Category Archives: Main Dish

This would be an entree, the main star of the evening.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Posted on by

This recipe is a very easy one! And it’s baked, not sauteed! You get protein and veggies! Also, if you want to save a bit of calories, you can eat it over a bed of spinach or a big green salad!
Today was a bit crazy. I homeschool my daughter and this morning we decided to start school as soon as she was done with breakfast instead of waiting until our normal start time. It actually started our day our marvelously! Then, my threenager made an appearance. Did you know that a feisty 3 year old can inhibit clear thinking school time? 5 time outs and many toys and privileges taken away later… school was over, and I told my kids they must need to play outside! Luckily, they agreed! 🙂
By the time dinner time rolled around I had very little sanity or energy left! So, fajitas is easy filling and also quite delicious! Try this quick one for sure!
My recipe took a total of about 25-30 min including prep and baking time.

This is for 4 servings :

image

Ingredients

1/2 pound chicken tenderloins – sliced thinly
6 mini sweet peppers – multi color – sliced
1/2 onion – cut in thin slices
2 TB olive oil
1 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 lime plus lime zest
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

image

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place chicken, onions and peppers on a greased cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and veggies.
In small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, cayenne powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle dry ingredients over the chicken and veggies and toss together on a large cookie sheet with a lip on each side.
Spread out evenly.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked and the veggies are soft with a crispy edge. Zest lime over top of chicken fajitas and serve with a lime wedge to squeeze over fajitas if desired.
Serve with tortillas, sour cream, avocado, salsa, and all your favorite fajita fixins!

image

And now, an idea to have a little fun… a “quote” I saw online!

image

Lemon Ricotta Spaghetti with Spinach

Posted on by

So, as I have decided to lose a few LB’s and cut out my carbs except for at dinner, carbs are kind of my focal point at dinner. When you look forward to it ALL day… it’s a special meal! I never knew you basically go through a type of detox from carbs and sugars when you start to cut them out. I mean, back in college I did the “South Beach Diet” and I remember something about that. 🙂 I truly am realizing it though. Cravings because your body is wondering what the heck is going on!
So, I decided I need carbs. I do need to cut back as I’ve previously said because it gets a bit ridiculous. … but I needed more veggies and greens and FRESH fruits in my life!
At least this pasta dish has spinach greens and lemon zest! Right?! 🙂 Ricotta cheese adds protein too!  I calculated an approximate 8g of protein per serving, and if you toss some shrimp or chicken in it (as suggested by my awesome friend) it will up that protein content quite a lot!

image

Ingredients

Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 TB lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup chopped (or whole) baby spinach
2-3 tsp. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup pasta water set aside

image

Preparation

Prep: 5 Minutes
Cook: 10 Minutes
* Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
* In a bowl, stir together ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest and salt&pepper, garlic salt, grated parmesan, lemon juice, oregano and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
*Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot and stir in ricotta mixture, spinach and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Toss well, adding more pasta cooking water 1 Tbsp. at a time, if necessary. Serve hot.

image

This was quite delicious! Filling as well! I enjoyed every last bite! 😉

And now, for the quote of the day:

My husband’s current favorite meme going around the Internet

image

Chili Cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper CopyCat

Posted on by

Today was absolutely crazy… so much so, when my husband came home from work dinner wasn’t even started! So, I picked something quick and filling… very reminiscent of those Hamburger Helper dishes I had as a kid and in college. Lately I’ve started to try and make dishes that are not processed and don’t come out of a box. So, how do you make such a dish from scratch? It’s seriously a lot easier than I thought it would be!
This is one that the whole family would enjoy and just gobble up! I have a feeling that even the leftovers are going to be amazing! You could even use leftover chili with this one and just kind of add a few ingredients to make this yummy dish!

image

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 lb. ounces 85/15 grass fed organic ground beef
3 cups vegetable stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can canned black beans drained and rinsed (or you can use kidney beans!)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8-10 ounces uncooked pasta (I used egg noodles, you can eve use elbow pasta)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 TB unsalted butter
3 TB half&half
1 tsp cornmeal (optional!) For thickness and flavor

image

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic powder, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; REMEMBER to drain the excess fat.
Stir in vegetable stock, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes. Add the 1 tsp of cornmeal and stir in.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and then add the half&half. Do not let boil. Drop in 1/2 cup shredded cheese and stir until a smooth cheesy sauce. Should only take 2-3 minutes total. Pour into chili mac pot and stir until well blended.
Top each serving with some shredded cheese!
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

image

Enjoy! This one will definitely be made again. Simple, not too spicy, and quick!

And now for the quote of the day… this one made me giggle!

image

Pasta Primavera

Posted on by

Today everyone wanted leftovers… taco leftovers that is, except for me. I wanted my favorite pasta… and since I have decided to only eat bread or pasta like carbs at dinner time, I was CRAVING those carbs! So, I made this!

image

Ingredients

8-10 baby carrots cut into thin strips
1 large zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
1 yellow squash, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion sweet yellow onion thinly sliced
4 sweet mini peppers cut into thin strip (remove pith and seeds)
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp lemon zest
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound small pasta – I used egg noodles – you can use farfalle, or fusilli
Optional: grape tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

image

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a cake pan, or baking sheet toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, and set aside in serving bowl with the 1 TB of butter stirred in to prevent sticking.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixture in a large bowl to combine. If desired, add tomatoes. Add lemon juice and zest at this time to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

image

This one hit the SPOT! Lower in calories, a ton if veggies, and just enough pasta to curb that craving. DELISH!

And now… my ongoing problem where I’m the only person who knows where anything is deserves this quote:

image

Shrimp Alfredo

Posted on by

I’ve decided I am going to try my best to restrict most of my carbs to dinner. I, personally, cannot give up carbs without going a little bit crazy. So, in trying to tone of my slightly soft figure… carbs and sugars are being lowered and I am making choices using healthy fats… as much as possible. I am also watching my portions.
This alfredo recipe uses all natural ingredients, it’s inexpensive to make, delicious, and if you’ve been good all day, a great treat at the end of the night! And… if you want to eliminate the carbs… remove the pasta and use spaghetti squash! I got this from food network, and it’s one of Giada’s recipes. I made a few changes, but this is a really really good one! Giadas Alfredo

image

Ingredients

10-12 ounces fresh pasta
2 cups half&half
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cups grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper

image

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Stir 1 1/2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and garlic, and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
Serve immediately and enjoy this lemony, creamy, fresh dish!
I added shrimp to mine! I follow Ina Garten’s recipe and drizzle with olive oil, and salt and pepper and then roast them at 350 in the oven  for 10-12 minutes. They always come out PERFECT!

image

We all know food is important. Some of us get what is called “hangry” like I do. When I’m hungry… sometimes I act a little crazy. I’m ashamed… but it’s true. Gotta remember to keep snacks with me for me AND the kids! Here’s a shirt to go with this statement! I may need to purchase it!

image

Vegetable Tian

Posted on by

Do you have a threenager? Because I do… I have one that’s seriously kind of exhausting. We didn’t experience the “terrible twos” with either kid… but age three with a little boy is way different than what I expected. All if my friends with little boys warned me… they told me it’s a VERY MEMORABLE stage…. but I was not prepared for the exhaustion. The decision to be consistent and follow through no matter how tired I was and how badly I wanted to give in. There are tests all day long. All day. And right now, he FINALLY laid down for his nap. Finally. After over an hour and a have and me having to go in there with consequences two times.
You know what though? I dearly love him. My heart melts when he looks at me and says “I wuv you mommy, so much!”. He can turn me to absolute mush if I’m not careful! God gave us children that are precious and adorable… with a sin nature, but quite moldable! But oh… these times of molding! I can’t imagine how God must feel! Ha!
Sorry, off on a tangent.

And…. I must have been tired when I edited these pictures I must have been REALLY tired. I put the wrong name of the blog on the pictures! HAHAHAHAHA! And you know what? I’m too tired to change it. Giggle about it in my honor. 🙂
Last night I needed vegetables. I’m on this “need less sugar and carbs in my life because I have a problem” kick. I know when I start slipping. So… veggies for the main course tonight! A vegetable Tian! Most tians have tomatoes, but mine does not for 2 reasons… 1. I didn’t have any. 2. I, sadly, do not care for tomatoes. I’m weird. That’s all I can say. 🙂

image

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium yellow sweet onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium yukon gold potato
1 tsp dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
4 sweet mini peppers sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheese

image

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion. Saute in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).
While the onion is sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.
Spray the inside of an 8×8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and thyme.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

image

Serve and enjoy!

This was incredibly easy, and incredibly delicious! Make sure that you cut the potatoes quite thin and all the same size! You can even use a mandolin if you have one!
Another topping idea is also a balsamic glaze! I’m gonna try it the next time I make this one!

And now, for the quote of the day… something I have learned in the past and am currently putting into practice:

image

Hot and Spicy Jambalaya

Posted on by

It was soooo nice out today! We spent a good portion of our day outside and it was glorious! The nice thing about it is that the bees and wasps haven’t rely made an apearance yet, the pollen is not yet out of control, and it’s not sweltering… so we’ve gotta QUICK get in our “outside enjoyment” in! 🙂
Personally I have a lot of requirements to enjoy being outside. I am kind of high maintenance in that area. The awesome thing was that while I was making this dinner, I put a large bucket of water on the back patio that is right by the kitchen window I had open, turned the hose on, and let the kids play till dinner was done! It was awesome not having them whine at my feet while I was cooking!
Now, let’s be honest… if you know me, you know neither me nor my kids ate this. It was waaayyyy too spicy for the kids, and definitely too spicy for me to have more than a taste. I love my husband though, and was so extremely excited to make this for him! It was worth it too, he LOVED it!
So here’s the recipe:

image

Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
2 cups chicken broth/vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
4-6 sweet mini peppers, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon Emeril’s Bayou Blast seasoning
2 (10 oz. Each) cans diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup long grained white jasmine rice
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Juice of 1 lemon plus 2 tsp lemon zest
4 green onions, sliced
hot sauce to taste
Parsley to garnish if desired

image

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the sausage and cook until browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the onion and peppers and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and Bayou Blast (or similar) seasoning and cook until fragrant, about a minute or so.
Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest and rice to the sausage and vegetables, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, place lid on pot and simmer until the rice is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened to the desired thickness, about 20-40 minutes.
Add the shrimp and fold in. If your shrimp was thawed, remove pot from heat, place lid on and let sit for 10 minutes until shrimp are cooked through. If shrimp are still frozen, simmer in pot woth rest of jambalaya for 10 minutes on low heat until no longer translucent.
Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste and served topped with the green onions and hot sauce on the side.

image

This is a spicy one! If you like it to hit ya and clear your sinuses out, this is one for you!
Enjoy!
And now… a quote that speaks to the fact that my husband prefers that I do  not go to Target without him… 🙂

image

Note: This recipe benefits from more simmer time so if you have the time simmer it for 40 minutes.

Baked Penne/Ziti with Mini Meatballs

Posted on by

It’s Sunday night and I seriously have no idea what to write today. I seem to be completely out of words! So, I’m just going to stick to the recipe!! 🙂

bakedpenne-zitiminimeatballs

This is baked “Penne” – Ziti … with Mini meatballs …

Inspired by Giada’s recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-ziti-with-meatballs-recipe.html

First, I used my own recipe for the meatballs, because I don’t put dairy or eggs in them. If you’d like to refer to it, the link is here: https://dancinandcookininthekitchen.com/2014/08/22/italian-orecchiette-pasta-bowl-with-homemade-meatballs-and-tomato-sauce/

Make the meat balls as listed above, and then set them aside.

Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ziti or penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 jars pasta sauce of your choice
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tb fresh basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 TB butter

bakedpennewithminimeatballs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot, bring 4-5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander and set aside. If not using immediately, cover top with plastic wrap so that pasta does not dry out. Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta’s natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the ziti or penne.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs in batches and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown. Remove meatballs to a plate.

In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce and ricotta and mix well. Add the cooked penne and meatballs and toss gently.

In a large greased baking dish, pour in pasta mixture. Sprinkle the mozzarella, Parmesan, and remaining Romano all over the top. Dot with the butter. Place baking dish on top of baking sheet covered with aluminum foil to collect any drippings from the dish. Bake until top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes.

And… ENJOY!!!!

bakedpennewithminimeatballs2

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-ziti-with-meatballs-recipe.html?oc=linkback

And now, for the quote of the day:

gooey-mothers-baby-niceleodeon-moms-ecards-someecards

1 Pot Wonder: Sun-dried Tomato and Kielbasa Pasta

Posted on by

I was at a women’s church conference a lot of the last couple days and wanted something quick and easy when I came home today. This was definitely the answer! I like dishes that I can just toss in 1 single pot, only dirty 1 dish, and then serve from that same dish.
Have you ever gotten done cooking and looked around and seen like an entire sink full worth of dishes to wash?! I definitely have done that. I do try to wash and clean as I go, but in general I like to use as little dishes as possible. When I find one that I like, I have to post it!
Side note: So today our dog had dog training! Good thing, he’s doing really well! Bad thing, he doesn’t show his true colors when the trainer is around… ever. It’s really really annoying! It’s lime children and their babysitter or nanny. ANGELS compared to when they are with you! Ha! Hopefully his true colors will come out when needed.

image

Ingredients

3/4 pound spaghetti
1 package all natural nitrate free turkey kielbasa, thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes with some oil from the jar
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Kosher Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dash (1/8 tsp) cayenne powder
1 TB butter
1 cup grated Parmesan
Garnish with fresh parsley

image

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, kielbasa, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, cayenne powder and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan.
Serve immediately

image

This one was a HIT too! So easy, and everyone went back for seconds and I still has some leftovers! Have a crazy day and need to have something quick to make? This is it! And I purchased all of these ingredients at Aldi! Give it a go!

And now, in honor of the women’s conference I went to this weekend, the quote of the day:

image

Easy Peasy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Posted on by

Ok, this soup tasted really yummy… but it did not photograph well… it was very frustrating. Honestly? I don’t know how people always get good pics of their dishes. I don’t have the time to be quite honest. My pictures aren’t perfect, but my food is good!

I have another recipe for chicken tortilla soup, but this one is pretty dang easy! It’s a thinner soup as well, and went great with some chips that I had. Start to finish it took me less than 30 minutes! You could probably let this one simmer for a while too if you wanted.

Today it was 80 degrees here!!! My kids and I spent a majority of the day outside, which was awesome!!!! I wasn’t sure if a soup would go well on such a warm day, but it was honestly just perfect!

chickentortillasoupversion2pic2

I couldn’t get a good picture of the whole pot of soup, so I will show 2 separate pictures of the soup in a bowl. 🙂

  • 4 chicken tenderloins
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • end of jar of salsa – add 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth to jar, shake, and pour into skillet with the chicken
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 TB olive oil

For the Soup

  • 32 – 40 oz. of low sodium free range chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup medium restaurant style salsa
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 TB tomato paste
  • 1 cup frozen sweet white corn
  • 1 can organic black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 TB fresh chopped cilantro

chickentortillasoupversion2

Directions

  1. Drizzle olive oil into skillet, and heat at medium high. Season the chicken tenderloins with the garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cumin. Place into the skillet. Add the salsa and chicken broth – use the end of a jar of salsa, add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, shake and pour into the skillet with the chicken and the place the lid on. Reduce to medium low heat. simmer for 4-5 min per side until cooked thru. Remove the chicken and shred. Set aside.
  2. In a Dutch oven or large pot, combine the first five ingredients under “for soup”; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the rinsed black beans and the corn, stir in the chicken that you previously set aside.
  4. Stir cilantro into soup. Top with tortilla chips, a bit of cheese and sour cream if you desire!. If desired, serve with additional salsa. Yield: 8 servings.

Ever wonder what to do with leftover soup??? This is what I do:

chickentortillasoupv2pic3

I use leftover applesauce jars, pickle jars, etc… I fill it up with a couple of inches room at the top, and let them cool. Once cooled, I place them in the freezer. Then, my husband takes them to work for lunch!!! Perfect and quick lunches!

And now, for the quote of the day, I love C.S. Lewis!

download

Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fiesta-turkey-tortilla-soup#ixzz3TTDX9Wol