Pasta Primavera with Pesto

From the same magazine as the chicken and asparagus stir-fry.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 lb. sugar snap peas, sliced in half

8 oz. dried spaghetti

1 cup prepared pesto

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

3 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled and coarsely grated

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready a bowl of ice water. Drop the broccoli and peas into the boiling water; cook until bright green and tender, about 1 minute. Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to the ice water to stop cooking. Once cooled, drain.

2. Stir the pasta into the boiling water. Cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still warm, add the pesto and toss until combined.

3. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 minute. Add the broccoli-peas mixture, carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook veggies until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add them to pasta mixture and toss. Then add cheese, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Pulled this out of a magazine. Tyler especially liked it.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast cut into 1-inch chunks

3 scallions, thinly sliced, tops reserved

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped, divided

1 1/2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. cornstarch, divided

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. dark sesame oil

1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

3 tbsp. peanut oil, divided

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. hoisin sauce

3 tbsp. chopped roasted peanuts

Cooked rice for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with the sliced scallions, half of each the garlic and the ginger, sugar, soy sauce, 1 tsp. cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and 3/4 tsp. salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tsp. cornstarch and 3 tbsp. water. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tbsp. peanut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the asparagus and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in remaining garlic and ginger, 3 tbsp. water and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed, to keep skillet from becoming completely dry. Transfer veggies to a plate.

3. Return skillet to stove top and warm the remaining 2 tbsp. oil. Add the chicken in its marinade and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry until nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hoisin sauce and asparagus. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick whisk and add to the pan. Simmer stir-fry until thickened, about 2 minutes. Toss in peanuts. Taste and adjust seasoning; serve over rice and garnish with sliced scallion tops.

*I only put in 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and it was plenty for me. Tyler probably could have handled the 3/4 tsp. , so if you like it spicy put it all in. This has tons of flavor with all the fresh ingredients.

** they also said you could swap in broccoli instead, one head, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Chicken Enchiladas

So did you all even realize that I, too, am a contributor to this blog? Considering I haven't updated my family blog since February 2009, I am lucky to even be posting anything at all!

This recipe is from one of the first cookbooks I ever received once I was out on my own. The book is superlame and it's called the Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook. In the 11+ years that I've owned this book, I've cooked exactly 3 recipes from it and 2 of the 3 were gross. The enchiladas were good - super simple, but they taste better than the effort required. Now that we are moving soon I am getting rid of stuff and since the only reason I have kept this book this long is for this single recipe, I figured I'd throw it up on here and get rid of the book! So here I am MBA Wives World!

By the way, when I made this recipe the first time in college, it was the first time I remember ever having fresh cilantro. Maybe that's why I remember this recipe as being fantastic...

Also, I use fat-free or reduced-fat everything and it still tastes good...

Chicken Enchiladas
1 3/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 T minced fresh jalapeno
1 t ground cumin
1 T vegetable oil
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3x1" strips
1 t minced garlic
8 flour tortillas (8")
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa
1 small tomato, chopped
Sprigs of cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13x9" pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, onions, cilantro, jalapeno and cumin.
3. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray, pour in the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and garlic and saute for 4 mins or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork.
4. Divide the chicken strips among the 8 tortillas, placing them down the center. Top with the sour cream mixture, then roll them up and place them, seam side down, in the baking dish.
5. Sprinkle with cheese, cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. or until bubbly. Spoon salsa in a strip down the enter and sprinkle the salsa with the tomato. Garnish with the sprigs of cilantro. Serve Hot!