Asparagus and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast

This recipe made me feel like a good wife after making it. This was a really easy recipe that is fairly good for you. It was the perfect portion size for Adam and I. It was just a good home cooked meal.

Asparagus and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 asparagus spears
½ cup cheddar cheese
onion powder (I used dry onions)
garlic powder
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Take chicken breast and slice it down the middle
Sprinkle with onion powder and garlic powder to your liking
Take 3 asparagus spears place them in the middle of chicken
Put a little salt and pepper on the asparagus
Take 1/4 cup of Cheddar cheese sprinkle on top of asparagus
Close chicken (you can use toothpicks to seal it)
Add onion powder and garlic powder to taste
Add salt and pepper to taste on top of chicken
Take baking dish and add water until the bottom is covered (aprox 1/2 inch of water)
Add chicken
Take olive oil and pour a little over chicken (rub oil over with fingers)

Bake at 350-375 degrees depending on oven, for 30-40 minutes
Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes

White Rice with Chicken stock and Chives
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken stock
¼ cup fresh chives

Take pot and add 1 cup of rice
Add 2 cups of chicken stock
Bring to a boil then turn heat down cover and let simmer about 15 min depending on your stove
Remove from stove and let stand for 2-3 min then fluff with a fork
Add fresh chopped chives and mix them together "Gently"

Plating
Take 1 1/2 cup of rice for each piece of chicken and place a bed of rice on plate
Place your chicken on top of the rice, take extra chives and sprinkle over chicken and enjoy!

Twitchell Family Black Bean Burritos

Black Bean Burritos

¾ lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast

3 slices bacon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups pace

1 can (16 oz) black beans, undrained

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup sliced green onions

12 flour tortillas (6 to 7 inch)

1 ½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

Toppings: chopped tomato, sour cream, scallions, avocado slices

Cut chicken into short, thin strips. Cook bacon in 10 inch skillet until crisp. Remove to paper towel: crumble. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Cook and stir chicken in garlic and drippings until chicken no long is pink. Stir in ½ cup of the Pace, beans, red pepper, cumin and salt. Simmer until thickened, 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in green onions and reserved bacon. Spoon heaping ¼ cup bean mixture down center of each tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll up; place seam side down in lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Spoon remaining 1 cup Pace evenly over enchiladas. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Top with remaining cheese, return to oven about 3 minutes. Top as desired and serve with additional Pace.

Mini Shepherd's Pie

These are biscuits filled with mashed potatoes and meat, and then topped with cheese. I was really happy with how these turned out when I made them. They turned out pretty perfect even though I had never made them before. I was nervous about the biscuits turning out and I was afraid I was going to burn them or they were going to turn out doughy. But they didn't. Phew! These have a lot of flavor and they are fun to make. It's a neat creation. Adam and I ate about two each last night because they are fairly rich from the biscuits.

Mini Shepherd's Pie

1 can biscuits (12) (recommended: Grands)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup beef stock
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
        (I also included chopped red bell pepper for added flavor and color)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used dried parsley)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I used dried rosemary)
1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I used a pouch from a box of Betty Crocker Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and it took me less than 5 minutes to make and I didn't need the next two ingredients)
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
2 tablespoons granulated onion powder
2 cups shredded Cheddar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Mold biscuits to the shape of each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside. 

(I took a spoon and futher molded the biscuits into a bowl shape after I baked them half way.)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.

Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined. 

 Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder. (Or just cook up the box potatoes)

Spoon equal amounts (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. Then top with equal amounts of beef mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons). Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar. 

 Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife.

Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

The reason it looks a little green is because I also poured some green enchilada sauce on the top also. It makes it really saucy if you like it that way. 

I have been making this recipe for a few years now because it is so yummy and it is really easy. I have actually had a lot of people ask me for this recipe. I originally got this one from my sister-in-law Joylyn. (Thanks for my cook book!) I have improvised on it a little bit over the years and I am pretty happy with the results. I made it last night for dinner and it is definitely a  recipe that I will continue to keep in our family.

Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

Makes 6 enchiladas

1 cup cooked chicken (I season it with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup (you can also substitute cream of mushroom for one of the cans)
6 tortillas
Sour cream (to put on top)

Ingredients we also included:
1 small can sliced mushrooms, chopped into little pieces
1 small can fire roasted green chilies
1/4 cup chopped olives
2 tablespoons scallions


Preheat oven to 350. Cook chicken in a skillet and season as desired. Then chop up the chicken into small pieces or you can even shred it if you would like. Add all of the ingredients besides the tortillas and the sour cream into a large bowl and mix it with a spoon until its well blended. Spray a cake pan with cooking spray. Fill the tortillas with about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of filling then roll and place in greased pan. Take the remaining filling and spread across the top of the other enchiladas. Lightly cover with foil then bake for about 40 - 45 minutes. Serve and put sour cream on top and enjoy!

Healthy Chinese Chicken Salad Cups

There were a lot more of these, but there were only two left that I could take pictures of. These are so cute! They are a little smaller than a muffin in real life. I'm excited about this new recipe!

These were so amazing and a definite keeper. They are so cute and easy to eat. They are packed with wonderful flavor and it is defiantly an added bonus that they are healthy! There is no guilt about eating these. I was thinking that this would be the perfect appetizer to serve at wedding receptions or any type of shower. I actually got this recipe from watching the Today show a few weeks ago and they have constantly been on my mind to make. It's a recipe from Candice Kumai who was on Top Chef. You should try them, you will love it!

(With the red cabbage, it was really expensive at the grocery store I went to, so I just bought a salad mix bag and picked out the red cabbage from that and it was the perfect amount for how much I was making, and it was a lot cheaper that way.)

Chinese Chicken Salad Cups

Servings: 48 cups (I fourthed this recipe and it was the perfect amount for Adam and I for two meals eating it as our side.)

For dressing

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil (I used regular sesame seed oil)

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

For salad

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

48 wonton wrappers

Dark sesame oil (I just used sesame seed oil)

1 1/2 cups chopped Napa cabbage

1 1/2 cups finely chopped red cabbage

1 medium carrot, coarsely grated

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup Asian almonds (optional)

To make the dressing: Place the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan often, until they're fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the sesame seeds to a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and ginger and whisk to combine. Add the peanut butter and whisk until completely smooth. Set aside.

To make the salad: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat a ridged cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and grill until both sides have grill marks and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside until cool.

Press 1 wonton wrapper into each cup of a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin pan (the ends will peek up above the cups). Brush with a little sesame oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before gently lifting the wonton cups out of the pan. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Chop the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Place them in a large bowl and add the cabbages, carrot, scallions and cilantro. Toss with three-fourths of the dressing. Fill each wonton cup with 1 heaping tablespoon of salad and top with the Asian almonds and extra cilantro. Serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.

Note: When you make salad, be light with the dressing. Save a little to serve on the side — this keeps things light and lets your friends do up their salads with as much or as little dressing as they like. The salad and wonton cups can be made a few hours ahead of time, just hold back on filling the wonton cups until right before serving so they stay nice and crisp.

My Attempt at Sushi

I have been wanting to make my own sushi for quite a while because it is one of my favorite things to eat. Adam got really sick off of some unagi a few years ago and so he won't touch any type of sushi. He is still in Chicago, and with him starting his new job making him around for dinner a lot more, I thought that tonight would be the perfect night to try it. As you can see, it is not the most pretty assortment of sushi ever, considering I used way too much yummy rice that I didn't make sticky enough and I used an old folder as my bamboo rolling mat, but let me tell you, it was delicious! I ate ever bit of it. I filled it with some of my favorite things that I like to have in my sushi rolls. It's like a California roll with a cream cheese twist.

Sushi - California Roll

Serving- 1 roll

Lemon juice
1/2 avocado
1 sheet nori (toasted seaweed)
1/4- 1/2  batch sushi rice, recipe below
Toasted sesame seeds
1/4 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin matchstick-size pieces
1 stick imitation crab, sliced in half long ways
Cream cheese
1/2 tablespoon scallions (optional)
Pickled ginger, for serving
Wasabi, for serving
Soy sauce

Prepare all your filling ingedients for the sushi and get them sliced and prepared how you would like. Pour some lemon juice on the avocado to prevent it from browning. Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap (in my case, I covered a folder). Cut nori sheets in half crosswise (which I forgot to do and that's why mine turned out so fat, but it's your choice if you want to cut it.) Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic covered mat. Wet your fingers with water and spread rice evenly onto the nori until it is fully covered. Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds. Turn the sheet of nori over so the rice side is down. Spread desired amount of cream cheese across the middle of the nori. Sprinkle cream cheese with scallions. Place cucumber pieces, avocado, and crab sticks in the center as well on top of the cream cheese. Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder. Pull away the mat and set on a plate. Cut roll in to 6-8 pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce.

Sushi Rice

1 cup uncooked sushi rice
1 1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon oil
pinch of salt

Rinse uncooked rice in strainer until the water flows clear. Place on a medium sized skillet and add the cold water. Bring to a boil at high heat. When it is at a boil, lower heat to low, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes not lifting up the lid. When the twenty minutes are up, remove from heat, keeping it covered, and let it sit for another 10 minutes. Take the lid off and let it cool until it is handable. In a small sauce pan, heat the vinegar, sugar, and oil until the sugar disolves. Pour over the rice and add a pinch of salt and stir until the rice becomes more dry again.