Spicy Artichoke Pasta

 Spicy Artichoke Pasta

Spicy Artichoke Pasta is one of my husband's favorite meals that we eat. I've started making sure that we have the ingredients on hand so we can make it at any time. This dish is a refreshing change from the traditional marinara sauce you are used to. 

I got this recipe from my friend Holli a few years ago. I was nervous of the artichokes the first time I made this. I am a recovering picky eater, so new foods scare me. I chopped them up small and avoided some of them at first, but they add so much flavor. I am happy to say this meal has educated me into trying new possibilities. This was definitely a success.

I've never tried a pasta like this. Usually pastas have a strong tomato or Alfredo base to them. Although this pasta has tomatoes in it, the artichokes and seasonings add such a unique flavor to it. I think that is why Kevin is so drawn to it.

Spicy Artichoke Pasta

1 Clove Garlic, minced

2 Chicken Breasts, diced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Saute the Chicken and Garlic with the Olive Oil, over medium heat until the chicken is almost cooked through. 

1 Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 14oz jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained and cut smaller, if desired

Add the Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts to the Chicken and cook for about 10 minutes longer. I chop my artichokes smaller. 

1 Cup Heavy Cream

Lawry's Garlic Salt

Cajun's Choice Creole Seasoning

3/4 Cup Real Parmesan Cheese

1 Pound of Fettucini or Spaghetti, cooked

Add the Heavy Cream and sprinkle in the Garlic Salt and Cajun Seasoning to taste. I add more (Lawry's) Garlic salt than I do Cajun. I am told that the longer you cook it, the hotter it will get, but I haven't really noticed a difference. Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 20 minutes or so while you cook the pasta. Remove from heat and add in the cooked pasta and shredded Parmesan Cheese. Use forks to coat the pasta with the sauce. When eating, we usually sprinkle a little more Cajun Seasoning on top of the pasta on our plates. It usually needs just a tad more on top of the pasta. 

 Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Sauce

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Sauce

One year for Mother's Day, I wanted a pasta dish for Dinner. I found a recipe from the Pioneer Woman I was curious about, so I asked Kevin to make it for me. We've been hooked ever since.  We make this on a regular basis. It goes great with Garlic Knots or Breadsticks!

Abby requests this almost every month for her night. This is one of her favorite meals. The thing that I love about it, is it is meat free and doesn't leave you wishing for the meat like other pasta dishes do.

Pioneer Woman's Tomato Cream Sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2-1 Onion, finely diced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cans Tomato Sauce, 15oz each
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Sugar
Lawry's Garlic Salt
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Handful of Fresh Basil
1 Pound Cooked Spaghetti or Fettucini

Heat Butter and Oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, chop the onion finely and mince the garlic. Once the pan is hot, saute the onion for several minutes till it is tender. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer. In a food processor add the basil and some of the tomato sauce. If you desire a more pureed tomato sauce and don't like the onion crunch, add the cooked onion and garlic to the processor and puree. Add this back into the pan and add the rest of the tomato sauce. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and sugar. Cook the Pasta as needed, reserving some pasta water if desired. Simmer for 15 minutes and add the heavy cream and a handful of Real Parmesan Cheese, and the grated Parmesan Cheese in the green container. Remove from heat and stir. You can either toss in the pasta and coat, or just pour the sauce directly over the pasta. We've never used the reserved pasta water. Add more basil if desired.

It bubbles very quickly. I love the orange sauce once you pour in the heavy cream. 

We prefer to puree the veggies.

Enjoy! 

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

This soup has become one of my favorites. I was intrigued when I first saw that it was a chicken chili that also had cream cheese in it. The combination just sounds creamy and delicious. This soup did not disappoint. It is perfect to eat on cold days. 

I love that the soup is hearty and has a wonderful flavor with the seasonings. This is great the second day for leftovers as well. 

I found the recipe over 3 years ago. The original recipe can be found here. I noticed it didn't call for any liquids, so I adapted it to make it go further and make it more like a soup.

I've made it plenty of times in the crock pot, and I've also made it on the stove. Whatever you have the time for, it works well both ways.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed
1 Can White Beans (any kind), rinsed
1 Can Ro*Tel Tomatoes
1 Can Corn, undrained
1 Package Ranch Dressing Mix
1 teaspoon Cumin
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 8oz Package Cream Cheese
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Carton Chicken Broth

Directions:
Place the frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot. Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the crock pot. Top with corn, rotel tomatoes, and seasonings. Top with Cream Cheese. Pour in the Chicken Broth and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Cook less if using raw chicken instead of frozen. Shred the chicken once it is cooked, and add back into the soup. Stir to combine the cream cheese and chicken. Serve with Chips, Cheese, and Sour Cream.

Tips: I use frozen, non gmo corn, in my recipe. I clean out one of the bean cans and then add the corn in there and fill it with water, then add it to the recipe.
I don't like big tomato chunks, so before I add anything to the pot, I put in the cream cheese and rotel tomatoes, and use a potato masher to smash the 2 ingredients smaller.
When doing this on the stove, bring the ingredients to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is ready to be shredded.
My children don't like the beans, so sometimes we will blend the soup so it is smooth. If the kids think the soup is spicy, the sour cream will help with that.

Enjoy!

Baked Tuna Cheese Sandwiches

Baked Tuna Cheese Sandwiches

I found this recipe about a year ago from one of my Mom's friends growing up. This has quickly become one of our family's favorite dinners. My kids are not tuna people, at all. I was surprised how much they enjoyed it the first time we ate it. I think it is because it isn't just straight tuna, so it isn't overwhelming. If you really aren't a Tuna person, you can substitute with shredded chicken. 

Baked Tuna Cheese Sandwiches

(We double this)

6 Hamburger Buns

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Large Can Tuna, drained

3 Hard Boiled Eggs, peeled and chopped

1/3-1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

Worcestershire Sauce

Onion Salt (or chopped onions)

Salt and Pepper

Relish (optional)

Chopped Celery (optional)

Combine the drained tuna, chopped hard boiled eggs, shredded cheese, mayo (I start with 1/3c. and increase if mixture is too dry), a splash of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and onion salt to taste. I don't add the celery or relish in the kid's mixture. I add it in for Kevin after I am done making the rest of the sandwiches. Spread on buns and top with a little extra cheese, if desired. Cover pan with foil and bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. You can wrap the sandwiches individually, but they turn out the same covered and cooked together. Serve with fresh fruit or vegetables. 

This is what the mixture looks like. Add an extra can of tuna if you need it to go further.

Spoon on the buns to make it even. I like to add more tuna mixture to mine, less to the ones the kids eat.

When it comes out of the oven the bun will be toasted and the cheese will be melted and warm. They are super delicious! I hope you enjoy them.

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

Our family has been adding meat free recipes into our diet for several years now. Not only does it help with the budget, but it is healthier. Plus, 2 of my kids have Alport Syndrome, so their kidneys have a harder time filtering out animal proteins. This recipe has become a win win for everyone in the family. 

In the past, I have had no desire for "healthy" food that is just a substitute to the delicious version. I love flavor, so I'd rather have the real deal! Now I have come to realize, you can have both! I was very nervous to try these burgers. I am a recovering Picky Eater, so I wasn't sure what to expect. My family, including me, ate all of it, and enjoyed them! 

The texture of the burger is not spot on as a hamburger would be. It is softer, but full of flavor. I cook mine longer so the outside is crispy, which helps get it closer to the ideal texture. We have been so impressed with these, that we have added them to our regular rotation, and I use them as a substitute to ground beef. If you need to ease into the idea of a black bean burger, do a 1/2 hamburger, 1/2 black bean substitute. I don't think you will be disappointed with the flavor enhancement! We have been eating these for several years now, and this is coming from a husband who loves a good burger. 

To start, I like to use the food processor for the whole process. Sure you could chop the onion and mash the beans with a fork, but I like to do what is easiest. 

Process the onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, egg, mayo, lime juice, and seasonings. Once pureed fine, add in the rinsed beans and panko bread crumbs.

This you will want to mix well, but it will be lumpy. It will look almost like Refried Beans.

Heat a pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add a little oil (and butter) if desired. This is when it gets messy. The mixture is still thin, so you will do your best to shape the burgers in your hands, but it will stick to your hands. Don't hate me. I suppose you could plop a scoop on the pan and try to smooth it flat. You can also add more panko bread crumbs to thicken it up so it sticks less.

The directions call for cooking it 5-7 minutes on each side. I usually cook mine longer so it is getting crispy and cooked through to the middle. If you want to make a Ground Beef Substitute, you just dump the whole mixture in, and flip when it crisps on the bottom. Then when both sides are crispy, crop it with the spatula to crumble it, and cook longer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I have found oil to be essential to cooking it. Not only for it not sticking, but the mixture seems to need it to get the burger just right. It makes it crispier. 

Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from cooking a la mode

(doubled, this freezes well when you need to add extra "meat" into a meal)

2- 15 oz Cans of Black Beans, rinsed and drained

2 Eggs

2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

3/4 teaspoon Cumin

1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 small red onion, diced fine

2 Tablespoons Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons Mayo

1 Jalapeno, diced fine

1 teaspoon Salt

Pepper and Salt for seasoning

Oil for coating the pan

Hamburger Buns and Burger Toppings

Heat a skillet on low heat while you prep your burgers. 

Drain and rinse your beans. 

In a food processor, add eggs, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, garlic, red onion, jalapeno (de-seeded), lime juice, mayo, and salt. There is no need to chop the cilantro, onion, or jalapeno prior to going in. Process till smooth, scraping sides in between, if needed. Add rinsed beans and panko bread crumbs and process till combined. 

Turn up the heat on your pan to medium. Once hot, add oil to the pan. Shape the burgers in your hand and put on the pan to fry. If the burgers are too dry, add more lime juice. If they are too wet, you can add more panko bread crumbs, but they still turn out fine. 

Cook about 7-10 minutes on each side until both sides are crispy and the middle is cooked through. Season both sides with salt and pepper. If making ground beef, use the end of the spatula to break up the burgers to resemble crumbles. 

Serve with your favorite Burger toppings. These freeze well and work great as a stand alone "meat" or as a filler to stretch the meat already in your meal. 

Chicken Carnita Tacos and Taco Salad

Chicken Carnita Tacos

Or Taco Salad

I got this recipe from my cousin, Amber, a couple of years ago. I have never liked peppers before, but I thought we'd give it a try after she raved about this meal. We all loved it so much, that it is been apart of our rotation ever since. Over the past several months, and many times of making this, I haven't gotten a picture of this as a taco. We are more of a flour taco, sort of people, but this meal is perfect with warm corn tortillas. Add a little cheese to the corn tortilla as you warm them on the griddle, and now they are down right addicting. 

I love doubling or tripling the recipe and then freezing the leftovers. It makes an easy and fast dinner when you are short on time, and is soo good. We bounce back and forth between the melted cheese corn tortillas and taco salad. The original recipe calls for flank steak. We made that quite a few times, but My husband had the idea of using Chicken, and now that is all we make. It is a lot cheaper and still tastes amazing. I've only changed a few things to the original recipe. 

Chicken Carnita Tacos

2 Pounds Chicken Breast (I use 2 large, or 3 medium, You can add more)

1 Yellow Onion, Chopped

1 Red Pepper, Seeds removed and Chopped

1 Orange Pepper, Seeds removed and Chopped

1 Yellow Pepper, Seeds removed and Chopped

1 Jalapeno Pepper, Seeds removed, and Chopped

Spice Rub

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Cumin

1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Place the Chicken in the bottom of a Crock Pot. Mix the spices together in a bowl and sprinkle on top of the chicken. Take the stems off all the peppers and remove the seeds. Chop all the veggies* and pour on top of the seasoned chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Shred chicken before serving. Serve with warm corn tortillas and desired toppings. 

We like to melt cheese on the corn tortillas and serve with sour cream. You can also add salsa, avocado, cilantro, and squeezed limes. 

*I dice mine small. I have since started using my Immersion Blender (aff link) with the processor attachment. It makes the job go so much faster than chopping with a knife. 

 I love how colorful this meal is! This is what it looks like as it is going in.

 This is what it looks like after it is cooked and the chicken is shredded. Use a slotted spoon to serve. I like to dip my tacos in the juice. 

For the taco salad, we use Chips, Sour Cream, Refried Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, and Shredded Cheese. The kids and I like to put a dip on ours. 

We just mix a scoopful of refried beans, a scoopful of salsa, scoopful of sour cream, and a handful of cheese. It is everything you can top on the taco salad, but it has a different taste when it is mixed together. 

 

Enjoy! Now I am craving it!

Menu Plan for a Month

1. Haystacks (Rice, Chicken Soup Gravy, and Toppings like Cheese, Chow Mein Noodles, Peas, Mandarins, Pineapple, Green Onions, ect)
2. Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans with Alfredo Sauce
3. Chicken Carnita Tacos
4. Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
5. Homemade Pizza with a Pesto Crust
6. Pressure Cooker: Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots with Italian Seasonings
7. Berry Stuffed French Toast
8. Chicken Parmesan
9. Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Pasta
10. Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Fruit
11. Roast Hot dogs (or BBQ)
12. Baked Potato Bar
13. Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
14. Pot Pie
15. Chicken Enchiladas
16. Chicken Stroganoff
17. Breakfast for Dinner
18. Spicy Artichoke Pasta
19. Tacos
20. Pita Pizza
21. BBQ Chicken (Kevin's was in Marinade, Mine was a Teriyaki Burger)
22. Meatball Subs with French Bread (Cook Meatballs in Spaghetti Sauce, put on French Bread and top with Mozzarella Cheese, bake in the oven)
23. Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches
24. Roast and Mashed Potatoes
25. Tuna Sandwiches on Buns
26. Taco Salad 
27. Creamy Broccoli Pasta
28. BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwiches with Tator Tots (Crock Pot Chicken with BBQ Sauce, shredded and put on hamburger buns)
29. Funeral Potatoes
30. Chinese Chicken Salad
31. Crap Happens Meal (And you know it does)

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

It's beautiful in Idaho right now. The summers are beautiful and the weather is much more tolerable than our time in Vegas. We are having a lot of fun swimming and checking a few things off our Summer Bucket List every week. Today we are sharing a family favorite meal that is perfect for serving during the summer. 

I am a recovering picky eater. I have spent my life avoiding most foods. The list might overwhelm you, but within the past 2 years I have actually started branching out and trying new things. This meal is one of those things. My neighbor brought over a small cup of this salad, a while back, and begged me to try it. I tentatively tried a bite because I don't like salad or the dressing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved it. I liked it enough that I ate the whole cup. Ever since then, we have been making this meal for dinner. My kids inherited my picky eating, but they like this meal as well. It's the only cabbage recipe we have so far. 

Chinese Chicken Salad

We double this and serve it in warm Corn Tortillas

For the Salad

1 Package of Crushed Ramen Noodles (save the Chicken flavored seasonings for later)

2 Tablespoons of Slivered Almonds

1/2 Cup Chopped Mushrooms (Or 2 Medium) (I usually leave these out)

1/2 Head of Cabbage, Chopped (Or 1/2 Bag)

2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds

1 Cup Cooked Chicken Chunks

Brown Sesame seeds in a dry frying pan. Once browned, put them in a large bowl and set aside. In a frying pan, add 3 Tablespoons Peanut Oil and the Crushed Ramen Noodles and brown over medium/low heat, stirring frequently. Empty the browned noodles into the bowl with the sesame seeds. Add the chopped cabbage, cooked chicken, almonds, and mushrooms (optional). Set aside and make the sauce.

Sauce

3 Tablespoons Japanese Rice Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup peanut oil

2 Tablespoons Sugar

Package of Flavoring from the Ramen Noodles (Chicken Flavor)

Stir in a bowl and toss over the salad. Serve in a wrap or warm corn tortilla. 

Easy Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Do you ever have one of those nights where you don't feel like cooking, you don't want to spend the money on ordering out, and you still want to eat something delicious? This is what I call my "I don't want to cook" night. Our family loves these Chicken Salad Sandwiches. At the store, pick up a bag of rolls, a Rotisserie Chicken, and a packet of Italian Seasoning. Make sure you have Mayonnaise at home and Celery is optional. (I think it smells like B.O. Yuck) 

Take the Chicken off the bones and shred. Sprinkle in a packet of Italian Seasoning and scoop in a spoonful or two of Mayo. If desired, chop up Celery and/or grapes. 

Mix, and serve on Rolls, Pita Bread, or Crescent Rolls. 

 

Serve with a Bowl of Fresh Fruit, and you have Dinner!