Chicken Penne Pasta

Chicken Penne Pasta

1 large skinless chicken breast, trimmed and sliced in very thin strips
1/2 green pepper, sliced in very thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried spinach flakes
1-2 dashes cayenne pepper
1 tbsp oil
1/2 jar marinara sauce
1/2 jar cream based sauce (we like Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa)
1/2 box penne pasta, cooked to package directions (we like Ronzoni Smart Taste)
1/4 cup Parmesan shreds

1. Put oil in saute pan on medium heat.
2. Put in chicken, pepper, garlic, spinach flakes and cayenne pepper. Saute for several minutes until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
3. Reduce heat. Add marinara and cream sauce. Mix until warm.
4. Add cooked pasta. Stir and warm.
5. Serve in bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan shreds.

Notes: This will serve 2-3 people. If you like tomatoes, a finely chopped one would probably go well with this dish, added in during the sauteing.

Recipe Origination: Made it up tonight using random ingredients we had in the cabinets and in our garden. It turned out good :)

Spicy Chicken Tacos

Spicy Chicken Tacos

2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime
6-8 hard taco shells
Suggested toppings: shredded chihuahua cheese or crumbled queso fresca, diced avocado, chopped lettuce

1. Place shredded chicken, salsa, jalapeno, garlic sea salt, cumin and lime in a saute pan. Cook over medium heat until hot (2-3 minutes).
2. Serve in taco shells with desired toppings.

Notes: You can cook the chicken any way. If I'm crunched for time, I just microwave it, flipping every 2 minutes until it's thoroughly cooked. If I have more time, I'll grill it. I've found the easiest way to shred chicken is using two forks to pull it apart. If you don't enjoy spicy foods, I'd skip this one! It will feed 2-3 people.

Recipe Origination: I made it up in attempts to use up cooked chicken and limes that were about to go bad. It ended up delicious!

Voodoo Pasta

Voodoo Pasta

1/2 pound penne pasta (usually 1/2 box)
1/2 kielbasa sausage link (or equivalent - lite, turkey, etc.)
1/2 jar alfredo sauce
1+ tsp blackening seasonings
1+ dash hot sauce

1. Cook pasta according to instructions and set aside.
2. Cut sausage link into 1/4" pieces and sprinkle with blackening seasoning.
3. Saute sausage links over medium heat on a sprayed saute pan for 2-3 minutes.
4. Reduce heat and add alfredo sauce until warmed.
5. Add dash of hot sauce and stir.
6. Add noodles and stir.

Notes: The recipe will serve 2-3 adults and can easily be doubled. Look for a blackening season that doesn't list salt as one of its first three ingredients. If you want your face to melt from the heat, add more hot sauce :)

Recipe Origination: One of Sean's specialties.

Red-Skinned Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Red-Skinned Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

4 medium new red potatoes, washed and cut into 1" cubes
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic sea salt
1/2 cup milk

1. Boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
2. Combine all ingredients and blend until mixed. (The longer you blend, the creamier the potatoes. If you want lumpy potatoes, blend for less time.)

Notes: This will feed 2-3 people as a side. If you don't like skins, you can peel them first, but all the good stuff is in the skins, so I like keeping them on. Adding a little shredded parmesan tastes good, too.

Recipe Origination: I made it up. The more cheese, the merrier :)

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

2 chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/2" thickness
1/8 cup bread crumbs
1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup marinara sauce
3-4 slices provolone cheese

1. Combine bread crumbs, salt and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl.
2. Beat the egg and put in a separate shallow bowl.
3. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then the crumb mixture.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear each chicken 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Place chicken in a baking dish. Cover with marinara and provolone cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Recipe Origination: I made it up, though I'm sure it's similar to any other chicken parm recipe.

Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup hot water

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Cut in shortening until crumbly.
3. Add water to moisten.
4. Knead mixture thoroughly and let sit covered for 1 hour.
5. Pull apart to make 12 balls and roll each on a floured surface to 1/8" thickness (or use a tortilla press).
6. Cook on hot cast iron skillet for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Notes: Don't be stupid like me and immediately start kneading after putting in the hot water. I definitely burned my thumb. Make sure the tortillas are rolled super thin, otherwise they'll be pretty dense when eating. They taste great with shredded chipotle chicken (see 4/28/2010 for recipe) and traditional taco toppings.

Recipe Origination: allrecipes.com

Marinated Skirt Steak

Marinated Skirt Steak

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, cut in half
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 lbs skirt steak, cut into three equal pieces

1. Heat charcoal grill
2. Blend oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, red pepper, cumin and sugar.
3. Place steak and marinade in zip-loc bag, remove air, seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Remove steak and pat dry with paper towels.
5. Cook steak over charcoal until desired doneness.
6. Wrap steak in aluminum foil and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Notes: Instead of using the rack on the grill, you can also cook the steak directly on the coals, just use a blow dryer to blow the ash off first and reduce cooking time considerably. It's worth it to get a good quality skirt steak instead of the cheap pre-packaged one at the grocery store.

Recipe Origination: Alton Brown...Sean loves that show :)