garlic chicken pesto pasta

I found this recipe while looking for meal ideas on Pinterest. It's simple and delicious. Here is a link to the original post where I found it.

Here’s what you will need for four servings:

·         1 tablespoon canola oil

·         2 chicken breasts, sliced into ½-inch strips

·         2 tablespoons garlic, chopped

·         ½ tablespoon kosher salt

·         ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

·         ¾ cup heavy cream

·         ½ grated parmesan cheese

·         ¼ cup pesto

·         3 cups penne pasta, cooked and drained

·         ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

·         Parmesan cheese to garnish

·         Chopped basil to garnish

Directions:

Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Combine the chicken, garlic, salt, and pepper, cooking until chicken is browned.

Then, mix in the heavy cream, parmesan, and pesto, stirring until evenly combined.

Next, bring to a boil and cook until the sauce has reduced, about five to seven minutes.

Toss in the pasta and cherry tomatoes, stirring until evenly coated. Remove from heat. To serve, sprinkle parmesan cheese and basil on top!

peppermint bark cookies

These cookies were chewy and oh-so-chocolatey. (auto correct is trying to tell me the chocolatey is not a word...I beg to differ!). I have had problems in the past with chocolate cookies being too dry but these were just right; perhaps because they call for melted chocolate chips and not just cocoa powder.

I want to try adding a small amount of peppermint extract to the white chocolate before dipping the cookies next time. Another variation I want to try is decorating the white chocolate with sprinkles instead of crushed candy canes.

• 1/2 cup salted butter 
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cups light brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs + 1 yolk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes 
• 2 cups premium white chocolate chips
• 2 tsp shortening

*Yield: 3 Dozen

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F 
2. In large, micro-wave safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir, repeating at 15 second increments until chocolate and butter are completely melted.
3. Remove from microwave and allow to cool 10 minutes before proceeding.
4. Once butter/chocolate mixture has cooled, stir in sugars, eggs and vanilla.
5. In separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until completely combined.
7. Drop cookie dough by rounded 1½" scoop onto parchment paper, pressing down to flatten slightly.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes, allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to cookie rack to cool completely before dipping in chocolate.
9. Have your crushed candy canes ready before preparing your chocolate.
10. Prepare white chocolate by placing in medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with 2 tsp shortening. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir, then continue to microwave at 15-second increments (stirring between well after each 15-second increment) until chocolate is completely melted (do NOT microwave too long).
11. Dip cookies 1/3-1/2 of the way in white chocolate and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet to harden.
12. Immediately after dipping each cookie, sprinkle with crushed candy canes (do not wait too long or the chocolate will harden and the crushed candy cane will not stick).
13. Allow chocolate to harden before serving.

Original recipe found HERE

apple walnut muffins

I made these the other day for the first time using the modifications I put in parentheses. They were so moist and delish! They will definitely make it into our muffin rotation.

INGREDIENTS

·        1½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used half and half)

·        2 teaspoons cinnamon

·        1 teaspoon baking soda

·        ½ teaspoon salt

·        ¼ teaspoon baking powder

·        ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

·        2 eggs

·        ⅓ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)

·        ⅓ cup water

·        5 tablespoons melted butter (I doubled the recipe and used 8 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. oil)

·        1 cup shredded apple (see instructions below)

·        ¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone liners and set aside.

2.    In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well (hole) in the center and drop in the eggs, syrup, water, and melted butter. Stir with a fork until well combined.

3.    To shred the apple either use a cheese grater or - if you really want to make it easy - use your food processor fitted with the shredding disk. Simply discard any big chunks of apple peel that didn't get shredded all the way (but keep the rest in there!). There is no need to remove any liquid or squeeze the apples dry. Gently fold both the apple shreds and chopped walnuts into the batter.

4.    Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Original recipe found HERE

creamy lemon chicken with wild rice

Another delicious meal. We had this last night and Murray and I loved it. The kids weren't wild about the wild rice (pun intended), but they gobbled up the chicken. We will definitely be making this again and again.

The changes I made to the original recipe:
1-I bought chicken thighs with skin removed
2-After I browned the chicken in the skillet I moved it into a 9x13 glass dish, THEN salted and peppered it. I cooked it at 400 degrees in the oven while I made the sauce.
3. By the time the rice and the sauce was ready, the chicken was cooked through so I just poured the sauce over the chicken and it was ready to serve. Easy.

Creamy Lemon Chicken with Wild Rice

INGREDIENTS

·         6–8 chicken thighs

·         kosher salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 tbsp. unsalted butter

·         3 garlic cloves, minced

·         1 onion, chopped

·         1/2 c. dry white wine (I used ½ Tbsp. vinegar+1 Tbsp brown sugar. You can also use white grape juice)

·         1 c. low-sodium chicken stock

·         2 lemons

·         1/4 c. heavy cream

·         1 c. wild rice

·         1/4 c. chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Preheat large cast iron skillet on high heat. Rinse chicken and pat dry thoroughly; season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter; cook chicken skin side down in two batches until skin is crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish skin side up and set aside.

2.    Reduce skillet heat to medium-high; add garlic, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze pan with white wine and chicken stock; scrape bottom of pan and bring to a boil. Add zest and juice of one lemon, then cut remaining lemon into wheels and add to sauce. Stir in cream; bring to a boil and place chicken in the skillet skin side up in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes.

3.    Meanwhile, cook the wild rice according to package directions.

4.    Add cooked wild rice to the skillet to absorb the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve in skillet immediately.

Original Recipe found HERE