Chicken Mushroom Alfredo

I gave this recipe a nice name but in all reality… it was my ’empty fridge special’. Usually when I buy rotisserie chicken I bring it home, remove all the skin, then separate all the meat from the bone while it’s still warm (it’s nearly impossible to separate it once it’s cold). The problem is, I only like chicken when it’s hot off the rotisserie on top a fresh bun for dinner, but then the rest of the chicken goes into the fridge. After staring at cold chicken for a day, I usually make a chicken salad sandwich mixture in an attempt to make it more appealing to me.

But this time I wanted something different. I had some mushrooms that needed to be used up and I was craving pasta so I thought why not dice up all the chicken and use it in the pasta?! I loved it! I really don’t care for regular chicken breasts (the thought of chunks of dry flavorless chicken in my pasta curbs my appetite) but once the rotisserie chicken was shredded, it soaked up tons of flavor from the rest of the dish and was a great addition of lean protein. The alfredo sauce I used is also much healthier than a cream based sauce and with whole wheat pasta you don’t have to feel guilty for indulging in this pasta. And if you’re a pesto fan like me, add in a few tablespoons for a flavor boost. I hope you like it!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cups diced mushrooms
• 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
• Healthy Alfredo Sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 3-4 Tbsp pesto (optional)

Directions

1. Cook one package of whole wheat bow tie pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and saute for 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and heat through.

3. Make alfredo sauce in separate pot and then stir into chicken mixture. Add salt, pepper, thyme and pesto (optional).

4. Stir pasta noodles into chicken mixture and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Love, like a chicken salad a restaurant has, must be taken with blind faith or it loses its flavor – Helen Rowland

Mini Spanakopita Bites

I don’t know about you but am I ever happy to see the end of this week. Maybe it’s the gloomy weather, the lack of sleep, or a combination of both but I am ready for some well deserved relaxation and time with the girls. It’s my best friend’s bachelorette party tomorrow and I am so excited for a night away with the girls at the ski hill!! As for tonight, I’m having my girlfriend over for some tea to just relax and catch up.  I have all the right ingredients for a great weekend!

Speaking of ingredients….. this recipe was another dish from the greek feast we had at our house a couple of weeks ago. We pulled out all the stops when it came to dining that night and the satisfaction came from full bellies and garlic overloaded breath. But with food this good, it’s nothing a little gum can’t fix. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. Serve these tasty little morsels with fresh greek yogurt tzatziki! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried dill
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg white
• 5 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach, parsley, and dill and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture.
4. Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Using one phyllo sheet at a time, cut each sheet lengthwise into 4 (3.5 inch wide) strips. Lightly brush phyllo sheet with egg mixture (cover the remaining phyllo dough to keep it moist)
5. Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture onto one end of each strip. Fold one corner of the opposite end over mixture, forming a triangle. Keep folding back and forth into a triangle to the end of strip.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

What garlic is to food, insanity is to art. – Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Greek Pork Souvlaki

With all the warm weather and sunshine we’ve been having (i’m going to ignore the fact that Mother Nature was trying to snow today) I have been getting really excited for spring! One of my favourite things about spring and summer is all the BBQ I don’t have to do but get to enjoy. My hubby is in charge of that department. I have purposely avoided all BBQ lessons in an attempt to keep it from becoming a part of my cooking resume. I like passing the buck (literally) over to my hubby when it’s that time of year. Firstly, it gives me a break in the kitchen since I only have to prepare the side dishes and secondly, I’m positive the result of me BBQ’ing would be charcoaled remnants of meat, a lack of all facial hair, third degree burns or a spontaneously combusting propane tank flying through the neighbours fence. So I steer clear of that genre of cooking.  But with the deck free of snow and the sun shining, I am more than happy to try some new recipes and send my hubby outdoors.

These souvlaki skewers were part of our greek dinner the other weekend and not only were they amazing but so easy to prepare! I chose pork but you could use whatever preference of meat you like. We served them aside greek salad, pita’s and tzatziki and lemon rice (recipe to come). I hope you like them!

Happy Monday everyone!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp fresh oregano
• 2 lemons juiced

Directions

 1. In a glass dish, mix all ingredients. Place cubed meat pieces into the mixture and toss to evenly coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

2. Place marinated meat on skewers and BBQ or bake in the oven. (If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in warm water for at least 20 minutes before using)

Barbecuing is one percent inspiration, and ninety- nine percent perspiration. – Thomas Edison

For the Love of Macaroni and Cheese

With Valentines Day in only one more sleep……let’s talk about love….. of food. Is there anyone out there that does not love a good bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese?! I think the national food guide missed something when they put cheese and pasta in two separate categories. These two things are destined to be together. And if Valentines is all about love….. why not show your significant other some love with a gooey cheesy bowl of goodness. What’s not to love about that?! Trade in those empty chocolate and cinnamon heart calories for something that really hits the spot. I always make my macaroni and cheese with shell noodles because they are like little scoops for gathering cheesy delight into every bite. Mmmmm…. enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (optional)
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a casserole dish. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until el dente.

2. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Blend in the flour, mustard powder, pepper and paprika until smooth. Slowly stir in the milk, beating out any lumps. Add cheeses, and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and smooth.

3. Stir noodles into the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs (optional)

4. Cover the dish, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Life is great. Cheese just makes it better.

Spicy Sausage Baked Penne

I’m sorry for the late post again, but yesterday my internet got me close to throwing my monitor out the window. I’m not very savvy when it comes to electronics, so at the first signs of a malfunction I convince myself that pressing every key at once and blowing on the modem should solve everything. So when it doesn’t I give up for the sake of saving my sanity. Anyways here it is none the less!

I have been on a bit of a cleaning spree lately. Okay… i’ll be honest, I’m always cleaning and organizing, but it’s been my goal since Christmas to go through every room and get rid of all things we’ve been holding onto that we really don’t need. I’ve been consigning clothes, selling housewares, donating books and bedding and now I’m down to the last few details…. literally all the nooks and crannies. The other day I went through my Tupperware and spice drawer for petes sake. But I love it……decluttering and organizing is like a massage for my brain. So lately I’ve been clearing out my freezer, but I was also determined to make a new dish with every item I brought out. So this time when I pulled out some spicy sausage I couldn’t help but visualize a savoury tomatoe base pasta. The ingredients in this recipe alone don’t sound too flavourful but when they all come together in this dish it’s like a circus on your tongue! Tomatoes, peppers, sausage and cheese. What more could you want? And stay tuned! I’ll be posting my latest house DIY project next!

Ingredients:

• 1 package penne pasta
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 3-4 spicy sausage links (squeeze out of casings)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine (substitute chicken broth)
• 1 (15 ounce can) tomatoe sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced stewed tomatoes with garlic
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomatoe paste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• dash red pepper flakes
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Place sausage and onion in the skillet and cook until meat is brown. Add green and red peppers and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Pour in wine, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese on top is melted. Enjoy!

Pasta doesn’t make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat

Spicy Sausage Soup

Happy Friday everyone! I just got home from the gym and since I’m famished and already thinking about food, it’s the perfect time to share a recipe. This is my slow cooker spicy sausage soup. I just love the combination of spice with a hearty vegetable base so I used spicy Italian sausage in this soup and it was the perfect amount of kick for my liking. Enough to tingle the tongue but not enough to send me face first into a carton of milk. This soup is packed with nutritious ingredients and served aside fresh cheesy garlic bread or homemade biscuits, you’ll be in comfort food heaven. Be creative too! I made mine basic but you could add chick peas, beans, lentils, orzo or even cooked noodles at the end. The more the better! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 spicy sausage links
• 2 cans reduced sodium beef broth
• 1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 3 cups spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp parsley

Directions:

1. In medium pan over medium-high heat add oil and saute onions and garlic. Squeeze sausages from casings and cook until no longer pink.

2. Add onions, garlic and sausage to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

For those of you devouring a homemade meal tonight…. I will live vicariously through you. Tonight I will be eating while driving safely operating a motor vehicle with due attention. (If there were ever such thing as car-dining Olympics I would come in first place) We are going with close friends to Penticton tonight to see a country concert! I have always loved a wide array of music but ever since I was a kid, country music has been my bread and butter for music choice. So for those of you that are in the honky tonk loop… tonight we are seeing Eric Church and Colt Ford! I cannot wait to see him perform live…. who knows, I might even dig out my cowboy boots to boot. (haha) These are some of the musicians I have seen live.

• Trisha Yearwood
• LeAnn Rimes
• Clink Black
• Terri Clark
• Julian Austin
• Jo Dee Messina
• Patricia Conroy
• Cruise Arrows
• The Wilkinsons
• Adam Gregory
• Alan Jackson
• Big and Rich
• Emerson Drive
• Johnny Reid
• Aaron Lines
• Deric Ruttan
• Dean Brody
• Aaron Pritchett

There’s something that always puts me in a good mood when I listen to country music, so I’m excited to end the week with great company and great music!

A few years ago when I met Aaron Pritchett.

Last year when I met Dean Brody, Aaron Lines and Deric Ruttan….. my hubby was such a good sport while I soaked in the spotlight with three other men! haha

She likes huntin’, loves fishin’, and she can hold her own in the kitchen – Colt Ford