Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera

I just made this great recipe that my cousin showed me. It's easy, cheap, and delicious! My husband is a big fan, so I'm a big fan. The original recipe is found here.

Creamy Chicken & Rotini Primavera

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound dry rotini
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - cubed (I use less)
1 pound frozen vegetable mix - thawed
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup lite Italian dressing
1/2 cup 2% fat milk

Directions

1. Cook rotini per package directions to desired doneness. Drain well and keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and cook until no longer pink.
3. Combine cream cheese, dressing and milk and whisk until smooth.
4. Add thawed frozen vegetables to chicken along with sauce mixture. Stir well and heat through - about 5 minutes. Serve. 

Tasty Breadsticks

I've been using a really simple, no-rise breadstick recipe since I've gotten married. I liked it because it was easy and quick, and I didn't have to remember to start making it a long time before dinner. Well I tried a new recipe that my sister-in-law loves, and I'm definitely switching over. These breadsticks were AMAZING! And they're quite easy even though they do rise for 45 minutes. The dough was a lot easier to work with, softer without being sticky, and they are so yummy with the topping. Here's the original link.


Breadsticks


Ingredients
Dough:
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 t.)
4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 T unsalted butter, softened
2 T sugar
1 T fine salt


Topping:
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of dried oregano

Directions

Make the dough:

Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, 5 minutes.

Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft, 3 minutes. Roll into a 2-foot-long log; cut into 16 1 1/2-inch-long pieces. Knead each piece slightly and shape into a 7-inch-long breadstick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Make the topping: 

Brush the breadsticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm breadsticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the flavored salt.

Cinnamon Rolls...or white bread

I use it to make cinnamon rolls, bread and cinnamon swirl bread.  It does make a lot (hard to halve with just one egg) but we just freeze the loaves or invite people over. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c powdered milk
4 cups boiling water
1/2 c sugar
2 T salt
1/2 c oil
2 packets yeast
12 cups flour
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Scald dry milk with boiling water, add sugar, salt, oil and let cool.
2. While cooling, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and add 1tsp sugar.
3. Put cooled milk mixture in mixing bowl, add 4 cups flour gradually and mix to develop gluten.
4. Add beaten egg and yeast mixture and blend throughly
5. Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating after each cup.  Knead when dough is too stiff to beat.  (Add flour until dough is the right consistency, not sticky but not too dry. Should be near 12cups flour total in recipe)  Knead 8-10 minutes.
6. Spread dough with light coat of oil and let rise twice. First time: 2 hours.  Second time: 40 minutes
7. For bread, divide into loaf size portions, back about 12 minutes at 400F (204c) degrees until brown and then turn down heat to 350F (176c) and back 25 minutes.

*For cinnamon rolls, after the dough has risen a second time, roll the dough into a rectangle.  Spread entire surface with a generous amount of butter (just softened, not completely melted butter or you'll get soggy rolls).  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon sugar (1/2c sugar to 1T cinnamon).  Roll up, pinch the edge and cut about 1 in slices with string, dental floss or softly with a knife.

Put in pans and let rise again, about 1 hour. I like to put them in the fridge overnight.  When they rise overnight they can be placed in the oven first thin in the morning. Bake at 325F (160c) until lightly golden (about 20 minutes). Frost when warm if desired.