Albuquerque, New Mexico

Some pictures from my trip to New Mexico Last week!!

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

For years my brother and Stephen have been raving about a restaurant called Bucca di Beppo. It is a family style Italian restaurant with limited locations (mostly large cities). Well when we visited Albuquerque  New Mexico, we found one and had to try!! Everything we had was delicious, but this dish was my absolute favorite. I tried to find it online and made a couple of modifications on my quest to remake this dish. It is a super easy MUST try!

1 rotisserie chicken, cut into small pieces

1 cup marinara (I used Tomato Basil from Traders)

1 cup Alfredo (I used Trader Joes brand)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon butter

1 cup frozen peas

1 lb rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained (but not rinsed)

more red pepper flakes to garnish if you desire

Directions: 

• Boil water and cook pasta. This is very important, make sure you drain the pasta when it still has a little "bite" to it. You do not want the noodles to be mushy or overcooked!
• In a large pan, heat olive oil on medium for about 3 minutes. 
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the garlic just starts to cook and the red pepper flakes add spice to the oil (you can do less red pepper flakes if you want it less spicy)
• Add the rotisserie chicken and mix in the oil, let cook about 5 minutes
• Add the marinara and Alfredo sauce and let cook another 10 minutes
• Add the peas, then add the cooked pasta and stir!
• Make sure all the noodles are covered in the sauce and the chicken is incorporated throughout the pasta. 
• Serve up!

Love you Grandma

I just wanted to post a short blog about my Grandma Lou that passed away suddenly this week. She was an amazing grandmother. Always had a way of making everyone feel like they were her absolute favorite person in the world. She was warm, loving, kind and generous. So many memories from my childhood have her in them, and I will always remember her voice telling me how proud she was of me and how much she loved me. Hug your loved ones extra tight every day and don't take a moment for granted. If you ever have someone on your heart, even if it is for a brief moment, let them know.  Hugs & kisses Grandma.

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/30/article/53881/

Chili Relleno & Ground Turkey Casserole

Another dish inspired from Farmers' Market!  This dish had locally grown peppers (sorry there were a couple different kinds and I can't remember their names) that had such awesome flavor. This is a super easy dish for a weeknight when you really don't feel like laboring over a stove with numerous pots and pans.

5-6 peppers w/ thin skins

1 lb turkey

1 lb cheese (I used 1/2 pepper jack and 1/2 Mexican blend)

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 eggs

chili powder

garlic powder

salt and pepper

Directions:

• Microwave peppers (or you can charbroil the and peel them) 
• Cook ground turkey in a pan and season with seasonings
• Mix the flour, milk and eggs together
• Spray a 9x13 baking pan and then layer the cooked chilies
• Follow by all the turkey meat 
• Layer all the cheese
• Then add the mix that you made in step 2
• I had a small can of chilies that I added on the top, but this is optional
• Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes until it is firm to the touch and the top and edges have slightly browned
• Serve with some tortillas!

Lemon, Cilantro & Parmesan Bowties

Last weekend, Stephen and I went to Farmers' Market and went pretty crazy buying veggies, so this week I have had to be creative with my meals. I must say, the meal I made last night was SO good. ALL the veggies were grown in SLO County! I made this pasta to accompany a baked Sole, which I put in a baking dish, drizzled olive oil all over it and then added fresh tomatoes and garlic for it to cook in. This lemon pasta is perfect for any fish dish, and it is SO easy!

1 box bow tie pasta, cooked and drained

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 lemons, juiced 

2 tablespoons cooking water from pasta

salt and pepper

Directions: 

• After you cook the pasta, reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking water and put aside. 
• In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix
• If the pasta seems a little dry, add the cooking liquid.
• Taste as you go and modify to your taste!

Baked Adult Chicken Strips

I don't love meat, but I do love chicken strips. Who can resist "fried" chicken? This recipe is so good, has extra flavor and the perfect crunch, all without having to fry it in a ton of oil. This is the perfect addition to my Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe!

2 large chicken breasts, cut in strips

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions: 

• Cut the chicken into long strips and place in a bowl. 
• Cover chicken with the milk, garlic, salt and pepper and put back in the fridge to marinate for at minimum 20 minutes (I did it for about 4 hours and it was great)
• In a shallow bowl, mix the parmesan cheese, both breadcrumbs, and seasonings.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray
• Take chicken and dip in the bread mixture, making sure to coat the chicken evenly. 
• Place on the pre-greased cookie sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the chicken over and cook another 10-15 minutes. When the chicken is firm to the touch, it is done. 
• Remove from the oven and eat! 

Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese!

After looking over a million "crock pot macaroni and cheese" recipes, I decided to take a mix of all of them and try out my own! I think it worked out fabulously, and I would HIGHLY recommend this dish! Many of the recipes, with a few exceptions, had you cook the noodles before adding them to the crock pot. I wanted to save myself the time and effort of boiling water ( :) ) and I also wanted the noodles to cook in the milk and cheeses- talk about effortlessly adding extra flavor! I made this to accompany a veggie side and homemade chicken strips!

1- 12 oz box pasta (I used penne)

1 can evaporated milk (this keeps the sauce from getting curdled)

3 cups cheese (I used sharp cheddar and a mozzarella & provolone mix)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg (sorry for the 3 in pic below)
1/2 stick of butter, melted and then cooled to room temp

2 tablespoons sour cream

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

3 cups milk

Directions:

• Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray
• Put the evaporated milk, milk, eggs, sour cream, butter and spices in the slow cooker and mix together. 
• Add the cheddar and mozz/provolone mix and then add in the macaroni and mix up.
• Top with the Parmesan cheese and put the lid on.
• Cook on high for 45 minutes then turn to low and cook for 1.5 hours. Try with all your might to not open the lid- I know it is hard, but it lowers the cooking temp and can add 15-30 minutes to cooking time every time you open it!
• Serve!