Incredibly Easy Chicken Dinner!

Sundays are SUPER busy for me with all the errands (and fun chores like laundry) so I keep it simple when it comes to dinner. I'm a big fan of the Kraft website since most of their recipes are easy and fairly healthy. Tonight, I made Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta and took a shortcut with cooked chicken strips which I always have in the freezer. The meal came together in 20 minutes and it was delicious! The lemon flavor was perfect with the chicken and you really can't go wrong with cream cheese. What a nice way to end a busy day!

Yes We Still Eat Out!

It's been a while since I've posted pictures of our dining expeditions mainly cuz we haven't gone anywhere new but don't think that I slave away in the kitchen all weekend! Here we are at our favorite local spot, Tres. You can't beat a great pitcher of Margaritas AND yummy food just 3 blocks away!

It's a Pasta Revolution!

I ordered America's Test Kitchen's Pasta Revolution last week and couldn't wait to start making some of the recipes. I decided to start with the Creamy Crabmeat Fettuccine, which I substituted Fusilli for but kept everything else pretty much the same. Ok, I lied, I pretty much made my own version and here's the recipe. It turned out really yummy though! Perfectly creamy and just a touch of heat from the cayenne. A great way to start the weekend indeed!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c dry sherry
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 lb cooked crabmeat
Fusilli, cooked al dente
Parmesan, for topping

Prep:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, tarragon and cayenne and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

2. Stir in sherry and simmer until nearly evaporated, 5 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes.

3. Add crabmeat and pasta and warm through. Serve with Parmesan on top.

Big O Chicken Legs!

Chicken Leg Quarters go on sale quite often but for the longest time I was totally intimidated by them. I mean, they're HUGE and I couldn't imagine what I'd do with them! I finally conquered my fear a while ago and nowadays I always keep a few in the freezer for yummy recipes like Chicken Normandy. I finished the dish on the stovetop and still got a nicely browned skin since I gave them a good sear and the flour definitely helped. I've made this dish once before using chicken thighs but I thought the legs quarters were even better since I LOVE drumsticks! I also liked the addition of apple cider which added more fruitiness. I served the chicken over mashed potatoes and it was a very comforting meal especially now that the nights are getting chilly.

Thai Pork in Chili Sauce WILL Make Your Cold Go Away!

My poor hubby is sick so I thought I'd make something comforting like Thai Pork in Chili Sauce to make him feel better. Man, that spicy curry can really clear your sinuses! I did make a few additions thanks to my favorite Gourmet Garden herbs in a tube so here's my recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 lb ground pork
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp lemon grass paste
1 c chopped canned tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp Fish sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Rice noodles, for serving
Green onions, for garnish

Prep:

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, curry paste, ginger and lemon grass and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, fish sauce and brown sugar. Turn heat down to low and simmer until pork is cooked through, 5 minutes.

4. Serve over rice noodles and garnish with green onions.

Buffalo Chicken without the Bar!

We LOVE to order Buffalo Chicken at bars so tonight, I thought I'd turn our favorite bar snack into a Mac and Cheese dinner. In my experience, combining 2 yummy things usually mean 1 VERY yummy result! This Mac and Cheese has all the ingredients you'd expect from a big platter of Buffalo Chicken like carrots, wing sauce and of course, BLUE CHEESE SAUCE! I

Ingredients:

3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 c carrots, peeled and diced
1/4 c onions, diced
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 c whole milk
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c buffalo wing sauce
Pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 lb chicken strips, cooked

Prep:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the blue cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and cayenne until smooth. Set aside.

2. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat until melted. Add the carrots and onions and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.

3. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture thickens, 5 minutes. 

4. Turn off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce, blue cheese mixture, pasta and chicken. Serve immediately.

French Fried Onion Rings Make EVERYTHING Better!

What can make a creamy pasta meal made with Cream of Mushroom Soup even better? Top it with French Fried Onions Rings like this Sausage Noodle Casserole! Seriously, I can't think of a more comforting Sunday night meal!