Creamy Tomato, Spinach, and Chicken Pasta!

Creamy Tomato, Spinach, 

and Chicken Pasta!

Back home there is a restaurant called Noodles and Co. I LOVE their "Penne Rosa." This dish is very close to it and I kind of put my own spin on it to make it just a little bit different! We had this for the first time last night! It is husband approved! haha!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil.
2. 1/4 or 1/2 of an Onion, chopped very finely. (or no onion at all)
3. 2 cloves of Garlic, minced. 
4. 1 can of Diced Tomatoes.
5. 1/2 teaspoon of dried Oregano.
6. 1/2 teaspoon of dried Basil.
7. A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes. (if you do not want it spicy at all, leave this out)
8. Black Pepper to taste.
9. 1/2 teaspoon of Salt.
10. 2oz.(1/4 cup) or slightly less of Cream Cheese. (use any kind, I used Cooper Cream Cheese!)
11. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese.
12. 1/2 lb.(half a box) of Penne Pasta.
13. 3 handfulls of Spinach.
14. Chicken, grilled. (I used Trader Joes, grilled chicken, for a quick make of chicken. They are strips grilled and frozen)
15. 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta.
2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted in again.
5. Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the chicken(if you use the trader joes chicken I used, you will need to heat it up in the microwave just to dethaw it a little bit) and the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve!

TWITTER: @haleymarie1991

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How to Roast Green Chillies!

How to Roast Green Chillies!

My mouth waters every time I see this picture! haha! When I lived in New Mexico my family had a friend, Joe, who we called our "Green Chili Man." He would have us for dinner and roast us some green chillies. Once we moved from there to Tennessee the chillies or jalapeños were never the same! Not even the mexican restaurants satisfied our hungry for hot authentic mexican food, which chillies are used a lot for. We use to have a bunch shipped to us but it is really expensive to do so. My birth mom, Christa, who lives in Oklahoma, she saw some new mexican chillies at her whole foods store and she sent us all some! Now I can have some spicy everything!! It's even good on steak! haha! 

Heres how to roast green chillies.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and put a little slit with a knife in the green chili.
2. Put your oven on Broil. (If you dont have a broiling pan like i do just take a cookie sheet and put some foil on it)
3. Lay your chillies on the sheet. Spread them out evenly and don't let them touch.
4. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes and then flip them over. (they will look like they are getting burned, thats ok..they need to look that way. like in the picture above)
5. Once they are done, let them cool down and then peel them. (if you roasted them long enough they will peel really easy!)
6. Pull the stem off and then peel the skin. 

before peeled and stemmed

after peeled and stemmed

Now what do you do with them? You chop them up and freeze it! Put them chopped chillies in a Gallon sized ziplock bag. Spread it out where it lays flat and freezes that way. So, when you need some all you have to do it break off a piece of it.

what is looks like all chopped up.


I will be making a salsa recipe coming up soon where you can use this green chili (or you can replace it with jalapeños is you want), so be on the look out for that! You can put this on Steak, Chicken Fajitas, Pork, pretty much ANYTHING! lol 



WARNING! DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES WHEN ROASTING, PEELING, OR CHOPPING GREEN CHILLIES! WASH HANDS THROUGHLY AFTER AND MANY TIMES AFTER!

INSTAGRAM: haleymarie1991
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Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

My husband Josh LOVES Moroccan Chicken! We even had it on our wedding day! Now I'm not really sure if this is the real moroccan chicken but hey, its SO tasty! The recipe I have is from my 

mother-in-law, but I have changed it just a tad. 

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 tablespoons of Curry. (I use Hot Curry but there is just regular)
2. 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon.
3. 2-4 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken breasts. (I cut them in half. It started as just to make the amount in the chicken that was in the freezer to last and I just stuck with it)
4. 1 Box of Couscous. (the directions for the amount of people is on the back)
5. Salt and Pepper to taste.
6. 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.
2. Take a small bowl and put your 2 tablespoons of curry and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bowl. Mix it together so it becomes a paste. (I make it a little more watery looking then a paste so I may put more then a 1 tablespoon)
3. Spread the paste onto both sides of the chicken.
4. Put in the oven on 350F for 30 minutes.
5. Make your Couscous when you have 15-10 minutes left on the oven.
   
   
   
   

       (I also use a knife to mix and to spread on the chicken. you can use your hands but mine smell like the paste even the day after if I do haha!)

(This is the kind of Couscous I use. I am told you can use Quinao{Keen-wah}..but why mess with a good thing haha!)

You will not be disappointed! It is SO GOOD! My husband says though its not good as left overs haha! It just looses a little bit of flavor. Its not near as good as it is right out of the oven. I am making this right now and my stomach is grumbling!! Today is the 22nd of August! Today it has been 8 months since our wedding day, so its the perfect dinner! This is really easy and quick to make too!

December 22nd, 2012! <3

INSTAGRAM: haleymarie1991
TWITTER: @haleymarie1991

Tomato Chicken

I would like to share with you all a dinner I came up with all by myself! This was one of the first meals of many I came up with by myself a few months into marriage. It is now one our favorites! 

  INGREDIENTS:

1. 3-4 Boneless Chicken Breasts.
2. 2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes. (I use the Del Monte brand)
3. 1 Can of Chicken Broth
4. Salt (to taste)
5. Pepper (to taste)
6. Onion Powder (to taste)
7. Crushed Red Pepper (to taste)*optional
8. Minute Rice (for 2 servings is 1 cup of water and 1 cup of rice)
9. 1 Can Black Beans
10. 1 Cap full of Olive Oil

  DIRECTIONS:

1. Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Heat skillet on medium and add 1 cap full of olive oil. Cook the chicken until white and almost golden on both sides. Add both cans of diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir, add crushed red pepper, and let come to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes. (if you are wanting to let this marinate and eat the next day, this is where you want to put all the contents into a container and put in the fridge. just put in the skillet again the next day and reheat. bring to almost to a boil)
2. Cook rice.
3. Cook black beans.

* We like it better the second day! It tastes a whole lot better! But, be warned, the longer it sits the hotter it gets if you add the red pepper.

INSTAGRAM: haleymarie1991

TWITTER: @haleymarie1991