Baja Chicken Taco Pizza {and then some...}

I've really been wanting to utilitze my bread maker lately and what better way than to make some pizza crust dough! I have to say, this turned out awesome! I've made it by hand many times but it's never been like this.

I found this recipe CDKitchen.com but there are hundreds of similar recipes online.

Ingredients

• 1 cup and 2 tbsp warm water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp pizza seasoning {not in the original recipe}

Directions

1. Place ingredients in pan in order listed or as directed per machine instructions. Select white dough cycle.  
2. When machine is finished, remove and form into crusts. Top with desired toppings and bake at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until crust is light brown.

Now, on to our "desired toppings." :)

I like to experiment with my homemade pizzas so this week I found the Baja Chicken Taco Pizza in my Simple & Delicious magazine. I also have to make a "regular" pizza for the hubs just in case he doesn't like my creations :) His usually includes a garlic alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, chicken, grilled onions and mushrooms. Topped with a little cheddar cheese.

Ingredients

1 cup ranch salad dressing

1/4 cup salsa

1 tablespoon lime juice

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 prebaked 12-inch thin pizza crust {obviously, I used the homemade version above}

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded lettuce

2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions

• In a blender or food processor, combine the salad dressing, salsa, lime juice and cilantro. Cover and process on high for 1-2 minutes or until smooth; set aside. In a small bowl, combine chicken and taco seasoning; set aside.
• Place crust on an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Spread salsa mixture over crust. Sprinkle with the chicken mixture, tomatoes, onion and cheese. Bake at 425° for 17-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with lettuce; top with avocado slices.

Word to the wise... don't taste the sauce before it's cooked. It totally tastes weird and I thought I'd had a horrible recipe on my hands... it turned out SO good. Even my husband liked it and he doesn't usually care for recipes like this.

I again paired it with chardonnay cause I had leftovers from last night. :)

Cheers!
~Vino Vixen~

French's Onion Chicken... twisted :)

Tonight I did a twist on my French's Onion Chicken - I have to say, the original recipe {found on the back of the French's Onion can :) } is good to begin with. But this twist, is to die for - my husband says it's the best chicken ever. It's sort of a Chicken Cordon Bleu twist as well. I hope you enjoy!

My original recipe can be found here. So it's essentially the same with a few minor changes :)

Before you begin, pound out your boneless skinless chicken breasts till they are about a 1/4 of an inch thick. Layer one slice of your favorite white cheese {we've used provolone, swiss, monteray jack, or even just a white cheddar - they are all good} and then one slice of deli ham lunch meat. Roll chicken breast around the cheese and ham then secure with toothpicks.

Then you just follow the recipe as in the original post.

I served this tonight with a glass of Chardonnay {but that's pretty much my "go to" these days}. I think any white wine would do just fine :)

Enjoy!
~Vino Vixen~

Angel Chicken Pasta

This is a recipe that I've had in my book for what feels like forever now, and I've always been afraid to try it.  I even bought all the ingredients... and didn't make it for nearly three more weeks, until there was nothing else in the house to cook for dinner.  And boy do I regret that, because it was delicious!  We were a little disappointed that there weren't quite enough leftovers for a second dinner, but with a few alterations, you could change that easily enough.


Angel Chicken Pasta, adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 - 3 chicken breasts, halved (or more, if you need to serve more people)
¼ cup butter
1 pkg dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (.7 ounce)
½ cup white wine (I used chardonnay this time)
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup (10.75 ounce)
4 oz cream cheese with chives (I used cream cheese with chives and onions, since that's what our store had)
1 lb angel hair pasta, or any pasta of your choice (I think we only cooked 1/2 lb, and it was more than enough to go with the amount of sauce we had)
Directions:
Melt the butter in a fairly large saucepan, using low heat. Stir in the dressing mix. Once it's at a good consistency, add the wine and the soup. Break or scoop the cream cheese into small pieces and mix in, heating just until it's melted and the mixture is smooth. If you find that it's rather thick, try adding milk an ounce at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
Put the chicken breast halves in a glass baking dish (9x13 or 2.5 qt), pour the sauce over them, and bake for an hour. While it's cooking (towards the end), boil your pasta and drain it.  Add a piece of chicken and some sauce to a plate of pasta, and enjoy!

This dish can taste a bit salty, so I'd recommend some fresh green veggies as a side, such as grilled zucchini or steamed broccoli, or a nice salad.

BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad

Cobb salad??? Easy peasy, who doesn't know how to make a cobb salad??? Well, apparently some people need a recipe. I got this recipe in my weekly e-mail from Allrecipes.com and it made my mouth water just looking at the colorful picture. I'm happy to report... mine came out looking equally as yummy :) Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bacon
• 3 eggs
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken {we BBQ'd two boneless skinless breasts}
• 2 tomatoes
• 3/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled {I just used plain cheddar cause I didn't want to go to the store}
• 1 avocado
• 3 green onions, chopped {and... I subbed a few slices of red onion}
• Ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring water to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3. Divide shredded lettuce among individual plates.
4. Evenly divide and arrange chicken, eggs, tomatoes, blue cheese, bacon, avocado and green onions in a row on top of the lettuce.       
5. Drizzle with ranch dressing {or your other favorite} and enjoy.  

Tonight I wasn't feeling wine {weird right?!} but I am enjoying a sweet tea vodka... did you know they make sweet tea flavored vodka? Paired with some sweet tea and a splash of lemonade... deeeelish! :)

Cheers!
~Vino Vixen~

Panda Express Orange Chicken

I don't think I've ever come across a copycat recipe that was as close to the original as this one... OMG it was almost better I think! And look how pretty this is!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breast meat
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups vegetable oil to be used for frying
• 1 cup cornstarch

Orange Sauce

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallion

Directions:

1. Cut chicken breast into 1/2-inch cubes, set aside.
2. To make marinade – combine egg white, salt and sugar in a bowl and stir vigorously until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add chicken cubes to marinade and stir to coat well.
3. To make orange sauce – combine water, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, 4 teaspoons cornstarch and sesame oil; stir and set aside. Place a pot over high heat. When pot is hot, add the 2tablespoons vegetable oil and heat. Add orange peel and scallion and stir for about 20 seconds, taking care not to burn the orange peel.
4. Pour combined sauce ingredients into the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 12-15 minutes.
5. Preheat 4 cups oil to 350-375°F. Meanwhile, put marinated chicken in the plastic baggie drain well and set aside. Add fried chicken to pot with heated orange sauce, stir for about 30 seconds, and then serve immediately. containing the cornstarch. Shake chicken well for about 20 seconds or until chicken is covered with cornstarch. Shake off all excess cornstarch and fry chicken in hot oil until golden brown, approximately 2 1/2 minutes. Remove chicken from oil with a slotted spoon,
6. Serve with steamed rice.

It's a little bit of a time consuming recipe but it turned out excellent! Again, I paired this with Chardonnay cause I had part of my bottle left over from last night :) The only thing I would change for next time is that I like mine a little more spicy so I think I'd throw in some red pepper flakes or something to give it a little kick - otherwise, it's absolutely perfect!

Cheers!

~Vino Vixen~

Artichoke & Tomato Chicken

Another yummy chicken one! 

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup olive oil
2. 4 fresh tomatoes, dices
3. 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4.  2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
5. 6 artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
6.  2 red bell peppers, chopped
7. 1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, cubed
8. 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
9.  2 cups marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, artichoke hearts and red peppers. Cook until just hot, then remove from heat. transfer to a large bowl and toss together with mozzarella cubes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lay out the pounded breasts and spoon filling onto the center, leaving an inch on each side. Adjust filling as you roll so as not to over stuff. Place them seam side down into a 2 quart baking dish. cover with marinara sauce. Place lid onto dish or cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is cooked through.

I do have to say that the recipe above is straight copy & pasted from Allrecipes.com however, I made a few changes. The first being that I only made 2 chicken breasts instead of 6 so all other ingredients were adjusted accordingly. Second, after reading the reviews of the recipe and after preparing the initial ingredients I opted not to top it with any marinara sauce because the amount of filling I had far exceeded what I could stuff into two little chicken breasts no matter how flat I could get them! :) Next time, I think I'd still do the marinara - it was good... oh boy was it good - but it needed that little extra sauce. 

 

And the wine... oh the wine :) Chianti my friends...

 

Cheers!

~Vino Vixen~

Arroz Con Pollo

I love chicken! I love finding new recipes to use chicken cause if my husband had his way, every night I pulled out bone in chicken he'd ask for fried chicken... bleck! Don't get me wrong, I love me some fried chicken too but not all the time. Only when I need that good ol' fashioned comfort food!

So here's a little mexican twist on kind of fried chicken... & rice! :) 

Arroz Con Pollo! I found this recipe from SimplyRecipes.com. I've never made it before but it was SUPER easy!

Ingredients: 

Chicken

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 broiler-fryer chicken, about 2 1/2-3 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in, with skin on, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup of flour for dredging
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Paprika

Rice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
• 3 cups* chicken stock
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
• Pinch of oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet (a skillet that has a cover) on medium high heat. Put the flour in a wide bowl, mix in a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the flour mixture and put in the pan to brown. (You can skip the flour dredging part if you want. It just makes a nicer coating for the chicken.) Cook a few minutes on each side, just enough so that the chicken has browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add the rice to the pan to brown. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. Stir first to coat the rice with the olive oil in the pan. Then don't stir too much or you will prevent it from browning. Let it brown and then stir a little to let more of it brown. Then add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion, garlic and rice mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes. 
3. Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the rice. In a separate bowl, mix together the stock, tomato, salt, and oregano. Pour the stock mixture over the rice and chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Let cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package, until the rice and chicken are done. Fluff the rice with a fork. If you want you can sprinkle with some peas. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Lucky me... this pairs well with my favorite - Chardonnay! 

Cheers!

~Vino Vixen~

Chicken Fiesta Salad

Happy Mardi Gras... a day late?! :) I don't even notice these holidays that I used to classify as "drinking holidays" anymore **blush** does that mean I'm getting old??

Oh well... I'm not sure I mentioned it before but I've started meal planning and this is my first week - if you care to check out my weekly menus, they can be found here on my personal blog. Today was the a new recipe - Chicken Fiesta Salad (which was originally scheduled for Friday but a little mishap of choosing two meat/rice dishes in a row just didn't work for my hubby so we switched a few days around.). I've never made this before but I found it here and it turned out really well!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 package fajita seasoning
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 package mixed salad greens
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Rub chicken evenly with 1/2 the fajita seasoning. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, mix beans, corn, salsa and other 1/2 of fajita seasoning. Heat over medium heat until warm.
3. Prepare the salad by tossing the greens, onion and tomato. Top salad with chicken and dress with the bean and corn mixture.

First of all, I didn't have fajita seasoning so I just used taco seasoning as I didn't think they'd vary too much. Also, I cut my chicken into 1/2 inch strips and marinated them for about an hour before cooking. This recipe was so simple and easy - and yummy! We also added some shredded cheddar cheese and avocado on top and a small amount of ranch dressing. Oiy so filling with all those black beans! It only made about 3 servings so if you need more just double everything.

As far as a wine pairing, I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com and they suggest a Sauvignon Blanc, which I didn't have a bottle of but I imagine would most definitely pair well!

Cheers!
~Vino Vixen~

Favorite Chicken!

This is another recipe I tried from the I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening book. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it is now my new favorite for chicken! The recipe called for goat cheese, which I was going to use, but when I went to use it I realized it was 3 weeks expired when I bought it!(glad you're on top of things, Walmart) I ended up using tomato basil feta by Atheno's instead, and don't think I will change a thing!




The recipe said to use an oven safe nonstick skillet, which I don't have. I ended up browning them in the skillet and then transferring to a baking dish, and it worked just fine.I did bake them for quite a bit longer than the 5-9 minutes it said it should take, but my chicken breasts were a little larger.

4(4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup canned, drained fire roasted tomatoes
2 ounces goat cheese(I used the tomato basil feta I mentioned earlier)
Fresh basil for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place medium oven safe nonstick skillet over high heat, mist with spray when hot, add chicken. Cook chicken just until outsides are golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove pan from heat and top each piece of chicken with 2 tablespoons of the tomatoes, followed by about 1/2 ounce of cheese. Transfer skillet to oven and bake chicken until it is no longer pink inside and cheese is melted, about 5-9 minutes. Top with basil, serve immediately.

*The nutritional info in the book says that these chicken breasts only have 171 calories each!

Source: I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening

~Kiss The Cook

Chicken & Herb Dumplings

I have been looking for a good crockpot chicken and dumpling recipe and found this one by Campbell's.  It was delicious and husband approved!

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
4 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
3 1/2 cups Swanson Chicken Broth
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
2 cups all-purpose baking mix
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed

Directions:
1. Stir the chicken, carrots, celery, corn, broth, and black pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. (On HIGH for 4-5 hours)
3. Stir the flour and water in a small bowl.  Stir into the cooker.  Turn the heat to HIGH.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.
4. Stir the baking mix, milk, and rosemary in a medium bowl.  Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls over the chicken mixture.  Tilt the lid to vent and cook on HIGH for 40 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked in the center.

Enjoy!
Yankee Doodle

P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps....SERIOUSLY!

These came out seriously good, and seriously close to the real thing.  All I've done is copy and paste this recipe from Food.com...P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  There was nothing to adapt!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup water chestnut
• 2/3 cup mushroom
• 3 tablespoons chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon hot mustard
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir-Fry Sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. 
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16. Top with "Special Sauce".

The bib lettuce I had gotten to use for this went bad, so I ended up just using romaine.  Still turned out really good!

If you are in any way a fan of P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps...you have to try making these!  

~Chef Val

Thai Basil Stir-Fry

I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com but made a few of my own small changes.  Below, is my version of the recipe, but the one I linked, is the original.  It's spicy, and delicious and really easy to make.  We make this on the weekends instead of getting take-out.  I'd say it makes about 4-5 servings, so it's pretty pocket friendly too.  Be sure to make your rice ahead of time and refrigerate it.  Hot rice does not make good fried rice!  It gets too gummy.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• sesame oil for frying
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled
• 6 large cloves garlic clove, crushed
• Sriracha hot sauce (comes in a big red bottle) or crushed red pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• 1 1/2 cups frozen bell peppers
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups basil (remove leaves from stem, but don't chop)

Directions

1. Whisk together the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Add the garlic and serrano peppers (or crushed red pepper), stirring quickly. Stir in the chicken, bell pepper, onion and oyster sauce mixture; cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Raise heat to high and stir in the chilled rice; stir quickly until the sauce is blended with the rice. Use the back of a spoon to break up any rice sticking together.
3. Remove from heat and mix in the basil leaves.

Sorry for the lack of a picture.  Totally forgot to snap one!


- Pastry Princess

Chicken Enchiladas

We had these for dinner last night, and they were awesome! I was a little worried they would come out tasting too ranchy, but I probably wouldn't have guessed that was what was in them if I didn't know. I actually liked that they weren't soaked in enchilada sauce like the other recipe I use.



Chicken Enchiladas
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup Ranch salad dressing
Flour tortillas
Salsa to taste
Shredded cheese(I used a mixture of fiesta blend and sharp cheddar because it is what I had)

Cook chicken breasts(I tossed mine in the oven, but cook any way you want) and shred chicken after it has cooled a bit.

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix half of the ranch and sour cream. In a smaller bowl, mix the other half of the ranch and sour cream. Add the shredded chicken to the large bowl and mix well. Spread about a tablespoon of the plain mixture over the tortilla to cover evenly. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla, and then as much salsa and cheese as you would like. Roll up tortilla, and place seam side down in prepared baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes. I made 8 large enchiladas but the recipe says you should be able to make 10-15.

I also sprinkled a little salsa and cheese on top before I baked them because we prefer it that way.

Source: Annie's Eats

~Kiss The Cook

Thai Ramen with Vegetables

I know, I know, Ramen is for college kids. But really, you can make some pretty tasty meals with it! Or substitute regular pasta if you want, but I like the budget friendly Ramen. The dish is full of vegetables, chicken and lots of flavor. I used the Creamy Chicken Ramen because I wanted to add a little extra body to the sauce. I think a regular Ramen might taste OK, but the sauce would probably be too thin.

Here is the cost breakdown:

1 Chicken breast - 50 cents2 packs of ramen - 25 cents
1/4 onion - 20 cents
2 green onions - 20 cents
1/2 red pepper - 75 cents
1 carrot - 20 cents
2 Tablespoons peanut butter - 50 cents
1 Tablespoon cilantro - 5 cents?
Total cost - Approximately $2.65 for a 2-person meal

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast, cut into small chunks
• 2 packages Creamy Chicken flavored Ramen
• 1/4 onion, sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. In a large nonstick skillet, add 1 Tablespoon oil and heat over medium high. Add chicken and cook thoroughly. Add onion, red pepper and carrot to pan and cook 3-5 minutes until tender.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to rapid boil. Add Ramen noodles with seasoning packet and cook 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the noodles or they become soggy.

3. Drain noodles, reserving about 3/4 cup liquid. Add peanut butter, soy sauce and brown sugar to noodles, mixing well to combine. Add noodles to pan with chicken and vegetables and stir. If too much liquid rema

ins, bring saute pan to a boil and simmer 3 minutes until liquid evaporates.

4. Remove pan from heat and add green onions. Stir to warm the onions. Top with chopped cilantro and hot sauce, if desired.

- Pastry Princess

Crockpot: Chicken & Sausage Paella

I was skeptical that the rice would cook through in the slow cooker, but this recipe was DELICIOUS and easy to make. It makes 8 servings and needs to cook for 6-7 hours. Prep time is 15 minutes.

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs cut into cubes

1 lb chorizo sausage or Andouille sausage, thinly sliced

2 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1 large red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 cups Campbell's Condensed chicken broth

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup chopped Manzanella olives

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Stir the chicken, sausage, rice, onion, broth and soup in a 6-quart slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours (or high 4-5 hours) or until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir the peas and olives into the slow cooker. Cover and cook until the mixture is hot. Sprinkle with the parsley. (I actually skipped this step by putting everything in the crockpot all at once and cooking the peas and olives for the full 6-7 hours and it worked.)

Recipe courtesy of Campbell's.

Happy Cooking!

Yankee Doodle

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling you-hoo... Inside the chicken is cooking and my husband is shouting woo-hoo! 

Ok, that was a lame attempt at a joke on the weather right now. It's not the worst that I've seen but it's record breaking snow fall (already a foot in Nov?!) and temperature lows (-10?!) right now so what better than a yummy comfort food casserole to warm up the evening. Brrrr! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup cooked chicken (you can boil and shred chicken breasts or buy chunk chicken in a can)
• 1 lb fresh chopped broccoli
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite pasta (I used smaller shells)
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1/3 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese 
• 1 package stuffing mix

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. If using chicken breasts, boil chicken until tender and shred or cut into bite size pieces. If using chunk canned chicken, just make sure it's chopped up nicely. 
3. Steam broccoli until crisp but tender. 
4. Boil pasta until firm.
5. In a small bowl mix together the soup and milk. Set aside. 
6. Layer the chicken, broccoli, soup mixture, and cheese in baking dish. 
7. Prepare stuffing mix according to package and sprinkle over the top.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is browned.

Look you can see the steam!

 We only had a Columbia Crest Merlot in the house tonight but that'll warm us up just fine with this dish! I'd probably prefer a Chardonnay but I'm not venturing out in this snow. Enjoy!!!

~Vino Vixen~

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

OH CHEESE HEAVEN! Oh so bad for my diet!

Enter... White Cheese Chicken Lasagna! I hate traditional lasagna so I was a little skeptical at making this but it looked SO good that I couldn't resist.

 

Ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 2 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water. 
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk to a boil stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with basil, oregano and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 3 of the noodles, the ricotta and the chicken. Arrange 3 of the noodles over the chicken and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach and the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining 3 noodles over cheese and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Top with a glass of heavenly chardonnay and ENJOY!!! 

~Vino Vixen~

Cooking with Empty Cupboards!

Well, I obviously need to get to the grocery store stat! Alas, we had a bit of a rough day getting my little man down for his naps but he FINALLY is so I'm obviously stuck for the time being but I have a minute to throw something together. I had NOTHING in my cupboards but a bunch of miss-mash ingredients and three boxes of Hamburger Helper I've had enough Hamburger Helper in the last few weeks that I was determined to have a home cooked meal. Here's what I came up with... 

Bear with me here.... I was desperate!

Makeshift Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 chicken breasts (I only had one?!)
• 1 can each of Green Beans, Corn & Mushrooms (I also added a handful of frozen peas I had)
• Egg noodles (any kind of pasta would probably work though)
• Instant potatoes
• Tortilla chips 
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh minced garlic
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

     Boil chicken until cooked through - set aside to cool. Crush tortilla chips. Boil noodles according to directions, drain and place in 9x13 pan. Mix in veggies and mushrooms. Shred cooled chicken with two forks and add to mixture. Mix in garlic, salt and pepper. Make instant mashed potatoes according to directions but add a little extra water (or milk) to make them a little more thin. Add to chicken mixture. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and with crushed tortilla chips. Bake on 350 until heated through and tortilla chips are browned. Enjoy!!!

I didn't have a 9x13 because mine literally exploded in my oven about 3 weeks ago 

so my crock pot worked ok?!

I'm not gonna lie... it was missing... something?!?! I'm not sure what though. But with what I had it turned out pretty good. Maybe a nice glass of Semillion or Chardonnay would have perked it up a little but I digress... To do list for tomorrow includes a trip to the grocery store!!!!

~Vino Vixen~

Three for one!

Alright, ya'all... here's a three-fer for you! Three of my go-to fav's all in one night!!! Enjoy!!!

French's Onion Chicken 

Ingredients: 

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Mustard (either regular yellow or dijon works)
• French's Fried Onions

Directions:

      Thaw chicken and remove fat. Coat in mustard. Crush up onions and coat chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min or until cooked through. 

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Baker potatoes
• Butter
• Gorgonzola Cheese
• Bacon bits
• Milk

Directions:

      Bake or microwave potatoes until partially cooked and soft to the touch. Cut off tops and scoop out centers. Place a few crumbles of Gorgonzola cheese and 1/2 tbsp of butter in the bottom of each skin - bake in the oven on 350 degrees for 30 min. While the skins are baking, mash the inside of the potatoes with milk and butter. After the skins are done, fill with mashed potatoes. Top with cheese crumbles and bacon bits and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cheesy Bacon Green Beans

Ingredients:

• Fresh green beans
• 3-4 slices of bacon
• Gorgonzola cheese
• Almond slices

Directions:

       Cook bacon and set aside to cool and crumble. Place almonds in the oven to roast on 350 degrees for 15 -20 minutes or until golden. Blanche green beans. Saute green beans in bacon grease. Place on serving dish and top with bacon, Gorgonzola crumbles and almonds.

So there ya go! My yummy dinner... topped with a glass of Chardonnay - I'm not sure that's the right pairing but it suited me just fine :) Cheers!

~Vino Vixen~