Tag: easy recipes

Italian, Pasta

Stovetop Chicken Broccoli Parmesan Pasta

by aspoonfulofsimpleblogLeave a Comment on Stovetop Chicken Broccoli Parmesan Pasta

As this quarantine continues, I have to ditch my regular rotation of recipes and utilize whatever is left in the fridge. Yesterday I was trying to figure out how to use the ground chicken I had along with the broccoli that didn’t have much life left. I wasn’t feeling an Asian chicken and broccoli dish, so I decided to do a pasta dish! With a little inspiration from a Woman’s Day recipe I found, we came up with this! And it was a hit!

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (I used medium shells)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground chicken (can use ground chicken breast for a lighter take)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more to taste for more heat)

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup Pinot Grigio (or some other dry white wine)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 lb broccoli crowns, chopped finely

2 tsp lemon juice

1 cup finely grated Parmesan

2 tbsp butter

1 cup reserved pasta water (to thicken sauce at the end)

Directions

  1. In a separate pot, cook pasta according to their pasta directions. Add some salt to the boiling water to add some more flavor (we will be reserving one cup of this liquid before we drain the pasta!).
  2. Heat olive oil in a high sided skillet over medium heat and add in garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn!
  3. Add in ground chicken and red pepper flakes to the pan with the garlic. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Break up the chicken into small pieces as it browns in the pan.
  4. Once chicken is fully cooked (no more pink!), add in the white wine and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. It will evaporate a bit of the wine as it cooks.
  5. Add in the chopped broccoli and the chicken broth. Let it simmer and cook the broccoli for about 5-6 minutes.
  6. Add in the lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and a little more salt and pepper.
  7. Remove from heat. Add in butter and reserved pasta water to thicken the sauce.
  8. Toss your pasta into the chicken and broccoli sauce. Make sure it is fully covered. If you need more flavor, add more parmesan cheese, lemon juice, butter, red pepper flakes, or PEPPER! ( I love adding a bunch of pepper at the end!).
  9. Serve and enjoy!
Saute the garlic!
Add in chicken and red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
After you simmer in the white wine (for about 2 minutes), add in the broccoli and chicken broth.
Reserve one cup of that pasta water goodness!
Now we have added in cheese, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, remove from heat and add in the butter and reserved pasta water.
Add in pasta and serve!
Delicious!
Instant Pot, Italian, Pasta, Under 10 WW SmartPoints

Instant Pot Chicken Piccata

by aspoonfulofsimpleblogLeave a Comment on Instant Pot Chicken Piccata

One of my favorite combination of flavors involves lemon, butter, olive oil, and garlic…but really, who wouldn’t like that? This Instant Pot chicken piccata recipe is a simple one pot meal that combines the functions of sautéing and pressure cooking to create the most delectable chicken and juices to pour over your favorite pasta, rice, or veggies.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut thin or in strips (I bought tenderloins)

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 lemons

1 clove garlic, minced

2 small shallots, finely diced

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Pat chicken dry. If it is a thicker breast, butterfly it and slice it into thinner pieces. I used chicken breast tenderloins and they worked perfectly!
  2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour on a plate. Toss the seasoned chicken in the flour to coat.
  3. Place your Instant Pot in “saute” mode. Melt the butter and pour the olive oil in the pot until hot. Brown the chicken in the oil and butter until golden/brown on the outside (will not be fully cooked through yet). About 2-3 minutes per side. Do this in batches, if necessary.
  4. Remove chicken to a plate.
  5. Quickly add shallots and garlic to the hot oil and butter. Stir around for about 30 seconds – 1 minute until fragrant–be very careful not to burn them!
  6. Add chicken broth into the Instant Pot to deglaze (be sure to scrape off any stuck brown bits from the bottom of the pot during this step –this will prevent a “BURN” notice when pressure cooking).
  7. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and layer slices from the other lemon in the liquid.
  8. Add chicken back into the pot and stir together.
  9. Close your Instant Pot with the lid and set the top valve to “Sealing” mode. Set to High Pressure for 4 minutes (more time may be needed for a thicker piece of chicken).
  10. Once 4 minutes has completed, allow for a natural pressure release for 5 minutes (don’t touch anything, pot will read LO:05).
  11. Release the pressure carefully, add in the rinsed and drained capers, and serve over pasta, rice, or veggies!

**NOTE: I do not thicken the sauce because I like to pour it over pasta as a lemon/butter sauce. Feel free to thicken it with additional flour at the end!**

Season the chicken
Dredge in flour
Brown in the butter/ olive oil
Remove chicken / add shallots and garlic to the Instant Pot
Deglaze pot with chicken broth / add lemon juice and lemon slices … then mix chicken back in and pressure cook for 4 minutes!
Ready to release the pressure and add the capers!
That sauce, though…
Serve and enjoy!

Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 6 points per serving of chicken with sauce (add more for whatever you serve it with). This recipe makes 4 servings total. Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.

Print a copy for your recipe binder!


Note: Nutrition information may not be exact. Ingredients were estimated and entered using verywellfit.com’s Nutrition Calculator.
Beef, Party Favorites, Sandwich

10-Minute Air Fryer Cheeseburgers

by aspoonfulofsimpleblogLeave a Comment on 10-Minute Air Fryer Cheeseburgers

I’ve been hearing about how juicy and delicious air fryer hamburgers/cheeseburgers are, but I never imagined just how easy they would be. Seriously! Top 5 easiest things I’ve ever made. And you don’t have to babysit it like you would on stovetop.

Ingredients

2 hamburger patties (I get mine from the butcher section of my grocery store)

Olive oil spray

Cheese of your choice (I use pepperjack)

2 brioche buns

Toppings of choice!

Directions

  1. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil.
  2. Season hamburger patties with salt and pepper. Place in the air fryer basket.
  3. Cook at 360 degrees F for 8-12 minutes, depending on how well done you like your burgers (I did 10). Flip half way through cooking time.
  4. After cooking time is up, open the basket and add cheese to each burger. Place it back in the air fryer and cook for an additional minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  5. Toast your brioche buns and serve it up!
This is my first flip half way through cooking time!
Look how juicy the finished burgers are! Delicious!
Melt that cheese on top!
Perfect!

Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 17 points per cheeseburger (with pepperjack cheese). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.

Print a copy for your recipe binder!

Note: Nutrition information may not be exact. Ingredients were estimated and entered using verywellfit.com’s Nutrition Calculator.
Mexican, Under 10 WW SmartPoints

15-Minute Chicken Fajitas

by aspoonfulofsimpleblog1 Comment on 15-Minute Chicken Fajitas

Some weekdays I get home from work and just don’t have it in me to prepare a meal. But, on those days I also realize that the amount of time it would take me to wait for a delivery meal, I could have a much healthier and easier option at my fingertips. That’s when these 15-minute chicken fajitas come into play! I buy precut fajita veggies, a simmer sauce, and stir fry chicken to make this meal SO easy and SO good! This semi-homemade meal will be sure to please everyone while giving you your night back!

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1.5 lbs chicken breast (I bought the stir fry cut chicken to make it easier!)

1 package of Frontera Fajita Skillet Sauce with chipotle + lime

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cumin to taste

8 flour tortillas

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet. Cook fajita veggies (onion, peppers) in the oil until they start to get a golden color (about 3-5 minutes).
  2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin, to taste.
  3. Remove the veggies from the skillet to rest on a plate. Add another 1 tbsp of oil. Add in chicken, in batches if needed. Cook through until fully browned and at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  4. Remove chicken to a plate. Drain excess oil from the pan.
  5. Pour fajita sauce into skillet until it starts to boil. Add the cooked chicken and veggies back into the skillet. Combine until well coated by the sauce. Let simmer for 2-5 minutes on low.
  6. Serve with heated flour tortillas!

Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 9 points per serving (2 tortillas with fajita filling per serving!) Only 3 points with no tortillas! Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.

Print a copy of this recipe for your recipe binder!

Note: Nutrition information may not be exact. Ingredients were estimated and entered using verywellfit.com’s Nutrition Calculator.