Hearty Herb Chicken

Supper turned into something that could come from Grandma’s kitchen.  It was warm and cozy if that even makes sense!  What was even better is that my three year old asked for more!  She licked the gravy off of her plate;-)  It was a Hearty Herb Chicken.  First, I peeled and cut three baked potatoes into bite size chunks and put those into a cake pan (make sure you use a cooking spray on the bottom- I didn’t and it stuck!).  I chopped a bag of baby carrots and added them next.  You can always add more or different vegetables. Season the vegetables with garlic, Italian seasonings, and about ¼ of a packet of dry Italian dressing.  Next, I used the same seasonings on both sides of four boneless chicken breasts I put the chicken on top of the vegetables and added seasoning salt to all of it.  In a bowl, I stirred two cans of 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom soup with one cup of skim milk (you can use whatever you have on hand).  I poured the soup over the chicken and vegetables and used some fresh ground pepper.  It baked for about 50 minutes at 400F.  On a cold day, this is definitely the perfect dish to make.  Happy cooking!

Make your Own Hamburger Helper!

Make your own hamburger helper type meal- and actually enjoy it!  Last night I made a dish that both of my daughters loved.  !  First, I browned a pound of ground beef (you can use ground turkey) seasoned with cumin, garlic powder, and one packet of Goya –cilantro y tomate.  At the same time, I cooked half a pound of macaroni.  When the meat was done, I added a can of tomato sauce, garlic and onion diced tomatoes, and zesty diced tomatoes (juices included).  Next, I added a can of corn and mushrooms drained.  Then, I added another packet of Goya seasonings and seasoned it more with garlic powder and cumin.  This is a great dish to make spicy, but I can't with two little ones eating it.  Finally, I put in chunks of Velveeta cheese and cooked until it was melted. Add as much cheese as you want.  The meal turned out great and was very filling.  It wasn’t too saucy, but enough to cover the pasta. We ate the leftovers for lunch today and they reheated very well.  I was surprised at how well it turned out to be honest!  What is great about this dish is you can add as many vegetables to it or use different vegetables if you want.  If your child doesn’t like vegetables, you can dice them and hide them in the sauce!  Enjoy!  Happy cooking!

Sweet Pecan Chicken

Sweet Pecan chicken… it was a hit with my three year old!  Normally, it is a struggle to get her to eat three bites of chicken, but not this time!  She ate half of a chicken breast herself!  It was pretty easy to make and well worth the time! 

First, I took about a cup of honey and two eggs and stirred it together to make a marinade.  I used three chicken breasts and seasoned with garlic on both sides.  I poured the marinade on the chicken and left in the refrigerator for about an hour. 

Then I took about a 1 ½ cups of pecans and finely chopped them.  I added about ½ cup of Italian bread crumbs and mixed it together.  Dredge the chicken in the mixture.  If you don’t have enough of the mixture, you can always make more.  Spray a pan with cooking spray and place chicken in it. I took about a ¼ of a stick of butter and melted it.  Then, pour over the top of the chicken. On my chicken, I added a dash of cayenne pepper. It completed the dish for me!  Cook at 375 F for about 40 minutes or until done- don’t overcook it or it will be dry!  This is not a crispy coating on the outside, but more of soft coating with a bite. I know that probably doesn’t make sense, but you will understand what I mean when you make the chicken!     If you drink wine at all, a nice chardonnay goes great with the buttery flavor or a Riesling brings out a great flavor as well. 

Happy cooking!

Healthy Vegetable Pasta

It has been awhile since I have tried a new dish.  The holidays made life hectic, but I am back! Tonight’s supper was definitely different than some of the foods we usually eat in my house…. But dinner was a success!  After the first bite, my three year old said, “Thank you for making supper Mommy. It is delicious!” She had no clue she was eating vegetables!  So what did I make?  It is my healthy version of a vegetable Alfredo. 

Ingredients: mushrooms, marinated artichoke hearts, white onions, garlic cloves, red peppers,  can of diced tomatoes, milk, flour,  linguine, and parmesan cheese.   

First, dice the artichoke hearts, 1/3 of white onion, and 1/3 of red pepper.  Sauté them in the marinade from the artichoke hearts.  Add a little Italian seasoning (of course mine comes from Graziano’s in Des Moines, IA) and 3 minced garlic cloves.  Let cook for a little while without letting it burn.  Then add a can of diced tomatoes (I use Del Monte’s Basil, Garlic, and Oregano).  Make sure you include the liquid from the tomatoes.    In a bowl, pour a cup of low fat milk and add 3 tablespoons of flour.  Stir it up and slowly pour it into the pan.  Let the sauce cook for a little while to thicken.  Pour all of the sauce over about ½ pound of cooked linguine.  Make sure you top each portion with a little bit of parmesan cheese.  The sharpness of the cheese completes the dish! 

If you do not have artichoke hearts in a marinade, you can try to saute them in olive oil and basil. 

Happy cooking!