Chicken and Asparagus Lemon Stirfry

First off, let me start by saying, this is not my picture. Although my rendition of this meal was fantastic, it did not look fantastic. I  bought asparagus awhile back and didn't want it going bad so I blanched and froze them. When I cooked them, they were not that bright green color nor were they crisp. So, this didn't look too pretty on a plate. So, I would definitely use fresh asparagus next time.

Anyways, here is another fantastic Pinterest find from Skinny Taste. Asparagus is probably one of my favorite vegetables, so I was excited to try this recipe out; I was not disappointed. It is such a flavorful dish. I personally love lemon, so I believe the lemon is what brings the dish together.  Everything about this dish is great and most certainly a must. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp canola oil, divided

1 bunch asparagus

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger

~I used 1/8 tsp ground ginger; the taste will be different from fresh ginger~

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Lightly season the chicken with salt. 

In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and soy sauce.

In a second bowl, combine the cornstarch and water; mix well to combine.

Trim the ends of asparagus and cut into 2-inch pieces.

Heat a large non-stick wok over medium-high heat, when hot add 1 tsp of oil.

Add the asparagus and cook until tender-crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook until golden, about 1 minute.

Set aside.

Increase the heat to high, then add 1 tsp of oil and half of the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. 

Remove and set aside and repeat with the remaining oil and chicken

Set aside with asparagus.

Add the soy sauce mixture to wok.

Bring to a boil and cook about 1-1/2 minutes.

Add lemon juice and cornstarch mixture and stir well.

When it simmers return the chicken and asparagus to the wok and mix well.

Remove from heat and serve. 

TATER RATER

Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole

Thank you Wheel n Deal Mama, for posting this recipe. Seriously, one of the best casseroles ever. How can you go wrong with something that has bacon and ranch in it; you can't! This dish is so creamy and tasty. It'll have you salivating, it definitely did that to my roommate. Enough from me, here is the recipe!

Ingredients

2lb chicken, cooked and cubed

10 oz Rotini noodles

8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

~OR 3 cloves garlic minced~

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

3/4 cup Ranch dressing

2 cups Mexican cheese blend

4 oz can of green chile

Directions

Oven: 350

Cook chicken thoroughly, chop in to cubes.
Cook bacon, keep a small bit of bacon drippings in pan, chop bacon into small pieces.
Set both aside.
Cook the minced garlic in butter, just until melted (don't brown garlic).
Mix in the chicken with the flour and cook for about 1 minute.
Pour in the milk and ranch.
Mix over medium/low heat for about 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add 1 cup of cheese, mix all together.
Then fold in the noodles.
Lastly, add in the green chile.
Put the casserole in a large baking dish.
Top casserole with remaining cheese.
Cook for 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
ENJOY

TATER RATER

Suggestions: Make sure you use a large pan when cooking on the stove.

Pesto Chicken Lasagna OR Burrito

I know this isn't the most appetizing picture, I forgot to take a picture of it when I first cooked it, but believe me, this is a delicious meal. It's not your typical lasagna, obviously, but it still has a great taste. If you want to see a more appetizing picture you can find the pictures and recipes from I Want Crazy. Like I said, this picture is of leftovers from when I originally cooked it, which tells you it taste just as good reheated. Everything about this recipe is great. It has so much cheese, its awesome. I'm also a sucker for anything pesto. So, you put cheese and pesto in a recipe together and I am on board. I'm glad I hopped on board because I will be making this recipe many many more times. I'm not going to lie, lasagna is difficult to make. I failed miserably the first two times I made this. I will eventually perfect this recipe, but even a sloppy lasagna is still delicious.

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Side note, do not use oven ready noodles, I sadly made that mistake the first time. Luckily my roomie and I had tortillas, so we used all the stuff in between the noodles and made the best burritos you'll ever have. So, if you're in the mood for a burrito rather than lasagna make the recipe as follows, but don't layer it on noodles. Either meal is a great one.

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Give this recipe a try, you will not regret it- maybe during the processes of putting it all together, I know I started to regret it- but when I ate it, oh man I was so happy. I certainly did not regret anything. Make it. Eat it. Love it. 

Ingredients

2 lbs shredded chicken*

2 cups asiago, shredded 

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 large egg

4 tbsp butter

1 clove minced garlic

4 tbsp flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup pesto, divided

salt and pepper

lasagna noodles, about 12 noodles**

fresh basil (optional)

Directions

Oven: 350

Bake or cook chicken in large skillet, shred and set aside.

Combined the asiago, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.

In separate bowl, combine the ricotta and egg.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and add garlic, cook for one minute.

Mix in flour, stirring frequently, about 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in the milk and broth and bring mixture to a boil and continue stirring until sauce has thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and mix in 1/4 cup of pesto.

Add pinch of salt and pepper to the sauce.

Add about 1/4 cup of the pesto cream to the ground chicken to coat.

Mix 1/4 cup of pesto cream sauce and 1/4 cup of pesto to the ricotta and egg mixture.

Boil water and cook your pasta.

Grease 9x13 pan.

Spread a spoonful of pesto cream sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.

Add your noodle layer (about 3 lasagna noodles). 

Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, add 1/3 of chicken, 1/3 of pesto cream and top with 1/4 of the cheese mixture.

Repeat: Pasta, ricotta mixture, ground chicken, pesto cream and cheese (3 layers)

On top of last pasta noodles, cover with cheese.

Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes so it will set, chop fresh basil over the top and serve!

ENJOY

TATER RATER

Suggestions: I seriously can not find asiago cheese, so if you're like me and can't find the darn cheese, I would recommend doubling one of the cheeses, either mozzarella or parmesan. The first time I made this, I did not double one of the cheeses and I ran out of cheese. Running out of cheese is never good. 

*This recipe originally called for 2 pounds ground chicken. I've made it both ways and I prefer the shredded chicken over ground chicken.
**If you decide to make a burrito, buy a 8-10 count of large tortillas. Wrap the mixture in tortillas then spread butter or oil on tortilla and grill.

Blueberry Muffins

I had some leftover blueberries so I thought "Why not make some blueberry muffins!?" I searched through Pinterest and decided to go with this recipe. 

 The thing about these muffins is that they are not very sweet, but then again I'm not making cupcakes. However, when I put some butter on the fresh out of the oven muffins, it was delicious. So, if you are looking for an easy and simple blueberry muffin this is your recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1 extra large egg

1/2 stick of butter, melted and cooled

1 cup of milk

1 cup of fresh blueberries

Directions

Oven: 400

Start off by preheating the oven. Then, melt the butter and let cool while proceeding to baking.

Combine together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg and add the sugars and milk; mix together and stir in the cooled butter.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. 

Then, fold in the fresh blueberries.

Line muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill 3/4 full with batter.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

These are best served hot with some butter on them. 

TATER RATER

 Adapted from: Mess For Less

My Homemade Meatball Recipe

Taylor and his best friend came to visit for spring break and one of Taylor's food request was spaghetti and meatballs. I wanted to hand make meatballs because one, its cheaper and two, I could share the recipe with you all. I looked around at different recipes and sort of got a feel of what goes into a meatball. Quick funny-ish story, I was watching the travel channel and ironically, as I was looking for a recipe, a show called "Meatball Paradise" came on. 

First time making homemade meatballs, my own recipe too, and it turned out pretty well. Everyone enjoyed them! It was very easy to make. The only tough part was sautéing them. I chose to sauté  because it was faster and it gave it that crisp texture. Pair it with a salad and some Texas toast and you've got the perfect meal. So, give it a try and I hope y'all enjoy them too. 

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

2 eggs beaten lightly

1 cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup grated parmesan

¼ tsp garlic powder

~if you don’t have garlic powder use 2 cloves, garlic minced~

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp parsley flakes

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper
1/2 onion, minced

Directions

In a large bowl, gently hand mix together all the ingredients until well combined.

Roll about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture into a meatball. Or roll to desired size.

You can either bake them or sauté them.

To bake:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Arrange meatballs in an oven safe dish or pan.
~also, another way is by putting in a muffin tin~

Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes or until brown

Make sure they are fully cooked through*

To sauté:

Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Cook meatballs for 5 to 7 minutes, occasionally turning, or until brown and cooked fully through*

After cooking time add your choice of spaghetti sauce and let simmer for a minute or so.

Serve hot and over a bead of spaghetti noodles.

TATER RATER

Suggestions: I used an ice-cream scoop to form the meatballs; it creates a good size.

* If you have a meat thermometer the cook should be 160 degrees F

Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

I love fish. Seafood is definitely in my top five favorite foods. Plus, it's good for you! So of course, I'll take on any seafood dish. I discovered this recipe from Cooking Classy. It's an easy meal; It's sweet with a tang; It's got a crunch to it. Lets not forget the lemon! Aw man, I could eat salmon every night. This recipe is definitely happening in my kitchen again. 

Ingredients

4 (6oz) salmon fillets

1 1/2 tbsp dijion mustard

1 1/2 tbsp honey

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

~dried parsley works great if you don't have fresh~

1 lemon

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Oven: 400

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray, set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, and garlic. 

In a shallow dish, toss together Panko bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest.

Drizzle olive oil over mixture then toss to evenly coat.

Place salmon on greased baking sheet.

Working with one piece of salmon at a time, brush top of salmon with honey mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture. 

If you'd like, season with salt and pepper.

Repeat with the other fillets.

Bake in preheated oven 13-15 minutes until salmon has cooked through.

Serve warm with lemon wedges (from zested lemon)

TATER RATER

Tater wasn't able to rate this, however I would certainly rate it as a 

5

Suggestions: Pair with a serving of asparagus (coat with oil and season with salt and pepper). I also recommend drizzling lemon over asparagus.