Honey Garlic Chicken Tacos

Monica gave me this easy taco recipe and my family loved it so much that I have made it about 4 times in the last month!  And every time, I have to ask Monica for the recipe again because I can't find it on my phone.  So, I thought I better post this quick, so that I can find it next week when I want to make it again.

Honey Garlic Chicken Tacos
adapted from: Monica

4 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. taco seasoning

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lb. chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

corn tortillas

chopped cabbage

sour cream

lime juice

chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, mix the honey, taco seasoning, garlic, oil and salt.  Toss in the chicken and coat it with the seasoning.  In a frying pan, over medium heat, cook the chicken until it is no longer pink in the center.  (Another way I have done this is to pour the mixture over some pre-cooked, shredded chicken and stir it well, then I just heated that up in a small frying pan).  In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice and chopped cilantro (I just did this to taste-no recipe, although I do have a recipe for this on the blog under Cilantro Lime Crema) to make a cilantro lime crema.  Heat up the tortillas.  Layer the sour cream mixture, chicken and chopped cabbage on each taco.  Serve and enjoy!  

Honey Chipotle Lime Chicken Bowl with Cilantro Lime Rice

I found this recipe the other day and it sounded so fresh and summer-y!  We are loving grilled chicken right now (maybe because we don't have a kitchen...) and all the flavors in this bowl worked so well together.  It was delicious!

Honey Chipotle Chicken Marinade

by: melskitchencafe.com

2 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. chopped adobe peppers in chipotle sauce (get as much sauce as you can)

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. minced garlic

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

pinch of black pepper

2 lbs thin cut chicken breasts

In a bowl, stir together all the ingredients and then add the chicken.  Marinate it for 2-24 hours.  I did mine for most of the day, and it was so tender!  Cook your chicken on the grill or in the oven, or however you prefer.  Slice it in strips.

Cilantro Lime Rice

adapted from: melskitchencafe.com

1 Tbsp. butter

1 1/4 c. rice

2 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

juice and zest of 1 lime

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

I make my rice in a rice cooker, so I just added all these ingredients to my rice cooker, stirred them, and then cooked them as usual.  

Bowls

add to your bowl any of the following:

marinated chicken breast strips

cilantro lime rice

lettuce

sliced avocados

chopped tomatoes

lime wedges

creamy tomatillo dressing

Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo Bake

The name of this recipe leaves no guessing as to what it is!  Ha ha!  But, it is easy and delicious and my whole family likes it, so it is definitely worth putting on here!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo Bake

adapted from: pillsbury.com

1 lb. cooked pasta

2 c. cooked shredded chicken

1 jar alfredo sauce

3/4 c. ranch dressing

6 slices cooked chopped bacon (I actually just used some of my real bacon bits)

2 c. shredded cheese (I used a pizza blend)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, chicken, alfredo sauce, ranch dressing and bacon.  Pour it into a 9X13 pan and sprinkle the cheese over the top.  Bake it for 15-20 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.

BBQ Chicken Tacos with Coleslaw

One day, in the midst of being so tired of my regular dinner foods, Nicole shared a new recipe with me, that I happened to have the ingredients for.  I made it for dinner that night, and my family couldn't get enough of it!  It was so delicious!  The coleslaw with the barbecue chicken was so great together.  It was a nice twist on a typical weeknight meal.  I highly recommend these tacos!

BBQ Chicken Tacos
adapted from: eatingwell.com

1/3 c. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of hot sauce (I'm pretty sure I used sriracha sauce)
2 c. shredded cabbage
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 c. of your favorite bbq sauce
corn tortillas
cilantro

In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, cider vinegar, kosher salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Add the shredded cabbage and stir it until it is coated with the sauce.  In a sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the shredded chicken and the barbecue sauce until it is hot.  Fill the tortillas with barbecue chicken, top it with the coleslaw and cilantro, and enjoy!

My Favorite Chicken Marinade

I found this marinade recipe early in the summer, and it was so delicious that we have ended up using it multiple times this year.  We love it!  I have shared it with some of my sisters, and they felt the same.  It is now my go-to marinade for grilling.

Chicken Marinade
from: modernhoney.com

2 lbs. chicken breasts, tenders or thighs
1/3 c. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

In a bowl, stir all the ingredients together, except for the chicken.  Poke the chicken with a fork all over it.  Place the chicken in the marinade, either in the bowl, or in a large ziploc bag, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes in your refrigerator.  4-5 hours of marinading is best, however, I have done mine for about 30 minutes, and it was still very tender.  Cook it on your grill and enjoy what's left of your hot summer nights!

Soy Glazed Chicken with Peanut Noodles

The other day I found this recipe in one of my magazines that I accidentally bought.  It was piggy backed on a magazine I was buying for my mom for mother's day, and I guess, if nothing else, one good thing came out of that accidental purchase: this recipe!

Soy Glazed Chicken with Peanut Noodles

slightly adapted from: Family Circle Magazine

2-3 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. honey

12 oz. spaghetti 

1/4 c. rice vinegar

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. peanut butter (I used creamy, but next time I will definitely use crunchy for the added texture)

2 tsp. sesame oil

1-2 dashes onion powder

Season your chicken with salt and pepper.  In your instant pot, add 1 c. of water and cook the chicken on high for 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the 1 Tbsp. of soy sauce and the honey.  When the chicken is cooked, baste the honey soy mixture on the chicken.  While the chicken is cooking, cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and rinse them in cold water.  Stir together the rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, vegetable oil, peanut butter, sesame oil and onion powder, until smooth.  Toss the sauce mixture with the noodles and serve it with the chicken.

Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot (From Frozen or Fresh Chicken Breasts)

I love my Instant Pot.  There are so many reasons that I love it, but this is one of my top reasons: shredded chicken.  It is so incredibly fast and easy to throw in some chicken breasts from the freezer, shred them when they are done, and bag them in 1 cup increments to be used later in all sorts of yummy recipes.  It really makes my meal time prep so much faster on a busy weeknight!

Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot
by: Carolyn (after reading many, many blogs on this subject)

5 chicken breasts (really, do as many as you want, but I usually don't fill the Instant Pot up more than about halfway full)
1 c. chicken broth
generous sprinklings of onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Place the chicken in the Instant Pot.  Pour the chicken broth over the top.  Sprinkle all of the seasonings on top of the chicken.  Set your Instant Pot for High Pressure, for 14 minutes if the chicken is fresh, 26 minutes if the chicken is frozen.  When the chicken is done cooking, I let it do a natural release until I am ready to shred it.  Then I put it all in my Kitchen Aid mixer and turn it on to the lowest speed until it is shredded.  Put the shredded chicken in freezer bags in 1 cup increments, label them with a sharpie and freeze them for later.  I use it in my soups, enchiladas, tacos, taquitos and whatever else I am making that calls for chicken!  It is such a time saver!

A Winning Chipotle Chicken Chili Recipe

Every Fall, the company my husband works for has a Chili Cookoff.  Last year he lost by one vote (His own, because he felt guilty voting for his own chili, and voted for someone else, who won by one vote.  Ha ha!  He didn't make that mistake this year!).  This year, he wanted to do something different and amazing and delicious.  This recipe idea came from my sister, and we cooked it up the night before, and knew it would be a hit!  And he won the contest!

 That is a serious trophy to be displayed in his office for the next year.

Chipotle Chicken Chili
adapted from: Pionner Woman
2 Tbsp. oil
1 whole onion, diced (I used dehydrated)
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 chicken breasts, cut into a large dice
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
3 whole Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce, minced (you buy this in a can)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
1 lime, juiced (more to taste)
sour cream, for serving
shredded cheese, for serving
cilantro, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot, over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the onions are tender.  Add the chicken and cook until it is cooked through and lightly browned.  Stir in the tomatoes, chipotles, beans, chili powder, cumin and salt.  Cover it and cook it for 1 hour.  At this point, the Pioneer Woman calls for using masa harina as a thickening agent.  We didn't use anything, and ours ended up with a perfect thickness.  If you want it thicker, feel free to thicken it up right now.  Stir in the lime juice and taste it to see if you need more salt, lime or even chipotles, if you want a little more of a kick.
Serve it with sour cream, cheese and cilantro.

Creamy Ranch Chicken Bake

The other day I needed something new that I could prepare and bake while I worked on other things.  I thought that something creamy and ranchy and chicken-y sounded good, so I googled those three words and found all sorts of recipes titled "Creamy Ranch Chicken".  I guess there are many other people that also thought that sounded good.  I looked at a couple of the recipes, and they were all about the same as what was going on in my head, except for being cooked in a crockpot instead of baked.  So, my guess is that in the future, if I want to make this same recipe in the crockpot, it would work out just fine.

Creamy Ranch Chicken Bake
by: Carolyn

1/2 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 ranch packet
bacon bits
salt and pepper
chicken breasts

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a 9X13 dish with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, ranch packet and bacon bits.  Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on your chicken breasts and place them in the pan (the ranch and bacon make this a salty recipe already, so you could omit this if you wanted).  Spread the creamy mixture over the top of your chicken.  Cover it with tinfoil and bake it for 20 minutes.  Remove the tinfoil and bake it another 5 minutes, or until it is no longer pink in the center.  I served it with baked potatoes and steamed carrots.

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Now that we are in the full swing of Fall, I am really loving things like soup, for dinner.  I have made this recipe a couple of times now, and we loved it both times.  I use the egg noodles from Costco, and cook it in my slow cooker, so that makes it especially easy.  One of the times I made it I got ambitious and also made my easy rolls to go with it.  It was a super delicious, cozy Fall meal!

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
by: Carolyn

2 tsp. minced garlic
1 onion, sliced
4 c. chicken broth
4 c. water
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped carrots
3 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 chicken breast
3-4 handfuls of uncooked, wide egg noodles (or as many as you want-just be aware that they will swell as they soak up the water, and if it doesn't seem like you have enough in there, you probably really do)

In your slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients, except the egg noodles.  Cook it on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 8 hours.  Remove the chicken breast, shred it, and put it back in the crock pot.  Add the egg noodles, recover the crock pot, and cook for 15-20 minutes more, or until the noodles are tender.  

Massaman Curry

My hubby has been asking me to make Massaman Curry for a while now, and I could never get around to it.  I finally made it happen this week and I'm so glad that I did!  This was a delicious, easy, curry recipe, and it was just enough of a change from our other favorite curry recipes, that it was refreshing.

Massaman Curry
adapted from: allrecipes.com

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. curry paste (mine was red)
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground ginger 
2 chicken breasts, cubed
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 of 1/3 c. of chunky peanut butter (did that make sense?)
2 peeled, cubed potatoes
2 peeled, sliced carrots
1/2  of an onion, sliced
1 can of coconut milk
1 Tbsp. lime juice

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Stir in the curry paste and ginger and cook it for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken breast cubes and cook for about 3 minutes.  Stir in the brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, peanut butter, potatoes, carrots, onions and coconut milk.  Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender.  Add the lime juice and cook it for 5 more minutes.  Serve it over rice or rice noodles.

Orange Chicken

Tonight we made this orange chicken recipe and it was so delicious that I wanted to hurry and put it on here so that I wouldn't lose the recipe and risk never making it again!  Of course, it was Fast Sunday, and that may contribute to the deliciousness of this Sunday dinner...  

Orange Chicken
adapted from: foodnetwork.com (and this is the Pioneer Woman's recipe)

Chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 c. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. oil

For the sauce:
1 c. orange juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (I used balsamic because I was out of rice vinegar)
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
2 dashes of salt (it calls for a dash of salt and I'm putting the doubled recipe on here)
2 dashes of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 dashes of ginger
1 tsp. of cornstarch
1/4 c. water
orange zest

In a sealed, large ziploc bag, shake the chicken chunks and 1/4 c. cornstarch until the chicken is well coated.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the coated chicken over medium heat until it is cooked through.  In a sauce pan, whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger.  Heat it until it begins to boil and continue stirring while it thickens, about 5 minutes.  Stir together the 1 tsp. cornstarch and water and slowly add it to the boiling sauce.  Return it to a boil for another minute, until the sauce thickens.  Add your orange zest to the sauce (I just added a little).  Pour it over your chicken and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve it over rice, with vegetables.

Freezer Meal Chicken Alfredo

The other day I was needing something new to try, and I found this recipe.  It is a very easy homemade alfredo recipe, with a little bonus of instructions for making it a freezer meal.  This recipe is enough for two 9X13 pans, with the idea being that you will freeze one of those pans for another day.  I only wanted one on this night, so I halved it and just cooked it up right then.  But this would be a nice recipe if you were taking dinner to someone else, plus making it for your family

Chicken Alfredo (enough for two pans)
adapted from: Our Best Bites

6 Tbsp butter, plus more for baking dishes
salt and pepper
16 oz. penne pasta
1 tsp. olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. flour
3 tsp. minced garlic
6 c. whole milk
mushrooms (either a can of sliced mushrooms, or thinly sliced fresh mushrooms)
sun dried tomatoes
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Butter two 9X13 pans.  If you are going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot, cook your pasta in boiling water, for 3 minutes.  Drain the pasta and set it aside.  In a large skillet, heat your oil over medium high heat.  Season your chicken with salt and pepper, and cook it until it is cooked through.  Remove it from the pan.  In the same pan, saute the mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and set them aside.  In a large sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and garlic.  Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.  Bring it to a simmer.  Keep stirring as the sauce thickens and then add the mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mozzarella, cream cheese and half of the Parmesan.  Stir it until it is smooth.  Add the chicken and the pasta to your 9X13 pans.  Pour half of the sauce over each pan.  If you are cooking it now, sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan over the top.  If you are freezing it, put the rest of the Parmesan in a ziplock bag.  Bake at 400 degrees, for 25 minutes, or until it is golden and bubbling. 

Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

It has been so long since I have cooked anything new!  Life has been a little too crazy for anything but quick and easy around here.  Earlier this week, I needed a slow cooker menu item and wasn't in the mood for my usual recipes.  I found this one on Allrecipes.com, and it turned out great!

Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
from: allrecipes.com

6 frozen chicken breasts (I halved this whole recipe and it was perfect for my family)
12 oz. barbecue sauce (a tip here: use a good quality sauce. I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1/2 c. italian dressing
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce, italian dressing, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce.  Place your frozen chicken breasts in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.  When the chicken is cooked, shred it and stir it well before serving.

Thai Chicken With Basil

We had an abundance of basil from our garden this summer.  Basil is one of my favorite herbs and it was so nice to be able to go pick it fresh from my backyard.  Plus, it saved me money!!  This is one of many dishes that we made that used our fresh basil.  It was delicious and easy!

Thai Chicken With Basil
adapted from: foodandwine.com

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce (the original recipe called for Asian fish sauce, but this is what I had)
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 onion, cut into thin slices (I used dehydrated onion)
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 c. lightly packed basil leaves

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, water and sugar.  Add the chicken and let it soak up those yummy flavors, while you begin cooking your onion.  In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook it for 2 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and stir it for another 30 seconds.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to the frying pan.  Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink inside.  Then add the marinade to the frying pan and cook it for another minute.  Remove it from the heat and gently stir in 1 cup of the basil leaves.  Top it with the remaining basil leaves when you serve it over rice.

Slow Cooker Three Cheese Chicken and Noodles

I have a slow cooker cook book that I have used a few times lately, and have been happy each time.  This one was an easy, macaroni type recipe, with a little bit of a twist.  Peppers and chicken give it a more adult taste, and also a little bit of spice.  I really enjoyed it!

Three Cheese Chicken and Noodles
adapted from: Crock Pot brand cookbook

1 chicken breast
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. diced green or red bell pepper
1 c. shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 (8 oz.) package of egg noodles

Combine all of the ingredients in your slow cooker, except the egg noodles, and stir.  Cook for 6 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high.  Take your chicken breast out and shred it and then add it back in.  Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions, and the add them to your slow cooker and stir gently until they are coated evenly.  (The recipe actually says to cook them, then add them to the crock pot at the beginning and cook it all together.  I was afraid of super soft noodles falling apart, so I did it this way.  But it might be worth trying the other way to save a few minutes at dinner time.)  Enjoy!  

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

This is a re-creation of my friend's chicken salad sandwiches.  It uses very little mayo, so it is a little healthier than other options.  It is really easy to throw together, especially if you use canned chicken.  The recipe I came up with only served two, so be prepared to double or triple it if you are making for a big family.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

by: Carolyn

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1/4 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 (5 oz.) can of chicken

1 handful of craisens

1 handful of sliced almonds

2 large croissants

In a bowl, combine the mayo, chicken broth, garlic, onion and sugar and stir it until it is smooth.  Open and drain your chicken and add it to the bowl and stir well.  Add the almonds and craisens and mix it all together.  Spread the mixture on your sliced croissants and enjoy!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This may be my new favorite recipe.  It was so, so good. It made a lot and my kids would only eat the noodles, so I got to enjoy this as leftovers a few different times.  Note: This is a little spicy, so maybe use less Cajun seasoning if that's not your thing.

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Adapted from allrecipes.com

8-12 oz linguine Pasta (I probably used about 10 oz)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
3-4 tsp Cajun seasoning (I started with 3 tsp and added about an additional tsp at the end)
2 Tbsp butter
1 Green Pepper
1/2  Red Pepper, chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 green onion, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used 1 cup heavy cream, and 1/2 cup half & half with 2-3 tsp cornstarch)
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese,shredded (optional)

Cut your peppers and onions, and set aside.
Slice your chicken breasts and put them in a bowl with the Cajun seasoning, and toss to coat.
Combine all your seasonings in a small bowl and set aside.
Start your water boiling for the linguine and cook it while you are cooking the chicken.
Stir fry the chicken in the 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
Add the peppers, onions and mushrooms and stir-fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the heat, and add the heavy cream (and/or half & half already mixed with cornstarch) and seasonings.  Simmer until heated through and the sauce thickens.  At this point I added the additional Cajun seasoning and some salt until it tasted right to me.
Add the cooked linguine and serve with shredded Parmesan cheese and bread of your choice.

Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

Soups are very hit and miss with me, but this really hit the spot tonight.  It might be because we're all sick and just needed some comfort food, but it did not disappoint.  I will definitely be making this again.  This also marks the first time in my life I have happily eaten mushrooms, and if you know me, you understand what that means. They really worked well in this recipe!  I modified it just a little from this recipe, and I imagine you could substitute or add any number of other vegetables and it would still be delicious.

Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Carrots (I used about 8-10 baby carrots), sliced very thin - matchstick size
1 Red Pepper, sliced very thin
1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
4 cups Chicken Broth
Ginger, dashed
2 cups Shredded Chicken
1 can Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat.  Add the carrots and peppers and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, chicken broth, and about 8-10 dashes of ginger.  Bring everything to a boil, stirring occasionally, and then turn down to a medium-low heat.  Add the shredded chicken and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and cook until it gets hot and bubbly, stirring frequently.  Just before you serve it, add the lime juice and fresh cilantro.

Penne pasta with chicken alfredo

Around here, home-spun dinner is always hit and miss, but tonight, we got surprisingly lucky.  I needed to use my leftover grilled chicken, which I had marinated in a recipe off of the Tyson website.  It was yummy the first time around and added great flavor to our pasta the second time.

Penne pasta with chicken alfredo

3/4 package Penne pasta

3 T butter
2 T flour + 2 T (ish) water
2 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes
Dehydrated onion
Dehydrated garlic
Fresh spinach
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c shredded Mozzarella
Grilled chicken, cubed
1 Tomato, diced

Cook pasta per directions on bag.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a pan.  Combine flour & 2T water, shake it up to avoid lumps & then add to butter.  Stir until it thickens, then slowly add 2 cups water, stirring constantly.  Add bullion, onion, and garlic and stir until smooth.  You may need to add more water if it starts to evaporate to keep sauce from being too thick.  Add fresh spinach (may substitute frozen) and cook it down.  Then add heavy cream and mozzarella.  Stir, then add grilled chicken.  Last, add cooked pasta and fresh, diced tomato.  Enjoy!