Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yes, it’s March in Tennessee, and yes, we had “snow” (some combination of sleet and freezing rain) this past week. So there’s not much better than a steaming hot bowl of soup. My craving for chicken tortilla soup started with a bowl last month from Newk’s. I’d never had much of a taste for it before; something about the soggy tortilla parts in it was a texture issue for me. And how, as a native Texan, I have waited this long to make chicken tortilla soup is also a mystery to me.

The Pioneer Woman’s version is an okay start. Some jalapenos would have upped the ante a bit, and I could have added some more chili powder. Ancho would’ve contributed some nice smokiness. I used homemade stock that spent most of Sunday afternoon simmering away and needed more salt than I normally use. Per most of her recipes, this made a TON of soup, and unusually, it’s actually relatively healthy so I don’t feel bad about loading up a huge bowl. I topped mine with light cheese, Greek yogurt, cilantro, and some avocado.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt (I used an equal amount of Penzey’s Southwest seasoning instead of the spice mix)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 10 Oz. Can Ro-tel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Ro-tel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top as desired.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Sunday evening, Beth of Eat.Drink.Smile rounded up a bunch of Nashville food bloggers and put together a get-together at the newly-opened Olivia Olive Oil boutique. I didn’t take any pictures because I was busy running my mouth (why yes, I am an extrovert), but it’s a lovely shop and they were fabulous hosts for us. They had all different kinds of olive oils that we tried, as well as gourmet jams, chutneys, and other fun food stuffs. If you’re looking for a great hostess gift for the upcoming holiday party season, I would highly recommend that you check out Olivia Olive Oil. It was also great to meet a bunch of other food bloggers who, if they haven’t already, will soon be added to the little tab up top that says “Blogs I Love”.

With a big thunderstorm coming that night, we quickly dispersed to our respective homes, but I was energized and inspired by the company and decided to whip up this casserole for the week ahead. I had earmarked this recipe with plans to use the very last package of chicken remaining in the freezer. I knew Joe would love it because it has all of the delicious buffalo chicken flavors but without the mess of wings. And casseroles are so delightfully comforting, and they remind me of lots of wonderful church potlucks.

Fortunately, this one doesn’t contain any weird cream of [blank] soup to use as a thickener – just milk and cornstarch. I even substituted soy milk without any problems or taste issues. However, there was a little too much pasta, and I increased the amount of hot sauce. Changes are reflected below. So take this to a church or neighborhood potluck and watch everyone go crazy or serve it at your next football-watching party with a big green salad. Nobody will even know that it’s a healthy recipe!

Buffalo Chicken Casserole
source: Eating Well September/October 2010
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 medium stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 4 cups low-fat milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup hot sauce, preferably Frank’s Red Hot
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil. Cook noodles until barely tender, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
3. Heat oil in the pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside, 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk cornstarch and milk in a medium bowl; add to the pot along with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often, until bubbling and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in hot sauce.
4. Spread the noodles in a 9-by-13-inch (or similar 3-quart) baking dish. Top with the chicken mixture; sprinkle with blue cheese.
5. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 441 calories; 12 g fat (5 g sat, 5 g mono); 79 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 37 g protein; 5 g fiber; 671 mg sodium; 619 mg potassium.

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

I was treated to a lovely sunset last night as I left work and went to my car. Sometimes parking on the 9th floor of the parking garage isn’t so bad. You can’t see it in this picture, but I also have a killer view of John Rich’s house from here.

With this semester’s schedule, I’m at school or work until 6:30 or 7 for four out of the five weekdays. That means that dinner often doesn’t get on the table until 8 pm on a good day. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are particularly long days, so having a slow-cooker meal more or less ready to go when I get home is definitely a life-saver.

I know it seems a little odd to have a whole chicken show up in my blog right after I’ve said I was giving up meat, but as I explained, I’m trying to eat through the meat we already have. However, one of the things I am NOT going to miss about giving up meat is rinsing, drying, and dealing with the mess of cooking meat. See also: fear of salmonella.

Surprisingly, I had never done a whole chicken in the slow-cooker before. Turns out, it was one of the best chickens I’ve ever made. I went to carve it and pulled the leg right off. Although you don’t get the crispy skin of an oven-roasted chicken, I don’t normally eat the skin anyway, so it wasn’t a big loss. But the meat itself was very tender. I pulled it right off the bone and shredded it.

Crockpot before:

Crockpot after:

I didn’t originally have a plan for the meat, but I was in a mood for Mexican and we had all the fixings, so Joe quickly opted for my suggestion of tacos. An avocado, some fresh corn cut off the cob, a little grated cheese, and some salsa all wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla made a delicious dinner.

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken
adapted source: Lauren’s Kitchen

Since this is more a method than a recipe, I’ll just tell you what I did. Take a whole chicken and rinse with water, inside and outside. Pat with paper towels to dry.

Roll aluminum foil into three 2-inch diameter balls and place in a triangle formation in a 6-qt crockpot. This will keep the chicken from burning where it touches the crockpot.

Pour in a 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water. I added a 1/2 onion, though I don’t know if it really did anything.

Do whatever you do with your roast chicken. I quartered a lemon, squeezed the juice inside the cavity, and stuffed the lemon inside. Then, I rubbed the skin with a little olive oil and some Southwest seasoning. Rest the chicken, breast side up, on the aluminum foil balls, making sure that the chicken isn’t touching the crockpot liner.

Cook for 8 hours on low. Enjoy your delicious, tender roast chicken.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

I really like different kinds of sandwiches. The different interplay of ingredients sandwiched between bread is something I particularly enjoy. It's even better if a recipe takes something that isn't particularly healthy and, using the same flavors, transforms it into something healthy, quick, and delicious. A few other people have made these burgers around the food blogosphere, and there have been nothing but rave reviews. I cooked mine in our George Foreman instead of using the broiler, but there are a lot of options in terms of the method you use.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
source: Elly Says Opa

Ingredients
1 lb. ground chicken
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 shallot, finely diced
salt and pepper

1/2 cup pasta sauce
4 slices mozzarella or provolone (or 1/2 cup shredded)
sauteed mushrooms (optional)
4 buns

Preparation

Lightly mix together all the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4 patties. I like to make them about 30-40 minutes ahead of time, to let the flavors meld a little bit.

Preheat & spray the broiler with a little oil (or use the grill, or a pan). Broil the burgers for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and broil for 3 minutes. Top each chicken burger with 2 Tbsp. pasta sauce and a slice (or about 2T) of cheese. Place back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds, until cheese in melted and burger is cooked through. Top with mushrooms, if desired. Place the buns in the broiler for about 10 seconds, just until toasted.

In-a-Flash Chicken-Broccoli-Peanut Pasta

Pasta is one of those foods which I have a difficult time controlling my portion sizes. But when chicken and broccoli bulk it up, 2 oz of pasta goes a long way. The peanut sauce was a little thinner than I normally prefer but was still very flavorful, and we bumped up the spiciness with some Sriracha. This came together very quickly and is a perfect, balanced weeknight meal.

In-a-Flash Chicken-Broccoli-Peanut Pasta
source: Cara's Cravings
Yields 2 servings

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
2 small or 1 large chicken breast, 8-10oz total
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1tsp ground ginger
4oz whole grain pasta
10oz package frozen chopped broccoli
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp agave nectar or honey
fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. When there are about 5 minutes remaining, add the frozen broccoli. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, blend together chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and agave until smooth.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut the chicken breast into bite-size chunks and season with salt & pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides; remove from pan. Add scallions and garlic, cook one minute more. Add ginger and red pepper; cook for about 30 seconds more. Add the sauce and the chicken to the skillet with the onions, garlic, ginger and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until thickened. Toss with drained pasta and broccoli and heat through. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro.


Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 522.8
Total Fat: 13.4 g
Cholesterol: 74.0 mg
Sodium: 818.2 mg
Total Carbs: 64.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 11.7 g
Protein: 44.6 g

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that will make Joe happy but won't break my calorie budget, so when I saw this Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf first on The Novice Chef and then on Erin's Food Files (check out her new blog layout!), I knew that it would hit the spot. True to my intuition, Joe and I both loved it. Vegetables add some bulk, and the hot sauce makes it so flavorful that nobody missed the fat. Plus, meatloaf is a lot easier to make than frying chicken wings.

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf
source: Biggest Loser Family Cookbook via The Novice Chef and Erin's Food Files

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/3 cup hot sauce, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 lb extra-lean ground chicken breast
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled reduced fat blue cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly mist a 9” x 5” x 3” nonstick loaf pan with olive oil spray.

Combine oats and milk in a medium size mixing bowl. Mix well. Let stand for 3 minutes or until oats are softened. Stir in hot sauce until well mixed. Add chicken, celery, carrots, onion, egg whites, and salt. With fork, mix ingredients well. Add blue cheese and gently mix.

Transfer mixture to pan and spread so that top is flat. Sprinkle on a couple shakes of hot sauce and spread evenly. Bake 35 to 40 mins or until chicken is no longer pink. Cut into 8 slices. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 263 calories per serving, 35g protein, 14g carbohydrates, 6g fat (2g saturated fat), 74mg sodium (Note: 2 slices = 1 serving.)

Crockpot Red Curry Chicken with Butternut Squash

Somebody recently stated that they don't "get" crockpots. What's not to get? With often minimal preparation, the crockpot makes dinner for you, yielding blended flavors and moist, tender meat. This crockpot meal is relatively prep-heavy, even if you skip browning the chicken like I did, so it's better for a weekend meal, or you could prep it the night before and keep it in the refrigerator. Either way, coming home to a delicious, healthy curry makes any day better.

Next time, I would follow Cara's steps instead of trying to make it faster. I definitely missed some flavor, though the texture was deliciously creamy due to the squash. As an alternative to the fat-laden curries that I like from Thai restaurants, this does the trick. I served it on top of jasmine rice that I cooked using the rest of the coconut milk.

Crockpot Red Curry Chicken with Butternut Squash
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1lb butternut squash, peeled and chopped (or substitute another winter squash)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6oz each
1/2-1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger, and cumin
salt & pepper
2 tsp red curry paste
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp fish sauce
juice from 1/2 lime
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
fresh basil or cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Place the onions, peppers, and squash in the bottom of the crockpot.

Cut the chicken into small pieces and toss with the cinnamon, ginger, cumin, salt and pepper. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and saute the chicken for a few minutes on each side, until browned.

Place the chicken in the crockpot. Combine the curry paste, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, coconut milk, extract, and broth in a blender and process until smooth. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir cornstarch into 2 tbsp of water until no lumps remain and gently stir into the liquid in the crockpot. Increase heat to high and cook for another 20 minutes to thicken. Garnish with basil or cilantro.

Buffalo Chicken Calzones

Please believe me when I say that these taste a lot better than they look. I was having a rough night. My wonderful husband Joe is so good about not complaining when I make food that some guys wouldn't touch. He never grumbles about how he would rather have a cheeseburger and never rolls his eyes when our meals are meatless. I recently found out that he is a big fan of buffalo chicken but doesn't like wings because they're so messy, so I wanted to make him a special meal that was geared towards his tastes rather than just mine.

I was hoping that the calzones would be a little spicier, but they have good flavor from the hot pepper sauce. I combined two recipes, taking what I liked from each of them, and ended up with slightly too much filling, which Joe gladly ate from a bowl. Next time I will make my own pizza dough since I seem to have terrible luck with store-bought dough.

Buffalo Chicken Calzones with Bleu Cheese Dipping Sauce
inspired by Taste of Home and Food Network

Ingredients
1 lb pizza dough
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
2 tsp plus 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce, divided
3 tbsp butter
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup pizza sauce

For dip:
1/3 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1 cup sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450-degrees.
Melt butter in a hot skillet and cook chicken thoroughly until opaque throughout and no pink remains.
In a bowl, mix together pizza sauce and 2 tsp hot pepper sauce; set aside.
When chicken is cooked through, reduce heat and add 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce, tossing to coat. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain chicken if necessary.
In another bowl, mix together bleu cheese and sour cream.
Divide dough in half and roll out into circles.
Place half of pizza sauce mixture, chicken, and mozzarella cheese into each calzone, close, and seal the edges by pinching the dough.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dough is browned. Serve with bleu cheese dip.

Chicken, Red Grape, and Pesto Pizza

I found my camera! And I realized I had forgotten that I had made this chicken, red grape, and pesto pizza when I posted my recipe round-up, so it gets its own entry complete with photo. This meal is a little semi-homemade, but you could do it completely homemade if you were so inclined. That would just involve making the pesto and pizza dough from scratch ahead of time.

I tend to prefer pizzas without tomato sauce, so I loved the pesto base. The fresh mozzarella adds a lot of flavor and creaminess, and the juiciness and sweetness of the grapes is a nice unique twist.

Chicken, Red Grape, and Pesto Pizza
source: Cooking Light, September 2009

Ingredients
1 whole wheat pre-made crust (like Boboli)
1/3 cup refrigerated pesto
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 oz shredded skinless, boneless chicken breast, cooked
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
3 tbsp grated Romano cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425-degrees with pizza stone inside (if desired).
2. Spread pesto evenly over pizza crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Spread grapes evenly over pesto, and top with chicken. Place garlic and mozzarella over grapes and chicken. Sprinkle with Romano cheese and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with onions.

Easy Paella

For our honeymoon, Joe and I went to the Excellence Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic. It was absolutely perfect, but one of the things that really struck us was the food. One night, at the Spanish/Mediterranean-themed restaurant, Joe ordered paella and subsequently fell in love. Whether it was the dish itself or the atmosphere, any other paella that he has ever had has not been able to measure up. This was no exception, but it was easy to throw together and tasty. There are no mussels to scrub or expensive scallops to buy, hence "easy" paella. Heck, it doesn't even have saffron in it. But it did help me use up some shrimp and peas that were in the freezer. And it was very good. I liked the flavor and color of the turmeric. I used brown rice, so the cooking time was slightly longer.

Easy Paella
source: Everyday Food via Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 package chicken sausage, (12 ounces), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 can diced tomatoes, (14.5 ounces)
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth, (14.5 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Preparation
In a heavy 12-inch saute; pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until just pink on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes (do not overcook). Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining tablespoon oil and sausage to pan; cook over mediumhigh heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rice; cook, stirring to coat, until rice is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in paprika, turmeric, tomatoes, and broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed almost all liquid, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Stir in cooked shrimp; serve immediately.

Chicken Gyros

When we lived in Houston, one of our favorite places to eat was a Greek place called Niko Niko's. The parking situation was atrocious, and quite often, there was a line out the door. The reason for the line out the door was obviously the food, and you could see all kinds of people in that line waiting for a piping hot plate of gyros or spanakopita. However, I tend to find the food at Greek restaurants on the oily side, so when I found this recipe, I looked forward to making it at home.

After Joe's first bite of the chicken, he wailed, "How come this is the first time you've made this?" It was definitely a hit. Joe devoured the chicken, and I ate the rest of the tzatziki sauce and pitas for lunch the next day. A tip that I got from Annie regarding the cucumber: shred it in your food processor, and then wrap it in paper towels to squeeze the liquid out. It works like a dream. My garlic press also got some use!

Chicken Gyros
source: Elly Says Opa via Annie's Eats

Ingredients
For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible) (I used Greek yogurt.)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Preparation
To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible. (Not necessary if using Greek yogurt.)

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (We grilled them.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.

Heat pitas (I wrapped them in some paper towels and microwaved them). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Peanut Soy Chicken, Cold Noodle, and Veggie Bowl

I swear that I could cover anything in spicy peanut sauce, and Joe would eat it. Not once did he comment on how many vegetables there were in this dish or how much green there was. My noodles were a little more lukewarm than cold, which is how I preferred them. This meal came together quickly and was plentiful. I added some Sriracha and reflected that below in the ingredient list. It's hard to go wrong with peanut sauce and noodles!

Peanut Soy Chicken, Cold Noodle, and Veggie Bowl
adapted source: A Year in the Kitchen

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, pounded very thin

3 tbsp. creamy peanut butter, separated

1/2 c. lite soy sauce, separated
2 tsp Sriracha, separated

black pepper

6 oz spaghetti

1 can water chestnuts, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 bunch scallions, green parts only, sliced

1 6 oz. bag snap peas

1 bunch cilantro

Sesame seeds, sesame oil, grated ginger, or any other garnish

Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Preheat grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat.
In a shallow dish, whisk 2 tbsp. peanut butter with 1/4 c. soy sauce and 1 tsp Sriracha.
Microwave for 45 seconds if necessary, to loosen peanut butter.
Add black pepper, whisk.
Pound chicken thin between saran wrap.
Spray pan with nonstick spray.
Dip chicken in peanut sauce, then place on the grill pan. Cook for 4 minutes.
Drop the pasta in the water, cook for 6 minutes.
Chop the veggies.
In another large bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1 tsp Sriracha and pepper.
Again, microwave for 45 seconds if necessary.
Flip the chicken, cook for another 4 minutes, or until done.
If desired, during the last minute of cooking pasta, add the snap peas to take off the bite.
Drain and rinse with cold water, pour into the bowl with sauce. Toss to coat.
Add the veggies, toss again.
Take the chicken off the grill pan.
Plate the noodles, slice the chicken, place on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken with Linguine

Alert the presses! I'm blogging a new meal! I'm seriously trying to get back into cooking more at home. CPE is winding down, and I've noticed a few pounds creeping on, even though I've been exercising. Plus, we're beginning the house-purchasing process, and my budget-consciousness has been put on alert. I have made meals in the past week but did not find them particularly bloggable. This was a recipe I had bookmarked quite a while ago for it's simplicity. I added steamed broccoli as an accompanying vegetable.

The chicken was delightfully spicy, and I loved the tequila and lime flavor. Joe said that he wished there was more. I don't normally do the meat/starch/vegetable meal, so this was a nice change of pace, and the pan sauce definitely made it seem special.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken with Linguine
source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded out just a bit (I used one enormous breast cut in half)
  
• Spices: Kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, dried parsley, dried cilantro, paprika (Sprinkle to your liking.)
  
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 c tequila
• 1 14.5 can low sodium chicken broth
• Juice from 2 limes
• Handful of chopped fresh parsley (I used cilantro, which also worked nicely.)
  
• 1 tbsp butter
• Olive oil
• 2 oz of dry pasta per serving

Preparation

• Coat chicken in the dry spices - I simply shook the spices right onto the chicken from the spice jars and then rubbed them all in. I don't measure, but it was probably about 3 shakes from each bottle per side of chicken.
• Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan.
• Add chicken and cook on medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side. The chicken will turn a beautiful golden brown color. If the chicken is not cooked all the way through, lower your heat and continue to cook, or transfer it to the oven to finish (covered).
• Remove chicken from the pan and add another tbsp of olive oil.
• Add garlic, saute.
• Deglaze pan with the tequila.
• Add chicken broth and lime juice; bring to a boil.
• Add parsley.
• Whisk in butter to thicken the sauce up a bit.
• Serve chicken over linguine; top with the sauce.

Chicken Piccata

Why hasn't anyone told me how easy and quick chicken piccata is to make? My absolute favorite dish at Damian's in Houston, the Italian restaurant Joe took me to the night we got engaged, is veal piccata. (Yes, I know. Tortured baby cow.) But I don't often have veal in my freezer the way I normally have chicken. So when I kept seeing recipes for chicken piccata, it looked like something I could do on a weekday, even a Wednesday when I have to scoot off to choir rehearsal by 6:40.

This is definitely a dish I will be making again. The flavors are nice and light for a summer evening. If I was making this for a special occasion, I would serve it with a side of freshly homemade pasta to soak up the extra sauce. Since it was just a weekday, I steamed some broccoli with a little seasoning to go with the chicken.

Chicken Piccata
source: Closet Cooking

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 splash dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 lemon (juice)
1/2 lemon (sliced)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

Preparation

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the chicken in the flour.
3. Heat the oil and butter in a pan.
4. Add the chicken and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side and set aside.
5. Place the wine, stock, lemon juice, lemon slices and capers in the pan and deglaze it.
6. Simmer until the liquids reduce by half.
7. Stir in the butter and pour over the chicken and garnish with the parsley

Rotini with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage

Trader Joe's various varieties of chicken sausage make weeknight meals so easy and flavorful with a minimum amount of effort. The broccoli bulks up the pasta and adds a veggie so that you have your starch, protein, and vegetables all in one bowl! I think broccoli is my favorite vegetable to add to pasta dishes though red peppers are also delicious.

Rotini with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage
Yields 3 servings

Ingredients
8 oz short pasta like rotini or penne
4 links flavored chicken sausage, sliced into rounds (I used spinach, fontina, and roasted garlic)
2 cups broccoli, chopped into florets
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat for the pasta. When it reaches a rapid boil, put pasta into the water.
2. In a large skillet, heat the sausage over medium heat, flipping until lightly browned. Add onion, sauteeing until translucent. Add broth, scraping up anything stuck to the pan. Turn down the heat when the broth comes to a boil.
3. For the last few minutes of the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli, cooking until they turn a vibrant green. Drain broccoli and pasta in a colander.
4. Toss the pasta with the sausage mixture, red pepper, and Parmesan cheese to coat. Serve warm.
   

Rotini with Ricotta, Sausage, and Broccoli

I'm trying to be better about using up things in the pantry and refrigerator before I buy more. I think at one point, I had three quarter- or half-full boxes of pasta in my pantry. And as finals approach, I'm finding that it seems much more pressing to organize my kitchen than to review Zwinglian theology, so I'll see if I can nip that in the bud.

I loved using the ricotta as a sauce for the pasta. The lemon zest added more flavor. You can substitute a lot in this recipe. Use spinach instead of broccoli. The recipe I based this off of used prosciutto, but I used chicken sausage. Go with what you have!

Rotini with Ricotta, Sausage, and Broccoli
adapted from A Year in the Kitchen

1/2 a box of whole wheat rotini (or penne or rotelle or whatever)
1 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
zest of 1 lemon
2 links pre-cooked chicken sausage, sliced (I used Trader Joe's smoked apple and chardonnay)
1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2 small heads of broccoli, chopped
1 tsp oil
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Put water on to boil for noodles. When water is at a rolling boil, pour in noodles.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a small skillet and add slices of sausage, turning until browned and heated through.

Mix together stock, zest, and ricotta, stirring to combine.

Add broccoli to the boiling water for the last few minutes of noodle-cooking time. Drain noodles and broccoli when cooked (about 8-10 minutes total).

Toss with sausage and ricotta mixture, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese and adding salt and pepper as desired.

Moroccan Braised Chicken with Garbanzos and Dried Fruit

Whenever I find a slow-cooker recipe that doesn't call for cream of something soup or grape jelly, I get very excited. Lately I've been using my slow-cooker pretty frequently because both Joe's and my schedules have been insane. Even though this recipe took more prep work than most slow-cooker recipes, it's worth it for the fresh, bright flavors. The spice combination is different from what I usually cook with, and I enjoyed it a lot. I also have a real weakness for dried apricots, so I didn't need much of an excuse to buy them for this dinner. You could eat this on its own as a kind of stew, or I served it over couscous. With the couscous, there was enough for three people.

Moroccan Braised Chicken with Garbanzos and Dried Fruit
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1 small onion, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup drained, rinsed garbanzo beans
4 dried apricot halves, cut into quarters
2 tbsp golden raisins (I used regular raisins that I had in the pantry.)
1 cup fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of cloves
pinch of cayenne pepper
freshly ground salt, to taste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 tbsp corn starch
fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preparation
Place onions, peppers, chickpeas and dried fruits in crockpot. Combine all seasonings and toss with the chicken; add to slow cooker. Pour in the broth and cider vinegar, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir together corn starch with about 1 tbsp water, and add to crockpot mixture. Turn heat to high and cook for about 20 minutes more. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro if desired.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 397.7
Total Fat: 3.6 g
Cholesterol: 131.5 mg
Sodium: 537.0 mg
Total Carbs: 31.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.4 g
Protein: 57.0 g

Roast Chicken

One of my goals when I began to cook regularly was to get comfortable with roasting a whole chicken. The first time I roasted a chicken, I had some minor problems which involved being unable to find the giblets, cutting open the chicken to find them, and then Joe sewing the chicken back up with a suture kit. Sometimes (but not often) it pays to be married to a doctor. The chicken tasted fine, but it didn't look so pretty.

This time I was prepared. After fretting over what our main entree would be since we did turkey and ham at Thanksgiving and my mom vetoing lamb, beef, duck, or anything more unusual, I settled on a roast chicken. It would be the perfect amount of meat for five of us, and my mom said that she loved roast chicken.


I simply washed it, patted it dry, and rubbed it with olive oil. Then I stuffed the cavity with a quartered lemon and some rosemary and thyme. I also rubbed the breast with a little chopped up rosemary and thyme. I roasted it in a 325-degree oven until the temperature read 170-degrees (about an hour and a half) and then let it rest for ten minutes before carving it.

Everyone was pleased with the chicken, and I took the carcass and bones home and made stock out of them yesterday.

Baked Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash Marinara

I'm currently in the midst of finals, so my level of functioning is pretty low right now. I've got that glazed look in my eyes, and I know it's a good day if I've brushed my hair. This all means that it's a good time for some comfort food. I picked up a spaghetti squash from the store last week with no solid plans of what I might do with it; it just interested me. When I saw I had some chicken breasts in the freezer, I had the idea that I could serve the spaghetti squash as a side for chicken parmesan. Whenever I have chicken parmesan, I don't like having pasta as the side. It's just a little to carb-y for my taste. And in the middle of winter, salads don't have the same appeal that they do when it's 90-degrees outside.

So I put the spaghetti squash in the oven whole for an hour at 375-degrees and then cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, and shredded it with a fork. Joe is such a good sport and didn't even look at me sideways when I told him what we were having. He ended up liking it too.

This is a very basic, simple recipe for chicken parmesan. It's definitely not the best in the world, but it does the trick.

Baked Chicken Parmesan
source: southernfood.about.com

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness (I put mine between wax paper and bang the hell out of 'em with a rolling pin.)
  
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• seasoned bread crumbs (Make your own or use the ones out of a can. I don't care!)
  
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more (I usually use shredded cheese because that's what I have in the house usually.)
  
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce (A basic marinara works best. If you have homemade, that's preferable.)
  
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.

Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with spaghetti, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

Curried Chicken with Apples

This may not be the most attractive meal I've ever made. I'm aware it's a bit brown, but it really is quite good. I've realized I am really liking fruit in savory contexts, so when I saw this curry with apples, I thought it was a great fall/winter meal. My mom came over last night for dinner before the Vanderbilt basketball game and liked this as well. I threw in some raisins on a whim because I thought they would add a nice textural contrast. The sauce thickened up nicely and went well with the brown rice.

Curried Chicken with Apples
source: Casual Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken (The original recipe called for cubed or ground pork. You could also use cubed chicken.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped (I used one Fuji apple and one Granny Smith)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons flour
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or one clove garlic, pressed or minced)
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
1) Brown the cubed pork on all sides in oil, on high heat, in a large non-stick pan, about 4-5 minutes.
2) Turn heat down to medium-high. Add apples and chopped onions to the pork. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until starting to brown lightly. Add flour and dry spices, stir well and continue sauteing for another 1-2 minutes.
3) Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Serve with rice.

Serves 4.