Some of the recipes I’ve made lately have been absolute favorites here at our house. I’ve started writing them out, so I thought I’d put some up on my blog and share them here and there. Here are two main entrees that are divine. The first is much more labor intense than the second, but it is so worth it. It’s also pretty much a one-stop dish, since it has the veggies in with the starch and the protein.
Asparagus Mushroom Chicken (SO amazingly good it was adored by even my picky toddlers)
- Four to Six chicken breasts (I used frozen boneless/skinless); whichever fit well in a covered saucepan without overlapping.
- One bunch asparagus, I cut the woody part off and then cut it into 1.5″ long parts {logs? pieces? spears?}
- One 15 oz. can alfredo sauce (I’ve also made my own, which is yummier, but this was super easy/quick)
- Enough pasta for six servings. I used a “summer” pasta that was a macaroni weight, so it was nice and light.
- 1 small red-onion, diced
- Salt, Pepper, granulated garlic, whatever other herbs or spices sound and taste good
- Butter
Saute the onions in butter over medium-heat, until semi-translucent, scrape to the side, add more butter and then sear the chicken in the butter on both sides, making a nice brown crust. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic. Redistribute the onions around the chicken, lower the heat (2 ish on my six-setting knob) and cover. Cook the pasta till ALMOST done, it should still be somewhat stiff, drain and add the alfredo sauce, turn the heat to low and slowly warm the alfredo while finishing the pasta cooking. Remove the chicken and cover in the oven on warm (or use a separate skillet for the next steps). Add a couple T of butter and add the hardest parts of the asparagus to the onions and chicken fat. Add the tops of the asparagus when the bottoms are almost halfway done, then cook until the asparagus is soft but not too soft, scrape the pan into the pasta and serve next to the chicken.
Herbed Dijon Roast {I really should just call this Roast Made with Costco Items}
- A medium {3-5lb.} roast, any cut works because it will be cooked for hours in lots of juicy goodness and end up tender enough to eat with a spoon. Basically, if you’ve got a pot big enough to cook the roast while covered, that’s the size roast to use.
- 2TB of dijon mustard per pound of roast {I use Grey Poupon because we buy the double-pack of economy jars at Costco}
- 2TB Kirkland Signature Organic No-Salt Seasoning mix per pound of roast. If you don’t have Costco/ the seasoning, it’s a mixture of dried onions, dried parsley, some dried carrot, garlic, basil, oregano, etc. etc. etc. etc. I used to make my own herb mix, but this has 15+ ingredients and is the lazy woman’s way out. I use it all the time. {Which probably means I’m confessing to being a lazy cook. Haha!}
- Chicken Broth {I get the Pacific Something-or-other Organic Broth at Costco}
- Salt, Pepper, Dried Onions, Garlic {because you can NEVER have too much garlic, and the onions make it nummy, and the S&P is a cook’s staple, and I get all of these at Costco}
Put mustard and seasoning in a bowl, combine; add the chicken broth and set aside. Sear the roast over medium-high heat in a cast-iron or heavy-duty pan that is large enough to hold the roast while covered {I have a 5 qt. Dutch oven from, where else, Costco. I really want a much larger pot, but that’s for another post.} Once the sides/ends of the roast are all caramelized and darkly browned, lay it so the cover of the pot can go on without touching the roast, sprinkle dried onion, garlic and S&P over the roast, then pour the mustard concoction over the roast and turn the heat down to low. I usually cook this on low for 4-5 hours, turning the roast about every 45 minutes to an hour. Once the meat is cooked through, remove the roast from the pan, and turn up the heat to medium to cook down the juice. If, however, you’re like me and want the gravy done now, take a bit of cornstarch {1-2 tsp.} and add it to some gravy you’ve separated out, making a lazy man’s roux which you then whisk into the rest of the gravy and it will thicken nicely, in much less time. Serve with veggies, potatoes, whatever you want. I usually pair it with my creamy scalloped potatoes, but those are for another post.
Seeing as we had take-home fast-food tonight, I’m now craving these amazing dishes. Being out of commission for two weeks really made for a pathetically empty fridge and pantry. I sooo need to restock my kitchen!