Salsa Chicken + Lifesaving Leftovers

Another incredible instant pot dish...Salsa Chicken!

Put 1lb frozen chicken breast into the IP...

I use this recipe from Skinny Taste

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Easy Salsa Shredded Chicken 

Skinnytaste.com Servings: 5 • Size: 1/2 cup • Points +: 3 • Smart Points: 2 Calories: 125 • Fat: 3 g • Carb: 3 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 22 g Sugar: 0 g • Sodium: 379 mg •Cholesterol: 66 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• black pepper, to taste
• pinch oregano
• 1 cup chunky salsa

*I make my own homemade salsa.

Then I throw it all into the pot and set the manual button for 15mins. It takes the IP 15mins with the frozen chicken to reach high pressure and it was done cooking in 29mins! Incredible.

I usually serve it with refried/black beans and melt some cheese in it, white rice, lettuce, tomatoes, or corn and organic tortilla chips.

This is one of my favorites to make because it can last for days and I mean days and not just the same meal over and over because I can easily transform it into fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, etc. 

Just cut up some garlic, onions, and bell peppers and fry them up.

Then add the salsa chicken leftovers and whalla...

I found these organic corn tortillas at the commissary thank goodness. And thank goodness I made some guac earlier in the day!

For burritos I reheat the salsa chicken/bell peppers/rice/beans mix and warm up some organic tortilla wraps on my flat cast iron skillet. Then I wrap it all up and continue to heat them up in my cast iron skillet with some melted butter on underneath and over the burritos. Adding cheese on top at the end. Hubby loved that! You can also make some enchilada sauce for chicken enchiladas. 

Lifesaving Leftover at its best!

Pretty amazing and oh so good!

Instant Pot: Jumbo Shelled Stuffed Ricotta Chicken Basil Pasta

To many words to describe the goodness of this! The Fish Fam loved it.

There is organic frozen chicken breast at the bottom, topped with jumbo shells stuffed with ricotta cheese, 1 jar of organic marinara sauce + 3/4 jar of water poured throughout, topped with onions, garlic, and fresh basil.

Cooked for 12mins after it reached high pressure which took about 30+ mins. And after a natural release of about 10mins. Total prep and cooking time was an hour. Love my IP (Incredible Pot)! 

It's pretty darn amazing because the chicken breasts were frozen.

I steamed some broccoli and shredded the chicken and whalla....

Dinner is served. 

Definitely a fish fan favorite.

The Party Plate: "Corn Chip Pie!"

Today's lunch plate was a leftover leftover party!!!

In lieu, of the awesome chili recipes, we put all our leftovers from the last few days on this plate, thus the party plate!!...

Frito Corn Chips on the bottom, leftover homemade veggie chili, mixed w/ our leftover Annie's Organic Mac&Cheese and black bean soup, and green beans. Then topped with sharp cheddar cheese and our salad!

Oh yeah, who doesn't like a party plate and lifesaving leftovers all in one!

My kids sure enjoyed the party :)

Jack-O-Lantern Pizza's

For Halloween we made Jack-O-Lantern Pizza's
w/ some fangs!

My kids loved 'em!

Happy Halloween!!

We also had a little Halloween party for the little guys that don't go to school and get to enjoy all the class parties. I made the veggie tray and friends brought over other yummy Halloween treats!

We also had Hot Dog Mummies, straight out of their tombs!

Fun creations and memories!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

This recipe is from Skinnytaste and looked awesome.

Spaghetti Squash Sausage Lasagna Boats

Via Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

• 3 small to medium spaghetti squash (about 5 cups cooked)
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (or basil)
• 3/4 cup whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese

For the Sauce:

• 1 tsp olive oil 
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 14 oz Italian chicken sausage
• 14 oz (1/2 can) crushed tomatoes (I prefer Tuttorosso)  
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped basil

Go to the website for the directions.

*I used organic Gouda cheese instead of Ricotta Cheese and didn't add any Mozzarella and organic ground beef.

But, basically...

Cutting a Spaghetti Squash can be difficult in fact dangerous!

The shell is hard hard hard.

So, I've come to learn to cook it in the oven for abt 15mins in a dish w/ water to let it soften up and then remove it and cut it in half. Much easier! But be careful because it will be hot.

Cook at 400deg. for an hour more or less.
It usually takes 45mins.

You'll know if it's needs to cook longer because the "noodles" are stiff and crunchy.

Spaghetti Squash is actually a beautiful thing once it's cooked and tastes yummy.
It should taste yummy and to me sweet.
Not bitter and gross that you have to spit it out.
Yuck.

For the meat sauce...

Chop up garlic and onions
Infuse in hot pan w/ oil
Then add meat and cook
Add can of diced tomatoes.
Plus, S&P
Dried Basil
& Bay Leaf.

Let it simmer for 20+mins.

I really wanted to add fresh basil, but the grocery store down the road from was closed and the other two stores I went to didn't have it. Darn it!

It still smelled good.

Grate your cheeses and chop up the parsley and mix together to top it all off.

Once you have the squash shells ready...

Mix the "noodles" and meat and put inside
Then add a little more meat sauce on top.
Top it all off with the shredded cheese/parsley mix

Wow, this smelled delicious and of course the Fish Fam enjoyed it :)

And for leftovers I put this over baked potatoes and grated more fresh cheese.

Yum.

Pork & Pineapple Pizza

 My favorite TV show is Food Network. 

I've gotten so many good ideas, tips, help, & encouragement.

We've never had a TV with cable, but I'm sure grateful that while

we live here at my in-laws condo we have it!

This meal was inspired by a FN Show Sandra's Money Saving Meals.

 She made a pork roast & was using it for all kinds 

of dishes and one of them was pizza....

The kids were hungry and I though HEY! I have a big leftover bowl of  Kula Pork in the fridge

from a church even I went to that our Hawaiian Relief Society Pres. made. I also had a frozen cheese pizza in the fridge, and a Maui Fresh Pineapple was also sitting in the fridge ready to use!

With my little sous chef we spread the pork all over.

Chopped up some onions & pineapple.

 Baked it in 10min.

 Added some fresh cilantro.

And "Cucumber Chips"

Sprinkled w/ S&P love!

(Salt & Pepper)

 

Ohhh, it looked good and they happily enjoyed it!

Beef & Bean Burritos

This recipe is from The Pioneer Woman.

My favorite Food Network Show at the moment.

Beef & Bean Burritos.

My little sous chef loved helping!

Homemade Superhero Pizza's!

For our little superhero's birthday party we made homemade superhero pizza! Recipe I use below. We usually make pizza's with half no cheese and the other half very little cheese. these ones we loaded it on to get better color. The kids loved them! The Batman pizza was the only veggie, ha, with olives only.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

2 1/2 tablespoons applesauce

1 tablespoon agave

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 cups organic white flour

*I use applesauce in place of oil, agave in place of honey or sugar, sea salt instead of table salt, and organic flour instead of regular white flour.

1.  Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.   (Add a teaspoon or less of sugar if you'd like, sugar make the yeast more lively.)

2.  Mix the applesauce, agave, sea salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl.  If using a food processor, add 1 cup of flour at a time, up to 3 cups, mixing well after each addition.  You may have to stir in the third cup of flour by hand, depending on your machine.  Or mix in all 3 cups of flour by hand with a wooden spoon.

If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is soft.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes. (I've noticed that making the dough with applesauce in place of oil makes the dough more flaky, but nonetheless always turns out fine and tastes great. If it's too flaky add a little more applesauce next time.) 

3.  Lightly grease pizza pan with oil and roll into shape desired or breadsticks etc.  Let rise a couple of minutes before putting toppings on. (Letting it rise always makes the applesauce dough easier to roll out.)

For bread sticks:  roll into sticks and brush with butter and garlic salt.  Let rise for about 15 minutes and then bake at 425 for 10 minutes, brushing with more butter/garlic halfway through.

  It's a soft but not sticky dough.  It's really fast and easy!

Here is the adult's pizza...

 My slice with avocados, yum. A friend puts fresh ripe avocados on her pizza. So glad I picked that up!