Mexican Chicken Casserole

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 1/2 tbsp EVOO
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 c salsa
2 oz cream cheese
1 c black beans, rinsed
1 tomato, chopped
2 6-in tortillas
8 oz package of shredded Mexican cheese
*Fresh cilantro and sour cream to garnish

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat a large skillet with EVOO.  Add chicken and taco seasoning, stir well and cook until till chicken appears cooked on all sides (about 5 minutes).  Add peppers and cook for additional 2 minutes.  Stir occassionally.  Stir in salsa, cook for 2 minutes.  Add cream cheese, stir constantly until melted and blended,  Stir in beans and tomato. 
Spray a 2 1/2 quart baking dish and spoon 1/3 of chicken mixture into dish.  Cover with tortilla and top with 1/3 of cheese.  Spoon in another 1/3 of chicken mixture, top with tortilla and top with 1/3 of cheese.  Spoon in remaining chicken mixture and cover.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Uncover, add remaining cheese and bake additional 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.  Serve with sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.

Roasted Pepper Hot Sausage Farfalle

1/2 lb Hot Italian Sausage, casing removed, crumbled
3 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb farfalle pasta (bow tie)
2 whole roasted red peppers, jarred sliced into thin strips
8 oz fresh spinach, stems trimmed, coarsely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes (depending on taste)
1 roma tomato
3-6 oz of Feta cheese, garlic and herbs flavored
1/4 tsp salt
Black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions.  Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook sausage in 2 tbsp of EVOO with onion and garlic over medium heat.  Cook for about 6 minutes.  Add jarred, chopped roasted red peppers and stir to combine.  Add chopped spinach to pan in batches, waiting till each batch wilts before adding more.  Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 c of pasta water.  Add reserved pasta water to pan and stir.  Add red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp salt as well as dash of pepper.  Turn heat to low and add pasta.  Stir well.  Sprinkle in crumbled Feta cheese, reserving some to top each dish.
Turn on oven broiler to high and place roma tomato, sliced in half  and drizzle with remaining EVOO and sprinkle with salt.  Heat under broiler for 5 minutes.  Chop roma tomato and add to dish.
Serve in bowl and top with additional Feta cheese.

2-3 servings

Beef Stroganoff

This is not something I like to eat or would eat (I hate anything using mushroom anything!) but 1.) I'm pretty sure Eric likes it and 2.) I had all the ingredients handy on this icy/snowy/cold day.

1 lb, beef, cut into bite size chunks
1-2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
8 oz egg noodles
3 tbsp red wine
1 1/2 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c sour cream, fat free
1 (10.75 oz) can of condensed mushroom soup
1/4 c water

Marinate the beef chunks in Worcestershire sauce and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat with red wine.  Add beef chunks and leftover Worcestershire sauce to pan.  Brown beef on all sides. 
Turn heat to medium and add shallot and garlic.  Saute for 5 minutes or until tender.  Stire in flour, salt, paprika, and black pepper.  Add soup and water, reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile cook egg noodles as directed and set aside.  Add sour cream to beef mixture and combine well.  Serve beef mixture over the noodles.

Chipotle Pork **warning:hot**

First of all, I seriously burned my eyes making this recipe because, of course, I wasn't thinking and chopped the jalapeno pepper and then decided it was a brilliant idea to touch my eye.  Second of all, on a scale of 1-10 in terms of heat, for me this was about an 8 1/2 to a 9.  Eric said it was only a 6 or 7.  In theory, I like the recipe although if I make it again I'm using less of the adobo sauce or changing that part completely-Eric thought I should do it the same just add some tomato paste.  Proceed with caution...

1 lb pork, any cut, boneless, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, seeds removed
1 c frozen corn
1 c brown rice
1-2 tbsp EVOO
1/2 c red or black beans, drained and washed
1/2 to whole 7oz jar of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 c petite diced tomatoes
Salt
Fresh cilantro to garnish

In a food processor or chopper, place one to two of the chipotle peppers.  Process or chop till a paste-like. Coat pork with the paste, using as a marinate, salt pork and let sit for about 1/2 hour.  Once marinated, cook corn and rice as directed-set aside-keep warm. 
In a large skillet add EVOO and heat over medium high heat until skillet is hot.  Add pork and jalapeno pepper-cook pork on each side for approx 2 minutes.  Turn heat down to low and add additional chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, beans, corn, and diced tomatoes.  Heat through.  Serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Chicken, broccoli, pasta in creamy white cheese sauce

1 to 1 1/2lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
2-3 tbsp EVOO
4 tbsp flour, divided
1 /2 tsp roasted garlic & bell pepper seasoning OR 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
freshly grounded black pepper
2 c fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces, washed
3/4 lb of shorter cut pasta like rotini
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp cilantro
1 1/2 c milk
1 c parmesan, shredded
1 c asiago, shredded
Roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning

In a large skillet, place EVOO and begin heating pan.  Meanwhile combine 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp of roasted garlic/bell pepper OR red pepper flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp salt and one to two grinds of blck pepper in a container.  Mix well.  Add chicken and shake until chicken pieces are coated well.  Add to the pan and cook until golden brown on all sides over medium to low heat. Set aside and keep warm.
Bring water to boil in a small sauce pan and boil broccoli for 2 minutes (you want the broccoli to still have some crunch).  Drain.  Set aide and keep warm.
Meanwhile in a medium saucepan melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add flour, a pinch of salt and black and the two cloves of garlic, minced as well as basil and cilantro.  Whisk together and slowly whisk in milk.  Turn heat up to medium-high, watching closely, whisking occassionally.  Once it starts to bubble and thicken, remove from heat and add most of shredded cheese, saving some for garnish.
Cook pasta as directed.

In a large bowl, combine pasta and cheese sauce.  Add chicken and broccoli.  Add 1-2tsp of roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning OR red pepper flakes.  Toss to combine.  Top with remaining shredded cheese. 

Italian Chicken and Grape Tomato Garlic pasta

Chicken:

2 tsp dry onion flakes
1 1/2 tsp paprika, divided
1 tbsp EVOO
1 1/4 c water
1/4-1/2 c tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp reduced sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1-1 1/2 lb of boneless, skinless chicken cut into tenderloins
Grated parmesan or romano cheese to top

In medium sauce pan, saute onion and 1/2 tsp paprika in tbsp of EVOO.  Stir in water, tomato paste, bay leaf, bouillon, and Italian seasoning.  Bring to boil for 1 min then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in a resealable bag, place flour, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and remaining paprika.  Add chicken, seal bag, and toss to coat chicken.
In a nonstick skillet, cook chicken in EVOO for 2-3 minutes per side until no longer pink and slightly golden.  Discard bay leaf from sauce.  Plate chicken and pour sauce over chicken.

Pasta:

2 servings of whole wheat linguine pasta
1/2 pint of grape tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
salt, pepper
EVOO for drizzling
4-5 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400. On a pan place aluminum foil.  Put tomatoes and garlic on foil and drizzle well with EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in oven for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed.  Drain, reserve a large ladle (about one cup) of pasta water.  In a bowl, mash garlic with a knife.  Add tomatoes and water and using a potato masher, mash the mixture together.  Add pasta and top pasta mixture with basil.

Caramel Popcorn

3 bags of microwave popcorn, butter flavor, popped, kernels removed
1 c butter
2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 250.  Lightly grease a 12x18 pan or 2 13x9 pans.  Spread popped popcorn (kernels removed) over the pan.  In a medium sauce pan, melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a light boil (stir constantly!!!) and remove from heat.  Then add vanilla and baking soda, stir well.  Pour evenly over popcorn and toss lightly to combine.  Bake for 1 hr, stirring the popcorn and caramel at 20 mins and again at 40 mins.  Let cool in pan and remove, breaking popcorn apart.  Soak pan in hot soapy water for easier clean up.