Chicken and Mushroom Pasta with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bow-tie pasta, cooked
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons sage
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons parsley

Instructions:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper. paprika and Italian seasoning. Then add chicken breasts to skillet. Cook for approximately 5 to 6 minutes and then flip to cook other side. Remove chicken from skillet once fully cooked and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add 3 more tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and onion. Cook for approximately 4 minutes or until garlic is flagrant and onions are translucent.
4. Stirring constantly, add remaining butter to skillet. Cook for another minute and then add sage, rosemary, thyme and mushrooms. Cook for another two minutes.
5. While continuing to stir constantly, add chicken broth and heavy cream to skillet. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken. 
6. In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch and water. Then add mixture to skillet to thicken sauce even more. 
7. Once sauce has reached desired thickness, add Parmesan cheese to skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add pasta and chicken to skillet and mix well. Cover and simmer for about five minutes.
9. Remove skillet from heat . Top with parsley before serving.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Taco Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 medium bell peppers
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups hot salsa
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or taco-blend cheese
• 1 tablespoon Mexican chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet, cook beef and onions until beef is no longer pink and onions are translucent. Stir in Mexican chili powder, cayenne pepper and paprika. Add the black beans and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove stems and seeds.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add peppers to boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
5. Place bell peppers hollowed-out side up on an ungreased 13'x9' baking dish. Fill peppers with 1/2 cup meat mixture.
6. Cover dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
7. Top with diced tomatoes and cheese. Put back into oven for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream. Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan Bites

Eggplant parmesan is one of my favorite dishes. However, it is not typically a lunch or snack food. This afternoon, I was craving eggplant parmesan but did not want to eat a heavy meal in the early afternoon. So I came up with this simple appetizer. Pieces of eggplant coated in Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese with a spicy marinara sauce on the side. Perfect for snacking and sharing with friends.  It's super easy and takes only a few minutes to make. So what are you waiting for? Let's get started!

Ingedients

• Two medium-sized eggplants
• 2 teaspoons of parsley
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs or panko
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped red peppers
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Wash and peel eggplants. Dice eggplant into medium-sized squares. Season eggplant with pepper and salt to taste.   Put eggplant pieces into colander and drain
2. Add flour into a bowl. Add eggs into another bowl and mix well. Add parmesan cheese and panko into a third bowl and mix well.
3. Dip eggplant squares into the flour, then the eggs, and finally the parmesan/panko mix.
4. Put vegetable oil into a saucepan and heat until about 375 degrees Fahrenheit,
5. Put eggplant squares into oil and fry. Remove eggplant squares from oil when they appear brown on all sides.
6. Put fried eggplant pieces aside and continue with the next batch until finished. Sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on the finished eggplant bites.
7. Heat marinara sauce and serve on the side as a dipping sauce.
8. Add chopped red peppers and parsley to sauce if desired.
9. Enjoy!