Crispy Chicken w/Creamy Italian Sauce and pasta

This is easy, tasty and will be something we make again for a fast, pretty tasty meal!

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com Time: 45 minutes Yield: 6 servings Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up! 3 large chicken breasts 5 C corn flakes 3/4 C flour 1/2 t salt 1/2 C milk 6 T olive oil   1   12 oz package bowtie noodles (farfalle) Sauce:  1   10 oz container Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb Flavor) 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 C chicken broth 1/2 C milk  fresh parsley, chopped (optional)    1. In a small food processor crush the corn flakes into crumbs.  2. Add the 1/2 t salt to the 3/4 C flour. Stir to combine.  3. Place the flour, milk and crushed cornflakes each into their own separate pan. Loaf pans work well for this. If you don't have three loaf pans, do not dismay. You could use pie tins, or round cake pans...what ever works for you.  4. Place your chicken breasts in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and seal the top.  Pound the chicken flat with a meat mallet. You will really be thankful for the Ziploc bag in this step. Who wants a bunch of chicken guts flying around their kitchen? Not me...that's who.  5. Take a pair of sharp kitchen scissors and cut each breast in half.  6. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Be sure it gets covered on both sides.  Lay the floured chicken onto a small cookie sheet and slide the sheet into the freezer. Let it hang out there for about 5 minutes.  7. Start cooking your pasta.  8. Remove the chicken from the freezer and dredge each piece in the milkand then immediately into the corn flake crumbs. Again, be sure both sides are covered well.  9. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet.  10. Carefully lay each chicken piece into the hot oil. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.... or until the underside of each piece is nice and golden brown. Turn the pieces over. If the bottom of the pan is dry add just a bit more olive oil to the side of the pan. Swirl the pan around a bit to let the oil flow to all sides.  11. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium.  Let the chicken cook for about 7 more minutes, being careful not to burn the bottoms. Burned bottoms are not advised. In any shape or form. Thank you.  12. When your chicken has been cooked through remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Cover with tin foil.   13. Into the same pan pour your broth. Philly Cooking Creme, Cream of Chicken, and milk. Whisk the sauce around and let it get all warm and bubbly. Should only take about 3 minutes.  14. Slice your chicken into strips and serve over your cooked pasta and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley if you choose.  Enjoy

Shanghai Noodles

Shanghai Noodles

Not sure what my deal is the past few weeks with my pasta dishes! Oh well, more working out, I suppose.

Anywho... this dish was pretty dang tasty. I used fresh Udon noodles I bought at the asian market. They were great! I also added some Bok Choy. The great thing about this recipe is the veggies you can add. This would be great with Broccoli or asparagus, snap peas etc... I like to add more that way I eat a smaller portion of noodles etc.

The one thing I would change next time is to add a little spice. We added some spicy chili oil. Some other ideas would be just red pepper flakes or Mongolian Fire Oil.. whatever is to your liking.

The other thing I did differently, this was an accident, I bought a teriyaki marinated pork tenderloin... it worked out fine though, just added some more flavor.

I did not cut the sauce as she suggests if you're using fresh noodles. I like mine saucy!

Overall, great meal, the pork tenderloin is a great choice for meat. This will definitely go onto our "make again" list.

Enjoy

Author: The Daring Gourmet

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  5 mins

Total time:  15 mins

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

• ½ cup dark soy sauce
• ¼ cup oyster sauce (inexpensive and can be purchased in any Asian store) (vegan: use hoisin sauce)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1½ tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced thinly (vegetarian/vegan: use tofu following directions from Kung Pao Chicken recipe at http://www.daringgourmet.com/2013/01/08/30/)
• 1 lb thick round egg noodles, cooked according to package instructions (fresh noodles are even better, in which case cut the sauce in half because the fresh noodles weigh more) (vegans: use wheat noodles)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces and then julienned lengthwise (keep green and white parts separate)
• ½ head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts kept separate)
• 1½ tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup chicken stock
• 1½ tablespoons sesame oil
• Ground white pepper to taste

Instructions

1. To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and ginger and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Place the pork in the marinade and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet on high heat and fry the pork for one minute or until done (set the reserved marinade aside). Remove the pork and set aside. Next fry the white parts of the cabbage and green onions along with the garlic for 30 seconds or until tender. Return the pork to the pan along with the reserved marinade, the sesame oil, chicken/cornstarch mixture and the green parts of the cabbage and green onions. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the noodles and stir until combined. Add white pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Pork Chops with Garlic and Wine

I have MAJOR props for the Pioneer Woman. She has some great recipes, this one for SURE wins a huge thumbs up from Ryan and myself. I made a inventory of my pantry, fridge and freezer, so I could make a menu out of what was left. yes, I was made fun of for doing this... but it worked. 

I have been wanting to make pork chops with gravy, but I found this gem and went with it.

GREAT!

I have not been drinking, so Ryan had bought Bota Boxes of wine, we just used that for the wine, I believe it was just their Red Wine. 

Pork Chops with Wine and Garlic

Prep Time:

 5 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 25 Minutes

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

6

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 whole Pork Chops (medium-to-thin)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• Salt And Pepper
• 1-1/2 cup Red Wine
• 1/2 cup Beef Broth (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Bay Leaf
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 18 whole Peeled Garlic Cloves
• 1 Tablespoon Butter (additional)

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil and butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops and sear them on both sides until they're nice and golden, about 2 minutes per side. (No need to completely cook the chops at this point.) Remove the chops from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, then throw in the whole garlic cloves. Stir them around and cook them for several minutes, or until they get nice and golden brown.

Pour in the red wine, then add the bay leaf. Stir around and let it reduce, raising the heat if necessary. Cook the sauce for several minutes, or until it's nice and reduced and thick.

Stir in the beef broth (you can add more if it needs the liquid) and add the chops back into the cooking liquid, arranging them so that they're swimming in the sauce. Allow the chops to cook in the liquid for a few minutes, then pour in the balsamic. Shake the pan to get it to distribute, then cook for a couple more minutes, or until the pork chops are done.

Remove the chops from the pan once more, then let the sauce reduce a little more if needed until it's very thick and rich and the garlic is soft. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter and sprinkle in a little salt and pepper.

Arrange pork chops on a platter, then pour the whole skillet of sauce (including garlic) over the top.

Chicken Marsala

I feel like a fatty fat fatty this week. Pasta two days in a rowwwwww.... ooops :) 

I have never ordered Chicken Marsala before because i HATE mushrooms... one night at dinner Bree ordered it... I decided to take a little taste test... minus any mushrooms... it was realllllllllly good. Ever since I have thought off and on about making it, I finally did.... it was GREAT

I, obviously left out the mushrooms.. I thought about cooking them and what not... then fishing them out, because I thought it would add some flavor... in the end, I decided that is tooooooo much work. So, if you like Mushrooms.... adddddd away :)

I combined two recipes for mine.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts,pounded thin and cut in large bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream

 3/4 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken stock

1 pound dry pasta + water for cooking (I used leftover fettuccini, that I had from yesterday)
1 cup Parmesan cheese + more for serving
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
minced, chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Emrills Creole Seasoning:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms, garlic and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and cream; bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and parm cheese; cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. If too thick add some pasta water, I added maybe 1/4 C

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I came across this and thought it would be a fun experiment. For the most part, I don't like super creamy or overly heavy sauces, but this sounded good. 

I thought it turned out great, next time I would add some veggies, I was meaning to add broccoli, totally forgot while I was boiling the pasta to add some broccoli to the pot and steam it. 

We had a side of broccoli and brussell sprouts.... you will notice this is BASICALLY the only sides I make hahaha...  maybe I will try and branch out 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-fat (2%) milk

1/2 c heavy whipping cream

Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 ounces fresh fettuccine
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon,1 minute. Whisk in the milk, whipping cream and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.

Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and pepper.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/low-cal-fettuccine-alfredo-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Guinness Beef Shepherds Pie

I wanted to make something for St. Patty's day, I have made the beef stew in the past, so I wanted to try a Shepherds Pie. This turned out great. I will say this was a TOTAL pain in the ass though. If you are going to make this, you NEED to have a pan that can go on the stove and in the oven. I thought the casserole I bought was able to do this.. turns out, it cannot go on the stove-top. I am in DIRE need of a dutch oven that I am able to do both. 

Of course, after doing all the switching of the pans.... 3 times? Ryan told me that his pans can go in the oven....... yeah, I wont go into how annoyed I was about that. 

Regardless of the pain-in-the-ass-ness... it turned out great. 

I am still off bread, but Ryan bought a baby loaf and shared that 

I forgot to take a picture... so I stole one from the blog I got this from, which means this time you actually have a decent photo! Yay!

www.pictureperfectmeals.com

Guinness Beef Shepherd’s Pie

 

Print

Prep time

35 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 35 mins

 

Author: Cheryl Beverage Barnes

Recipe type: Stews

Cuisine: Irish

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 pounds boneless stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more, as needed
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, stems removed and halved
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• one (12-ounce) bottle Guinness – no foam
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs, tied with string
• 1 recipe mashed potatoes
• 1 cup shredded aged cheddar, plus more for the top
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. Position the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the beef dry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss well to lightly coat all the pieces. In a Dutch oven or large, ovenproof heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high. You want it hot, but not smoking. Working in three batches (so the meat will brown, not steam), sear the meat, stirring occasionally until well-browned, about 5 minutes per batch; add the extra tablespoon of oil between batches, as needed (I used two extra tablespoons total). Transfer the browned meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add ½ of the beef stock, onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots. Season with a little more salt and pepper and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes; add the tomato paste, remaining stock, Guinness, Worcestershire and thyme. Add the beef, along with any juices in the bowl. Bring to a rapid simmer, cover and transfer to the oven.
2. Braise until the beef is very tender and the sauce has reduced, about 1-1/2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, make the mashed potatoes, if using. Stir in the cheese and garlic powder to the potatoes.
4. Remove the pot from the oven. Fish out the thyme and discard; add in the peas. Place the pot of stew on the stove over medium heat. Add the cornstarch slurry, bring to a boil and cook until nicely thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and let cool slightly if using the potato topping.
5. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Spread the stew into a casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal and to prevent the filling from bubbling up (some will but that’s okay). Smooth with a rubber spatula and make decorative peaks, if desired. Sprinkle a little cheese on top. Place the dish on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until the potatoes just begin to brown and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Baked Ziti

Here is another One Dish Wonder. I don't know what it is about this I like so much, maybe the fact that it is super easy, only has a few ingredients, and tastes great. Probably not the most healthy meal, I justify this because I made this after my very first time Cross Country Skiing, I deserve this! I didn't have a huge portion either. 

Yes, the picture is Horrid.

I am off bread... for the time being and I was being lazy, so there was no other side. I thought slightly about making a salad, that is all it was... a thought. 

I will put the recipe below.... but need to say, I never seem to make anything as the recipe says... I think its an illness. This calls for 1/3 lb ground beef... um excuse me, please, who has 1/3 lb of ground beef? I buy ground beef in bulk generally, so I had them frozen in 1 lb baggies..... therefore, I used a pound.... in a sense I kind of trippled the recipe... 

What I mean by I kind of...... I couldn't get the lids of Ryan's spices... the part with the holes... it hurts my nails and they are quite difficult to remove, therefore, I just kept the lids on and dumped in what I thought looked reasonable. This makes me feel like I know what I am doing.... like I am that good at cooking. :)

Again, this is another recipe that has diced tomatoes. Ryan took it upon himself to 'puree' the tomatoes while in the pan. Using our hand held blender.... interesting, I know. 

(Yes, I have made the recipe from the original, it still tastes great)

Beef Baked Ziti

Serves 8

12 oz uncooked ziti pasta

2 tsbp olive oil

2 minced cloves garlic

1/3 lb lean ground beef

1 tsp dried oregano (I add more)

1 tsp dried thyme (add more)

1 tsp dried rosemary (again, add more)

1/2 tsp black pepper

salt, to taste

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes

1 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Cook pasta according to package, drain, set aside.

Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat; add garlic & saute 2 minutes. Add beef, cook until browned; drain fat, set back on heat.

Add oregano, thyme, rosemary S&P stir well. Cook until herbs fragrant (~2 min) Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Spoon a small amount of mixture into the bottom of a 4 qt casserole dish-- just enough to cover the surface. Top with 1/2 the ziti, next layer with 1/2 of remaining beef mixture and 1/2 mozzarella. Layer again topping with cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly- about 30 minutes.

Cheesy Beef-Stuffed Zucchini

My best friend in the whole wide world BreeAnna gave me this recipe. She has made it a few times and I've always enjoyed it. Ryan was a little apprehensive about this, in the end, he said "definitely make this again"

I must say, I do not recommend this for left overs... for me it was tooooo soggy. I think if you maybe reheated them in the oven they could possibly reheat okay. Nuking them was not a good option, in my opinion... and most definitely Ryans ( neither of us ended up eating the zucchini, just the stuffed part, which it still great)

Please excuse the picture, I forgot to take on and remembered after I'd already messed up my boat. I also would like to say I apologize for the fact that none of my pics are great. I am merely trying to get across an idea of what the meal is, maybe one day I will try and up my picture taking game. 

Note: My dear boyfriend is not a fan of chunky tomatoes, I sometimes feel the same way. Instead of using the 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, we used a 14 oz can and we have progresso recipe starters and used the "roasted fire tomato". We also added some oregano and dried parsley, just to kick up the flavor. The sauce you use to essentially dip your zucchini boat in. The normal recipe is still tasty, we just used what we had and went with that. 

Ok, so let's get to the point here. 

What you will need:

4 medium zucchini (6 to 8in) stems and ends removed, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out. 

4 TBSP Olive Oil

1 onion, chopped fine

3/4 lb 85% lean ground beef

4 cloves minced garlic

3/4 C Panko bread crumbs 

1/4 C chopped fresh basil

1 C shredded provolone cheese

1/2 c grated parmesan

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-mid position, heat to 425

Place a rimmed baking sheet on rack. Season cut side of zucchini with salt and pepper, brush with 2 tbsp oil. Set Zucchini halves cut side down on hot baking sheet and roast until slightly softened and edges are beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer zucchini to 9x13 in baking dish, cut side up.

2. Heat additional 1 TB oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high until just simmering. Add onion and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add beef, cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add 3 cloves garlic, cook until fragrant. Turn off heat, stir in 1/2 c bread crumbs, 2 TB basil and provolone. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Stuff zucchini halves with beef mixture. Toss remaining bread crumbs with parmesan and sprinkle over the top. Bake until golden, about 8 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 TB oil in empty skillet until shimmering. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Zucchini.

Taco Tuesday

I love Tacos and generally I go for soft tacos, but I wanted to make some crunchy. 

Today I was feeling lazy, so I used a packet for the taco seasoning and I also used packaged taco shells. You can use corn tortillas and cook in oil to make crunchy

1 lb ground beef

taco seasoning packet

shredded cheese of your choice (i used monterey jack)

lettuce, shredded

tomato

black olives

salsa

sour cream

onion

hard taco shells

Brown the meat, add taco seasoning and water (follow packet)

Heat oven to 325 

Stuff Taco shells with ground beef mixture

Cook taco shells 8-10 minues

Add your favorite fixin's 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman.

I've never made dip before, this was Great. Easy too!

A little lesson on the pronunciation of Spinach...

there is no "G" in Spinach.... 

I cannot STAND when people say Spinage 

That is all.

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Garlic, Minced
• 1 bag Spinach
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 cans Artichoke Hearts, Rinsed And Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Butter (additional)
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 1-1/2 cup Whole Milk (more If Needed)
• 1 package (8 Ounce) Softened Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Crumbled Feta
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
• 3/4 cups Grated Pepper Jack Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
• Extra Grated Pepper Jack
• Pita Wedges, Tortilla Chips, Crackers

Preparation Instructions

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Crank up the heat a bit and throw in the spinach. Stir around and cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts. Remove the spinach from the skillet and put it in a small strainer. Squeeze the excess juice back into the skillet. Set the spinach aside.

Throw in the artichokes and cook over medium high heat for several minutes, until liquid is cooked off and artichokes start to get a little color. Remove the artichokes.

In the same skillet or a different pot, melt 3 additional tablespoons of butter and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for a minute or two, then pour in milk. Stir and cook until slightly thickened; splash in more milk if needed.

Add cream cheese, feta, Parmesan, pepper jack, and cayenne and stir until cheese are melted and sauce is smooth. Chop artichokes and spinach and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.

Pour into buttered baking dish. Top with extra grated pepper jack and bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with pita wedges, chips, or crackers!