French Onion Pasta – Bumpkin
I am not even going to attempt an explanation at where I have been for the last month. Just know, it is beyond a list of ridiculous proportions so we are putting it behind us and moving on! I am ready to get back into the groove, so here goes….
I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course). I modified it only by adding a rotisserie chicken, shredded and swapping out the marsala for sherry because it is what I already had in the house and I didn’t want an additional stop at the liquor store with a 3yr old in tow! 1 of my kids liked it, 1 hated it and 1 ate it because she will eat just about anything you put in front of her! Hubby and I liked it, I will probably make it again. As I was eating it however, I kept thinking it would be ever so much better to make as a GREAT way to use up leftover pot roast. Just a thought!!
French Onion Pasta
adapted from Stephanie Cooks
Ingredients:
2 cups of uncooked penne pasta
1 to 1.5 cup of chicken stock
1 packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup mix
1 scallion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup of marsala wine
4 tablespoons of light cream
1 tablespoon of flour
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon of EVOO
I added – 1 rotisserie chicken, or leftover pot roast (yummy!)
Let’s Make It!
1- Cook pasta according to directions, set aside and keep warm.
2- In a saucepan, heat the EVOO. Add the scallions and garlic, stir continually until soft and fragrant.
3- Add the marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on pieces of onion.
4- Add the stock and soup mix packets, allow to cook on low for about 20 minutes.
5- Stir in flour, whisking continually until well incorporated and thickened.
6- Add the light cream, mix well.
7- Add the meat and pasta to the sauce, stir well.
8- Pour into an oven safe dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
9- Set it under the broiler until the cheese gets a little crispy.
Slow cooker spicy lime chicken – townie
I threw this in the crockpot last week… Sounded pretty good…. It came out ok. Nothing super great! The thyme in the rice really overpowered everything. Wonder what it would have tasted without it?
Spicy Lime Chicken with Coconut Rice
adapted from foodnetwork
Ingredients
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
3-4lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can tomato w/lime & cilantro (ro-tel)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
Put onion, celery and carrots in bottom of slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and arrange over vegetables.
In a medium bowl, whisk together tomatoes, lime juice, and spices, and garlic. Pour mixture over chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve topped with diced avocado and cilantro and garnished with lime wedges.
FOR THE RICE
2 cups rice
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, thyme, and lime zest. Place pan over high heat and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
Fold in scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper.
CROCK POT TERIYAKI CHICKEN – townie
My mother in law flew in last night to stay with us for a few days…. Since I had to pick her up at the airport and the munchkin had ballet it was a perfect day to throw chicken in the crock. This came out really good the sauce was really good! I didn’t boil the sauce but just mixed the cornstarch mixture right in the crock. I served with sushi rice and sautéed green beans.
CROCK POT TERIYAKI CHICKEN
adapted from lake lure cottage kitchen
boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked sushi rice
Place chicken in slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice.
Chicken Picata with Mushrooms and Spinach – Bumpkin
I took out chicken a few days ago with every intention of cooking up a storm. But, speaking of storms, the weather had another idea. Winds got up to 70mph here and knocked out our power. Since we didn’t know how long it would be out we opted to just go into town for dinner.
Fast forward to today. So, here I am husbandless for the weekend (he is turkey hunting….the result of which will probably a 2-day beard, a bit of sunburn and a headache!) and not REALLY in the mood to cook but I have chicken about to spoil. I also have meyer lemons, mushrooms and spinach about to spoil. Sounds like picata time.
I found a quick recipe on allrecipes.com. It, naturally, needed modifications because WHAT is picata without capers! The kids were watching Tom and Jerry, I whipped up dinner. They all sat down and STARED! I HATE going to any sort of effort just to have kids NOT eat. Push the spinach aside kids….just eat your damn dinner!
After a few bites, spinach and capers picked out. Dinner was done. I think it was perfectly delicious. Hubby will like it (not as much as his mom’s but…) I will probably make it again because I typically have all the ingredients at any given time. I served it with spaghetti into which I juiced 1 lemon, added a dash of olive oil and grated some fresh parmesan cheese.
Chicken Picata with Mushrooms and Spinach
adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1T chopped garlic
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs – cut into thin strips
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- bunch of spinach
- 2T capers
- In a shallow bowl, mix together flour, paprika, and salt and pepper. Dredge chicken pieces in the seasoned flour.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic and saute chicken until light golden brown (about 45 seconds each side). Remove chicken from skillet, and set aside.
- To skillet, add mushrooms, lemon juice, and chicken stock. Simmer until a smooth, light sauce develops. Season with garlic powder. Return chicken to the skillet, and simmer until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Stir in spinach and capers, and remove from heat.
baked chicken parm – townie
i had taken out 2 packages of chicken yesterday then remembered that we didnt need leftovers – so i only used one package – leaving me with a package of chicken i HAD to use today! this chicken was YUMMY the kiddos gobbled it up and left one small piece for the husband… the kids ate it with a side of peas – the husband had some leftover pizza alongside his chicken 🙂 i’ll definitely make it again but use double the chicken!
Baked Chicken Parmesan
adapted from skinnytaste
- 1lb thin sliced chicken breast
- 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup marinara
- cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Lightly spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
Confetti Chicken Pasta – Bumpkin
I have been slacking on posting. I was originally going to post a Coconut Chicken recipe I made last week but alas tonight’s dinner was yummier. I saw this recipe on, you guessed it, Pinterest! I had everything, or a version of everything, on hand and it looked quick enough to throw together on a weeknight.
The general consensus is that it was yummy. My oldest went for seconds, which is fairly odd for her when there is any form of meat in a dish. I added the red pepper flakes to the top of the dish rather than in the sauce so the kids would eat it. The original called for feta but I was out. However, she did mention that her mom made it with Parmesan so that is the route I went. Hubby and I think it would have been SUPER yummy with Gorgonzola or some Pancetta sauteed with the onions. It definitely needed a salt kick or something. I think this dish could very easily work with shrimp, too.
This dish isn’t much different than some I have just thrown together on my own, in the past. I do love to throw meat and veggies in a pan and go!
Confetti Chicken Pasta
adapted from The Bake Cakery
Veggies & Pasta
16 oz. of Penne Pasta (always cook al dente in salt water according to pkg directions)
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (original called for breast but I rarely buy breast because I think they cook up tasting and feeling like rubber), cut in 1″ cubes
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 medium sweet. Onion, diced
2T Garlic, minced
1 Orange Bell Pepper, long thin slices
2c. Broccoli florets
2 vine ripened tomatoes, cubed
Cook your pasta and let it drain. (tip: Iadded a little butter to cooked noodles so they didn’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 broccoli, saving the tomatoes until the very end.
When everything is cooked, combine the veggies with the chicken in your big bowl. Now its time for the sauce!
Spicy Cream Sauce
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. milk
1 c. Parmesan
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, making a roux
Slowly add in the cream and milk while whisking to prevent any clumps from forming. 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 completely melted
To assemble just throw it all in a bowl!
crockpot chicken taco chili – townie
this crock pot chicken taco chili has been making the rounds of the internet for awhile now — it was only a matter of time before i made it! it was pretty good – not sure if it was any better than any others but it was good — and the cilantro made it better! i served it with some corn muffins
Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
adapted from skinnytaste
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 16-oz can black beans
- 1 16-oz can kidney beans
- 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
- 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
- 1 can diced tomatoes w/chilies
- 1 can diced tomatoes w/jalapenos
- 1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
directions
Combine beans, onion, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro.
bourbon chicken without the bourbon!
bumpkin and i talked about doing a chicken dinner — but i ended up posting over at my other blog before i knew she was going to make chicken too! so you can read all about it over there!
honey garlic chicken in the crockpot – townie & bumpkin
sometimes crockpot meals turn out awesome – sometimes they’re just ok – and sometimes they’re terrible.. this one turned out terrible for me! partly it was my fault. chicken breasts on low for 10 hours just dont bode well… i should have put frozen breasts in.. and i used tamari instead of low sodium soy sauce.. dont ask why — so the whole thing was overdone and REALLY salty! would it have been less salty with the soy sauce? who knows… id be willing to try this again – but with a much LESS cooking time!
NOTE FROM BUMPKIN – I couldn’t bring myself to photograph this dinner. I made it with all the correct ingredients, including chicken thighs. I put them in frozen (tsk tsk) because I knew it would be all day before I would get home to “check” on the meal. The skin from the chicken made the sauce really oily, which separeted from everything else. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender but everything was in slimy pieces. I served it over rice and where Townie’s photo looks like a piece of poop (LOL) next to noodles, mine looked like vomit on rice. The flavor was ok. I MIGHT make it again. But, more likely if I am going to just throw chicken in a crockpot I might just grab my “standby” ingredients and have it be less oily and less salty.
HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN
adapted from a year of slow cooking
The Ingredients.
2.5-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup Tamari
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey
The Directions.
Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 (I’d go with low—).
Serve with basmati rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.
Town Mouse and Country Mouse 