Creamy Garlic Herb Mushroom Spaghetti

Hello All and Happy Thursday!!  I hope the week isn't taking too much out of you!  Prayers to those that need them.  Today's recipe is super delicious and easy.  I can hear you and your residents asking where's the meat??  Well, sometimes it's good not to have meat, and if you don't agree, by all means throw in some meatballs!  The sauce is flavorful enough you might be able to get away with adding ground beef, but I have yet to try that.  Mom and Dad had some leftover grilled chicken so I made this on the side of that and went together great!  Hope it works for you also!  Thanx again so much for stopping by, Spicy and I greatly appreciate it!  Have a great weekend and be sure to tell those around you how much they mean to you!  See you Tuesday!!  *Recipe from pinchofyum.com

Creamy Garlic Herb Mushroom Spaghetti

• 8 ounces whole wheat pasta (spaghetti, linguine, etc.) 
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
• 1½ cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• additional ¼ cup water, broth, milk or cream (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley (more to taste)

Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside and toss with a little oil to prevent sticking.

Mushrooms: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add one clove of the garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown and softened. Set aside.

Sauce: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt again over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant. Add the flour and herbes de provence. Stir fry for a minute to cook out the flour taste. Add the milk slowly, whisking to incorporate. Let the mixture simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble: Toss the sauce, pasta, and mushrooms together. Add the olive oil and water as needed to keep the sauce from getting too thick. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Hello fellow crazies!  Happy Saturday and I hope things are going great at your Asylum.  With the cold weather sneaking up on us I believe it is time to leave the salads and the cool food behind and start filling up on the warm, gooey comfort food!

This, my friends, is just that!  I found the recipe in the May 2009 Cooking Light magazine and it is my go to for Enchiladas.  There are so many varieties out there and man can they be heavy and super bad for you.  Don't get me wrong this one isn't good for you, just lighter lol!

I hope your kids aren't running around with stomach aches after last night :D!  Feed 'em this tonight for dinner, trust me when I tell you they will thank you.  And you will feel better about what you are feeding them! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.  See you on Tuesday!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2.5 Cups chopped cooked chicken breast

2 cups preshredded reduced fat 4 Cheese Mexican Blend cheese

1 2/3 Cups plain low fat yogurt

1/3 Cup butter, melted

1/4 Cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 10 3/4 oz can condensed reduced fat cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles, drained

8 8" flour tortillas

1 Tablespoon canola oil

Cooking Spray

1/2 Cup finely shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 Cup chopped green onions

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.

2.  Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.  Remove 1 cup chicken mixture; set mixture aside.

3.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Working with 1 tortilla at a time, brush oil over both sides of tortilla.  add tortilla to pan; cook 5 seconds on each side or until toasted and soft.  Remove from pan; arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla.  Roll jelly roll style; place filled tortilla, seam side down, in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Repeat procedure with remaining  tortillas, remaining oil, and remaining chicken mixture.  Spread reserved cup chicken mixture evenly over enchiladas.  Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese and green onoins; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Mmmmmmmmm, I feel warm and happy just reading it!  :)

Happy Fall!

Omg!  The weather here today has been just absolutely amazing!  I hope all of you are able to enjoy it as well.  If it's not beautiful where you are, be patient it will be!  :D.  So as the summer comes to a close so does all the beautiful corn that has been surrounding me for the past three months.  LOL.  Mom bought some last week at a local market and well honestly, the season is over.  Mom just doesn't wanna give it up.  So, I had left over corn in the fridge and needed something to do with it that could use it but not make it the center of attention.  That, I found, was this recipe.  Momma loves shrimp, I got to use left over corn and it was really yummy!  I hope you find it so also.  I swear the older I get the faster time flies.  I really have no idea where the summer went.  There were no vacations so maybe that is what was missing!  LOL.  Eat well, my friends!

Creamy Seafood Chowder

4 center cut bacon slices, chopped

4 green onions

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 Cup all purpose flour

2.5 Cups 2% reduced fat milk

1.25 Cups unsalted chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound)

1 10 oz package frozen corn kernels, thawed (or as with me leftover corn in the fridge, I didn't measure mine it was two cobs cleaned)

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat 6 minutes or until crisp.  remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings.

Thinly slice green onions; reserve 2 tablespoons dark green parts.  Add white and light green onion parts, thyme and garlic to drippings in pan; saute 2 minutes.  Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.  Sprinkle over onion mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in milk, stock and bay leaf; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in salt, black pepper, red pepper shrimp and corn; simmer 4 minutes or until shrimp are done.  Discard bay leaf.  Divide soup evenly among four bowls; sprinkle with bacon and reserved 2 tablespoons of green onions.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............................Crusty bread on the side!

----Recipe by Elizabeth Nelson and Laraine Perri (Cooking Light September 2014)