Cooking with Kristen - Spinach Chicken with Parmesan

Welcome! In 2009 my new year's resolution was to get organized. I was pregnant with Emma and had no idea how we would fit another child in this house! I cleaned everything out (as a result we will have a huge garage sale this summer). I didn't want to get organized in our space but in our lives.

I do the main grocery shopping every 2 weeks, pay day. If I plan out the meals for those 2 weeks it is so helpful on so many levels. 1) getting everything i need at the store 2) avoid spending hours in front of the fridge trying to figure out what to make on any given Wednesday or weekday. 3) Time Management - If i was cutting an onion for tonight and need one tomorrow i could cut them both at the same time 4) Food savings - i was no longer over buying at the grocery store.

I found this pad (on the right) at Micheal's for a buck! Its so easy, it has a magnet so it always on the Fridge. You just figure out your meals for the week. As you can kind of see, its all filled out for this week. When i make my grocery list (left) I go day by day and see what I will need to make it all.


The thing with winter, there is really nothing to do. So I get inspired to cook! I am trying to cook healthier but it doesn't always turn out that way! This week I planned some yummy foods and I plan to share a lot of them you. This is the closest i will ever get to being Rachel Ray and having my own cooking show!!

The first dish on the pilot episode of Cooking with Kristen is:

Spinach Chicken with Parmesan.

You will need:
2 Boneless Chicken Breast
1/2 bag of baby Spinach
2 oz of fresh Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic crushed or chopped
Crushed red pepper
EVOO
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Tbsp Butter
Splash of cooking wine (optional)
1 Can of Chicken Stock
Salt Pepper
Green onions (optional)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Rice, or Egg Noodles (optional)

To start, add about 1 Tbsp of EVOO into a non stick frying pan (that has a lid) over medium heat. Then add the garlic and the crushed red pepper flakes (as many as you like - i add a pinch) and the chicken breasts.
After 3-5 minutes, flip the chicken and cook till the chicken is almost done (about 3-5 more minutes depending on thickness of the chicken).
Remove the pan from the heat. Place the chicken on a plate and loosely cover with foil.

Now its time to make the sauce! Add a Tbsp of butter and Tbsp of flour to the pan on a low - medium heat. Stir it together to help cook the flour (this entire process takes about a minute).


Add about 3/4 of the can of chicken stock (if you are adding Wine, do so now), mix everything together. You will start to see the chicken pieces stuck to the pan and any of the flour baked to the pan begin to release into your sauce. Turn up the heat to a Medium heat to bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, green onions and mushrooms! Your sauce should nice and thick and bubbly. (dont add too much salt because the parmesan cheese will add alot of saltiness to the dish)
Place your chicken back into the pan and poor a handful of Parmesan cheese over the top. Add the baby spinach into the pan, it will fill it right to the top!! Place the lid on the pan and let everything cook, the spinach will wilt down. Remove from heat and serve with Egg noodles, Rice or alone. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese.


Enjoy!!