Big Bears Wife

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Italian Chicken Pasta Wrap #SundaySupper #SauteExpress

Sometime I get into a cooking rut. I want to cook, I want to create amazing meals for my family but sometimes my energy level just isn't up to speed with what I want to do. I work a full time job, write articles for a few magazines and companies and blog here at BigBearsWife.com.

Some weeks it's easy peasy and then some weeks it's sleepless night and lots of coffee. But it's what I love, so it's worth it.

On the weeks that I get bombard with tons of deadlines at the same time (like last week and this week), I get about 30 minutes to an hour for dinner and time with my hubby before I have to start editing pictures or writing articles. If I can get dinner made during that time, I'm super woman. Thankfully I've got a few meals that I can make in 30 minutes or less! (haha therefor I can be super woman!)

This week the Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter really helped me get out of my "take-out" rut and back into the kitchen.

The the Land O Lakes® Sauté Express™ Sauté Starters have the herbs, butter, pepper and olive oil already mixed in. They pack a huge flavor in the quick meals I've been fixing this week.

The Italian Chicken Pasta Wrap below can be made as a pasta dish (leave out the wrap part) or as a wrap.

They take 25-30 minutes to make, so they're perfect for my busy days.

To make the Italian Chicken Pasta Wrap:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook for 12 minutes. Drain and return pasta to pot.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium pan on medium-low heat and melt one square of Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter in the pan.

Add chicken tenderloins. Cook tenderloins in the Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter for 5-6 minutes.

Flip Chicken over and cook for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside.

Heat a medium pan on medium low and melt two of Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter squares. Once melted, pour melted squares of Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter into the pot of warm pasta and mix well until all of the pasta is coated.

In a large bowl bowl mix together the diced chicken, diced cherry tomatoes.

And mozzarella cheese. Mix until combined.

**Stop right here and enjoy this as a fast and delicious pasta dish or continue on to make it a wrap**

Heat a stack of tortillas in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Heating them will make them easier to fold and wrap.

Lay one tortilla on a flat surface. Fill the center with a little bit of the pasta, spreading it just a little to go across the middle of the tortilla.

Wrap pasta in the tortilla like a burrito.

Leave whole or slice in half.

(Printable Recipe Here)

Italian Chicken Pasta Wrap

by Angie Barrett January-27-2013

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
3 Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter squares
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box rotini pasta (can use half a box)

1 package plain or sun-dried tomato tortilla wraps*

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook for 12 minutes. Drain and return pasta to pot.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium pan on medium-low heat and melt one square of Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter in the pan.

Add chicken tenderloins. Cook tenderloins in the Land O Lakes® Italian Herb Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter for 5-6 minutes. Flip Chicken over and cook for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside.

In a large bowl bowl mix together the diced chicken, diced cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Mix until combined.

**Stop right here and enjoy this as a fast and delicious pasta dish or continue on to make it a wrap**

Heat a stack of tortillas in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Heating them will make them easier to fold and wrap.

Lay one tortilla on a flat surface. Fill the center with a little bit of the pasta, spreading it just a little to go across the middle of the tortilla. Wrap pasta in the tortilla like a burrito. Leave whole or slice in half.

Land O’Lakes has an easy, delicious solution for the weeknight dinner dilemma your readers face each night – its newest innovation, Sauté Express® Sauté Starter.

Simply toss a Sauté Express® square in a non-stick sauté pan until it begins to bubble and sizzle; add fresh chicken, pork, shrimp or fish; and sauté in less than 30 minutes for a fast and delicious meal.

The product combines butter, olive oil, and a variety of herbs and spices into one convenient square.

The product performs best when sautéing at medium or low heat.

Sauté Express® Sauté Starter is available in four delicious flavors: Garlic & Herb, Italian Herb, Savory Butter & Olive Oil and Lemon Pepper. Visit SauteExpress.com for meal ideas and tips.

If you're intrested in trying Land O Lakes® Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter, I've got a little giveaway for you :)

This is a for a coupon for one free package of Land O Lakes Saute Express (up to a $3.99 value).
The giveaway is for United States Residents only.

Comment on this post and let me know which Land O Lakes® Sauté Express™ Sauté Starter you'd want to try first! Garlic & Herb, Italian Herb, Savory Butter & Olive Oil or Lemon Pepper.

Be sure to visit Land O Lakes® on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LandOLakes
Twitter: @landolakesktchn
Pinterest: @landolakesktchn
Instagram:@landolakesktchn

Sauté Express^®Chicken Recipes:

Chicken Florentine Pasta by Supper for a Steal

Creamy Lemon-Chicken w/ Artichokes by girlichef

Chicken Parm Tenders over Spinach & Orzo by Momma’s Meals

Sizzling Chicken and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Almond Cilantro Rice by Mama.Mommy.Mom

Garlic and Herb Chicken Fettuccine by in the Kitchen with KP

Italian Chicken Pasta Wrap by Big Bears Wife

Creamy Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Mushrooms by The Messy Baker

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas by That Skinny Chick can bake

Shells with Chicken and Pancetta by The Foodie Army Wife

Capellini Pomodoro with Italian Herb Chicken by Mom’s Test Kitchen

Garlic and Herb Chicken Pasta Toss by Ruffles & Truffles

Sauté Express^®Fish and Seafood Recipes:

Easy Italian Herb Shrimp Pilaf by Daily Dish Recipes

Crabmeat stuffed Flounder Roulades by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Cod Fillet with Lemon Pepper Ginger Sauce by Kimchi Mom

Herb Lemon Butter Tilapia with Sauted Veggies by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends

Blackened Tilapia Po’ Boys by Juanita’s Cocina

Tomato-Basil Shrimp with Orzo and Feta by The Weekend Gourmet

Sauté Express^® Ham and Pork Recipes:

Ham and Vegetable Frittata by Magnolia Days

Savory Butter and Olive Oil Pork Chops by In the Kitchen with Audrey

Skillet Lemon Pepper Pork and Orzo by Family Foodie

We have a special Pinterest Board to Showcase #WeekdaySupper with Sauté Express® Sauté Starter we will feature a new recipe every day for the next month.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

Disclosure: The author received a full-value coupon redeemable for Sauté Express® Sauté Starter for recipe development and review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Valentines Cookie Stacks

Ok, so we have about 3 or so weeks before Valentines is here. Christmas and New Years are over so I'm totally ok with Valentines Day stuff popping up now (the day after Christmas however, I wasn't to happy to see all this pink and red everywhere)

I'm a total sap for this mushy, love stuff........ ok well kinda.

I'm only a total sap when it comes to my husband. Before I got married I wasn't so fond of any of this Valentines stuff. Even now that I'm married, mushy, lovey, dovey movies kind of make me want to gag and the huge heart balloons and over sized teddy bears at Walmart make me roll my eyes.

But if my husband showed up with a giant teddy bear and roses on Valentines, my heart would explode with all of that mushy, lovey, dovey love. I mean... not that I have anywhere to put a giant teddy bear, but that's not the point.

February not only brings Valentines, but it brings our Anniversary too. On February 3rd, 2013 we celebrate six years :)

*I couldn't have picked a better time to plan our wedding haha, our flowers were red and white roses, my colors were red and white, so with Valentines day almost here I had hundreds of things in my colors to pick from haha*

I made a Christmas versions of these last year and they were such a hit that I wanted to try them out in other colors for upcoming holidays. Since Valentines is our next big holiday, I figured I'd give them a try.

Easy, easy cookie stacks. And they are oh so cute. Well, at least I think they are.

I can never find good holiday sprinkles around here and to be honest, I have no patience so I hardly ever want to wait to order them online.

Lucky for me, I've found the Pillsbury icing with the sprinkles in Christmas and Valentines themes at my local grocery store. The icing is already tinted the perfect color and the sprinkles match. :)

Store bought cookies (or homemade), icing and sprinkles. That's really all you need. Oh and cute cupcake liners.

Use a piping bag and tip to swirl icing onto the cookies. Layer with another cookie, swirl some more icing, layer with another cookie and so on until you're reached the desired height.

I've got more step by step photos on the Christmas version.

Add sprinkles and you're done.

See, I told you it was easy.

I'm linking to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin It -Friday-

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Layered Mini Chocolate Banana Cakes #sundaysupper

I can not tell you how much I wish I had been into cooking when my Nana was still around. I wish I had learned how to cook from her and my Papa. They always made the best food. I wish I had written their recipes down.

I was trying to prep for this weekend and find a "Retro" recipe for today, because that's our theme with #SundaySupper today, but was having no luck. Retro Recipe... from the 50's, 60's and 70's... I wasn't even around then. I couldn't decide on a recipe.

So, I asked my mom about "retro recipes". I asked her what her favorite foods were growing up. Her answer: "When I was little, your Nana use to make Sunday Lunch/Supper, it was almost always homemade fried chicken, vegetables and chocolate banana cake."

Chocolate Banana Cake! I have fond memories of my mom and I mixing banana slices and chocolate syrup together as a treat when I was little, so I knew a Chocolate Banana Cake that reminded my mother of her mother was perfect!

I have no idea what recipe my Nana used for her cakes. My mom says that she thinks that nana used a boxed cake mix. Who knows. But she told me it was always a chocolate or yellow cake, with chocolate icing and banana slices in between the layers :) So, that's what I made. Except I made little cakes.... we all know my luck with giant cakes. Yeah, little ones are much better, for my sanity anyways...

I made the little layers by baking the chocolate cake on a cookie sheet (with sides) in one big layer. I lined the baking sheet with foil so that I could lift the cake out to cut it once it was baked.

Once the cake was baked and cooled, I used a glass to mark the size.

And then I used a small knife to cut out the circles.

I placed the circles of cake on a baking sheet and popped them into the freezer. I let them sit in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Next I stacked the cake layers, adding layer of frosting and banana slices in between each layer of cake. Frost the entire cake with frosting.

Next I added chocolate curls to the top of the mini cake. (I used a vegetable peeler on the side of a chocolate bar to get he curls).

Then I added a few banana chips. I though about banana slices, but I didn't want them to turn brown or anything.

(Printable Recipe Here)

Layered Mini Chocolate Banana Cakes

by Angie Barrett January-20-2013

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cup water

1 can chocolate icing
1-2 bananas, sliced
Chocolate bar for curls *optional*
Banana chips for garnish *optional*

Instructions

Mix the cake batter with the eggs, water and oil. (Or use your favorite chocolate cake recipe)

Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with foil. Pour batter into cookie sheet/baking sheet.

Bake at 350F. for 12 minutes. Remove cake once cooked, let cool.

Once cooled, remove cake from pan by lifting the sides of the foil.

Use a glass to mark the size for the mini layers on the cooled cake.

Then use a small knife to cut out the circles. Place the circles of cake on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer.

Let them sit in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Next stack the cake layers, adding layer of frosting and banana slices in between each layer of cake. Frost the entire cake with frosting.

Add chocolate curls to the top of the mini cake. (I used a vegetable peeler on the side of a chocolate bar to get he curls). *optional*

Add banana chips to the top for garnish*optional*

Yields: 4-5 Mini Cakes

Here are the other wonderful #SundaySupper Retro Recipes :)

Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:

Irish Cheddar-Whiskey Fondue by girlichef
She Devils: Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs by Ruffles & Truffles

Sunday Supper Retro Salads:

Coca-Cola Salad by Magnolia Days
Salmon Salad | Retro Tuna Salad by Family Foodie
Ambrosia Salad by Simply Gourmet
Romaine “Wedge” Salad with Hot Maple Bacon Dressing by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Carrot & Raisin Salad by The Roxx Box
Sweet & Smoky Broccoli Salad by In The Kitchen with KP

Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:

Italian Style Bread by The Meltaways
Creamed Chipped Salmon Jerky on Toast by Pescetarian Journal
Grown-Up Tuna Melts by Home Cooking Memories
English Muffin Pizzas by Comfy Cuisine
Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake by Mooshu Jenne
Grown-Up Grilled Cheese With Tomato Soup by Catholic Foodie
Toast Topper #16: Grandma’s Mock Apricot Jam by What Smells So Good?

SundaySupper Main Dishes:

Chicken Pot Pie Topped With Bacon Cheddar Biscuits by Chocolate Moosey
Tuna Noodle Casserole by Country Girl in the Village
Nana’s Marinated Beef Roast by Supper for a Steal
Chorizo Scotch Eggs by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Chicken Maryland by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Mushroom Stroganoff by Small Wallet Big Appetite
Dairyfree Toast Hawaii by Galactosemia in PDX
Porcupine Meatballs by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Chicken Kiev by The Urban Mrs.
Salmon Quiche with Preserved Lemon by Shockingly Delicious
Steak Diane by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Fried Chicken only in the Oven by In the Kitchen with Audrey
Hambak Steak a.k.a. Salisbury Steak by Kimchi Mom
Retro-Redo: Homemade TV Dinner by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Kicked Up Meatloaf by Curious Cuisiniere
Shrimp Scampi (a lighter version) by Kudos Kitchen
Old-Fashioned Pork Chops by My Trials in the Kitchen
Jägerschnitzel by Sustainable Dad
Healthier Hamburger-Corn Noodle Casserole by The Weekend Gourmet
Inspired by Tuna Noodle Casserole by Cookistry
Chicken-N-Biscuits Pot Pie Casserole by The Messy Baker Blog
Souper Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes by Mama.Mommy.Mom
Meatloaf that will make you swoon and Datz the truth by Midlife Roadtrip
Spaghetti with Currywurst Sauce by Masala Herb
Tator Tot Casserole by NeighborFood

Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:

Smokey Braised Red Cabbage by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Classic Corn Casserole by The Foodie Army Wife
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Balsamic by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Classic Green Bean Casserole Redux by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Mem’s Broccoli Casserole by Momma’s Meals

Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:

Peachy Keen Tutti-Frutti Jello by La Cocina de Leslie
Old School Boozy Rum Cake by Webicurean
Individual Baked Alaskas by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Rainbow Jello by Cravings of a Lunatic
Pineapple Upside Down Cake by Noshing with the Nolands
Pineapple Bars by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Creamy Dairy Free Fresh Orange Julius With Coconut Milk by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Refrigerator Strawberry Cheesecake by There and Back Again
Frozen Pineapple Upside-Down Cake by Juanita’s Cocina
Boston Cream Pie by Gotta Get Baked
Coca-Cola Cupcakes by Daily Dish Recipes
Jello Poke Cake by Flour On My Face
Devil’s Food Cake by Maroc Mama
Bread Pudding with Pecans by Basic and Delicious
Victoria Sponge Cake by The Lovely Pantry
A Chocolate Twist on the Classic Japanese Strawberry Shortcake by Ninja Baking
Post War Apple Pudding by My Cute Bride
Layered Mini Chocolate Banana Cakes by Big Bears Wife
Raspberry Jam Cakes by Pippis in the Kitchen Again
Cocktail: Moscow Mule by Crazy by Crazy Foodie Stunts

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Brookside Chocolate Tasting Kit

& a Brookside Chocolate Tasting Kit Giveaway for you!

There are so many people out there that say they LOVE chocolate. They say they are chocoholics and obsessed with the stuff. I don't know if I fall into that category or not. I mean I do love chocolate, but I'm kind of picky. I can't pick up a block of chocolate and just nibble on it. It makes my teeth feel weird. I also don't do chocolate with crispy rice in it. I like milk chocolate, ooo I love milk chocolate. But I like it with peanut butter, peanuts and almonds. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate, or I guess I should now say that I wasn't a fan of dark chocolate until recently. So maybe I'm just a chocolate lover, and not a crazed Chocoholic?!

A few weeks ago I got a package from Brookside; a chocolate tasting kit! I had my first taste of Brookside Chocolate when I was at Mixed back in November and I really liked it, but oh this tasting kit just took it a step further.

I want to tell you about everything in the Tasting Kit, but I want to pause for a second to tell you why I am converting to the darkside (the darkside of chocolate that is) The chocolates from Brookside!

My personal FAVORITE are the Brookside® Dark Chocolate Açai with Blueberry chocolate bites. I've never even been a huge lover of blueberries, but something about those two flavors together make me melt. BigBear surprisingly really liked these too! He also liked the Brookside® Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. I thought they were pretty good too, but not as good as my beloved Blueberry Bites! Something about the rich chocolate and then burst of fruit juice goodness, just made me love them.

My mom, Dad and brother loved the Brookside® Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry chocolate bites, so I sent those home with them to share!

My Tasking kit also came with a Stainless Steel Server, a nice white Cheese Grip Board and 2 Stemless Wine Glasses! So I went out with BigBear and we picked out a few of our favorite cheeses and a bottle of wine to taste with our new chocolates. OK so the bottle of wine was for me, we all know he doesn't drink wine haha.

The Hoop Cheese (back left), the blueberry chocolates and the grapes were my favorite combination, while the Smoked Gouda (front left)and Pomegranate Bites where BigBear's favorite!

Isn't this little Stainless Steel Server the cutest!?!

My package also included this bright green dual-grip headband and Subscription for Fitness Magazine! Because we all know what my goal is! Ok, maybe some of you don't know what my goal is, but my goal for 2013 is to get back down to my 2006 weight and a size 7/8 in jeans! Why that size? Because that's the size I was when I went to Hawaii in 2006. My dad made a deal with me, if I can get back down to that size he's taking up to Hawaii for Christmas 2013. Holy Smokes. We're gonna see if I can make that happen. (Might be a long shot, but we'll see)

So let me get on to this lovely giveaway I have for you. :) Brookside is offering to send one of you the exact same Tasting Kit that I received!!

My Brookside Tasting Kit included:

1 pkg. Brookside® Dark Chocolate Pomegranate

1 pkg. Brookside® Dark Chocolate Açai with Blueberry

1 pkg. Brookside® Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry

3 serving bowls with a central loop handle (each bowl is an 8 oz. well)

Stainless Steel Server

Cheese Grip Board

2 Stemless Wine Glasses

Grocery Gift Card ($30)

Subscription for Fitness Magazine

Gaiam® Exercise Headband

Want to win this fabulous Brookside Tasting Kit? Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway :) Giveaway ended 1/23/13, winner will be randomly selected by the rafflecopter widget.

Make sure to use the rafflecopter widget below for it to count!! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner must be a US Resident. Brookside did provide me with a Tasting Kit and did provide a Tasting Kit for 1 (one) winner. All opinions are my own :) As always :)