Soo Yummy Thai Pasta & Chicken



Yummier than it looks!

Perfect weeknight dinner even if there is homework to do - Less than 30 min to make, one pot and flavor to boot. I tried and tried to get a good picture of this one, but you're going to have to take my word for it, it's fantastic. Many birthdays ago my mom put together a bunch of her favorite recipes in a book for me - this recipe card has "EASY & YUMMY" written on it, she's right!
You'll need:
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 lb linguine
Roasted chicken, torn, as much or as little as you like
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice (or the juice of 1 lime)
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Bring water to a boil for pasta, cook, drain, set pasta aside in a colander. In the same pot you made the pasta, mix together, broth, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and chili flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir pasta in with broth mixture. Add chicken, lime juice. Put on plates/bowls and sprinkle cilantro and peanuts on top. Enjoy!!

Chicken with Tomatoes & Thyme

Daddy Rating: 2/3

I'm not sure if there could be an easier meal to prepare and it is YUMMY, I can't believe I have't posted this sooner. I make it in the morning before work and put half in a Zip-loc bag in the freezer for a future yummy dinner. What's great is all of the prep is in the morning, and it doesn't require any attention when it's cooking so you can have quality time or help kids with homework.

AM Prep - how good does this look!

Ingredients
1 lemon
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes with basil
8 sprigs thyme
1 (or so) tablespoons capers
4 small chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
4 small chicken drumsticks (bone-in, skin on)
salt/pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freezer bags
Cooked rice for serving

Slice the lemon into rounds, keeping the peel on. In a bowl combine tomatoes and their liquid, lemon, thyme, and capers. Put about half of the tomato mixture into a 9x12 baking dish. Arrange 3-4 thighs and 3-4 drumsticks in the dish so they aren't touching. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate until you are ready to cook. Put the rest of the tomato mix and chicken in a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.

As soon as you get home from work, preheat the oven to 400*, remove the platic wrap and drizzle olive oil over the chicken. Roast until the chicken is is brown and cooked through (about 40-50 minutes). Serve over rice.

Enjoy with a nice glass of wine

Cugino's Chicken Enchilada Soup

Daddy Rating: 4

(I picked up this soup mix as a total after-thought while I was at the grocery store and, boy, am I glad i did! This made such good soup, it is going to become a go-to staple in our house! I deviated a bit from the instructions on the package by replacing 2c of water with chicken broth and adding tomatoes, but I LOVE chunks of tomatoes in my food, so I had to. )

Ingredients:
1 package Cugino's Chicken Enchilada Soup Mix
2 cups Chicken broth
4 cups water
1 15oz can tomato sauce
As many canned whole peeled tomatoes as you would like
Rotisserie Chicken - a much as you would like torn by hand and added to soup

For serving:
Shredded Cheese
Corn Chips
Yummy Bread

Bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Add soup mix, tomato sauce, tomatoes and chicken and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 min.

Of course our neighbor stopped by RIGHT when we were about to put dinner on the table, but no worries, I just kept the soup warm until he and hubby were done chatting.

I crushed up corn chips in the bottom of the empty bowl and added cheese, then I filled the bowl with soup. It was like a yummy little treat waiting at the bottom of the bowl. I also served with some yummy focaccia bread with jalapenos - YUM. The soup is thick, hearty and perfect for our drizzly evening, the best part - only ONE POT to clean.

I wish I had taken pictures, but my mom was over and I totally forgot. I brought some to work for lunch today and swore I would take a picture. Unfortunately I was so excited to eat it....I remembered to take a picture after I finished...



What was fantastic soup



Pesto Steak Pizza

Daddy Rating: 4 (but I think he was really hungry)

So Hubby and I had a date over the weekend where, of course, he ordered the Fred Flintstone size steak. Surprisingly, he only ate half, so I used the other half for this dinner. There is no recipe to quote from - I saw a picture of a pizza like this in a magazine and it inspired me.

Ingredients:
Boboli Pizza Crust (I had to use 2 since my husband ate one pizza himself)
Red, yellow green bell peppers
Pesto
Onion
Leftover steak
Italian shredded 4 cheese
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 325-350-ish. Warm oil in skillet. Add onions until soft, add peppers until just soft - keep in mind they will still cook on the pizza in the oven. Spread pesto on pizza crust. Slice leftover steak into strips and arrange on pizza. Cover with a little cheese. Add Onions and peppers. Add more cheese on top.

 Bake on a cookie sheet until bubbly and a little browned. My husband was quite pleased with this dinner and ate the entire pizza in one sitting.

Always serve with a glass of wine. ENJOY!

Brats, Peppers, and Polenta

Daddy Rating 4/5

I think my husband will rate anything with pork products on the higher end. this was easy and Yummy, Baby girl even liked it! I just happen to have yummy gourmet brats from the meat counter at our "farmstand" grocery store, but this would be just as good with your standard Johnsonville Brats. Polenta is a bit of a splurge for us, but is such a nice alternative to rice.

Ingredients:

1 package Brats

Bell Peppers (colors are pretty, but whatever is on sale!)

Yellow Onion

I package Polenta

Olive Oil

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and brush with olive oil. Slice Polenta and arrange on cookie sheet and brush tops with oil. Broil on high until slightly browned, then turn over - (this took longer than I thought, just keep an eye on it)

Warm oil in a 12" skillet (about 1 turn of the oil). Cook onions until they begin to soften, then add peppers until they begin to soften. Set aside on a plate. Cook Brats on each side until almost done, dump veggies back in the pan and cover.

You can keep the brats and veggies warm in the pan until the polenta is done and then everything will be on the plate nice and hot!

Always serve with a glass of wine. ENJOY!

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

(This recipe scores a 5 on the Daddy Rating System)

(From Food Network Cookbook that I got for my first Mother's Day - Only uses ONE PAN. Super fast, easy and tastes so fresh. I also bring this dish over to other mommies house when they are about to go crazy, they always appreciate it)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (When I was dairy-free, I skipped the butter and just used olive oil)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I use basic Zataran's Creole Seasoning and it's quite tasty)

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact (Just buy cooked, deveined shrimp when it's on sale) 

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 plum tomatoes, chopped (I use more like 7 because I like tomatoes)

2 bunches scallions, chopped (about 1/2" chunks)

3 cups cooked white rice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley  (I've never used this)

Lemon wedges, for serving (optional) (I've never used this, either)

Before going to work in the morning (or when your baby is napping), chop the onions and tomatoes so everything is ready to go when you get home - If possible cook the rice, too. We always have cooked rice on hand in our house.

Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Cajun seasoning and shrimp and cook, stirring, until the shrimp begin to curl, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and scallions to the skillet and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the rice and 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are opaque, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve with lemon, if desired.

At this point you can just leave it on the stove until the kids/baby go to bed and then re-heat.

Always serve with a glass of wine.