Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

Hello, hello!  I hope all of you enjoyed your weekend, but if not, you get a do-over right in the middle of the week this time.  :-)

I've had to watch what I eat lately, as I learned last week that I have gestational diabetes.  At first I thought it would be the pits because the fun of pregnant eating would disappear, but quite the opposite, actually.  It's opened me up to a world of creativity; after all, it's just a game of proportions (and monitoring... I admit the monitoring is not really all that fun.)  

I made this for dinner last week.  It's a really simple idea, just thrown together quickly, but it was quite delicious.  I used things I already had (basically a bunch of leftovers), so I have no idea what quantities I used of what.  I'll do my best to guess.

Ingredients:

1.  Chicken breast, cubed (I only used 1 breast)

2.  Olive oil

3.  Fresh asparagus, cut or broken into bite-size pieces

4.  Half n' half (approximately 1/8 cup)

5.  Grated Parmesan cheese (approximately 1/8 cup)

6.  Lemon pepper seasoning (to taste)

7.  Penne pasta, cooked (I used 1/4 of a box because it was all I had, but the proportion was perfect)

Method:

In a medium-to-large saucepan, cook the chicken in the olive oil.  Once it is cooked completely, add the asparagus until it softens to taste (I like a little crunch.)

Add the half n' half, cheese, pasta and seasoning.  Mix together and simmer until it thickens to taste.  Serve immediately.

How easy is that?  Jayson said he might like it better with tomatoes or something, which is an excellent idea, if I happen to have leftover tomatoes next time.  What easy 'mix-together-what-I-have' recipes do you like?  Please share! 

~ Sarah

Cajun Pasta

Happy Wednesday!  Is everyone's schedule back to normal?  It feels like Christmas was months ago already, doesn't it?  Maybe it's just me.

I haven't shared a recipe in a really long time, so I thought I'd share this one.  If you're looking for something tasty and easy, with a touch of kick, this is for you - Cajun Pasta!  I made it up last night, and I'm exceptionally proud of it.  As always, I didn't measure anything, so I'll guess the amounts I used to make enough for 3-4 people.

What you will need:

1. Chicken breasts (2)
2. Cajun seasoning
3. 1/2 teaspoon Basil
4. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
5. Oil (I used olive)
6. 1/2 box of pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
7. handful of sun-dried tomatoes
8. handful of diced onions
9. 1 pint heavy cream
10. cheese to taste (Anything that will grate or shred; we used sharp provalone)

Method:

Cook your pasta separately (if you're using whole wheat, it will probably take a tad longer than regular pasta.)  In a large saucepan, combine your oil, garlic, basil, and some of your Cajun seasoning to taste; mix. 

Add the chicken.  (*note - we cut the chicken into smaller pieces as it cooked, and continually sprinkled additional Cajun seasoning on as we turned it.)  When your chicken is nearly finished, add your chopped onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

Add the cheese and heavy cream; stir. 

Cover and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.  Add pasta and stir.

Jayson gave this recipe a 9.5 out of 10 (I probably would've earned that extra half-point if it wasn't quite so spicy -- he has a sensitive tongue.)  Nevertheless, it's going to be added to our regular pasta rotation!

~ Sarah

PS -- Did you note the name of my seasoning??  It reminds me of this clip by the comedian Tim Hawkins. 

Garlic Pizza

Happy Autumn (again!)

I made pizza for dinner last night, and it was delicious.  Delicious and, well, a bit... garlic-y.  Perhaps 'a bit' is an understatement.  I'm quite certain that this is a Pampered Chef recipe knock-off, but since I couldn't remember and didn't bother to find the actual recipe, I think I'm in the clear to let you know how I made it.

Ingredients:

1. Pizza crust (Jayson's very particular about this, so I usually leave the choosing of the crust to him.  Strangely, I didn't bother to look at the wrapping last night and can't tell you what kind I used.)
2. Olive oil
3. Garlic (I used fresh minced... but we'll get to that)
4. 1 can of diced tomatoes
5. Diced zucchini (to taste)
6. Sliced mushroom (also to taste)
7. Shredded mozzarella cheese (in Jayson's case, an entire bag will suffice)

It's not likely that any of you reading this won't know how to put a pizza together, but I'll tell you anyways.  Start by mixing your garlic and your olive oil and spreading on the crust.  (I also used olive oil under the crust, as I was using a PC pizza stone.)  Spread tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms.  Top with cheese.  Bake for 15 (or so) minutes.

It was delicious.  But... the garlic.  Oh, the garlic.  I never thought there was such a thing as 'too much garlic', and used to scoff at such a notion.  *repents* I have now learned to believe in too much garlic.  Fortunately, it wasn't over the whole pizza, and I enjoyed two slices that were well-balanced.  Poor Jayson experienced the 'too much garlic' on his first piece, however, and by the time I got to my third one, he claimed that he couldn't really tell how the pizza tasted.  He put it this way: "I'm sweating.  Under my eyeballs."

Between the two of us we almost completely finished a gallon of cider last night.  I'm pretty sure that the cider was also delicious, but it tasted peculiar to us.  Like garlic.  I could still taste garlic when I woke up this morning.  And tonight is leftover night.  *shudders*  

Well, anyways, it's an excuse to make the pizza again sometime.  Perhaps we'll forget ingredient number 3.  Perhaps not.   :)

~ Sarah

A Midsommer's Dinner

Happy Monday! {says the chipper blogger as she downs her Dunkin at an alarming rate...}

So, are you enjoying your summer??  July is just about the only non-mercurial month where I live, although it has some fickle days here-and-there.  We've just finished a heat wave, and it seems to be the topic of conversation wherever you go (ahem, especially Facebook). 

Well, if you are living somewhere *hot*, then you'll appreciate today's recipe - hardly any cooking, served with very few dishes/utensils, and perfect for the hot summer day appetite.  Any other time of year, you can use it as an appetizer.

What you will need:

1. Texas Toast
2. Bruschetta (pronounced broo-SKET-uh) {<-- that one's for you, my lovely Italian friend; you know who you are}
3. Fresh basil
4. Parmesan cheese (optional)

Start by making your Texas Toast as directed on the box.  It takes about 5 minutes to cook, so make sure it's just about dinner time when you start. 

Fresh basil can be purchased at the store, but I love pulling it right off the plant.  I find that basil plants in the kitchen are better than any air freshener.  So nice.

Unfortunately, my grocery store had only one selection of Bruchetta - Bellino, but it turned out to be quite excellent.

Place several basil leaves on each piece of toast...

... and spread the Bruschetta over top.  My husband also added Parmesan cheese (making it 6-cheese toast, I suppose).

It's a wonderful summer meal -- meant to be eaten somewhat cool, and absolutely delicious.  We enjoyed ours on the deck with a nice breeze. 

What summer recipes do you enjoy?

~ Sarah

Lazy Tuna Noodle Casserole

I call it 'lazy', but it's really more 'on the go / easy'.  Ok, maybe a little lazy.  ;)

Even those of us who love to cook occasionally need a cheat day... that's where my Tuna Noodle came from.  My mother called it casserole, but if you don't take the time to bake something, can you really call it a casserole?  I think Lazy Tuna is probably a better term. 

What you will need:

1. 1 can of tuna
2. 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
3. noodles of your choicce

Start by boiling water and cooking your noodles the old-fashioned way.  When they're done to taste, drain them.  Put them back in the pot.

Add your soup and tuna, and stir.

Serve.

Naturally, there must be some sort of tribute to the
vegetable family... I sliced up some fresh carrots.

I told you!  It's very, very quick, and so easy that it makes you think, "Wait, that's it?"  This is my in-a-hurry recipe.  Healthy?  Probably not.  But totally delish, and some days, that's all you need.  :)

~ Sarah

PS - Wow, I guess this was another mini-post!

Chicken Breasts in Herb Sauce

4-day weeks never seem shorter, do they?  My husband's job allows him every-other-Friday off, and it just so happens that this week was his 'off day' in addition to the holiday, so he only had a 3-day work week.  But that didn't seem to be enough... he had some projects he wanted to finish (not to diminish that in any way -- he plans to pour concrete in our basement), as well as a dentist appointment, and decided it would be prudent to take today off, as well.  So today is his Saturday (and tomorrow, and the next day...)

He practically sang, "Have a great day, sweetie," as I was leaving for work.  Grr.

Anyways, thought I'd quickly share a recipe with you, since blogging has suddenly become my happy place.  My husband's family 'published' a cookbook several years back, and everyone was asked to contribute.  I love going through it because the recipes are so very eclectic.  That's where I found this one.  Warning - NOT diet friendly.  Not even health friendly.  But extremely delish!!  (And this is one of those rare recipes where I actually use the measurements, to an extent.)

What you will need:

1. 4 chicken breasts
2. Onion to taste
3. Sun-Dried tomatoes
4. 1 stick of butter or margarine
5. 1 teaspoon each of:
• Dry yellow mustard
• garlic powder
• celery seed
• oregano
• salt
• paprika
6. 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
7. 3 tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. 

Add your spices to the butter.

Yes, the sliding measurer is Pampered Chef.

Lay the chicken breasts in a baking pan (I used one slightly smaller than 9 x 13).  Spread your onions and tomatoes evenly around the chicken, then pour the sauce overtop. 

Bake at 375 for one hour. 

Absolutely amazing flavor, that.  Well, of course... it's drenched in butter.  {My favorite part of this recipe is that it's published in the family cookbook immediately next to the diet lasagna.  lol}

Enjoy!!

~ Sarah

The Way to a Man's Heart

My husband's getting old!  :)

Yesterday was his birthday, and so we celebrated in a fashion all our own.  It's a special day for us, not only because he's a year older, but because we also became engaged on his birthday 6 years ago.  {Insert 'aww' here.}

This year, I decided to make his favorite dish - Chicken Marsala.  I made it once before (several years ago) and the result was such a disaster that I haven't tried it since.  I guess I was too chicken. 

But anyways, I googled several different recipes for Chicken Marsala, and finally found this one, which is what I more or less followed.  It's excellent - I recommend that you try it.

Chicken Marsala Saga - What you will need:

1. 4 chicken half-breast (boneless / skinless)
2. flour
3. salt
4. pepper
5. Oregano
6. Oil (I used olive oil)
7. Butter
8. Sliced mushrooms
9. Marsala Wine
10. Sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

A wine connoisseur, I am not, but I asked the very helpful man at the store what he would recommend.  He immediately had an answer.  He assured me that this is what all of the restaurants use, and who am I to say he's wrong? 

First, combine your butter and oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Combine your flour, salt, pepper and oregano in a shallow dish (I also threw in some white pepper for no apparent reason).  "Dredge" the chicken. 

• Dredge is an awesome cooking term that refers to (basically) dragging the chicken through the mixture on both sides.  I didn't get any shots of me doing this because I had no free hands.
• The recipe calls for you to smoosh the chicken before dredging.  I was lazy - I picked up pre-sliced chicken that was dredge-ready. 

Carefully add the chicken to the oil/butter mixture.  Allow to brown on one side, then on the other.  You should be able to tell when they're ready to turn.  The chicken becomes opaque on the bottom, and the edges will start to turn this color, as well.  Medium heat is probably best.

Add your mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes (if using) around your chicken.  They're Superman's favorite.  <3

Once chicken side #2 is basically done, stir together.  Add the wine, cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

  

And there you have it!  It really wasn't as tough as I feared.  I also added chunks of white cheddar cheese when I served it, and he added a Parmesan mountain on his.

My helper.. far be it from him to leave me
on my own to make Daddy's dinner. <3

My notes: I've tasted better chicken marsala, but this recipe certainly held up!  It was delicous.  I may try a tad more wine next time, as, when all was said and done, the flavor wasn't very strong.

As you can see, choking it down was a chore.

After dinner, my husband wanted to go flying!  Flying on his birthday is something of a tradition because that's how we became engaged.  (He took me flying at night and wrote 'marry me?' on the ground in Christmas lights.)  {Insert 'aww' here.}

Of course, to be legal, he had to practice three landings before taking me up with him.  Not that I was bored!

Pictures from our flight:   

 

Later, we had birthday brownie with cream cheese frosting.  15 points if you can guess how old he is.  :)

All in all, a successful birthday, so Superman says.  <3

~ Sarah

PS - PLEASE share your Chicken Marsala tips / sagas!!  I plan to make it again and want to improve it.  :-)

Pasta Primavera

Wow, this has been a busy week at LWYH!  And by busy, I mean that your humble blogger has had a lot to share... are your eyes tired?

Well, finally, we have come to a post that is similar to one that came before it: cooking!!  I love to cook.  I love recipes that surprise you with things you would never, ever think to put together, but even more, I love recipes that use the good ingredients.  I love when you have to actually smoosh the fresh cherry tomatoes rather than open a can of diced.  I prefer to make a thick, delicious sauce from locatelli cheese, cream and butter, rather than open store-bought alfredo.  You would think such a busy woman would be a fast food person.  But no.  Cooking is up there on my priorities list.  I love it, even if I'm falling asleep at the stove.

I have a close friend who is a Pampered Chef consultant, and to her great delight, I am a PC addict.  {They don't have support groups for us yet.}  I own crazy gadgets, useful dishes, and, of course, a few entertainment pieces.  Because Pampered Chef has made old cooking ways completely obsolete, when I pass recipes on to friends I have to transpose them from the quick, easy "PC way" to the old-fashioned way first.  I will try to do that with this one.

Please note that I am not trying to sell Pampered Chef, but it may come across that way.  I do love it, you know.  (Of course, should you wish to order anything, click here and they'll hook ya up.)  ;-)

First, a word about the dish I used.  It's called the Deep Covered Baker. 

This puppy is made of stone, with a ceramic glaze on the outside.  That means it's microwave safe.  Microwave.  Yes, you cook dinner in this thing in the microwave.  I use it all the time.  Truly!  It doesn't even have its own special spot in my cabinet!  It moves from the drying rack (because PC stones must be washed by hand with no soap) to the 'prep' area.  It never gets a break, poor thing. 

PC recently came out with a must-have: the recipe book specifically designed for my cranberry friend.  Perhaps some day they'll sell these as a set, but for now, they're separate. 

Note the cover photograph -- none other than the Primavera!



I'm not an expert on copyright laws, but I'm pretty sure I'd lose my "VIP Customer" status if I showed you a picture of the recipe itself.  So to be fair, I'm going to talk about the ingredients, but I will not be putting the exact measurements here.  I hope I don't get myself in trouble.

You will need:

1. Linguine
2. Chicken Broth
3. Cream Cheese
4. Heavy Cream
5. Lemon pepper rub (I didn't have any, so I popped to the store and picked up a McCormick substitute)
6. Carrots
7. Snap Peas
8. Broccoli
9. Mushrooms
10. Red Pepper
11. Garlic
12. Onions
13. Chicken (optional!)

To begin, add the chicken broth, pasta, garlic, cream cheese, and heavy cream to the covered baker, along with some of the lemon pepper spice.  Cover and microwave until the noodles are soft and the sauce is thick.  Stir occasionally.

If you are making this the old-fashioned way, cook your noodles separately from your sauce.  You can combine the broth, garlic, cream cheese, heavy cream and lemon pepper in a saucepan, on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until thick.

If you're using chicken, cut into small pieces and cook with garlic, lemon pepper spice, and onions.  Remove from heat.

Cut your vegetables into preferred sizes.  For me, this means I sliced my carrots and diced my peppers.  I also sprinkled a little lemon spice on these, so they didn't feel left out.

Once your noodles are soft and beautiful, stir in your vegetables and chicken. 

If you do not have the covered baker (and I'm sorry if you don't!), use a large pot, or serving bowl, that will hold all of your ingredients, and carefully stir together. 

Husband prefers for nothing to be crunchy, so I always microwave it another minute, then let it sit, so the vegetables can get a little soft.  Personally, I'd eat it crunchy and enjoy the heck out of it, anyways.  This recipe is simply Delish!! 

Good eats!

~ Sarah