Category: Main Dishes

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Recipe Repeat: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Sarah

Today, as I’m getting back into the swing of things after a wonderful week-long vacation in Vail, CO with Ben and my family (recap to come), I wanted to highlight a recipe from the archives that makes frequent appearances on our dinner table.

Allow me to re-introduce Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken is one of the easiest and most flavorful slow cooker recipes that I’ve found yet. Simply combine chicken breasts with corn, black beans, and tomatoes with a spicy seasoning cocktail of cumin, cilantro, garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper, cook all day, and serve atop rice with a hearty helping of cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, and green onions to taste. Though the components of this dish are definitely classic Tex-Mex/Southwest in nature, this seasoning cocktail definitely kicks it up a notch to give it a taste to remember. What could be better? If you find out… let me know!

So tell me… what’s a recipe repeat in your house?

And if you missed it… check out [Belated] Sheba Saturdays. Gotta love a snuggly kitty!

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Tangy Chicken Pasta

Sarah

If there is one thing that joining a CSA has taught me about my culinary skills is that I am not well versed in cooking greens. Aside from the usual lettuce and spinach, I never really ate greens of any type growing up. No mustard greens, collard greens, or kale to speak of. In recent years I have had kale and mustard greens a time or two, but that’s about it. That’s why I was so excited about how one of my latest pasta dishes turned out.

It all started the night before our CSA pickup where I decided I had to use up some mustard greens, garlic, and lemon thyme that had been hanging around our fridge for the past six days. It was seriously getting ridiculous, so I just threw together a marinade for some chicken, closed my eyes and said a prayer, hoping for the best. You know how some combos are really, really bad? Well, this one was anything but.

My impromptu Tangy Chicken Pasta incorporates a double dose of lemon in fresh lemon thyme and lemon juice, as well as spicy black pepper, sweet garlic, and rich olive oil in the marinade. As the chicken cooked, I steamed the distinctively unique peppery mustard greens and cooked up a batch of noodles to serve as the vehicle for my tangy feast. At the end, I tossed in some broccoli florets as the pasta cooked to bump up the veggie content and mixed everything together with a pseudo lemon-balsamic reduction glaze.

The results? Incredible levels of flavor and depth. For best results, make and serve the same day, but if there are leftovers be sure to add some extra lemon-balsamic glaze to make the flavors pop once more. Enjoy!

Tangy Chicken Pasta
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh lemon thyme, roughly chopped + more for garnishing
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups loosely packed mustard greens, stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 5 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 pound small noodles, uncooked [I used mini farfarelle]

Directions:

Whisk together 1/3 cup lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, lemon thyme, and black pepper in a small bowl or ziploc bag. Place [raw] chicken in mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes and no more than 24 hours to marinate.

When ready to prepare, bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Pour chicken and marinade into skillet and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until each piece is cooked through. You could add additional olive oil, but I found it unnecessary due to the marinade. When chicken is cooked, remove to a large bowl, reserving liquid in pan.

While the chicken is cooking, set a third [yes, I know!] pot on the stovetop and fill with several inches of water and a steamer insert. Add mustard greens, cover, and heat to medium. Steam mustard greens until just tender. Remove from heat and spoon out into the bowl with the chicken.

After mustard greens are in the pot, turn back to the pasta water–it should be boiling by now. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. But… one minute before pasta should be done, add the broccoli to the water and blanch. Immediately remove from heat and drain well, then add to mustard greens and chicken. Toss well.

Lastly, pour 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar into the skillet where the chicken cooked. Over medium heat, stir constantly, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. When mixture has thickened, remove from heat and pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Garnish with additional lemon thyme leaves and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Turkey

Creamy Taco Mac

Sarah

Have you heard the news? After all these years of being with my husband, the Hamburger Helper fanatic, I have found a variety of Hamburger Helper that I tolerate like enjoy alright, I give up, love. I have recently fallen in *love* with the one and only Creamy Taco Mac. Me, the girl who despises packaged foods and powdered cheese and all it stand for!

Creamy Taco Mac - a fast, easy, homemade version of Hamburger Helper made with ground turkey & simple pantry ingredients | thepajamachef.comAlright, enough, you say. Why are you posting about a packaged food product on a food blog? Well… there’s a catch. [There’s always a catch, isn’t there?]

It’s homemade Hamburger Helper.

Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did ya? 🙂 [Don’t worry, I will not ever post a recipe for any sort of boxed food product. Except maybe one discussing how amazing boxed brownies are and how yummy they taste in pillow cookies.]

This is Hamburger [Turkey?] Helper as you’ve never had it. Oodles of gooey, melty cheddar cheese covering chunks of tomato, tender macaroni noodles, and taco seasoned ground turkey, all bound together by a luscious cream sauce with a tiny bit of kick. It’s like a return to childhood right on your dinner plate, with good enough leftovers to fight for. Creamy Taco Mac - a fast, easy, homemade version of Hamburger Helper made with ground turkey & simple pantry ingredients | thepajamachef.com

Creamy Taco Mac

  • Servings: 4
  • Print

from Smells Like Home

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • 14.5 ounce can sodium-free diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 tablespoons taco seasoning [store-bought or from scratch]
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
  • black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed in a large stockpot, reserving one cup of pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, brown ground turkey over medium heat until cooked through. Reduce heat to low. Add taco seasoning and tomatoes, then simmer, uncovered for about 5 minutes.

Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese to the stockpot with the pasta.

Slowly and carefully spoon in ground turkey and tomato mixture. Season with a good amount of black pepper. Add as much reserved pasta water as desired. A full cup is usually too thin for me, but adding some of the water makes the sauce better, in my opinion. Stir until well combined.

Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until cheeses are melted.

Serve with additional sour cream and cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Lemony Kale Pasta

Sarah

So far this summer, I have come to love Wednesdays, even though the last several have been rainy and not-so-fun. Nothing can top last Wednesday, when a tornado hit Bloomington and downed over 500 trees on Indiana University’s campus and more all around town, in addition to damaging numerous buildings and homes. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries. But yet… I still am loving Wednesdays. Why, you might ask? Because Wednesdays is CSA day!

As you might remember, Ben and I joined our first CSA this summer. Every Wednesday after work, I head over to a nearby park and pick up a basket of goodies for the week. We’ve gotten to try a lot of delicious, local, seasonal, just-picked vegetables and herbs, including gorgeous rhubarb [fact: did you know rubarb doesn’t have to be bright red to be tasty?], radishes [I’ve discovered that I love those spicy things], Asian mustard greens, pea shoots, green garlic, chocolate mint, oregano, chervil, and more.

So far, I think my absolute favorite CSA box find has been the baby kale we received during our first pick-up. This kale was tender, tiny, and flavorful. Normal kale leaves are huge and require lots of cutting to be manageable. This kale, on the other hand, was a little bigger than a spinach leaf. Each bite packed an insane amount of peppery flavor with just the right amount of crunch. If you’ve never tried kale, be sure to check it out at your local farmer’s market. Grab a bunch and make this simple Lemony Kale Pasta that I found compliments of Annie’s Eats.

Lemony Kale Pasta

What we loved about this dish–besides the twenty minutes or so of prep time, most of it waiting for the water to boil/for pasta to cook… sigh…–was the sharp contrast of flavors that blended together so well. Meant. to. be. I always think of lemon and olive oil as the perfect pairing for say, marinating chicken with some herbs or spices. And kale is good for my African Peanut Pineapple Stew. But lemon… and kale… with pasta? Really, you jest. It is good though… and it’s not just the cheese that makes it so wonderful! The lightness of the lemon, the richness of olive oil, and the sharpness of kale–plus the cheese… we can’t forget the cheese!–join together with a hearty noodle for a party on your plate.

So what are you waiting for? Go get yourself some kale and try this for yourself!

Lemony Kale Pasta [from Annie’s Eats]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • couple dashes of Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for serving
  • 4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound pasta [i.e. penne]
  • 1 large bunch baby kale, rinsed and dried, stems removed
  • lemon slices, for garnish

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Don’t forget to salt the water! Then, start on the dressing. Mix together the garlic and a little bit of salt [original suggested 1/4 teaspoon but I didn’t use that much]. Smash garlic with fork or chef’s knife to  make a paste. Place paste in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup Parmesan, olive oil [start with about 4 tablespoons and add more later if needed], lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste. Whisk until combined.

Cook pasta to al dente or your preference. Meanwhile, chop kale into 1/2 inch strips and place in large serving bowl. Pour dressing on top of kale and toss to coat. After pasta is ready, drain and cool for a moment. Then add to kale mixture and toss again to coat. Add additional olive oil to thin dressing if needed. Serve with lemon and Parmesan to taste.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches and Wraps

BAST

Sarah

Need a simple, yet tasty and impressive-looking lunch? Well, your search is over. I whipped up this quick sandwich, which I have affectionately dubbed the BAST [bacon, avocado, spinach, tomato] several weeks ago in an attempt to use up some ingredients in the fridge before we headed out of town for the weekend. [Yes, I’m behind. We’ve been gone 5 out of the last 6 weekends, so this long Memorial Day weekend was much appreciated since we were actually home.]

I was inspired by the classic BLT, hence the acronym and name of this delicious concoction, but decided to add a little something-something by subbing baby spinach for lettuce, adding some extra flavor and smoothness with avocado slices, and whipping up a light, sweet honey mustard sauce as a binder. Just like any good sandwich, no one component dominates–each joins together easily to create a party on your plate…and in your mouth! Enjoy!

BAST
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 3 slices good quality whole wheat bread, toasted
  • 2 pieces of thick cut bacon, cooked and broken into thirds
  • 1 roma tomato, sliced thin
  • 1/4 avocado, sliced into 6 pieces
  • handful baby spinach leaves
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, and honey. Spread mixture on one side of each piece of bread. [I had some leftover.] Then layer spinach, tomatoes, bacon, and avocado on one piece of bread. Top with a second slice and repeat. Top with final slice of bread, then press down, pierce sandwich with toothpicks, and cut into two slices… diagonal is best. 🙂 Enjoy!