Spicy Pesto Chicken and Pasta

I took a couple of days off from cooking new recipes. Cooked an all time favorite one night and had Spaghetti O's the next. I know, weird right?

Tonight I made a quick little diddy that was ever so good. I'm not a HUGE fan of pesto. I can take it very small quantities. Usually the basil flavor is almost over powering to me. I had some pesto from scratch for some other recipe a couple of months ago. Instead of tossing the left over pesto I froze it. A little bit of pesto goes a long way in my book.

So when I found this recipe that was a spiced up version of pesto I thought I had to certainly give it a try. I only made a few adjustments to the recipe for simplicity and because of the EWWW factor.

Spicy Pesto Chicken and Pasta
Serves 2

• 1/4 package Uncooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta (didn't have bow tie pasta so I used penne)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons Olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon Hot chili paste
• 1/4 pound Skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 tablespoon and 1.5 tsp Prepared Basil pesto
• 2 tablespoons Grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons Chopped cilantro

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place farfalle pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the chili paste and chicken. (Jenn Note: I didn't add the chili paste here. I cooked the chicken first, then when it was cooked I added the chili paste and cooked it for about 30 seconds before adding the pesto from the next step.) Cook and stir chicken 10 minutes, or until evenly browned and juices run clear.

3. Toss the cooked farfalle, pesto, Parmesan cheese, and cilantro (Jenn Note: This is the EWWW factor. I just couldn't mix cilantro with pesto. Ick. If you do, let me know how it was.) into the skillet, and continue cooking just until heated through.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

I know. I know. I start almost every post with Wow. But this one was surprisingly delicious. I had a bunch of girls over for brunch and this particular recipe was the winner of all winners.

I cheated, of course, and made my own little adjustments. The recipe calls for cooking/stewing the chicken. I didn't have the time nor the inclinations, so I bought a rotisserie chicken and took all the meat off.

My favorite part of this recipe is the part for making the chili sauce. I've been searching for a good red chili sauce to make from homemade so I didn't have to buy the can version - which is good - but to be able to control the salt and other non healthy stuff in it, it's good to have a solid recipe now for a sauce. That's all I'm sayin'.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce
Serves: 6-8

Notes: This can be made ahead of time (minus the baking) to save time. It can be refrigerated up to 2 days before baking and frozen for up to 1 month.

Sauce and Filling:

• 1 1/2 T vegetable or corn oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium garlic cloves; minced or pressed
• 3 T Chili powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 oz), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/4 inch wide strips (so with regard to the chicken - I used a rotisserie chicken. This recipe would work well for left over chicken too.)
• 2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (4oz) can pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped (I used the green chilies instead of jalapenos and I used 8 oz instead)
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Tortillas and toppings:
10 6-inch corn tortillas
Vegetable or corn oil spray
3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup sour cream
1 avocado; diced medium

For sauce and filling: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering, but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt and sugar; cook stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the chicken (regardless of if your using left over chicken or raw chicken you can add it here) and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with the spices, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and water; stir. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through and the flavors have melded, about 8 minutes. (Jenn Note: even with the cooked chicken I let it simmer - because I could. But if you use cooked chicken, you really only need it to simmer for a couple of minutes for the sauce to thicken slightly and the chicken to absorb some of the flavors).

Pour the mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set the sauce aside. (Jenn Note: I did this in two batches to allow more sauce to get through - that and I didn't have a big enough strainer for the whole of the sauce/chicken mixture).

Transfer the chicken mixture to a large plate; refrigerate for 10 minutes for it to cool. You don't want your mixture to be hot or warm even when you start to roll the enchiladas because it'll make the tortillas soggy.

Add to the chicken mixture before you are ready to assemble the enchiladas 8 oz cheese, the cilantro, and the canned chilies. Thoroughly mix.

Adjust the oven rack to upper and lower middle positions and heat the oven to 300F. Place the corn tortillas in a single layer on two baking sheets. Spray both sides lightly with cooking spray. Bake until the tortillas are soft and pliable, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tortillas to your working area. If possible cover them with a towel to keep them warm and pliable.

Increase the oven temp to 400F.

To assemble: Smear the entire bottom of a 9X13 baking dish with 3/4 cup of the chili sauce.

Spread a large spoon full (about 1/3cup) filling down the center of a tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly by hand and place, seam side down, on the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat for all the tortillas and mixture.

Pour the remaining chili sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Be sure to cover the tortillas thoroughly. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce so it coats the top of each tortilla.

Sprinkle with 3 oz cheese down the center.

Cover the baking dish, and bake until hot and the cheese melts; about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Use the sour cream and avocado for toppings for the enchiladas.

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken

I seem to be forever looking for that just right teriyaki recipe. I've found a few close ones, but I like my teriyaki, a glaze especially, to be thick and rich. This recipe was good. I'd make it again.

The fun part of this recipe was I got to use my new peeler. I broke down and bought a Titan peeler that peels things in a julienne fashion. OMG I loved it. A bit complicated at first to figure out how to use it and not cut my knuckles off, but we had success.

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken
Serves 4

• 4 Boneless chicken, cut into strips
• 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil, divided
• 4 medium Carrot, julienned
• 1 medium Sweet onion, julienned
• 1/2 cup Soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Packed brown sugar
• Hot cooked rice

In a large skillet, or wok, stir fry chicken in vegetable oil. Remove chicken once juices run clear and set aside.

Stir-fry carrots. Add onions and stir fry for 2-4 minutes. Combine soy sauce and brown sugar; add to skillet.

Bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet. Boil for 5 more minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.

Skirt Steak with Lemon and Chili Roasted Potatoes

The skirt steak of this recipe wasn't anything fancy. Simply seasoned skirt steak - cooked. It says to broil it, but we all know how I feel about broiling when there's a BBQ within the same reach. So I BBQ'd mine - shocking I know.

The potatoes were the real star of this recipe. Super simple way to make your average, everyday potato that much better. They were spicy, but I suspect that's because I tossed in Montreal Steak Seasoning instead of just your average salt and pepper.

The confusing part of this recipe was the lemon part. I had no idea what I should have been doing with the lemon - so I didn't.

Skirt Steak with Lemon and Chili Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1" pieces

• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Chili powder
• Salt and pepper
• 8 sprigs Thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds Skirt steak
• 1 Lemon, quartered

Heat oven to 425F.

Mix the potatoes, oil, chili powder, salt and pepper and thyme in a medium bowl. Transfer to roasting pan and cook, stirring once, until crisp and golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Remove the potatoes form oven, transfer to serving bowl. Heat broiler.

Season steak with salt and pepper. Broil the steak to the desired doneness, 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain. Serve with the potatoes and lemon quarters.

Thai Chicken

You know I must have a dozen versions of "thai chicken" and each one seems to be very unique. This one was quite good and a bit off my normal radar of how I eat chicken. Still it was tasty and quite low on the calorie counter too I might add.

Thai Chicken
Serves: 8

• 1 cup Fresh cilantro, packed
• 6 tablespoons Brown sugar, divided
• 6 tablespoons Fresh lime juice, divided
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste
• 2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced 1/4-inch thick strips
• 1/2 cup Creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Shallots, chopped
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Fresh ginger, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 16 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
• Lime wedges for serving

1. Blend cilantro, 4 T brown sugar, 2T lime juice, 1 T curry paste, pepper flakes and slat in food processor until smooth. Pour over chicken, toss to coat and marinate 10 minutes. Preheat broiler to high with rack 6" from heat. Coat broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Process 2 T brown sugar, 4 T lime juice, and 1 T curry paste with peanut butter, water, shallots, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in food processor (its not necessary to wash bowl) until smooth.

3. Transfer to serving dish.

4. Thread chicken into 32 skewers. Arrange 8 skewers on prepared pan; cover ends of skewers with foil to prevent burning. Broil chicken in batches until browned and cooked through, 6 minutes.

5. To serve, wrap lettuce leaf around 2 strips of chicken, remove skewers, then drizzle with lime juice if desired.

*******************************
Surprisingly enough I changed nothing on this recipe other than the serving amount. I don't need enough to feed 8 people. Enough for one chicken breast and one person was plenty. Oh actually that's not completely true, I didn't bother with the skewers. It was just me, so I BBQ'd instead of broiled (I hate broiling when a BBQ is available) and then sliced the chicken and put that into the lettuce.

Latin Chicken and Rice Pot

I love it when I come across a recipe that calls for an ingredient I've never used before, but wanted to. This was one of those recipes. It calls for Saxon Seasoning Blend by Goya. You can find it in your Mexican area of a grocery store. They're little flavor packets of goodness. I think they are what made this meal...well that and my subtle changes.

Latin Chicken and Rice Pot
Recipe from Food Network.com
Serves: 4

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 c white rice
• 3 c chicken stock
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 T Sazon Seasoning Blend (recommended: Goya) with Mexican and Spanish foods in market )
• 1 c tomato sauce
• 1/4 c golden raisins

Preheat a medium pot over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When butter melts into oil, add cut up chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir and lightly brown the chicken, then add the rice and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, poultry seasoning, Sazon seasoning, tomato sauce and raisins. Bring the stock to a quick boil, 2 or 3 minutes. When the liquid boils, reduce heat to low and cook 13 to 15 minutes, until rice is tender but still a little chewy in the center.

The recipe comes with an additional recipe to add to the finished product. I missed this step altogether, mostly because I didn't have any of the ingredients. Details.

Olive and Pepper Salsa

• 1 cup Spanish olives with pimientos, drained and chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 small Green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small White onion, chopped
• Several drops of hot sauce
• 1/4 cup Chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup Lemon or lime juice

While the rice and chicken are working, prepare the salsa. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and adjust the salt and hot sauce, to taste. Next prepare the Avocado and Garlic Sour Cream by adding all ingredients to a food processor and processing until smooth. Adjust seasoning, then transfer to a small bowl.

Stir 1/2 cup of prepared Olive and Pepper Salsa to the chicken and rice mixture. Turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Serve the prepared Latin rice and chicken in shallow bowls with spoonfuls of salsa and avocado cream to garnish. Serve any remaining salsa and sour cream with plantains and corn chips for dipping and scooping.

My "adjustment" to this recipe - cuz you know there would be one - is I added green olives. I just thought it screamed for green olives. And I was right. I loved the raisin(sweet) and green olive (savory) combination.

Best part overall though, this is a stomach filler. Easily can make this for very little $$.

Steak Stroganoff

This recipe was just okay. It wasn't great, but just okay. I'm on the fence about whether I'd do this again or not. I like my stroganoff recipe way better.

This one was easy and could easily be used to make a fancy dinner for a guest.

Steak Stroganoff
Serves: 4

• 4 beef rib-eye steaks (8oz each)
• 3 c small button mushrooms
• 2 c onions, sliced
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 1 T tomato paste
• 3 T all purpose flour
• 1/2 c dry sherry (I didn't have sherry so used dry white wine)
• 1 1/2 c beef broth
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c sour cream
• 2 T chopped parsley

Season steaks with salt and pepper. Sauté in oil over medium-high heat about 4 minutes on each side for rare (or to desired doneness). Remove and keep warm.

Add mushrooms to pan and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in onions, and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute.

Sprinkle with flour and cook 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with sherry, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Add broth and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Off heat, stir in sour cream. Pour sauce over steaks, then garnish with parsley.

Sesame Chicken

This was an easy recipe. It's a mom favorite - maybe a mom original - and I think this is one of my favorite, and easy, chicken recipes.

I do think I had a slight typo on my recipe as it says 4 T of black pepper. I'm 100% sure that to 1/4 cup soy sauce marinade I'm not putting in 4T of black pepper. I adjusted it to what I think it should be.

Sesame Chicken
Serves: 4

• 1/4 cup Sesame seeds , toasted
• 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Pepper
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 4 Green onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound Chicken, cubed

In frying pan; brown sesame seeds over medium heat. Combine all other ingredients except chicken. Marinade chicken for an hour in liquid. Broil 6 inches from heat for 10 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Salisbury Steak

I'm a big fan of Salisbury Steak. I've only ordered it out a couple of times and remember being delighted each time. I have a vague recollection of either my mom or one of my grandmother's making it from time to time. I've never managed to make it, until now.

Super simple, pretty decent recipe. I made a few mistakes and therefore had to make some slight adjustments to compensate for my stupidity. But that's what cooking's all about.

Salisbury Steak
Recipe from Betty Crocker
Serves: 4

• 1 pound Ground beef
• 1/3 c Dry bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 large Onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 1 can (10oz) Condensed beef broth
• 8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T Cold water
• 2 tsp Cornstarch

Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and egg; shape into 4 oval patties, each about 3/4 inch thick.

Cook patties in skillet over medium heat; turning occasionally until brown, about 10 minutes; drain. Add onion, broth and mushrooms. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until patties are done; about 10 minutes.

Remove patties; keep warm. Heat onion mixture to a boil. Mix water and cornstarch; stir into onion mixture. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve over patties.

My mistakes? Well, I didn't cook the burgers long enough. I'm horrible when it comes to pan frying things. I do much better on the BBQ. At any rate, I had to add more stock and let them simmer longer. Oh, and I didn't have beef stock. I picked up chicken stock instead. I think that would have made a world of difference in the flavor of the gravy. Either way, I'll make this again.

Chicken Pot Pie and Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

Blueberry and Chicken Lady came over for a Twilight viewing and so I figured a great opportunity to cook a Chicken Pot Pie. I have been craving one for a while, but they make so much I couldn't stand to make one and thrown half away. (I'm not a left over person generally).

This one was good. I made a few adjustments - nothing major - just swapped poultry seasoning for Thyme. At least poultry seasoning has thyme in it.

Chicken Potpie
Serves 6-8

• 1 1/2 pounds Boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 T vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 2 small celery ribs, cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 1/2 c whole milk
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 T dry sherry
• 1 c frozen peas
• 3 T minced fresh parsley

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 400F. Put the chicken and broth in a small Dutch oven or a stockpot over medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer; simmer until chicken is just done, 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and reserve the broth in a measuring cup.

Increase the heat to medium high; heat the oil in the now empty pan. Add the onions, carrots, and celery; sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. While the vegetables are sauteing shred the meat into bite size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in the pan; add the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, the milk and any accumulated chicken juices. Add the thyme. Bring to a simmer, then continue to simmer until the sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste and pour in the sherry.

Add the chicken and vegetables to the gravy. Adjust seasoning. Pour into 9X13 baking dish. Top with pie dough or biscuit topping. Bake until topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly; 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Soy Sauce Noodles with Beef and Greens

So this was an interesting recipe. I had neglected to purchase spinach, so I used broccoli instead. Overall, it was WAY too salty. I wouldn't use the two tablespoons of dark soy - maybe just one T and then low sodium for the second.

Soy Sauce Noodles with Beef and Greens
Serves 2-4

• 1/2 lb dried rice noodles, fettuccine or linguine (I used linguine)
• 3 T fish Sauce
• 2 T dark soy sauce (again, I'd use 1T dark and 1T low sodium)
• 1 T molasses, honey or brown sugar (I used brown sugar, but can't help but wonder what it would taste like with molasses)
• 1/2 salt - not really necessary
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1 T coarsely chopped garlic
• 1/2 lb flank steak, thinly sliced crosswise into 2 inch strips
• 5 c loosely packed fresh spinach, or 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 c water or chicken broth
• 2 eggs, beaten

For dried rice noodles, use the package directions. For pasta, cook according to package.

In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, molasses/brown sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large, deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add 2 T oil. Swirl to coat the surface, add the garlic, and toss 30 seconds. Scatter beef and toss well. Add spinach and cook, tossing often, until it is shiny, bright green and tender, and beef is cooked, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, scatter noodles and toss well. Cook 2 minutes or so if using rice noodles. Remove and put on the platter with meat. Pour beaten eggs into the wok and scramble. Once cooked return beef, noodles, etc to the pan. Stir. Add the soy sauce mixture and toss evenly. Cook for 1 minute and serve immediately.