RIGATONI CHICKEN BAKE

So I've been trying out all my new Epicure spices and seasonings. Tonight, I decided to try the Marinara Sauce Mix and added chicken, instead of ground beef, to my pasta (in this house, there must be meat in order for it to be considered a meal) and thought I would use another seasoning, the Herb & Garlic Dip Mix, to flavour the chicken. It was SO DELICIOUS. I know I've said that about almost every post I've made thus far, but it was seriously so fresh tasting. 

Another great bonus: the entire pasta sauce only contained 3mg of sodium (I used no sodium added can of diced tomatoes so didn't have any additional sodium outside of the seasonings). Healthy and delicious.

(note: photo taken before baked with cheese)

Rigatoni Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into small cubes                                 (note: could also use 1-2lbs ground beef or ground turkey)
• Rigatoni or pasta of your choice
• 2 cups prepared Epicure's Marinara Sauce, or preferred marinara sauce
• 3 1/2 cups of low-sodium diced or crushed tomatoes
• Epicure's Marinara sauce mix (note: I used half the recommend sauce mix)
• 1/2 tbsp Epicure's Herb & Garlic Dip Mix, or preferred seasonings
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Prepare Epicure's Marinara Sauce and continue to simmer
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions
• In skillet over medium heat, warm up olive oil and add slices of chicken
• Top the chicken with Epicure's Herb & Garlic Dip Mix
• Cook chicken for ~10 minutes, flipping half way through, or until thoroughly cooked. 
• Once chicken is cooked, add to Marinara Sauce

**NOTE: Could technically stop here. Serve marinara sauce and chicken over pasta and top with parmesan cheese and/or mozzarella cheese, shredded. To be honest, if I were to make again, I would likely stop here. To bake it takes an extra 20+ minutes and I usually don't have the extra time. 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Beat egg in a large mixing bowl and then mix in cheeses
• Spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce on bottom of baking pan then add ~half of the pasta and then top with half of the ricotta mixture
• Top with remaining pasta, ricotta mixture and sauce. Can add additional mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese
• Bake, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until bubbling. 

LINGUINE WITH CHICKEN AND EDAMAME BEANS

The last couple of days I've been trying out different ways to use my new Epicure seasonings and spices; right now, I love the taste of the Little Italy Secret Sauce so have been using a lot of it! Tonight, I decided that I would try it out on my pasta rather than using a typical marinara sauce. WOW. This was soooo easy, so quick, and SOOOO DELICIOUS. This honestly tastes like a pasta dish that you would order at a restaurant.

Linguine with Chicken and Edamame Beans

Ingredients:

• linguine or your choice of pasta
• parmesan cheese
• lemon juice
• edamame beans or additional vegetables of your liking (optional)
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin pieces (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 prepared recipe Epicure's Little Italy Secret Sauce
• 1 prepared recipe Epicure's Paris Bistro Secret Sauce (note: I made a half recipe for 3 chicken breasts)
• secret sauce
• olive oil
• water

note: the amounts and type of the above ingredients should be to your preference. Play around! 

Directions:

• Cook pasta as per directions
• Prepare both Epicure's Little Italy and Paris Bistro Secret Sauces (takes ~1 minute)
• While cooking pasta, warm up 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in skillet and add sliced chicken 
• Pour the prepared Paris Bistro Secret Sauce onto the chicken and turn every 3-5 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked
• Steam edamame beans and any additional vegetables
• Toss strained pasta with desired amount of Little Italy Secret Sauce, parmesan cheese, chicken, and cooked vegetables. Can also add a squirt of lemon juice if desired. Serve and enjoy!

EPICURE'S LITTLE ITALY BRUSCHETTA

Looking for an appetizer to serve before a dinner party or a midnight snack? This is super quick and easy to make and guests will LOVE this bruschetta (even those who don't really care for typical bruschetta will love this).

Epicure's Little Italy Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• French baguette, sliced
• roma tomatoes, diced
• red onion, chopped 
• parmesan cheese
• 1 prepared recipe Epicure's Little Italy Secret Sauce
• Epicure's Little Italy Secret Sauce
• water
• olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Lay baguette slices flat on baking sheet
• Brush prepared secret sauce onto baguettes, amount to your preference - I completely covered the entire surface of baguette
• Add desired amount of chopped onion and tomatoes to baguette
• Top with parmesan cheese
• Place baking sheet in oven for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and serve

EPICURE'S LITTLE ITALY PIZZA

This was so unbelievable easy to make and so unbelievably delicious. Added a lighter and more refreshing taste to a pizza rather than using a typical marinara-type pizza sauce. Great for dinner or a quick and easy lunch.

Epicure's Little Italy Pizza

Ingredients:

• pizza crust or naan bread or flatbread or your preference
• mozzarella cheese, shredded
• desired toppings
• 1 prepared recipe Epicure's Little Italy Secret Sauce *
• secret sauce
• water
• olive oil 

* note: I used a half recipe as I made a single serving for myself on naan bread

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400
• Spread Little Italy Secret Sauce on pizza crust
• Sprinkle toppings and cheese evenly
• Place in oven and cook for 5-12 minutes (depending on size of pizza), or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown

GRILLED GUACAMOLE AND CHEESE SANDWICH

So, my husband is out of town which usually means that my suppers consist of left overs, PB & J, or nothing. Juliet is the pickiest thing in the world so no point in cooking for her and Oliver would eat anything, but he's only 10 months old, so I technically don't need to cook for him.

ANYWAYS... I had some avocados that needed to get used up so I was trying to think of something that I could use guac with didn't consist of me actually making anything SO I thought, hmm... haven't made a grilled cheese sandwich in forever, I wonder what it would be like if I threw some guac in there? It was actually pretty tasty! Instead of dipping it in ketchup I used salsa. YUM. Quick, easy, and was a good late night, exhausted from a day of trampolining and shopping and chasing after my kids, meal. Would probably serve better as lunch vs. supper... but some days, you just gotta do what you gotta do!

Grilled Guacamole and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

• guacamole Recipe for Guacamole
• 2 slices of bread (I used rye)
• cheese (I used a combination of mozzarella and cheddar, although would probably taste better with some jack or provolone... I just didn't have any)
• margarine

Directions:

• Warm up non-stick pan on medium heat
• Spread small amount of margarine on slices of bread, exterior portions that will touch the pan so as to not stick (as you would with normal grilled cheese sandwich)
• Place one slice of bread onto pan, butter side down
• Add desired amount of guacamole and top with cheese
• Place second piece of bread on top, butter side out
• Warm up, so bread browns and cheese is melted
• Serve with salsa. YUM!

EPICURE SELECTIONS INTRODUCTION

I am really excited about this new adventure I'm undertaking.... I have started my own business as an Independent Epicure Consultant. I've loved their products for years and have finally decided that this is my time to spread my love! It's amazing how much I've learned about these products in the last couple of weeks and I really am excited to expand my tasting even further!!

Some Interesting Facts:

• 100% nut-free
• 100% gluten-free
• No MSG added
• A large selection of low- or no- sodium options (see below)
• Enrolled in the No-GMO Project
• Inexpensive. I found this the most surprising. Almost all of the seasonings are between $7-11. That is comparable to what you would find on a grocery shelf with the added bonus of being healthy and delicious. 
• There are a TON of recipes online to help guide you when using your new products. 
• Company was first started by a woman looking to provide her family with meals that not only taste good but are also healthy. The company is still a family-run business (nice that it hasn't been taken over by a large corporation)
• It is easy to become an Independent Consultant as well, and enjoy the benefits of such a great line of seasonings, cookware, and more! 

Epicure has many products that are low in sodium as well as a few that have zero sodium. When I first starting selling Epicure, this was one of the things that I was extremely excited about. Here are a few examples:

• Taco Seasoning: 2 tsp prepared has 20mg sodium vs. store-bought product of 260mg 
• Fajita Seasoning: 2 tsp prepared has 10mg sodium vs. store-bought product of 370mg 
• Nacho Cheese Dip: 2 tbsp prepared has 85mg sodium vs. store-bought product of 290mg 
• Marinara Sauce Mix: 1/2 cup prepared has 2mg sodium vs. store-bought product of 500mg
• Beef Bouillon Base: 1 cup prepared has 60mg sodium vs. store-bought product of 1,300mg
• Vegetable Bouillon Base: 1 cup prepared has 40mg sodium vs. store-bought product of 970mg
• Chicken Bouillon Base:1 cup prepared has 100mg sodium vs. store-bought product of 1,130mg

WOW. Those numbers are HUGE. People who are requiring to be on a low- sodium diet (let's be  honest, we all could use less sodium in our diets) have so many great options to still eat great-tasting meals. I think this is what I am the most excited about. 

So... On this note. As I start cooking with these products even more and trying them out, I will post my recipes and results on here as well. (When I initially started this Recipe Blog, I didn't think I would start on this adventure of selling Epicure Selections; however, the two sort of jive nicely together!)

Disclaimer: As a pharmacist it is engrained in me to tell the truth and to provide facts that are as unbiased as possible. So I will continue to hold true to myself and to you about what is delicious and what is not!! 

SPINACH SALAD WITH ORANGE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

I served this salad with Balsamic Chicken on top for dinner tonight... IT WAS SO GOOD. It was soo refreshing tasting and SO easy to make. It honestly tasted like a chicken salad you would order in a restaurant (says my hubby... ok, and I completely agree). YUM. My new favourite.

Spinach Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients: 

• For the Dressing:
• 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used Oliv brand, Cask 18 balsamic vinegar)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil (I used Oliv brand, Italian Herb)
• For the Salad:
• baby spinach
• red onion, sliced
• mandarin orange slices
• almonds, sliced (optional)

Directions:

• Add all dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl and mix well
• Place spinach on plate and top with oranges, onions, and almonds. 
• Serve with dressing (and can top with chicken, if desired)

Recipe for Balsamic Chicken