Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Whoa. Holy delicious salad Batman. I made this dish for one, as husband is out of town. I really made too much for just myself, but it was definitely great. I will make it again when husband is home because he will LOVE the spiciness of the dressing. It was sooo good! Ok, I'll stop now. But. So. Good.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

1/2 ripe avocado, rough chop
~4 tbls. sliced red onions
small can of corn, drained (no salt added), used about 2/3 of the can
1 small tomato, sliced
fresh romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cooked chicken breast, diced (I used about 1/2 of the large chicken breast)

Dressing:
1/2 fresh lime
cumin
chili powder
~1 tbls. chipotle chile in adobo sauce
~1/3-1/4 cup sour cream

(You may notice there is cilantro in this ingredient gathering...I forgot it AGAIN!!! Feel free to add it to your salad at the end!)

Prep the salad with your fresh veggies on a large plate with the cooked chicken. Mix together the heavenly sauce and spread liberally.

I'm not saying you're going to like it, you're going to love it.

Notes: I made this for myself but made too much. Adjust accordingly. I would say the recipe above is for 2-3 healthy servings. Again, LOVE.
I think the original recipe had black beans. Add if you like. I usually love black beans, but without them this recipe didn't skip a beat.

Corn Salsa

This is a fresh spring/summer salsa or salad that is very tasty. It's not your typical salsa, but I find the flavors delicious. Husband also commented on the freshness. It's a nice change from traditional salsa and if you have fresh sweet corn it is amazing.

Corn Salsa

3 ears of fresh corn
1/3 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 of one poblano pepper, seeded and diced
2 tsps. olive oil
juice of 1 lime
dash of salt
dash of sugar
cilantro, chopped

Prepare the corn. I shucked and then boiled the ears for about 12 minutes in salted water. Cool. Cut the corn off the cob and place in a medium sized bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. It's that easy!!!

And don't forget the cilantro like I did...

Notes: It wasn't spicy enough for husband, although he did like it. He splashed some Tabasco on top. I really liked it. The sweetness of the corn and the spiciness of the peppers just give it a great all around flavor. I think fresh corn really makes it happen for this salsa! It would also be great as a side to chicken for a meal. We just ate it with tortilla chips. Also, be extra careful dicing the jalapeno.
Adapted from a foodnetwork recipe.

Chicken Artichoke Pasta

I found a version of this pasta dish online and used some of the key ingredients, but basically made it my own. It was quite delicious and I would definitely recommend to a friend!

Chicken Artichoke Pasta

1 lb. farfalle pasta (I cooked the whole box, but used about 3/4 of it for the dish)
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rough chop
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
about 8 ozs. sundried tomatoes, drained and rough chop
1/2 pint heavy cream
~1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
~1/4 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese
butter
2 tsp. cayenne pepper (for those that love the heat)
Conecuh sausage, sliced diagonal (yes I am from Alabama)
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
salt and pepper to taste

I started with prepping the meat. Brown the sliced meat in a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 7-10 minutes or so until chicken is slightly done. (It will cook more later). Turn off the heat (or turn to really low).

Next, salt your pasta water and boil the farfalle until just al dente. Usually about 10 minutes. Drain and splash with cold water. Return the drained pasta to the pasta pot.

Switch back to your meat skillet. Add about 3 pats of butter and the mushrooms. (Throw in more salt and pepper if you want.) Cook until the mushrooms are tender and slightly browned over medium-low heat. Turn this off. Add the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and meat/mushroom mixture into the pasta pot and stir. At this point I splashed a little chicken broth over it to combine. I also set the pot over very low heat.

Next heat a small pot over medium-high heat and add heavy cream, cheeses, about 4 pats of butter and cayenne pepper. Cook until butter and cheeses are melted and everything is combined. Pour this mixture over the entire pasta dish and mix. Allow the flavors to blend for maybe 5-10 minutes over the low heat. Serve up and enjoy!!

Notes: You could substitute just about any meat you prefer. You could do all chicken or all sausage, etc. I chose the combo and it was great! You could also probably sub any cheeses that you like. I just used what I had on hand.

Pesto from the Garden

We have started our own little garden on Stocker Dr. and hope to use lots of the goodies that it will produce. First up! Fresh basil used for our very own pesto. This is easy and delicious. Of course I would recommend using your own fresh basil, but I guess store bought would do. Use to marinate chicken, veggies or your favorite pasta!!

Pesto

2 cups fresh basil (homegrown!!)
juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbls. pine nuts
olive oil
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
pecorino romano

Wash the basil leaves and dry on a paper towel.

 our basil plant was going crazy at first with plenty of healthy and fragrant leaves!

Put all the ingredients (except olive oil and cheese) in a food processor and pulse/blend until combined. Next grate the cheese into the food processor reservoir. Then add the olive oil in a slow stream while on low. I used a healthy amount...maybe 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil. I can't remember. Sometimes that's the trouble with my cooking. I never write things down. I just go. Store in a mason jar in the fridge.

This smelled amazing and topped chicken wonderfully. Next time I plan to do a pasta dish. We can't wait for the basil plant to make more!

Homemade Chicken Stir Fry

Saw this recipe online and thought it sounded tasty. Plus I really like sugar snap peas. It turned out pretty good and the leftovers are gone. The human garbage disposal cleans up everything.

Chicken Stir Fry

3 carrots, peeled and chopped on a diagonal
~1 cup or so sugar snap peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
~1lb. chicken breast, thinly sliced into strips
2 tbls. low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
juice of 1 lime
ginger, I used dry powdered ginger, but fresh is probably better...make a judgement call here with measurements
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
green onions, sliced to garnish
cooked rice, if you like

Prep the veggies and slice the chicken (husband is designated meat slicer).

Give a wok or a large fry pan a healthy dose of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken until just done. About 5 minutes or so each side. My pan was going pretty good...watch the chicken and turn quickly from side to side.

Remove the chicken from the pan. Add a little more olive oil and saute snap peas, carrots, garlic and ginger. Meanwhile, combine lime juice, corn starch, a dash of water and soy sauce in a small bowl. Whisk together to combine. When the veggies are al dente, add the chicken back to the wok/pan. 

Now pour the soy sauce mixture over the whole meal and toss. Let the flavors merry and cook a little. Maybe 5-8 minutes or so, being sure the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately.

Notes: Top with green onions if you like. I ate mine plain and it was great, but it would be good over rice too. All leftovers are gone.