Pasta Salad Primavera

Pasta Salad Primavera

3c pasta (bow ties or shells)

3 carrots, diced

3 ¾ C Broc florets

1 small red bell

1 7oz can corn

3 tbsp evoo

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tsp basil

S&P

6 oz mozzarella (diced block or preferably torn from ball or snacking balls)

Mayo to pasta salad consistency. 

Prepare pasta, drain and set aside.

Steam carrots and broc until tender but not cooked, appx 4-5 mins. 

Place veggies in large bowl along with pepper and corn. Add remaining ingredients. Add pasta. Add mayo. mix well. 

We add grilled chicken or any meat on the side and make enough to eat all week. 

Brown Sugar Balsamic.Chicken

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon. olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced

1 pound baby carrots

1 pound baby red potatoes sliced in half

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 pound green beans

Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Pour olive oil and garlic in the bottom of your 5-6 quart slow cooker. Line the bottom with baby carrots and potatoes. Add the chicken thighs on top.

In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Pour it on top of the chicken thighs and veggies.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add green beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

The best thing I ever ate. Hands down.

Listen. I don't know if it freezes or not.

It's one of the nest flippen things I've ever eaten. I make it for meal trains for new babies, dead people, whatever when I'm dropping food off. It takes me for EVER bc I'm always making so much at once but if you have an afternoon? 

You want this. 

Arroz con Pollo (Cuban Style Rice and Chicken)

DF, GF

Ingredients

1 lb chicken thighs bone in, skin on (seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides)

2 tbsp extra light olive oil

1/3 cup onion minced

3 cloves garlic minced

1/3 cup bell peppers red or green, chopped

1/3 cup carrots diced

2 cups brown rice

3 cups chicken bone broth or broth or stock

1 cup tomato sauce plain

2-3 bay leaves

1 tsp fine thyme leaves only

1¼ tsp Dried Oregano

1¼ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

To Garnish: Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives (whole or sliced), Parsley or Cilantro, Lime or Lemon Wedges.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prep Chicken: Rinse, pat dry, and season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.

Partially Cook Chicken: In a deep, oven-safe pot with a lid, add oil on med-high heat, once hot, place chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 4 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 4 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Make your Sofrito Base: In the same pot, add the onion, garlic, diced bell pepper and carrots. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. before adding in the rice and tossing to evenly coat in the oil and herbs.

Add in Rice, Broth, Tomato and Herbs and Spices: To your sofrito, add your uncooked rice and toss it to evenly coat each grain in your sofrito as you let it lightly toast for a minute. Next, add in your chicken broth, tomato sauce, and all other spices (salt, peppers, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, turmeric powder) and stir to combine everything.

Boil: Bring your pot a full boil and then add back your chicken thighs to the pot.

Bake: Cover your pot with a lid and place into your preheated oven for 45-55 minutes.

(See notes for stove top directions.)

Test and Finish: Check to ensure that rice is tender and that all liquid has been absorbed. Remove and discard the bay leaves before adding in the frozen peas and gently fluffing your rice.

Adjust your seasoning to taste and serve your rice garnished with anything from fresh parsley or cilantro to lime or lemon wedges.

Greek CO Lemon Chix and Potatoes

Greek Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

3.2 lbs yellow potatoes, cut into large chunks (about 2-inches)

0.8 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks

8 cloves garlic, minced

4 tsp dried oregano

1.6 tsp dried basil

1.6 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4.8 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin

2.4 Tbsp olive oil

0.8 cup chicken broth

5.6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3.2 tsp lemon zest, divided

4.8 Tbsp fresh parsley

Instructions

Place potatoes and onions in an even layer in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth. Sprinkle with half the garlic, half the oregano, half the basil and half the rosemary then season with salt and pepper. 

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, dab skin side of half the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper then sear in pot, skin side down, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to slow cooker over potato layer. Repeat with remaining thighs.

Slowly and evenly pour lemon juice over chicken thighs, then sprinkle in remaining half the garlic, oregano, rosemary and basil over chicken. Sprinkle 1 tsp lemon zest over chicken (reserve remaining 1 tsp in a container in refrigerator until ready to serve). 

Cover and cook on low heat 5 1/2 - 7 hours. Serve warm spooning some of the slow cooker juices over each serving, sprinkle with fresh parsley and remaining 1 tsp lemon zest. 

Freeze ingredients in a ziploc, dump-n-go style. If you have your shit together and remember to thaw, yay. 

If not, dump it in frozen and add time.

When we freezer mealed it, I don't think we seared the chicken but it.did definitely tastw better that way.

Think Stew but with Chicken

Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken and Veggies

Ingredients

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken tenders breasts will work fine too

2 lb. bag baby carrots

3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes cut into wedges

1 cup salted butter melted

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt

0.5 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. dried parsley

Instructions

Add the chicken down in the middle of the slow cooker. Add the potatoes on one side and the carrots on the other side.

In a small bowl mix together the butter, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley.

Pour the butter mixture over the chicken and veggies.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Serve and enjoy!

Freeze ingredients before cooking. Personally, I would just dice the potatoes the day off. Easy to prep the night before: wash, chunk up, and store in a ziploc or lidded dish with some super wet paper towels so they don't brown. 

We cook the baby carrots whole, but you could chop up big carrots. Carrots will freeze

 

Ginger Peach Chicken

Slow Cooker Ginger Peach Chicken

Ingredients

1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup peach jam

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Directions

Add chicken thighs to your slow cooker.

In a medium-sized bowl, create sauce by adding peach jam, soy sauce, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Stir to combine.

Spoon sauce over chicken.

Add lid and cook on “low” setting for 3-6 hours or until the chicken shreds easily. (The cooking time will depend on the size and strength of your slow cooker).

Shred chicken and return to slow cooker to mix with juice

Use prepared ginger paste instead of peeling snd grating your own. The fresh is best but fr, who has time for that? 

Apricot preserves are also delish in this. Probably any would be. Apricot and peach and a good foil for the ginger. 

Freeze in gallon freezer bags. You can freeE just the ingredients OR you can freeze the actually prepared chicken. 

This was a sleeper hit.

Chicken Pot Pie

Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

5 Tbsp butter

1 rib celery diced

3 green onion chopped

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup half and half or cream

1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp dry tarragon leaves

1/4 tsp lemon pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables thawed

1 14 oz package refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts) bring to room temperature per 

instructions

1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water (Egg wash)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet or similar with vegetable oil. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt the butter. Cook the celery and green onion in the butter for 3 minutes or until the celery is beginning to soften.

Lower the heat to medium, stirring constantly add the flour to the skillet. Stir until the butter has absorbed the flour.

Continue whisking gradually adding the chicken broth. Increase the temperature and bring to a boil. Add the half & half and immediately lower the heat to simmer. Add the poultry seasoning, garlic salt, tarragon, lemon pepper and black pepper. Mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove from the heat and mix in the chicken and vegetables. Mix well.

Unroll one pie crust and fit firmly onto the bottom and sides of the skillet. Pour the filling into the crust.

Fit the second crust on top. Fold under pressing the edges of the crusts together and pinching to seal.

Cut slits in the middle of the crust to vent. Brush with the beaten egg wash.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden. Rest for 10 minutes then serve.

You can make this in amuminum tins for the freezer and freeze before or after baking. 

I usually make the filling and freeze just the filling, then put it in the pie crusts when I'm ready for it. You have to thaw the bag of filling, though.