Broccoli & Chicken Pasta

If your house is any like mine during the week, it is completely hectic and busy! Between work projects, school projects, laundry, and attempting to make the house look semi-clutter free, preparing the dreaded week night meal can become such a daunting task for many parents (mostly moms). A trick I often use specifically to help me make delicious and quick meals during the busy week is always keep frozen vegetables stocked in the freezer. Frozen veggies are great, especially in the winter months when some fresh veggies aren't as great as they would be in the abundant spring and summer months. Frozen veggies are frozen at the peak and height of their best so they keep their vitamins and bright and vibrant colors. Some of the frozen vegetables in my freezer at the moment are Stir-Fry Mixed Vegetables, Broccoli, Choppped Spinach, and Vegetable Medley (cauliflower, broccoli, onions, yellow squash and zucchini), and Peas.

This meal is a simple pasta dish using any short-cut pasta like penne, fusilli, or macaroni, frozen broccoli, fresh Roma tomatoes and chicken breast diced into cubes. Add a litle olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and thyme, red pepper flakes and salt and there you go...dinner!

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Recipe: Spanish Chicken Bake

Sundays are always a great day to cook. But some people, like myself work on Sundays and it's not always an ideal day to spend hours in the kitchen (although I often do!). This recipe is truly EASY and a complete no brainer. It only has 4 simple ingredients, not including the salt and pepper!! All you have to do is to pop it in the oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes and you come out with a delicious Spanish-style casserole for the family for dinner.





Spanish Chicken Bake

4 bone-in chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups of long grain white rice
1 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 15 oz jar of green olives with pimento
paprika
salt & pepper

Heat a large pan with olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika. Brown skin side down first. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Do not cook the chicken all the way, the purpose is just to give it a nice brown color.

In a large casserole dish, place the uncooked white rice in the bottom and place the browned chicken on top. Simply pour the can of roasted tomatoes on top of the chicken and rice. Then, pour the jar of olives, including the olive juice in with the chicken, rice and tomatoes. DO NOT ADD SALT because the olives are already salty there is no need to add more.

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and serve!!

Mung Bean and Spinach Soup (Mongo)

You can't help but crave for hearty soups in the fall and winter seasons. This recipe is actually a classic Filipino soup made with mung beans. Mung beans are small, lentil-like split beans.

Mung beans are commonly used in Chinese cuisine, where they are called l? dòu (??, literally "green bean"), as well as in Burma, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Pakistan, India, and Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, they are called ??u xanh (again, literally "green bean"). They are generally eaten either whole (with or without skins) or as bean sprouts, or used to make the dessert "green bean soup". The starch of mung beans is also extracted from them to make jellies and "transparent/cellophane" noodles. Many people make the common mistake of thinking that the transparent wrapping of Vietnamese spring rolls is made from mung bean flour. However, it is actually made of rice flour, tapioca starch, water, and salt. In Filipino cuisine, meat is sauteed with garlic, onions, and bay leaves, then mung beans are added and cooked. Mung batter is used to make crepes named pesarattu in Andhra Pradesh, India. (WIKIPEDIA)

This soup is definitely hearty, delicious, easy and fantastic over fluffy Jasmine rice.

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Product Review: Jewel-Osco Professional Cookware for a PENNY

"Jewel-Osco Puts a New Twist on Loyalty Rewards Programs, Enabling Shoppers to Collect Professional Cookware Pieces for Just a Penny Each"

Rewards cards are all the rage as consumers are more conscious about which stores they will get the best deals. Everywhere I go, I am offered a rewards card. Rewards cards usually give customers free items after spending a certain amount, or give incentives for their next shopping trip. It's a win-win situation, especially if it's a place where you shop often.

Jewel-Osco is currently running a program in the 175 Jewel-Osco stores in Chicagoland. Under the program, customers who shop with their Jewel-Osco Preferred Customer Card between August 26 and January 12, 2011 will receive a reward sticker for every $10 spent on eligible purchases. As the stickers are collected, they can be redeemed at the participating stores for eight different peices of Thomas Professional Cookware at the cost of only a penny each! The stickers can be redeemed through January 26, 2011.

Chef Jason Paskewitz of Gemini Bistro in Lincoln Park is also participating in the promotion, providing shoppers with cooking tips and recipe ideas for the various cookeware pieces. "When you cook for your family, you create memories that last a lifetime,"Chef Paskewitz said. "Many of the things I love to cook today are inspired by the wonderful foods I grew up with - from simple fish dishes to spaghetti and meatball paninis on garlic bread to everyday classics like roasted chicken with mashed potatoes. The cookware available at Jewel-Osco is easy to maintain; it lets you cook the foods you love like a professional without having to worry about the upkeep."


The piece I was able to cook with was the 11" non-stick stir fry pan w/ lid. Although it is called a "stir-fry" pan, I used it to make chana-masala, an Indian dish using chick peas braised in spicy and traditional Indian spices. It's a very versatile piece of cookware as you can use it to deep-fry, braise, stir-fry and even to make a smaller batch of soup. The cookware is also oven safe for up to 460 degrees without the lid, and 350 degrees with the lid. For those who religiously shop at Jewel-Osco for their grocery needs, this program is for you!

Food Company Review: Jewel-Osco and Wild Harvest chicken tortilla soup recipe

As more and more consumers are becoming aware and conscious of the food products they are eating and feeding their families, food companies are responding to the demand by providing people with more natural and organic choices in supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.

The wild harvest® brand of organic and natural foods from JEWEL-OSCO addresses consumers’ growing preference for organic and natural products, as well as their demands for value, selection and convenience. The wild harvest brand includes many products across numerous grocery categories, including dairy, eggs, fresh produce, meats and dry grocery items such as pasta and sauces, cookies, crackers and cereal.

Wild Harvest® is one of Jewel-Osco's private brands. Consumers used to think of private brands as the "generic" store brands. However in today's economy, people are finding that purchasing private brands vs the "designer" brands are more cost effective and in reality have the same high standards of the leading brands. Brand managers work closely with consumer focus groups and food scientists to create brand experiences that continually over-deliver on consumers’ expectations for quality and value, leading them to seek out JEWEL-OSCO stores for its Private Brand products.

For more information on Wild Harvest® Organic, visit www.wildharvestorganic.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE WILD HARVEST CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP RECIPE

Recipe: Grilled Chipotle Chicken Tenders w/ Avocado & Roasted Corn Salsa

July 4th celebrations across the country are under way and it is all about the all mighty barbecue. This recipe for grilled chipotle chicken uses chicken tenders for quick and easy barbecuing, but it can easily be substituted with chicken wings, drumettes, breasts and even a whole chicken for roasting. The marinade used in this recipe is simply a chipotle salsa from well known Chicago celebrity chef, Rick Bayless and his Frontera Foods franchise of all-natural products. It can be found in almost any grocery store in the area. I found this one in Dominick's on Route 59 and 95th Street.

In keeping with the Mexican theme, a great accompaniment to the spicy chipotle chicken, is a cool and refreshing avocado and roasted corn salsa. Salsa has evolved from the "normal" salsa found in Americanized Mexican restaurants across the country to a more gourmet salsa. Today, salsa can be made with fresh mangoes, pineapples, avocados, and citrus just to name a few.

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Food Festival: VEGGIE FEST 2010

Chicago hosts some of the best festivals in the country. The heat of the summer attracts millions of people to food and music festivals all over the city and suburbs. Probably the most well-known summer food festival is the Taste of Chicago, which boasts cuisine from some of Chicago's best restaurants accompanied by live tunes played by popular bands and musicians.

A newer festival burst on the scene in Chicago, particulary Naperville five years ago, Veggie Fest. Veggie Fest is a FREE festival with live music, local restaurants showcasing their vegetarian menus and workshops with health professionals. This festival is not just for vegetarians nor does it try to convert carnivores into eating only vegetables. It's about showing people that a living a healthy lifestyle is fun and do-able.

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