Rice & Bean Bake

Well this has become a dinnertime staple. This would be super easy as well if I did not insist on making brown rice the hard way. (not the instant, because I've become inexplicably weird about instant rice) Making real rice is a real pain in my... well you can guess.

But still.

This is a really delicious dish, and if the recipe gets lost on the internet before I post it up here, I would be enormously screwed. I put this all into My Fitness pal, and two servings (I must have seconds on this!) is not that bad- like under 400 calories.




Rice & Bean Bake

2 chicken breasts- diced (I think this is optional! Easier without!)
4 c. cooked rice
3/4 c. frozen corn
15 oz. can black beans
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. salsa
4 oz. diced green chiles w/ fluid
1 c. shredded cheese
maybe some cilantro if you have it for a garnish?

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese are stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Spicy Veggie Pasta

This is another one that I just ignore the chicken bits on, too. I hate dealing with meat. Plus when I made this specific recipe, the chicken was all gross anyway. The sauce was not too spicy for the kids, and I added a couple extra sprinkles of red pepper flakes on my bowl and it was excellent.

Source: bakecakery.com via craftyashley on Pinterest

Veggies & Pasta

16 oz. of Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (cooked) 
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in 1″ cubes (optional)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ c. Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, long thin slices 
1 c. Broccoli florets
1 c. Asparagus, chopped in 1″ pieces
1 c. Grape tomatoes

Cook your pasta and let it drain.  (tip: I always add a bit of olive oil to my pasta water during cooking so the noodles don’t stick together). Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until done and golden on all sides. Remove and let rest in a large bowl.

Add the remaining olive oil and begin sauteing the onions for 2 min. Add in the garlic and bell pepper and saute another 2 mins. Then toss in any other woody veggies  (broccoli, asparagus) saving the tomatoes until the very end.

When everything is cooked, combine the veggies with the chicken in your big bowl. 

Spicy Cream Sauce

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour 
2 c. half & half
1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes
1 c. Parmesan cheese- shredded

In the same pan you cooked the chicken and veggies in, melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the flour and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes.  

Slowly add in the half and half while stirring to prevent any clumps from forming.  Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and allow to simmer until you see boiling action.  Stir periodically.

When your sauce begins to thicken and bubble, turn off the heat and add in your cheese. Stir until melty

To assemble everything I like to add the pasta first so it gets nice and coated with sauce and then pour the rest of the veggies in. 

Lime Taco Salad

Making your own salad dressing is kind of a pain, gets a lot of things messy, but man! Is it worth it!

Source: myrecipes.com via craftyashley on Pinterest

I did not bother with the chicken, and did not miss it. So it's great as a vegetarian lunch salad.

• Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, peeled

Salad:

• 8 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups chopped ready-to-eat roasted skinned, boned chicken breast- about 2 breasts (optional)
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups fat-free baked tortilla chips (about 4 ounces)

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
2. To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients except chips in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss well to coat. Serve with chips.

Costa Vida Chicken

Hands down, love this. Especially as a taco salad. And it's super easy to make!

Source: realmomkitchen.com via craftyashley on Pinterest

• 1 (16 oz.) bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (I used Kroger brand)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot on high for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour. (This recipe makes a lot so you can do have or freeze the leftovers for another meal)

Creamy Green Enchiladas

Filling:
3 c. cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese- softened
1 can black beans, rinsed

Sauce:
2 tbl. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tbl. flour
1/3 chicken broth
1/4 c. milk
1/4 tea. salt
1/4 tea. pepper
1 can (7 oz.) green chile sauce
1/2 c. sour cream

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 taco sized flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add chicken and black beans. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Stir occasionally until onions soften and become translucent. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then the milk. Whisk around until flour becomes less clumpy and eventually smooth out. Add salt and pepper. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9x13 dish. Spread 1/4 c. of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 c. of the chicken mixture. Top with a small amount of cheese and roll up, then place seam side down in the dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top and serve.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken & Red Peppers

Perfect summer dish. Light and airy, yet filling! The kids seem to tolerate it too!

1 tbl. olive oil
2 chicken breasts- in chunks
2 red bell peppers- 1/2 in. pieces
1 tea. dried thyme
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. orzo pasta
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 c. reserved pasta water
1/2 tea. salt
1/2 tea. pepper
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
3 tbl. chopped fresh parsley
The juice of 1 lemon

First, take out the cream cheese to soften. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook orzo and reserve 1 c. of the water. While orzo cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet and season the chicken with a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook chicken in the oil; brown on all sides, but not fully cooked through. Add red peppers and thyme. Stir and cook for about 5 mins. until peppers are soft and liquid has evaporated. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. On med. heat, cut in cream cheese in bite size pieces and stir to coat. Add pasta water (1 c.) bring to a simmer, and add 1/2 tea. salt & 1/2 tea. pepper, stir well. Let it cook down for a bit then remove from heat. Add orzo, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and parsley stir to combine and serve.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

2 (18 oz.) bottles of bbq sauce
1 can (15 oz.) pineapple chunks
1 green bell pepper- sliced
1 onion- chopped
2 cloves garlic- minced
8 chicken breasts

1. In a large bowl, mix together barbecue sauce, pineapple with juice, green bell pepper, onion, and garlic.
2. Arrange 4 of the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour half of the barbecue sauce over the chicken. Place remaining chicken in slow cooker, and pour remaining sauce over the top.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 to 9 hours.

Almond Crusted Chicken

The hardest thing about this recipe is remembering to take the chicken out of the freezer to thaw.

1 1/2 c. sliced almonds- toasted
4 chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1/4 c. flour
1 egg (beaten w/ 2 tsp water)

Sauce:
1/4 c. butter- melted
1 tea. lemon juice
1 1/2 tea. basil (fresh, chopped, or 1/2 tsp. dried)

Pound the almonds with your hands to lightly crush. Then lightly flatten chicken breasts, and season with salt and pepper. Throw chicken into the flour, and pat off excess, then dip into egg. Press each breast in almonds, covering it well. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is just firm and almonds are golden.

Meanwhile, combine butter, lemon juice, and basil. Drizzle over cooked chicken breasts.

Note: works well with a side of string beans

Moroccan Garbanzo Pita

I've been saving this recipe for summer, because it's cool and refreshing. Try it! And if you don't, just lie to me and say you did.

Pita Pockets
1 tbl ground cumin
1 tea. chili powder
1 lb. cubed chicken
4 tbl. olive oil
2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained
1 c. green onion- chopped
1 gr. bell pepper- diced
1/2 c. fresh parsley- chopped
sour cream

Combine cumin, chili powder, and chicken into a plastic bag and shake to coat.
Heat 1 tbl. olive oil in skillet and add chicken- cook for 5 mins. Remove from heat.
In separate bowl, combine beans, 3 tbl. olive oil, green onion, pepper, and parsley. Add chicken.
Cut open pitas. Line pita pockets with sour cream and fill with bean mixture.

Note: easily make this dish vegetarian. exclude chicken, 1 tbl. olive oil and cumin. Combine all ingredients and fill pockets.
Also tastes great with tabasco sauce, salsa, or shredded cheese.

Shortcut Chicken Noodle Soup

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 qt. chicken stock
8 oz. dry wide egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
salt and pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped


Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Meanwhile, boil water in a separate pot and cook noodles according to package instructions. When slightly less than al dente, drain and set aside. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Fold in the noodles and chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Adapted from Tyler Florence's Chicken Noodle Soup

Rosemary Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Mom made this yesterday- and it was soooo delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3/4 pound)
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 slices whole-grain bread

Preparation

Combine first 9 ingredients, stirring well. Spread about 2/3 cup of chicken mixture over each of 5 bread slices, and top with remaining bread slices. Cut sandwiches diagonally in half.

Note: Try using Pumpernickel bread- yum yum!

Chicken Enchiladas

Another family favorite. Splurge on some really good green chile sauce- it's worth it!

Corn tortillas
Diced chicken breasts
Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
Green Chile Sauce
Veggie Oil
..... and of course- sliced black olives!

Fry corn tortillas in a bit of veggie oil. Very lightly- you don't want tortilla chips! Roll chicken, cheese, and some sauce into each tortilla, placing them in a row in a greased casserole dish. You can fit around 6-8 in there. Then sprinkle the whole thing with cheese and the rest of the sauce- and the black olives. Pop in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes.

Note: browned ground beef can be substituted for chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

Laura gave me this recipe. I tried it out on my Dad yesterday- with stunning results! He said I needed to pass this along to my Mom- so here you go, happy cooking!

10 oz. frozen peas & carrots- or any veggie mix
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/2 tea. salt
1/2 tea. pepper
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (the whole can seems to work too)
2/3 c. milk
3-4 diced chicken breasts
pre-made 2-crust pastry

Quickly throw chicken pieces into a greased skillet and cook through, then set aside. Rinse veggies and drain. In large saucepan, melt butter over med. heat. Stir in flour, onions, salt, & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and veggies.
Heat oven to 425.
Roll pastry into 13" square. Ease into the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Pour chicken mix into pan.
Roll remaining dough into a 11" square and place over the top of chicken. Cut lines in top to vent. Bake 35 mins.

Idea! Serve and then top with ketchup- so yummy!

Creamy Skillet Chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. water
3/4 c. uncooked rice
2 c. cooked, diced chicken
2 c. thawed (but previously frozen) mixed- vegetable medley
(try broccoli, corn, and peppers)

Whisk soup & water in a non-stick skillet. Heat 2-3 mins.
Stir in rice, cover and reduce heat to low for 20 mins.
Add chicken and veggies, and heat 3-4 minutes.

4 servings

No Soy Stir Fry

...because the husband doesn't like soy sauce...

3 c. water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
2 c. rice
2 tbl. cooking oil
1 lb. chicken breast (opt)
4 c. assorted veggies (ie: bell peppers, celery, carrots, onion, snow peas, water chestnuts)
2 tea. cornstarch
1/2 tea. garlic powder
1/4 tea. ground ginger

Bring 2 c. water and 3 bouillon cubes to a boil and add rice. Cook until rice is done. Set aside
In skillet, heat 1 tbl. oil and add chicken. Cook until chicken isn't pink. Remove chicken and add veggies, cook for 5-10 minutes and add chicken back in.
In separate bowl combine 1 c. water, 2 bouillon cubes, ginger, cornstarch, garlic powder and 1 tbl. oil. Pour over veggies & simmer for 5 minutes, until thick. Serve over rice.

Serves 4

Southwest Fettuccine

9 oz. uncooked fettuccine noodles
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 green bell pepper- cut into strips
Black olives, sliced (to taste)
Southwest seasoned chicken (optional)
Shredded cheese- cheddar, monterrey jack, etc.
Sour cream

Sautee bell pepper in skillet with small bit of cooking oil. (add optional chicken as well) Cook fettuccine as directed & Drain. Combine tomatoes, chicken, bell pepper, and olives in skillet & cook over medium high until heated through. Pour tomato mixture over fettuccine. Sprinkle servings with cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Note: you can also used pre-cooked noodles for less mess.

Feeds 2-3