Lovin' From the Oven

Chicken Fiesta Tacos

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I’ve been craving Mexican food more than ever recently. Perhaps it’s because there’s not that many good Mexican restaurants in my immediate vicinity. I live in the middle of all of the good Asian food, but that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong, that’s definitely good enough for me…. but sometimes, I want more!IMG_8811

That’s why I made it at home. If I can’t find it, I’ll make it! Although, let’s be real here… I’m still not very good at this cooking thing and going out to eat is still way better than my homemade meals. I would eat out for dinner every night if I could.

But that would get expensive… and probably unhealthy. IMG_8820

Here’s a recipe for a quick and easy dinner. You can add more or less of whatever ingredients you like in your tacos. Sour cream, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce… the works. Don’t let my limited kitchen cupboard stop you.

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Chicken Fiesta Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small cubes
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
  • 2 1/3 cup water
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp red cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • dash of Tabasco
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican mix cheese
  • 8 soft tortillas

Directions

  1. Add the oil in large sauce pan and cook the chicken with salt and pepper until brown over medium high heat, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, except for the cheese.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 35-40 minutes until fully cooked. If you notice the water running low, add 1/4 cup more water at a time.
  4. Scoop the mixture into the middle of soft tortillas. Top with cheese and serve!
https://lovintheoven.com/chicken-fiesta-tacos/

Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Sauce

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Do you want to hear a bizarre story about my flight the other day? I’ve heard a lot of strange things, but this one takes the cake. I had a family onboard that spoke broken english. When they first boarded, they tried to play the whole “I don’t speak english” card since I was trying to check their oversized luggage from them.

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Our rule is simple: if it doesn’t fit in the overhead bin, it’s gotta go. We fought about it back and forth for about five minutes before they finally let me take their bag from them. The bag was so heavy that I couldn’t even carry the luggage down from the bin. Luckily, I had some help with a gentleman nearby.

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Later on in the flight, the mother stopped me while I was walking down the aisle.

Lady: Esssscuuuseee me!! Can I have some rice?!
Me: You want some… ice?
Lady: NO! RICE!!
Me: Rice?
Lady: *nods her head*
Me: Uhhhhhhhhh… We don’t have that on the plane.

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I walked away so confused. Did someone really ask for rice on the airplane? Like plain, white rice? I don’t even think Asian airlines carry rice just to give away on the flight! Where did they get the idea that rice is given away for free on an airplane?

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I guess you really just never know with this job. Things happen when you least expect it.creamytomatopasta

This was a wonderful pasta dish that’s a little different from the rest. I loved the creamy, sun-dried tomato sauce on top of the chicken. It’s not as heavy as a normal cream sauce because of the chicken broth used. I added quite a bit of spice to it, but you can omit or lessen the amount of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes if you want something more tame.

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Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced into thirds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon dried onion
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in package, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 3 teaspoons ground red cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 8 oz your choice of pasta (I used mini penne)

Directions

  1. Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain and set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, cook the chicken in olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Season with pepper and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked on both sides.
  3. Add butter, onion and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and let it cook together.
  4. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes, basil, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using.
  5. Carefully whisk in chicken broth and whipping cream for about five minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
  6. To serve, place pasta on a plate, the chicken on top, and finally the desired amount of sauce over it all. Enjoy!
https://lovintheoven.com/chicken-pasta-with-sun-dried-tomato-basil-sauce/

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Chicken

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Seeing as how much I love my baked sweet and sour chicken, I thought I’d try another recipe with just a little twist– adding pineapple to the mix. I made this when pineapples were in season, so the pineapple that I used was juicy and sweet as can be.

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I don’t like pineapple on my pizza, so I don’t know why I thought I’d love pineapple in my food. This dish was good, but not for me. I don’t like to mix the sweet and salty when it comes to my main course.

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What do you think? Do you like eating pineapples on your dishes? If so, give this pineapple sweet and sour chicken a try.

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Pineapple Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
    • For the sauce:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Worstershire sauce
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Dip the pieces of chicken into the egg and then into the cornstarch.
  2. Put the oil into a large pan and then cook the chicken pieces until browned on the outsides.
  3. Place the cooked chicken onto a lined baking sheet (foil works great!) and add the pineapple chunks.
  4. Whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce together. Pour over the chicken and pineapple.
  5. Bake for about 40 minutes, gently moving the pieces around halfway through.
https://lovintheoven.com/pineapple-sweet-sour-chicken/

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