Chicken and Fettuccine in Tomato "Cream" Sauce

I have a confession...I have made it a habit to shy away from any recipe that uses cream cheese or heavy cream unless it is some I HAVE TO try. I don't know what it is about cream...maybe the thought of using cream gives me an instant flashback to the Devil Wears Prada when Nigel says to Andy: "Corn chowder? That's an interesting choice. You do know that cellulite is one of the main ingredients in corn chowder." Since that movie moment, I try to stay away from anything that has a ton of empty calories when I'm cooking...

So now, I have a new love! I use Greek yogurt as a replacement to cream cheese and heavy cream!!! WOO HOO! Now, I cannot say this will serve as a true replacement to everything...but I will try it first to say the least.

Today's recipe is one that I have used this replacement. I already know that when I tried this recipe, I used too much "starchy" water, because my fettuccine noodles immediately sucked up too much of the sauce...so, I will have to watch next time I attempt this one. That being said, this recipe is FULL of flavor! And, of course it uses two of my kitchen loves...garlic and red pepper flakes! Serve this with garlic bread and it is a garlic lovers meal!

Chicken and Fettuccine with Tomato "Cream" Sauce
(adapted from Cooking Light, August 2012)
Ingredients
fresh chicken breasts (2-4 pieces), diced
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine noodles
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 T. chopped garlic
1 (28oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed (low sodium!)
3 oz. plain greek yogurt
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (or more)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

Step by Step Directions
1. Cook chicken breasts in either water or chicken stock (for extra flavor), set aside.
2. Cook pasta in 4 quarts of salty water according to box directions. Drain. Keep about 1/2 c. starchy water aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add extra virgin olive oil to pan. Coat the pan. Add garlic. Cook for a few minutes then stir in tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in starchy water and bring to a boil.  Add in the chicken.

4. Add in greek yogurt and stir until smooth. Add in red pepper flakes and basil. Pour over noodles. Toss to coat. Add in cheese. Toss again.

A quick tidbit about Chicken Stock

Don't forget to save the chicken stock that is left behind after you Crock Pot a Whole Chicken! Remember to freeze it!!! This was a great find the other night when I didn't want to go to the store after being on vacation and we didn't want to order out. One peek into the freezer and I found a frozen chicken breast and homemade chicken stock!!! I thawed the stock and used it to cook the chicken!!! DELICIOUS! Best part?!?! The chicken stock was 3 months old, but still delicious!!! 

(sorry no picture from this experience...we were too hungry! This is an old picture!) 

I'm a PUBLISHED somebody!!!!

I had to write a post regarding exciting personal news! Previously, I had written a post about my amazing grandmother. (You can read the post I previously wrote here.) Long story short, my grandmother has her own publishing company that she has tirelessly been dedicated to working at for the majority of my life. Prior to her passion for writing and publishing books for kids with special needs and their friends, she was a music teacher. So, it can be said, I wanted to grow up to be like her (and her mother, for that matter.) Now, I didn't become a music teacher, but a teacher nonetheless...so I have accomplished that goal.

Anyway, the reason for this post. My grandmother had asked me a few years ago to write the curriculum that would coincide with the "newer" books in the Turtle Book collection. I was honored that she asked me, but I really didn't know how much work it would take to put it together!!! But, here it is! The brand new edition of the Sensitivity and Awareness Guide!!

And look!!! There is my name!!!

For more information on Turtle Books, PLEASE check out the website

http://jasonandnordic.org/turtle-books/

"TURTLE BOOKS fill the missing gap in children’s literature. Now you have easy-to-read books that honestly talk about what it’s like to be a child with a disability. Warm, colorful illustrations and simple, beautiful stories offer insights in dealing with children who have physical and mental disabilities."

For those of you that don't know me, I do not consider myself the strongest "reading" teacher. I like to teach the reading curriculum, but I can't say it is my favorite. Science, of course, is my passion and is SO MUCH more fun. Anyway, when I said yes, I had to start absorbing as much reading curriculum knowledge as possible, so a HUGE thank you goes out to all of my former colleagues that had no idea how much I was spying on their teaching techniques...not to mention all of the spying I did in your own classrooms to see what types of reading activities you were doing. Especially, Tiecea Brown....without her voice in my head while I was writing the questions or thinking about the activities I don't know how I would have been able to make it through. She is the most talented reading teacher I have had the opportunity to work with!!!

Me, Tiecea, and her husband.

And, a thank you that I have to put out there is to all of my former students. The entire time I was writing, I was thinking of all of them...so over the course of 9 years of teaching...that was a lot of different personalities. Without them, I would not be the teacher I am today. A college professor can try to prepare you for them, but NO ONE can prepare you for the day to day classroom experience like a group of kids. I have been blessed to have had some of the best. I don't have any of my own children (yet <-- that is for my mother), but I have had roughly 600 kids I have called "mine" on a temporary basis that I am VERY proud to have known, to have taught, and to (hopefully) made an impact on. My greatest accomplishment in life is to say I am a teacher. To me, it is the best profession out there!!

Last, but not least, thank you to my grandmother!!! My "Nan," who is one of a kind. I am very proud to be her granddaughter and am very lucky she has had so many life experiences because I can call her with any type of question and most likely, she has lived through it, conquered it, and can tell me how to do it better.  She is amazing, I cannot even put it into words.

We don't have a lot of pictures together, so she will hate this, but I had to post it!

Okay, this post wasn't intended to be a shout-out of thanks...but apparently, my mind wanted me to do it. So, thanks to those who read my open thank you letter!! And, thank you to those you check out the books! AND AN EVEN BIGGER THANKS, to those who use these books in your classrooms!!!!

Easy Chicken Nuggets

We just came back from a quick trip to Florida and we are about to embark on another quick trip to South Carolina, so there was no way I was going to go to the grocery store...nor did I want to go out to eat...so I scoured the freezer in hopes that I would find something easy and HEALTHY to whip up!

Frozen chicken breasts, frozen veggies and rice! PERFECT-O!

This is a take on my mom's chicken nugget recipe...I couldn't tell you how she makes it exactly...but, this is a spinoff.  It's important to flour the chicken, then to coat it in an egg wash and then cover in a bread crumb mixture. Now, I used to dip each piece of chicken in each and this ended up making a HUGE mess. This time, I made a GIGANTIC change that eliminated the mess and honestly, I think the chicken came out the best it ever has!

Easy Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
chicken breast (I only used 1 for 2 of us)
1 c. flour (whole wheat works too)
1 egg white
3/4 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. tomato and garlic seasoning (really add in whatever spices you enjoy to the bread crumbs)
salt and pepper
1 or 2 resealable bags
1/4 c. water


Step By Step
1. Cut the chicken breasts into pieces. Dip into the flour. (Spray a pan with non stick spray and turn the pan on med-low...cover)
2. Put the chicken into the resealable bag. Pour in the egg white. Make sure the egg white covers the chicken. You can either keep this bag and pour the bread crumbs, garlic and seasonings in or use another bag. (depends on how much egg white is left over in the bag). Either way, make sure you shake the bag around so the chicken is covered).

3. Put the chicken in the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes. Uncover, pour the water into the pan and then turn the chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. 

All in all, this recipe can come together and cook within 20 minutes. We paired it with steamed veggies and 7 minute rice. One of my favs!

Spicy Hot Kale Chips

I love kale chips, but this recipe may be a bit too much for me! It is literally burning my mouth with the spicy flavor right now! Kale chips are very easy to make, but it isn't a taste that everyone enjoys....Ryan HATES them...and I can't say any of my other friends have truly embraced the kale chip. But, I enjoy them.

The last time I made them, I was very simple...sea salt and Parmesan cheese...pretty simple. This time, I got too creative. I think if you are going to make kale chips, think about what type of potato chips you enjoy and make your kale chips with that in mind.

Spicy Hot Kale Chips
Ingredients
Kale (chopped into small pieces, no stems)
red pepper flakes
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1/8c. mozzarella cheese
nonstick cooking spray

Step by Step
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Drizzle the olive oil over the kale. Mix the seasoning in and toss with your hands.

3. Spray a baking sheet and then arrange the kale on the sheet. Top with the cheese.

4. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Feel free to change what rack the baking sheet is on halfway thru baking.

*I haven't found a way to keep them crispy unfortunately...so they are a bake and eat, unfortunately

Jack Daniel's Steak Marinade

I have to be honest, I found this recipe and thought...well, TGI Friday's had a really good whiskey marinade, and the reviews were nothing less than great, so I figured to just go for...and then, I whisked it all together and it DID NOT smell very good...in fact, it made my stomach turn..needless to say...I didn't have high expectations...

Boy, was I wrong! It did smell awful, but we broiled the meat for a total of 7 minutes on high (flipping halfway through). The taste was fantastic!!! I will make this again, but I will probably hold my breath while mixing the ingredients :)

If you are interested in the original recipe, you can find it here. The comments provide other ideas as well!
And here is a picture of our dinner...it looked pretty so I had to feature it!

Jack Daniel's Steak Marinade
Ingredients
1/4 c. Jack Daniel's whiskey
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 diced onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 t. oregano
a few shakes of black pepper
*meat of some sort....you could use beef, chicken, ribs, anything really....

Step by Step Directions
Whisk the ingredients together and marinade the meat for at least 10-12 hours.
Broil on high for 3 minutes...flip...continue for an additional 4 minutes. (or longer, we like medium rare meat)

Ugly pictures, but great taste!!!

Enjoy!

Pinterest Recipe! Roasted Ranch Red Potatoes

Came across a "pin" for simple roasted red potatoes...I HATE making potatoes...I never seem to get it right...plus they take SO LONG...I have done microwaved potatoes as you can see here, but those are not the healthiest..so when I came across this Weight Watchers recipe..I couldn't wait to try it! And, not so spoil the outcome...these are DELICIOUS! They are quick...easy...and did I mention DELICIOUS!!!

Here is the original pin: Ranch Roasted Red Peppers

Ranch Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
12 oz. red potatoes (washed and diced)
1 packet Ranch dressing
PAM spray
I added a teaspoon of sundried tomato seasoning...the other recipe used salt

Step by Step Directions
1. Soak the potatoes in water for approximately 30 minutes or more. (makes them a bit more crispy)
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Dry the potatoes and put them into a large resealable bag and dump the dressing mix and other seasoning in. Shake the bag.
4. Spray the baking sheet with PAM...spread the potatoes evenly over the sheet.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1/4 of recipe, approx 1/2 cup
Each serving = 2 Points +

PER SERVING: 78 calories; 1g fat; 18g carbohydrates; 1.75g protein; 1.5g fiber

Chicken and Shrimp Tortilla Soup

It is Sunday afternoon....more specifically it is St. Patrick's Day...and where are we? We are home. We have finally found that we are in that "weird stage"...married...no kids...no longer in our 20's....AND all of our friends have kids...therefore...we would just be those weird old people trying to relive their 20's if we were to go out and celebrate the holiday...kinda depressing for us...the past 3 St. Patty Day's were the best days because they were spent at the Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training game...and that, my friends, is a GREAT time. So, sorry to vent, but it was on my mind...guess we are going to have to succumb to peer pressure soon and be like everyone else our age...oh how I don't want to grow up...

Anyway, felt like making another Crock Pot dish and wondered if I could do shrimp in the Crock Pot...so, I threw this stuff together...it is very easy...and it is nice for these cloudy (hopefully) last days of Winter...

Chicken and Shrimp Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts (fresh or frozen), cubed
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn (drained)
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno (seeded or unseeded)
3 t. chili powder
1 t. coriander powder (or fresh cilantro)
a few splashed of Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot
salt/pepper
1 lb. frozen shrimp
cheddar jack cheese
crushed tortilla chips

Step by Step Directions
1. Turn the crock pot to low and add the chicken, chicken stock, tomatoes, corn, pepper, onion, jalapeno, chili powder, cilantro and the Tabasco sauce. Stir. Cook on low for 3 hours.
2. Add the frozen shrimp. Continue to cook on low for 30-45 minutes.
3. Top with cheese and chips. Serve.

The "Melt in Your Mouth" Pinterest Chicken recipe

I needed a quick recipe the other night and I did a quick Pinterest search to find something quick and simple. I had seen this recipe on many other boards. People repinned this particular recipe...A LOT! The thing that I didn't really like was the cup of mayo it used! Holy cow! That, to me, is a lot of mayo. So, I figured I would swap the mayo for some Greek yogurt.

If you are interested in the original recipe, you can find it here: food.com

But, if you are interested in a slightly more healthy version, you can continue to read on. Now, I will say, I didn't really think this recipe lived up to the name. It was good, but it wasn't earth shaking...however, Ryan thought it was excellent. I might try it again, it was very simple...a little bit messy...but it doesn't top my list. (Side note: the original recipe says to bake for 45 minutes at 375...that is WAY too long...I think that is why my chicken looks burnt...next time baking for a MUCH shorter time)

My take on Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
Ingredients
1/2 c. Parmesan or Italian shredded cheese
1 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. onion salt
1 t. Italian seasoning (I used pasta seasoning)
1 t. pepper
2 chicken breasts (not frozen)

Step by Step
1. Mix the dry ingredients. yogurt and cheese together. Put into a resealable bag.

2. Cover the chicken with the mixture. (I did this ahead of time and let the chicken "marinade" for a few hours in the refrigerator)

3. Spray baking sheet with PAM. Place the chicken on sheet.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Baked for WAY TOO LONG!

A Spin on Penne with Spinach Sauce

I found this recipe the other day on the Food Network website. I was looking for something easy and quick. As I was scrolling through all of the recipes, I came across this one: Penne with Spinach Sauce

This is a Giada recipe and I did love it, but I wanted to add a little bit more of my own individual flair to it. So, I added sundried tomatoes, shrimp, and red pepper flakes. Also, I increased the amount of garlic by 1 clove. And, instead of goat cheese, I used ricotta cheese. All in all, I am very happy with the outcome. It is VERY garlicky, but quite tasty.

Another perk to this recipe, I got to use my brand new food processor. I LOVE IT (Barkley, on the other hand, isn't a fan...he barked the WHOLE time I used it. Oh well.)

A MAJOR DOWNFALL....don't make it and keep it for later..I made that mistake!!!! After I made it, I tried it and it was AMAZING, but then I had to put into the refrigerator because I had to go to spin class...I thought about this dish the ENTIRE TIME I was at the gym...well lo and behold...the sauce was soaked into the pasta when I reheated it and.....it wasn't as good...it was very tasty, but the creaminess wasn't there...and that was what made it so tasty when I tried it...oh well..you live and learn!

Shrimp & Penne with Spicy Spinach Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
3 sauteed garlic cloves
2 oz. ricotta cheese
1 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 package of fresh spinach
2 T. mozzarella cheese
2 t. red pepper flakes
4 sundried tomatoes
2 c. raw shrimp

Step by Step Directions
1. Saute the garlic. Cook for a few minutes (enough to cook it down a bit) half of the spinach in a pan with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
2. Put the following into the food processor, sauteed garlic, ricotta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, cream cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, mozzarella cheese and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cook the shrimp until they are no longer pink.
4. Drain the pasta (keep 1 cup of the starchy water aside). Spoon the pasta over the slightly cooked spinach leaves. Then, scrape the cheese mixture over the pasta. Mix together. Pour the starchy water in (you might not need the entire cup of water, but you want to keep the pasta moist) Finally, toss the cooked shrimp in with pasta.

Serve with garlic bread for the true garlic lover!

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

Not sure where I found this recipe, but it was in with all of the recipes I copied from my Mom's recipe box....the reason why I don't know where this recipe came from...my mom doesn't really make seafood dishes, so why would I have copied this recipe from her recipe box?

Nonetheless, I tried this recipe the other night and it was scrumptious! (And, the leftovers were probably amazing...but Ryan got to enjoy those)

The recipe I used called for dry white wine...I didn't have any, so I omitted it. Not sure how it would have changed the outcome, but if you want to add it to this recipe add 1/2 a cup.

Shrimp Scampi w/ Linguini
Ingredients
1 lb. linguini
4 T. unsalted butter
4 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 T. red pepper flakes
1 pound shrimp
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Step by Step Directions
1. Cook the linguini according to the package directions.
2. In a large skillet, melt 2 T. butter and 2 T. EVOO over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, shallots, garlic, red pepper and red pepper flakes. (approximately 3-4 minutes)

3. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. (I also sprinkled with garlic salt) Add them to the pan and cook until the shrimp are pink. Then, add lemon juice. Remove from heat.

4. In the skillet, add the remaining 2 T. of butter and the 2 T. EVOO and the parsley. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp and shallot mixture to the pan.

5. Reserve 1/4 c. of noodle water and then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot. Pour the shallot/shrimp mixture over the noodles and add the starchy noodle water as well. Stir.

6. Sprinkle with cheese and serve!

Pizza Meatloaf...a throwback to my childhood

I have been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. It didn't help that I thought I was on death's door for two weeks. But, I have made a few "new" recipes in the kitchen in the past few weeks....new as in...I found some recipes  my mom used to make and I thought I would put my own "spin" on things...

The first one was one I used to LOVE back in the day, but she didn't make it very often. Most times it was just meatloaf. I guess whenever cheese is involved, that is a dish I will remember forever.

As for the ground beef, I used the 90/10 package. I thought about using the 93/3, but I figured I needed a little bit of fat. And, I'm sure you could use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Also, for future reference I may play with different types of toppings...but for this one, I stuck with cheese (and red pepper flakes, of course!)

Total time to make this is around an hour, but most of that is the baking portion.

Pizza Meatloaf
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef (90/10)
1 cup tomato paste (6oz.)
1 cup water
1/2 t. oregano
2 garlic, minced
1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 c. diced onion
1 T. fresh parsley, diced
1 beaten egg
1/4 t. fennel seeds
1/2 t. onion salt
1/2 t. - 1T. red pepper flakes
1 c. mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Step by Step
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine tomato paste, water, oregano, fennel seeds, onion salt, parsley, half of the red pepper flakes and minced garlic in a bowl.

3. Combine 1/2 of the above mixture with the bread crumbs, diced onion, egg, and salt/pepper.
4. Mix together (I used my hands) with the beef. Shape into a loaf and place into a shallow baking dish.

5. Bake 45 minutes without sauce.
6. Remove from oven. Top with rest of the sauce mixture. Then, top with cheese and remaining red pepper flakes. Bake until cheese has melted (about 5 minutes)

Serve with a green veggie and mashed potatoes.

Microwaved Spicy and Cheesy Sliced Potato

These potatoes pair nicely with the Spicy Healthy Hot Wings at Home recipe found on this blog.  I love how easy and tasty these turned out to be! Especially since I am not a big potato fan! (hard to believe, but true)

These were prepped and made in less than 15 minutes!

Spicy and Cheesy Sliced Potato
Ingredients
2 baking potatoes
2 T. melted butter
2 t. chives
2 t. green onions
2 t. garlic salt
2 t. chili powder
2 T. - 3T. shredded Mexican cheese

Step by Step Directions
1. Slice the potatoes (make sure not to go all the way through) and place in a microwave safe casserole dish. (my dish was sprayed with PAM)

2. Whisk the chili powder and garlic salt into the melted butter.

3. Pour the butter, chives and green onions over the potatoes.

4. Microwave for 10 minutes.

5. Pull the slices further apart and top with cheese.

Serve with the Spicy Hot Wings!