to Vegas, camping, and several other places that I can not recall!! But I must say Ive had an amazing summer!! I have been cooking, and taking snap shots.....just didn't have the time to sit down in front of my computer long enough to edit photos and blog!! Sorry!!
But......I'm here now, all though I am slightly overwhelmed with the amount of blog posts I have to do!! Hopefully through the winter I will stay on top of things considering it is just going to rain and rain and rain!! What else is there to do but cook and blog right???
Now for the topic of this post.....Risotto......it really is a beautiful thing....creamy, warm, delicious, rich....so many possible adjectives!! I've only been making it less than a year now....but I'm addicted. This one is a mushroom risotto. I used button, crimini and portabello......ahhhh......so good!! I think my favorite would have to be butternut squash, with pumpkin being a close runner up!!
Mushroom Risotto
1 c arborio rice
1/2 c good quality white wine
3-4 c heated chicken stock
2 c chopped mushrooms of your choice (or all one kind, whatever you like)
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic grated on microplane
1 T chopped chives
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
In a separate small stock pot heat chicken stock and keep warming on burner. In a pan heat olive oil and add diced onion. Saute for about 5 minutes until translucent and tender. Add rice and saute for 3-5 minutes Stirring frequently. Add wine and stir well. Now add one cup of hot stock and stir. Let simmer until almost cooked out, then repeat steps until all stock is gone. When you add the last bit of stock add your garlic in. Once last bit of stock is absorbed add chives and Parmesan cheese. Serve. Should be very creamy!!
This dish can be made for breakfast obviously but also makes a lovely dinner alternative!! It's not a super complicated dish either and typically it's ingredients are ones that you have on hand!! Well.....ok maybe not the loaf of french bread......but there are many substitutions available!!
This is also a good pot luck dish or brunch dish!! It can serve a lot of people and you walk away full!! Not to mention it's super tasty. ;) It's very similar to the Sausage and Egg Minis I posted, just baked in a 13 x 9 instead of a cupcake tin!!
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tsp season salt
1 tsp ground mustard
1 small can of diced green chile's
1/2 loaf of french bread, cut into cubes (you can sub sandwich rolls, slices of bread, sourdough or no bread at all if you are following a low carb diet)
1 lb ground sausage, cooked
2cups grated cheese, (you can use cheddar, jack, pepper jack, colby, swiss or whatever kind you'd like)
Preheat oven to 400 and spray baking dish with pam cooking spray. Arrange bread in bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish and sprinkle cooked sausage over top of bread. Now sprinkle green chile's evenly over sausage and bread. In a large bowl crack eggs and beat with milk, salt and ground mustard. Pour over bread and sausage mixture pressing bread into eggs so that it soaks in. Sprinkle top with grated cheese and bake for 45 to 60 minutes until eggs are set in center.
You can literally substitute ANY ingredients with the sausage or add things like spinach or mushrooms or bell peppers. You can use ham intead of sausage or you can use bacon or all three. The possibilities are endless!! Be creative!!
15 Years ago, on July 22nd, I gave birth to my second and last son. All I can say is.....time flies!! So for all you moms out there....take advantage of every moment you have with your babies, because before you know it they are gonna be all grown up!! I know this because my oldest just graduated from high school this year too!!
I can't believe how fast the time has gone!! It feels so weird. Who am I? I am a mom and a wife. Though, no matter what, I will always be a mom, even when they move out. I cant imagine life without taking kids here and there, and having their friends over and cooking large meals for our family. I'm not quite ready (even though my youngest is only 15 and I have 3 more fantabulous years with him at home) for this family and kids at home thing to be over.
But.....I can't stop time....so I have to just accept what it is!! The best advice I can give as a parent love your children, give your self to your children, but don't forget discipline. They need that too. Teach your children morals and values, if you tell them not to do something.....tell them why!! Teach them to be responsible, caring, and compassionate human beings.
Ok.....mushiness......done!! Now for the sweet part!! My son LOVES CHOCOLATE!!! He would have double chocolate cake with fudgey chocolate frosting and double chocolate brownie ice cream. But this year I made his step out of his comfort zone a little and I threw some peanut butter in the chocolate frosting!!
Unfortunately I can't share my cake recipe, but I would love to give you my frosting recipe!! And you can drool while you look at the picture of how the cupcakes turned out!!
1 stick of butter, room temp
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
3 T heavy cream
4 T cocoa powder
Put all ingredients in the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer or a large bowl. Beat on med-high until creamy and smooth. Spread on cake or cupcakes.
This dish brings back memories from my high school years and spending the night at my friend Debbie's house. I used to love to spend the night over her house because she was an awesome friend and.....her mom always cooked the best food!!
I remember thinking how not fair it was cuz her mom used to make her lunch for school and she made her the best sandwiches!! But this breakfast.....this was my all time favorite!! Fried Apples and Biscuits!! Oh man......this is good stuff!!
So this is my tribute to Luana Parker!! One of the people who inspired to me to cook!!
2 cups ap flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup lard or butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter or lard. Stir in buttermilk until just combined. Turn onto floured surface and knead 10-12 times. Roll out to 1/2" thickness and cut with a 2" round biscuit cutter. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Fried Apples
3 large apples or 5 small apples, thinly sliced into wedges
3 T butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 cup of brown sugar, depending on your taste
Melt butter in frying pan and add apples. Fry for 5 minutes and add cinnamon and brown sugar. Fry for 5 additional minutes. Top biscuits with fried apples.
This dish is AMAZING!! It is so fresh and light and delicious but filling. It is a perfect summer meal. I could literally make it and eat it everyday for lunch!! Making this dish is the first time I have used tamarind paste and who knew that stuff was sooo tasty??
It's interesting that tamarind is used in Hispanic and Asian cooking. My hubby grew up in El Salvador and he remembers his grandma making juice out of the tamarind and also just eating it raw. So on our hunt for tamarind paste (which we found at our local Asian market) we also visited one of our local Hispanic markets and bought some whole tamarind pieces so we could taste that too. Not gonna lie....it was pretty yummy!!
approx. 8 oz rice noodles
4 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
3 spring onions, sliced thinly
2 to 3 cups bean sprouts
1 cup fresh cilantro, lightly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, lightly chopped
1/3 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts, lightly chopped
DRESSING:
1/2 cup hot water
1 +3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1-2 Tbsp. chili sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece ginger, minced
Cook noodles according to package direction. Drain and cool. In a large bowl place all ingredients. Make dressing and pour over your noodle mixture. Toss until everything is coated in dressing. Serve.
