I found this one on one of my favorite food blogs, Dine and Dish. I add some broccoli to make it even more of a meal. Kristen posted her recipe on Recipe Zaar. If you'd like to try it print it out here.

Ingredients

5 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil orvegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 tablespoons lemon juice*
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon seasoning salt**
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 7 ounce package thin spaghetti
Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, saute onions& garlic in butter& oil until tender.

Stir in the chicken, lemon juice, parsley, seasoned salt& lemon-pepper.

Saute for 15-20 min or until chicken juices run clear.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.

Add to chicken mixture and toss.

*I like lemon. Actually I love lemon. The lemoney-er (more lemony?) the better. I usually have at least 5 TBS and add a little to the pasta water and a little more when adding the cooked spaghetti to the chicken mixture.

**I use garlic salt

(photo from Kristen's Flickr page)

Easy Weekend Recipe #4: Chicken and Rice Wraps

My grocery budget has taken a serious beating. We've been eating a lot of chicken lately and I found a really good chicken cookbook on the clearance rack to add a little variety to my usual go to's (I actually bought two, perhaps for a future giveaway?). I forgot to pictures, I'm sorry! But the recipe turned out really well and we I had leftovers for days.

Easy Chicken and Rice Wraps

1 box of Rice A Roni Spanish rice
2 Tbs butter
1 cup of your favorite salsa
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 cup black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn
2 cups water
8 6-inch flour tortillas*

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the rice mix with the butter until it is golden brown.

2. Slowly stir in the water, and seasoning packet. Add salsa and chicken. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink.

4. Stir in beans and corn. Let stand, covered for 5 minutes then serve in warmed tortillas with your favorite garnishes.

I bought a large package of boneless, skinless chicken tenders and used some for this recipe and froze the rest. *These are supposed to be wraps but I didn't think Drama Kid could eat them that way without half ending up on the floor so I made them into burritos instead and wished I had purchased burrito size tortillas rather than soft taco sized.

Random (Small) Giveaway

I had a chance to try the new Steam N Mash potatoes by Ore Ida. Though I can't say I'll be adding them to my regular shopping list, they were much better and fresher tasting than I expected.


The serving size was a little smaller than I would have liked (because I'm all about the starch and carbs and I wasn't able to have seconds, not that I need it) but they were so easy to prepare. They come frozen in chunks which is good for people who like their mashed potatoes lumpy (I do).

I added a little more milk and butter than was called for (also added fresh ground pepper) but if I hadn't they would have tasted just fine. I could see myself buying them the next time I want to make Shepherd's Pie (ooh that sounds good right now!).


I have $1 off coupons for the first 8 people who'd like to try them. Just leave a comment with your email address. (Coupons expire 4/09)

Easy Weekend Recipe #3- Crockpot Breakfast

Dr. Oz recommends starting the day with steel cut oatmeal. Being a devout Ozzian, I went right out to get some. The half hour cooking time was a total turnoff so I forgot about it until I saw it pre-cooked in the freezer section at Trader Joe's. I like the Trader Joe's version but at $1.99 for two servings it was too pricey for me to continue buying.

Dr. Oz brought it up again on another Oprah episode and someone in the audience mentioned they use the crockpot to make it. Hallelujah! I set out to find a recipe and the slow cooker gods were looking out for me because I found a great book on clearance and it had this recipe in it.

The first time I made it I forgot to take pictures which was actually a blessing because I got busy clearing my reader doing other things and left it plugged in two hours too long. Ahem.


"Wake up to Health" Cereal

2 cups chopped, peeled apples
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked steel cut oatmeal
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

I substituted one cup of the water with apple juice (steel cut oats are pretty bland) and this time I added a dash of brown sugar. The recipe makes a lot. I was getting kind of sick of oatmeal by the time it was gone! Enjoy. Have a good weekend!

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Easy Weekend Recipe #2 - Vegetarian

I sampled this at Trader Joe's and was surprised that I liked it. To me, it's not chili without meat. The recipe is so easy it's a good one for older kids to do by themselves.

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

2 cans Vegetarian chili (8 oz I think)
1/2 bag of frozen fire roasted corn
1 chub of polenta (found in the aisles not the dairy case)
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix the chili and corn in an 8 x 8 baking dish. Slice polenta and cover the chili. Top with the cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese browns slightly.

I wasn't going to tell Drama Dad it was vegetarian until I'd served it, but I did anyway. He really liked the flavor though he's not a huge fan of polenta. He suggested crushing tortilla chips on top instead which I might try. I also won't slice the polenta but mash it to form more of a crust. The slices were a little thick. Let me know if you try it.


Have a great weekend!

Easy Weekend Recipe: Poppin Fresh Barbecue Cups

I'm trying to an attempt to do more cooking in the kitchen than heating things up. Trader Joe's makes it so easy to be lazy! But, I do like to cook and now that I don't have the excuse of a job, I've been looking for recipes on other blogs.


I found these Poppin' Fresh Barbecups on Food Gawker (LOVE it!) then went to the host site Taste and Tell and promptly added Deborah to my reader.

Poppin' Fresh Barbecups
from Pillsbury Dough Magic

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion (I used onion powder and onion salt on the beef while browning)
1-2 T brown sugar
1 can Pillsbury Golden Layers Refrigerated Buttermilk or Flaky Biscuits Shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400°F. Grease 10 medium muffin cups. In large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in barbecue sauce, onion and brown sugar. Cook 1 minute to blend flavors, stirring constantly.

Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each greased muffin cup. Firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming 1/4-inch rim over edge of cup. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into each biscuit-lined cup. Sprinkle each with cheese.

Bake at 400°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges of biscuits are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from muffin cups.

This recipe was really easy. I mean really. I ended up with leftover meat which I meant to eat Sloppy Joe style and forgot. I think I could have made 3-5 more cups with it but would have needed an extra tube of dough which would have left me with extra biscuits.

Next time I'll buy 2 cans of biscuits and make the leftover dough and have the biscuits for breakfast. I also might omit or reduce the brown sugar. They were a little on the sweet side. I'm sure it depends on the barbecue sauce you use. I used Sweet Baby Ray's and the taste wasn't nearly as tangy as we would have liked. We had a few leftover and they are definitely better reheated in the oven than microwave. I think this is going to become a staple in the recipe box. They were fast and filling.


With martial arts, my book club, the blogging group I joined and the holidays approaching (only 113 days, 11 and 46 minutes until Christmas!) I know we're going to keep getting busier. Let me know if you try it!