Main Dishes Recipes!

Butternut squash and chicken salad.

I used this recipe just to see how to roast butternut squash and how to cut the thing up. I didn't add the pine nuts or parmesan.

https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/roasted-butternut-squash-with-pine-nuts-and-parmesan/

Used half a small head of lettuce of butter lettuce and half a head of some other form of lettuce, washed it and cut it up.

Added a cut up chicken breast.

Added 2 tiny red onions. Probably half a regular size red onion would do.

Then made a mustard viniagrette.

1/4 cup olive oil

1.5 tablespoons white balsalmic vinegar

1.5 tablespoons coarse ground mustard

1/4 tsp of garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

a few cranks of freshly cracked pepper

and whisk together

Add everything to a big bowl and toss with the dressing.

I added parmesan at the end and my husband added mozzarella. Salad seemed to go well with both cheeses.

This is my favorite recipe but can't eat it anymore because rice and peas bother me.

https://www.budgetbytes.com/yellow-rice-chicken-skillet/

@DanaMH that looks nice

ONE-SKILLET CHEESY TUNA PASTA (serves 2)

Ingredients: 2c small pasta (penne, farfalle, macaroni, bowtie, etc.) - 2 cans tuna in oil, drained/dried - 2c 2% milk - 1c water - 4 tbsp butter - 1/2 tsp paprika - 1/2 tsp dry mustard - 2c shredded cheese - 1/2c frozen peas - freshly cracked S&P - *optional ingredients: hot sauce, fresh parsley

Instructions: Add tuna, pasta, milk, water, butter, paprika, dry mustard and frozen peas to skillet (everything but the cheese). Bring to a boil, stir, and then place on a lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer until pasta is cooked and liquid has evaporated (10-15 mins). Stir occasionally to keep pasta from sticking. Then stir in shredded cheese and S&P to taste. Add optional chopped parsley and hot sauce as desired.

All you need is the ingredients and a skillet with a lid (or make a foil lid)! Very easy to double recipe.

Itadakimasu! Love, Kitty 🐱‍🏍

ONE-SKILLET CHEESY TACO PASTA (serves 4-6)

Ingredients: 1lb ground beef- 8oz rotini pasta - 1c salsa - 2c water - 1 1/2c shredded Mexican cheese - 1oz taco seasoning - 1/2 tsp salt - pinch pepper - *optional toppings: cilantro, tortilla chips, tomato, avocado, etc)

Instructions: Preheat skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and season with S&P. Cook/stir occasionally, drain grease. Stir in taco seasoning, then stir in water, salsa, and uncooked noodles; bring to a boil. Stir, cover, and reduce to simmer for 15 mins or until pasta is ready. Turn off heat and stir in Mexican cheese. Add S&P as needed as well as optional toppings.

Another one-pot meal with easy cleanup! Itadakimasu! Love, Kitty 🐱‍🏍

SPAGHETTI WITH RAMPS & PECORINO - this can be substituted, as I do, for convenience/availability

Ingredients: 1/2 box spaghetti - 8oz sliced fresh ramps (or 2 large leeks + chopped garlic) - 1 large thinly sliced fresno chile (small red hot pepper) - 1 block fresh Pecorino Romano - 1c coarsely chopped breadcrumbs (or crushed croutons) - 1-2 tbps crushed red pepper flakes - EVOO and freshly grated S&P

Instructions: Broil your breadcrumbs (day-old bread) until crunchy, or just crush up some salad croutons (this is what I do). Salt water to the "salinity of the sea" and boil pasta to al dente. Heat skillet with 2-3 turns of EVOO on medium heat. Saute ramps (or leeks and garlic) until fragrant and slightly tender. Add sliced chiles and crumbs, continue until tender and golden brown. Season with S&P and red pepper flakes. Toss with drained spaghetti, using some saved pasta water to loosen. Grate the fresh pecorino cheese on top as well as springle some bread crumbs when plating.

Itadakimasu! Love, Kitty 🐱‍🏍

Chicken in Ginger-Caramel Sauce

Yield: 4-6 Servings

A family favorite. You can make this with all dark meat or all white meat if you want. The ginger adds a nice tang. From the SF Chronicle food section.

1/2 Cups dark brown sugar 1 Tbl oil

1/4 Cups water 1 Shallot, sliced

1/4 Cups Asian fish sauce 1 Lb Chicken, skinless, boneless

3 Tbl rice vinegar dark-meat, 1" Pieces

1 Tsp minced garlic Lb Chicken, skinless, boneless

1 Tsp soy sauce, dark or regular white-meat, 1" Pieces

1 Tsp ginger, grated fine Steamed white rice (or quinua)

1 Tsp freshly ground pepper Mushrooms, Shitake or small Portobello

2 small Thai chilies (fresh or dried), broken in half, optional

Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces

Combine the brown sugar, water, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, pepper and chilies in a small bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the shallot and sauté until brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté until it is slightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally.

After 10 minutes, add the mushrooms. Continue to stir occasionally until the sauce has reduced by half, about 12 to 20 minutes depending on the pot size.

Serve over rice (or quinoa) and garnish with cilantro.

Notes: Can substitute 1/4 tsp of red pepper powder for the chili peppers, otherwise follow recipe. The mushrooms were my daughters suggestion, they are optional. I use a MicroPlane to make the ginger almost a paste; my family complained a bit about the larger pieces when I cut them up by hand. When I use Thai chilies, I remove them before adding the sauce to the chicken.

You can make this with all white meat chicken, it is just as good.

This is a recipe that @soulsings is sharing with us:

EGG FOO YONG Put a 6 or 9 inch cast iron pan (works best for me) on the stove at medium heat. Heat while mixing above ingredients. Do not put oil in pan until read to start cooking.

3 egg whites beat with whip till froth. Add finely chopped cooked veggies. I like minced onions and shredded carrots. Add a meat if desired diced. I use a spicy soy sausage made by Tofurkey (1/2 sausage chopped up for one egg foo yong) at Trader Joes or supermarkets. I add a teaspoon of soy sauce, a tsp of garlic powder or fresh garlic crushed, a tsp of onion powder, and 1/3 to 1 tsp of ginger if you like ginger. Combine this in the bowl with eggs.

Add a tablespoon or two or canola or sesame seed oil to the pan depending on how much you cook. I tried splitting it into 2 batches but I like the egg foo yong higher so I spread out oil evenly in pan and then add the egg mixture and all ingredients combined. Cover and cook 5-7 minutes depending on if use all in one batch. Cover and Cook until nearly dry on top and flip with wide flipper and recover turn down heat to low for 5-7 minutes more. I like it dark brown so cooked all the way through. Cook on low heat if you want a lighter surface and cook maybe 10 minutes on each side.

You can serve with gravy if you like.

These all sound so yummy!!

Eggplant Parmesan II Recipe

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25321/eggplant-parmesan-ii/