Asian Chicken & Asparagus

Everyone at my house at this lovely Asian Chicken & Asparagus. Do you know how rare that is? Well, it is a rarity. We served this with some delicious veggie egg rolls. Mmmm .... now I must confess that while everyone LOVED the noodles, I myself would prefer this served over a brown rice. I purchased these noodles from the Asian food section at our local supermarket. I wish I had written down the company name, but as usual, I didn't. The original recipe calls for linguine noodles, but I wanted to try these. They were very good, similar to a noodle for Lo-Mein. The recipe also called for only asparagus, notice I tossed in some sugar snap peas. I am going to love making this dish once the farmer's markets are open. Enjoy!

Asian Chicken & Asparagus Serves 4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 T. sesame seed oil + additional 1 1/2 T.
1 pound asian noodles or linguine
1 pound asparagus
1/2 pound sugar snap peas
5 T. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. oyster sauce
2 T. light sodium soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. chili-garlic paste (or less depending on how much heat you like)
2 t. ground ginger

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken, until no longer pink, 5 minutes or so. Transfer all chicken to a bowl.

2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add asparagus and sugar snap peas to the pot, cook until bright green and pasta is al dente, about 4 more minutes.

3. Whisk vinegar, oyster sauce, chili-garlic sauce, ginger and sesame oil. Place chicken back into skillet, pour the vinegar mixture over top, add cooked pasta and veggies. Turn to coat all with vinegar sauce.

4. Serve.

Chicken Pomodoro

I know .. it's been a lifetime since I posted a new recipe. Well, lucky for you I have (2) new ones for this week.

Chicken Pomodoro is so delicious. It's this creamy chicken dish that just makes you feel good all over. Enjoy!

Chicken Pomodoro Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

3 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped fine

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/3 c. heavy cream

1/4 finely chopped fresh basil

cooked penne pasta

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2. Heat remaining oil in empty skillet over medium high heat until simmering. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, cream and 1/4 t. salt and bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet, simmer, covered utnil chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

3. Transfer chicken to a platter, tent with foil. Simmer sauce, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve over penne pasta.

Tortilla Soup for a Crowd

Most Super Bowl parties feature finger foods. Sometimes you'll find a yummy chili or a burger. This Tortilla Soup is warm, cheesy, hot, spicy and best of all ... easy to make ahead and serves from a crockpot. This recipe is not only Super Bowl food, it's great for an easy weeknight meal and everyone can add their favorite toppings. Thanks to Pace for supplying The Sneaky Cat with free Picante Sauce. Enjoy ...

4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 stick of butter

1/2 c. flour

1 t. black pepper

1 t. ground mustard

4 c. milk

32 oz. chicken broth

4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 jar (8 oz.) Pace Picante Sauce, choose your heat

4 flour tortillas, cut into strips

Extras:

shredded monterey jack cheese

sour cream

sliced jalapeno peppers

hot pepper / onion relish

fresh cilantro

black beans, cooked, rinsed and drained

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortilla strips in thin layer on baking sheet, place into oven. Bake for 15 minutes or longer until crisp, but not overly browned. Remove from oven an place into a bowl for serving.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, pepper and dry mustard. Stir into a thick paste. Add chicken broth and milk, a little at a time until a sauce is created. Turn heat to medium high, cook, stirring constantly until sauce is boiling, boil for 1 minute, turn heat to low.

3. Add to saucepan, cheese, chicken and salsa, stir until combined and cheese is melted.

4. Place soup into crockpot set on low. Stir before serving.

5. Place tortilla strips, and extras into bowls near the crockpot. Allow guests to serve themselves.

** if you're looking to make this even more simple: purchase a roasted whole chicken and use tortilla chips instead of making strips