Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta

My husband has been making a creamy pasta dish for a couple of years now. I think he originally got the recipe online and has adapted it over the years.  Tonight I wanted to make a creamy tomato dish, but I didn't have his recipe so I googled and found one from The Pioneer Woman.  It called for shrimp, I had chicken.  So naturally I altered it a bit. Here is what I came up with.

What you need: 2 chicken breast halves (cooked and diced), 2 cups dry pasta, 2 tbsp butter, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 8 oz tomato sauce, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp parsley, 2 tsp basil, salt and pepper to taste, shredded cheese

First dice you onion and mince your garlic. Get a pot of salted water going for your pasta.  I used rotini because that's what I had on hand. Penne would be great too.  While the pasta is boiling, melt the butter in a large skillet and cook onion and garlic until soft.  Add the chicken broth.  Let this simmer for a few minutes and then add the tomato sauce.  Next, add the heavy cream. I didn't have any on hand so I used 1/3 cup butter and 3/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the parsley and basil along with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chicken and let this simmer.  Once your pasta is tender, drained and rinsed add it to the mixture.  Stir well to combine.  You can stop here and serve, but I threw in a couple handfuls of shredded mozzarella and cheddar.

My husband spices his up with red pepper flakes.

You can also add a can of diced tomatoes to this.

Green Chili with Shoe String Fries

This is a recipe I found a few years back in a Rachael Ray magazine. It an easy alternative to regular chili and I love the addition of fries. Yum-o as Rachael would say.  I copy and pasted the recipe I found on the web. I only used one pound of ground turkey.  And you must use beer instead of chicken broth; the flavor is much better.

 

Ingredients:

• One 28-ounce package frozen shoestring potato fries
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
• 2 pounds ground turkey breast
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (a palmful)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• One 15-ounce can white kidney or cannellini beans, drained
• 3/4 cup beer (one-half a 12-ounce bottle) or 3/4 cup chicken broth (eyeball it)
• 2 cups store-bought tomatillo (green) salsa
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the fries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until browned, 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil smokes, add the turkey and cook, breaking up the meat. Season with salt and pepper, the poultry seasoning and cumin; brown and crumble the meat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the beans and stir to heat through. Add the beer and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the salsa and simmer the chili over low heat. When the fries finish baking, stir the cilantro into the chili. Transfer the chili to a medium casserole (it should be filled to the rim) and top with the scallions.

Bubbling on the stove

1. Mix a teaspoon of salt with the chili powder and cayenne. Remove the fries from the oven and top with the seasoned salt. Pile the fries on top of the casserole, evenly covering the green chili, and serve.

Topped with fries and ready to serve.

Strawberry Fruit Dip

Here is an easy fruit dip that you can make with things that might already be in your kitchen.

What you need: 1 small container of strawberry yogurt, 2 tablespoons strawberry jam, 1 cup of whipped topping

Mix these three ingredients together. Add more whipped topping if you like. Serve with pears, apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes.

Cheesy Cauliflower

I love cauliflower. It's one of my favorite veggies.  My children, are another story.  First off, it's doesn't really have an appetizing smell and it can be a bit spicy.  So the other night while I was preparing dinner I thought I have to do something to this cauliflower so the boys will eat it.  I wanted to do some kind of creamy cheese sauce and then it came to me.  I would use the same sauce I do for my Au gratin potatoes.  I must be honest with you, I didn't measure any ingredients for the sauce so these are my guesstimates.  Use with caution.

What you will need: One head of cauliflower (washed and cut into little bunches), 2 tablespoons butter, 2+ tablespoons flour, 1 cup milk, salt and pepper, cheddar cheese

Put about an inch of water and a pinch of salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.  Place the cauliflower inside and put the lid on.  Let this steam for about 8 minutes. I check it periodically by sticking a piece of cauliflower with a knife to check the tenderness.  Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt the butter over a low heat.  Add the flour and whisk until it thickens. Add the milk and increase the heat.  The mixture should thicken quickly. If you feel it's too thick, add more milk.  Reduce heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste and then throw in a handful of cheese.  The more cheese you use the cheesier it will be:)
Drain your cauliflower and place in a bowl. Pour the sauce over top and serve.

If you're wondering about the kids. No, they did not eat the cauliflower. Oh well, at least I tried.

The other items on the plate are salmon, the rub is posted in February 2011(A birthday meal) and the stuffing from stuffed peppers posted on April 2011.

Biscuits and Gravy

Here's a recipe you can use for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

What you will need: 1 pound sausage, 4 cups milk, 4-8 tablespoons flour, biscuits/biscuit recipe

Start by browning your sausage in a skillet.  Once it's cooked through, place it in a bowl and set aside.  Add a tablespoon at a time to the skillet and grease, letting each tablespoon brown before adding another. Stir constantly.  Once you have enough gravy to make a thick base, add in the milk and stir with a whisk.  As the mixture cooks, it will thicken.  You want to have a slight bubble to it. When it reaches the desired thickness add the sausage and stir.  Serve over your biscuits.

Note: I didn't supply you with a biscuit recipe because I haven't found one that I love.  You can find recipes in any cookbook, use a baking mix, or the canned refrigerated biscuits.