Posts Tagged "Chicken"

Rolled Green Chile Enchiladas

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Jan 30, 2013 in Fashionably Organic | 9 comments

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
4 cooked chicken breasts shredded
Pinch cumin
Pinch oregano
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
28 oz can of green enchilada sauce
4 oz can of diced green chilies
1 8 oz can of organic black beans
1 8 oz can of organic corn
Green chile corn tortillas (I used seven tortillas, but it depends how titghtly you wrap them and how big your baking dish is)
8 oz (one brick) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
8 oz (one brick) jack cheese, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Serve alongside:  iceberg lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream and beans (re-fried if you’re feeling really saucy)

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven. Season the chicken breast with, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and place in the Dutch oven.   Cook each side of the chicken until golden brown.  Remove from Dutch oven and set aside for a few minutes.  Add flour, let cook until it starts to turn golden brown and the moisture is gone from the pan. Add green chilies  green enchilada sauce, black beans and organic corn and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then add the chicken back in the Dutch oven and let simmer, until the chicken is fully cooked through.  Also letting it reduce a bit, until the green chile thickens.
3. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from green chile mixture and shred using two forks.  Then add it back to the green chile mixture.
4. Spread the bottom of a baking dish with a bit of the green chile mixture.  Take a green chili corn tortilla (these tortillas are so flavorful, I purchased them at Sprouts) and fill it with the green chile chicken mixture. Add a sprinkle of cheese inside the tortilla, roll the tortilla and place in the baking dish.  Continue this process with the rest of your tortillas until the baking dish is full.  Pour some sauce on top, making sure to get some chicken spread evenly throughout. Add a layer of cheese. Pour a bit more sauce on top and cover with cheese.  
5. Bake 30 minutes-ish, or until the whole thing is bubbling and the cheese on top has completely melted. Let rest for 5 minutes or so, then serve in heaping piles with shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream and beans on the side.
6. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro or sweet basil

Chicken and Spinach Béchamel Pasta

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Nov 23, 2012 in Fashionably Organic, Italian, Organic, Pasta | 0 comments

Italian food is my favorite! And guess what? I love pasta!  Besides chocolate, its definitely a guilty pleasure of mine!  This Chicken and Spinach Béchamel is quick and easy and of course super delish!  I love cooking with spinach, because it is rich in vitamins and minerals, it is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection. We all know that spinach is the source of Popeye’s superhuman strength, which of course is a good reason to eat it, right!?!  I love to cook, but the most important thing to me when I cook, is to cook meals that are healthy and good for you!  There are so many foods out there that taste great, but they are horrible for you and the ingredients have damaging lasting effects!  At Fashionably Organic, I have always made my dishes with a healthy spin, so you can feel comfortable eating each and every bite!  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family did!  Bon Appétit!

XO,

Rachel Ashley

Ingredients:

Organic Whole Wheat Linguine noodles

1 Bag of Organic Spinach

2 Organic Chicken Breast

1/2 sweet onion

2 cloves of garlic

Handful Fresh Basil

EVOO

Salt and Pepper

Béchamel Sauce (Or 1 jar of Alfredo Sauce)

Recipe:

Place a grill pan with a couple tablespoons of EVOO over a medium high heat and brown each side of the chicken breast about 3 minutes on each side.  Then turn to medium heat and cover, for about 15 minutes, while you prepare the pasta and the Béchamel sauce.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the linguine pasta and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together, about 8 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the EVOO over medium high heat. Add the diced sweet onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and saute until the garlic is golden brown and the sweet onion is translucent, about 3 minutes (being careful not to burn the garlic).  Add the bag of spinach to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook the spinach down, about 3 minutes.  Meanwhile, chop a handful of fresh basil and set aside. Remove the garlic, onion, and spinach and place in a bowl to the side, while you prepare the Béchamel sauce.  Once the Béchamel suace is prepared add the spinach, garlic, and onion back into the pan and stir.  Drain the pasta and toss in the Béchamel, making sure each strand is coated.  Uncover the chicken and shred. Add the shredded chicken and freshly chopped basil to the pasta and toss.  Place the pasta in a shallow serving bowl and serve immediately! Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.  (QUICK TIP: If you decide to use a jar of Alfredo sauce, add the jar of Alfredo to the onion, garlic, and spinach.  Drain the pasta, shred the chicken, add freshly chopped basil, more salt and pepper to taste, place pasta in a shallow serving bowls and serve immediately.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil).

Ingredients for Béchamel Sauce:

5 tablespoons of unsalted organic butter

1/2 cup of whole wheat flour

4 cups of organic skim milk (for a richer flavor use whole milk)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

Pinch of freshly grate nutmeg

Recipe for Béchamel Sauce:

In a saucepan, melt the organic butter over medium heat.  Add the whole wheat flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Gradually add the organic skim milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming.  Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes (do not let the Béchamel sauce boil).  Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.  If need be, season the sauce with more salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.  (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, cool and pour into a mason jar, and refrigerate).

Baked Pasta with Spinach and Italian Sausage

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Nov 14, 2012 in Fashionably Organic, Italian | 4 comments

Don’t you just love pasta, especially cheesy pasta?!?  This pasta is made with Italian chicken sausage, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and one of my favorite ingredients, spinach!  Spinach is so good for you and in recipes like this you don’t even taste it, but you benefit from all its health benefits.   This recipe makes for a great quick and easy family night dinner.  You can prepare it ahead of time and put it in the oven 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat!

Ingredients:
Olive Oil Spray

½ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 cup of Ricotta

8 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded

6 cooked Italian Sausages (you can also us uncooked)

12 oz of brown rice Rigatoni pasta

1 tsp EVOO

2 cloves of minced garlic

½ sweet onion, minced finely

1 bag (about 10 oz) of fresh spinach

4 cups of your favorite Marinara Sauce

Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13” baking dish with olive oil spray.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  In a medium bowl, combine the Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, drizzle EVOO and sauté the minced onion until translucent then add the minced garlic, about a minute.  Add the fresh spinach and season with salt and pepper and cook the spinach down.  Add the cooked/cut sausage to the skillet. (If you are not using precooked sausage, be sure to brown the sausage breaking it up into small bits until cooked through before sauteing the onion, garlic and spinach.) Add the marinara sauce to the skillet of sausage, onion, garlic and spinach and cook on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture thickens, then simmer on low.  When the pasta water comes to a boil, cook the brown rice pasta until al dente.  Put half of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half of the meat sauce.  Spoon the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce in an even layer.  Cover with the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce.  Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted with golden brown edges.

Chicken Sausage with Fusilli Pasta

Posted by Rachel Ashley on May 31, 2012 in Chicken, Fashionably Organic, Italian, Meat, Pasta | 0 comments

Ingredients:
1 can of organic tomatoe sause
1 large jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1lb of Fusilli Whole Wheat Pasta
3 or 4 cooked chick sausages
1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of fresh dill
2 tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and pepper taste

Recipe:
Cook the chicken sausages thoroughly (I precooked the chicken sausages the day before). Once cooked, slice the chicken sausages a quarter of an inch thick (similar to thick pepporoni slice).  Set the chicken aside.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, once the water is bubbling add fusilli pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, until al dente.  Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat.  When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, but still translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add organic tomato sauce and chicken sausage to the cooked onions and garlic, cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add the marinara sauce and warm through.  Strain pasta and reserve about of cup of pasta water, in case the sauce is to thick for your liking.  Ladle the pasta into the marinara sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste, fresh herbs and stir thoroughly, reserving a tablespoon of fresh basil for garnish.  Pour pasta into a large serving dish, garnish with a few basil leaves and the remaining thinly sliced basil.  Freshly grate parmigiano reggiano on top and serve!

Enjoy!
XO,
Rachel Ashley

Southwestern Chicken

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Apr 14, 2012 in Fashionably Organic, Meat, Organic | 0 comments

About a month ago, my husband and I went to a Red Bulls soccer game with another couple.  We were all so excited to go to the game, but we wanted to first stop to eat.  We decided to meet our friends at their favorite Mexican Food restaurant, before we walked over to the game.  This restaurant was unlike any other Mexican food restaurant I had ever eaten at.  The menu was full of surprising dishes.  Of course they had taco salads, burros, enchiladas, tostadas, tacos and tamales, but their specialties were surprising difference.  Their specialties included, shrimp veracruz, adovada ribs, relleno dinner and my favorite Victoria’s chicken chili plate!  Granted I am not saying these dishes are low in calories, but I was in love with this restaurant when my Victoria chicken chili plate came out and it was a juicy grilled chicken breast on a bed of lettuce and Mexican rice with a side of whole pinto beans and I did half red sauce and green sauce!  It was delicious!  I have never had such a healthy Mexican food in a restaurant before.  This recipe was inspired by the fabulous Victoria’s chicken chili plate.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  Be sure to have a good red sauce or green sauce, its key ton this dish!
Ingredients:
3 organic chicken breast
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Mexican Seasoning Blend
1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese
3 cups red sauce (or green)

Recipe:
Begin by seasoning both sides of the 3 chicken breast, with salt, pepper and Mexican seasoning blend.   In a skillet drizzle EVOO and place each chicken breast in the pan, cooking each side about 4 to 6 minutes until golden brown.  If the chicken breast are thick, you may need to fillet them open and cook the filleted side for an additional 4 to 6 minutes.  While chicken is cooking grate 1/2 cup of pepper jack cheese and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and set aside.  Once chicken is fully cooked pour the red sauce (or green sauce) into the pan and  turn stove on high and reduce red sauce, until thickened.  Sprinkle about 1/3 of a cup of the pepper jack and cheddar cheese mixture to each chicken breast.  For presentation and a perfect weeknight meal prepare Mexican rice and pinto beans.  In a large serving platter create a bed of Mexican rice and layer each chicken breast on top.  Drizzle the reduced red sauce over the chicken and rice; add pinto beans to the sides of the platter and garnish with the remaining cheese and fresh cilantro.

Hope you enjoy!

XO,
Rachel Ashley