Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

I am a huge fan of meals that can be made in one (or two) pots. The fewer dishes, the better! My least favorite kitchen chore is doing the dishes. In fact, when Hubby is on his weekend, the dishes are his job. He knows I hate doing them, but when he works, it's on me since he leaves right after we finish eating. One more reason I really, really look forward to his weekends!

This skillet chicken pot pie is a wonderful, one pot dish that is a huge crowd pleaser. When it comes out of the oven, it looks so yummy and amazing, you really feel like you've got a handle on the whole cooking thing. Look what I made! Look how pretty! It looks delicious and smells like heaven! Yep, it's a good one.

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

12-inch cast iron skillet
3-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup half and half
4 cups frozen veggies, thawed (I like a mix of carrots, peas, and corn)
Salt and pepper
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 º. Heat oil and butter in the cast iron skillet on medium-low heat. Add shallots and sauté for 3 minutes, then add garlic and sage and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour, stir to coat. (You can add a drizzle of extra oil here, if necessary). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth 1/2 cup at a time, whisking as you go. Whisk in half and half and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Add the veggies and chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper, as needed.

Unroll the thawed puff pastry onto the top of the skillet. Carefully pinch down the edges (the skillet is warm!) and brush with the beaten egg. Cut a few lines in the pastry sheet to vent. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375º and bake for 5-7 minutes longer until the top is nicely browned. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Enjoy!

Our Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup

I try to be really good about meal planning at the beginning of every week. I think that things just go a bit smoother when I have an organized plan for meals. However, I sometimes fall a bit short on that goal. When that happens, we have a few go-to recipes that do the job on short notice, such as a simple chicken noodle soup that does the job when we are in a time crunch. It's just chicken, stock, carrots, celery, and pepper. Easy!

But, lately, we've been obsessed with this slightly more complicated version. It is so delicious and full of many layers of flavor. Even though you start with boxed stock, you add so much to the complexity of it that, by the end, you'll think you used homemade chicken stock. It's comforting and a little fancy (for chicken noodle soup, anyway) and completely delicious. It's our favorite chicken noodle soup recipe, hands down!

Our Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup

4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3/4 of a small bag of baby carrots (probably two cups worth), diced
5 stalks of celery, diced
Rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 boxes of chicken stock
4 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons chicken base (or you could use chicken bouillon, but I really would recommend the chicken base)
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 bag of Reames noodles (in the freezer section of your grocery store)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper

Melt butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté chopped onions, celery, and carrots with a pinch of salt and lots of pepper in butter and oil for 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 2 boxes of stock and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves and thyme and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add in 4 cups of water and chicken base. Season again with pepper. Add the noodles and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then add the shredded chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Finally, add the parsley and taste for seasonings. I usually add more pepper at this point, but we love lots of pepper! Cook for 5 minutes more, then remove the bay leaves and serve. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

I love my family, especially my mom, who is one of the best cooks in the world, I swear. Nothing compares to some of her dishes for comfort and deliciousness. That said, because my dad wasn't an adventurous eater when we were growing up, my mom had a meat and potatoes philosophy when it came to dinner and had a number of meals that were on a permanent rotation. We didn't have onions or garlic in our food, unless it was the powdered form. Fortunately, Hubs and I are the exact opposite and really like to try new recipes with all kinds of ingredients-especially garlic and onions!

This recipe is one that I created because, although I didn't have chicken and dumplings growing up, Hubby did. Coming from a Ukrainian family meant that dumplings were a staple, according to him, and he really wanted chicken and dumplings a few weeks ago, so I obliged. We had a rotisserie chicken from Costco (the best kind of chicken for just about any dish) and Hubby didn't want carrots, so I used peas and celery and then chopped up the celery tops to add to the dumplings because I love, love, love the flavor of celery leaves. I've made this a couple of times since and I love it even more each time. It's even better the next day, which is really nice! The best part of the recipe is that it's easy to change it up. Add carrots or diced potatoes or any other veggies you like. We won't be changing it up much because we love it so much as is. Another permanent recipe dish, for sure!

Chicken and Dumplings

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or one large rotisserie chicken, shredded)
1 bunch of celery, with the tops
2 shallots or 1 yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock (1 1/2 boxes)
1/3 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup frozen peas

For the dumplings:
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons minced celery tops

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Chop up four ribs of celery and add to the pot with the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 6 minutes, or until softened a bit. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add stock and bring to a boil, whisking to remove all the yummy bits from the bottom of the pot. Boil for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add milk, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and cook an additional 5 minutes. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water and whisk into the broth, then add chicken and peas. Heat through for a few minutes while you make the dumplings.

For the dumplings: Mix Bisquick, milk, and chopped celery tops together in a medium bowl. Gently spoon the mixture by tablespoonfuls on top of the chicken stew. Cover the pot and gently steam the dumplings on the stovetop on low heat for 20 minutes until firm and puffed. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Beef Stew in a Red Wine Sauce

A terrible photo of an absolutely amazing meal!

I have been very lucky this pregnancy, in that I have been able to cook and enjoy it almost the entire time (the first few months were a bit iffy!). I'm also lucky to have a husband that LOVES food and gets really, really excited about trying new recipes and techniques. He's a great help in the kitchen, too. This recipe was definitely one that required an extra set of hands because of all the steps--and because I'm eight months pregnant and the size of a duplex, so I don't move very fast!

In terms of work, this particular recipe is really up there, but the end result is worth it a thousand times over. Every flavor was amazing, every component was worth the work it took, every bite was heaven. Sometimes a dish is just so perfect that you can't help but smile when you eat it (and maybe your eyes roll back in your head a bit--I'm not saying mine did, but . . . yeah, they did). Because we changed the second part of this recipe so much, I wanted to make sure that I blogged it so we won't forget exactly what we did. I'm eventually going to make a family recipe book, which will include our favorite dishes. This one will absolutely be in that book--with a much better set of photos! My push present for this baby is going to be a new camera and lens--thanks, Hubby! Anyway, here is the beef stew in a red wine sauce in all its delicious glory!

Beef Stew in a Red Wine Sauce
*Adapted from Jacques Pépin

First phase:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 2 inch chunks
Salt and Pepper
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 bottle dry red wine**
2 bay leaves
1 thyme sprig

**We used Costco's Kirkland Signature Côtes du Rhône, which was inexpensive and yummy. For more sauce, I might use a bottle and a half next time.

Preheat the oven to 350º. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Generously season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in a single layer (you'll need to cook it in batches), about 3 minutes per side. Remove the meat, place on a plate, and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add a little more olive oil, if necessary. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and any juices on the plate back into the pot and sprinkle with flour. Stir to coat the meat, then pour in the red wine. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate all the delicious brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.

Second phase:

1 package of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, finely diced
15 baby bella mushrooms, diced
15 baby carrots, diced
Salt and pepper

Sauté bacon in a large skillet until cooked through and a bit crispy. Remove and place on a plate with paper towels and set aside. Drain off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and add onion, mushrooms, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes, or until the veggies have softened and the mushrooms have released their liquid.

To serve:

Add a healthy dollop of mashed potatoes to a bowl. Place a few delicious pieces of super tender meat on top of the potatoes, then sprinkle on some bacon and a generous amount of the veggies. Top with the red wine sauce and enjoy every blissful bite!

Sweet Potato, Caramelized Shallot, and Goat Cheese Tart

Oh, so good. So, so good!

 Hubby and I are on a healthy, whole foods kick. We purchased a quarter of a cow from one of his co-workers, who has a beef farm, which resulted in 175 pounds of organic, grass-fed beef filling our freezer. We are splitting it with my parents, but I can't tell you how excited I am to see all that wonderful meat! It was really cost-effective too, when you broke it all down.

In addition to our beautiful quarter beef, we have started using Full Circle produce. They deliver a box of certified organic produce to our front door once a week. Now, I am NOT one of those it-must-be-organic-or-I'm-going-to-freak-out types, but it is really exciting to get such good, local produce (I am a big proponent of eating local!) at such a great price. And delivered to our door, no less! The best thing about it is that we are being forced to cook outside the box, figuratively speaking. Just this week, we got a pie pumpkin, a bunch of kale, yams, an avocado, shallots, valencia oranges, persimmons, and fuji apples. We found out that persimmons are yummy! And I sautéed some kale with red pepper flakes, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious!

The best thing I've made with some of this amazing produce was a sweet potato, caramelized shallot, and goat cheese tart. I actually cheated and made it the day before we got the box of produce because I had a bunch of sweet potatoes, but I'm sure it will be just as good when I make it again with the yams! This is my favorite thing I've made in a long time. Hubs enjoyed it, but he's a meat lover, so this vegetarian dish wasn't in his top 5. It was definitely in mine though! I can't even begin to describe how yummy it was, and although a bit labor intensive, the results are SO worth it. Thank you to Full Circle for posting this recipe, which I will be using for the rest of my life. I swear. The only change I MIGHT make would be to sprinkle some crumbled bacon on top. Because everything is better with bacon. Maybe.

Oh, and I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. It was 7:30 when I started it, so it didn't get done until around 9. 9pm in the fall=crummy light!

Sweet Potato, Caramelized Shallot, and Goat Cheese Tart
*From Full Circle

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/4 pounds (2 medium) sweet potatoes or garnet yams, peeled and thinly sliced (we used a mandolin)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º.  In a medium saucepan, heat oil oer medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Spray a 10-inch tart pan with non-stick spray (we used our Misto) and place it on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Place sweet potatoes or yams in overlapping layers, starting at the outer edge and spiraling inward to make one layer. Sprinkle some shallots, thyme, Parm, goat cheese, salt and pepper, and repeat the process to create 3 layers.

Cover the top of the tart with crumbled bacon, if you're using it (I'm still on the fence about the bacon), and any remaining cheese (I set aside some Parm so I had plenty to sprinkle on top), then very lightly salt.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 40-45 minutes. Remove and cut into wedges to serve. It also reheats really well the next day. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I used to hate broccoli. Like I had a true, honest, complete HATRED for broccoli. It's nasty, I can't stand the taste, I don't want to eat mini trees . . . and on and on and on. It was pretty dramatic-and ridiculous. I have since seen the error of my ways and now I LOVE broccoli. We buy the giant bags of florets from Costco and use it up within two weeks. Broccoli in everything! This soup, in particular, is a family favorite. I wrote down the recipe and have reworked it over and over again until it is perfect-at least in our opinion. The notebook page it's on is covered with mashed broccoli bits, dried cheese, and splashes of milk-all signs of a well-used recipe! My husband is a huge fan and claims that it is just as good as Chili's, which is really, really high praise coming from a self-proclaimed broccoli cheese soup aficionado.

I know that 8 cups of chopped broccoli is a lot, but that is the way we like it--with lots and lots of broccoli! We have made it with 5 cups of chopped broccoli, 2 cups of half and half, 3 cups of chicken stock, and 3 cups of shredded cheese, but my family likes it as written below. My 6-year-old is so excited to take the leftovers to school for lunch in her thermos. She inhaled two huge servings tonight! If you ask her, she will tell you that Mom's broccoli cheese soup is her favorite meal. That's a win in my book!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 shallots, finely diced (or one small yellow onion)
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
5 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups half and half
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
8 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 7 broccoli crowns)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or extra sharp is best)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Melt the butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté on medium heat about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add flour and cook 2 minutes.

Slowly whisk in half and half, milk, and chicken stock. Simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes.

Add broccoli and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes or until broccoli is fork tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup for a few minutes to your desired consistency, or, alternately, use a blender and purée half the soup, then add it back to the pot. Bring the soup back up to temp and add the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, it's ready to serve with some extra cheddar sprinkled on top. Let's face it, this is not a healthy recipe, so go nuts with the cheese! Enjoy!

Our Favorite Salsa

Best salsa EVER!

This is far and away the best salsa I've ever had and I don't have to go anywhere special to get it, which I love! You could easily use fresh tomatoes, when in season, but Hunt's canned tomatoes are delicious and very, very fresh tasting. This might be one of the easiest recipes I make, but it is always a crowd pleaser!

I have blogged this salsa before here, but I felt like it merited another post. I make this at least once a month and even more frequently in the summer. Hubby's co-workers request it and so do our friends any time we're going to a potluck or BBQ. I've had quite a few requests for the recipe lately, so I though that this would be a good chance to write about it again and (hopefully) get a better photo of it. So, here it is again. Enjoy!

Our Favorite Salsa
*Slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 28-oz. can Hunt's whole tomatoes, drained (or 2 14.5-oz. cans)
2 cans RoTel tomatoes and peppers, drained (you can use any combination of mild, medium, or hot)
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 whole jalapeños, quartered and thinly sliced (remove ribs and seeds to lower the level of spiciness)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 heaping teaspoon cumin
1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed
1/2 lime, juiced or 1 1/2 teaspoons of lime juice

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until you reach the desired consistency. Taste to test for seasoning. Add more sugar or salt, as necessary-I usually add a small pinch more of each.

Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow flavors to marry. Enjoy!

Steak and Mushroom Pot Pie

Hubs has been working a lot of overtime lately, so he decided to take a few days off last week. We had 6 glorious days in which I didn't have to worry about him or do the mostly-single parent thing; it was amazing. We spent lots of family time together, which was great. We went hiking, garage sale-ing, and checked out a few of the local street fairs. Our area also boasts the largest Scottish Highland Games this side of the Mississippi, which just happened to be on the weekend Hubs took off.

If you've never gone to a Highland Games event, you should. It was so much fun! There were bagpipers, dancers, dogs, clan booths, and yummy food. I mean REALLY yummy food. Hubs tried haggis (here's an explanation of what haggis is). Em tried it too, and really liked it. Because all 21-month-old toddlers like haggis. She's an odd little duck! I tried it too, but I was much more excited about my steak and mushroom pot pie. Fall-apart meat and mushrooms in a rich, hearty gravy topped with a puff pastry crust. Yep, doesn't get much better than that! I promised Hubs that I would try to replicate it as soon as possible. It was that good. Well, today I found a recipe that seemed very promising and with just a couple of very small tweaks, I made something that we absolutely loved. This one goes in the permanent recipe file, for sure. And, all in all, it was pretty darn easy too!

Steak and Mushroom Pot Pie

*Very slightly adapted from Simply Delicious

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 1/2 pounds stew beef (or cut chuck steak into chunks, bone removed)

2 shallots, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, diced

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

2 bay leaves

2 cups beef stock

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup milk

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

Melt butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, making sure not to crowd the pot; season each batch with salt and pepper. This takes between 3-5 minutes total, per batch.

In the same pot, sauté the carrots, celery, and onion until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes, making sure to scrape up all the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan. 

Add in the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 8 minutes. Then add the paprika, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well.

Add the beef back into the pot, juice and all. Pour in the stock and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer gently for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 355º. 

When the meat is very tender (it falls apart easily with a fork), add worcestershire sauce and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Whisk together the cornstarch and milk, and pour this mixture into the pot. Simmer rapidly to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Butter the bottom and sides of a large baking dish. Press one sheet of puff pastry into the bottom of the dish and up the sides. Pour in the beef mixture. Top with the second sheet of puff pastry and pinch the edges together with the bottom sheet. Brush with beaten egg and cut two slits in the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is browned. Enjoy!

Savory Skillet Lamb Chops and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Savory Skillet Lamb Chops
*From Cooks.com

2 tsp. olive oil
5 lamb loin shanks
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup water

Slowly heat olive oil in skillet with a lid. Add chops and brown for 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Add the rest of the ingredients to 1/3 cup water. Mix well and pour it over the chops. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 40 minutes, or until chops are tender. Remove chops and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Increase heat to thicken the liquid to a make a gravy, which should take 2-3 minutes.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
*From Paula Deen

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Add a dash of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return potatoes to the pot. Add butter, salt, cinnamon, and honey. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Spicy Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

This is heavenly. No, really. It's out-of-this-world good. I've made it twice in a week and we've put it on everything. It's great on pitas, with chips or veggies, and in gyros. The whole process takes less than ten minutes as well, so it's the perfect dip for parties. Of course, if you're going to serve it to more than two people, I'd double it. Trust me, you won't be sorry!

Spicy Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Dip
*Very slightly adapted from Channeling Contessa

8 ounces feta cheese (we used reduced fat, which worked just fine)
16 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
Juice of half a lemon (or 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice)
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice, as needed. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. To serve: top with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and parsley. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hubby started a new shift last week, and we've been struggling. We went from graveyard to swing, so we're missing a lot of our family time in the afternoon. And I'm missing the time I got to plan and cook dinner every day. Now, I have to decide what we're going to eat the day before and have to do prep work before bed so that it is ready in time for him to go to work. I'm not loving it, but that's the life, and we're hoping it's only temporary.

Yay for Instagram! This was after we ate-not enough left over!

This recipe wasn't really an option as is, since we don't have time for slow cooker meals, unless I'm going to get up at 4am to make them. No thanks. But the soup looked so good that I decided to adapt the recipe for my Dutch oven, which just happens to be my favorite kitchen tool ever. Other than cooking the chicken the night before, this came together really quickly and was amazingly delicious. Hubby claims it's his new favorite soup-he liked it even more than my chicken noodle soup-and that's really saying something! The only change I will make next time is doubling the recipe. There just wasn't enough left over!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

*Adapted from Baked by Rachel (see the link for the slow cooker instructions)

3 chicken breasts, cooked with homemade taco seasoning, salt and pepper, and shredded**

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

15oz can sweet corn, drained

15oz can diced tomatoes, drained

5 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced (about half a medium onion)

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 serrano pepper, ribs and seeds removed and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 heaping teaspoon chili powder

Kosher salt and pepper

Tiny pinch of sugar

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Seasoned tortilla strips

Sour cream

Cilantro 

Green onions, chopped

Melt butter and olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven on medium heat. Add diced onions and cook for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Add diced bell pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Add minced garlic and serrano pepper and cook for 1 minute. Pour in 5 cups of chicken broth. Add cooked shredded chicken, corn, and diced tomatoes. Season again with salt and pepper, then add chili powder and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes at medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until ready to serve. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream mixed in, then top with cheese, tortilla strips, cilantro, and chopped green onions. Enjoy!

**How to cook the chicken: I start with frozen chicken breasts. Place each one in a foil packet and top with a small drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of taco seasoning and salt and pepper. Close up the packets and bake at 375º for 45-65 minutes (for frozen chicken), or until the juices run clear. Shred in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.

Asian Chicken Salad

This salad was absolutely delicious! We try a lot of new recipes and some are great, but only a few make it into the regular rotation. This is one of those special dishes that we both love. Full of fresh ingredients, flavorful chicken, and crunchy chow mein noodles, Asian chicken salad is a bright, yummy, and easy dish to throw together any night of the week. While we loved all the flavors, we might try to give it a Thai spin next time by changing up the marinade just a little with the addition of red pepper flakes and peanut butter instead of Chinese 5-Spice seasoning, which has a licorice-y flavor. That's another nice thing about this dish-you can change it up to fit your taste very easily. Again though, we loved this one!

Asian Chicken Salad
*Adapted from Pinch of Yum

For the chicken:
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ginger (or 1 tablespoon minced ginger)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Chinese 5-Spice seasoning

1/4 cup chopped green onions
2-3 cups coleslaw or shredded lettuce
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1-2 cups shredded carrots
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups cooked, shelled edamame (it's called mukimame when you buy it pre-shelled and is much more convenient in steam bags for easy cooking)
2 cups crunchy chow mein noodles
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Salad dressing of your choice (I used Litehouse toasted sesame ginger)

Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and 5-spice seasoning. Marinate the chicken in the sauce for at least 1 hour. Bake chicken with the sauce at 400º for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Let cool and shred.

Toss chicken, green onions, coleslaw, almonds, carrots, cilantro, edamame, and sesame seeds together.

Serve tossed with salad dressing and top with crunchy chow mein noodles. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

Have you ever had spaghetti squash? If not, you should go to the store right now and get one. Seriously. Spaghetti squash are insanely easy to cook and taste just like shredded potatoes (at least in this dish). You can also substitute spaghetti squash in as pasta because it imitates the texture. The best thing about this squash is that it is low carb, but still delicious. We try to eat relatively healthy in our house, but we enjoy food too much to resort to the rabbit food lifestyle. So anytime I find a recipe that we love, but that is also healthy, it's goes into our permanent recipe file. This is definitely one for the permanent file!

Here's an even better bonus-the baby loved it too! She's not too picky about her food, but she does seem to really enjoy her meats and veggies. It wasn't a big surprise that she loved the squash, but it tickles us every time she gets excited about the food we make. We love her so much!

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin
*Adapted from Dandy Dishes

1 large spaghetti squash
3 tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (we grind ours to a powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Spaghetti squash are a little tough to cut. To do so, place your knife tip into the middle of the squash and press down lengthwise toward your cutting board. Repeat on the other side and split. Once you've cut it, remove the seeds. Place the halves in a dish, fill with about 1/2 inch water, and cover. Microwave for 12-15 minutes or until the squash is soft and the flesh scrapes off easily with a fork. (We did this part in batches because our dish wasn't large enough.)

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet. Add the shallots and cook until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes, thyme, and salt and pepper. Cook a few more minutes, until the shallots are slightly brown. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute longer, until fragrant.

Combine the squash, shallot mixture, sour cream, cream cheese, and half the cheese in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25-35 minutes at 375º or until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Soup

Hubby got me a Vitamix blender to celebrate getting our tax return and I'm a little obsessed with it. This soup took all of 5 minutes to put together and it was really yummy. Plus, it cooks in the blender, meaning no pot to clean! Healthy, easy, and delicious all rolled in one? Yes, please!

Zucchini Soup

*Adapted from the Vitamix Whole Foods cookbook

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 medium carrot, halved

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 cup potato flakes (or half a cooked baked potato)

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Place all ingredients into the blender (you could certainly use a food processor and then cook this on the stove). Turn the blender on Variable 1 and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to high. Blend for 6-7 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I make this chicken noodle soup at least once a month and, since it makes such a large amount, Hubby and I eat it for a few days afterward. The best thing about these leftovers: they just get better and better. Another good thing about this recipe is that it is extremely easy. On nights I don't want to bother with cooking chicken, I pick up a whole roasted chicken from the store (Costco has the best ones!) and Hubby shreds it while I chop up veggies. 

I know that chicken noodle soup isn't fancy or "special," but this is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I'd say it's definitely in the top five! This can be made last minute or you can let is simmer for a few hours and really get some amazing flavor out of the stock. As with most dishes, I think homemade chicken stock would make the soup extra delicious, but I always use boxed stock because it's a lot quicker and easier. Try this soup! I promise it won't disappoint!

Chicken Noodle Soup


4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or a whole roasted chicken, shredded)
4 or 5 boxes of chicken stock (4-5 quarts of stock)
A 16-20 ounce bag of baby carrots, chopped small (the smaller the carrots, the quicker they will cook)
4-6 stalks of celery, chopped (about the same size as the carrots)
2 pound bag of egg noodles
A pinch of salt
Lots and lots of freshly cracked pepper

Add your veggies, chicken, salt, pepper, and 2 quarts of chicken stock to a large pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer at medium heat for 45 minutes or at low heat for a few hours, or until the carrots and celery have softened.

Turn up the heat, add noodles and enough stock to cover, about 2-3 quarts, depending on how much the cooking liquid has reduced. Cook until the noodles are al dente. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

*This keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. Just add a little bit of water before you heat it up to give it a little more broth.

Asparagus and Parmesan Frittata

Lately, I'm lucky if I can sit down for 10 minutes to enjoy my food. Baby girl is coming up on 6 months and she keeps me BUSY! I think this blog has, therefore, turned into just a way for me to keep track of recipes that we liked, without the photos that take an extra 10 minutes that I just don't have anymore. I'll do my best to take at least one photo of each dish, but I can't promise anything.

Unfortunately, this delicious (and EASY!) frittata didn't make it to the picture table. I had intended on taking one, and then I burned my hand on the handle of the skillet. Ouch! Besides my stinging fingers, this meal was a hit. It was incredibly easy, versatile, and quick, which makes it the perfect meal in this house with Little Miss Needs Attention!

Asparagus and Parmesan Frittata

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
12 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk or half and half
1 package chopped asparagus, cooked and drained (find these in your freezer section-I used Green Giant, which steams in its own package)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

*You could add bacon, chicken, ham, turkey, or different veggies and herbs to mix it up too.

Preheat oven to 350º. Whip eggs with a hand mixer and then whisk in the milk. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the cooked asparagus and stir. Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the eggs are slightly set.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the eggs have set, about 15 minutes. CAREFULLY remove the skillet from the oven and keep the hot pad on the handle so you don't burn yourself like I did!

Enjoy!

Kale Chips

There are so many recipes out there that I want to try (eventually . . . ), but this one has been floating around the blogosphere for a while and I've been so curious about it. So today I decided to try making kale chips. And oh my goodness, am I glad I did! These were delicious! They were crispy, salty, peppery, and yummy. I liked the chips more than Hubby, but I think this had something to do with him being tired of all things non-meat. According to the mommy blogs out there, children enjoy these chips as well. Score one for the mommies! Plus, the health benefits of kale are phenomenal, so why not try it and see how the little ones like it?

As a side note, these are best right out of the oven. Don't reheat them or they get chewy and make sure you spread the chips out in a single row on the baking sheet so they can get crispy.

Kale Chips
*From many blogs!

1 bunch kale
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper (or just use salt if you don't want that peppery kick)

Preheat oven to 350º. Hold the thick stem of the kale in one hand and, with the other hand, pinch the stem and run your hand up to remove the leaves. Place leaves in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Pat the kale dry with a paper towel, if necessary. Drizzle on a little bit of olive oil.

Add salt.

Then pepper, if desired.

Toss with clean hands.

Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until the kale is crispy. Enjoy!

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Well, I am still having a bit of a tough time with cooking during this pregnancy. I've been living on cereal, fruit, and salads with no meat. Chicken=yuck! My poor, poor husband has been living a vegetarian life at home, which is why we've been eating out a lot. (The waitress comes to our table and Hubby practically screams, "Steak or a burger! Steak or a burger, for the love of God!")

He's been a good sport about it all and doesn't complain too much at home, especially since pregnancy is a lot harder for me than it is for him. I've been feeling okay, but have been having a really hard time sleeping at night. I'm a stomach sleeper, so I constantly wake up when I'm on my side. Exhaustion is all par for the course in pregnancy and babies though, right?

Fortunately, yesterday I had enough energy to attempt this recipe. Although 20 minutes from prep to table isn't exactly time-consuming or difficult, it was a far cry from the black bean burritos and grilled cheese sandwiches I had been serving for dinner. Nick was even okay with the fact that there was no meat in this dish, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. The asparagus was perfectly roasted, the penne was al dente, and the balsamic butter sauce was heavenly. It was also a great dish for Hubby to take to work since it could be eaten hot or cold. It's not always easy to get to a microwave when you're out arresting bad guys, after all!

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
*From Food and Wine

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt, divided (I only used 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cut in pieces
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400º. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Place asparagus on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Turn off the oven, leaving the asparagus in to keep it warm.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar into a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remains. Stir in the brown sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remove from heat.

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with butter, vinegar, asparagus, parmesan, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle additional parmesan on top and serve. Enjoy!

Chicken, Leek, and Shallot Pot Pie

Have you ever been intimidated by a certain fruit or veggie in the produce section of your grocery store? Well, that's how I felt about leeks until we had them in what felt like every dish while in France. Leeks are a staple there, so every time I eat them, I can close my eyes and pretend that we're back in a café eating quiche full of this mild onion-flavored veggie.

For Hubby and I, France means happiness, so I thought a dish with some French flavors would be perfect for our Valentine's Day dinner. We loved this turkey pot pie, so I adapted it using chicken, shallots, and leeks to make this delicious, filling, and slightly fancy main dish. It was a definite hit!

And it really did make us think of France, which made for a very romantic dinner. And then he went to work . . . Eh, the life of a cop's wife.

Anyway, bottom line: This dish is yummy! And it's a really lovely presentation, so it would make a great dish for a dinner party too!

Chicken, Leek, and Shallot Pot Pie
*By me!

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 refrigerated pie crusts, thawed (let them sit on the counter while you make the filling)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Southern style cubed potatoes, thawed and warmed in the microwave
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 425º. Slice leeks and mince shallot.

 Melt a little bit of butter in a skillet and add leeks and shallots. Sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until tender. Add in minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute longer, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Gradually add in milk and chicken broth, whisking to combine.

Stir in seasonings and cook until bubbly and thickened. 

 Add in chicken, warmed potatoes, leeks, shallots, and garlic. Stir to combine.

 Roll out one pie crust into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Press into the bottom of the dish and spoon the filling onto the crust.

 Top with the second crust, pinch and flute the edges. You can use any excess crust to decorate the top of the pie. Cut several slits in the top of the crust. Separate the yolk from one egg and discard. Brush the top of the crust with the egg white.

 Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. During the last 15-20 minutes cooking, cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent excess browning. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!