Cookies! Happy Sunday! Hope you’ve had a great weekend. Wanted to share a simple, yet delicious chicken pasta recipe! Stop buying that Alfredo sauce in the jar! lol This is easy and sooo much better! Try it out.
Marinade the chicken using a 1/2 a packet of ranch dressing mix and a little Italian salad dressing for at least 2 hrs.(If you don't have time, make time! Lol nah it's ok. Proceed)
Preheat oven to 375.
Break out that beloved cast iron skillet
Coat the skillet with olive oil and get it good and hot.
Meanwhile, season the chicken. Watch the salt. Italian dressing has plenty.
Add dried thyme and basil too, just a little.
Then add the chicken into the heat. 2-3 mins per side.
Put em in the oven for 8-10 mins. Be careful not to over cook.
SAUCE
Melt butter and sauté garlic for a min. (You know my rule: don't burn my garlic!!)
Now add the heavy cream and cheese.
Simmer until it starts to thicken for about 6 mins
Toss in the tomatoes and some parsley.
Chicken should be ready by then.
Let it rest for a few mins before slicing it.
Oh, don't forget to boil the pasta! Use whatever pasta you prefer.
Ok, Cookies. I know I post a lot of calorie packed recipes, but I do cook a lot of lighter meals. All of the time! I just thought they were too boring to post lol Shrimp & Grits are comfort food heaven. I make many variations of it. This one is as light as I can make it! Lol the flavors of the peppers, onions, and sausage together are just unreal! If you’re not a fan of cheese (Bless ya heart) this one’s for you! I served them over grits this time. But it pairs well with quinoa and yellow rice too. Hope you try it and Enjoy!
1 lb sliced sausage (I used Manda's chicken & green onion sausage. Amazing!!)
1 lb shrimp (31-40 count preferably)
1 of each -Yellow, red, and orange bell peppers (sliced)
1 yellow or white onion (sliced)
2 tsp Olive or Coconut Oil
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 cup of stone ground grits
Low sodium chicken broth (measure according to package instructions on the grits)
Himalayan Pink Salt or Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash to taste
Instructions
Cook grits in chicken broth instead of water (follow the package instructions for measurements) in a saucepan.
Meanwhile, sauté the onions, sweet red, yellow, and orange peppers in olive oil in a cast iron skillet. (man I love that thing!)
Add in the sausage and swirl them around the skillet for about 4 mins.
Pour in the white wine
Season the shrimp with Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash.
Toss them into the skillet
Let that simmer until the shrimp blush.
Taste and adjust seasoning if need be.
Serve it over the grits.
Enjoy!
Notes
Grits can be substituted with quinoa or rice. And this won't make you tipsy! The alcohol content of the white wine will cook out after 20-30 seconds of cooking.
I received a request from a Cookie for an easy, kid-friendly meal. This is it! Cheeseburger Macaroni. It’s also a guilty pleasure of mine. I love this stuff! Brings me back to my High School days. I used to reeeeally think I was doing something by cooking Hamburger Helper! Chile, you could not tell me I wasn’t a chef! lol But, what really makes this recipe so great is that it calls for ingredients you probably already have at home! And what kid doesn’t love Mac & Cheese?! Just serve it with some corn or a salad and you have a bomb dinner in less than 30 mins! You’re welcome, my darlings! Keep those requests coming!!
Oh, I also filmed a recipe tutorial for this, so check it out!
Cookies! I have a treat for you. My Crawfish and Shrimp Bread! Baby, this stuff is goooooood! And it’s super easy! Crawfish Bread is popular at the Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Of course, I had to be extra and add shrimp. Check out my recipe tutorial on Youtube…
This bread is super rich and cheesy. If you’re on a diet, come back on your cheat day! lol Fresh french bread works best. You can serve it open faced or fold it over and make a stuffed sammich (sandwich)! Try it out!
Chicken Cordon Bleu is perfect as it is. Elegant and delicious! But, in true Coop fashion, I added a slight Cajun twist. Incorporating a few Cajun spices woke that chicken up! This is my take on a wonderful, French classic! Check out my YouTube video for this recipe. Here, you’ll see step by step instructions. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy title. This entree was a breeze! It was also a lot of fun to make.
You MUST have thin chicken breast, so break out the mallet, Cover the bird with plastic wrap, and beat it like it back talked you or owes you $$ whatever works. Wait, preheat your oven to like 350.. Whatever feels safe. Ok now back to the ? season it.Here’s where my Cajun twist comes in. Add those Cajun spices! Yum
Now grab a slice of ham. Any kind except honey! No sweet meat today! Now a slice of cheese. I used Gruyere because it made me feel special that day, but Swiss works! Roll the chicken and let him chill in the fridge for awhile.
Take him out after 15-20 mins. Throw way that plastic wrap. We can’t eat that, boo! Now, secure him with toothpicks if it’s being a jerk and unrolling.
Plate some breadcrumbs and season it with salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder. Then put an egg and some milk in a bowl (egg wash!) Now, roll that guy in some flour, dip in egg, then breadcrumbs.
Take him over to the stove that should have a hot skillet with a lil oil in it waiting for him, because I mentioned that earlier right? ? Brown ALL four sides of this guy. Then, place him in a greased dish (or leave it in the skillet if it’s an oven safe one) and bake for 15-20 mins or however long it takes until he’s no longer pink inside. But don’t over cook!
Now, I’ll be honest. This sauce was an accident that ended up making sense (story of my life??) But, it’s honestly soooo yummy! So, don’t skip it!
To all of my babies working on their Summer ’16 bodies, I promise to look out for you guys as well. ??Lol I know I post a lot of indulgent things, but, believe it or not I only use whole wheat pasta in all of my pasta dishes. No one can ever tell the difference! Take this Spaghetti for instance. I made this “meat” sauce out of Morning Star’s veggie crumbles. My family thought it was real meat! Lol
Recipe:
Olive or coconut oil
12oz bag of veggie crumbles or 1 lb of ground turkey
2-3 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Fresh basil
2 teaspoons of oregano
Red pepper flakes
Fresh parsley
Minced garlic
1/2 cup of red wine
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup of brown sugar
Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil to a saucepan. (Coconut oil is a solid when stored in cooler temps. It liquefies with the slightest exposure to heat.) Now, sauté onions till translucent and add EVERYTHING else to the pot. Bring it to a boil, stir, turn it down to low, cover w/a lid then leave a crack and let it simmer for 30 mins – 1 hr stirring occasionally. Now taste it, adjust seasoning (add more sugar if you need to) then let it simmer for at least another 30 mins!
You can serve this over wheat, thin spaghetti like I did this time or spaghetti squash!
For spaghetti squash, all you have to do is cut it in half, scrap out the seeds, then place it cut side down into a roasting pan. Pour about 1/3 cup of water into the roasting pan to make the squash more tender. Cover pan with foil and bake on 400 for 35-45 mins or until it’s tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Now, using that same fork, scrap out the contents horizontally, toss in a little olive or coconut oil and serve!
May look like a lot of cheese, but it’s only about 2 tablespoons of shredded sharp cheddar. Dieting or not, I can’t let go of my cheese!!? lol however, if it’s not apart of your meal planning, just omit it! All of my recipes can be tweaked to fit your lifestyle. Look for **in future posts on subtle changes that will make my recipes a little lighter. Oh, and let’s just pretend that bread in the picture doesn’t exist. It’s a mirage!!! ?
Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil to a saucepan. (Coconut oil is a solid when stored in cooler temps. It liquefies with the slightest exposure to heat.)
Now, sauté onions till translucent and add EVERYTHING else to the pot.
Bring it to a boil, stir, turn it down to low, cover w/a lid then leave a crack and let it simmer for 30 mins - 1 hr stirring occasionally.
Now taste it, adjust seasoning (add more sugar if you need to)
Let sauce simmer for at least another 30 mins!
You can serve this over wheat, thin spaghetti like I did this time or spaghetti squash!
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
For spaghetti squash, all you have to do is cut it in half, scrap out the seeds, then place it cut side down into a roasting pan. Pour about 1/3 cup of water into the roasting pan to make the squash more tender. Cover pan with foil and bake on 400 for 35-45 mins or until it's tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Now, using that same fork, scrap out the contents horizontally, toss in a little olive or coconut oil and serve!
Salads!!! If I gotta eat some greens, it better be good! Haha! See, everything I make isn’t fried, dyed, and laid to the side!
I love this Seafood Salad. It’s fresh and flavorful! I don’t even eat it with dressing. But, you can, of course! I recommend a remoulade dressing. I’ll give ya that recipe too??
Salad:
First, season a nice sized pound of shrimp with Tony’s, onion powder, garlic pepper, and smoked paprika. Then sauté them in some garlic infused olive oil. For the crawfish, lightly season them with Tony’s. And the lump crab, a little Accent. Pile all of that goodness on top of your choice of greens adding the crab meat on top. A sprinkle of Parmesan and feta cheese crumbles takes it over the top as well! ? And feel free to add any other veggies you desire!
Dressing:
1 cup of mayo
1 tablespoon of creole mustard
Chopped green onions and parsley
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Louisiana hot sauce (optional)
Squeeze of half of a fresh lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
All of those ingredients into a bowl and whisk together, Be sure to taste and adjust seasoning is necessary!
Chicken Cordon Bleu is perfect as it is. Elegant and delicious! But, in true Coop fashion, I added a slight Cajun twist. Incorporating a few Cajun spices woke that chicken up! This is my take on a wonderful, French classic! Check out my YouTube video for this recipe. Here, you’ll see step by step instructions. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy title. This entree was a breeze! It was also a lot of fun to make.
You MUST have thin chicken breast, so break out the mallet, Cover the bird with plastic wrap, and beat it like it back talked you or owes you $$ whatever works. Wait, preheat your oven to like 350.. Whatever feels safe. Ok now back to the ? season it.Here’s where my Cajun twist comes in. Add those Cajun spices! Yum
Now grab a slice of ham. Any kind except honey! No sweet meat today! Now a slice of cheese. I used Gruyere because it made me feel special that day, but Swiss works! Roll the chicken and let him chill in the fridge for awhile.
Take him out after 15-20 mins. Throw way that plastic wrap. We can’t eat that, boo! Now, secure him with toothpicks if it’s being a jerk and unrolling.
Plate some breadcrumbs and season it with salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder. Then put an egg and some milk in a bowl (egg wash!) Now, roll that guy in some flour, dip in egg, then breadcrumbs.
Take him over to the stove that should have a hot skillet with a lil oil in it waiting for him, because I mentioned that earlier right? ? Brown ALL four sides of this guy. Then, place him in a greased dish (or leave it in the skillet if it’s an oven safe one) and bake for 15-20 mins or however long it takes until he’s no longer pink inside. But don’t over cook!
Now, I’ll be honest. This sauce was an accident that ended up making sense (story of my life??) But, it’s honestly soooo yummy! So, don’t skip it!