Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Instant Pot meal)

I do love a one pot meal!! Instant pots have changed the game and I'm here for it! :) Here's what I made last night- and everyone loved it!

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 T. olive oil

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste

3 cups chicken broth

1 clove minced garlic

3 T. premade pesto sauce

1/4 cup jarred sundried tomatoes

1.5 cups pasta of your choice (I used macaroni, but penne would have been better)

3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 cup heavy cream

Two handfuls of chopped kale or spinach

6 ounces of cream cheese, cut into cubes

Instructions: 

Turn on Instant Pot to the "Saute" setting, Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add pieces to pot in two batches and allow them to saute for 2-3 minutes, turning as needed. Remove onto a plate- they don't have to be fully cooked. 

Then add, garlic, chicken broth, pesto, sundried tomatoes, pasta, milk and cream to pot and stir. Add chicken back into the pot, cover with lid and set it to Manual for 5 minutes. When it beeps, do a quick release. Open the lid and add kale and cream cheese. Turn it to the Soup mode to allow it to bubble and the cream cheese to melt. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. Unplug the pot and serve into bowls. 

Shrimp and veggie sheet pan dinner

I made this tonight and it was really good!  Here's what I did: 

Preheat the oven to 400. Spray your sheet pan to prevent anything from sticking.

For the shrimp, combine: 

1 pound raw, deveined tail-on shrimp 

2 T. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

2 T. butter

1/8 cup feta cheese

For the tomatoes, combine: 

Cherry tomatoes

1/8 cup feta cheese

1 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

(I put the tomatoes and cheese inside the foil because my son doesn't like cheese) 

For the zucchini, just add olive oil and salt and pepper and toss

Once assembled, bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. I served this with a side of rice. 

Kitchen Sink Salsa

 Confession: I "stole" this recipe from a good friend who is following Bright Line Eating (Google it-it's a great program!) I haven't made this yet! BUT I'm posting it so that I don't forget to make it! 

Mississippi Chicken

Super simple and delicious dinner- Mississippi chicken! What I have on this plate was some roasted spaghetti squash and okra topped with the chicken. 

You can use chicken tenders, breasts or thighs. The pepperoncini peppers don't add very much spice, so don't be scared to use them along with some of their juice. 

This dish always turns out tender and juicy! Definitely a keeper and it's now in my dinner rotation. 

Mississippi Chicken Recipe- EASY + DELICIOUS Dinner Idea! (thepinningmama.com)

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This is an oldie but a goodie! Perfect any time of year, but especially summer. Southern recipes crack me up because anytime something involves jello and a fruit, the word salad is automatically put in the title! HAHA!  Trust me when I say this is a delicious dessert and NOT a salad (although I do love salads too!)  

I made this for my son's birthday party and everyone loved it! Next time, I may make two pans of it because I think some people would have loved a second helping. It has the perfect combination of sweet and salty. 

Here's the recipe-

My one suggestion is to use closer to 3 cups of crushed pretzels so that your crust is a little thicker. Other than that, this was a hit!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad - The Cookin Chicks

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I've been trying to eat low carb and so I made these last night along with a side of steamed broccoli and they were so good! And super filling! If you're trying to consume less sodium, check out coconut aminos- great flavor and less salt! 

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

4 T. coconut aminos - link here - BetterBody Foods Organic Coconut Aminos Soy Sauce Replacement, 16.9 fl oz - Walmart.com

5 green onions, chopped

1 cup matchstick carrots

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (add in at the last minute before serving)

Combine all the above ingredients in a skillet over medium heat. Serve inside butter lettuce leaves. Enjoy! 

Butter lettuce leaves, washed 

Bright Line Eating- Pumpkin Oat Muffins

I'm baaaaaack, y'all!!! :)  I've been absent from this blog for quite a while but I do still cook daily for my family! (That's what you do when you live out in the sticks!) I have been TRYING to eat healthier and have discovered Bright Line Eating. The recipe below follows their guidelines.

The four "Bright Lines" or boundaries from the book are:

NO flour
NO sugar (except for fruit)
Measured portions (They give specifics on how much from each food group at each meal)
Three meals per day, no snacks

The recipe below can also be customized. I have subbed unsweetened applesauce for the canned pumpkin and it was great! You can also add any kind of berry and I've also added thawed frozen cherries. My favorite fruit to add to these is blueberries though.

Here is a link to the Bright Line Eating book on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Line-Eating-Science-Living/dp/1401952534/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=Cj0KCQjwov3nBRDFARIsANgsdoHyP4cD7HDWqo5JnmHAahXZPRKCGW-90CUXo3yQUZmmLiybdd5trJYaAlgQEALw_wcB&hvadid=323110333114&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9027242&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=2843871414676614487&hvtargid=aud-648254335185%3Akwd-422804855162&hydadcr=16184_10353646&keywords=bright+line+eating+books&qid=1560285040&s=gateway&sr=8-1


Here is the muffin recipe:

https://katiesbrightkitchen.com/2018/12/06/pumpkin-oat-muffins-v/

Egg Roll in a Bowl

This is seriously so easy! And both my kids inhaled it! I made it with ground turkey and added some "sausage seasoning" to it so it would taste like sausage. I also used more soy sauce than they called for since my meat wasn't as salty as sausage. Also added a tablespoon of honey for a hint of sweetness. So yummy!!

Served with jasmine rice.

http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2015/08/24/sausage-egg-roll-in-a-bowl/

Cold-Fighting Couscous Chicken Soup

Soups are one of my go-to dinners! Love just throwing everything in a pot and letting it do it's thing. This was so good that I made it twice. The kids loved it too! I had never thought to put couscous in a soup before. The pearl couscous is larger than the typical kind. Perfect for soups. You could substitute rice too!

http://soupaddict.com/2015/01/couscous-chicken-soup/

My changes: 
Didn't have leeks or lemongrass so I didn't add them. But I'm sure they would be great in this!

Spinach Zucchini Lasagna

Made this the other night along with a regular lasagna for company. Those of us who are trying to lose weight opted for this one. Really yummy! You can easily assemble it ahead of time, pop it in the fridge and then just bake it right before dinnertime. Great healthy option! :)

http://pin.it/eh8bByZ

Thai Cashew Chopped Salad

This was so good! Love recipes like this that make a lot. Then I will have lunch ready for myself for the next 2-3 days.
The dressing is to die for! Great vegetarian option when you're trying to cut back on calories and meat intake.

http://therecipecritic.com/2015/02/thai-cashew-chopped-salad-ginger-peanut-sauce/

Rosemary Chicken/Potatoes/Green Bean Sheet Pan Dinner

Does it get any easier than sheet pan dinners? I don't think so! Love these kind of meals! Less clean up is always a bonus!

This is super simple and delicious! Anytime veggies are roasted they are going to taste better (in my opinion!) Change it up to what you enjoy most.

http://littlespicejar.com/one-sheet-pan-rosemary-chicken-with-potatoes/

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

If you don't know about elderberry syrup, I'm so glad you're reading this now! :)

This stuff is awesome! It's a flu/cold preventative that you take every day and it tastes great! Both the kids love it! The recipe below is super simple. Once you make it, store it in a jar in your fridge. She gives you all the details at the link here:

https://wellnessmama.com/1888/elderberry-syrup/

Wish I had made this back in August or September before we all got sick this fall. Great stuff!!

You can buy organic dried elderberries at this site:

https://www.bulkherbstore.com/elderberries-whole-organic-1-2-lb

Let me know if you try this and what you thought! :)

Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken

This is a super simple marinade that always turns out great! Very flavorful and tender every time! I use boneless chicken breasts or thighs usually.

For 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 2-3 small chicken breasts--

Marinade:
Juice of 3 lemons
4 long stems of rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper

Marinate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours. Then grill to perfection!
Half the recipe for a smaller amount of chicken.

Hope you will try this one! So easy and GOOD!

Pumpkin French Toast

Hi, friends! Sorry it's been so long since I posted! Having two little ones makes you fall back on things for sure. Hope you will enjoy this yummy recipe this fall! We actually had it for dinner last night and it was SO good! I sort of made it up as I went along.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl combine:
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
4-5 eggs
1 t. vanilla

In a 7 x11 glass pan, I melted 3 T. butter and sprinkled about 1/4 cup brown sugar and mixed them.

I used 8-9 slices of whole wheat sandwich bread and dipped each piece into the pumpkin mixture. Between each layer, I sprinkled chopped pecans. Pour remaining pumpkin mixture over the top evenly.

Bake at 350 for around 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzle maple syrup over the top.

Easy Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

Made this last night and will definitely make again! Super easy and yummy!

1 lb. pork tenderloin
4 T. olive oil
Sprinkle of each of these seasonings:
dried basil
dried oregano
garlic powder
onion powder

Drizzle pork with olive oil and sprinkle with each of the seasonings. Flip the pork and repeat on the other side. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

I served it with brown rice/quinoa and roasted broccoli and corn.

Layered Cornbread Salad

As you have probably noticed, if you've read many of my posts, I rarely make a recipe as is without making changes. One reason is that I can't stand going to the store more than once a week for special ingredients. Another is that I try to choose healthier ingredients to save fat and calories.

Here's the original:
http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/corn-bread-salad/

Here are my changes:

Used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Used a homemade cornbread mix instead if store bought- super easy and even cheaper than buying a Jiffy mix!

Used black beans instead of pinto.

Added baby carrots (choppped)

Omitted bacon and added chopped black forest ham instead.

This was really good and will be great leftover too!

Penzey's Creamy Peppercorn Pasta Salad

While visiting Seattle last week, I visited Penzey's Spices store.  We have them in TX, but I had never been. I bought their peppercorn ranch seasoning and took a recipe next to it and made this when I returned home. It is soooo good! I made several changes to make it healthier and used what I had here. Definitely yummy! Their website is FULL of awesome recipes!

Used:
Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
Less mayonnaise than called for, to save calories.
Added grilled chicken breast, cut up
Steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots before adding so they wouldn't be too crunchy

Omitted:
Hard salami
Green peas

Here's the original recipe:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/recipes/r-penzeysCreamyPeppercornPastaSalad.html

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Made this last week and again tonight :) I love how fast it comes together and it is low carb. We had it with a green salad. Very filling and even Ben approved!

Ingredients:
1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 t. Olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 regular sized jar marinara sauce (or homemade)
10 oz. Shredded mozzarella (I used low moisture skim kind)
2 T. Parmesan

In separate bowl:
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 T. parmesan
3 T. Olive oil
1 t. Sea salt
1/2 t. Black pepper
1/2 t. Italian seasoning

Cook chicken in olive oil and garlic until done. Cut into bite sized pieces. Put into the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan, pour marinara over chicken. Sprinkle parmesan, sprinkle mozzarella.

Combine breadcrumbs, olive oil and seasonings. Sprinkle over the top of the cheese evenly.
Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Fast Chicken Caprese

This is a keeper! Super easy, flavorful and fast!  

Here is the original recipe: 

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chicken-caprese/#_a5y_p=1648086

Here is what I changed:

Used sliced provolone over each chicken breast instead of cubed mozzarella.