Chicken with Roasted Veggies Pasta

You can substitute any veggies that you have on hand. The peppers give it a nice sweet flavor.

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts
Kicken Chicken seasoning from Webber.
Onions
Red pepper
Yellow pepper
Asparagus
Whole wheat spaghetti or angelhair pasta.
Mushroom alfredo sauce
Salt everything as you go for best results, including pasta water.

Directions:

Cut up veggies in bite size pieces, drizzle with coconut oil and roast on 450 degrees until tender, oven or grill.

Season chicken with seasoning and grill.

Cook pasta, drain.
Heat alfredo sauce and add to the pasta.

Plate pasta, veggies and sliced chicken breast, in this order.

Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

I love chicken soup, I remember when I was pregnant with David I ate it for breakfast (it was the only thing that sounded good for a while)!

You need a good sized chicken, at least 5 pounds (if yours is smaller cut everything down), cooked, eat part of it for supper the night before. A slow roasted chicken is really good and packed with flavor, especially if you sear it before you cook it. You can cheat and get one from your local grocery store, too.

Once you've eaten it for supper (or not), you need to de-bone it. Take all the meat off the bones and refrigerate for the soup later.

In a dutch oven cover what is left of the bones, etc. with water, filling it almost to the brim. I take some skin out, but leave some. Fat gives good flavor you know.

Let this simmer until you go to bed and do it again in the morning; about 4-6 hours total. The bones give you the greatest flavor!

Strain the broth and then you will add the following to it:

Dice up the following into small pieces and add it to the broth:
5-6 carrots
1 white or yellow onion
2 C broccoli 
4-5 ribs of celery and leaves (awesome flavor booster)
3-4 cloves garlic
I grew up with chicken soup with just these ingredients, but I think it's better with the following as well:
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
4-8 mushrooms, depending on how large

For all versions add:
3 T thyme
4 T parsley
1 T salt and to taste

Let this simmer COVERED for about 2-3 hours and then add:

1/2 -3/4 C Jasmine rice, depending on how thick you like your soup. You may substitute your favorite rice.

Cook covered for about 1/2 hour and then add the chicken you saved from the night before. Heat through and serve.  We like ours with a light garlic bread. 

Cheesy Chicken & Rice with Cream Sauce

I threw this together tonight with everything I had left in the fridge...it's time for groceries. This turned out great in spite.

Ingredients: 

2 T oil
3 Chicken breasts
6 Celery stalks and leaves
8 Carrots (Katya & David love carrots, you could cut down if you like)
1 White or Yellow Onion
3 C chicken broth
1.5 C milk
5 T butter
3/4 C jasmine rice or other long grain rice
2 T cornstarch
Couple shakes of nutmeg
1 C cheddar cheese (Swiss would be good, too)
Fresh Parsley (dried will do)
Fresh Thyme (dried will do)
Note: if you are using dried herbs add them when you do the chicken broth to the rice, they will soften up when the rice cooks.

Rice, veggies and chicken mixture before cream sauce.

Cream sauce.

Directions: 
 I add salt to each layer as I cook to ensure the flavors come out of each ingredient.

1. In a skillet with oil sear the chicken breast on both sides (this gives great flavor)
2. Add 1 C chicken broth to the chicken and cover.
3. Chop celery, carrots, onion into small pieces and add to chicken, keep covered. Add chicken broth if needed.
4. Rinse rice thoroughly until water runs clear.
5. In a dutch oven melt 3T butter.
6. Add rice to butter and stir until the tips are translucent.
7. Add 1.5 C chicken broth to the rice.
8. Transfer the chicken to a cutter board when done. 
9. Transfer vegetables to the rice mixture, stir and cover on low for 20 minutes. 
10. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces.
11. Using skillet add 1.5 cups milk and 2T butter.
12. Mix 2T cornstarch with 4T chicken stock and whisk.
13. Whisk cornstarch mixture into milk and butter mixture and whisk constantly until thickened.
14. Add couple shakes of nutmeg and 1/2 C cheese.
15. Add chicken to veggetable and rice mixture when the rice is tender to taste.
16. Add cream sauce to chicken and rice mixture.
17. Add fresh herbs to taste. 
18. Top with the remaining cheese and enjoy!

Chicken & Artichoke Casserole

We like artichokes at our house and need more ways to use them besides spinach artichoke dip, and we found this very good!

2 Medium carrots chopped in medium to small pieces
1 Sweet red pepper, chopped in medium to small pieces
1/2 of an onion
2 T butter
2 10oz cans cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup (I sometimes make my own)
2 10oz cans small artichokes cut up
3 C cooked cubed chicken
2 C Hot cooked rice (I used jasmine, wild rice would be good)
1 C Shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/3 C Milk
1 t dried thyme (fresh if you've got it is always better!)
4 Slices bacon, cooked crisp and drained
6 T grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet cook carrots, pepper and onion in hot butter on medium high stirring frequently until crisp-tender.
Stir in chicken soup, artichoke hearts, chicken, rice mozzarella, milk, thyme and bacon.
Transfer to a 9x13 pan and sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake at 350 degrees covered for 20-30 minutes and bake 20-30 more uncovered. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving to help it set up.

Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Rice

I made this on the fly tonight for supper; I had chicken breasts out but didn't know what to make with them until I opened the fridge to see what else I had. Mushrooms, Spinach and left over rice. This will make something good I thought...

Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Rice
These are approximate ingredients (I made it on the fly, remember?)

3 Chicken breasts
1 Onion
1 Shallot
1 Package mushrooms
4 Cups raw spinach
2-3 Cups rice (I used jasmine, but I think brown rice would give it a great nutty flavor.)
4 T butter
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Cilantro
1-2 Shots Dry Sherry
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Cook the chicken in oil on the stove top in a large pan (enough to hold everything when it's done.) Place in a bowl, leaving juices in the pan.
2. Add the onion and shallots, cook until almost tender.
3. Add mushrooms to the onion mixture.
4. Add 4 T butter to the onion mixture and let melt.
5. Add spinach to the mixture.
6. Add dry sherry or whatever you've got on hand.
7. Cook until spinach is wilted.
8. Add rice.
9. Add cooked chicken. Heat throughouly.

Top with Parmesan cheese or whatever you've got that sounds good.

Katya (4.5) and David (3) loved it and even had seconds! I'm so happy I have kids with a sophisticated  pallet. It makes my time in the kitchen so much more rewarding and tasty, too!

Red Pepper Chicken Pasta...got this from my sister, your Aunt Rachel...a better cook than I.

I really don't have a recipe for this; it turns out different every time, but most defiantly good every time! Rachel makes it the best, since she made it up! Katya is eating again with Papa when he got home from school late.

Salt (I salt every time I add something)
4 chicken breasts (cut up in small pieces and grill in oil.
remove chicken and add the following:
3 red bell peppers (cut long and thin)
2 white or yellow onions (chopped roughly)
2-3 cloves garlic
Stir-fry these up until soft and tender then add:
2 cups mushrooms (quartered)
3-4 tomatoes and their juice (chopped small)
Add the chicken back to the veggies when they are done.

Let all this simmer together; when things start to stick add some white wine and scrape up the chicken bits on the bottom, this is great flavor.  You may need to add some chicken stock as it cooks, you don't want it to dry up.

In the mean time boil water (add salt to water) for 1 pound of angel hair noodles, I love the wheat free spelt noodles the best, the pesto sticks to them so good.

Drain the noodles and add about a 1/2 cup parsley pesto (2 Dixie cups ~  see recipe below) I make mine in late summer and freeze for all year, basil, too.

Serve up the pasta in bowls and top with the chicken mixture! Yum-yum

Parsley Pesto
2 Cups fresh parsley (or basil) leaves, packed then blanched
1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup olive oil
3 Tbls pine nuts (can substitute walnuts)
3 Garlic cloves, finely minced. (I do this in the food processor before I mix up the pesto)

Place parsley leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped. Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic and blend again. Add 1/3 of the parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to crape down the sides.
Process until it forms a thck smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used up.

I freeze in small Dixie cups. They pop out easily and I use 2 of them for this recipe.

Large batch for freezing:
20 C parsley (or basil) 10 Cups blanched ~ this prevents it from turning brown. Green pesto is much more appealing!
21/2 Cups cheese
5 Cups oil
3 Cups plus 2 Tbls pine nuts
30 garlic cloves