Hi!!!!
Hey, I'm back! Where did I go? That's a great question, and when I have an answer for that, I'll let you know.
The last year and half has been such a whirlwind for me and my family. Up and down...and down again...and down again...and now I am cautiously hopeful that we are on an upswing.
I've composed a million blog posts in my head explaining the last year to all of you. And since all of those thoughts are still swirling in my head, I'm going to set them aside and just return to blogging with an awesome recipe to use up those over-flowing garden veggies.
I do not have a garden. (Gasp!) I have never had a green thumb...most things I planted in the past died. And I don't have house plants because my darling cat eats them. Even the fake ones. Seriously, any silk flowers in my house are in wall-mounted vases. She WILL eat them.
This year, we had our house for sale (part of the swirly, whirly, long story) and I decided to try planting flowers in the flower bed to spruce up the curb appeal. If they all died, oh well.
Surprisingly, they lived!
These pictures are from right after they were planted. Today, they are thriving!
Win!
After this small success, my hope is that next year we will try a vegetable garden. But until then, I will just continue raiding the gardens of all my friends.
This recipe is very easy to throw together and is pretty healthy. It's great for the nights that you work or have games to get to. (Because it's August...and we have to start thinking about school schedules...sigh...)
The ingredients are chicken, pasta, salsa, corn, green pepper, and cheese.
Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. We use whole wheat pasta from Aldi that is less that $1/box.
Cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and start cooking the chicken in the skillet with some olive oil for about 2 minutes. Stir in salsa - you can use any salsa. We are big fans of Wildtree Fiesta Salsa Mix, but today I made homemade salsa for the first time. It's marinating for 24 hours, so I can't tell you yet how it turned out...BUT if it's good, it will be posted ASAP. I'm overly excited about this salsa...
Next, stir in corn (canned, fresh or frozen) and chopped green peppers. Bring to a boil and then simmer on med-low heat for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Make sure to stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.
Drain the pasta and stir into chicken mixture.
Good grief, that looks amazing. In all honesty, I haven't made this in awhile. These pictures are from a few months ago...It just never made it to the blog. Just keepin' it real.
I'm thinking this will be on the menu next week.
Sprinkle cheese on top and cover to allow cheese to melt.
This night I tried out roasting green beans to go along with the meal. I just tossed some fresh green beans in olive oil, garlic salt and Parmesan and then roasted them in the oven.
More honesty here...I have yet to master the art of roasting vegetables. It seems like it should be a pretty simple task compared to all the other ways to cook vegetables...but I just haven't been able to figure it out. Every time I've tried they turn out...well..let's just say... not awesome.
So if anyone would like to share the secret that I'm missing, please do!
There it is. An awesome chicken skillet and some so-so green beans.
Thanks for sticking with me despite my year-long absence.
You guys are the best!
Cheesy Chicken and Salsa Skillet
recipe from www.kraftfoods.com
- 2 cups whole wheat penne pasta, cooked
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 1/4 cups salsa
- 1 cup corn, frozen (or fresh/canned)
- 1 large green pepper, chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (we like colby jack)
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add chicken pieces. Cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in salsa, corn, and green peppers. Bring to a boil and then simmer on med-low heat for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally.
Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture and stir. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit until cheese is melted.
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