Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Cooktopcove)

 Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
12 oz fettuccine or pasta of choice, cooked and drained

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach to the skillet, stirring until the spinach wilts.

6. Slice the cooked chicken breasts and return to the skillet with the cooked pasta. Toss everything together to coat in the creamy sauce.

7. Serve hot, with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Enchilada Soup (Sam the Cooking Guy)

Ingredients:

Spice rub:
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 large chicken breast

Soup:

neutral oil

1 cup of diced yellow onion

2-3 jalapeños, seeded and diced

2 Tablespoons garlic puree

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

1 15 oz can red enchilada sauce

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup of Masa Harina corn flour

2 cups water

Kosher salt and black pepper

For Serving:

Shredded Monterey jack cheese

Diced avocado

chopped cilantro

diced tomatoes

lime wedges

crushed tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Combine spice rub ingredients and mix
2. put chicken in a large zippered bag, and flatten chicken to a wide, even thickness
3. Heat cast iron skillet to high
4. Lightly oil both side of the chicken and season well with the spice rub. Lightly oil skillet and cook chicken approximately 3 minutes per side until a temperature of 160 has been reached. Remove, set aside and when cool, dice up.
5. In a medium pot, heat a tablespoon of oil and add the onions and jalapeños and cook for a few minutes until just beginning to soften.
6. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 40 seconds then add chili powder, garlic powder.
7. Add the tomatoes, enchilada sauce and broth. Stir well and bring to a boil.
8. Combine the masa marina with water in a bowl and stir until smooth then slowly pour into the bubbling soup. Mix well, bring to a simmer and let thicken.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Put the soup in a bowl, add some Monterey Jack cheese then some chicken, diced avocado and tomatoes. Add a little squeeze of fresh lime juice and crush some tortilla chips over the top to add texture.