Easy Peasy! Nice and Easy!

(Originally posted on Tuesday, December 7, 2010)

Well, after all of the crazy cooking that is associated with Thanksgiving (did you see how incredibly long my Thanksgiving blogs were? And it was in three parts!), I definitely want to take it easy cooking-wise for awhile afterward.

I blame the crazy title of this blog on a Starburst commercial. It was an insanely quirky commercial that made me laugh every time. I don't think many people liked the commercial though, because they didn't air it for very long. But it must have had a cult following, because you can still find it online...plus, there is an extended version that includes dance instruction and the phrase "Easy peasy...nice and easy." Ever since I saw that commercial, that phrase has been stuck in the back of my mind. I had to get it out here! In case you want to check out the commercial, click here. If you want to see the dance instruction and the phrase that lead to the title of this blog, click here.

Besides being easy dinners, these recipes have absolutely nothing in common. But they're all yummy. The first one is an easy sauce that is served over linguine. The second one is an easy sauce that is served over rice. The final recipe uses shredded chicken and puff pastry...yummy puff pastry.

I hope you like them and I hope it makes your dinner preparations easier!


Creamy Italian Chicken Linguine

Ingredients:

3-6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Directions:

Combine soup, cream cheese, and dressing packet. Pour over chicken in slow cooker and cook all day on low heat. Serve over linguine.

Source: I got this from my mom. I don't know where she got it from though.

Notes: You can serve the chicken whole over the linguine, or you can shred it. I prefer to shred the chicken. It makes the sauce heartier and it goes farther to serve more people. I also usually double this recipe. I've also found no reason to combine the soup, cream cheese, and dressing. I usually sprinkle the dressing mix directly over the chicken, pour the soup over the chicken and just place the cream cheese (un-softened) on top. When you shred the chicken, it mixes the sauce completely. Also, if you keep frozen chicken breasts in your freezer, this is a great pantry recipe that you can keep on hand and throw together any time.

Easy Peasy Foccacia Bread

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes Dough rolls
2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic salt, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Directions:

I made this easy foccacia by thawing 12 Rhodes Dough rolls in a ziploc bag. Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, flatten it out in a rectangular shape like you would if you were rolling out a pizza. You can either do this with a rolling pin or with your hands. I stretched and flattened the dough with my hands. Place the dough on a jelly roll pan that is covered in foil and lightly dusted with flour. Brush the dough with a little olive oil and then sprinkle it with garlic salt, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese, to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Source: This just came from my mind when I realized that I hadn't planned any side dishes to go along with this dinner. I had Rhodes Dough rolls in the freezer, so voila! Lovely foccacia!


Mexican Pork

Ingredients:

1 pound pork boneless loin roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jar (20 ounces) salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces), if desired

Directions:

Mix pork, salsa, and chilies in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings.

Nutrition information: 345 calories, 10 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 37 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I usually double this and I serve it over rice. Also, it is great with fresh chopped cilantro on top as well. You can also top it with a dollop of guacamole or sour cream. The recipe suggests that you can serve it over tortilla chips, instead of the rice, if you prefer. Other substitutions suggested by the recipe are to vary the taste by using pinto beans instead of black beans and Cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack. It is soooo easy and very flavorful. I used Ortega medium salsa. Also, I think it is basically impossible to find a jar of salsa with exactly 20 ounces. I think most jars come in a 16 ounce size. This amount is totally fine. This dish creates a lot of liquid, so I think it actually works better to use only 16 ounces of salsa instead of 20 ounces. Finally, this dish would be very freezer friendly. You could freeze individual portions served over rice. Just defrost and microwave! Or you could freeze the pork mixture in a freezer friendly container or zip top bag. Don't forget to label and date it! When you are ready to use it, defrost it and reheat it in the microwave. Serve over fresh cooked rice. This is another great pantry recipe.


Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons Frank's® RedHot® Sauce
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x14-inch rectangle.

With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture down the center of the pastry. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut the pastry in quarters to serve.

Source: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry website (puffpastry.com).

Notes: The recipe suggests serving this with carrot and celery sticks, additional hot sauce, and blue cheese dressing. The blue cheese dressing is really yummy as a dipping sauce for the stromboli or drizzled on top of the stromboli. You can either poach and then chop or shred the chicken or you can cook the chicken in a slow cooker and chop or shred it. Also, I scored the top of the puff pastry (four small cuts) prior to cooking to allow the steam to escape.

Speaking of Tomatoes...

(Originally posted on Tuesday, October 26, 2010)

So speaking of tomatoes....I have been trying to use up my little garden babies before they all go bad. Two great solutions: roasting them and freezing them! Then you can preserve the delicious flavor, save a little money, and utilize your homegrown produce. I have one recipe for each! For the first recipe I used roasted tomatoes, which are one of the most wonderfully flavorful and delicious things on the planet. To roast tomatoes, cut lengthwise and place in a bowl. Add a few tablespoons olive oil, some salt, pepper, sugar, and oregano and give a good toss. Then on a cookie sheet lined with foil place tomatoes cut side up. For this batch, I slow roasted them, which really intensifies the flavor. I roasted them at 200 degrees for about 6 hours. You can store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator and serve them on salads, or use them in recipes.
If you don't have time to slow roast them you can broil them like in the roasted tomato soup recipe.
Now on to the featured recipe.... When I was blog surfing the other day I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Design Sponge. I knew it was right up my alley and that I could use my garden babies to make a tasty meal. The recipe calls for taleggio cheese, which I have never tried, but it sounded expensive! ha ha. So I used mozzarella instead. The creme fraiche was really what sold me on making this recipe. If you have never tried it, try it! It is so decadent! (but also a bit of a splurge in more ways than one I am sure) I modified this recipe also by adding less cheese. I generally do that just to make things a bit healthier.
You could use this recipe as a base to make all kinds of culinary delights. Think of switching up the cheeses and adding different ingredients in the stuffing. Goat cheese with mushroom would be nice. Or maybe you could try brie and apple. Or prosciutto and smoked mozzarella, or good old fashion ham and cheddar. Oh so many choices. The crust was really flaky and tasty. If you are really pressed for time and want to make this a week day meal perhaps you could use pre-made bread dough, but that takes all the fun out of it!!!
Taleggio and Spinach Roulade (serves 6)
Dough Ingredients

• 160 ml (2/3 cup) full-fat milk
• 2 tsp dried active yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 3½ tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 whole medium egg
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ tsp salt
• 350 g (3 cups minus one tablespoon) strong white flour (bread flour)

Filling Ingredients

• 80 g (3 ounces) crème fraiche
• ½ tsp salt
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) baby spinach leaves
• 20 g (1 ounce) basil leaves
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) Pecorino cheese, grated
• 250 g (9 ounces) Taleggio cheese, sliced (or substitute with a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella)
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) semi-dried marinated tomatoes

To Finish

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 handful of poppy seeds

Instructions
1. In a small saucepan, warm up the milk very slightly, just to about 30°C/85°F. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
2. Place the rest of the dough ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast and milk and work with a dough hook on slow speed for about 2 minutes. Increase to high speed and knead for another 7 minutes, by which point the dough should become a smooth, shiny ball (this process could also be done by hand; you will probably need to knead the dough for an extra 5–10 minutes).
3. Transfer the dough to a large bowl brushed with a little oil. Cover the bowl with a wet cloth and put it somewhere warm. After about 45 minutes, once the dough has doubled in size, line a 30 cm x 40 cm (roughly 12 in. x 16 in.) oven tray with greaseproof paper.
4. Transfer the dough to a work surface dusted very lightly with flour and roll it out thinly so it reaches the size of the tray. Line the tray with the dough, pulling it right out into the corners. Cover with the tea towel again and leave for 30 minutes.
5. Once the rolled-out dough has risen significantly, cover it with the filling. Use a palette knife to spread the crème fraiche all over the surface, sprinkle salt and then scatter the spinach, basil, Pecorino, Taleggio and tomatoes.
6. Carefully pick up one of the longer sides of the dough and roll and push it all up into a neat spiral log shape. Stand the log on the seam so it doesn’t unravel when baked. Cover the tray in the tea towel again and leave for another 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F .
8. Brush the roulade’s surface gently with the beaten egg and then scatter on the poppy seeds. Make sure the oven has reached 200°C/390°F and then put the tray inside. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 160°C/320°F.
9. Continue baking for roughly 25 minutes. Don’t worry if the roulade breaks or cracks a little. When ready, it should have taken on a nice dark brown color. Stick a sharp knife inside to check. It should come out with some melted cheese but no dough.
10. Remove the roulade from the oven, allow it to cool down a little (or completely) and cut into thick slices. Serve immediately with a salad.
This recipe originally appeared on Waitrose.com in May 2008.

Read more at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/10/in-the-kitchen-with-yotam-ottolenghis-taleggio-roulade.html#ixzz13VOr34un

Techniques: Freezing Tomatoes
I got the idea for freezing tomatoes from my Everyday Food magazine.

The information below came from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Check out the website here. They have all kinds of good ideas for preserving food.

Preparation--Select firm, ripe tomatoes with deep red color.

Raw--Wash and dip in boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen skins. Core and peel. Freeze whole or in pieces. Pack into containers, leaving 1-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. Use only for cooking or seasoning as tomatoes will not be solid when thawed.

Juice--Wash, sort, and trim firm, vine-ripened tomatoes. Cut in quarters or eigths. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Press through a sieve. If desired, season with 1 teaspoon salt to each quart of juice. Pour into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

Stewed--Remove stem ends, peel and quarter ripe tomatoes. Cover and cook until tender (10-20 minutes). Place pan containing tomatoes in cold water to cool. Pack into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

Now on to the featured recipe. I know I have a tendency for posting complex recipes. That is just what I enjoy making the most! But this recipe is easy peasy and super cheap. It comes from Everyday Food, one of my favorite sources for delicious and easy recipes. The only thing I modified was that I added mushrooms just because they are delicious. We served it over rice.

Chicken in Tomatoes

This recipe for chicken in tomatoes was created with frozen summer produce, but if you just can't wait, fresh will work just as well.

Read more at marthastewart.com: Chicken in Tomatoes - Martha Stewart Recipes

Ingredients:

2 pounds frozen tomatoes (4 cups), thawed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 sprigs oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse tomatoes until coarsely chopped. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, skin side down, until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a plate and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

Add chicken, skin side up, and oregano, then transfer skillet to oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 25-30 minutes.

Hey a Pregnant Mormon Can Have a Mojito Too!

(Originally posted on Thursday, October 7, 2010)

Okay....So its not a Mojito that you drink...and it doesn't have any alcohol in it...but it combines the citrusy/mint flavors that a Mojito has (or so I've been told!) I found this recipe in Food and Wine Magazine back in February. The recipe originally calls for chicken, which we made previously and it was delicious, and this time I thought I'd try it with some Tilapia, and it was equally tasty! I love the combination of grapefruit/lime/mint/cilantro. It is very refreshing, flavorful and satisfying. Not to mention this is a very healthy meal. Maybe you can eat this the day after you cook the Chalupa's!

Here is the Original Recipe for the Chicken Mojito's. All I did was substitute fish, and I broiled it, because Tilapia is kind of a pain to grill. You could grill up a nice Halibut and it would be even more delicious! But like I said, I have made this with chicken and it was yum yum too.

Citrusy Mojito Fish or Chicken

1. 1 red grapefruit
2. 1 lime
3. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
5. 2 tablespoons chopped mint
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (Or white fish such as tilapia, halibut, orange roughy...)
8. 2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit and lime, removing all of the bitter pith. Cut in between the membranes and release the sections onto a work surface. Squeeze the membranes over a medium bowl to extract the juices. Stir in half each of the olive oil, cilantro and mint and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. *If you opt to broil fish, simply heat broil, and cook for about 5 min until fish is fork tender. Do not overcook.
2. Grill the chicken thighs over moderately high heat, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly charred outside and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the grapefruit and lime sections and transfer to a bowl. Add the red onion and the remaining olive oil, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken thighs with the citrus salsa.

Happy Cinco de Octobre

(Originally posted on Tuesday, October 5, 2010)

Who says you can only celebrate the tastiness of Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo? In my opinion, Italian and Mexican food are the easiest to replicate at home. Foods like Thai and Indian are often better/easier at restaurants because of the sheer number of ingredients and the time involved that it takes to create such feasts. However, Mexican food can be just as yummy and comforting at home as at a restaurant.

Now, as the two previous blog posts mentioned, we are now entering soup weather. So, I am including a recipe for white chicken chili (pictured above). I'm including the original recipe (which I found to be a little too bland for my tastes) as well as my adapted recipe (which is much more flavorful, and therefore satisfying). I'm also including a recipe for chicken chalupas (basically, enchiladas) that my family got from our next door neighbor. They aren't low-fat or low-calorie, by any means, but my oh my, they are tasty! I apologize that I don't have a picture of the chalupas. I made them for a family dinner and they got gobbled up before I could get a snapshot.

White Chili (Original Recipe)

This dish uses hot pepper sauce made from jalapenos; it's milder than the red hot pepper varieties. Stirring frequently toward the end of cooking time prevents the bean-thickened broth from sticking to the bottom and scorching.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
5 teaspoons green hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (about 1)
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, and chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove chicken from broth mixture; cool.

Add cornmeal and beans to broth mixture, stirring with a whisk; simmer 15 minutes. Mash about 1/4 cup beans against side of pan. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to pan; simmer 5 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently. Top each serving with yogurt; sprinkle with green onions. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup chili, 4 teaspoons yogurt, and 1 teaspoon green onions)

Nutrition information: 198 calories, 4.1 g fat, 1.6 mg iron, 56 mg cholesterol, 63 mg calcium, 14.3 g carbohydrate, 456 mg sodium, 24.8 g protein, 3 g fiber.

Source: Cooking Light, September 2008

White Chili (My Version)

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (ribbed and seeded, if you prefer less heat)
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (about 3 cans)
5-10 teaspoons green hot pepper sauce, to taste (such as Tabasco)
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
5 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal (heaping tablespoons, if you want to make the chili even thicker)
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2-4 tablespoons lime juice (fresh or bottled), to your taste
3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans--2 cans rinsed and drained, 1 can blended in a blender, undrained
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt or fat-free or low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (about 1), optional
Lime wedges, optional
Cilantro, chopped, optional
Favorite shredded cheese, optional

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt, cumin, chili powder, and minced jalapeno and stir just until fragrant (30 seconds to one minute). Add broth, hot pepper sauce and diced chicken to the pan. Bring to a low boil and continue until chicken is cooked through (about 15-20 minutes).

Reduce heat to low and add cornmeal, diced green chiles, lime juice, and beans (whole and blended) to broth mixture, stirring well. Simmer for 15 minutes (or until the cornmeal has thickened the chili and the beans are heated through).

Top each serving with the toppings of your choice (yogurt or sour cream, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, cheese, etc.)

Notes: Obviously, my recipe makes a lot more soup (I like to have a lot of leftovers). Also, my version isn't as low calorie with the addition of more chicken and beans. Additionally, there is no reason to cook the chicken and then pull it out, cut it, and then return it to the chili. Adding diced uncooked chicken to the broth and allowing it to cook that way, adds more flavor and cuts out unnecessary steps. This version is much, much more flavorful. I love it and I hope you will too.

Carol Todd's Chicken Chalupas

Ingredients:

1 dozen flour tortillas
1/2 cup chicken broth (liquid from poaching the chicken breasts)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 green onions, chopped
1 pint sour cream
1 lb grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 lb grated Cheddar cheese
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (poached in water--reserve water)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilis
1 small can sliced black olives

Directions:

Allow tortillas to come to room temperature so they will roll more easily.

Boil chicken breasts, and set aside 1/2 cup broth. Cool, de-bone, and cube chicken.

In separate bowl, mix together: soup, green chiles, green onions, sour cream, olives, and Monterey Jack cheese ONLY. Take 2 cups of this mixture and add to cubed chicken for filling.

Put generous portion in each tortilla dn roll up. Set in greased pan (9x13). After tortillas are filled, add the reserved broth to soup mixture without chicken and stir together, then pour over filled and rolled tortillas. Sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Notes: This recipe calls for A LOT of cheese. That's one of the things that makes it so scrumptious. You probably shouldn't have this main dish more than once or twice a year as a result! I haven't done this and I'll have to try it, but I think if half the cheese was used (1/2 pound of Monterey Jack and 1/2 pound of Cheddar), low-fat sour cream, and 98% fat free cream of chicken soup were used instead, it would still be yummy, but it would cut down on the calories and fat significantly. Also, if you have picky eaters, you can omit the green onions and olives in the filling and instead serve them on the top for those who do like them. Finally, I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of bone-in chicken breasts and it still tasted great! Oh, and this is also a freezer friendly dish. Rather than cooking it, freeze it in an aluminum or freezer friendly casserole dish and cover it with aluminum foil (don't forget to label and date it!). When you are ready to cook it, either defrost it in the fridge overnight or place it frozen in the preheated oven (still covered with foil) and bake for 40-50 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue to cook for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until the chalupas are hot and bubbly and the cheese is nicely browned. Adjust the cooking times accordingly depending on whether you cook it from frozen or defrosted.

All Wrapped Up in a Nice Little Package

(Originally posted on Tuesday, August 3, 2010)

Parchment paper is a handy dandy little cooking tool. It keeps things nice and tidy (not as many dishes to clean up), and it creates some juicy, tender meat and flavorful vegetables.

My sister already posted some chicken packet recipes, but here are a few recipes I found.

The first is a South Beach recipe that I discovered thanks to my in-laws' love of all things South Beach. It is flavored with orange and tarragon. This recipe represents the first time I actually tasted tarragon...and I love it!

The second is a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe that incorporates some pretty strong flavors (jalapeno, cilantro, and ginger) to create a very flavorful, but not overpowering chicken. I found the jalapeno and ginger too strong to eat, myself. But my husband loved it. I would, personally, have increased the mango quite a bit. It was really tasty, but I felt that there wasn't nearly enough of it.

If you want a light dinner, the packets alone are enough for dinner. However, if you want to flesh it out a little more, some rice pilaf and a little side salad would be just the right touch.

I hope you like them!



Chicken en Papillote

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 scallions, chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced diagonally
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2" pieces
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest (see notes below)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees (425 degrees if you use foil instead of parchment paper). Cut four 2-foot lengths of parchment paper or foil. Fold each in half to make a 1 foot square. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place a breast slightly below the middle of each square of paper.

In a small bowl, combine the scallions, carrot, zucchini, tarragon, and orange zest. Spoon 1/4 of the vegetable mixture over each chicken breast.

Fold the parchment or foil over the chicken and crimp the edges together tightly. Bake for 20 minutes on a baking sheet.

To serve, cut an X in the top of each packet with scissors and tear to open.

Serves 4

Nutrition information: 144 calories, 27 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fats, 86 mg sodium, 65 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber.

Source: South Beach Diet cookbook

Notes: First of all, I doubled the recipe. I increased the vegetables quite a bit. I used 3 regular sized zucchini, and about 8 regular sized carrots. I cut both the carrots and zucchini into matchstick shapes by cutting them lengthwise in half, and lengthwise into sticks. I added salt and pepper to taste to the vegetable mixture rather than salting and peppering the chicken. I felt that 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest wasn't quite enough, so I added the zest of one large orange (it was either a heaping 1/2 teaspoon or a full teaspoon of orange zest). I also added the juice of the zested orange. Also, I didn't follow the instructions above for how to fold the parchment paper or foil. I used the twist method found in the recipe below.



Chicken with Mango and Ginger

Ingredients:

1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4 inch wedges (see notes)
8 chicken cutlets (about 1 3/4 pounds total) or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch), peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 medium jalapeno, thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place mango wedges in center of four 18-inch-long pieces of parchment. Top with chicken, ginger, cilantro, and jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle each with 2 teaspoons oil. Fold parchment into a "twist" or "envelope" shape (page 85).

Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until packets are puffed up and chicken is cooked through, 18-20 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition information: 297 calories, 11.5 g fat, 37.1 g protein, 9.7 g carb, 1.1 g fiber.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

Notes: Again, I would double or even triple the amount of mango used for this recipe. It wouldn't make the chicken too sweet. The other ingredients are flavorful enough to keep that from happening. It would just create a more abundant side-dish of mango. Yum!

Chicken Sandwiches

(Originally posted on Sunday, July 18, 2010)

Summer is the perfect time for sandwiches. I mean, can anyone really have too many sandwiches during the summer? Plus, there are so many sandwiches to choose from--deli, burgers, veggie, pressed sandwiches, toasted, panini, shredded barbecue sandwiches, etc. Then, of course, there is our favorite cost-efficient and versatile protein of choice--chicken.

I'm not going to include a specific recipe for chicken salad sandwiches. I think the best chicken salad sandwiches come from being creative. But, if you need some ideas...start with a base of chopped or shredded cooked chicken and mayonnaise, plain yogurt, or sour cream. Add something to give it a little kick such as yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, etc. Then add a combination of some of your favorite add-in ingredients. Here are some of my favorite add-ins: dried fruit (such as dried cranberries), fresh fruit (such as sliced grapes), toasted nuts, chopped celery, chopped dill pickles (or relish), chopped onions, sliced green onions, and your favorite spices (just a dash). Be creative! Don't forget to taste as you go so that the balance is right. I've made some super tasty chicken salad sandwiches (and tuna salad sandwiches, for that matter--just follow the same guidelines) simply by throwing in a combination of ingredients that sounded good to me and that I already had on hand.

The first sandwich recipe is a sliced spicy barbecue chicken recipe topped with melted cheese (pictured above). The second recipe is a pulled chicken sandwich that is a nice change of pace from pulled pork or beef. The third recipe is a pulled buffalo chicken sandwich. The second and third recipes both use a slow cooker which is nice because then you won't heat up your kitchen too much during the heat of the summer. The fourth recipe is a cool chicken sandwich with an Asian flair. The final sandwich is a cool, summer friendly pita sandwich.

Also, if you keep frozen chicken and buns in your freezer, any of the first three sandwich recipes are great pantry recipes. You can throw them together quickly and easily if you keep your pantry and freezer stocked!

I hope you like them (come on, you've got to at least like ONE of them!)!

Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches (pictured above)

This recipe yields slow-cooked barbecue flavor in less than an hour. The sandwiches need to be broiled at the last minute, but the rest of the menu can be made ahead of time.

Yield: 4 sandwiches (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup canned tomato puree
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1 1/2-ounce) sandwich rolls
2 ounces Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, thinly sliced (see note below)
4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion

Directions:

Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm. (See my notes below)

Remove 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly. Stir in reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 2 chopped chipotle chiles, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Preheat broiler.

Split rolls in half; arrange in a single layer, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove top halves of rolls from baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among bottom halves of rolls, and top chicken mixture evenly with cheese. Broil chicken-topped rolls 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with onion and top roll halves. Serve immediately.

CALORIES 424 (25% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.9g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 211mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.1g; SODIUM 765mg; PROTEIN 34.5g; FIBER 2.6g

Cooking Light, MAY 2005

Notes: The first time I made this, I was making it for a crowd and as a result, the pan that I was cooking the chicken in was too crowded. Because of that, the chicken took forever to cook and the water quickly evaporated before the chicken was done. The second time I made this, I simply poached the chicken by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water (with the cumin and garlic). This solved the problem perfectly. The chicken cooked faster and more evenly and the cumin and garlic was still infused into the chicken. I didn't think that adding more water diluted the flavor at all. It just simplified things! Also, my sweet husband went grocery shopping for me and got Pepper Jack cheese (which is the kind of cheese on the sandwich in the picture above) instead of Monterey Jack cheese. Both kinds of cheeses work well for this sandwich, so go with your preference!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

The chicken and sauce can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat the mixture in a saucepan before serving.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (for the slow cooker version, chicken breasts, or a mix of chicken thighs and breasts can also be used)
Cooking spray

Sauce:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses

Remaining ingredients:

8 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted
16 hamburger dill chips

Directions:

Regular Version:

Prepare grill.

To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180°, turning occasionally.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half.

Slow Cooker Version:

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker (or, if you prefer, drain the juices from the chicken and leave the chicken in the slow cooker). Stir half of the barbecue sauce into the chicken and reserve the other half of the sauce to serve with the sandwiches.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half. Top with extra barbecue sauce, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

CALORIES 365 (23% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 2.6g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 78mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.8g; SODIUM 877mg; PROTEIN 28.2g; FIBER 2g

Source: Cooking Light recipe found on Myrecipes.com

Notes: When I made this, I doubled the barbecue sauce so one batch was stirred into the drained chicken in the slow cooker and the other batch was used on top of the chicken when it was served on the sandwich rolls. I created the slow cooker version of this recipe because I thought it sounded great, but I simply didn't have time to do the version of the recipe as printed.

One final note: shredded meat is very freezer friendly. If you have extra shredded meat, put it in a freezer zip top bag, label it (what it is and the date you froze it) and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave. So easy!


Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:

6 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided (Winger’s or Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce works well)
2 (1 ounce) packages dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions:

Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in ¾ of the wing sauce and 1 package of ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Mix the other ranch dressing mix with the sour cream. The ranch/sour cream mixture can be spread onto the hoagie rolls and used as a dip for carrot/celery sticks or chips. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Divinesoalce21

Notes: I made a few changes from the original recipe. Sometimes this sandwich can be pretty spicy (depending on what wing sauce you use). I have found that spreading the sandwich with a ranch spread (the sour cream/ranch dressing mixture) or blue cheese salad dressing adds just the right balance to the spiciness of the chicken. You can also add blue cheese crumbles and additional wing sauce, if you desire. This recipe is also freezer friendly (just like the pulled chicken recipe above).

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle teriyaki marinade
6 hamburger buns

Suggested Toppings (all or a combination of):

Sliced cucumbers
Alfalfa sprouts
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato
Pineapple rings
Favorite cheese slices
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki marinade at least one hour or up to overnight in the fridge.

You can grill or broil the chicken breasts. If grilling, grill on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (or until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle). If broiling, broil on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (again, until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle).

Place chicken breasts on hamburger buns and top with toppings of your choice.

Source: My mom has been making this for years. I'm not sure if she just came up with the idea or if she saw it in a recipe book.

Notes: You might want to either consider pounding the chicken breasts to flatten them prior to cooking or thinly slicing the chicken once it has been cooked because once you add all of your toppings to the sandwich, it is one tall sandwich (and pretty difficult to eat without everything slipping out of the bun!).

Chicken Caesar Salad Pitas

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
Bagged Caesar salad kit
Pita bread

Directions:

Cook chicken according to your own preference (you can poach it, saute it in a pan, grill it, etc.). Once the chicken is cooked, slice or cube it. You can also often find pre-cooked and sliced chicken in the refrigerated/deli section of the grocery store, if you would prefer to use that.

Prepare Caesar salad kit according to package directions. Mix in chicken.

Slice pita bread in half and open the pockets. Fill the pockets with the Caesar salad mixture and enjoy!

Source: Again, this is a recipe my mom made for us years ago. I'm not sure of its origins. The bagged salad kit is a time-saving idea, but you can also make your own Caesar salad from scratch, if you prefer.

Who says you have to eat like a hobo?

(Originally posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010)

What is better in the summer then cooking a hobo dinner? (I believe the politically correct title is "Tin Foil Dinner") Its easy, no clean up and fun! When we would co camping as youngsters we used to put carrots, ground beef, potatoes and some salt and pepper and throw it on the fire. It was always a bit bland for my refined palate :) Just because you are roughing it, doesn't mean you can't glam it up a bit! I got this recipe from my favorite celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver! Every recipe of his I have made had been a hit! He gives a few variety of tin foil dinners to try, check them out!

Roast Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus
Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash & chilies
Roast Chicken with Lemony Bombay Potatoes
Roast Chicken with Pancetta, Leeks and Thyme

I modified the recipe for Roast Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes & Asparagus. I added red potatoes and replaced the asparagus for artichoke hearts. It was yum! Don't be a baby, use the white wine, it gives it a nice flavor. Your bishop won't get mad. :) Also, I cooked mine in the oven, but you could easily throw the foil pouch on the grill or in the camp fire.

10/12/10 Modification:

Here's the text version for all four recipe links given above:

Roasted Chicken Breast with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Add 8 trimmed sticks of asparagus, 6 halved cherry tomatoes and the leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary plus a whole sprig of rosemary as well. Toss everything together with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Put the veg into a tinfoil tray and place the chicken and rosemary sprig on top. Season well. Add some white wine and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy Butternut Squash and Chilli

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Deseed and slice up half a fresh red chilli and add to the bowl with the leaves from a couple of sprigs of fresh marjoram or oregano and a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss together. Very carefully cut a medium butternut squash into quarters. Remove the seeds and slice one quarter of the squash as finely as you can. Place the chicken breast and flavourings from the bowl into the tray and snugly fit your squash slices around the chicken. Carefully pour a little double cream around the squash (not on the chicken). Season with grated nutmeg and salt and pepper then drizzle with some olive oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemony Bombay Potatoes

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Peel a large handful of potatoes, cut them into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes and put them into a pan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes, drain and allow to steam in a colander. Put a heaped teaspoon of turmeric into a bowl and add the zest of 1 lemon, half a teaspoon of ground cumin, 5 sprigs of chopped fresh coriander, a quarter of a red pepper, roughly chopped, and a 2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced into matchsticks. Cut 3 slices off the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the remainder of the lemon into the bowl. Shake the potatoes up in the colander and add them to the bowl with 1 chicken breast, skin left on. Toss everything around with a splash of olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the chicken, put the potatoes into the tray in one layer, and top with the lemon slices and the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Pancetta, Leeks and Thyme

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, skin removed, in a bowl. Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good glug of olive oil, small knob of butter, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together. Place your leek and flavourings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap the chicken breast in 6 or 7 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavour the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don't burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Treat yourself to a Trip to India!

(Originally posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010)

My BFF Jen sent me some recipes for some Indian Food. Now, typically Indian Food is not my favorite, mostly because Indian Restaurants are very hit or miss. I know in Utah there is the Bombay House which is yum, but here in Ohio, we haven't had as much luck. Anyway... good Indian food is not to be discredited, and so I was curious about these recipes. Well let me tell you...Its a day later and I am still thinking about how tasty it was. Now let me include a little disclaimer. I made the mistake of making these recipes on a weekday. That much I wouldn't recommend if you are working full time, because they took about 2 hours from start to finish to make the bread, peas, rice and chicken. Not to mention I had a sink full of dishes. (Good thing for me I have a very nice husband who helps with the dishes. ) Next time I make these recipes, I will do it on a Saturday or Sunday. But I'm telling you, these are really restaurant quality yummy, I'm not kidding. Oh and also, they are probably not as healthy as our usual everyday fair, so I'd only make these for a splurge! :) Also, as usual, I try to use less oil and salt then the recipe calls for, and it turned out fine. I am posting the recipe as is, not as I modified it, unless otherwise noted.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground corriander
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
2 lbs boneless chicken breast
1 cup plain yogurt (I used lowfat, the recipe calls for whole milk)
2 T veg oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T grated fresh ginger

Sauce
3 T veg oil
1 Med onion , diced fine
2 Med garlic, minced
2 t fresh ginger
1 serrano chili, seeded, ribs removed, minced
1 T tomato paste
1 T garam masala
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 t sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cilantro

for chicken, combine cumin, corriander, cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture. Place chicken on plate and refrigerate 30-60 min.
In large bowl combine yogurt, oil, garlic, ginger. Set aside.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, heat oil in dutch oven over med. high heat. Add onion and cook until light golden, 8-10 min. Add garlic, ginger, chili, tomato paste, and garam masala. Cook 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and 1/2 t salt. bring to boil. Reduce heat to med low and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to a simmer. Remove from heat, and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, heat oven to Broil. Dip Chicken into yogurt mixture. Coat well. Broil for about 10-18 minutes, flipping chicken half way through. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1 " squares and stir into warm sauce. (Do not simmer chicken in sauce) Stir in Cilantro.

Naan

2 1/2 cups bread flour ( I used all purpose flour because I was out of bread flour)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour, sifted to remove course flakes
1 package rapid rise yeast
2 t sugar
table salt
1 cup water, room temp
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 T olive oil
4 T melted butter ( I omitted this to make a healthier option and it still tasted great)

1. Combine flours, yeast, sugar, and 1 1/2 t salt in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk water, yogurt, and olive oil. Using wooden spoon stir water mixture into flour mixture until dough forms . Turn dough onto floured surface, knead for 12-15 min. adding extra flour 1 T at a time as needed. ( I added quite a bit probably 1/2 cup) Shape dough into ball and place in a oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a place free of drafts about 1 hour or until doubled in size
2. Turn onto clean work surface. Cut into 8 equal portions. roll each into a ball, let rest 10 min.
3. Working one ball at a time, roll out on floured surface into 6" circle.
4. Heat 12 " skillet over med high heat about 5 minutes. working with one piece of dough gently stretch about 1 inch larger and lay in skillet. Cook until small bubbles form about 3o sec. then flip. Cook 2 min, then flip again, cook 2 min.
5. Transfer to wire rack, brush with melted butter.

Curried Peas

2 T olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 Med garlic, minced
1 t cumin
1/2 t curry
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 t brown sugar
1 lb frozen peas, not thawed
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup plain yougurt
cilantro

heat oil in med skillet over med high heat. Add onion, 1/2 t salt and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add garlic, cumin, curry cook about 1 min until fragrant. Add broth and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
Stir in peas and almonds, and cook, uncovered until peas are tender about 5 min. Off heat, stir in yogurt and cilantro

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated May 2009 .

Easy Chicken--Southwestern Style

(Originally posted on Sunday, April 11, 2010)

I know. There are an awful lot of chicken recipes on this blog. But the truth of the matter is that chicken is the least expensive protein out there and it is fast and easy to prepare.

These are two very simple southwestern style chicken dinners. For both, pair them with a side salad (perhaps with some salsa ranch or jalapeno ranch salad dressing) and you're set!


Southwestern Strudel

Thaw Time: 40 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 6

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 can (11 ounces) Mexican-style corn, drained
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 package (about 5 ounces) mixed salad greens
Sour cream

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.

Stir the chicken, cheese, corn, bread crumbs and picante sauce in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 16x12-inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture onto the bottom half of the pastry to within 1-inch of the edges. Starting at the short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place the pastry seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the parsley. Cut 2-inch slits 2 inches apart in the pastry top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Slice and serve warm on the salad greens with the sour cream, if desired.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with home-style coleslaw. For dessert serve chilled key lime pie.

Source: http://www.puffpastry.com/




Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork. Top with chicken and pour enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 354 (36% from fat); FAT 14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.3g; SODIUM 620mg; PROTEIN 18.9g; FIBER 2.5g

Source: Cooking Light, http://www.myrecipes.com/

Notes: This dish is freezer friendly. Make the casserole in a freezer friendly casserole dish or aluminum casserole dish. After baking the cornbread mixture until it is set, top with chicken, enchilada sauce, and cheese as noted in the recipe. Allow to cool. Cover with foil and label and date it. When ready to use, defrost in fridge overnight or place frozen casserole in the oven and bake (covered) for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and nicely browned. Adjust the cooking times accordingly depending on whether you cook it from frozen or defrosted.

Here's what I did for the side salad:

Mexican Side Salad

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite size pieces
Grape tomatoes, halved
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
Ranch dressing (favorite bottled or homemade)
Salsa

Directions:

Mix together the corn, black beans, cumin, chili powder, ground red pepper, and lime juice. Place Romaine lettuce on your plate and top with grape tomatoes, corn/black bean mixture, Ranch dressing, and salsa.

Source: This was inspired by a simple southwestern salad I found on the Kraft Recipes website. I simply embellished it by adding tomatoes, spices, and lime juice. Their recipe used sliced red peppers in place of the tomatoes.

One Pot Light Chicken Dinners

(Originally posted on Wednesday, April 7, 2010)

Above: Chicken Chilaquiles


Above: South Beach Lemon Couscous Chicken

I would like to share two very simple and light recipes that have a pretty short ingredient list. One of the things that I like about these recipes is that they are fast and easy (I am all about fast and easy dinners because my 14 month old little guy does NOT like it when I cook).

I also like that apart from poaching the chicken, everything else is done using only one large skillet pan.

The first recipe is a South Beach Diet recipe. I am not a fan of the diet itself, but my in-laws like to follow the diet, so I try to make at least one South Beach recipe a week for their sakes. Now, while I don't like the diet myself, I must say that I have run across a number of absolutely fantastic South Beach recipes. So, that has been a plus.

The second recipe is a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. I made it after my sister raved about it and my mom made it after I raved about it. It's one of those recipes that has basic pantry ingredients and it sounds so simple that you don't think it will be as yummy as it actually is. But it is oh so good!

Enjoy!

South Beach Lemon Couscous Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 package Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous mix
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon lemon peel

Directions:

In a large skillet, bring the water, oil, broccoli, and contents of the spice sack from the couscous mix to a boil. Stir in the couscous, chicken, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly with a fork.

Serve warm or chill well and serve cold.

Serves 4.

Nutrition information: 311 calories, 24 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 478 mg sodium, 48 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber.

Notes: I usually double this recipe. I also add salt and pepper to taste. Also, if you microwave the lemon for about 20-30 seconds first, it will be a lot easier to juice and it will produce a lot more juice.

Source: South Beach Diet book.



Chicken Chilaquiles

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

For an authentic touch, use fresh Mexican cheese (queso fresco) or aged (queso anejo) in place of feta.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped (about 1 heaping tablespoon), plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from same can)
Coarse salt
1 small cooked rotisserie chicken (about 1 3/4 pounds), skinned and shredded (about 4 cups), carcass discarded
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
4 cups (about 3 ounces) tortilla chips
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1.75 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:

Combine oil and garlic in a large (3-to-4-quart) saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their puree (breaking tomatoes up), chipotles and adobo, and 1 cup water.

Bring to a boil; season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.

Divide chips among four shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, sour cream, and feta. Serve.

Notes: I've tried both and I actually prefer the bite of feta cheese to the more authentic queso fresco. Also, rather than using a rotisserie chicken (I tend to think that they are pretty messy to get the meat off of), I poached and thickly shredded some chicken breasts. One last thing--this is a spicy meal. If you don't like spicy foods, reduce (but don't omit) the amount of chipotle chilies and adobo sauce you add.

Source: Martha Stewart website and Everyday Food cookbook.

Time to Fire Up the Grills!

(Originally posted on Monday, April 5, 2010)

Okay, so I don't actually have a grill that can be "fired up". Someday! But for now, my little electric grill does the job just fine. There is something about grilling that just screams warm lovely weather and that is something everyone loves, right? I don't know about your neck of the woods (as that weather dude from good morning america would say) but in Ohio, its getting to be perfect grilling weather.

Other things I love about grilling, is that I feel you can whip together a meal at a pretty inexpensive price tag, and they are generally much healthier! Well, thanks to my BFF Martha Stewart, I found two rather pleasing grilled chicken recipes I think you ought to try out. And if you have a well stocked pantry and a lovely herb garden they really shouldn't cost you much at all :)

Recipe #1 Jerk Chicken

• 1 bunch scallions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 jalapeno chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Coarse salt
• 8 pieces bone-in chicken (drumsticks and thighs), skinned and trimmed of excess fat ( I hate bones so I just use boneless chicken breasts!)

1. Make marinade: In a blender, combine scallions, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, oil, sugar, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water; blend until smooth. Set aside 1/4 cup for brushing.
2. Place chicken in a shallow dish; season all over with salt. Pour remaining marinade over chicken; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate, turning once or twice, at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
3. Heat grill to medium-high; oil grates. Lift chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); place on grill, and cover. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is blackened in spots, about 10 minutes.
4. Move chicken to a cooler part of the grill; brush with reserved marinade. Grill, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Recipe #2 Tuscan Grilled Chicken

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 or 10 serving pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Heat grill to medium. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup water and rosemary to a boil; remove from heat, cover, and let steep 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Add oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth; let cool.
2. Combine chicken and rosemary oil in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, and turn to coat. Cover, and let marinate at least 15 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning chicken occasionally.
3. Remove chicken from marinade; place on grill. Discard marinade. Cook, basting frequently with lemon juice and turning as needed to prevent burning, until cooked throughout, 20 to 30 minutes

Both recipes are from Martha Stewart's Everyday food magazine. And if you haven't checked out the Everyday Food books, Fresh Flavor Fast and Great Food Fast, you really ought to. They are staples in my library! Happy Grilling!

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

(Originally posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2010)

Well, I have been very sick this week. My husband got it first (and he is almost over it) and then he passed it to me and our son. It's the kind of cold that doesn't start out too badly...but it gets worse each day...before it gets better.

So, I had my very worst day yesterday. My poor son is pretty miserable too. Any of you out there who have kids know that when kids are sick, they can't sleep...and when kids can't sleep...you can't sleep either! You really have no option in the matter!

As a result, when I got up yesterday morning, I felt like death. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was make dinner for everyone--but people still have to eat--even when they're sick. So, I scoured my mind to see if there was something easy I could throw together.

I remembered that a few months back, I had purchased some of those pre-made frozen slow cooker dinners as emergency meals. I had bought a beef stew dinner and a chicken and dumplings dinner. I had already made the beef stew one (I was unimpressed. It was so small that I had to add a bunch of potatoes so that it would feed everyone and I thought it was way too salty). But I still had the chicken and dumplings dinner in the freezer.

So, I pulled out the "Banquet Crock Pot Classics Chicken and Dumplings" from the freezer. The size on the package says that it is 41.5 oz (or 2 lbs. 9.5 oz). However, as I mentioned before, these are very small and don't feed very many people. I would venture to say that you'd be hard pressed to feed two full-grown men with one of those packaged dinners.

I had been wanting to use it up for awhile and I figured that I could just throw some other things into the slow cooker to "beef it up" and fill it out so that it would feed 5 adults and one toddler (in fact, it made enough for leftovers too).

The result? Surprisingly delicious. EVERYONE raved about it. I, myself, found it quite tasty. Plus, since it was so easy, I think it's a keeper! Try it out if you get a chance (or if you're too sick to care how dinner turns out...as I was!). Besides, chicken soup is one of the best things when you have a cold!

10/5/10 Note: Banquet Crockpot Classics are no longer available in any of the supermarkets in the state in which I live! So, I created another version of this recipe that omits the pre-packaged crockpot base. It is found below the first recipe.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumpling Soup (see revised version below)

Ingredients:

1 Banquet Crock Pot Classics--Chicken and Dumplings (41.5 oz pkg. aka 2 lbs. 9.5 oz)
1 (2.5 lb) bag frozen chicken breasts (or about 6 medium chicken breasts)
2 cups water
3 cups baby carrots
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup, condensed
1 cup milk
1 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Put a slow cooker liner into your slow cooker, if desired. Place frozen chicken breasts into slow cooker. Open the Banquet Crock Pot Classics--Chicken and Dumplings. Place the packet of dumplings back in the freezer (as directed on the package instructions). Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture from the package into the slow cooker. Thaw the sauce packet under running water (as directed on the package instructions) and pour into the slow cooker. Put baby carrots into the slow cooker on top of the other ingredients.

Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Pour the drained corn into the slow cooker. Stir together the cream of chicken soup, milk, thyme, and salt and pepper. Pour into the slow cooker and mix all the ingredients together. Shred the chicken breasts with two forks (you don't have to remove the chicken from the slow cooker to do this). Open the packet of dumplings (that were earlier placed back in the freezer) and pour those in the slow cooker.

Cover, and cook on high for 30-60 minutes (or until dumplings are hot and the soup is thick and bubbly).

Source: The kind folks at Banquet and my own desperation!

Note: If you don't like the packaged dumplings, you could always easily make your own using Bisquick (there is a recipe for dumplings on the box that only calls for Bisquick and water).

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumpling Soup (Revised Version)

Ingredients:

1 (2.5 lb) bag frozen chicken breasts (or about 6 medium chicken breasts)
2 cups chicken broth (about 1 can)
3 cups baby carrots
1 cup sliced celery
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup, condensed
1 Tbsp each fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp each dried)
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) creamed corn
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Put a slow cooker liner into your slow cooker, if desired. Place frozen chicken breasts into slow cooker. Pour chicken broth into slow cooker. Put baby carrots and celery top of the chicken. Pour the cream of chicken soup on top of the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle the chopped herbs on top. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Shred the chicken breasts with two forks (you don't have to remove the chicken from the slow cooker to do this). Pour the drained corn and the creamed corn into the slow cooker. Whisk the flour and milk together and pour into the slow cooker. Increase heat to high in order to thicken the soup.

Meanwhile, mix Bisquick and water together and spoon dollops of mixture on top of soup in slow cooker.

Cover, and cook on high for 30-60 minutes (or until dumplings are cooked and the soup is thick and bubbly). You can speed up the cooking process of the dumplings by pushing them under the soup slightly to immerse them a little.

Source: First, the kind folks at Banquet and my own desperation...and later my own creativity after a product was pulled off the market! I swear, I've got to stop falling in love with certain products. Unless they've been around for years already, a lot of the new products I take a liking to tend to be discontinued!

Notes: If the soup isn't brothy enough for you, simply add more water, chicken broth, or milk until you have the consistency that you like.

Recipes Tried & True, One Old One New

(Originally posted on Monday, March 29, 2010)

My family has varied tastes. Because of that, one of my great triumphs is to find a recipe that all of them like. If I find one that everyone raves about, then I feel I have hit one out of the park. I think it's that adrenalin high that keeps me searching for the newest, the best, the greatest recipe.

Here are two that have been hits, one that we've been making for a while and it's become a standby. The other I tried just Sunday and everyone liked it. Score 1 for the mom!

Slow Cooker Smoky Chipotle Soft Tacos

Prep Time: 30 Min
Start to Finish: 6 hr 30 minutes
Makes: 18 tacos (probably not....these go fast if you pile on the meat)

3 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 large sweet onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 Anaheim Chile, chopped (1/3 cup or more)
3/4 c. chili sauce (not ketchup or salsa)
1/2 c. mole sauce (from a 9 oz. container, found in the Mexican or Latino portion of your supermarket)
3 T. chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 7 oz. can--save the remainder for another recipe, found in the Mexican or Latino portion of your supermarket)
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
18 6 " flour tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 c.)
Toppings as desired: sour cream, cilantro, black olives

1. In 12" skillet, cook beef, onion and Anaheim chile over medium heat about 15" minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown. Drain.
2. In 3-4 qt. slow cooker, mix beef mixture, chili sauce, mole sauce, chipotle chiles, cumin and salt. Add at least 1 c. water.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours. This will need to be stirred during cooking or it will burn and stick to the sides of the crock pot.
4. To serve, spoon 1/3 c. beef mixture into each tortilla, top with cheese, tomatoes and other toppings as desired.

Source: Betty Crocker website

Notes: This is very freezer friendly. Simply freeze cooled meat mixture in a freezer friendly container (don't forget to label and date it!). When ready to use, defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.



This one was tried just Sunday, but everyone really, really liked it.

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips
1/3 c. buffalo wing sauce
6 c. frozen (thawed) southern style hash brown potatoes
1 c. ranch or blue cheese dressing (we used ranch)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can. condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 c. corn flake crumbs
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 c. chopped green onions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (375 for high altitude). Spray a 13x9 in baking dish.
2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.
3. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup (add 1/4 c. water for high altitude). Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in a single layer over potato mixture.
4. Stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.
5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.
6. Serve with additional ranch or blue cheese dressing, if desired.