Chicken Paprikash

Happy Wednesday!  Hope you guys are having a great week! This week so far has been amazing for us! Lots of swimming, dancing, and playing around! 007

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Today the girls and I met an old friend at an Indian Street food restaurant, Chai Pani, in Decatur, Georgia. I had a Chatpatta Paneer Sandwich- Fresh grilled paneer (farmer’s cheese), cucumber, onions, dusted with chaat masala. Served on 2 griddled buns (pav) with green chutney and Maggi Ketchup. Wow! Chatpatta-Paneer-Sandwich1 Note to self…more Indian food in my life… The girls had chicken tenders, sweet corn with ghee, and shoe string fries. They are sold.

Tonight I made a dish called Chicken Paprikash. This is a Hungarian dish made with peppers, onions, garlic, paprika, tomatoes, and a cream of some sort (heavy cream, cream cheese, etc) I have made it once before on the blog, but I wanted to try and change it up a bit. The last time I made it, my recipe was from a Cooking Light magazine.

Today I read 10 different recipes and kind of adapted it to what I had in the cabinet and fridge. I lighted it up even more by using chicken breasts and half and half. It was so good! Next time, I might even add in some mushrooms. Still trying to win the girls over with sweet peppers, but they said they loved the chicken and sauce, so that is a small victory. The hubby had 2 servings, so I will take that as a victory, as well. I even took an extra piece of bread to soak up all my remaining sauce. YUUUMMMM!!!!

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half down the middle (I do this for faster cook time)
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped and minced
1 cup sliced sweet peppers (I use a combo of red, yellow, and orange)
2 tablespoons tomato paste- I usually do 1 tablespoon per piece of chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon each of flour,Paprika, Salt, and Pepper
1 bag wide egg noodles
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Heat pan to med-high heat. Take 2 chicken breasts and cut in half down the middle; not through the middle, which would make them too thin. Dredge them in a combo of 1 tablespoon each of flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook in a tablespoon of canola, vegetable, or olive oil – each side for about 3 minutes or until browned. Take out of pan.
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Start boiling water, salty ocean water, that is. When boiling add noodles and follow bag’s directions.

Add in a couple tablespoons or more of oil. Add in your onions and peppers. Cook down for about 4 minutes. Then add in your tomato paste. Cook down for 3 minutes. Add in the rest of your flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add diced tomatoes and stir well with your veggie and flour mixture. Add in your half and half and stir. Your chicken breast are almost done, so put them in for 5 more minutes. When your sauce is getting thick, take out your chicken and slice thinly or in small bite-sized pieces. Add back in sauce and cook more if needed. Add chopped parsley. 021

Add on top of noodles. Add a hunk of bread. 024

Sweet Chili Chicken and Veggies on Naan

Good afternoon, ya’ll! Hope everyone is having a great Saturday! We just got home from watching the movie, Inside Out. It was so cute! I highly recommend it.  inside-out6

Last night I made Sweet Chili Chicken and Veggies on Naan. The hubby and I loved it, but the kids were not fans. They didn’t care for the sweet chili sauce I marinated it in. But they ate some, because it was dinner. Of course they loved the Naan =)

Sweet Chili Chicken and Veggies on Naan

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in to bite sized pieces
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of sliced peppers- I mixed red, yellow, and orange
1 onion, sliced
1/2 bottle of sweet chili sauce- normally it would be for dipping my spring rolls in, but it made a great marinade =)

Directions

Marinate the chicken and veggies in the marinade for at least 30 min. and up to 2 hours. Cook on high heat in a large skillet or wok. Heat up some Naan; I do it directly over the gas eye. This would also be great with rice,noodles, or couscous. Easy and quick dinner!

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Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms

Another favorite for dinner tonight! 2 thumbs up from everyone! I have tons of basil in my garden, so I wanted to make a pesto of some sort. I also discovered a carton of mushrooms that needed some love. Here is what I came up with!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms

Ingredients
4-5 chicken thighs cut up in to bite sized pieces.
1 small carton of mushrooms, sliced
1 box Ziti noodles
1-2 cups Alfredo sauce
1/3 cup of Pesto

Alfredo- 1 jar of Alfredo (I like Classico Light Creamy Alfredo) OR you could make your own- Melt 1/2 cup of butter and then stir in 2 cups of heavy cream. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add until mixed through.

Pesto- 1/3 of your favorite jarred pesto OR make your own. This time I did since I have plenty in my garden.
Ingredients and directions- .
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese- I combine Parmesan and Pecorino Romano
Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and nuts in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste.

Directions
Add your chicken and mushrooms to a hot skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Brown your chicken and let your mushrooms cook down, about 8-10 minutes. Cook pasta. Add Alfredo sauce to chicken and mushrooms. Add in your pesto a little bit at a time. When your pasta still has a bite, add it to the sauce. Mix well. This is a creamy sauce, but if you think it seems too thick, add in a ladle or 2 of starchy pasta water or maybe even more cream sauce or pesto. Cook until combined.

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I also made some quick garlic toast. I added 3 tablespoons of butter with 3 cloves minced garlic (used garlic press). I spread the bread with the garlic butter and put them in the oven on broil. So good!

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Creamy Mushroom Chicken with Skillet Green Beans and Rice with Pine Nuts

Hello! Tonight I made a family favorite that I have done in many variations on the blog before. I had some beautiful green beans freshly picked from my garden and some pine nuts leftover that needed to be used up. I made enough to have for leftovers for another night!

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients
4 chicken fillets
1 onion, diced
1 carton mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of crushed and diced garlic
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 container of reduced sodium chicken stock
add salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces to hot oil in a single layer without crowding. Cook 4-5 minutes per side or until chicken is browned; remove from pans.
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Add in your veggies. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the stock. Cook down about 5 minutes.
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Add your chicken back in the pan. Cook for 30 more minutes with the chicken in the sauce. Take out the chicken and add in the cream cheese and heavy cream. Stir and let them all melt together. If you want a thicker sauce (to dunk bread), add in more cream cheese. If you want a thinner sauce (to add to pasta) add in more cream. Add your chicken back in. Cook for just a few more minutes… Again…Perfection.

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Rice with Pine Nuts-

Ingredients
1/2 stick of butter
1 small bag of rice
1 cup toasted pine nuts
1 container of low sodium chicken or veggie stock

Directions
Toast some pine nuts in a pan for a few minutes on low heat. Watch these; they burn quickly.
In a large round pot or pan, heat butter on med heat until it melts. Add in your rice and cook for a few minutes. This toasts the rice and helps give it a nice nutty flavor. Then I added all of the stock in the pan, mixed well, and put on the lid. Every 5 minutes or so, I stirred it to make sure the bottom didn’t burn or stick. Near the 20 minute mark, I felt mine needed a little more liquid, so I added a few more tablespoons of water. I mixed well and added in my pine nuts. Delicious!

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Skillet Green Beans

I had these beauties from my garden.
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So I threw them in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of bacon fat (butter or olive oil would be fine). I cooked them about 15 minutes. stirring them occasionally. In the end, I threw in a handful of the toasted pine nuts.

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Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry with Cantonese Noodles

First things first. Full Disclosure; Yesterday, the girls and I had this for dinner…

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After playing at the pool all afternoon eating these…

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No shame! Ever!

This week they are going to Lacrosse camp. They are seriously loving it. So looks like we are going to have a couple of cheerleading lacrosse players. Should be an exciting year! You just wait until you see K in her cheerleading uniform. Totes adorbs!

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So anyways, tonight I made a yummy stir fry for dinner. I have made a couple of different stir fry meals before here on the blog. Usually it involves a sauce, lots of veggies, a protein, and a carb. Tonight was no different. Next time, I am going to try to make beef and broccoli. Look for that soon!

Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry with Cantonese Noodles

Ingredients

Sauces: Stir Fry (1/2 bottle), Hoisin (2 tablespoons), Sesame Seed Oil (1 tablespoon)

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Veggies: Sweet Peppers (I used 3 different colors, all sliced equal to about 1 full pepper)
1 container of shiitake mushrooms, chopped
3 heads of Baby Bok Choy, chopped
1 handful of snow peas
1 small can each of baby corn, sliced water chestnuts, and sliced bamboo shoots

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Protein: Chicken Thighs, cut in bite sized pieces

Carb: Cantonese Noodles-use whatever noodles you can find…I also love those Ramen noodles, minus the weird “flavor” packet it comes with.

Directions- Marinate your chicken thighs in half of the stir fry sauce (1/4 bottle). Prep all your veggies. Start boiling your water for your pasta. Heat your wok (or large circular pan) with a few tablespoons of peanut or veggie oil. Begin to cook the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes or so. Add in your mushrooms and peppers. Cook another 5 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies and start cooking your pasta. Add in the rest of your sauces. When the bok choy is cooked down, add in your pasta. Mix well and taste. Add more sauce if desired.

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