skillet chicken with mushrooms and asparagus

 

 

Chicken with Pesto Mushroom Cream Sauce, for Two-- adapted from ATK The Best Simple Recipes (a book worth owning)! So much great info.

 

I do struggle taking photos of main dish meals-either they are just not photogenic or maybe I am just very hungry, it smells so good--we are so hungry, etc. "We must eat now", the children chant. Luckily this meal is on the table quickly.







Rinse one large chicken breast--pat dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat till just smoking. Cook chicken till golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate, tent with foil.
Add another tablespoon of oil and heat, add 4 ounces of mushrooms sliced, cook till brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cloves minced or pressed garlic, cook till fragrant about 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and chicken. Scrape to remove brown bits, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until the chicken is cook through 165 degrees. Transfer chicken to a serving plate and tent with foil. Return skillet to high heat and simmer until desired thickness, about 5 minutes. Off heat add the 2 tablespoons  pesto, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Slice or shred the chicken. I served the chicken and sauce over very thin pasta and grilled asparagus. You could also use broccoli. I topped with Parmesan cheese.
Printable Recipe

Quiche for Two

I do wish Quiche was a bit more photogenic! But, you will have to trust me--this is delicious. I like quiche, actually I really like quiche. I just don't like it for several days in a row. Enter, 'Quiche for Two'. Some brilliant chef decided that you really could cut a quiche recipe way down and put it in a small casserole--rocket science I know.
Really this is a great recipe, it is crust less which is fine by me.  I'd rather forgo a high calorie crust and eat a brownie! There are so many ways to change this recipe--use what you have in your fridge. It will always be yummy. This recipe came from a Pampered Chef Cookbook. I don't know which one, as I have a tendency to rip recipes out of cookbooks, do you do that??

Quiche for Two

Base:
3 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
Ground black pepper

Filling Options
3 slices crisply cooked bacon, 1/3 cup seeded, chopped tomato, 2 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion, 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
OR
1/2 cup chopped ham, 1/3 cup chopped fresh broccoli, 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Protein, vegetable, cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray small oval baker with nonstick cooking spray.  Whisk together base ingredients, set aside.

Combine fillings and cheese, spoon into the bottom of the baker.  Pour base over filling ingredients.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until the center is set.  (A knife inserted will come out clean.)  Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 
Printable Recipe

Chicken and Mushroom Deliciousness...

Hello there!

Jill here, hacking into my cute mama's blog to share a little something with you. Before I get started, if you have a New Year's resolution to eat healthier, or cut back on calories, then this recipe is NOT for you...but, if one of your New Year's resolutions is to indulge more and eat delicious food, then get yourself super excited!!

This recipe is a Pinterest find from Plain Chicken for Chicken Lazone. While the recipe seemed very promising and looked tasty, I felt like it could use a little somethin' extra. So, I started playing around and this is what I came up with.

Chicken and Mushroom Deliciousness
1 lb. chicken breast - Cut into bite size chunks
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 onion diced
8 oz. mushrooms - sliced or quartered
3 Tbs. butter, divided
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan - plus more for garnish, if you're into that sort of thing.

Combine salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Toss in a bowl with the chicken chunks until evenly coated. In large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat (you want the heat a bit high so get your chicken nice and browned).  Cook the chicken until done, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add the rest of the butter. Throw in the diced onion and mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.  Make sure you don't clean out the pan before adding the onion and mushroom...you want to get all that leftover browned goodness at the bottom to add flavor to the veggies.

Once your onion and mushrooms are done, add the chicken back into the pan along with your cream and Parmesan cheese.  Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve this chicken and mushroom deliciousness over angel hair pasta or a baked potato along with a simple green salad and some french bread.

Enjoy!

P.S. For some variation, you could add some diced red pepper with the mushrooms and onions. I think next time I will chop up some asparagus and add it in there too.

P.P.S. the leftovers are great the next day...or at 10:30 at night when you need a little snack.
Printable Recipe

That Yummy Veggie Lasagna

This yummy lasagna is meat free and delicious, perfect to share with a vegetarian new mother. I used my food processor to speed the process of cutting the carrots and zucchini. I also used it to grate cheese, put the cheese in the freezer for 15 minutes for easier grating. I won't lie--this recipe took almost an hour to get it ready for the oven. It also cooks an hour and then needs to sit. Allow plenty of time. This one dish meal is delicious! Please try it. Inspiration for this recipe came from a Pampered Chef Stoneware Sensations Cookbook. I believe it is out of print.

Lasagna Primavera – We just call it That Yummy Vegetable Lasagna

2 cups carrots, thinly sliced

2 cups small zucchini, sliced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, pressed

¾ teaspoon Italian Seasoning

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 can (14 ½ ounces) Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, drained

1 container (15 ounces) part skim ricotta cheese

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup diced parsley

1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, grated, about ¼ cup

1 jar (16 ounces) white Alfredo pasta sauce

¾ cup milk

10 uncooked lasagna noodles (about 8 ounces)

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Heat oil in large skillet or pan over medium heat.  Press garlic into oil.  Add sliced carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, Italian Seasoning and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat.  Add drained tomatoes to vegetables; set aside.  In another bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, salt.  fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.  In yet another bowl, (we love dirty dishes!!) combine Alfredo sauce and milk.

To assemble lasagna, spread ¾ cup of Alfredo sauce mixture over bottom of 9 x 13 pan.  Top with half of uncooked noodles in single layer (place 4 noodles lengthwise and 1 noodle crosswise, breaking noodles to fit).  The recipe actually says that…as if we couldn’t have figured it out on our own.  Press noodles into sauce.  Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. I had  a genius idea. I spooned the ricotta mixture in a large zip lock bag, cut a 1/2 inch slice off one corner. It was so easy to 'pipe' the ricotta cheese on the noodles. I was impressed with myself.  Top with half of vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle with half of mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers, starting with ¾ cup sauce.  After layering, pour remaining sauce over top of lasagna.  Cover.  Bake 50 minutes.  Uncover, carefully, it says, and continue baking 10 minutes.  Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes.  
Printable Recipe

Creamy Garlic Pasta

I will be the first to admit that side dishes are not my strong point. I have grand intentions of beautiful salads, fresh fruit in a beautiful display, even just steamed veggies. Some days we get there others are pretty poor.

 So I'm excited to tell you about this yummy noodle dish we made today. The entire dinner took only 30 minutes. First we cooked frozen Costco Chicken tenders sprinkled with Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning, this took about 15 minutes. The spinach steamed in a micro cooker for 2 minutes. The noodles were quick and perfect.

We will make this again often--maybe tomorrow, it was that good. We may add roasted summer squash, mushrooms, onion, pepper etc, add diced meat and it turns into a meal. Oh we do have plans for this dish.

This recipe came from the Cheese Pusher, we made it as written today but we do have plans!

Creamy Garlic Pasta

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 garlic gloves, pressed

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups chicken broth

8 ounces thin spaghetti

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup cream

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Heat olive oil and add garlic. Stir about a minute until fragrant. Add the butter, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Bring to boil and add spaghetti. Cook amount of time stated on package, ours cooked in about 5 minutes, stir often so it doesn't stick. Add Parmesan cheese and stir till all melted. Remove from heat and add cream, stir. Add parsley, stir and serve immediately. Enjoy! This is one yummy quick dish--trust me on this one.

Even the baby loved it.

Chicken Tetrazzini

 I'm always looking for new dishes to serve for dinner. We had a crowd here this weekend so it was the perfect day. This delicious pasta has a light cheesy sauce, mushrooms, chicken and fresh asparagus. The crushed croutons and cheese made a tasty topping. Everyone love it. It fed 6 adults and 4 children for dinner and there was a nice size dish for lunch the following day. This meal has won a spot in my regular dinner rotation.

 Chicken Tetrazzini

3-4 medium chicken breasts

salt and pepper (seasoned salt)

7 Tbsp Butter

1 lb. white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup flour

3 cups milk

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3 cups grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 pound pasta

1 bunch asparagus--cleaned, sliced and cooked in the Pampered Chef Micro Cooker for 2 minutes

1 1/2 cups seasoned croutons, crushed

Preheat oven to 375.  Season chicken breasts and bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes until cooked through.  Once chicken has slightly cooled cut into chunks and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.  In a large saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter;  Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, tossing frequently, until tender and browned, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.  In the same large saucepan, melt remaining 5 Tbsp butter.  Add flour, cook, whisking for about 1 minute.  Continue whisking and gradually add milk and broth.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and add 2 cups Parmesan cheese. 

Cook pasta just shy of al dente.  Drain and return to pot.  Add sauce, chicken, asparagus, and mushrooms.  Toss well to combine and place in desired greased baking dish.  Mixture can be baked in one 9x13 dish, or divided and baked in 2 or 3 smaller dishes.  In a small bowl combine crushed croutons and remaining 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle over the top of pasta. Bake at 375 until browned and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

The recipe also says that a portion can be frozen to bake at a later date.  We saved what was left and ate it for lunch the following day. 

Inspired by Amber at Sugared Whisk

 

Crustless Ham and Artichoke Quiche

Crustless Ham and Artichoke Quiche


I don't often re post a recipe but this quiche is just too good to be hidden. We made it for dinner tonight and it was delicious. It stood on it's own, it didn't need salsa, ketchup or any thing.
I like this recipe because it doesn't have a crust. You save time and calories. Tonight we made it with fat free plain yogurt and low fat cottage cheese. We used mini Bella mushrooms and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts. This is a great recipe to 'clean out' the cheese drawer. We used Parmesan, Gruyere and medium cheddar. It was a great combo. I thought about adding some blanched asparagus. So you really can't go wrong 
with this quiche, there are so many ways to make it yours. Try it soon!


Crustless Ham and Artichoke Quiche

Saute' 1/4 pound sliced mushrooms in a little butter

Add to:
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 drops Tabasco
1 ½ cups shredded cheese, I like pepper jack or sharp cheddar
¾ cup artichoke hearts, diced
1 cup diced ham

Pour in a greased 10 inch quiche pan. Bake 350 35-45 minutes till golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold with diced tomatoes or fresh salsa. This is another great recipe from Judi Sears. It is perfect for weekend brunch, leftovers (if you have them--and we do now there are just two of us) make a great lunch. This recipe is in my 'most requested' file. Enjoy!

Pizza Loaf

This is a fun recipe that kids and adults love. I used a loaf of Rhodes Bread Dough--yes I can make my own and I have; but it never hurts to have a few cooking shortcuts on hand. This is a Pampered Chef Recipe, we have enjoyed it for years. Have it ready as kids are coming in the door from sports or dance. Add some fresh fruit and you have a complete meal and a happy family. Try to sit together and enjoy dinner as often as possible. After dinner was a time my dad was willing to talk. Oh the stories he told, living in a small mining town and then lying about his age so he could join the Navy. Dad had great stories, they got better every year!

Greg and I spent a day last week at The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. What a delightful day it was. This is something we have wanted to do for years, but it was never convenient. It wasn't convenient this year either, but we went.  I'm so glad we did. So tell a story around the dinner table. Make dinner a place kids want to be and mark your calendar for August 30-September 1, 2012. We'll see you at the Storytelling Festival, it's at the mouth of beautiful Provo Canyon.


Pizza Loaf--Pampered Chef
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

2 eggs separated

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces diced ham or mini pepperoni

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Mushrooms, peppers, olives as desired

On a greased bar pan roll thawed dough into a 15x10 inch rectangle. In a small bowl combine the egg yolk, oil, seasonings and Parmesan cheese. Brush mixture over dough. Sprinkle with meat, cheese and veggies. Roll up jelly roll style starting at the long side. Brush with lightly beaten egg white. Bake at 35 for 35-40 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce

Summer Veggie Saute for Two

This was a quick tasty meal for two using veggies from our very small garden. It is easy to alter depending on what veggies you like and have. I added some sauteed shrimp for a yummy light summer supper.

Summer Veggie Saute for Two
2 cups sliced veggies--zucchini, summer squash, carrots, red pepper, etc.
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tomato, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon oregano
ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
fresh basil
cooked shrimp
Saute sliced veggies, onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add seasonings and tomato. Top with shredded cheese and basil, cover and remove from heat. Top with cooked shrimp and a splash of fresh lemon juice and serve.

Linked to Cast Party Wednesday

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Grilled Pizza

I have a new favorite food--Grilled Pizza. It is the best. Now I do love almost any kind of homemade pizza but I think of homemade pizza as a winter food. Who wants to heat up the oven to 500 degrees in August? Grilled pizza is all over blog land right now for good reason. IT IS DELICIOUS!
So after reading up on the subject and talking to Chersten our daughter-in-law who has been making grilled pizza for months because she lives in El Paso we felt confident to try a grilled pizza.
Mel's Kitchen Cafe has a great step by step tutorial that we found helpful.. So, here is a bit of information that could be helpful as you grill pizza.
I think any pizza dough would work. I adapted this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Quick Pizza Dough
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Pampered Chef's Parmesan-Garlic Seasoning
In bowl of mixer stir together flour, salt and seasoning. Mix water, yeast, honey and olive oil together, let sit for a few minutes. Turn mixer on low and slowly add liquid, knead for a few minutes until dough comes together and forms a ball. Pour a little olive oil in a bowl add dough and oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30-45 minutes while preparing pizza toppings.

My favorite pizza sauce is Quick and Easy Pizza Sauce it originates from Cooks Illustrated. It is a fresh sauce and makes up in minutes.

We used one recipe of dough, one recipe of sauce and 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese. This made enough pizza for 5 adults and 2 little kids--with no leftovers! We also topped our pizza with fresh pineapple, fresh basil, pepperoni, sliced olives, red pepper and red onions. I would also like to add mushrooms, ham and parmigiana-reggiano cheese. I have yet to try fresh mozzarella cheese, but it is on the list! Enjoy grilled pizza--it is a slice of summer!
Linked to Full Plate Thursday

Chicken a la King

I first tasted Chicken a la King in 1977. I was a busy young mother and so enjoyed our weekly Relief Society Meeting. Every Tuesday morning the women in our church would meet and have a lesson. We taught one another Spiritual Living, Homemaking and Cultural Refinement lessons. There was also a nursery for our children, we each took a turn being Nursery Leader. Once a month we had a luncheon, this is where I met Chicken a la King.
My mother often made Creamed Tuna on Toast, a simple, comforting, weeknight meal.  Once I tasted Chicken a  la King I found my new comfort food. It was Creamed Tuna on steroids.
 This recipe comes from the Lion House Classics Cookbook. This is a great recipe to use leftover turkey or chicken. I made it with a rotisserie chicken--yummy. Enjoy my updated recipe.

 Chicken a la King
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons flour
1 can chicken stock
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 small bottle chopped pimientos
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in large dutch oven: add onions and mushrooms and cooked till lightly browned. Add flour, stir to blend. Add stock and milk, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Fold in remaining ingredients. Serve over toast points, rice, noodles, mashed potatoes or puff pastry.
Serves 6

Roasted Vegetables

This simple recipe is perfect for cold winter days. It is a great side for fish, chicken or steak.

Roasted Vegetables
Potatoes scrubbed with skins on, cut in chunks (about the size of a large walnut)
Carrots, peeled cut in 2-inch pieces
Onions, peeled quartered
Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch slices
Salt
Pepper
Paparika
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil

Put Veggies in a large bowl, season and drizzle with olive oil. Stir well, vegetables should just be lightly coated. Pour vegetables on a lightly greased pan--I use a stoneware bar pan. Veggies should be just one layer. Cook at 450 for 30 minutes, turning once, veggies should be tender and browned.
In the same bowl you had your veggies in add:
Mushrooms, halved
small Zucchini, sliced
Red Pepper, slices
Stir together, season and add to your veggies the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Serve with a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, thyme.
This recipe is just a place to begin, use different seasonings you might try adding parsnips, turnips, celery, asparagus or green beans. You can cook this dish at 350 degrees for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
But I am usually in a hurry!

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Broccoli Salad

This recipe originated from one of my favorite cookbooks entitled, "Eat, Drink and Be Chinaberry". This cookbook (now out of print) was published as favorite recipes from family and friends of Chinaberry. Chinaberry is a book service that I highly recommend. If a recipe comes from the Chinaberry cookbook it is sure to be delish!

This yummy Broccoli Salad is labeled as 'a hassle but worth it'. The hassle part comes from chopping up broccoli in nice little bite sizes and the dressing is cooked. It only takes a few minutes but it is so worth it!

The dressing is creamy, slightly sweet and flavorful. The broccoli is very nutritious, the dried cherries add a tartness, and the bacon and pine nuts give plenty of crunch! What a fun salad!

Broccoli Salad
4 cups broccoli buds and trimmed stems
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
6-8 slices of crisp chopped bacon
½ cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
½ cup toasted pine nuts
Combine ingredients and stir gently. Add dressing 15 minutes before serving.
Dressing:
1 egg
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
½ cup mayonnaise
In a small bowl whisk together egg, sugar, dry mustard and cornstarch. Set aside. In a saucepan bring to boil vinegar, water and salt. Whisk egg mixture in slowly, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and add butter and mayo. Cover and chill.

Wedding Chicken

One year for Christmas we put together a small family cookbook; everyone was to submit their favorite recipes. Wedding Chicken was submitted by most everyone--it is that good! Candise had it at a wedding luncheon, hence the name, "Wedding Chicken".

When I think of 'comfort food' this recipe fits the bill. Max loved it so much that he would hurry home from school during lunch and have a big plate.

Wedding Chicken comes together quickly, I would put it in my 30-minute meal category. It is delicious over brown rice, white rice, noodles or Max's favorite mashed potatoes. Yes, this has comfort written all over it! Now Max is on a mission we do have a leftover problem!!

WEDDING CHICKEN 

5-6 chicken tenders (purchased at Costco) cut in 1/2 inch cubes
3 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Combine in a plastic bag and coat chicken.
2-3 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves—minced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Melt butter, add coated chicken and sauté until brown. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic; sauté about 3 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes until chicken is cooked and sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Add additional broth if needed for desired thickness. Garnish with parsley.
Serve over rice, noodles or potatoes.
Edited to make 4 portions.