One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

After a long, hot day at the pool with the kids I couldn't bring myself to go outside and barbecue the hamburgers I had planned on having for dinner tonight.  I had seen a recipe going around Facebook for Tomato Basil Pasta that you toss all the ingredients into a pot and let it simmer.  I had been meaning to give it a try, and tonight was the night.  It was a very easy recipe to throw together, and THRIVE made it even easier.  You can find the original recipe at www.apronstringsblog.com.

• 12 ounces of pasta of your choice
• 1 1/2 C. THRIVE Tomato Dices
• 3/4 C. THRIVE Chopped Onions
• 1 tsp. THRIVE Tomato Powder
• 2 tsp. THRIVE Oregano
• 1 tsp. THRIVE Basil
• 4 1/2 tsp. THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
• 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 4 cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 5 1/2 C. Water
• Parmesan Cheese

Place all the ingredients into a large pot except for Parmesan Cheese.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  After 10 minutes, most of the liquid will have evaporated, but you can cook for a little longer to reduce more of the liquid.  Stir and serve, garnishing with Parmesan Cheese and enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

Here is another great recipe that was inspired by one of my favorite recipe blogs  - Mels Kitchen Cafe.  If you like enchiladas, you'll love these.

• 1/4 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Chopped Onions
• 1 Tbsp. THRIVE Red and Green Bell Peppers
• 1/4 Cup hot Water
• 1 tsp. Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 3 tsp. Sugar
• 3 Cups Water
• 1/2 Cup THRIVE Tomato Powder
• 2 Cups shredded cooked Chicken or 2 Cups THRIVE Chopped Chicken
• Salt
• 1 Cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 C shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 10-12 Flour or Corn Tortillas

If you are using THRIVE Chicken add 1 3/4 cups hot water to the chicken and let sit for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce.  Mix onions, peppers, and 1/4 cup hot water in a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Heat oil in pan and add onions and peppers.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes.  Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar.  Cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.  Add 3 C. water, Tomato Powder, and shredded chicken or THRIVE Chicken.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  

Now separate the sauce from the chicken by straining it, pressing any extra liquid out.  Set the chicken aside.  Pour the sauce back into the pan.  Salt to taste.  Heat the sauce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.   

Heat oven to 400 F.  Stir 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese into chicken.  Salt to taste.  Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken evenly down the center of each tortilla.  Tightly roll the tortillas and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch pan.

Pour the sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese browns.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Paprika Chicken Stroganoff

If you're like me, you're always looking for new recipes.  One of my favorite places to find recipes online is melskitchencafe.com.  If you haven't checked Mel's website out, you need to!  When I checked her website today I was excited to see that I had all the ingredients to make her newest recipe tonight.  And like everything else I've tried from her website, it was delicious.  So here is how I made Mel's Paprika Chicken Stroganoff using my THRIVE food.

• 1/2 C. THRIVE Freeze Dried Chopped Onions
• 1 C. THRIVE Mushrooms
• 1 C. warm water
• 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 Tbsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil plus more if needed
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 tsp. THRIVE Chicken Bouillon mixed with 1 3/4 C. water
• 2 Tbsp. THRIVE Tomato Powder mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/4 C. THRIVE Sour Cream Powder mixed with 2 Tbsp. water

Mix onions, mushrooms, and 1 C. warm water.  Set aside to reconstitute, stirring occasionally.

Mix paprika, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Toss chicken in the mixture until it is coated.  Sprinkle flour on top and toss until coated.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden brown on each side, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  It will cook more later, so don't worry about cooking it all the way through.  Take the chicken out of the pan and put it onto a plate.

Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan if you need.  Drain any excess water from mushrooms and onions, and put in pan.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions and mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for 1 more minutes, making sure to not burn the garlic.

Pour in about 1/4 C. of the chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up any bits from the bottom.  Stir in the tomato paste, whisking until combined.  Stir in the rest of the chicken broth and the bay leaf.

Add the chicken back in to the skillet ad simmer over medium, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5-6 minutes.  Stir in the sour cream and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

If you want to thicken the sauce more, mix 1-2 Tbsp. water with 1 Tbsp. cornstarch.  Whisk in quickly to mix well.  Simmer for 2-3 more minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve over egg noodles.

Serves 4-6