Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip

I love spicy anything.

The hotter the better!

I found this recipe in one of those

"2 free recipes" brochures that come in the mail,

from Taste of Home.

I didn't order what they were selling,

but this recipe is a keeper!

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip:

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 c. Louisiana-style hot sauce
1 c. ranch dressing
3 cans (4.5 oz. each) of chunk white chicken, drained and shredded
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 bunch of green onions, chopped, divided
Corn or tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, hot sauce and ranch dressing. Stir well. Add chicken, 1 c. cheddar cheese and 2/3's of the green onion. Combine - then spread into a 11x7 inch baking dish. I used a round stoneware pan, which worked well also.

Bake, uncovered for 20-22 minutes or until heated through. At about the 1/2 way mark, I sprinkled the remaining cheddar cheese over the dip. Once removed from the oven, sprinkle the remaining onions on top.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Bon Appetit!

Peanut Sesame Noodles

This is a recipe I've adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

She called her recipe Simple Sesame Noodles.

You may look it up if you'd like, the changes I made were subtle.

You could add chicken to this dish for a more "manly" meal,

but mine was working, so I didn't need to worry about his needs:)

I added 1 T. peanut butter to the sauce

and chopped peanuts as a garnish.

Both could be left out if you have nut allergies to consider.

On with it...

Peanut Sesame Noodles

12 oz, fluid thin noodles, cooked and drained (angel hair pasta is what I used)
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. rice vinegar
3 T. pure sesame oil
2 T. sweet chili sauce (this will still have some heat to it, despite the word "sweet")
6 T. canola oil
2 T. hot water
1 T. creamy peanut butter
4 green onions, sliced thin, to garnish
1/4 c. dry roasted peanuts to garnish

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles, green onions and peanut butter) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over hot noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts, toss.

Bon Appetit!

Farfalle with Pesto, Chicken and Tomatoes

This is a great alternative to the usual pasta salad.

It incorporates

*pasta

*basil pesto

*chicken

*tomatoes

*feta cheese.

It could even be served as a main dish if you

paired it with a nice crusty bread.

Farfalle with Pesto, Chicken and Tomatoes:

1 lb. farfalle pasta, cooked according to directions

8 oz. pesto

1 1/2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded

5 roma tomatoes, diced

8 oz. feta cheese, I used the tomato and basil variety

1/4 - 1/2 c. oil - whatever kind you prefer, I used vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta, drain and cool by running under cold water. Add pesto, chicken, tomatoes and cheese. Stir well. Add enough oil to moisten the pasta. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve. If the pasta seems dry, add a little more oil.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Spaghetti

I haven't cooked out of the Pioneer Woman's cookbook too much, but I do love it and Tamara inspired me to take it out of the bookcase. This is the PW recipe except I changed the chicken bit. The original recipe has a whole fryer chicken that you boil and then shred, and incorporates the stock the chicken has boiled in. I really don't like boiled chicken water--something about it just grosses me out. I know it's essentially the same thing, but I'd rather just open a box or can of stock. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken that I used instead. I like this recipe for how easy it is, especially if you have some leftover cooked chicken-- everything just gets mixed in the same bowl with the cooked spaghetti and then thrown in the oven for a quick dinner.

1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces (1/2 of a 900g pkg)
1 4oz jar of diced pimientos, drained
1/3 C diced onion
1/4 C diced green pepper (I used red)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
black pepper to taste
dash of cayenne
2 C chicken stock
1 C (or more) of diced cooked chicken

Cook the spaghetti until tender and almost done. Drain and put in a large bowl. Add all the above ingredients except for 1/2 C of the cheese that will go on top. It seems a bit runny because of the amount of stock. It does end up absorbing it all and cooks up perfectly. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Shish Tawook

Shish Tawook or skewered chicken, is a really yummy and flavorful dish eaten in Turkish, Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. I found this recipe from Dede who has an amazing online collection of cooking videos and recipes. The chicken is really tender and so easy to make. Bite-sized pieces of chicken soak for several hours or overnight in the marinade and then placed on sticks for grilling or baking.


Marinade:

2-3 cloves of minced garlic
1 1/2 T tomato paste
2 T ketchup
1/4 C plain yogurt
1/4 C lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika

Cut 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into cubes. Place in the marinade for several hours or overnight.
Soak shish kabob sticks in water for a half hour. Thread the chicken onto the sticks, about 6 pieces. I use a roasting pan but line the bottom with a bit of parchment or foil to make clean up easier.
They can be grilled on the bbq, or put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. I like to broil them for a few minutes at the end to finish cooking-- they appear to look grilled and I know they are cooked through.

Saucy Asian Chicken

I really love Asian food and I am always looking for new recipes. I found this one on the internet and tweaked it a bit. The sauce is sweet and a bit sour with the addition of vinegar; and mild or spicy depending on the amount of red pepper flakes you add. It's a quick-to-make dinner and a good way to use up some of that frozen chicken that I always seem to forget about in my freezer.



Sauce:

3 T cornstarch
1/4 C water
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp ginger root
2/3 C sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C white wine vinegar
1/2 C hot water
pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Mix cornstarch and water together. Then add rest of the ingredients up to the hot water and stir for a few minutes until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Cut 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Cook in a tablespoon or so of oil until cooked, and no longer pink in the center. (At this point I like to either use another pan or take the chicken out for a few minutes while I clean the old pan of the extra grease before putting the chicken back in.)

Add the sauce to the cooked chicken, as well as the hot water, and cook on medium heat for a few minutes while the sauce thickens. Add some pepper and red pepper flakes; as much as you like. I don't add too much if my kids are eating it.
I like to add some steamed carrots or broccoli to the mixture and serve it over rice.

Spicy Chinese Chicken Tacos

This is one of my favorite dinners that is as quick and easy as it is tasty. I love the Asian flavors combined with the ease of rolling all up in a warm tortilla.



2-3 Chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 tsp ginger root, grated (I keep a jar of store bought ginger puree in the fridge)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T honey
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you actually want it spicy)


Cook chicken in a bit of oil 3-5 minutes on medium heat until browned.
Reduce heat to low and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover; cook 5 more minutes or so until chicken is cooked through.

Put chicken in a taco shell, or roll up in a tortilla. I like to garnish with lettuce, sour cream, and a bit of grated cheese. Bon Appetit!

Chicken Spezzatino

This is one of my favorite Giada recipes, taken from her Everyday Italian cookbook. I make it a lot all year round even though it is more of a fall/winter recipe. Fresh basil is a must in this recipe--not to mention the best part. It really gives great flavor.



2 T olive oil
2 celery stalks, but into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice
1 14.5 oz chicken broth (As you can see from the picture, I double the broth just because I like it more like soup than stew)
1/2 C torn basil leaves
1 T tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
2 Chicken breasts with ribs
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil. Add celery, carrot, and onion. Saute until onion is translucent, 5 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Add chicken and press down to submerge. With the lid off, cook on med-low heat, turning chicken over occasionally until it is almost cooked, about 20 minutes.

Add the beans and simmer until chicken is cooked and liquid has reduced to a stew-like consistency (another 10 minutes).

Remove bay leaf and discard. Take out chicken and let it cool for a few minutes. Discard skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the chicken back into the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!