Recipes: Chicken Tomato Pasta
Chicken Tomato Pasta Dish
Another great meal made by my awesome husband. He came up with this pasta recipe one Sunday for lunch. The base is animal shaped pasta noodles (can you guess who picked out the noodles)?! Topped with chicken, tomatoes, bok choy, spinach, and mushrooms. It was a fresh and tasty combination perfect for dinner out on the deck with the family on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Chicken Tomato Pasta Recipe:
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts (sliced, cooked, seasoned, and drained)
- 12 oz Pasta (we used Organic Vegetable Pasta in the shape of Animals)
- 1 large Tomato (or can of diced tomatoes)
- 1 cup Fresh Spinach
- 1 cup Fresh Bok Choy
- 1/2 cup Fresh Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- Optional – 1/2 small Onion
- Optional – 1/4 cup shredded Cheese
1. Slice the chicken in about 1 inch strips. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of Olive Oil in a frying pans on medium heat and add the minced garlic (and onion if using it). Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the chicken and stir gently as every couple minutes while working on the other steps.
2. Add water to a pot and turn it on medium-high until it is at a rolling boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta per the directions on the package.
3. Slice up the vegetables into about 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces (tomatoes, spinach, bok choy, mushrooms). Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes cooking them for about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and bok choy, cooking for an additional 3 minutes or until the leaves are starting to wilt.
4. Scoop some pasta onto your plate. Top with the tomato and vegetable mixture. Add the chicken and a little more of the tomato and vegetable mixture. Optional: Garnish with sauteed bok choy centers and a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
Chicken Tomato Pasta with a Bok Choy garnish!
Recipes: Octopus Spaghetti
One of the Octopus Spaghetti pieces
Our family enjoys having fun in the kitchen. We have done this recipe a few times especially when the kids are a little younger. It was one of those days when we had spaghetti on the menu, but instead I decided to alter it to make it more fun for the kids. The normal spaghetti and meatballs for dinner turned into Octopus Spaghetti which included hotdogs instead of meatballs.
It really is easy. While the noodles were still hard I stuck them through pieces of hotdogs. The hotdogs cooked while the spaghetti noodles were boiling. I added a little bit of spaghetti sauce, a side dish or two (garlic bread and / or a fresh salad are good ones) and dinner is ready. The kids love it and enjoy helping with this recipe too.
Octopus Spaghetti Recipe:
- 1 package Hotdogs
- 40 Spaghetti Noodles
- 1 jar Spaghetti Marina Sauce (store bought or homemade)
Place a pot of water on the stove and begin heating it up until boiling. While you are waiting for your water to boil cut each of the 10 hotdogs into 4 equal pieces. Put 4 dry spaghetti noodles through each piece of hotdog (this allows you to have 4 octopus arms on each side of the hotdog, therefore giving you 8 octopus arms total). It may take a couple extra spaghetti noodles because you may break a couple when poking them through the hotdogs. Once the water is boiling place the hotdogs and noodles into your pot and boil until noodles are thoroughly cooked.
While the hotdogs and noodles are cooking place your spaghetti sauce into a smaller sauce pan and heat until it is hot. Place the hotdogs and noodles on your plate first and put the spaghetti sauce on top.
Our kids think the hotdogs and noodles tastes good even without the spaghetti sauce. You can do it either way. It is a fun meal, especially for the kids.
A pile of Octopus Spaghetti on that plate.
Spaghetti marina sauce added on top of the Octopus Spaghetti
Recipes: Cashew Apple Chicken
Cashew Apple Chicken
I love weekends at home for many reasons. It is awesome spending some extra time with my family. During the week typically I do most of the cooking do to everyone’s schedule being a more crazy, however, on the weekends many times my husband will cook our family meal. He comes up with some of the most amazing and delicious dishes. It is so neat to watch him look in the fridge to see what we have or what needs used up then whipped together a new and tasty meal.
Our family enjoys chicken, apples, and cashews so this meal was a hit. I am so thankful for a husband who cooks. He has widen my recipe collections with the variety of dishes he pulls together. Yes, I am blessed!
Cashew Apple Chicken Recipe:
- 4 Chicken Breasts (boneless and skinless)
- 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Apples, cut up in equal size pieces (we used granny smith because we had them in the fridge)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Italian Dressing
- 1/4 cup Cashews
1. Mix together the salt, pepper, and cinnamon into a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken breasts for a pinch of this mixture and set the remaining spice mixture aside.
2. Add the olive oil to a frying pan and allow to heat up using medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook. Cook for 10 minutes on one side and turn to cook for an additional 10 minutes on the remaining side. The chicken should be a light brown on all sides. While the chicken is cooking on each side do steps 3 to 5.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Grease a baking dish.
5. Dice up the apples and set aside.
6. Once the chicken is brown on all sides (see step 2) remove the chicken breasts from the pan and place them into the baking dish.
7. Add the Maple Syrup, Italian Seasoning, and spice mixture to the pan of oil and chicken juices. Heat over medium for about 1 minute. Add the diced apples and cashews. Continue to cook for 3 minutes stirring gently. Remove from heat and spoon the apple and cashew mixture equally over the chicken breasts.
8. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Book: “Dining On A Dime” Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper
If you could save $10,000 a year on food without cutting coupons would you be interested? I had the privilege of receiving Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper’s newest edition, November 2011, of their Dining On A Dime Cookbook Eat Better, Spend Less! The authors packed in more than 1200 great recipes and money saving tips in this cookbook. One of the challenges they gave is to see how much you could save in one year by cutting out just one thing. For example, by reducing the amount of meat you eat each week by 1.5 pounds you could save over $400 a year. They cover a variety of recipes and tips in their book, here are a few:
- How It Adds Up
- Basics of Frugal Cooking
- Beverages
- Breakfast
- Breads
- Soups & Sandwiches
- Vegetables, Beans, Pasta, & Rice
- Salads, Dressings, Pickles, and Dips
- Meats & Main Dishes
- Cakes, Pies, Candy, Cookies, & Desserts
- Mixes, Gift Baskets, & Jars
- Kids
- Cleaning Cents
- Pretty for Pennies
The authors challenge you to take small steps to change your life. Whether you start with planning your meals, organizing your home, or saving money it is the little steps over time that give you results. Their menu planning ideas include recipes you can make for picky eaters or quick dinners for those busy days. I like that they have sections on using up your leftovers, making your own cleaning & beauty supplies, gift baskets, and more. They use a good mix of great information and light hearted humor.
Here are a couple of quotes / tips that made me smile:
If you want to see a cup runneth over, let a child pour his own soda.
When your house looks like a bomb hit it and company calls from a block away set your vacuum by the front door and say, “Come on in! I was just cleaning”
You have two choices for dinner. Take it or leave it.
The problem – how to get 2 pounds of chocolate home in a hot car. The solution – eat it in the parking lot.
Some of the information and recipes made me laugh out loud…..”Elephant Soup” simply hilarious! One of my favorite non-food recipes was their “Recipe for a Happy Marriage” (loved that one). While they may not have convince me to try “Liver and Onions” again Tawra and Jill did a wonderful job putting together a useful and entertaining cookbook to have in your kitchen. The best part is their recipes only require a handful of ingredients and most (if not all) of the items you will find in your kitchen pantry.
At the end of the book they have separate indexes for looking up tips, leftovers, and recipes making it easy to look up what you want. I look forward to trying more of the recipes, tips, and seeing if these help our family save even more. This cookbook would be a great wedding gift or birthday gift for those who are beginning to cook or a novice. It offers practical tips, great recipes, and may even make you smile!
Please visit Dining on a Dime Cookbook’s website if you want to learn more about this book.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
