Lemon Angel Hair With Chicken and Spinach

This recipe's also from pinterest, originally from The Recipe Crayon Box. I adapted it slightly to our preferences and even my husband, who's not a big lemon fan, really enjoyed it! If you don't like a really strong lemony flavor, just cut back a little bit on the lemon juice and zest and the other flavors of the pasta will be just as delicious.

Lemon Angel Hair With Chicken and Spinach

1/2 lb angel hair pasta (about half of a box)

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 lemons (you'll need the zest and the juice; if you zest 'em before you juice 'em, it's a lot easier!)

3/4 C half and half

1 C Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 C spinach (we added a bit more than that)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked (try this with The Perfect Chicken recipe, it's FANTASTIC!)

1. Boil water, salt it well, and cook pasta. LEAVE COOKED PASTA IN IT'S OWN WATER UNTIL READY TO USE.
2. Heat a deep skillet on low and add oil, garlic, and pepper.
3. Cook until oil sizzles, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the lemon juice, half and half, and a ladle of the pasta water.
5. Raise the heat to medium-low until sauce begins to bubble.
6. Drain the pasta, but don't rinse it.
7. Add pasta, lemon zest, and 1/2 C Parmesan cheese. On low heat, toss for 1-2 minutes.
8. Add spinach and cooked chicken chunks (we cut up the cooked breasts into bite-size chunks). Toss until mixed and top with remaining cheese.

A tip: once the sauce starts bubbling (step 5), try to move quickly... if you let the mixture stay on the heat too long (i.e. if you take too much time adding ingredients, tossing, etc.), it bubbles away pretty fast and you end up with a stickier finished product. Ours came out a little sticky and was still very delicious, but I think it'd taste better if it was just a little bit more moist.

Enjoy!

The Perfect Chicken

This chicken recipe makes THE BEST, most delicious chicken ever! It's great for any recipe that calls for shredded, chopped, or whole chicken. The flavor is just amazing, I guess because you cook it a little on the stove before baking it for awhile, so the juice gets locked in. It comes out tasting fantastic and still juicy! I found it on pinterest, originally from The Recipe Crayon Box.

The Perfect Chicken

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp paprika
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix spices in a small bowl.
2. Coat chicken breasts in seasoning and rub in.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in frying pan.
4. When oil is very hot, place seasoned chicken in pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. It should turn nicely golden brown.
5. Transfer chicken to casserole dish, cover, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until juices run clear.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before shredding, chopping, etc.

(Try this recipe with the Lemon Angel Hair With Chicken and Spinach recipe!)

That's it! It's super simple and delectable, and if you don't overcook it, is juicy and perfect for any meal that calls for chicken! Enjoy!

White Bean and Kale Stew

This is a DELICIOUS, quick, and very simple stew that I found on the whole living website and modified a bit to accommodate our preferences (and what I had in the fridge). You can basically add anything you want to it, you can make it more or less spicy as you desire (I spiced it up quite a bit because my husband and I both have head colds and I thought it'd be good for us), and every single ingredient is healthy and nutritious. It's a vegetarian dish that even my husband, the meat lover, ate 2 huge bowls of (after sweetly suggesting that one time, we try it with sausage :))!  Make extra for delectable leftovers!

White Bean and Kale Stew

serves 2-3

The night before:

Put about 1/2 lb white beans to soak in bowl with plenty of water.

To cook beans (an hour or so before making soup):

Pour pre-soaked beans in saucepan and cover with water. Boil/simmer until cooked/soft, about an hour. Drain and set aside.

To make soup:

knob of coconut oil (google says that's about a walnut size up to 2 tbsp)

2 medium onions (I used extra)

sea salt

chili flakes

5 bay leaves

1 tsp smoked paprika (DON'T leave this out! It's what makes this soup so amazing!)

1 tomato, chopped into large chunks

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (the original recipe didn't call for this, but I wanted extra spice)

6 cloves garlic, sliced (I used extra)

2 C vegetable broth

2 1/2 C cooked white beans

2 C packed shredded kale leaves

sea salt and black pepper to taste

olive oil for garnish

1. Heat coconut oil in large stockpot.

2. Slice onions and add to pot with a couple pinches of sea salt, a pinch of chili flakes, the bay leaves, and the smoked paprika. Stir and cook until onions have softened; a few minutes.

3. Add tomato, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook for an additional few minutes, until all vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally.

4. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

5. Add cooked beans and season to taste with a little more sea salt and black pepper.

6. Add kale leaves, stir in, and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. For best results, do not add kale until you know you're ready to serve in 5-10 minutes.

7. Serve in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil on top (I forgot to add the olive oil and it still tasted great).

Next time, I hope to use homemade vegetable broth! Remember to save the stems, ends, scraps, etc. of all veggies in a ziploc bag in the freezer if you want to try making your own vegetable broth.

Serve with bread and butter. Enjoy!!!

Baked Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

I got this recipe from the blog "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" and it was super quick and easy. It's really basic, the meat is flavored deliciously (I'll definitely be using it in other recipes as well), and you can be creative with the toppings :) AND this recipe includes a homemade taco seasoning too :)

Baked Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used WAY less, like maybe about 1/4 tsp)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1. Mix all spices together. Store in airtight container.

Tacos

2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 small can green chilies, diced (I used a fresh jalapeno)

1 can refried beans

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1 recipe's-worth of taco seasoning (above)

2 C shredded cheese blend

18-20 hard taco shells

(shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sliced avocado, guacamole, sour cream, plain yogurt, lemon or lime wedges, sliced black olives, or any other desired toppings)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off excess liquid.

3. Return to pan, add chilies, beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes if mixture seems runny.

4. Spoon meat mixture into taco shells and place into a 9x13 baking dish, standing up.

5. Sprinkle cheese on top of taco meat and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese has melted and tacos are heated through.

I served these with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, plain yogurt, sliced black olives, and lemon wedges (other ideas: salsa, sliced avocado, guacamole, sour cream... the list goes on!). Enjoy!!!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

These fajitas are so delicious and HEALTHY!!! The worst part about them is the tortillas, and if you use wheat (which we didn't), you're good to go.  Also, there's a recipe for homemade tortillas I'm going to try very soon, so I'll let you know how that goes :) Anyway, I got this recipe from Six Sisters' blog, and it was one of the quickest and easiest dinners I've made; the prep took about 15 minutes and it baked in about 25!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Serves 4-6

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (about 2 breasts)

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (I just chopped up 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes)

1 4-oz can diced green chilies (I chopped up 1 or 2 jalapenos that I had frozen from the farmer's market)

1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin (I used about 1/2 tsp and it was still too much for my taste, so I'd cut back)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.

3. In a small bowl, combine the oil and spices. Drizzle mixture over chicken and toss well to coat.

4. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Serve with warm tortillas, lemon wedges, plain yogurt, avocado slices, and a shaker of salt!!! (And if you're Roya, a HUGE Patron margarita!) Enjoy!!!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

I adapted this recipe from skinnytaste.com; it's healthy and really easy to make. I served it with some veggies and potatoes, but they're just plain old chicken nuggets, so you can serve 'em with whatever you want. Try them with ranch dip, barbecue sauce, or ketchup.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

olive oil spray (which I don't have, so I just rubbed olive oil all over the baking sheet)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp olive oil

6 tbsp whole wheat breadcrumbs

2 tbsp panko

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

~1 tsp dried oregano

~1 tsp dried thyme

~1 tsp dried marjoram

~1 tsp dried basil

cajun spices

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray baking sheet with olive oil spray.

2. Put chicken pieces in bowl and season well with salt and pepper; toss to mix.

3. Drizzle olive oil over seasoned chicken and mix well to cover.

4. Put breadcrumbs, panko, cheese, and spices (I used oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, and cajun, but feel free to use whatever spices you like best) into another bowl.

5. Toss each piece of chicken in breadcrumb mixture to coat, then lay on baking sheet.

6. Lightly spray top with olive oil (I skipped this because I don't have an olive oil sprayer) and bake for 8-10 minutes.

7. Turn chicken pieces over and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy!

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

I found this recipe for gyros on The Girl Who Ate Everything... they were so delicious and you can adapt them however you want to with different herbs. She also has a link in the post to make your own pita bread (!), which sounds amazing! Overall, this one's really healthy... the worst part about it is the pita itself (try a wheat version, maybe?).

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce

1 C plain Greek yogurt

1 cucumber, peeled and grated (they say to squeeze the water out; I didn't do that part)

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Whisk until well combined.

2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Chicken

2 tsp garlic, minced

2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping tbsp plain Greek yogurt (I think I used a little more than that)

1 tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Combine garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Whisk until mixed well.

2. Add chicken to bowl and mix to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

3. Cook chicken as desired (skillet, broiler, bake; I baked mine). When fully cooked, transfer to plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

4. Cut into gyro-style strips (almost shaved-looking).

To assemble gyros:

pita bread

fresh tomatoes, diced (I used cherry tomatoes)

red onion, sliced thin

fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and salt to taste. Serve immediately.

These were such a huge hit! We had plenty of tzatziki, so we really heaped it on and dipped in it as well. The longer you let the sauce flavors meld and the chicken marinate, the better, so that's something that can be done the day before. Then you just throw the chicken in the oven (I did it at 350°F) for 40 minutes or so and you have an easy, quick, and healthy dinner! Enjoy!

Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

These vegetable enchiladas were THE BEST! And they're so healthy, too... even the enchilada sauce is homemade! It's super easy, but does require a little bit of time and chopping :) Also, I've pretty much decided that whatever amount of cumin a recipe calls for, I decrease it by more than half. Cumin is good, but the flavor and aroma is so overpowering to me that it's all I can taste, even if there's just a tiny bit in the recipe. So I've listed exactly what the recipe calls for, but then I put in parentheses how much I actually used (and they came out delicious with the reduced cumin). This recipe's from the blog, The Garden Grazer.

Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

Makes about 8

Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 C tomato paste

1/4 C all purpose flour

2 tsp cumin (I used about 1/2 tsp)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

3 C vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

1. In saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomato paste, flour, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Cook 1 minute, whisking.

2. Whisk in broth and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes (I simmered it a few minutes longer).

4. Salt and pepper to taste. set aside.

Enchiladas

olive oil

6 oz fresh spinach

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed.

3 C shredded cheese (a blend is nice, but any favorite will do)

1 1/2 C corn

6 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp cumin (again, I used about 1/2 tsp and it was PLENTY)

1/3 C fresh cilantro, chopped

8 whole wheat or flour tortillas (even corn would probably be good; I used flour)

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In skillet, quick sauté the spinach in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, just until slightly wilted.

3. In large bowl, combine beans, 2 C cheese, spinach, corn (I totally forgot to add this), green onions, cumin, and cilantro.

4. Lightly spray a 9x13" baking dish and pour a small amount of sauce in to coat the bottom.

5. Generously fill tortillas with mixture, roll them tightly with ends tucked in, and place them seam-side down in dish.

6. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, coating evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1 C cheese on top.

7. Bake about 20 minutes (I did a little longer to brown the cheese a bit) and garnish with cilantro and/or green onions.

I was also thinking black olives may be a nice addition, inside the enchiladas and/or as a garnish! We had some of these left over as well, and I just heated them in the oven the next day and added more green onions and cilantro to the tops and they were superb :) Enjoy!!!