Greek Chicken Pasta

***Okay, this is one of my new favorites....I loved it!!! I served it with garlic twist breadsticks.***

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 cup chopped onion
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice OR white cooking wine
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Herb seasoning to taste (I used McCormick's Grillmates Garlic & Onion Medley)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in oven-proof baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with your choice of herb seasoning. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, and saute for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the tomato, parsley, lemon juice (or white wine), oregano and cooked pasta. Stir until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice the chicken breasts into pieces and add to top of pasta; sprinkle feta cheese over the plated pasta.

Chicken, Spinach and Feta Quesadillas

If you like to eat at Zoe's Kitchen, you'll like these! Zoe's Kitchen has a spinach & feta quesadilla...Brad has gotten them the last few times we've been, and he LOVES them. This recipe is very similar...I just added chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. If you haven't noticed, I've been on somewhat of a sun-dried tomato kick lately...I love them! They added the perfect amount of sweetness to this recipe.

Ingredients:

8" Flour Tortillas

1 Box Frozen Spinach

Feta Cheese, crumbled

Sun-Dried Tomatoes, chopped

Baked Chicken Tenders, fully cooked and chopped

1 - 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (E.V.O.O.)

Salsa, for dipping

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Directions:

Bake chicken according to package directions. When chicken is fully cooked, chop into small pieces. Season with salt & pepper.

Next, put frozen spinach in a medium saucepan of water and bring to a boil. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water out of the spinach.

Place a tortilla on a plate and add a layer of spinach on top. Follow with a layer of chicken, then feta cheese, then finally a layer of sun-dried tomatoes. Heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Coat bottom of saucepan with E.V.O.O. Very carefully, place the loaded tortilla into the skillet, covering with a second tortilla. Let the quesadilla cook for a few minutes, and then very slowly & carefully flip the quesadilla, using the largest spatula you have (this will make it easier). Once the quesadilla is golden brown on both sides, place on a plate and cut into quarters using a pizza cutter.

Serve with salsa for dipping.

Chicken & Rice with Rosemary, Garlic and Basil

We got SNOW today! I couldn't believe it....snow in Alabama....it was beautiful! I thought this dish would be the perfect meal on a cold, snowy day. Growing up, this was always one of my favorite things my Mom made...she still makes it every once in a while. It's a "comfort food" in my book!

I took my Mom's recipe and jazzed it up a little by adding some herbs and garlic. I didn't really measure a single thing while making this. I just eye-balled all the ingredients, so please feel free to do the same....adding more or less of whatever you like. The finished product was really, really good though. Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken, small

3-4 cups Chicken Broth

3-4 cups water

Extra virgin olive oil (E.V.O.O.)

1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Basil, dried

2-3 tbsp. Garlic, minced

2 cups rice

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Directions:

Remove skin from chicken and rinse. Place chicken in slow-cooker. Add chicken broth and water. There should be enough liquid to cover about 2/3 of the chicken. Coat top of chicken with E.V.O.O. Sprinkle garlic, fresh rosemary, and basil on and around chicken. Cook chicken on high for about 5 hours. The chicken should fall apart very easily when it's finished cooking.

Next, separate chicken from the broth mixture, placing chicken pieces in a large bowl. Strain the remaining broth mixture, saving all broth. Straining the broth will ensure no small bones are left in the broth. Put about 4 cups of strained broth back into slow-cooker.

Shred chicken and add back into slow-cooker also. Add 2 cups rice. Check the slow-cooker often, stirring each time. You will probably have to add more broth while the rice finishes cooking. When rice is tender, the dish is done! Season with salt & pepper if needed.