Week 10: Recipe #2--Coconut Curry Chicken

Another recipe from my sister, Katie.  So tasty!  It does require chicken masala, which isn't found at all grocery stores.  I was able to find it at a local Indian store.  She serves this over rice with a side of steamed vegetables.

You'll Need:

• 1 to 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
• vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. crushed ginger
• 1/2 tsp. tumeric powder
• 1 Tblsp. chicken masala
• 1/2 cup water
• can of regular coconut milk (Katie says "Taste of Thai" brand is the best)
• chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Warm up the vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, and ginger.  Fry until onions are almost caramelized.  
2. Add the tumeric and masala and stir.  Then add the chicken and mix together. Add in about 1/2 a cup of water.
3. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the can of coconut milk.  Turn down the heat to low and mix all ingredients together.  Bring almost to a boil, then remove from heat.  (My sister's husband says not to let it boil, it will ruin the flavor of the coconut milk.)
5. Sprinkle cilantro, salt, and pepper over the top to taste.  Serve over rice.

Week 10: Recipe #1--Chicken Fajitas

Okay....so I took one week off.  It was my birthday AND Mother's Day--I deserve a break, right???  This recipe is one that my sister gave me.  She's made it for me many times, so I thought it was about time to try it on my own.  I have made fajitas before, but I like her recipe the best.  She usually serves this with rice and beans, along with chips, guacamole, and salsa.  DELICIOUS!!!

You'll Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up into strips
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, remove seeds and membranes, cut into strips
• 1 green bell pepper, remove seeds and membranes, cut into strips
• 1 onion, thickly sliced

Preparation:

1. Marinade:  mix chicken, red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, oregano, chili powder, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Marinate for 24 hours.
2. Saute bell peppers and onion together with salt and pepper (to taste) until soft.  
3. Add chicken in with juices.  Heat until chicken is cooked through.
4. Serve in warmed flour tortillas.

Week 9: Recipe #5--Slowcooker Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe is from the Tasty Kitchen blog (see link below).  It's an EXTREMELY simple crockpot recipe, plus it's nice to switch it up from the usual pork to chicken.  I served this with fruit and coleslaw.

Photo from Tasty Kitchen blog

You'll Need:

• 3 pounds boneless chicken breast, thighs, or a combo of the two (I used breast meat)
• 1 whole onion (large), sliced into chunks
• 1 can (20 oz.) pineapple, drained--see note below***, nibblits or crushed is recommended
• 1 bottle (18 to 20 oz.) BBQ sauce
• hamburger or kaiser buns

Preparation:

1. Place your chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.  Top with onions, then  pineapple.  Pour the entire bottle of BBQ sauce over the whole thing.  ***If you want a sweeter BBQ, add up to half a cup of the pineapple juice you drained, depending on how sweet you want it.
2. Turn your crockpot on LOW and cook for 8-10 hours (or on HIGH for 4-6).
3. An hour or two before it is finished cooking, carefully remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it using two forks.  Place chicken back in the crockpot and stir well to combine.  Finish cooking an additional hour or two so the chicken can absorb most of the sauce.  Serve on hamburger buns and top with coleslaw if desired.  (We eat our coleslaw on the side.)

Recipe and link:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/hawaiian-bbq-pulled-chicken-sandwiches/

Week 9: Recipe #4--Springy Shells

The Pioneer Woman blog is a lifesaver.  This was a lot of veggies to try and get Lily (and my husband) to eat.  However, I think it actually turned out okay.  Lily did pick out the things she liked from it and passed on other parts, but I like to expose her to lots of different veggies several times in the hopes she'll like them someday.  I served this with fruit and bread.

Photo from Pioneer Woman

You'll Need:

• 16 oz. weight pasta shells (medium), or other short pasta (I used the shells)
• 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces; discard tough pieces
• 1/2 pound broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1/2 pound zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini), diced
• 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 3 whole green onions, sliced (white and light green parts)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Tblsp. butter
• 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 20 oz. weight ricotta cheese 
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• black pepper, to taste
• extra olive oil for drizzling

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta until extremely al dente--with still quite a bit of bite.
2. Melt butter with the olive oil over medium-low to medium heat, then add in the garlic.  Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for five minutes.  Sprinkle in a little salt.
3. Add the broccoli and cook for one minute, then add the zucchini and cook for one or two more minutes.  Add the frozen peas, stir together then turn off the heat.  Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, and pepper until well combined.
5. To assemble:  butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Add half the pasta, then spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over the surface.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the parmesan over the ricotta, then 1/2 of the vegetables.  Repeat with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the parmesan.  End with the rest of the veggies and the rest of the parmesan.
6. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons olive oil, then bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until nice and hot.

Recipe and link:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/springy-shells/

Week 9: Recipe #3--Stuffed Bell Peppers

I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen blog (see link below).  I've always wanted to try stuffed bell peppers, and they were actually pretty tasty; similar to mini-meatloaves.  I think Lily enjoyed eating out of a pepper (anything to make dinner fun, right?).  I served this with a fruit and bread.

You'll Need:

• 4 whole green or red bell peppers (I used green)
• 4 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1 whole medium sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup raw instant rice
• 1 can (15 oz.) canned diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash Tabasco, optional (I left this out)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Meanwhile, cut tops off of the peppers and remove seeds and ribbing.
2. Add salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until they become a brilliant green color (or red if red peppers) and their flesh is slightly softened, about 3 minutes.  Drain; set aside to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat.
4. In a large bowl combine meat, rice, tomatoes, onion mixture, worcestershire, tabasco and oregano, then season generously with salt and pepper.  Mix well.
5. Arrange peppers cut side up in an 8 x 8 baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling.  Top each pepper with grated sharp cheddar cheese.  Add 1/2 cup of water to the baking dish.  Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes (or longer, depending on how big the peppers are that you are stuffing).

*****If cheese starts getting too brown, cover with foil.

Recipe and link:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/stuffed-bell-peppers-4/

Week 9: Recipe #2--Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This was yet another Pioneer Woman favorite at our house.  It's a pretty simple one to make, considering some of her recipes have quite a few steps.  I served this with a green salad and some good bread.  Enjoy!

Photo from Pioneer Woman

You'll Need:

• 1 1/4 pound ground chuck
• 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 oz. weight egg noodles
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground chuck in a large skillet.  Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.  Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Cook egg noodles until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese.  Add plenty of freshly ground pepper.  Add to noodles and stir.  Add green onions and stir.
4. To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish.  Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar.  Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Recipe and link:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/sour-cream-noodle-bake/

Week 9: Recipe #1--Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This is a simple casserole to make if you are short on time.  I found it on the Parents website (see link below).  Pretty simple; not very many ingredients.  That makes it easy to change up and make your own.  I usually serve this with rice and fruit.  Makes 10 servings.

Photo from parents.com

You'll Need:

• 3 cups shredded, cooked chicken (I usually just shred a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 packet (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning
• 2 cups salsa verde
• 9 fajita-sized flour tortillas
• 1 can (15.5 oz.) refried beans, warmed in microwave
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350.  Mix chicken, taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water and salsa verde in a skillet.  Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Coat 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Cover bottom of pan with 3 flour tortillas, overlapping.  Pour half of the chicken mixture on the tortillas.  Cover with 3 more tortillas.  Spread with warm beans and the sour cream.
3. Sprinkle half the cheese over the beans and sour cream, and cover with the remaining 3 tortillas.  Top with the remaining chicken mixture, followed by remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Recipe and link:  http://www.parents.com/recipe/casseroles/chicken-enchilada-casserole/