Chicken Sausage Rigatoni

This is a healthy and nutritious delicious meal that the entire family will love!

Ingredients:

1 lb Rigatoni Pasta
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
2 Green Bell Peppers
1 large onion
4 springs of Thyme, stems removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 pkg Italian Style Chicken Sausage
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Chop bell peppers into pieces roughly the same size as the cherry tomatoes. Cut the onion into quarters.
3.  In a medium bowl, place the cherry tomatoes, chopped peppers and onion. Add the olive oil and stir gently to coat all the vegetables. Place vegetables in a shallow baking sheet.
4.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add thyme leaves.
5.  Roast vegetables for approx 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and begin to loose their juices.
6.  When the vegetables are half done, prepare the pasta according to the package directions.
7.  Remove the vegetables from the oven and set aside for a moment.
8.  When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and toss with the roasted vegetables (including all their juices!)
9.  While the pasta is still cooking, place the Chicken Sausage in a skillet with about 1/2 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer and cook covered for approx 8 minutes, or until heated through.
10. When the sausage is done, allow to cool for a few minutes to let juices redistribute.
11. Slice the sausage at an angle and serve over the rigatoni and vegetable mix.
12. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Cajun Chicken Stuffed With Pepper Jack Cheese & Spinach

This is my very favorite way to prepare chicken breasts!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp breadcrumbs (I use Italian style)
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lots of toothpicks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.

4. Combine the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl.

5. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten the seams with several toothpicks. This part requires a tiny bit of skill and I typically use about 8 toothpicks in each roll to ensure none of the filling seeps out. Be sure to count how many total toothpicks were used, because you'll be glad at the end that you did!

6. Brush each chicken breast with the olive oil. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning mixture evenly over all. Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken.

7. Place the chicken seam-side up onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

8. Remove the toothpicks before serving. Count to make sure you have removed all of the toothpicks. Serve whole or slice into medallions.

Chicken Crossing

Farmer John lived on a quiet rural highway. But, as time went by, the traffic slowly built up at an alarming rate. The traffic was so heavy and so fast that his chickens were being run over at a rate of three to six a day.

So one day Farmer John called the sheriff's office and said, "You've got to do something about all of these people driving so fast and killing all of my chickens."

"What do you want me to do?" asked the sheriff.

"I don't care, just do something about those crazy drivers!"

So the next day he had the county workers go out and erected a sign that said:

SLOW: SCHOOL CROSSING

Three days later Farmer John called the sheriff and said, "You've got to do something about these drivers. The 'school crossing' sign seems to make them go even faster."

So, again, the sheriff sends out the county workers and they put up a new sign:

SLOW: CHILDREN AT PLAY

That really made the drivers speed up even faster. So Farmer John called and called and called every day for three weeks.

Finally, he asked the sheriff, "Your signs are doing no good. Can I put up my own sign?"

The sheriff told him, "Sure thing, put up your own sign." He was going to let the Farmer John do just about anything in order to get him to stop calling everyday to complain.

The sheriff got no more calls from Farmer John.

Three weeks later, curiosity go the best of the sheriff and he decided to give Farmer John a call. "How's the ! problem with those drivers? Did you put up your sign?"

"Oh, I sure did. And not one chicken has been killed since then. I've got to go. I'm very busy." He hung up the phone.

The sheriff was really curious now and he thought to himself, "I'd better go out there and take a look at that sign... It might be something that WE could use to slow down drivers..."

So the sheriff drove out to Farmer John's house, and his jaw dropped the moment he saw the sign. It was spray-painted on a sheet of wood:

NUDIST COLONY
Go slow and watch out for chicks!!

Honey Chicken Kabobs

These tasty kabobs are so easy to make and loaded with rich flavor! They'll be a definite hit at your dinner table!

Ingredients:

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic
5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces

Directions:

1.  Preheat the grill for high heat.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper.
3.  Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. 4.  Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).
5.  Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers
6.  Lightly oil the grill grate.
7.  Place the skewers on the grill.
8.  Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear.
9.  Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

Chicken Fajitas

This version of chicken fajitas is probably my favorite fajita recipe of all time. Very easy and sooo yummy!

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breasts (cut into thin slices)
1 tablespoon oil
1 lime (2 tablespoons of juice and zest)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions (sliced)
1 green bell pepper (sliced)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
1 handful cilantro (chopped)
Tortillas
Salsa (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
Cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1.  Marinate the chicken in the oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in the fridge for 30 minutes to a few hours.
2.  Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Reserve the marinade.)
3.  Heat the oil in a pan.
4.  Saute the onions until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
5.  Add the peppers and the remaining marinade and saute until the peppers are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
6.  Remove from heat and mix in the cilantro.
7.  Assemble fajitas and enjoy.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Here’s one that’s easy and "fix-friendly"! I used to prepare this in the morning, before I left for work, and when I came home... voila! Dinner was ready!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 cup salsa
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 cup onions, diced fine
1/2 cup celery diced fine
1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup cheese, shredded
3 tbsp. sour cream

Directions:

1.  Place the chicken in a slow cooker.

2.  Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat then layer the vegetables and salsa on top.

3.  Pour a half cup water over the mixture, set on low and cook for 6-8 hours.

4.  The meat is cooked when it shreds or reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

5.  When ready to serve, break up the chicken with two forks then stir in the sour cream and sprinkle with cheese.

What A Coincidence

A chicken farmer went to the local bar. He sat next to a woman and ordered champagne.

The woman said: “How strange, I also just ordered a glass of champagne.”

“What a coincidence,” said the farmer, who added, “It is a special day for me. I am celebrating”

“It is a special day for me too, I am also celebrating!” said the woman.

“What a coincidence.” said the farmer.

While they toasted, the farmer asked, “What are you celebrating?”

“My husband and I have been trying to have a child for years, and today, my gynecologist told me that I was pregnant.”

“What a coincidence,” said the man. “I am a chicken farmer and for years all my hens were infertile, but now they are all set to lay fertilized eggs.”

“This is awesome,” said the woman. “What did you do for your chickens to become fertile?”

“I used a different rooster,” he said.

The woman smiled and said, “What a coincidence”