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!

To die for Nachos!!!

Are you hanging out at your house for New Year’s Eve and want to make a delicious snack or are having people over to play cards and want something to munch on?  Make nachos!  You’ve probably had nachos many different ways over the years…. but not mine! I make sure I have cheese throughout all of the nachos so when you get to the bottom it isn’t just chips!!!  Everyone who has tasted these nachos love them!  We even had a friend show up this week with the ingredients so I would make them for him!! 

What you need:  1 lb. ground beef, garlic, cumin, bag of  tortilla chips, Mexican style Velveeta cheese, Rotel  Mexican diced Tomatoes, Mexican Style shredded cheese (or whatever cheese you like!), and jalapenos

 First, brown a pound of ground beef and season with garlic and cumin (You can make it ahead of time so you can throw it together when people are there).  Use a cake pan and spray the bottom with Pam (or whatever you use).  Pour about half of a bag of tortilla chips and spread across the pan.  Use half of the Velveeta cheese.  Cut it into cubes and putt it randomly all over the chips.  Next put about half of the cooked ground beef all over the chips.  Drain the juice from the Rotel diced tomatoes and put about half of the can all over chips.  Then, pour the rest of the bag of chips on top.  Put the rest of the ground beef, tomatoes, and Velveeta cheese on top of the chips.  Put as many jalapenos as you would like on top.  Finally, sprinkle the shredded cheese all over it.  Put it in the oven and bake until the cheese is crispy on top!    

Happy cooking!!

Simple Chicken

The chicken is the absolute easiest chicken I have every made and leaves the house with a nice aroma.  All I do is take chicken breasts (bone in or out doesn't matter- whatever you prefer) and rub olive oil on the outside.  Next, I season with a little basil, garlic, and Italian seasoning on both sides. I toss a dash of Parmesan cheese on the top and bake at 400 for about 45 minutes (or until it is done).  The olive oil gives it a nice flavor and adds to a crispness on the outside! 

Vegetable soup

Sometimes I like to have a nice soup at home that doesn't taste as if it has been mass produced!  Well, I came up with two- made in very similar ways.  I make a vegetable soup and sometimes I turn it into a chicken vegetable soup when I want meat too!  What is great about making your own soup is you can add the vegetables that you want and the amount of seasonings you like to flavor the way your prefer!  First, I will tell you how I make the vegetable soup, then I will tell you how to tweak it to make it easy with chicken.
Vegetable Soup:
2 boxes of chicken stock
Garlic powder  and Lemon pepper - a couple dashes of both
one packet of Lipton chicken noodle soup
2 cans diced tomatoes (I usually use one with garlic and onion added)
2 chicken bullion cubes
A small bag of baby carrots diced up
Cucumber cut into chunks
Celery cut into bite size pieces
Portobello mushroom diced up
Basically you can add any vegetables that you want.  There are times I add leftover green beans or corn to it, because it is there.  I've added small chunks of potatoes before.  The more vegetable you add, the thicker and heartier it will be. Throw everything in the pot and cook until the carrots are soft.  You can always pressure cook the soup to make it go faster!  Obviously, with the chicken stock, it is not a true vegetarian dish, but you can always just use vegetable stock too!
To make it a chicken vegetable soup, don't use the chicken stock.  Take a couple chicken breasts and cook them in about four cups of water and add the seasonings too.  Once the chicken is done, you can cube or shred the chicken and add it back in the broth.  Then, add the vegetables and cook until the carrots (or hardest vegetable is soft). 
Happy Cooking!

Super easy- chicken packets!

It's been awhile since I have been on here- I have been sick.  So I have an easy recipe for you .  Chicken Packets are so simple, it is incredible!!!  Do you like spicy food and someone else who is eating there doesn't? Do you like mushrooms and your husband hates them?  I have the solution for you: chicken packets. I make two different types of chicken packets.  The first type of chicken packet I make is I take a boneless chicken breast put a little garlic on both sides and put it in an aluminum foil wrap.  I add a couple tablespoons of salsa (make sure it is covered).  Next, you can add whatever you want- literally!!  Sometimes I will add black beans, corn, jalapenos, and crushed red peppers.  Other times, I add green peppers and mushrooms. Add whatever you like.  This can be fun with children because they can pick and help make the supper.  Wrap the chicken up with the foil and make sure you add another wrap around the outside in case it leaks.  Bake in a pan  for about 45 minutes to one hour at 350 F.  When it is done, poke a hole in the bottom of the wrap and let the juice run out.  Be careful, it is hot!  The chicken turns out very moist and it is a meal in itself! 
The second type of chicken packet I make is I take a boneless chicken breast and wrap it the same way as the other.  I add garlic to both sides of chicken.  I add sliced mushrooms and sliced potatoes.  Next, I pour Italian dressing into the wrap over all of it.  Then, I add more garlic powder, Italian seasoning (of course it comes from Graziano's in Des Moines), and a little dried Basil. You can really add anything to the packets.  Use your imagination!! Close the wrap  and bake it for about 45 minutes to an hour in a pan.  Don't forget to put a small hole and drain the juice.  Once again, it is a meal without having to make anything else!
What is great about the packets is the fact you can make both in the same pan if someone doesn't like salsa! 
Happy cooking!!