Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Alfredo

Tomorrow I am doing my first MudRun! its 6 miles and over 30 obstacles. I am super excited, I think it's going to be a lot of fun. So, I decided to make a pasta dish to load up on carbs for the morning. Here is my sun-dried tomato, chicken Alfredo recipe for you guys!

Ingredients:

4 cups on pasta ( I use whole wheat)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon butter

1cup parmesean cheese

1 tablespoon garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon onion powder

3 chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

Boil pasta in salt water according to package directions
On stove stop cook chicken in olive oil, garlic, and onion powder
In a sauce pan cook heavy cream, butter, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer. It should thicken and then add parmesean cheese. 

Serve pasta with several pieces of chicken and topped with a heaping scoop of Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cilantro, Corn, Black Bean & Pico de Gallo Salad

If you are looking for the perfect side salad to bring to a BBQ or a refreshing, but yet filling lunch...look no further. This is probably one of my favorite salads. And it's COLORFUL! 

Ingredients:

1 cup corn

1 cup black bean

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 diced red, orange and yellow bell peppers

5-6 diced plum tomatoes

3/4 diced onion

1/2 cup cilantro

1 diced jalapeno (remove the seeds)

3-4 squeezed juice from limes

salt & pepper

Throw all of it in a bowl and mix. 
Let marinate for a few hours before serving for maximum taste. 

Chicken Caprese Salad

I think I've said this before, but I love balsamic vinegar. Therefor I looooove anything caprese! Caprese bruschetta, sandwiches, appetizers. ANYTHING!  You can't go wrong with these ingredients. Here is a recipe for a large entree salad. 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh mozzerella

1 pound thinly sliced chicken breast

10oz baby spinach

2 roasted red peppers

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

4 vine ripe tomatoes

1 cup fresh basil

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup + 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 

Salt & Pepper

This was my first attempt at making oven roasted red bell pepper. They are delicious and easy! I don't know why I haven't been doing this sooner. 

Turn the oven on to broil. 
Place quartered red bell peppers face down on foil lines cookie sheet. 
Broil for 10-15 minutes, till blackened. Remove the skin and slice. Done!

On the stove top on medium heat, grill chicken in olive oil, 2 tablespoon balsamic, sun dried tomatoes and salt and pepper.

On individual plates, place spinach, sprinkled basil, tomato slices, peppers, mozzarella, topped with the slices chicken and sun dried tomatoes.

To make a balsamic reduction is simple! Place 1 cup of balsamic vinegar on stove top. Simmer until thickens to a syrup consistency. Stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. I do this last because once it has cooled, it becomes to thick to drizzle on salad. 

That's it! You're done, now go enjoy a yummy salad! 

Best Chicken Marinade and Grape, Blue Cheese Salad

Seriously, every time I make this chicken I wish I had made more. I recommend making a lot of it! You will want the left overs, trust me! You can eat it with any meal as the main dish. Here it is with a refreshing grape, blue cheese crumbled, romaine crunchy salad. 

Chicken Marinade Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3 T mayo

1-2 T Worcestershire sauce 

1 T lemon juice, preferably fresh squeezed

1 tsp.salt

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 T Poultry Seasoning

1 T garlic puree or garlic powder

1 T sweet paprika

1/2 T onion powder

1 tsp. thyme (optional)

Whisk together and put in a bag with pounded chicken. 
Let marinade for a few hours.
Grill meat for 10-20 minutes.

Salad Ingredients:

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Toasted sliced almonds

Grapes halved

salt & pepper

4 celery stalks sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

2 T white vinegar

2 T lemon juice

Whisk olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice together. This is the dressing!
Toss romaine, blue cheese crumbles, almonds, grapes and celery in a large bowl with dressing.
I eye ball the amount of ingredients that go into this salad. 
Serve sprinkles with a dash of salt and pepper.
Chicken on the side or sliced on top! 

Summer Corn Chowder

Some of my favorite things to cook are soups. You can make a huge batch, so there are tons of left overs, its healthy and easy. Sooooo corn chowder isn't the healthiest of soups, but I tweaked it a little bit to make it better. I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, low-sodium chicken broth and I substituted half & half for heavy cream. Ok, enough, here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

9 pieces of cooked and chopped turkey bacon

1 diced red bell pepper

3/4 diced sweet onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 diced celery stalks

2 cans of corn drained

1 pealed and shredded russet potato (I shredded mine in my Food Processor)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups half & half

1 1/2 teaspoon Chipotle chili powder

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350
Bake turkey bacon on non-stick cookie sheet for 15 minutes
Saute onion, red bell pepper, celery, chopped bacon, Chipotle chili powder in olive oil for about 10 minutes.
Add corn and cook for 2 more minutes
Add broth and half & half, bring to a boil and finally add potato.
Turn off heat and cover with a lid. 
Serve once potato has softened and is cool enough to eat.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy with a crusty baguette and some crisp white wine, maybe eat it outside on your patio or porch during a nice summer evening. Hope you like it!

French Toast

Breakfast for dinner again!! I figured out, to make good french toast you need the right bread. This recipe I used a french bread loaf and sliced it myself in 1 inch thick sized slices. It absorbs the egg mix, but cooks well while remaining fluffy and soft to eat. So ready for a warm, sweet and buttery bite of comfort food? 

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of flour

dash of salt

dash of cinnamon

sprinkled with powdered sugar

french loaf sliced

Blend all ingredients minus the bread and powdered sugar.
Pour into a deep big plate and dip bread in liquid on all sides.
Cook on stove top on a non-stick pan on medium heat, until golden and browned. It shouldn't be mushy inside once cooked. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve with butter and syrup of your choice. Yummmmmmm!!

Debra's Veggie Chili

This recipe of perfect for when you have no money. It is so cheap to make, tastes SO good, is healthy and makes the best left overs. You know how much I love colorful dishes, and this one is beautiful! 

Ingredients:

1/2 diced sweet onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 diced green bell pepper

1 diced red bell pepper

1 can of drained black beans

1 can of drained yellow corn

1 can of diced tomatoes + the juice from the can

1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

sour cream

Mexican cheese

brown rice

Saute onion, garlic and olive oil. about 5 minutes
Add bell peppers, salt & pepper, and chili powder, saute another couple minutes
Add beans, corn and tomatoes + tomato juice from the can, stir together.
To thicken add tomato paste. Cover with lid and let simmer 5 minutes. 
Taste, if you want more spice add more chili powder. If you want it thicker add more tomato paste.

Serve over rice or a baked potato, with sour cream and cheese on top. ENJOY!

Virgin Bourbon Street Crock Pot Chicken

Yay! Finally a crock pot recipe!!! Crock pots are probably the best invention EVER!! It makes cooking so easy, its almost impossible to mess it up. Today i'm posting for you a very tasty recipe known as Bourbon Street Chicken. It's a Chinese dish named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans because of its main ingredient, bourbon. Duhh! Well, my recipe does NOT contain bourbon, sorry :) That's why I named it "Virgin Bourbon Street Crock Pot Chicken." I also used a Trader Joe's trademarked item called "Soyaki" instead of soy sauce. I personally like this flavor so much more. But, if you don't feel like making a special trip to Trader Joe's and you just want to use soy sauce, that's totally going to be fine. 

Ingredients:

5-6 chicken breasts

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/3 cup Soyaki

1/4 cup apple juice

1/2 water

Place chicken in crock pot
Mix all ingredients together and pour over chicken
Heat on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours
Pull meat about and make shredded chicken
Ladle over brown rice or quinoa 

Serves about 6 people

NOTE: Recent studies have shown that apple cider vinegar is way more than something to add flavor to your favorite meal. According to MindBodyGreen experts, they say there are 10 benefits to this ingredient

1. Balances your inner ecosystem
2. Detoxes the body
3. Helps with weight loss
4. Cures allergies
5. Cures sinus infections, sore throat, flu and headaches
6. Clears acne, warts, other skin problems
7. Lowers high cholesterol and high blood pressure
8. Kills candida and fungus and populates the gut with friendly micoflava
9. Eases arthritis and stiff joints
10.Strengthen stomach acid 

However, there is no proven evidence that this will work for everyone. But if you want to try it, you can mix 2 teaspoons with water and drink daily. See what happens? I might try it for my headaches. 

Lean Balsamic Pork Loin with Asparagus and Goat Cheese & Chive Red mashed Potatoes

I love balsamic vinegar and whenever I find a recipe with that ingredient in the title I know I'll love it. If you are the same way, be prepared to be blown away by this juicy pork loin!!! The same goes for these asparagus. I only cook mine this way because it's THAT good! Serve this meal with your favorite red wine and enjoy the nice summer weather.

Balsamic Pork Loin Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons or more of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 small extra lean pork loin

Cut all the extra fat off the pork loin with meat scissors.

Mix all ingredients together and marinade pork in a bag for a few hours.

Preheat oven to 400

In a large skillet brown the pork loin on all sides in the sauce mix from marinade. About 10 minutes.

Place browned pork loin in baking dish with an additional olive oil and balsamic drizzled in dish. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes. It shouldn't be pink inside once its cooked. 

Goat Cheese &  Chive Red Potatoes Ingredients:

8 red potatoes

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon sea salt

4-5 oz crumble goat cheese

3 tablespoon butter

2/3 cup half-n-half

diced fresh chive

ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes, basil, thyme, rosemary and salt in pot. Cover potatoes with water and boil. 

Once potatoes are soft (poke with a fork) remove from water and let cool a few minutes.

Mash potatoes (I use a potato ricer) and beat in butter, cheese and half-n-half.

Serve with pepper and chives sprinkled on top.

For the asparagus I steam the asparagus  2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar with a dash of lemon salt. Steam covered for about 6-7 minutes on medium heat. 

Note: This recipe is for 2 people. I only had enough for myself and my husband + lunch for him tomorrow. So if you are feeding more, double this recipe. 

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tacos

When I was a kid I grew up eating beef tacos made with a taco seasoning packet, diced tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and sour cream. Super Plain Jane right?? Right! Well, here is my healthy, zesty chicken taco recipe. I love it! The chicken part of the recipe can be used to make a southwest salad too if you wanted. 

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breasts

1 can diced green chilies

2 cups reduced fat chicken broth

juice from 3 limes

1/2 diced red onion

1 green bell pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon Chipotle chili powder

dash of salt & pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup pico de gallo

tortillas

sour cream 

cilantro

You want to use shredded chicken. 
Boil the chicken in chicken broth, can of diced green chilies and topped off with water so it covers chicken. Boil for about 20 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, it is so juicy. It should fall apart with a fork. Shred and place in a bowl, pour lime juice on top. I love the lime flavor so I use about 3 limes. But you can use less.

Saute onion and bell pepper in olive oil for about 5 minutes. 
Add cumin, Chipotle chili powder, salt and pepper.
Pour in chicken with lime juice. 
Lastly add pico de gallo and stir. 

Serve with a little sour cream and a little cilantro. So delish! 

Note: I have a fruit squeezer. Obsessed!!! Makes it so you get as much juice as possible from your fruit. And I love the KitchenAid Chopper. Another 2 kitchen must have tools! 

Spicy Turkey Meatballs with Basil Marinara and Mozzarella

Your mouth should be watering already. These suckers are so awesome! My husband thinks every meatball recipe I make is the best thing ever, but this one is my personal fav. Its even better if you make your own marinara sauce, but tonight I'm using the remaining marinara jar from the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni I posted for you. Don't let the long list of ingredients intimidate you. I'm sure you have all these seasonings in your pantry, if not you need to buy them because they make meals delicious! 

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 egg

2 tablespoons breadcrumb

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the Sauce:

2 cups Marinara or tomato sauce

6-7 large fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon oregano
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4-6 oz balled Mozzarella  

Preheat oven to 400
In a large bowl combine all the meatball ingredients and mix with your hands like you do with meatloaf.
Spoon and round meatballs, place on a cookie sheet. You should be able to make 16-20 meatballs.
Bake for 15 minutes

While meatballs are baking, begin the sauce.
In a large skillet, simmer marinara, oregano, red pepper flake, and lastly the basil. Sauce will thicken.You can taste it to see if you want to add anything extra. 

After the meatballs are done baking add them to the skillet and cover with sauce. 

Place mozzarella balls randomly in the tomato sauce. Let cook until gooey. Mmmm Mmmmm...

Serve over grain or pasta of your choice. My choice is quinoa once again :) 

Note: I make a lot of spicy foods. If you don't like spice you can leave out the red pepper flakes from all my recipes. They will still be tasty, don't worry. 
Also, another one of my favorite kitchen tools is a cookie scooper. It looks like an ice cream scooper but smaller. I use this tool for all my meatballs. It makes every meatball the same size and it super fast and easy.

Panko Honey Dijon Chicken

I love to use Panko Breadcrumbs on everything that requires breadcrumbs. I've made this chicken dish many times and I never get sick of it. It's loaded with flavor! I like to eat it with a salad. Today the salad i'm making is a strawberry, feta,almond, &  lemon-poppy-seed mixed green. Sounds amazeballs right?! ok here ya go!

Ingredients:

1 cup Panko

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

3 chicken breasts (cut in half and pounded thinner) 

Preheat 400
Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix all liquid ingredients in a medium bowl. 
Dip chicken in honey mustard mix and then in Panko mix.
Bake in dish for 25-30 minutes. 

Serve on the side with the salad. 

Note: the dressing I use is fat-free poppy-seed dressing. With no high fructose corn syrup.  We need to watch out for high fructose corn syrup. It is a man made product that's in a wide range of processed foods. It was introduced about 30 years ago and has been a proven study to why obesity has sky rocketed. Make sure you read your labels and educate yourself on what you are putting into your body.