Cajun Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe over on Pioneer Woman's website earlier in the week. I was planning out our weekly menu and immediately knew I wanted to give it a try.

I'm honestly not sure whether to call this a success or failure. Besides myself, our oldest daughter seemed to be the other family member that enjoyed her meal. My husband said "It's not bad, but I wouldn't go back for seconds." Ouch! That hurt! The two little ones loved snatching the veggies off the counter while I was cutting them up, but once I combined everything they didn't seemed thrilled.

 I was sure this would be a winner; one dish that combines pasta, chicken and veggies all together and with a little spice. I did cut back on the Cajun seasoning so it wouldn't be too spicy for the little ones and I also omitted the white wine and used a little more chicken broth instead. Unfortunately it's not something that I'll probably be making again for my family, but I'm being real here, showing you that there's going to be times when things don't turn out as planned or as well as you'd like. It's okay, I love to cook and bake and it's not going to stop me, it shouldn't stop you either!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 lb. Fettuccine

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 large green pepper, seeded and sliced

1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning over chicken pieces, toss around to coat.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat.  Add chicken in a single layer, do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1-2 minutes. Flip to the other side and allow to finish cooking through. Remove with slotted spoon and place on a plate.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated add peppers and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun seasoning, add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1-2 minutes, gently stirring and trying to get veggies as dark as possible. Add tomatoes and let cook for 1 minute, remove and add to plate.

With pan over high heat, pour in chicken broth. Cook on high for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-high and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-high heat until sauce starts to thicken.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Lastly, add in chicken and veggies to the sauce, making sure to include all the juices on the plate. Stir and cook for a few minutes until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Source: slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman

Well this will be my last post of 2011, I'm so excited to see what the new year will bring. I'll be sharing with you my goals for 2012 next week, some of them will be food related and some not so much. I'll also be giving the blog a little face lift, can't wait for you to see the new look! You'll soon be able to find me on Facebook as well....stay tuned!

Before I go, I have a little frugal tip for ya!

 Don't throw out those green onion roots! Simply place them in a little water and watch the tops grow again You should be able to get them to re-grow at least a couple times. Pretty neat huh?





Pizza Bites

Another Christmas has come and gone! We were truly blessed this year with great weather and time with our loved ones.....and of course lots of great food and presents! Both sides of our families decided to serve up a bunch of different appetizers for our meal this year, everyone pitched in by bringing a few different items and I think we all loved having this huge smorgasbord. One of the dishes I shared were these tasty little pizza bites. It's something I've had bookmarked for over a year now and again, wondering why I hadn't taken the time to try them out sooner. I'm a fan of all things pizza and these were sure to not disappoint! I've even been dreaming up other fillings I can stuff into these bite sized pizzas.

I only wish I would've gotten a picture of the inside of these for you to see. They're really easy to whip up....I guess you'll just have to make some and see for yourself!

Did you receive any fun foodie gifts for Christmas? I was excited to get these 2 cookbooks, along with $75 in Barnes & Noble gift cards (yay!). My parents also got me the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid, I can't wait to try that out!


Pizza Bites

Ingredients:
1/2 batch pizza dough
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
Sliced pepperoni
Olive oil
Italian Seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese
Pizza sauce for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan. Divide pizza dough into 20-24 equal parts. Take one piece of dough, top with a cube of cheese and 2 slices of pepperoni. Pull the edges of dough around the filling and pinch closed. Place seam side down in baking dish, repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
Lightly brush tops of dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, serve warm with dipping sauce.

 Adapted from: Annie's Eats

Best Ever Banana Bread

So I'm sure you already have a tried and true banana bread recipe, but before you shove this one to the side, you need to give it a try! At the market this past summer it was one of my best sellers and it wasn't unusual for me to have requests to make up a few extra loaves for individuals. Like chocolate chip cookies, banana bread is one that I've tried many recipes in attempt to find that perfect one. This particular recipe is compiled from a couple different ones, I'd like to think it's my own but I'm sure there just might be one like it already out there.

What makes this bread so special? It's so good, I know you won't be able to stop at just one slice! It's full of banana flavor and incredibly moist. You'll also be happy to know it's simple to pull together, just dump everything in a bowl and mix together. It also freezes really well, I like to make up at least a few loaves at a time and stick them in our freezer. I can pull out a loaf anytime we feel like having some bread. Enjoy!

Best Ever Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in nuts if desired.

Pour into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan or 3 mini pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour 20 minutes for large loaf or 45 minutes for smaller, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Black and White Bean Dip

This is the last of the recipes from my Cookie Exchange I wanted to share with you. It's a quick and easy dip that would be perfect for any type of party or as an appetizer for a Mexican themed meal. I've had this recipe on file for quite some time now but not sure why I've waited so long to make it. I'll definitely be making this again!


Black and White Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1-15 oz. can black beans
1-15 oz. can white kidney beans
1 cup frozen corn
7 oz. salsa verde
2 cups shredded co-jack cheese
4 chopped roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
avocado- optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Squeeze liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so dip doesn't turn runny. Put all ingredients except avacado in a bowl and mix together. Spray a 8x8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and dip is heated through. Remove from oven and top with diced avocado. Serve with tortilla chips.

Here's a better view of the dip



 

Chocolate Peanut Butter-Pretzel Truffles

I wanted to leave you with these yummy treats before we officially start the weekend. If you're needing a quick and easy dessert to bring to any of your holiday gatherings, this is one you definitely need to consider! It doesn't require any baking, you most likely have all the ingredients on hand and it contains one of the best flavor combos ever- sweet and salty!

You can dress these up even more by drizzling some melted peanut butter and adding crushed pretzels on top.

Chocolate Peanut Butter-Pretzel Truffles

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pretzels
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter, room temp
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Directions:
Put pretzels in resealable plastic bag, with rolling pin, crush into small bits. In small bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt. Stir until all ingredients are combined and smooth. Add pretzels in and mix well. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined.

Line small baking sheet with wax paper. Using about 2 teaspoons worth or peanut butter mixture (or use small cookie scoop), shape into a ball with fingertips. Place ball on wax-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining mixture. Place baking sheet in fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to dip balls, melt chocolate chips and shortening together in a small bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each and until completely melted and smooth.

Makes 18-20 truffles

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Any big plans for the weekend? We're hoping to finish up Christmas shopping. Ugh! I'm dreading fighting the crowds, every year I say we're going to start early and be done but it seems like there's always something going on.  Oh well, there's always next year, right?

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork and Mom's coleslaw

This has got to be one of the easiest, yet delicious meals ever! I made this for my gals that attended the cookie exchange and I'm pretty sure they loved it. The pulled pork only requires 4 ingredients so what's not to like?

I've made barbecue pork plenty of times but usually just cook the pork in the slow cooker, drain the liquid and then add the sauce. Not bad, but wasn't anything special. Then I seen this recipe over on Sweet & Savory Food and I knew I had to give it a try.(Check out Ally's blog, she's a fellow Iowan, has some really good recipes and just wrote her 1st cookbook!) I will definitely be making my pulled pork this way from now on. I really like the addition of the cola, and it has a nice barbecue flavor but not too much of the actual barbecue sauce. I think for folks that might not care for the sauce will love this!

Look at that! It's tender, moist and delicious!

This coleslaw comes from my mom, I'm not actually sure where she came across this recipe. It's so easy to make, you seriously just dump a few ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise based coleslaws and that's what I love about this salad, the dressing is made from oil and vinegar.

Definitely give these recipes a try, even for those of you that say "I can't cook". You can do this! Surprise your family with super easy meal or take the pulled pork to one of your holiday gatherings, everyone will love it!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

3-lb. pork roast (Crock pot or pork butt will give you the most tender meat)

1 can Diet Dr. Pepper (You can certainly use any type of cola)

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue sauce (Again use whatever brand you like)

Lawry's salt and pepper

Directions:

Season roast with salt and pepper. Place roast in your slow cooker. Pour in can of cola and barbecue sauce. Set on low and cook for 6-8 hours.

When done, drain a little bit of liquid from slow cooker. Shred meat with fork. Serve on buns, add additional barbecue sauce if desired.

Source: Sweet & Savory Food

Asian Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 pkg coleslaw mix

4 green onions, chopped

1 pkg ramen noodles, discard the season packet

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

Directions:

Combine coleslaw mix and green onions in medium sized bowl. Break apart dry ramen noodles and add to coleslaw mixture. In another bowl, combine oil, sugar and vinegar. Pour dressing over coleslaw. Refrigerate overnight to allow noodles to soften. Before serving add in sunflower seeds.

Icy Holiday Punch

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

I discovered this punch a few years ago while skimming through some old Taste of Home magazines. This has become my favorite and is definitely a keeper! Every time I serve this drink I always get requests for the recipe. It's so easy to put together, the hardest part is probably remembering to pull it out of the freezer 2 hours before serving to allow for thawing. I haven't tried substituting any other kinds of jello yet but I'm sure you could get some really good flavor combos!

It's really good as an adult beverage as well! I like to substitute Parrot Bay passion fruit rum for part of the water. I recommend half rum, half water but you can always adjust if you want the punch a little stronger.

Icy Holiday Punch

Ingredients:
1-6 oz. pkg cherry Jello
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
1-46 oz. can pineapple juice
6 cups cold water
2 liter bottle of Sprite or 7-UP

Directions:
In large freezer-proof container, dissolve sugar and jello in boiling water. Stir in pineapple juice and cold water. Cover and freeze overnight.
Remove from freezer 2 hours before serving. Place in punch bowl, stir in Sprite or 7-UP just before serving.

Slightly adapted from: Taste of Home