Sausage Switcheroo: Buffalo Chicken Sausage Pasta Salad

 Summertime is finally upon us and with that comes a multitude of backyard barbecues, poolside parties and picnics at the park. Sure you old standards are burgers on the grill and maybe a few tuna fish sandwiches by why not pull a "Sausage Switcheroo" this summer! I teamed up with Farmer John to create a fresh and innovative recipe using their Hot Louisiana Brand Chicken Smoked Sausage in a tasty new way.

One of my favorite flavors recently has been that tangy taste of a hot wing, however when you're basking in the sun dawning that adorable new bikini, a chicken wing hanging out of your mouth is not the cutest accessory. I decided to take those flavors to create a Buffalo Chicken Sausage Pasta Salad. It's all the flavors of hot wings that you love, that tangy hot sauce, bleu cheese, cool carrots and crisp celery all tossed in a fresh Greek yogurt ranch dressing. See, I'm still keeping that bikini in mind! 

Stonyfield Virtual Cooking Party: Spinach Yogurt Pesto with Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 c baby spinach leaves
3/4 c tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 c toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c plain Stonyfield Greek yogurt
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 box of linguine rigate (it holds the sauce better!)
1 lb chicken breast, grilled
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes

Preparation:

Combine garlic, spinach, basil, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest in the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. With the motor running on low, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream.

Scrape mixture into a small bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days, until ready to use.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, following the directions on the box.

Reserve a 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Drain pasta and return to pot, tossing with the yogurt pesto. If pasta looks too dry, add reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, to moisten.

Top with grilled chicken, a sprinkle of sun-dried tomatoes and garnish with extra lemon zest, if desired, then serve immediately.

Super Simple Chicken Lettuce Wraps [with VIDEO!]

I whipped these up in less than 20 minutes and they are amazing! This recipe serves 4 but you can increase or decrease as needed.

Orange Chicken and Coconut Rice Recipe

Do you ever have those cravings that you just can't shake? The other night I had a hankering for Chinese Orange Chicken. You know, that thick battered, super sweet, clog your artery kind of dish?

Yup, that's what I was craving but then I thought of all the beach-bods here in Southern California and how they surely wouldn't be caught dead shoveling that sort of dish in their mouths came to mind. Light-bulb! What if I came up with a healthier, non-fried, non-artery clogging version?? Well, if you're thinking "OMG I HOPE SHE DID"... you're in luck! Scroll down and don't miss the recipe for Coconut Rice at the bottom!

Easy Chicken Pad Thai

Last night I was beyond exhausted (still catching up from the crazy weekend) and if you can believe it, I really didn't feel like cooking. The night before I had made some Ginger Chicken Wontons and I had quite a bit of the filling left over (see how to make the filling here) so I decided that I was going to create one of my famous "Dinner Do-Overs" and turn it into Pad Thai. You don't have to use leftovers for this though, you can make this same dish with chopped up chicken breast!

I decided to use Nasoya's Pasta Zero for this recipe because after looking at the back of the package and seeing I could eat the whole bag for 40 calories... I was sold.

Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts, ground or chopped

1 Egg, scrambled

1 tbsp peanut butter (I used Magee's)

1 tbsp soy sauce

water

honey

a dash of sweet chili sauce (optional)

frozen edamame

green onions

Chicken & Dumpling Soup - Ultimate Comfort Food

One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is Chicken and Dumpling Soup. There's just something about it that soothes the soul! What's great about this recipe is that there's a good chance you already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen! You can even cheat and use leftover rotisserie chicken!
Here's what I do to whip up the perfect pot!

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Just because football season is over doesn't mean we put an end to "game-day grub"! We still have a bit of HOCKEY season to enjoy!
Try whipping these up at your next bash! The picture above was the "boring version" that I made for the Super Bowl since I knew The Mr. would pick off all the veggies. But, here's the way I like to make it!

Coconut Chicken Soup

This is one of my favorite dishes in the world! There's something about the sweet, spicy, creamy broth that really make my mouth water! Traditionally when made, this dish is SUPER complex with fish sauces and chili pastes and lemon grass... enough to make you grab the Thai takeout menu and just order in!

Here's a super simple way to get all that yummy flavor in a pinch and for a penny! (ok, a few bucks)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1-2 chicken breasts, cubed
coconut oil
oyster mushrooms (or any other exotic type)
fresh ginger
madras curry paste
1/2 lime
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 chicken broth
crushed red peppers (Sambal)
Thai basil (optional)
cilantro (optional)
green onion
salt

Super Healthy Chicken Meatballs & Eggplant "Spaghetti"

Whipped these up last night and I'm obsessed!! I made mine the Paleo way, but you can add whatever works best for you.



 

Thanksgiving Dinner "Do-Over"

I’m sure by now everyone has their Thanksgiving menus finalized. Grandma’s bringing the pie, Auntie is bringing the rolls and your crazy cousin is bringing his latest flame, right? If you lucked out and you’re hosting the big feast, there’s one perk that easily gets overlooked. YOU GET ALL THE LEFTOVERS!!!

Since I’m the queen of “Dinner Do-Overs”, Thanksgiving is like my Super Bowl! I spend all year thinking up new and exciting ways to re-use those traditional dishes for the next few weeks because let’s face it, turkey sandwiches can only take you so far.

Kasey’s Top 10 Thanksgiving Dinner Do-Over Dishes:

1. The Thanksgiving Sandwich - This is obviously the staple, and not gonna lie, my favorite. Layering turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce in between two slices of honey oat or potato bread with a light spread of mayo... well honestly, that’s just heaven!  

2. Thanksgiving Pie - This dish utilizes almost everything from your feast! Get a store bought pie crust, lay it into a pie dish and bake for 15min to get it golden. Now layer in your turkey, cranberry sauce, green beans and a little gravy. Top it off with stuffing or mashed potatoes and bake for 25 minutes. YUM!

3. Butternut Squash Soup - Have some leftover roasted butternut squash? Throw it into a food processor with a little heavy cream or milk. Heat, serve, and you’re good to go!

4. Gnocchi - You can see the full recipe here but basically all you do is take those leftover mashed potatoes (sweet potatoes work too sans marshmallows) and combine them with an egg and some flour and you’re good to go!

5. Pumpkin Ravioli - Now this is a new one that I was pleasantly surprised with! Did you know that you can scoop out the filling of pumpkin pie and use it for pumpkin ravioli!? Guess what, now you do! Scoop spoonfuls of filling onto pre-made ravioli sheets (use Nasoya’s wonton wrappers for a quick fix). Boil water in a deep pan (not pot) and drop filled ravioli into the water and cook for about 5 minutes. Top with a brown butter sage sauce or a sweet white wine sauce. YUM!

6. Pilgrim’s Pie - A spin on Shepard’s Pie but using your T-Day ingredients. In a glass casserole dish, layer chopped turkey, a little gravy, corn and mashed potatoes. Throw it in the oven, bake and serve!

7. Turkey Stock - This is an obvious choice no doubt, but it’s still a staple. When everyone is in a food coma after dinner, remove all the meat from the turkey and place the carcass in a large stock pot with a stick of celery, a cut-up carrot, half of an onion and a bay leaf. Fill ¾ of the way with water and let simmer for at least an hour. Strain the stock and let cool. Once it’s done, put the stock in ice trays and freeze, then throw them in a labled plastic baggy. Now you’ll have stock year round to help flavor many dishes!

8. Turkey Soup - So remember that stock you just made? It’s time to use it! Add lots of carrots, celery, and onion into a stock pot and saute with a little oil. Add in your stock and some of the leftover turkey meat. Cook up some noodles or rice on the side (prevents soggy noodles) and serve together. Talk about comfort food!

9. Turkey Tertrazzini - I’m going to be honest with you... this one isn’t my favorite, but I know of a lot of people who make this one with leftovers, so I figured I’d share. Basically what you do is mix in a can of cream of mushroom soup with turkey, pour that over cooked noodles in a casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and bake it up.

10. Ginger Carrot Soup - This is the newest of the bunch and I’m super pumped about it! If you make glazed carrots this recipe is the perfect “do-over”. Puree the glazed carrots, juices and all with 1 tbsp of fresh ginger. Add in a little vegetable stock if it’s too thick. Heat it up and serve! So good!

Hope everyone has an amazing holiday with their family and friends! Share your Thanksgiving food pics over on the Facebook page too! www.facebook.com/kaseyskitchen

Chicken Stir-Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Came up with this recipe last night and I'm so excited to share it with you all!

I love Asian inspired food! Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese... You name it, I love it! But here's the thing... it can get pretty pricey heading out to the Golden Dragon every week, so I decided to whip up a yummy stir-fry on my own! Thanks to the help of Nuttin' Butter's Honey Habanero Peanut Butter

What You Need:

Chicken

Broccoli

Zucchini

Onion

Mushroom

Carrots

Soy Sauce

Peanut Butter

Sambal/Siracha (Chili Paste)

Sesame Oil or Wok Oil

What You Do:

Heat the oil in your pan

Cut up chicken into cubes or strips and add to hot oil. Cook until golden.

Cut up your veggies however you'd like, I prefer thinly sliced with a mandolin.  Add those in and let saute. 

Add in a few splashes of soy sauce and mix it up, then cover for about 5 minutes. This helps the veggies cook out. 

Stir in 2 tbsp of peanut butter and a bit of the chili paste, depending how spicy you want it. 

Let that simmer for an additional 2 minutes. 

Serve over Asian noodles or brown rice. Yum!

Celebrity Dish on Kasey's Kitchen - Mario Lopez & Chicken Enchiladas

Friday was National Coffee Day and thanks to Bailey's Creamers I was able to spend my coffee break with Mario Lopez! Check out my interview with Mario and then try whipping up his Chicken Enchilada recipe from his cookbook, Extra Lean.

Ingredients:

6 corn tortillas

2 tsp olive oil

½ cup diced bell pepper

½ cup diced onion

½ tsp salt

½ tsp dried oregano

6 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded

2 Tbsp canned green chilis

1 cup mild salsa, divided

2 cups baby spinach

½ cup low fat shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack recommended)

Chopped scallions

Hot sauce (optional)

Nonstick cooking spray

                     

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven to warm.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and peppers.  Season with salt and oregano and saute for 5 minutes
4. Add chicken, green chilis, ½ cup salsa, and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.
5. Remove tortillas from the oven and spray a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Place ¼ cup of chicken mixture in a tortilla, roll up and transfer to baking dish; repeat with remaining tortillas.
7. Top tortillas with remaining salsa and cheese and bake for 10 minutes until cheese is melted.  Garnish with chopped scallions and serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Click Here for a bonus recipe from Bailey's featuring Mario's favorite flavor, Caramel! 

TV Dinner: Mambo Chicken Mozambique

With all of the great television that's back on I can't help but get inspired! I've been doing a new feature called "TV Dinner" on Kasey's Kitchen and thought I would share tonight's menu with you guys FIRST here on The Dish!

In the "Must See" Spot tonight is Dancing With The Stars: All Stars. Who will be the first All Star to get the boot? Grab your super spicy "Mambo Chicken Mozambique" and pop yourself in front of the tube to find out!

What You Need:
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups white wine
1 stick of butter
1 packet of Goya Sazon seasoning
2 tbsp crushed red peppers (not dried)
White Rice

What You Do:

Sautee onions and garlic in butter until translucent.

Add in chicken strips and allow to brown

Stir in in Sazon and crushed red peppers. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes. 
*Add more of the crushed red peppers if you want to bring the heat!

Add in white wine, cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes. You want to have a good amount of liquid in the pot!

Prepare rice according to the box/bag. 

Spoon chicken and sauce over rice and serve with a good crusty bread for dipping! 

So good, you'll be shakin' your money maker all over the kitchen while you do those dishes. 

Gimme 5: Stuffed Chicken Florentine

These ingredients come from Jen B. in Los Angles, CA

Ingredients:
Chicken
Shredded Cheese
Spinach
Cucumbers
Bread

Essentials:
Olive Oil
Vinegar
Garlic
Salt & Pepper

Stuffed Chicken Florentine w/ Marinated Cukes.

*Preheat oven to 425 degrees

The Cukes:
In a sealable container, combine ½ c vinegar, ¼ c oil, 1 tbsp sugar and a bit of black pepper.
Mix together, add sliced cucumbers and onions if you have them. Seal and let marinate in fridge while you prepare the chicken.

Stuffing:Depending on how many pieces of chicken you have, use either half or whole loaf of bread.
2 chicken breasts = ½ loaf, 4 breasts=whole loaf.

Break-up bread into small bits and place in mixing bowl.
Add chopped spinach.
Add a small amount of water until bread is damp and you can mold bread together. You’ll usually use a bit less than ½ c water.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add chopped garlic, about 2 cloves.
Knead together with hands.

Chicken:Pound chicken out flat and thin.
Add stuffing onto chicken and roll up. You can hold it together with toothpicks if you need to.
Heat a skillet on high heat w/some olive oil.
Pan sear chicken until golden brown.
Place chicken on baking dish, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for 15minutes.

Plate the chicken with your marinated cucumbers, and there, you’re done!

Gimme 5: Honey Mustard Chicken

That's right! After many years of hanging out on the shelf, "Gimme 5" is back in Kasey's Kitchen! 
For those of you who don't know, this is when you send in 5 ingredients to me (kaseyskitchentv@gmail.com) and I'll give you a recipe or idea of what to make with it. And yes, I came up with this long before that other 5 Ingredient show on that big food channel :-)

So to get things started.... Here was my dinner last night!

5 Ingredients*:
Chicken Breast
Honey Mustard
White Wine
Brown Rice
Green Beans

*Salt & Pepper, Olive Oil, Milk, Eggs and Butter never count in the 5. We're adults, these should always be in your kitchen people!


What to Do:

Cut chicken into strips and saute in a pan with a little olive oil until it starts to brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

When you notice that the bottom of the pan is getting a little golden, drizzle honey mustard over the chicken (about 2 tbsp) and stir the chicken. Then pour in about 1/4 cup of white wine. Lightly scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all the flavor to mix with the wine. 


Simmer for about 5 minutes.

In that time, prepare the instant brown rice as directed on the box and lightly steam the green beans (I HATE overcooked green beans)

By the time the side dishes are done, your sauce will have thickened. 

Spoon chicken and sauce over the rice and enjoy! You'll be done in 20 minutes, tops! 

Stuffed Chicken Florentine

These ingredients come from Pam J. in Los Angles, CA

Ingredients:
Chicken
Garlic
Spinach
Cucumbers
Bread

Stuffed Chicken Florentine w/ Marinated Cukes.

The Cukes:
In a sealable container, combine ½ c vinegar, ¼ c oil, 1 tbsp sugar and a bit of black pepper.
Mix together, add sliced cucumbers and onions if you have them. Seal and let marinate in fridge while you prepare the chicken.

Stuffing:Depending on how many pieces of chicken you have, use either half or whole loaf of bread.
2 chicken breasts = ½ loaf, 4 breasts=whole loaf.

Break-up bread into small bits and place in mixing bowl.
Add chopped spinach.
Add a small amount of water until bread is damp and you can mold bread together. You’ll usually use a bit less than ½ c water.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add chopped garlic, about 2 cloves.
Knead together with hands.

Chicken:Pound chicken out flat and thin.
Add stuffing onto chicken and roll up. You can hold it together with toothpicks if you need to.
Heat a skillet on high heat w/some olive oil.
Pan sear chicken until golden brown and cooked throughout.

Plate the chicken with some veggies and your marinated cucumbers, add a shake of dill if you have it, and there, you’re done!