Chicken Sausage Garlic Parmesan Pasta

I wasn't sure what to make....hmmm, what to do what to do?????

My oldest spoke up and said Alfredo!!

And I remembered I had something similar posted on my cupboard from Damn Delicious....One Pot Garlic Parmeasan Pasta! The Fish Fam always loves this dish, which I have changed up a little bit....

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 med. onion
• 5-6 shitake mushrooms
• 1 package chicken sausage
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup rice/coconut milk, or more, as needed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes, then add chicken sausage.
2. Stir in chicken broth, milk, butter and fettuccine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

* I doubled the recipe.. 

This pasta dish smelled so so good. 

Yummmmm!!!

Hoisin Chicken Stir-fry

I bought some small chicken cuts at a local Japanese grocery store and fried them up with some homemade hoisin sauce. This meal turned out great and was quick and easy to throw together!

Homemade Hoisin Sauce:

• 4 Tbps. Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Black Bean Paste
• 1 Tbsp. honey or molasses
• 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 20 drops hot sauce
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper 

Combine all the ingredients together!

I fried up some garlic and onions. Then added the chicken and cooked for about 5mins and then added the last of the sauce that I had. Maybe about 1/8 cup or a little more and it thickened up really well. Add some green onions to brighten up the dish! Maybe next time I'll have to marinate the chicken in my homemade hoisin sauce. Yum!

The results were all thumbs up! 

The Fish Fam really enjoyed this dish over rice!

Chicken & Onions In White Sauce w/ Quinoa

This dinner was really quick and easy to make and most importantly the Fish Fam loved it!

My youngest loves loves quinoa, so I decided to do quinoa instead of noodles or rice. If you haven't had quinoa I highly recommend you try out this awesome superfood filled with lots of health benefits!

I'm always changing up recipes to adjust the dairy content (besides the butter) and this time I used a gluten free flour too....

White Sauce Ingredients: 

4 tbsp. butter (can sub with Ghee for dairy & casin free)

4 tbsp. flour (can sub. w/ gluten-free flour)

2 1/2 cup milk (we like our rice/coconut milk mix) warm

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Directions:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan
• Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles (don't let it brown)
• Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens
• Bring it to a boil
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Lower the heat, and cook, stirring for a few more minutes
• Remove from the heat

*I didn't know how the gluten free flour would change the recipe, but it came out really good and all I heard from my husband and the kids of how good it was.

*If the sauce isn't think enough, in a separate pan heat up a tablespoon of butter and then add a tablespoon of flour and stir. Add the mix into the sauce and keep stirring. 

While the sauce was cooking I stir-fried some red onions and garlic in grapeseed oil and then added some diced chicken and cooked thoroughly. Let it sauté and brown to bring out more flavor, just make sure there is enough oil in the pan so it doesn't burn. 

I steamed some broccoli and cut up some bell peppers and cucumber and whala dinner was done!

Picante Chili

These chili beans are super easy to make in the Instant Pot!

I named it Picante Chili because you add a big jar of Picante salsa. I've tired other salsa brands and the Fish Fam loved the Picante kind.

Ingredients: 

• 6 cups soaked overnight pinto beans
• 3-5 slices of bacon or 1/2-1cup pre chopped bacon (in bag)
• 1lb. hamburger meat
• 1 chopped onion or died chopped onion
• 1 tbsp of diced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 Tbsp Chili powder
• 1 Tbsp of smoked paprika 
• Salt and pepper as desired
• Few dashes of Cayenne powder, if you want it spicier
• 24 oz. jar Pace Medium Picante Sauce
• 24-30oz of water (enough to just cover the beans)

Directions: 

• Soak the beans overnight (will cook better & be softer)
• Cook the bacon slices. Don't have to cook fully. 
• Clean the pan out a bit and fry some of the onions and garlic.
• Add the hamburger meat and cook. Don't have to cook all the way.
• I like draining the fat. 
• Chop and add bacon pieces. 
• Add all the spices....

•  Add everything to the pot....

• I fill the empty picante jar with water, about a jar and a half or so, just enough to cover the beans. 
• Set at manuel for 110 mins.
• Let it naturally release for about 25-30 mins. or longer. For safety reasons do not do a quick erase and let the IP do a natural release.  If you instantly release the pressure the high pressure in the pot will shoot steaming hot liquids out of the vent (depending on how full the pot is). Letting it naturally release will cook the beans longer, which is fine.

• Serve over Navajo Tacos, rice, baked potatoes, we like to serve them over lots of cauliflower, or anything you'd like!

ENJOY!

Thai Yellow Curry

If there is one type of food the Fish Fam loves it's curry. 

Whether it be Thai, Indian, or Japanese.

It's all so amazingly good.

I worked at a Thai restaurant while in college. The family was from Bangkok and they made the best Thai food in town. Seriously, Thai Ruby is the best! If you live in Provo, Utah area check them out! Here's their menu.They used lots and lots of fresh ingredients. Their mom was very traditional and I loved that she grew her own basil plants out back. They would go to different grocery stores to get the best quality fruits and veggies. Again the mom was very very particular about only picking the best mangoes for their Thai Mango with Coconut Sticky Rice dessert. Oh my, so incredibly good! That being said, it was only a seasonal dessert, so you better believe my husband and I went all the time when it was in season. Which, actually, when my husband and I were first married we ended up living right below this restaurant. I forgot about that! 

The family would make yearly trips back home to Thailand during Christmas Break, which we were always sad to see them closed because we loved going there. They would bring back plenty of their specials ingredients and spices. I specifically remember always picking Thai Ruby to go out for my birthday dinner in January because can you tell I really love Thai food?! Plus when you get a bigger group to go you can do family style and share lots of incredibly good Thai dishes. 

Well, onto the curry, I remember for the most part Thai Ruby used Mae Ploy curry paste, "O" the son who manages the place, said it's the best kind. He also said for Americans they had to make it sweeter and add more sugar. Lol!! But of course, Americans can't really enjoy other cultural foods without adding lots of sugar. Smh. 

Anyways, while shopping I always read the ingredient labels and Mae Ploy has the shortest list and best ingredients. Being that we live on a military base in Japan, my options are slim. So I was happy they have this brand of curry paste. Really though, I ought to make it from scratch, but I have yet to try that!!

Check out the awesome ingredients with NO msg, preservatives, or artificial color added. Looks great to me compared to the super cheap and awful ingredients in the other curry pastes with things like, ya know...MSG, Sodium metabisulfites, #40 yellow yaddah yaddah #5,6 and 7 coloring, etc.! You'll want to stay away from these and other ingredients like them. 

Okay, onto the recipe. I use this recipe on the carton as a guide.....

Directions: 

- I first start off infusing up to 3 minced garlic cloves in the pan. Infuse means to cook on med.-low heat garlic in oil. This will bring out the flavor of the garlic in a very good way. Then I add some chopped onions and sprinkle some salt on top and cook for a few mins. 

- Then I stir-fry 50g about 3.5 Tbsp of Yellow Curry Paste with 1Tbsp oil, then add 1 cup coconut milk. This is also letting the curry paste infuse in the oil to bring out the flavor of the curry. Yum, it's starting to smell sooo good!

-Add 200g of cubed or shredded chicken, which is about 1.5cups and add another 1/2cup coconut milk (which should be the rest of the can) and heat until boiling. 

-Add about 1 cup of cubed potatoes, 1/2 of diced onion, and I add carrots too, then add 1/2 cup water and cook until the vegetables soften. You may want to add the potatoes a little bit later because they cook faster than the onions and carrots.

-Lastly, add 2tsp sugar or to taste.

*I use this recipe as a guide and always double it and add as much curry paste, potatoes, onions, and carrots as I think best. Also, something that makes a huge difference is NOT using water. I use my homemade bone broth or the broth left over from cooking my frozen chicken breast in my instant pot. I also add fresh basil in the end and let it simmer. For more flavor I'll add some Red Boat Fish Sauce. 

*I am also very choosy about the coconut milk I use. Cheap coconut milk brands have some pretty bad additives and preservatives as well. Thai Kitchen is good, but Native Forest Organic Coconut is better. I order mine from Vitacost here. I also love that the can inside is BPA-free. Did you know canned foods are lined with BPA? Fresh is always best. 

*Also, if want more flavor in your meat I would recommend using chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are dark meat and fattier and hold more flavor. 

*So because of my Instant Pot or rather Incredible Pot or now formally named Mr. Incredible...

I can take out my organic frozen chicken breast from the freezer and have it cooked in 30ish mins! I'm tellin' ya this thing is incredible. It has made things so much easier. All you do is put 1.5 cups of water in the pot with 1lb of frozen chicken breast and put it to a manual time of 10mins. After about 10mins it reaches high presses, cooks for 10mins, and then with a natural release pressure of 10mins the chicken is mostly cooked, depending on its thickness. Which I use thicker chicken breast and don't want it cooked all the way through because I'm going to continue cooking it on the stove. So there you have it Mr. Incredible comes to the rescue!

Ok, now go enjoy that curry!!

But wait, don't forget to serve it over white rice or even better Jasmine rice. 

Yum. Yum.

Instant Pot: Lamb Stew

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.

Stew & Frybread

The Fish Fam sure enjoyed this meal...

Navajo Frybread & Stew

I'm Navajo and growing up I always enjoyed helping my grandma, mom, and aunties all make or rather "flap" the dough, to get it stretched and ready to fry in the pan. Unfortunately, I never learned how to make the dough. Sad I know. But, I sure can flap out the dough. But, getting the dough just right so it's nice and soft and easy to flap is an art that doesn't include measurements! It's all about watching your Masani (grandma) and learning.

But, in the last few times that I've made my own dough, and yes did have to use measurements, it's came out pretty good. The thing that might be funny is this is an all organic fry bread. Lol! It's even fried in organic shortening from mechanically pressed palm oil. A much healthier option than the usual crisco or vegetable oil.

Seriously, read this article here why vegetable oils and margarines are so toxic for our bodies.

You can use this recipe for a general idea and try at making your own dough...

Navajo Tortillas or Frybread

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups warm water

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add 1 cup of the water and mix, adding more water as needed to make dough soft but not sticky. Knead smooth. It's best to let it sit on the counter with a towel over it to let it soften up, makes it easier to work with. When ready tear off a chunk about the size of a small peach. Roll in a ball then flatten out to about 1/8 inch. And flap and stretch it if you know how or just use a rolling pin. Put in pan or cast iron skillet or in hot oil to fry (carefully do so dipping the dough in the pan closest to you and slowly laying down the dough away from you until it is all in the oil, be so carefully to not drop the dough in or it will splash oil all over). Watch it closely and turn and cook on other side.

Serve with Navajo mutton stew. Yum!

Or in this case beef stew. They didn't have any mutton this time at the store.

Beef Stew

Meat:

1- 1 1/2 pounds stew beef

Vegetables:

1 onion, chopped

2-4 cubed potatoes

2-4 carrot, chopped

2-4 celery stalks, chopped

1 zucchini & yellow squash each

*All to your liking or add different veggies.

Seasonings:

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoons dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

*All to your liking

Flour Mix:

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

10-12 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons oil

The broth for our beef stew was made out of beef bones that we cooked in our pressure cooker, an Insta Pot, so amazing! Then I coated the beef chunks in 1/2 cup gluten free flour, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of pepper....mixed and shook meat and flour in a ziplock bag until it was well coated. Then added the oil to the pot and cooked it until it was browned all all sides, took a few minutes. Then I took it out and placed it on a plate. Next, add a little beef broth, maybe a little bit more oil to sauté the onions until caramelized and soft. Add in all the beef broth, meat, and chopped up vegetables. Cook until veggies are soft and ready!

You can make this stew in the crock pot or pressure cooker (find a good recipe and follow instructions exactly).

Also, add more sea salt (prob more of this) and pepper to taste.

While it's cooking get your dough ready and whalla, enjoy!

Flavorful Chicken Fajitas

These Chicken Fajitas were sure flavorful and tasty!

I love cooking with lots of spices.

I used this Flavorful Chicken Fajitas marinade recipe....

From Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2-3 T lemon juice (I did lime)
• 1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice and seasonings; add the chicken. Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.

Discard marinade. In the same skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Return pepper mixture to pan; heat through.

Spoon filling down the center of tortillas; fold in half. Serve with cheese, taco sauce, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Yield: 6 servings.

*I used avocado oil and didn't get to marinade the chicken, but just let it sit in the sauce before I stir-fried it for a little bit. I chopped up some green and red peppers, onions, and mushrooms. When I stir-fired the veggies I sprinkled with some salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. All we had in the fridge were some corn tortillas.

We topped the corn tortillas with...

 Rice
The veggies
Chicken
Salsa

And the boys devoured them!

Enjoy!

Jiaozi...Dumplings & Mushrooms

When we need a quick fix for dinner, we usually have a bag of Ling Ling Potsickers in the freezer.

But, just boiling them can get boring sometimes.

My family loves crispy dumplings w/ sauteed mushrooms and green onions.

They are no where near as good as the real stuff in China, but they sure are good.

Chicken Soup

 I like making my own bone broth or chicken stock from a whole organic chicken. I bake it, take the meat off, and then boil the carcass for the whole day with garlic, onions, and celery. Then I have lots of chicken meat for salad's, soups, sandwiches, and curries!

Check out Wellness Mama Bone Broth Benefits, "Homemade bone broth is an incredibly nutrient dense food and it is also very inexpensive to make. Broth is packed with minerals, gut-soothing gelatin and amino acids proline and glycine. Broth’s natural gelatin content helps sooth the digestive track and improve nutrient absorption." 

For more good info check out her "How to make bone broth" tutorial and explanation of why it's so good and healthy for us to consume.

After letting the broth boil for a day, the next day I pulled it out of the fridge and then added potatoes, carrots, onions, some of the chicken meat, and rice. It was really fast, simple, and good! Especially, with some toasted Rosemary Bread.