where the secret ingredient is love
Week of May 20
Monday: out to eat
Tuesday: pasta with vodka sauce
Wednesday: tofu ramen noodle soup with spinach
Thursday: our fourth anniversary! making Indian food together–can’t wait!!
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: creamy spring pasta
Sunday: breakfast for dinner
….and shameless plug! I just made a Facebook page for The Pajama Chef, so be sure to ‘like’ and check it out here. Thanks mucho, and happy Sunday!! 🙂
So, you know those amazing chicken dinners that look complicated and time consuming and fancy and are definitely worthy of a special occasion? Like your husband’s birthday [two months ago]? Well, this is one of them. Except… this can be made in under 30 minutes and really isn’t that complicated at all! Score! Less time on dinner equals more time watching episode after episode of 24, more time making birthday pie for the birthday boy, and more time writing my thesis. Except wait!!! My thesis is turned in, done, submitted online, and accepted. And I am graduated! You can now call me Sarah the Pajama Chef, MLS, MA. Woohoo!
To celebrate from afar, you should totally make this chicken. It’s creamy and sweet and just so good! It comes together in a snap, and let’s face it–apple cream sauce is a much better way to serve boring ‘ole chicken. When sliced sauteed apples are added to the mix as well, it’s even better!
If you’re not a fan of sweet main dishes, then I wouldn’t recommend this recipe. But if you are… waste no time in enjoying it! I’ve made it several times over the past few years and we pretty much never have leftovers. It is that good! Enjoy! 🙂
Apple Cream Chicken [adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook]
click to print
Ingredients:
Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown chicken for 4 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, whisk together apple juice, lemon juice, rosemary, and pepper. Pour over chicken, then add apple slices to skillet.
Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and cover to keep warm.
Stir together cornstarch and half and half, then add to liquid and apples in skillet. Bring to a boil, then cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add dried parsley, then return chicken to skillet and heat through.
Serve over hot cooked rice.
Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 4 servings.
Linked up with Weekend Potluck.
So… I’ve been making granola a lot. Like, every other week. This recipe, to be exact. Cinnamon Applesauce Granola is the best stuff ever. I know I said this before, but it’s pretty low in sugar AND it’s very flavorful. Perfect for eating by the handful or in yogurt. But guess what? I’ve found a way to make it even crunchier AND chunkier. Because chunks of granola are the best thing ever!!!
My new secret granola weapon is… don’t stir it! The original recipe says to stir it once or twice while baking, but I’ve found lately that not stirring it at all (or just stirring it once halfway through the cooking time) is key for granola success. Not stirring makes almost a granola-bar like consistency of granola that you can then break apart on your own after it cools. Whoa! Duh. Why didn’t I realize this sooner? When you do this, you do have to let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, otherwise it can be a little soft inside the chunks [from the applesauce]. 🙂
Chunky granola makes me so happy! [I know that sounds weird. Sorry.]
And now, for my second granola tip… you might be wondering why there are little jars of granola in front of my big tin of granola. [Some people keep a cookie jar on their counter… I keep a tin of granola.] Those, my friends, are thoroughly washed glass spice jars. Like the kind from my friend and yours, Mr. Trader Joe. These jars specifically are 2 ounces, which I have found is the perfect amount of granola for the 6 ounce cups of yogurt I buy every week at the grocery store.
If you take your breakfast or lunch with you to work or school, or just need a snack for the day, putting your granola in small glass spice jars keeps it fresh and smash-free. Sometimes when I was putting it in little plastic baggies, my granola–even the larger chunks–would get crushed by the rest of my lunch before I had the chance to eat it. This solves the problem, plus is a bit more environmentally friendly! I have quite the collection of these spice jars amassed so at the beginning of the week, I’ve started dishing up the granola for lunches for the week, ready to grab and go every night at lunch-making time. Works for me! If you don’t have a collection of glass spice jars ready now, then you can probably buy something similar at an organizing store, or just wait a few weeks until you finish a spice.
What are your granola-making tips? Recipes? I’d love to hear them below in the comments. 🙂 Have a good Monday!
Week of May 13
Monday: tacos w/ refried beans & Mexican rice
Tuesday: breakfast for dinner
Wednesday: thai chicken noodle soup
Thursday: Mom’s Lasagna [can.not.wait!!!!]
Friday: homemade pizza
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: roasted chicken
Since this week has been all about breakfast so far, why not continue the trend? For Friday, this meal is a little less sweet than the waffles and oatmeal I shared before, but less sweet does not equal less tasty. No, no, no. Sweet Potato and Kale Egg Bake is a hearty, cheesy, veggie-filled breakfast that you do NOT want to miss!
This easy egg casserole can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is just so good! I filled the classic bread-egg-milk bake with healthy kale, tangy red onions, and two kinds of potatoes! I personally thought the shredded sweet potatoes added a ton of flavor, while the roasted white potatoes [I used Russet, but use whatever you have on hand] were a great base for all the yummy veggies. Oh! And what egg bake doesn’t get better topped with a big handful of sharp cheddar cheese? This one is no exception.
We enjoyed this egg bake for dinner one night, then saved the leftovers for breakfast over the next few days. It heats up beautifully and is a great start to your day! Enjoy! 🙂
Sweet Potato and Kale Egg Bake [a TPC original]
click to print
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Place cubed Russet potatoes on a large baking sheet. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Then add kale and toss to coat with oil, then cover for 2-3 minutes and cook until wilted.
In a large bowl, gently stir together eggs, milk, seasonings, bread cubes, and sweet potato. Pour mixture into prepared pan, then add roasted potatoes. Top with onion and kale mixture, pressing into the eggs. Cover with shredded cheese and more pepper as desired.
Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.
Time: 75 minutes [10 minutes active].
Yield: 8-10 servings.
The Pajama Chef 