Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Broccoli

Come on, slackers.  I can't be the only one making yummy meals lately ;)

Here's another one from the Mel's Kitchen blog that we thought was a winner.  Again, a little time intensive but really good.  We had our two neighbor girls eat dinner with us and had enough leftover to give a little to their mom later and two servings for leftovers (Kelli wasn't with us, so it was just Brad and I, Will, and our two neighbor friends ages 12 and 14).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cubed (about 3 small-medium sized)

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 1/2 cups water

2 cups chicken broth

zest of 2 lemons (about 1 tablespoon)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from your 2 lemons)

12 ounces penne pasta

2-3 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large 12-inch skilled over medium heat.  Add the chicken and saute until browned and cooked through.  Remove the chicken to a plate but try and keep as much liquid/oil in the skillet.

2. Keep the skillet on medium heat (add more oil if you need to, I didn't...).  Add the garlic and basil and stir constantly for 30 seconds.  Add the water, broth, lemon juice, and pasta.  Stir to combine.

3. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is tender.  There will be a bit of liquid left, no worries.

4. Add the broccoli and lemon zest.  Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and tender.  While the broccoli is cooking, whisk together the milk and cornstarch.

5. Uncover the skilled and stir in the milk mixture along with the Parmesan cheese and chicken.  Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened a little bit (about 1-2 minutes).

6. Season with additional salt and pepper and serve.

Enjoy.

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

I've accepted the fact that, besides the basics of Mac and Cheese and quesadillas, Brad does not have any desire to spend much time in the kitchen.  So, when I was planning meals for this last week, Chicken Parmesan sounded amazing and I decided to find a recipe I would try on Mother's Day.  I found this one and was a bit skeptical at first but afterwards had NO regrets.  We ate thru this like we hadn't had a meal in days, it was so delicious.  *portion control -- it fed Brad, Kelli, and I very well, Will ate about 1/3 of a chicken breast, and had enough leftover for Brad and Kelli to take to work for lunch the next day* 

And, compliments to this website and chef.  So good.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make 6 thin chicken cutlets

salt and pepper for seasoning

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons canola oil (I ended up using more because the first pieces of chicken I cooked in it soaked it all up.  I just kept adding it as I needed, probably using 1-2 more tablespoons)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese (where do you guys find shredded provolone?  I had to get a chunk from the deli and shred it myself...just wondering if anyone has seen it...)

hot spaghetti noodles for serving 

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.  Set aside for later.

2. In a large 12-inch skillet (I used one with a tall lip), heat the canola oil over medium heat until hot.  Thoroughly dry the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour on both sides.  Place 3-4 pieces of chicken at a time in the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes and then flip and cook for another 3 minutes until a nice golden crust has formed on the chicken.  Remove the chicken to a plate and continue with the remaining pieces, removing them all to a plate when they're browned (don't worry, they'll be cooked further in the next step).

3. Wipe the skillet of excess oil and pour the sauce contents from step 1 into the skillet.  Turn the heat to medium and gently nestle the pieces of chicken into the sauce, fitting all 6 pieces in the skillet.  The chicken should be mostly covered with the sauce.  Cover the skillet and simmer the sauce and chicken on medium or medium-low for 15 minutes.

4. Uncover the skillet, sprinkle the mozzarella, provolone, and remaining Parmesan cheese over the chicken and sauce.  Cover and cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

5. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles, if desired.

We had roasted asparagus and garlic bread with it and it was a perfect Sunday meal.  Just a heads up, I thought this would take about 20-30 minutes to make and it was closer to 45.

Skillet Baked Spaghetti

Who doesn't love a 1-pot meal!?  This one makes A TON!!  This will be plenty for bigger families and isn't too hard or long to make (she said it was a 30 minute meal for her...me, probably closer to 45 minutes).  Again, from Mel's Kitchen website, here's the link.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

2 cloves minced garlic

pinch of red pepper flaks

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

12 ounces spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces (she included a note saying to put the spaghetti in a gallon size bag, close the bag, and then break the spaghetti against the side of the counter in 2-inch increments to reduce mess, it worked really well!)

3 cans (15 ounces each) crushed tomatoes (hope you guys have that size at your store, mine only had 28 oz cans)

3 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces softened light cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Just an FYI -- I used a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, if you have something with a larger lip on the side, I would definitely recommend using that one.  My skillet was filled to the brim and I had to be really careful when I stirred once everything was in it...

1. In a large 12-inch skillet (that you're ok putting in the oven for about 3 minutes), cook the ground beef or turkey with the garlic and red pepper flakes over medium to medium-high heat, until the meat is cooked through (5-6 minutes).  Drain excess grease.

2. Stir in the oregano, basil, thyme, spaghetti, crushed tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper (the skillet will be full!).

3. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook, covered, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking and help break up the noodles, for 12-14 minutes, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.  It's ok if it still looks quite liquidy (mine did!) but it will keep thickening while it broils and rests.  While the pasta cooks, preheat the broiler.

4. Stir in the cubed cream cheese until it melts and is combined with the pasta.  Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the top and broil for 2-3 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

5. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it sit for 5 or so minutes before serving.

Again, this makes a lot!  We had leftovers for more than 2 meals if we needed to (and that was for 3 adults and 1 toddler).

French Bread Pizza

I'm all about quick and easy but delicious meals.  Found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen website and is another keeper.  Go here for her link.

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread

1 tablespoon olive oil

Garlic powder, for sprinkling (oops, forgot this one...still tasted good)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 cups pizza sauce (I'll include her homemade recipe, super easy and really good)

Pizza toppings of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Slice the French bread in half the long way (like a hot dog bun, but don't keep them attached).  Lightly press the bread with the palms of your hands until the bread is compressed to half of what it was.

3. Drizzle the olive oil on both halves, about 1/2 tablespoon for each half, and brush lightly onto the dough.  Sprinkle with just a touch of garlic powder.

4. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese across each loaf (1/4 cup for each side).  Place the loaves on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes until the cheese just barely starts to turn golden.  Don't let it burn!

5. Spread pizza sauce on top of the cheese-crusted loaves and top with pizza toppings of your choice.  We used about a cup of mozzarella cheese on each loaf.

6. Bake the pizzas for 8-10 minutes.

7. Cut with a serrated knife and serve immediately.

Here's her pizza sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

pinch of crushed red pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency.

Great for an easy Friday night meal :)

  

Hawaiian Haystacks

I've re-fallen in love with the Mel's Kitchen website and found a few recipes I wanted to share.  Brad had never had Hawaiian haystacks before and they sounded good.  The recipe is pretty easy too :)  I got it here.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:
1. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and chicken.  Saute until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked thru (about 5-6 minutes).  Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring, until fragrant.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine.  Cook over medium heat for one minute.  Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth.  Cook, stirring constantly, with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat (this took me forever, I think I stood there stirring for about 10 minutes...just FYI).  Add the salt and pepper.  Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened (she says 5-8 minutes, I let mine simmer closer to 10-12).
Serve chicken sauce over rice with toppings.  We used tomatoes, green onions, cheddar cheese, pineapple, and chow mein noodles.

Again, another recipe that even Will liked.  Brad kept complimenting me the whole meal and was really excited to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Portion control, just FYI, this served Brad, Kelli, and I with good size servings, Will with a little serving and had leftovers for 1 good serving or 2 decent servings.  Bigger families might want to double it or do another half (to make 1.5 servings).

Caprese Calzones

Ohmiyum.  These exceeded expectations.  And were super fast to make! [I ended piano lessons late and Brad had to get to mutual and we still had time to sit down and eat.]  Just for portion control...one recipe of these were enough for Brad and I to both have 1.5 and Will had .5 leaving .5 left over, so bigger families might want to double/triple the recipe.  You can go to the link here.

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough

2 roma tomatoes, halved and sliced [we only used 1 and it was perfect but we aren't huge tomato people to start with]

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed [I used shredded mozzarella and it was still amazing]

fresh basil, chopped

pizza sauce/marinara sauce for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out pizza dough onto a non-stick or lightly floured surface and cut it into 4 equal squares.  Layer each square with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.  Fold in the 2 long sides of each square, pinching at the seams and the edges to seal the calzones.  Place the calzones seam-side down onto a cookie sheet and bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown [mine never turned golden brown...probably cooked them for 11 minutes and they were totally cooked though].  Also, when they were done, I took a stick of butter and rubbed the tops of the calzones a little bit to add a buttery flavor.

Serve with hot dipping sauce.

You're going to love me when you make them!  So easy.  So yummy [Will ate it!]. Quick prep and clean up for those crazy nights.

Cafe Rio Chicken

Hooray for Pinterest! Not sure if this recipe tastes like the real deal or not, but we still like it.

2 pounds chicken breasts
1/2 small bottle of zesty Italian dressing
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 package ranch dressing mix, whisked into 1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on High 5-6 hours or on Low 8 hours.
Shred with forks and serve in salads, burritos, tacos, etc. We usually serve with shredded lettuce, rice, black beans, corn, avocados, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream. Oh, and fresh tortillas, of course!

You can double or triple this to make extras for freezing.

Cauliflower Tortillas

When I first saw this recipe it sounded so awful, but strangely intriguing....I just had to give it a try. We liked it! Dad liked it A LOT, and Kris finished every bite in record time. 

Would you believe that lump of 'dough' is cauliflower, and nothing more?

 

Ready for the heat. They were runnier than I expected, but baked up just fine

 Baked tortillas - a little eggy, and so yummy!

 The Happy Taste Testers

Ingredients:

3/4 head cauliflower
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice from 1/2 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut the cauliflower into same-sized pieces and pulse in a food processor until it is finely ground, about the same size as a grain of couscous. This should make about 2 cups of riced cauliflower.

3. Put the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave again for another 2 minutes. Let cool until you can handle the cauliflower without burning yourself. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the cauliflower using a cheesecloth or kitchen towel. I poured it into a clean dish towel, the kind I use to roll out pastry, placed in a colander. I was amazed at how much water I was able to squeeze out. 

4. In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower, eggs, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Use your hands to shape 6 small tortilla-sized circles on the parchment paper. 

5. Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip each tortilla, and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until completely set. 

We served with the usual accompaniments - yum! The downside is that they are quite small and would require multiple batches to make enough for a family. But they were fun to make, so it may be a fun meal to prepare with kids. 

Pineapple Casserole

This is a must for Thanksgiving for the Gonzalez/Reynolds families. 

You can prepare the day before and throw into the oven right before dinner time!

Ingredients

1 1/2 stick of butter

3/4 c. sugar

3 eggs

4 c. soft bread cubes without crust (Italian bread)

1 c. whole milk

1 can crushed pineapple with juice (16 oz)

Directions

Beat butter, sugar, and eggs. Add milk.

Add bread and beat.

Stir in pineapple. 

Place in buttered dish and bake @ 350 for 1 - 1 1/2 hrs. uncovered

Roast

Kelly usually smokes something yummy Conference weekend, since he knows he'll be around to monitor the temperature.  We decided on ribs since we hadn't had them for awhile, but as he got to preparing them late Saturday night, the bones kept chipping off and getting into the meat.  Not wanting to risk it, I headed to the store at 10:30 and grabbed a pork butt roast.  The tricky part was figuring out how we were going to prepare it.  It was too late to smoke it and Aunt Ellen, who has major allergies to gluten and dairy, would be eating with us.  So my usual roast prep had to change.  And I think we found ourselves a new favorite because it was AMAZING.

Since Ellen could have all the ingredients Kelly was going to rub on the ribs, we just rubbed it on the roast, put 1/2 c. water in the crockpot, cooked it on high for 1 hour, then low for about 8 more.  Here's the rub recipe:

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. paprika

2 1/2 Tbsp. pepper

2 1/2 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. ground mustard

1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 Tbsp. onion powder

1/4- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

It makes about 20 oz and you certainly don't need that much for the roast (ours was about a 6 lb. roast), so you can cut it in half or quarters, or just have extra lying around for the next time.

Indian food

For my birthday this year, Lisa and Jamie took me on an amazing date: a cooking class featuring Indian food!  We all really enjoy Indian food, and Jamie makes a really good curry dish and Lisa makes really good naan.  I make rice.  And salad.  We were all very excited to learn more.  It was a wonderful experience and the chef was really entertaining and a very good teacher; he spent a lot of time on things that had to do with cooking in general but not specific to what he was being paid to teach us that evening.  Ever since that class, we've been waiting for a Sunday to make it all on our own and this Sunday will be the day!  We're all super excited.  It's soooo good.

Murgh Makhani

(Butter Chicken)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in large chunks

1/2 yellow onion, frenched (it's the way you cut it!)

4 oz. butter

2 tsp. garam masala

2 tsp. sweet paprika

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods, bruised

2 Tbsp. tomato puree

1/4 c. plain yogurt (he used goat yogurt which is a lot runnier but more expensive.  You can use regular stuff, just add milk to make it the consistency of like a heavy cream)

1/2 c. sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a wok until really hot, add 1 Tbsp. oil

Add half the chicken and stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until chicken is a nice color.  Remove to plate; add extra oil and repeat with remaining chicken. (He actually precooked all the chicken in hot water and then saves the broth for soups and such, but this way works, too.)  Remove from wok.

Add onions and sweat them for a few minutes until fragrant.

Reduce heat and add the butter

When melted add all of the spices and stir-fry until fragrant-about 1 minute.

Return chicken to wok and stir to coat with the spices

Add the tomato and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Making sure it's at a simmer, add yogurt, sour cream and simmer a few more minutes until the sauce thickens a bit (if it is too hot, the oils will separate from the cream; if this happens, add some milk to get it creamier; this happened to us-it doesn't look as pretty but it still tastes really good!).

Season to taste with salt and pepper, take out the cinnamon stick and serve over rice.

Aromatic Yellow Rice

Prep time: 40 minutes (this includes the soak time) 

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

2 c. basmati rice

1/4 c. frozen green peas

5 c. water and 2 2/3 c. water

1 1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground turmeric

3-4 cloves

3-4 strands of saffron

1 cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

3 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pats

Rinse the rice then put the rice in a bowl and cover with 5 c. water; let soak for 30 minutes then drain.   Combine drained rice, peas, 2 2/3 c. water, salt turmeric, cloves, saffron, cinnamon and bay leaves in a heavy pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 25 minutes (don't stir!!!  That will make the rice mushy.)  Let the rice rest covered for ten minutes.  Removes spices and add the butter and gently mix with a fork.

Mint Chutney

Makes 2 1/2 c.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2 minutes

1 c. tightly packed mint leaves cleaned from stem

2 1/4 c. raisins (he used red and golden)

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1 pinch cayenne

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until a course paste forms.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 1 week.  Bring to room temperature before serving-this is great on braised meats and naan bread. 

Naan Bread

Makes 10-12 loaves

4 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. plain yogurt (he used goat yogurt which is expensive, so you can use regular yogurt, just add milk to get the consistency of a heavy cream)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients in a mixer with dough hook or by hand until the dough comes together in a soft ball.  Coat with a light coating of oil, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Portion a ball about the size of a golf ball.  Coat with flour and roll out until 1/8" thick.  Preheat a cast iron skillet with no oil on high heat.  (It should be really really hot) Place bread on hot skillet and bake for a minute.  Flip and bake for 30 more seconds or so.  Remove from heat and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt (we like to add cilantro and/or garlic, too).

Baida Vindaloo 

(Pickled Eggs)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 3-4

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 inch ginger, grated

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/4. tsp. salt

 1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp plus 1/2 c. white vinegar

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 inch cinnamon stick

1/2 onion, frenched (the way it is cut)

1/2 tsp. garam masala

2/3 c. water

6-8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

Mash the garlic and put through garlic press

Combine garlic, ginger, cayenne, paprika, cumin, salt, brown sugar, and 2 tbsp. vinegar in a small bowl and mix well.

Add oil to saute pan and toasted cinnamon in it for a few minutes.  Add and sweat onion until fragrant.  Add the spice paste as well as the garam masala and cook until mixed and fragrant.  Add the 1/2 c. of vinegar and the water.  Stir and bring to a simmer.  Add the eggs to the pan cut side up, and spoon the liquid over them.  Cook until the sauce has thickened (about 5 minutes); continue to spoon liquid over the eggs.  Serve or refrigerate.

Sweet and rich Mango Lassi

Prep time: 20 minutes

Makes about 2 cups

1 c. plain yogurt

1/2 c. milk

1 c. chopped mango (peeled and stone removed) (he did half mango, half peach...amazing)

4 tsp. sugar, to taste

Dash of ground cardamom (optional)

Put all ingredients into blender and blend for 2 minutes.  If you are making larger amounts you will need to process it in batches.  Allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.  Pour into glasses, garnish with a pinch of cardamom and serve.  Lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Korean BBQ

I didn't plan well and ended up not having ANYTHING for dinner one night.  No ideas with what little food we had on hand, and I really didn't want to go to the store for one meal when I knew I could come up with something and needed to go to the store for a big trip the next day.  Finally I turned to Pinterest and came across this gem and although I had very low expectations 6 out of 7 people agreed that this needs to be a regular on the menu (the odd man out was Aaron, if that tells you much).  Next time I'll have some potstickers with it-that'll make it perfect!

Korean Beef

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you like it)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced

Rice, cooked

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.

One Pan Enchilada Bake

OK, so this wasn't the hugest hit with the family but it was a fun change up and was still happily eaten.

ONE PAN ENCHILADA BAKE

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

Yield4 servings

The easiest and cheesiest enchilada bake made in a single pan - easy peasy with only one dirty pot. You can't beat that!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 teaspoons Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
• 1 cup Old El Paso™ mild enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 (7.5-ounce) tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, cut into quarters
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

See a Sausage Alfredo Recipe

 

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat olive oil in a medium oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat and stir in taco seasoning.
• Stir in black beans, corn, enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Stir in biscuits and top with cheese.
• Place into oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
• Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

3 tablespoons canola oil
4 Chinese eggplants,
halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch half moons
1 cup water
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons garlic powder
5 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
Add all ingredients to list
Directions
Prep
10 m
Cook
15 m
Ready In
25 m
Heat the canola oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook and stir the eggplant until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the water, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Meanwhile, mix sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a bowl until sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. Stir sauce into the eggplant, making sure to evenly coat the eggplant. Cook until the sauce has thickened.

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken II

Ingredients
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Add all ingredients to list
Directions
Prep
15 m
Cook
3 h 15 m
Ready In
3 h 30 m

In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker.
In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup 1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix
3/4 cup water
Add all ingredients to list

Directions
Prep
15 m
Cook
5 h
Ready In
5 h 15 m

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. Place browned patties into the slow cooker stacking alternately like a pyramid. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup, au jus mix, and water. Pour over the meat. Cook on the Low setting for 4 or 5 hours, until ground beef is well done.

Slow cooker macaroni and cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 1⁄2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese or 10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well.
Then add drained macaroni and stir again.
Cook for 3 hours on low , stirring occasionally.

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup light coconut milk
6 lemon wedges
Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges.

Slow-Cooker Honey-Orange Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
12 medium chicken drumsticks (3-3 1/2 pounds), skin removed (see Tip)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Preparation
Combine honey, orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce (or tamari), garlic, ginger, vinegar and crushed red pepper in a small bowl.
Coat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add drumsticks, pour in the sauce and mix to coat. Cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone, 2 to 3 hours on High or 4 hours on Low.
Transfer the drumsticks to a bowl. Very carefully pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the sauce over the drumsticks and stir to coat. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Tips & Notes
To remove the skin from chicken drumsticks, grip the skin from the meaty end of the drumstick with a paper towel and pull down toward the exposed bone until it comes off completely.
For easy cleanup, try a slow-cooker liner. These heat-resistant, disposable liners fit neatly inside the insert and help prevent food from sticking to the bottom and sides of your slow cooker.

Tony's Summer Pasta

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package linguini pasta
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt ground black pepper to taste
McCormick Black Pepper Coarse Ground
Add all ingredients to list
Directions
Prep
10 m
Cook
5 m
Ready In
15 m
Combine tomatoes, cheese, basil, garlic, olive oil, garlic salt, and black pepper in medium bowl. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain pasta, and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with tomato mixture. Serve.