Saucy Italian "Drunken" Noodles

Ingredients:

Olive oil
4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
½ cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
8 ounces Pappardelle noodles, uncooked

Directions:

Place a large, heavy-bottom pan or braising pot over medium-high heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and once the oil is hot, crumble the spicy Italian sausage into the pan in small chunks (you want to keep the sausage fairly chunky), allowing it to brown in the oil for a few moments on each side; once the crumbled sausage is browned, remove it from the pan/pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl to hold for a moment.

Add the sliced onion into the pan with the sausage drippings, and allow it to caramelize and become golden for roughly 5 minutes or so, stirring to keep it from burning (add a touch more olive oil, if necessary).

Once the onion starts to become golden, add the salt, Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper, and stir to combine, then add in the sliced bell peppers, and allow those to saute with the onion for about 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden.

Add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to reduce for a few moments, until almost completely reduced.

Add in the diced tomatoes with their juice, and return the browned spicy Italian sausage back into the pan, and gently fold the mixture to combine; allow it to gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors, then turn the heat off.

To finish the sauce, drizzle in about 2-3 good tablespoons of the olive oil to create a silky, rich flavor, and add in the chopped parsley and about half of the julienned basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles.

Prepare the pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package; then, drain the noodles very well, and add them directly into the sauce, using tongs to gently toss and combine the pappardelle noodles with the sauce and all of the ingredients in it; check the seasoning to see if you need to add any additional salt or pepper.

To serve, add equal portions of the “Drunken” noodles to bowls, and garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining julienned basil; you can even top with shaved Parmesan, if desired, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Source:  The Cozy Apron

One-Pan Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
¼ teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
5 cups chicken stock
8 ounces diced green chile
1 ½ pounds raw chicken breast (if they are large cut in half lengthwise)
1 pound short pasta (rotini, penne, bow ties, fusili)
1 cup shredded jalapeno white cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
½ cup light sour cream or Greek yogurt
Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, heat oil to a medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add spices, stir and cook another minute. Add chicken stock, green chiles and chicken breast. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Add noodles.

When chicken is finished cooking, remove and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

When noodles are aldente, reduce heat to low, and add in half of cheese. Stir until melted. Add in sour cream or Greek yogurt and chicken, stir until combined.

Season with salt and pepper.

Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with cilantro.

Source:  Cooking For Keeps

Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Stock & Chicken:

1 whole fryer chicken
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
4 stalks celery, coarse chopped
6 carrots, coarse chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and coarse chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the flat edge of a knife
8 cups water

For the Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus additional for rolling)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 cup 2% milk

Directions:

For the Chicken Stock & Chicken:
Add all ingredients to a 7 quart Crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Allow to cool to touch. Remove chicken from Crockpot, pull meat off bones (discarding any skin/fat), shred into bite sized pieces, and set aside. Strain chicken stock through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese clothe. Place into containers and refrigerate for a few hours so you can skim the fat off the top. You should have about 8 cups of stock.

For the Dumplings:
Add flour, baking powder, salt, and butter into the bowl of a food processor fitted with dough blade. Pulse until butter is incorporated and crumbly. Slowly pour milk into the flour and pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to a floured surface, sprinkle with additional flour, and roll dough out to 1/4" thickness. Using a pizza cutter (or sharp knife) cut dough into 1"x 2" pieces.

For the Chicken and Dumplings:
Bring 8 cups of chicken stock to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Add dumplings one at a time, stirring in between each one to be sure they don't stick together. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Take 1/3 cup of the stock and add to a bowl. Whisk in 2 heaping tablespoons of flour until combined into a smooth slurry. Add slurry back into boiling stock/dumpling mixture. Stir for an additional 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Add shredded chicken, stir, and serve!

Note: Season with Salt & Pepper to taste before serving!

One-Pot, Stove-Top Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:

2 cups large elbow Macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups low fat Milk (about 16 oz) , or more if needed
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 teaspoon Mustard powder
1 teaspoon Salt, plus additional for final season later
generous dash of Nutmeg
1 cup Grated Cheese
black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.

In medium sauce pan (about 3.5 qt), add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.

On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove stop.

Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly!

Continue to stir the mixture frequently so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly. If you don't stir your mixture frequently, you will get a big clump of macaroni in the end! Stir, stir stir!

Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed.
**If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water  to mixture ( in small amounts) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.

When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the  cheese evenly into the macaroni.

Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.

Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.

Serve immediately.

Source: White on Rice Couple

NOTE:  This recipe has lots of variations.  Check out the source post for more information and ideas.

BBQ Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
12 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
12-oz jar roasted red peppers in water, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
11 tablespoons reduced fat cheddar cheese, for topping
chopped cilantro, for topping


Directions:

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil, onion, jalapeño, and garlic.  Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the paprika, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Stir and cook for 5 more minutes. 

Add the chicken, red peppers, beans, chicken stock, tomatoes, and barbecue sauce, stirring to combine.  Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium low, and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove the lid and taste, adjusting the seasoning to taste, if needed.  Cover and cook another 10 minutes.

Ladle the chili into bowls and top with cheddar cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!

Source:  SkinnyTaste

Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic
2 inches fresh ginger
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 lb. chicken breast
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
½ cup natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce (or more)
1 medium lime
¼ bunch cilantro
4 cups cooked jasmine rice

Directions

If you don’t have cooked jasmine rice on hand, begin cooking your rice first so it will be ready by the time the chicken and sauce are complete.  (My Note:  Try my method for perfect jasmine rice)

To begin the sauce, mince the garlic and then peel and grate the ginger into a large skillet or pot. Saute both in the coconut oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until they are soft and fragrant.

Cut the chicken into small pieces (about one inch across). Add them to your skillet or pot. Saute until lightly browned and cooked through (about 10 minutes).

Turn the heat down to low and add the coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir gently to combine the two and dissolve any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Once the sauce is relatively smooth, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha, and juice from half of the lime. Stir to combine and heat through (about ten minutes).

Pull the cilantro leaves from their stems and roughly chop. Scoop about one cup of jasmine rice into the bottom of each bowl and then top with the chicken and sauce (about ¾ cup). Sprinkle the fresh cilantro over top and enjoy!

Source:  Slightly adapted from Budget Bytes

Oven Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

SEASONING
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ Tbsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cumin
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ Tbsp corn starch

FAJITAS

2 small (or 1 lg.) onion
2 medium green bell peppers
1 medium red bell pepper
1 lb. chicken breast
2 Tbsp oil (I used melted coconut oil)
1 medium lime
Fajita fixin's:  tortillas, cheese, cilantro, sour cream etc.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients for the fajita seasoning in a small bowl and set aside (chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt, and corn starch).

Cut the onion and bell peppers into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips. Place them in a large 9×13 inch casserole dish. Slice the chicken breast into very thin strips and add it to the casserole dish with the vegetables.

Sprinkle the seasoning over the meat and vegetables. Drizzle the oil over everything and then use your hands to toss the ingredients until everything is well coated in oil and seasoning. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half way through. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over top of the meat and vegetables after it comes out of the oven.

Scoop a small amount of meat and vegetables into the center of each tortilla. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, some cheese, and an extra squeeze of lime if desired.

Source:  Budget Bytes

NOTE:  I omitted the sugar in the seasoning mix.