Artichoke and Spinach PESTO Pasta with Chicken and Fresh Tomatoes

I have said this many times. I love fresh ingredients. I came home from the farmers market and look at the new purchases and try to figure out what I will be making. I had my eye on the fresh spinach, basil, garlic and cheese. I LOVE LOVE spinach artichoke dip!!! I decided to try something different. I am not sure if anyone has come up with it. I made it into a pesto. I would of probably even tried to put a little mayo (I LOVE MAYO), but my husband DESPISES MAYO! He can taste it....EVEN if I only add very little...
Needless to say, this was a huge hit tonight. My husband loved it. He returned to the kitchen many times to pick out of the dish after dinner. He called it addicting...
The fresh tomatoes added the freshness that I love!
I hope you enjoy!!!

1lb penna
2 Tb + 3/4 CP of Olive oil

3 Chicken Breast cut in cubes

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cp. Almonds

1 15 oz. can of drained Artichokes

1 cp Spinach

1/4 cp. fresh basil

3/4 cp. fresh parm. + 1/4 cp. parm

The juice of one lemon

1/4 cp. planko

3 TB butter

2 Roma tomatoes

salt and pepper

Add the penna to salted boiling water until al dente. Brown the chicken with the 2 Tablespoons of oil. As it browned I made the pesto. I added the garlic and almonds to my food processor. Processed. I added the drained artichokes, spinach, basil , lemon juice and 3/4 cp. of the parm. cheese and processed. Slowly stream the 3/4 cp. of olive oil into the shoot of the processor as you process the ingredients. When done salt and pepper.

I tossed the penna and cooked chicken into the pesto toss to coat. Add the pasta in a greased 9 x13. Top with the additional 1/4 cp. parm cheese and planko. Break the butter into pieces and put on top. Add the Roma tomatoes. Cook on 350 for 20 minutes covered. Take the cover off and broil for a few minutes and make a crust on top.

Artichoke, Leek, and Braised Chicken

This meal is very quick. It is a great summer meal. It is light, fresh and tastes so amazing. I go to the farmers market at a fairgrounds every wed. It has about 50 vendors. It is insane. It has more fresh produce then you will ever see.Not to mention VERY affordable. I got a lot of new veggies today and I like to throw things together. I like fresh and tasty. This is full of yummy veggies and the fresh taste of lemon and basil. I hope you enjoy.

3 Boneless Chicken Breast

1 15oz. Artichoke, quartered

3-4 Big Leeks, rinse and cut thinly

3 garlic cloves, chopped

15 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 cp. white wine

2 Tb. olive oil

The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cp. chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breast. Add oil to the pan and put on med-high heat.
Brown both sides. Remove the chicken. Add the cut leaks and deglaze the pan with the wine. Cook for 3-4 min. Add the garlic and artichokes. Add the chicken and cook in the wine and veggies. If the wine evaporates add a little bit of chicken broth. When the chicken is cooked then you add the tomatoes, lemon, lemon zest and the basil.

I served this with rice. (I actually added a little lemon and lemon zest to my rice too)

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

My husband loves Mexican. I have not made it for awhile. In honor of Cinco De Mayo I made authentic (as I could make) Enchiladas. These turned out better then I could imagine. The salsa was amazing. It tasted great with the fried enchiladas. I fried them first to prevent them from getting soggy. I served this with fresh avocados and slices of fresh jalapenos.

3 chicken breast, (Roasted 0n 350 with a little salt and pepper for about 40 min)
10 Jose Ole flour tortillas
1 Red onion, sliced thin
1 Pablano, sliced thin
1 Bell Peppers, sliced thin
1 cp. Cheddar and 1 cp. manchego

Salsa Verde:

12 Tomatotillas
1 yellow onion (quartered)
3 jalapenos (quartered and seeds removed)
3 TB. cilantro
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 cp chicken broth
2 TB lime juice

1. Roast the chicken in the oven on 350 with salt and pepper on both sides. Roast 40 min. While the chicken is roasting add 2 TB butter and add the onions and peppers. Saute on Med-High heat until carmalized around the edges. Add this to the shredded chicken and when cool add 1/2cp. of each cheese. This will be the mixture for inside the Enchiladas.
2. For the salsa: Preheat oven to 400. Put the tomatotillas , Onions, and jalapenos toss with 2 TB olive oil and salt and pepper. Throw in a baking dish and bake until brown about 45 min. Wrap the garlic in foil and put in the oven with the veggies. Leave the garlic in its casing.
3. When all of the veggies are done put it in the food processor. Remove the garlic pulp from the casing and cilanto add to the food processor. Pulse. Slowly add the chicken broth and lime juice while pulsing. Put in a bowl. The salsa is done until needed.
4. Add 2 tb. of veg. oil in a skillet. Put on medium- high heat. Dip one side of the flour tortilla in the Salsa Verde and the fill that side with a little chicken and cheese. Roll and put seam side down onto the hot skillet. Continue the same with the rest. When brown on that side turn and brown the other side. When done add to a greased 11x13 dish. When you finish with all enchiladas add about 1/2 the salsa on top of the Enchiladas. Top with the rest of the cheese.
5. Bake on 350 for 40 min. Until brown and bubbling.

Steak and Asparagus Stir Fry

This turned out so good. I know that it seems weird to put chipotle peppers in an asian dish, but it adds a lot of flavor and adds a nice punch. Enjoy.

2 lbs London Broil, sliced thin (against the grain)
1 lb Asparagus
1 Yellow Sweet Onion
1/2cp. Soy Sauce
1/2cp. sugar
1/3cp. veg. oil
2 canned chipotle pepper, diced (Optional: this adds a kick)
3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper


1. Mix the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, oil, and pepper. Cut the Asparagus in thirds. Get rid of the hard ends. Slice the onions in strips. Add the meat and veggies into a pan and then top with the sauce. Let sit all day or overnight.

2. Put the burner on high. Add the meat and veggies to the hot pan. Cook until brown. (3-4 min) Add a little of the sauce and cook a minute or two more.

Serve with rice.

Prosciutto, Roasted Red Pepper and Fried Egg Sandwich

(Yields 2 Sandwiches)

2 TB butter
2 Buns
1 cp. mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
5 slices prosciutto
1 Roasted Red Pepper, cut in strips
1/2 sweet onion
hot garlic, salt and pepper.

1. I added the prosciutto and onions in a frying pan and browned. Then I added the roasted red pepper to warm. 1 min. Turned off and put in a bowl and covered to keep warm.
2. Added the 1 TB butter and when it was melted I added the buns and toasted the buns. Removed them and added 1/4 cp. of moz. on each side of the bun.
3. Added 2 TB butter and added the egg. Topped with hot garlic, salt and pepper. Put on a lid. Cook on Medium for a few min. until done. While waiting I added the prosciutto, onion and peppers on top of the moz. When the egg is done I put it on top of the prosciutto, onions and peppers. Topped it with the bread with the moz. cheese.

This turned out really good. It was a quick and wonderful breakfast. Enjoy.

OH MY!! Cream Cheese Blueberry Muffins

2 cps. cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 cp. sugar
1/2 cp. vegetable oil
8 oz. cream cheese, soft....
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Sift the cake flour, salt and baking soda together.
3. Beat the egg and sugar together. Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Add the oil and vanilla.
4. Add the dry and wet ingredients together.
5. Spray the muffin pan and add the paper cups. Fill the paper cups most of the way.
6. Bake until the tooth pick comes out clean. About 12 min.

Blueberry Pie

Summer is right around the corner. It is time for fresh fruit and yummy homemade pies. I love fresh apple pie, blueberry pie, and so on. This is one of my favorites. Today, I went to the farmers market and they had THREE Quarts of blueberries for $5.00!!!!! Of course, I could not pass. I made this as soon as I came home. I still have one more quart of blueberries.....We will see what I make. Just to let you know, this pie turned out so good. It was fresh and so yummy. I served it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream

BLUEBERRY PIE

The crust:
(The crust recipe is from Allrecipes.com)

4cps flour
3TB sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cp. of vegetable shortening
1/2 cp. cold water
1 egg

1. I use my food processor. I throw the first 4 ingredients in the processor. I process the dough until it like a coarse meal.
2. I whisk the egg and water. I add it slowly to the dough and process.
3. Put the dough in fridge for 2 hrs.

The berries:

5 cps. of blueberries
the juice and zest of one lemon
1 cp. sugar
3 TB of cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

1. I put these 6 ingredients together and toss. Let it sit.


When the dough is done. I separate it into two parts. The first part I roll out and have enough to fit the bottom. Put the dough on the greased pie pan. Add the filling.
I then roll out the second pie crust and make a lattice crust. Then I top with 4 TB of melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. It makes a nice crust on the crust.......

Enjoy.