Pesto Chicken

I love pesto and this is such a simple and quick recipe.  The recipe name says it all, you just need pesto and chicken!  I used my favorite store bought pesto from Costco or you can make your own.   You can click here for my spinach and walnut pesto recipe too.  I did top the pesto chicken with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese just because I had some.  It is great served over a salad for a light, summer meal.  Enjoy!

Pesto Chicken

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast, boneless and skinless

½ to 1 cup pesto sauce (I used Kirkland’s signature basil pesto from Costco.)

Optional Ingredients

salt and pepper

tomatoes, sliced

mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired.

Spread a light layer of pesto on one side of chicken.

Place chicken, pesto side down, in a grill pan, over medium-high heat. 

Spread other side of chicken with a light layer of pesto.

Cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned.

Optional – top each chicken with a slice of tomato and mozzarella cheese.  Cover pan (with lid or foil) for a few minutes until cheese is melted.  

Serves 4 to 6.   

Turkey Chili

Sorry I have been so busy lately and have not had enough time to blog my recipes.   I started a review class a couple nights a week that is work-related to obtain a certification, which is great, but it only reminds me I am not a young college student anymore.  Working all day and then having to take an evening class for another 3 hours is exhausting!  Also the class material is not easy, mostly math and sciences - another reminder that I'm rusty on the material.  The passing statistics on the certification exam is not great, less than 50% pass and in 2010 it was 39% passing of those who took it!  How crazy is that?  Anyway I'm sidetracking...back to this turkey chili, which is awesome.  It took me less than an hour to prep and cook, so not only is this an easy recipe - it is delicious!  I love that I will have plenty of leftovers for work lunches and you can also freeze any leftovers.  I served this turkey chili with cheddar cheese, that I grated myself, sliced avocados, plain greek yogurt and sliced scallions.   I also had jalapeno cheddar bread from the farmers market this week and it went really well with the turkey chili.  

In addition, for a separate meal, you can make a pasta with the turkey chili and add the same toppings.  Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

Printable Recipe 

Ingredients

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, diced (yellow or red)

2 large bell peppers, diced (or 8 to 12 baby peppers)

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground turkey
4 or 6 ounce can diced fire-roasted green chiles
15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (or kidney beans/black beans)

11 ounce can mexicorn, drained (or whole kernel corn)

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

15 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

salt and pepper

Optional Toppings

shredded cheddar cheese

plain greek yogurt or sour cream

avocado, sliced or diced

scallions, sliced

cilantro, chopped

tortilla or corn chips

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium–high heat.  Add diced onions, bell peppers and garlic.  Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add in turkey and break up with wooden spoon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook turkey until no longer pink, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Note: I added in a little cumin and chili powder to season the turkey.)

Stir in green chiles, pinto beans and corn.  

Pour in diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.  Stir in tomato paste.

Stir in cumin and chili powder.

Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Continue to stir occasionally.

Serve in bowls with your favorite toppings.  (Serves 6 to 8)

Pesto Clam Tortellini

This dish doesn’t even need a recipe since it literally has 3 ingredients!  You can make this in under 20 minutes since you mostly need time to get the water boiling.  I was feeling really lazy and pasta is my lazy go-to-dish.  Enjoy this pesto clam tortellini!  Also I would definitely top this with some grated parmesan cheese, if you want a "4th" ingredient.

 

Pesto Clam Tortellini

 

Ingredients

frozen tortellini

pesto sauce (store bought)

1 can chopped clams

Directions

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Add in pesto sauce and toss to coat tortellini.  Stir in clams.  

Done!

Easy Fried Rice

Whenever I'm hungry and want something quick, I can always count on this Easy Fried Rice.  It is one of my go-to-meals when I don't want to spend too much time cooking.  Somehow I always have leftover rice in the fridge - which is a key ingredient to fried rice.  If you use fresh rice, it will be too sticky so leftover rice is a must.  Fried rice is a chinese dish that is made with leftovers, so you can throw it in whatever you want.  Also if you don't have oyster sauce that is okay, you don't really need it, but I like it since my grandmother used to add it to her fried rice.  My grandmother passed away several years ago but I have some great memories of her making my brother and I her fried rice.  She would also add in diced chinese roast pork and chinese sausage to her fried rice, but that is not something I always have.   Hope you make this easy fried rice soon!

Easy Fried Rice

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 to 3 cups leftover rice

2 eggs

½ cup onions, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 – 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until onions are softened.

Next, stir in rice.  

Next, stir in vegetables and add in soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Add in one egg at a time and stir.  Allow egg to lightly scramble.

Continue stirring until eggs are completed cooked.

Serves 2.

Chicken Enchiladas

Luckily Hurricane Sandy didn't really affect me too much, I didn't lose any power and I was out of work for the last two days.  It gave me time to cook!  These chicken enchiladas are super easy to make.  I used shredded rotisserie chicken that I already had and my favorite enchilada sauce from Trader Joe's.  Instead of corn tortillas, I decided to use whole wheat tortillas.  This entire meal probably took me less than 45 minutes to put together (including prep work and cooking time).  These chicken enchilada are quick enough for a weeknight dinner.  Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 ½ cups enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)

1 ounce cream cheese

½ cup pinto beans

½ cup diced peppers

½ cup diced onions

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend.)

4 whole-wheat tortillas (You may use corn tortillas.)

Optional Toppings

sliced green onions

guacamole

sour cream or plain greek yogurt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pan, over medium heat, add butter and onions.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until onions are softened.  

Next, add peppers.  Cook for about 5 minutes until onions and peppers are golden.

Add in chicken and pinto beans.

Stir in ½ cup enchilada sauce and cream cheese.

Add in ½ cup shredded cheese.  Stir to combine.

Warm tortillas according to package directions.

In an 8x8 inch baking dish, pour ½ cup enchilada sauce to cover bottom of dish.

Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and top with some shredded cheese.  Roll tortilla tightly and place in baking dish.  Repeat.

Top the rolled tortillas with ½ cup enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle about ½ cup shredded cheese on top of the enchilada sauce.

Bake for about 20 minutes.   Serve with your favorite toppings if desired. 

Serves 4.

Pizza Dough 2

I haven't made pizza in awhile and I wanted to tweak the pizza dough recipe I typically use.  This dough came out well and was great for making a thinner crust too.  I was able to roll out half the dough to make a pizza the size of my large baking sheet.  I froze the other half of the pizza dough to use another time.  You can freeze any leftover dough in a freezer safe plastic bag.  Just defrost in the fridge the night before and the pizza dough will be ready by the time its dinner time.  I made a veggie pizza with this dough, and I will share that recipe tomorrow.

 

Pizza Dough 2

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 ¼ teaspoons yeast

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)

½ teaspoon sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the warm water and yeast.  Set aside for about 10 minutes, it will get foamy.  Stir in sugar, olive oil and salt.

In a stand mixer with dough attachment, add in flour and yeast mixture.  Mix on low to medium speed until a ball of dough forms, about 5 minutes.

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Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Punch down the dough with your hand.   

Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour.   Halve dough and roll out with a floured rolling pin.

Makes 2 pizzas.