Quick Dinner Idea!

I made one of my favorite, easy, standby dinners tonight.  It's called...Meat-Bean-Macaroni Mix?  Okay, I don't have a very good name for it, but it's delicious!  I got the recipe from a magazine (I think Cooking Light) a few years ago.  I love it because I usually have everything I need to make it already in the kitchen, which means no last minute runs to the grocery store.  There's a sense of pride I get when I can make a meal using what we have in the house, without spending any extra money.  So, without further adieu, here is my Meat-Bean-Macaroni Mix! (If you think of a better name, by all means, let me know!):

Ingredients:
16 oz package elbow macaroni
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Italian sausage (or ground turkey, ground chicken, whatever's your pleasure - I used ground chicken in tonight's dish because that's what we had.  If you don't use Italian sausage, I'd probably add a little Italian seasoning for flavor.)
2  15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, undrained
2  15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
shaved/shredded cheese (Romano & Parmesan are good choices)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta to al dente (almost soft with just a little bite).  Set aside when done.  Meanwhile...
2. Heat olive oil in large pot.  Add onion and garlic and saute until soft.
3. Add meat and cook until is starts to brown.
4. Add wine to break up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add tomatoes, beans, fennel, chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring mixture to a boil.  Turn down heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.  (I usually let mine simmer for a little longer to soak up all the flavors.)
6. Add cooked macaroni.  Add a little at a time - see how much you want.  I usually have about 1 1/2 cups leftover that I'll use in something else the next day.
7. Serve with a little cheese on top.

I hope you all enjoy this dish as much as my family and I do.  It's quick, simple, and relatively healthy, and as a busy mom, I couldn't ask for anything more! :)

Month of Dinners Challenge - Day 3

Tonight's dinner was chimichangas!  I made it just because I like to say...chimichanga!  Say it out loud - I'm sure you'll think it's fun, too!  Olive was a good girl while Mama cooked.  She doesn't watch a lot of TV, but I put on Veggie Tales for her to watch.  She was pretty mesmerized, which really helped me get dinner ready!  Here's my new Veggie Tales tune..."Broccoli!  Celery!  Gotta be....Chimichangas!" :)

Chicken Chimichanga with Avocado Salsa

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 jars of your favorite salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, diced
12" flour tortillas
2 avocados
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
butter

Recipe

1. Add chicken, carrots, celery, garlic and onion to a large pot.  Cover with water.  Boil on the stove at medium heat for 45 -60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Discard stock (or save for later use).  When chicken is cool enough to handle, use 2 forks to shred.
2. Place shredded chicken in a large bowl.  Add 1 1/2 jars of the salsa (or as much to your liking), cheese, and green onions.  Mix well.
3. Lay a tortilla on a cutting board.  Add desired amount of chicken filling (however much you want one serving to be.  You can make it big or small!).  Fold over edges and place seam side down on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.  Repeat using the other tortillas until all the filling is gone.  (I got about 5 chimichangas out of it).  
4. Spread a little butter on top of chimichangas.  Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  
5. Meanwhile, mix the avocado with remaining 1/2 jar of salsa.  When chimichangas are done, spoon avocado mix on top and serve hot!  Enjoy!