Ultimate Go-To Last Min. Meal

 Pesto Rosé Mushroom Chicken Pasta

This is so simple that I did not know if I should post of not, but maybe you are looking for that meal that you can put together in 20 min. or less, if you have all the ingredients ready to go. So here is what I have on hand when I know I am going to have an action-packed week ahead of me:

-grilled chicken
-sauteed mushroom
-marinara sauce
-reduced-fat Alfredo (Classico brand is a yummy one)
-pesto
-pasta
-2 garlic cloves (optional)

*Usually on Sundays I will grill off some extra chicken breast so I can easily add it to meals later in the week. I have a fantastic iron-cast grill pan that I use during the winter to get that grill taste.

*At Costco there are 2 lbs. cartons of portabella mushrooms, so I usually buy 3. Spend an hour slicing and sauteing them all. Then separating them into freezer bags in small portions. And then when a recipe calls for mushroom, it cuts down a lot of the leg work. And believe me, you would never have guessed they were frozen when eating the dish!

*I am a pesto lover, so I always have fresh pesto in my fridge. But you can also freeze pesto. Then when you are ready to use it, just chip away a chunk and throw it into your sauce and it will quickly defrost. Or pop it into the microwave for a few seconds.

*Bacon is optional, but this is also something I regularly freeze too. My favorite is the Applewood Smoked Bacon from Trader Joes. I separate the bacon into 3-4 slices, wrap in foil and freeze. We don't eat bacon often, I mostly add it to dishes/casseroles for a smoky flavor. A little bacon goes a long way!

So the recipe is really simple, depending on the size of your family:
Mix together the marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, pesto, mushrooms, & chicken. Heat till bubbling and all ingredients thoroughly heated. Add a clove of minced garlic for some authentic Italian flavor. Boil off some pasta. Then top with sauce and Parmesan cheese!

Ingredients from the freezer

Ingredients from the pantry and fridge

Oh bacon, why must you be so bad for us?
I place the browned bacon on a paper towel so that it absorbs the extra fat.

Mixing it all together:
Alfredo sauce, marinara, pesto, mushroom, bacon & grilled chicken

Bon Appétit...betcha didn't think you could get dinner on the table so fast.
 It pays to have a stocked freezer & pantry!

Chicken Enchladas

I have been making this shredded chicken enchilada ever since we got married and its always been a favorite of ours. I also make a vegetarian version as well: omit the chicken and double the veggies. It reheats well, my husband loves taking it to work with him because the enchilada keeps the rice moist. Before our son was to be born, I looked into freezer cooking. It's where you do a lot of the prep in advance and freeze the meal for later. I figured that with a newborn and a toddler, this might be a very good idea. But after looking a many recipes, I was disappointed because I found that way too much is going in the freezer: a can of beans, sauteed veggies, etc. I don't like mushy vegetables, and figured that to saute some bell peppers  and open up a can a beans takes close to no time. So I decided to take one of our favorite meals and just freeze the chicken. And it worked like a charm. I make the chicken in the crock-pot and also made my own enchilada sauce (you can purchase it canned in the Mexican aisle of your grocery store). 

Enchilada Sauce Recipe:

2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 cup water, or more if needed

1 can (4.5oz.) chopped green chiles, drained

1/2 package (1.25oz.) taco seasoning mix

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Add all ingredients and heat in skillet, let simmer for about 10 minutes. Depending on your taste, you can add more taco seasoning or brown sugar. Or add a dash of cayenne pepper for more heat!

~~this makes a lot of Enchilada Sauce...since I knew I was going to make this for the freezer I used half to cook the chicken in, and the rest I froze so that it would be ready for our future enchilada night.

I put 5 lbs of chicken breast in the crock pot with half the enchilada sauce, and simmered on low for 6-7hrs.

Once the chicken cooled, I shredded the chicken (with my hands, found this is the fastest way, or with 2 forks if you prefer to be more civilized). I then separated the chicken evenly into 5 freezer bags. You can use this shredded chicken for other dishes too: tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, etc.

(If you want a fresh meal, just do 1-2 lbs of chicken breast, and once you have your chicken breast shredded, stuff your tortillas, and pop it all in the oven.)

The frozen ingredients

The fresh ingredients

saute, saute, saute

Adding the thawed chicken, beans, and enchilada sauce

Topping it all with cilantro, my favorite herb

Don't forget to save some enchilada sauce for the bottom of your pan
 and to pour on top at the end.

Stuffing the tortillas

Put the rolled tortillas seam down (so that they don't unwrap)

That's all I make for our family. Enough for dinner
and some leftovers for lunches.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top.

Cover with cheese, the more the better ;)

Bake for 20 minutes

Enchilada Recipe:
1-2 lbs. shredded chicken
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
1 can of beans (black or pinto)
1 zucchini, halved and sliced -optional
1 cup of corn, frozen or canned -optional
1 pack of wheat tortillas, soft taco size
handful of cilantro, plus 2 Tbsp for cilantro lime rice
2 cups of enchilada sauce from above or a 1 10oz. canned enchilada sauce

1. Saute bell pepper, zucchini and onions in olive oil for a few minutes. Add beans, (corn), shredded chicken, and enchilada sauce. DON'T forget to reserve some enchilada sauce for the bottom of your pan, and some to pour on top at the very end. Top with cilantro. Cook all the ingredients together for a few minutes for the flavors to infuse.
2. Stuff the tortillas with about 1/4 cup of the filling. Roll them up and put seam down in prepared pan. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

While the enchiladas are in the oven I make some Lime Cilantro Rice (Chipotle's copycat recipe):
1 cup white rice
1 Tbsp. butter
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

1. Bring 2 cups of water and salt to a boil, add rice. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
2. Fluff up rice and add cilantro and lime juice. Add more to taste if necessary.

End Result: YUM!

This seems like a lengthy post, but it all comes together quickly! Hope you give it a try and ENJOY!!

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore....what does that mean? Well I am glad you asked.
Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian, so it's a meal prepared "hunter-style", sound fun, eh? It is chicken cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with mushrooms, onions, herbs, and bell pepper. I personally like this dish because it's quick and easy and I can have dinner done in 30min since I used one skillet to get the whole job done.

Need I say more? This recipe is a keeper!

Ingredients:
1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (15oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies  <---this makes the dish, don't omit
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Dash cayenne pepper
cooked spaghetti or rice

Directions:
1.  In a large skillet, saute green pepper, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Place the chicken breasts over the vegetables.

2.  In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, chilies, and seasonings. (I would also add a little salt to the sauce, the first time I made this I felt it was under salted, do it to taste!) Pour over the chicken; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the chicken breasts reads 170 degrees. Don't overcook because chicken will turn out dry. Before serving, cut chicken breasts into slices if desired. Served was pasta and sprinkle with parmesean cheese.
                                   (And get your hunter game-face on!) lol, whatever that means!?

Recipe derived from: Taste of Home: Best Loved Recipes

I ALWAYS marinate my chicken breast, even when the recipe does not call for it. I feel as though it gives it a boost of flavor. Nothing fancy: Italian dressing and some spices. I usually have some frozen chicken breast that I will put in the fridge the night before, or if I forgot I will put it into a bath of cold water for a couple of hours the day of to defrost. I marinate the chicken in the morning, so that it is ready for dinner time. In love with the Weber line of spices!! See next picture....

Trying out all the different ones and like them all: Roasted Garlic & Herb, Kickin' Chicken, and Chicago Steak. Costco carries these in the XL giant size. I will know for next time. 

The Ingredients.....forgot to include the mushrooms

I also love this line of freeze-dried herbs, by Litehouse. I enjoy adding herbs, but find that when I buy them fresh I will use up half and the other half rots in my fridge. Plus you need to wash and chop them every time, which can be time consuming when you are in a crunch. I find this is the closest thing to fresh there is! Dried doesn't taste the same as the original, these are much better. As you can tell, once I have found something I like, I tend to buy out the whole collection.

Sauteing the mushrooms, bell peppers & onions

Stir, stir, stir....getting the hunter style tomato sauce together 

 Veggies soft but tender, time to add the chicken.

 Doesn't it look so nice and vibrant? And we are only half way through!

 Adding the tomato sauce, close the lid, and walk away for 20min. 

But don't forget to boil off your pasta!

I love a neat and tidy, but BUSY stovetop! :) :) 

I knew my Starbuck's thermometer would come in handy, other than in the morning.. Checking for doneness. You can always just cut into the chicken and check for any pinkness. 

Remember don't overcook!

I spinach salad to go along?? I think so. 

ENJOY

Quinoa and Vegetable Soup

Hello everyone, my biggest apologizes for my very long hiatus!! I was desperately trying to find time to try new recipes and post, but with all the events in my life, it just was not happening! I spent the summer getting ready for baby #2. Our son, David, was born August 23rd, healthy, perfect and absolutely beautiful. Then came the task of trying to adjust to having a rambunctious (and very jealous) toddler & a newborn...I was happy to have ANYTHING on the table for dinner. So I ended up making tried and true recipes. No time to experiment, especially if it did not turn out, I did not have the energy to make something else. I treat this blog as my online cookbook, so I try to put up recipes that I have tried, liked and will be returning to!! Had a chance to make this soup on the weekend, and it was a hit, especially now that the weather has cooled off; this was perfect to warm up to! I hope you enjoy it as well. I got the original recipe off of Pinterest. It called for couscous instead of quinoa and to make it in the crock-pot instead of the stove-top, up to you, do whatever is easiest. But I would recommend to saute the veggies before adding to the crock-pot, it just gives it so much more flavor!!

Ingredients:
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used a home-made chicken stock)
14½ oz can diced tomatoes,undrained
15 oz garbanzo beans,rinsed and drained
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cup small cauliflower florets**
1/2 medium green bell pepper,diced
1 medium onion,peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
1 carrot, diced
2 bay leaf
1 clove garlic,peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper,to taste

1/2 cup quiona, cooked

**Since I am nursing, I did not add cauliflower, cruciferous vegetables are tough on tiny tummies!

Directions:
1. Prep veggies: zucchini, cauliflower, bell pepper, onion, celery & carrot .
2. Heat oil in frying pan, add veggies and saute for 5-7 minutes.
3. Heat chicken broth in pot, add diced tomatoes, garbanzo beans, sauteed veggies, bay leaves.
4. Let all these ingredients simmer for 25-30 minutes. Then add the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. I let it all simmer for and additional 5 minutes and then add more after checking for taste. This is how my momma taught me how to make soup. I am sure you can add all the ingredients at once too!
5. While the soup was simmer, prepare the quinoa or couscous. For quinoa it's 1 part uncooked quinoa to 2 parts water, bring to boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes. I add a little butter and salt to it while it is cooking. Besides being the "new craze" it is really healthy for you, and has a delightful little crunch. It adds texture to the soup.

I kept the soup and quinoa separate, and when it came time to heat up the soup after day 1, I mixed them together when I was reheating. 
I found this soup went well with brie cheese and multi-grain crackers.

Here is the link to the original recipe and if you prefer to make it in the crock-pot. Plus their picture is much more professional than mine. I did not get out the DSLR camera for this post, was happy to have remembered to take it on my iPhone!! Often times when I do try out a good recipe, I forget to take pictures and wait to make it again to put up on the blog!

http://slavasrecipes.com/slow-cooker-garbanzo-and-couscous-soup/

Perfect Oatmeal Choc. Chip Cookies

I treat my blog as an online cookbook for me. Since I use recipes from all over: my cookbooks, magazines, internet, pinterest, etc. I don't always remember where I get the recipe, so if I post it on my blog then I know for sure it will be there when I want to make it again. So that is why I posted this somewhat original oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. It turned out fabulous. And did not use a ridiculous amount of butter, I have a 1 stick of butter limit. I refuse to make cookies that call for more than 1 stick, unless you are making 6 dozen or so ;)

link to recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wayne-harley-brachman/chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies-recipe/index.html


I froze half to enjoy for later. When frozen fresh....you cannot even tell that they weren't baked that day. Just make sure to use freezer ziploc bags to prevent freezer burn. Sometimes I will wrap them in foil, to which freezer burn cannot stand a chance!

Chicken Manicotti

First time making manicotti ever and I must say it was a success. My husband does not like the texture of ricotta cheese, so I collaborated my own recipe and it was still creamy.

1/2

jar  (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce (1-1/2 cups)

1

can  (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2

cup  water

2

cups  chopped cooked chicken
8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1/4

tsp.  dried basil leaves

1 cup  KRAFT Shredded Italian* Five Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided

1 box of  manicotti shells, cooked

MIX spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and water until blended.

COMBINE 3/4 cup of the sauce with chicken, mushrooms, basil and 1/2 cup cheese; spoon into manicotti boiled shells. Place covered with foil in preheated oven 400F for 15 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and put back into oven for 5 more minutes uncovered until cheese has melted and is bubbly.

the line up

right before putting them in the oven & drowning them with cheese

Slow-Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

This is an easy way to have great tasting Chinese food at home without feeling bad/sick after ;)

The chicken turns out super tender and make the sauce from the reserved liquid it was cooking in.

the ingredients

raw & ready to get cookin'

the recipe...thank you 'crafty mom' for posting the recipe--->

                                     http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2012/05/crock-pot-chicken-teriyaki.html

Spiced-Rub Braised Beef

Sauteing onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper

The most important ingredient, ready to go

the tomato sauce simmering for 20min in the dutch oven

a lovely side of sauteed zucchini & bell pepper

This recipe was so good that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product! I made some white rice and sauteed zucchini & bell peppers for the sides. So use your imagination ;)

 We had it for dinner, and then I packed away the leftovers for lunches. I used the original picture from the recipe, thank you Cooking Light for the beautifully professional picture ;) I am more of a spicy than sweet girl when it comes to meat. So I did not rub brown sugar onto the roast when marinating it, and used half of the brown sugar the recipe called for in the tomato sauce. I also added some cayenne pepper to the tomato sauce for an added kick. YUM YUM YUM.

link to recipe:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spice-rubbed-braised-beef-10000001918504/

Endive Fig Appetizer

Got this little inspiration from a quick stop at Whole Foods. They were giving out samples of this appetizer and I immediately fell in love with the light, sweet & crunchy taste. Super easy too!

The base is endive leaves

then goat cheese (I bought honey goat cheese)

fig paste

sliced/slivered almonds

viola!

done!

that's it!!

enjoy!

I really wish I took a picture of the fig paste I bought at Whole Foods (bc of course they were not handing out free samples for nothing, they were promoting too!). It was in a small brick-like package in the cheese aisle. I liked the fact that I just sliced it and put it on the cheese, less of a mess than trying to spread jam. Next time I am there I will need to search for it and take a pic! But in case you cannot find that particular one, you can use fig jam, apricot jam, etc. Whatever your little heart desires.

ran out of endive leaves, so used thin crackers, improvisation at its best.