New Recipe Resolution: Apricot Chicken

If you have these five ingredients, then you have a meal: 

- chicken breasts or thighs
- apricot preserves
- soy sauce
- Brussels sprouts
- butternut squash

My friend has been emailing recipes to me to help with my new year's recipe resolution and she sent this five-ingredient meal that was, as you can imagine, super easy to make. 

I bought a package of chicken thighs, since they were less expensive, and took off the skin. In a bowl I combined one jar of the preserves with a few (6-8), strong shakes of soy sauce. Soy sauce is ultra-salty, so be careful with how much you add and taste along the way. Some people may want their glaze sweeter and some may want it to be on the saltier side.

Place chicken pieces in a baking pan and salt and pepper each side, then cover with the glaze. Put the pan in an oven pre-heated to 450 degrees and cook for 25-30 minutes. 

The Brussels sprouts and butternut squash make for the perfect sides, but you can choose whichever veggies you like. Fresh & Easy has packages of butternut squash already cubed, so I bought a bag of that and a bag of Brussels sprouts and laid them out on a sheet pan. I drizzled on olive oil and sprinkled the veggies with salt, pepper, and thyme. I add the tray to the oven and cooked for about 25 minutes. You can serve with rice or pasta if you want to add a starch.

I love when people send me recipes, so if you have any that I should try, send my way! As you can probably tell, I like to take the easy, low-budget route. 

Enjoy the eats!

Image from Pinterest

New Recipe Resolution: Mexican Lasagna

Casseroles are a good idea for our household because we can have leftovers that don't have to last all week. I can get down with leftovers, but I don't really want to eat the same thing for days and days. 

I had looked up a few recipes for a Mexican-style casserole and kind of combined different ones to make this Mexican Lasagna, which was simple to put together and a good choice for a Friday night. 

What you need: 

- 1 package of corn tortillas

- 1 lb. of ground beef 

- 1/2 onion

- 1 can of refried beans

- 1 can of salsa verde

- 1 package of shredded cheddar cheese

- 1 can of corn

Spices to use: taco seasoning, salt, pepper, chili powder

First, add a little oil to a pan and dice up the onion and saute. Add ground beef and cook all the way through. Add spices to the meat mixture and set aside. Make sure it is seasoned well. Taste it and add as needed.

Spray non-stick cooking spray on the inside of a baking pan. Cut tortillas in half and place in single layer along the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of salsa verde, then layer of refried beans, layer of the meat mixture, layer of corn, and shredded cheese. Repeat the assembly with more layer. 

Bake in oven preheated at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with chips and salsa. 

Next time I make it, I will probably add Monterey Jack cheese and or the Queso Blanco Velveeta for extra spice, flavor, and cheesiness. Also, you most likely aren't going to use the entire package of tortillas, so save the extra for breakfast tacos made with scrambled eggs, veggies, and salsa!

For this recipe...I forgot to take pictures! Gotta get better at that.

Side food note: I've realized I love vegetables roasted. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to pretty much any veggie and it's delicious. Last vegetable used: cauliflower. I added thyme, seasoned salt, and a little bit of cinnamon. YUM!

New Recipe Resolution: Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

In the days when I used to eat at Olive Garden, I always ordered either the Ravioli di Portobello or the Chicken Con Broccoli. Then, for whatever reason, I didn't order alfredo-based sauces anymore for a long time. They were too heavy. And when reheating leftovers, the amount of oil that had separated out was kind of eye opening.

Well, I decided to give it another whirl. At home. Since one of my 2015 goals is to make one new recipe a week, I figured that Chicken Broccoli Alfredo would be easy and tasty, and it was!

I used: 

- 1 package of uncooked chicken already cut up in small, thin strips
- 1 package of uncooked broccoli
- 1 package of penne noodles
- 1 jar of Alfredo sauce

Four ingredients! Woo! I sauteed the chicken in a little bit of oil and added salt, pepper, and garlic salt for added flavor since chicken is so bland. I steamed all the broccoli and boiled the penne. Once everything was cooked, I drained the noodles, then added the broccoli and chicken to the pot. 

Finally, I poured the Alfredo sauce over everything and mixed well. I filled up the sauce jar halfway with water and put the lid back on, shook it up, and poured in the pot to get every last drop out. My mom taught me that trick when cooking with jarred sauces. Top with parmesan cheese and serve with garlic bread. 

Bonus of making this meal: Although I could have made my own sauce, the kind I used only had 4.5 grams of fat per serving, so I was able to make the pasta broccoli heavy and light on sauce. Just like I wanted it.

Mikey told me it was excellent! Then again, he says that about everything I cook. Smart man. His only request for next time: use bowtie pasta. 

As you can tell, I'm a fan of the quick and easy recipes that aren't too expensive. The whole meal came to about $15 for two people with leftovers. Later on in the year, I will try to attempt to be more ambitious with recipes that contain more than four ingredients, but in the meantime, it feels good just to be cooking at home.

Bonus kinda-sorta recipe: I enhanced my leftover rice and veggies from the other night by heating them up and adding a perfectly fried egg on top, soy sauce, then doused it all with sriracha. Everything is better with that stuff.

I'm learning to use what's in the fridge and cabinets, which isn't much, but it's helping me get creative and planning out the exact groceries I need when shopping. So far, so good. 

Enjoy the eats!