Bayou Chicken Pasta

*Warning: This dish is NOT low fat by any stretch of the imagination. It can also be quiet hot. It is also addictive. Please enjoy responsibly.

1 pound pasta, your choice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning, recipe follows
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño or habañero pepper, depending on your heat tolerance
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onion and pepper to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, pasta and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the Parmesan, green onions and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

*If we could get good seafood in Prague, I would love to try adding some fresh shrimp or crab meat. I'm thinking it would be delicious!

Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (I only use 1/2 tablespoon to keep the heat down)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

*Borrowed from Emeril on Food Network

Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 large egg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped, divided
6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 lb ground pork and 1/2 lb ground turkey)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3/4 pound spaghetti

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in half the onion and half the garlic. Add breadcrumbs, cheese, and meat. Mix gently.



Form into 16 balls.



Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs; brown on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Cook remaining meatballs in remaining tablespoon oil; remove meatballs.



Add remaining onion; cook over medium-low until soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning; cook 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and 3/4 cup water. Return meatballs; cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.



Remove meatballs.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti according to package direction until al dente. Drain; return to pot. Toss with sauce; serve meatballs on top, sprinkled with more cheese.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

Interesting Factoid about my husband #38475: Matt loves pesto!!

I had no idea. Apparently he has always loved pesto and has just been waiting for me to fulfill his pesto desires. Oops. Anyway, my basil plant went crazy growing lately and so I needed to prune it. Who knew pruning could yield such delicious results? Here's a quick meal I whipped up. I thought Matt was going to lick every bowl in the kitchen that had once contained pesto. I guess that means it was good.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. chicken breast
3 cups cooked pasta, your choice (I like something with a little texture, so the sauce clings to it)
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts if you can't find pine nuts)
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and brown in hot oil. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Add a little less than all of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. At this point, you can put half of the pesto in a freezer container and drizzle remaining oil over the top because the recipe makes twice as much as you need for this meal. You can freeze for up to 3 months,then thaw and stir in 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese for the next meal.

The remaining half, transfer to a bowl and stir in cheese.

Toss hot pasta, chicken and pesto. Serve topped with additional parmesan.

Pesto recipe from Food Network.

Serious Mac 'n Cheese

Here it is. The ultimate Mac 'n Cheese. I searched high and low for a great recipe that didn't include flour because Matt really doesn't like it with flour. I always try to tell him you can't really taste it but he swears he always can. Anyway, his mom can really make some mean Mac 'n Cheese. The only problem is, she doesn't have a recipe. She just throws whatever cheese she happens to have in her fridge at the moment in a baking dish and lets her rip. Sometimes that includes Velveeta. Sometimes not. Sometimes it includes Colby Jack. Sometimes not. That really doesn't work well for me considering I don't have a great variety of cheese here. So I had to find something a little more concrete. And, lo and behold, Paula Deen came through. She calls hers The Lady's Cheesy Mac. Of course, she also has The Ultimate Lady's Cheesy Mac 'n Cheese. I would try it but my husband has a family history of high cholesterol and I just don't have the guts. Sorry.



4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated Cheddar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
pinch ground mustard (not part of Paula's recipe, but it just helps. Trust me.)



Not pictured: butter. Oops.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the macaroni is cooking, combine eggs (whisked a little first), sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, mustard, and butter.



Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar.



Now add your egg mixture to the macaroni.



Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish.



Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese (or add some more if you're feeling naughty).



Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes.



Enjoy!

Makes about 6 servings.

*Borrowed from Paula Deen on Food Network.

Chicken Spaghetti

2 cups cooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken)
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 4-oz jar diced pimentos, drained (optional for me)
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into two-inch pieces
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt (I used plain salt this time)
1 additional cup grated Cheddar cheese

For this dish, you have 2 options for your chicken: You can either boil 1 cut up fryer in water and then pick off the meat to make two cups, or you can buy a rotisserie chicken and pick off the meat from that until you have 2 cups (about half the chicken). Either way, I don't suggest boiling chicken breasts and using that because you lose so much of the flavor without the dark meat. And really, who doesn't love a little dark meat? Anyway, if you boiled your own chicken, you can go ahead and boil your pasta in the leftover broth to give them a yummy flavor. I just mixed about 4 cups of water with 1 or 2 bouillon cubes (that would be why my water looks yellow).



Okay, the great chicken debate is settled. We can now continue. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Don't overcook your noodles (!) because they'll cook a little bit more in the casserole. Meanwhile, saute your green pepper and onion a little in a skillet.



When the pasta is done, combine with the vegetables, soup, 1 cup cheese, salt & pepper, and pimentos, if you're into that sort of thing. I have an aversion to pimentos because my mom used to make me eat pimento cheese sandwiches when I was little ("Try it one more time, I know you'll like it!"). So I leave the pimentos out. Sorry, Mama.



Place the mixture in a casserole pan and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.



According to Pioneer Woman, you can freeze it up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or cook right away: 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Watch the cheese on top, though, and cover with foil if it starts to get over-cooked.



Adapted (only slightly) from Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti

Baked Ziti with Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, cubed
12 oz penne pasta
1 can (26 oz) spaghetti sauce or Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Brown chicken in medium skillet. Cook pasta according to package directions.



Drain pasta and add spaghetti sauce, most of the cheese and chicken. Mix well.



Pour in 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and parmesan.



Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.



Number of Servings: 8

*You can also do the same thing with a pound of ground beef instead of chicken breasts

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

I've been trying to find ways to incorporate good vegetables into my cooking since I've never really been that good at fixing them as sides. Usually the best I can do is a salad or some canned green beans. I'm trying though! And that's what matters. So I decided to try to slip in a little extra nutrition into my lasagna. I thoroughly prepped Matt, who doesn't like experimentation when it comes to his meals, and promised never to make it like that again if he hated it. And you know what? He loved it! Woohoo! Kudos to spinach, for making my lasagna even better!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce or 1 large can spaghetti sauce, with 1 lb ground beef, browned
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
16 oz ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
9 oz lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese



In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and spinach.





Set aside. While sauce is simmering, boil noodles according to package directions. Once sauce is ready, assemble the lasagna as follows: Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Cover with a single layer of noodles and a single layer of sauce.



Top with a layer of ricotta/spinach mixture, and then mozzarella. Repeat noodle, sauce, ricotta/spinach, and mozzarella once more.





Then layer once more with noodles, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.





Serves 8.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb ground sirloin (optional)
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 cups chopped, peeled tomato (6 large) or two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 teaspoons snipped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Brown ground beef in a dutch oven. Add sweet pepper, celery, and garlic in hot oil until vegetables are tender.



Stir in the tomato, tomato paste, water, parsley, dried herbs (if using), sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.



Uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in fresh herbs, if using.



Serve over your favorite pasta or inside lasagna.

Chicken (and you could add Pork) Lo Mein

I came up with this recipe a couple of years ago in Ft. Worth when a serious craving for PF Chang's Lo Mein hit and I couldn't stand the cost or calories. This recipe is relatively low in calories and fat (about 400 calories and 15 grams of fat per serving) compared to the restaurant version. I've been craving it for a few weeks now but couldn't make it because I couldn't find hoisin sauce here in CZ. Upon our usual sweep down the international aisle in Tesco this week - lo and behold! - there it was. I had a huge crisis of conscience, though, as the bottle of hoisin sauce you see pictured below was 179 czech koruna (about $12 right now). I justified it, though, by reasoning that I could make at least 6 batches of Lo Mein from the one bottle and that was much cheaper than eating at a restaurant.

Please just smile and nod.

The original recipe I made called for 3/4 lb pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized slices, and 1-2 chicken breasts, cut the same. I'm not really quite sure how to pick out pork tenderloin here, so I just used 4 small chicken breasts this time. Try it with the pork tenderloin, though. It adds a lot of flavor.

8 oz. linguine, cooked
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 small chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
1 red bell pepper, sliced julienne
1 c. sliced cabbage
3/4 c. snow peas
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. bean sprouts
3 tbsp hoisin sauce (Emeril calls it chinese barbecue sauce)
2 tsp sesame oil



Cook linguine according to package directions. Cook pork, chicken, and onion in olive oil.



Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender. Cook them until you think to your self, "A couple more minutes and they'll be done." Stop cooking them right then because they'll continue to cook as you add the pasta and sauces (any longer and they'll be mushy).

Add linguine, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil and toss until coated. Serve with soy sauce.

Number of Servings: 6