Spicy Basil Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light


Who doesn't love spice and basil? This dish caught my eye because of the basil, but also because I love Thai type dishes. I don't actually know if this qualifies as Thai or a different type of Asian cuisine, but regardless, a lot of them catch my eye! This was a nice healthy alternative because there were no rice or noodles involved (in my version), and you can add whatever vegetables you desire! I went with fresh broccoli, which was wonderful. I think next time snow peas would be fantastic too. This would go well with noodles or rice, for those lucky enough to not have to watch what you eat these days!

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 minced shallot
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tb fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar 
• 2 tb lower-sodium soy sauce 
• 1-2 dashes sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sliced basil leaves
• 1-2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into florets 

Directions:

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots to the pan; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the chicken to the pan; cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until cooked through. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Toss in the broccoli. Combine the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, sriracha, water, and cornstarch together, stirring with a whisk. Add the mixture to the chicken, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken and broccoli. Remove from heat then add the fresh basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I have had this recipe on my list for a while now and tonight I finally decided I was in the mood for chicken. So, maple mustard chicken it was! It was nice in that it has a sweet, yet hint of mustard taste. I used deli mustard instead of stone ground, just because that's what I had on hand. I literally had every other mustard besides stone ground, but this one worked just fine. If I made this again, I would probably add more mustard. It was a quick and easy chicken dish, which is great during the week! As always, this makes great leftovers :) NOTE: I was not able to use the sauce after taking this out of the oven - it was way to syrupy and thick already.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon deli mustard (or your favorite mustard, but not honey mustard, that would be sweet overkill)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Add chicken to pan; sauté 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and mustard; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan, and spoon mustard mixture over chicken. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Place pan over medium heat; cook mustard mixture 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently. Serve with chicken. 

Persian Style Chicken Kabobs

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Moby Dick's House of Kabob is one of my favorite places ever. Anyone that knows me is aware of this...I usually go there once a week. I've always thought of attempting kabobs at home, but never got around to it. Today I decided to wing it! I knew that the key ingredient to keep the chicken moist is to marinate it in yogurt, so this is what I came up with. I will say the one adjustment I would make is in the spices - I would probably not use cinnamon the next go around, but to each their own! I served this with lime zest basmati rice (yep, out of a box - but I did add some fresh lime juice), homemade tzatziki sauce, and a side of tomato and cucumber salad. You can also get creative with the vegetables you add to the skewers.

Kabobs:
1/3 cup plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric - approx.
1/2 tsp paprika - approx.
1/2 tsp cinnamon - approx.
1/2 tsp dry mustard - approx.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch chunks )
1 zucchini squash, sliced equally into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion (I used yellow), cut into bite sized pieces
1 orange bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

bamboo skewers (soak for 20-30 min. beforehand so they will not burn, or use metal)

Mix together the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Toss them in a ziploc bag with the chicken. Make sure all pieces are covered with the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. I've read you can do this up to 24 hours. Skewer up the chicken and vegetables, leaving room in between to cook. Grease grill pan with olive oil and grill each side of the skewer for approximately 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken. I finished mine off in the oven at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. It kept the chicken moist.

Tomato Cucumber Salad:
1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
dash of oregano
dash of salt and pepper
handful of chopped, seedless cucumber

Mix together and serve on the side. This can be refrigerated prior to cooking.

To serve, I laid down the rice (use your favorite), the skewer, and topped with tzatziki sauce and the tomato cucumber salad.

Chicken Stelline Soup

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

This recipe stemmed from the fact that I'm sick, again. This is the third cold I have had in two months! I blame this indecisive weather of ours in the Northern VA area. In any event, I decided to make some soup and thought I'd take a chance with my own concoction. It turned out really well I thought! I made just enough for me to have today and tomorrow, but you could easily increase the recipe to make more. It would be great as leftovers. Spring is coming, get your comfort food in before it gets too warm! (NOTE: You could also use cut up chicken tenders to cook in the soup. I chose to roast the split chicken breast.)

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
• 1 packet Flavor Boost chicken stock packet
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 split chicken breast, skin-on and bone-in
• 1/4 stelline pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• dash of garlic powder with parsley
• A small handful fresh dill, chopped
• dash of Italian seasoning
• olive oil, for chicken breast
• juice of half a lemon

Directions:
Rub the split chicken breast with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning (or seasoning of your choice), salt, and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. Remove skin and cut up chicken into chunks once cooled. Set aside. Add olive oil to dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and throw in the bay leaf. Stir a couple of minutes until a little softened, making sure not to burn. Add the chicken broth, water, and Flavor Boost packet. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes. Throw in the chopped chicken, lemon juice, garlic powder and dill. Stir for a couple more minutes and serve.

Chicken with White Wine Sauce

Courtesy of Swanson - Campbell's Kitchen

This is the second recipe I've pulled from the Swanson website, mainly because I bought their new Flavor Boost packets to try. I'm a sucker for new food products, what can I say? This was a pretty easy dish to cook and it was quite tasty. I did modify it by using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, but you could easily do either!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (or 4 chicken thighs)

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 cup dry white wine

2 packets Swanson® Flavor Boost™ Concentrated Chicken Broth

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.
• Add the shallot and thyme to the skillet and cook and stir for 30 seconds.  Stir in the wine and cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half.  Stir in the concentrated broth.  Return the chicken to the skillet.  Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Super Bowl 1.0 - Buffalo Chicken Dip

Courtesy of Mike Fuller (mikefuller.hubpages.com)

The Super Bowl usually means one thing to me - FOOD :) Well, there's also friends, adult beverages, and watching football, but since the Redskins never make it that far, I focus on the food. It's always my excuse to make some delish dips and snacks! I'll have multiple recipes posted to represent each food item, so stay tuned! This particular dip is simply amazing. It's super easy to make and everyone always devours it. You really just can't go wrong!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast (I used the white meat from a plain rotisserie)
• 1 cup of ranch dressing ( Hidden Valley is the best)
1 cup of Frank's Original Red Hot (I wouldn't substitute Frank)
• 1 8 oz block of cream cheese
1 package of fancy shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
• Green onions (optional) 
• Celery stalks, or my favorite, fresh baked Jalapeno Cheddar bread

DIRECTIONS

Pre heat your oven to 350 F. Cut the cold cream cheese into cubes and place them into an 11.5" x 8" x 2" Pyrex style baking dish lightly misted with buttered flavor Pam. Evenly sprinkle the fancy shredded cheese on top of the cream cheese cubes. Pour the 1 cup of ranch and the 1 cup of Franks Red Hot on top of the cheesy mixture and place the dish into the oven uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes. After the cheesy mixture is done baking and mixed together well you may now add the chicken, simply pour the chicken on top of the mixture, carefully stir the mixture well and cover with aluminum foil and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Add more Ranch here if the dip is too spicy. Once baked you can carefully pour into your serving bowl, garnish with green onion and serve with your favorite dipping device. ENJOY!

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2011

I have been wanting to make these for a while now. It was definitely worth the wait! This recipe was absolutely delicious and I had to force myself to stop eating another piece of chicken. For your own sake, you should try this :) NOTE: I used half the amount of chicken and made some other adjustments in the measurements/process. When I made this according to the recipe, I ran out of sauce quickly. I ended up making another batch for the additional basting, so this recipe doubles all of the sauce ingredients, except for the garlic because there was still some left in the saucepan. I think two batches would work best so that the sauce is freshly boiled when basting at a later time. I also used a brush for the marinade instead of basting.

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sriracha sauce (more if desired)
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Cooking spray
• Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Directions
Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and garlic together in a large zip lock bag. Add the chicken thighs and place into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with tin foil then place the roasting rack in the pan. Coat the roasting rack with cooking spray. Pour the first batch of marinade into a small sauce pan over medium high heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat; set aside. Place the chicken thighs on the roasting rack; brush the chicken with the marinade. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Mix the remaining batch of sauce and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often. Flip the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper, and brush with sauce. Bake an additional 10 minutes, flip the chicken thighs one more time and brush with sauce. Bake for the last 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If desired, brush again. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with the sauce from the bottom of the roasting pan, if desired. Top with chives. Enjoy! (I just served with Roasted Vegetables)

Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

Adapted from Campbell's

Happy Hump Day! Tonight I tried out a new recipe so that I could use the new Campbell's Flavor Boost Chicken Packets. I saw them in the store and they intrigued me (I'm easily intrigued in the grocery store). Wow is all I have to say about this dish. We were actually in the mood to go out to eat and had to fight the temptation, so I wasn't overly excited to cook tonight, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! This will make the favorites list - it's pretty simple, healthy, and the flavor is just delicious! NOTE: I did make some modifications and recommend you follow this instead. The measurements in the recipe wouldn't have given this much sauce...we can't be having that!

Ingredients

1 large lemon 

1/2 lime (optional - I added this myself) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) - approximately 1.5 pounds

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced 

1 clove garlic, minced

2 packets Swanson® Flavor Boost™ Concentrated Chicken Broth

3 cups broccoli florets (I used one SteamFresh bag of florets)

Directions

Grate 1 tablespoon lemon zest and then juice the lemon (and half the lime if you are using both). I used both because the lemon didn't produce a lot of juice.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until well browned on all sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.  Pour off any fat if needed (I didn't need to since I used skinless thighs).

Reduce the heat to medium.  Add more oil if you need to...I did not need to since I did not pour off the fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Stir in the concentrated broth and lemon/lime juice.  Return the chicken to the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir the broccoli and lemon zest in the skillet.  Cover and cook until the broccoli is tender-crisp.

Poulet au Vinaigre de Romarin

Adapted from One Perfect Bite Blog

This dish was really delicious, it had so many flavors. I halved the below recipe and was really happy with it. I think this would also be good just as a chicken dish, although the sausage did add a nice zing.
 
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage, cut in 1/2-inch rounds
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I threw in a bit more)
1/2 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth (I threw in a bit more)
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped fresh

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large heavy skillet pan set over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add sausage and cook, stirring often, until sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2) While sausage browns, season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.
3) Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Add garlic and saute until light golden brown. Remove garlic from pan and set aside. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until chicken is brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour off fat. Return sausage and garlic to pan and scatter rosemary over all.
4) Pour in vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the vinegar is almost entirely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, turning chicken pieces to glaze. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Nana's Chicken Pastina Soup

Courtesy of Cooking Light

OK, this is not "my Nana's" soup - this is just the name out of Cooking Light and I felt guilty changing it. Don't get me wrong though - my family makes some amazing food, including great soups! However, I had been wanting to try something new and had the motivation to try a new soup tonight. I gotta say - I was impressed with this soup. It is super easy to make, and the flavor is really delicious. My goal is to have it for lunch a day or so and then freeze the rest. Check it out! Oh, and there are a few pictures just because I couldn't resist the cute pasta:

and fresh pesto that was SO yummy:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/4 cups pre-chopped celery, onion, and carrot mix
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound cooked chicken breast (cut into 1-inch cubes or shredded)
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) uncooked pastina (I used Stellina)
• 3 tablespoons commercial pesto (Whole Foods has delicious fresh pesto)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Note: I boiled the chicken. Bring water and broth to a boil in a large saucepan/Dutch oven. Stir in celery mix, pepper, salt, and chicken; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook 4 minutes. Be sure to stir immediately so the pasta does not stick to the bottom. Stir in pesto and juice, and simmer 1 minute. Sprinkle with cheese. I preserved the cheese for each serving, personally.

Vinegar Glossed Chicken

Courtesy of Wives with Knives Blog

I admit, I usually buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts to be healthy...but this go around, I had to go for the chicken thighs with the skin on! The recipe really caught my attention, again, because I love vinegar :) I must say -- cooking with bone in and the skin on sure does give it a lot of flavor! This dish was yummy and wasn't over the top with vinegar. I highly recommend it!

1 cup best-quality red wine vinegar
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed

At least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours before cooking combine the vinegar, garlic and rosemary to marinate chicken.

Thoroughly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat and swirl enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down.  Don't crowd the chicken; leave space around each piece.  Work in batches if necessary.  You should hear an immediate sizzle when the chicken pieces hit the pan.  Don't move them.  It takes a few minutes to sear the chicken so it doesn't stick.  Brown all sides; this can take up to 10 minutes per batch.  Regulate the heat so it stays high but does not burn the chicken.  Place all the browned chicken back into the skillet.

Add chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Lower the heat, simmer, and reduce for 15 to 20 minutes.  Increase the heat to high and pour in the vinegar mixture.  Swirl the pan and stir around as the vinegar evaporates to form a simmering glaze, 8-10 minutes.  Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat with some extra broth.

Seoul-ful Chicken with Minted Cucumbers

Courtesy of Cooking Light

This is a great spin on grilled chicken, Korean style. The recipe suggests using chicken thighs, but I had boneless chicken breasts on hand and they came out just fine. This dish is even better the next day for leftovers. It's served with the minted cucumber salad, but I do suggest eating the cucumber salad as a regular snack too -- it was tasty! Note: I halved this recipe and it came out great.

Cucumbers:

• 1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced (I left this out)  

Chicken:

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted (I bought McCormick's Toasted Sesame Seeds)

To prepare cucumbers, place cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt, tossing well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Combine cucumber, shallots, and next 6 ingredients (through chile) in a large bowl; toss gently. Cover and set aside. (I didn't drain the cucumber and it was still OK)

To prepare chicken, place each chicken breast/thigh between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet (or buy thin cut breasts). Combine soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to soy sauce mixture in bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place 4 breasts/thighs in pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 pieces. Place portion of cucumbers on each of 4 plates; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon green onions and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

Courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis

As you may or may not be able to tell, I love Giada. I've made a lot of her recipes and am usually very satisfied! This is a great recipe for breaded pork chops and I decided to throw in something healthy and just heated up some green beans (yes, all I did was heat those up). This is a fairly easy recipe - the only downside is that you use a lot of dishes in the process :)

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil 

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate/bowl to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate/blend. Place the cheese in a third pie plate/bowl. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side.

Note: For my first batch, I accidentally mixed the cheese and bread crumbs together in one pie plate. I dipped the chops in the egg and then the bread crumb/cheese mixture. I actually found these cooked better than having everything separate, as in the recipe.  The chops burnt more easily following the recipe's instructions.

Chicken Lime Tacos

I decided to make salsa this past weekend, which was listed previously on the blog (if you're interested). Making salsa usually leads to me trying to think of different ways to use it with dinner...or even to top off my Chipotle Burrito Bol (on those occasions where I have to satisfy my craving). In any event, I decided this go around I would make my own version of tacos, but with shredded chicken! I must say, these were yummy with or without the corn tortilla.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 
2-3 splashes of red wine vinegar
½ lime (juiced)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
(6 inch) flour tortillas
¼ cup Monterey jack cheese
¼ cup salsa
Sour cream

Boil the chicken breasts in a pot of water with salt and pepper to season. This should take approximately 25 minutes. Once done, let the chicken cool and shred (I do this by hand). Add a little oil to a pan and sauté shredded chicken in the pan for about 5 minutes over medium heat with the following: vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. To warm the tortillas, place them over a low flame on the gas stove (if you have a gas stove). Once the tortilla begins to bubble, flip. Add chicken mixture to each one evenly. Top with cheese, sour cream and salsa.

Mozzarella Topped Scaloppine with Rustic Tomato Sauce

Courtesy of The Washington Post
I'm a huge fan of Italian food in general...as in, I could eat it every day of my life. Therefore, it's no surprise this recipe caught my eye in the Food & Dining section of The Washington Post. It's a healthy alternative to chicken parmesan and its delicious breading and pasta :) I will say - this dish was very tasty. I decided to add the salad on the side with the best Ranch dressing, walnuts and feta! Mmmmm.

Ingredients:

• Four 4-ounce, thin-sliced skinless chicken cutlets
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, cut into very small dice (3/4 cup)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup canned crushed or chopped tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano)
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• 6 large basil leaves, rolled together tightly, then cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste and place in a shallow dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over the cutlets; turn to evenly coat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt; reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, adjusting the heat so the onion-garlic mixture does not brown. Add the tomatoes, vinegar and the sugar and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, for 10 minutes. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Stir in the basil. Position the top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning once, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Spoon the tomato mixture over each cutlet, then top each one with equal amounts of the mozzarella. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese melts and just starts to brown. Feel free to top off with some basil :)

Honey Key Lime Chicken & Squash Zucchini Bake

Courtesy of www.allrecipes.com
Let me start off by saying I don't normally have an abundance of key lime juice in my house, but as of this week, it just so happens I do. The juice comes in this great, large bottle so that you can experiment with all kinds of recipes! Key lime pie is on my list for this weekend, but for now, honey key lime chicken! Aside from making sure you can marinate the chicken for at least one hour, this is simple. Ideally, you would grill the chicken outdoors, but since it's February in DC, I baked the chicken this go around. I decided to throw in some squash and zucchini as well, since I had some on hand. All I have to say is the smell of key lime juice baking is MMM MMM GOOD!

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons key lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• olive oil to grease the baking dish
• basmati rice

In a resealable plastic bag, mix the key lime juice, honey, garlic, and lemon pepper. Place the chicken in the bag, seal, and shake to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally.  Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Grill the marinated chicken about 8 minutes on each side, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Discard remaining marinade.The other option is to bake the chicken at 350 for about 25 minutes, or you could use a skillet or an indoor grill. I baked it this go around since grilling outdoors isn't exactly an option right now. Cook the basmati rice according to package and place the chicken on top of the rice.

 Squash & Zucchini Bake:

• squash, cut into slices
• zucchini, cut into slices
• approx. 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• approx. 1/2 cup of shredded Italian blend cheese, or parmesan
• approx. 1 tb olive oil, salt, and lemon pepper 

Saute the vegetables in a skillet with about 1 tb olive oil, and some salt and lemon pepper. Once they get a little tender/brown on the edges, transfer from the heat and place into a dish for the oven. Top with the bread crumbs and cheese. Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Chicken and Dumplings, anyone?

OK, so I had a request to put this on the blog. Erika asked, I delivered ... finally. My long time friend Erika, from JMU, went home with me one weekend in college. She had never had chicken and dumplings, but my Mom whipped them up one night and Erika fell in love. Almost 10 years later, she is still asking me for the recipe! My mom doesn't really "use recipes" half the time. I ask for them and her response is usually..."Honey, I don't really follow a recipe. I don't even remember what goes in it. Let's see -- put in a little of this, little of that, etc." You get the picture. This go around, I decided to merge the vague direction she gave me, love you Mom :), with a recipe I found online, and a few minor tweaks on my end. Ultimately, it came out pretty well, but I have a feeling it will be even better tomorrow!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 2 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 2 cups of cut yellow potatoes (I used the small potatoes and cut them in quarters)
• 2 teaspoons salt (more to taste if necessary)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more to taste if necessary)
• few dashes of garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• Can of biscuits (or you can make these, but I frankly didn't have time)

Bring water and broth to a simmer in a 2 to 3 quart saucepan. Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 10 minutes. Reserve poaching liquid, uncovered.

While chicken is poaching, cook onion in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add poaching liquid and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into 1/4-inch-wide strips (about 1 inch long). When vegetables are done simmering, stir chicken into soup along with parsley and garlic powder to taste. Cut 3-4 biscuits into quarters and drop into soup. Put the lid back on the pan and simmer on low until biscuits plump up and briefly cook.

 

Avgolemono Soup with Chicken and Orzo

Do you ever eat something at a restaurant and wish you could make it home? Well, I had this soup over 5 years ago at McLean Family Restaurant which I still think about. All I remembered was that it was Greek inspired and had orzo and lemon flavors. I was never able to find a recipe that seemed similar enough, until this month (no, I have not been searching constantly for years)! I came across this and it made my day. I took a chance at it last night and it came out pretty tasty...it's the soup I remember from years ago. This soup was also great for lunch today, thicker, but still delicious. I highly recommend it!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded into bite-sized pieces

1. Bring broth and dill to a boil in large saucepan and add orzo.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove one cup of broth from the pot (without any orzo in it.)  Let it cool for 5 minutes.

2. Put eggs and juice in blender and process until smooth and frothy.  With blender on, slowly pour the one cup of cooled broth that you removed from the pot into the blender and process until smooth.  This is to thin out the eggs a little more so they will blend in to the soup obediently later on.

3. Add carrot, salt, pepper and chicken to the broth and orzo in the pot.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until orzo is tender.  Reduce heat to low.

4. Slowly pour in egg mixture, stirring constantly, until soup is heated through, about 1-2 minutes.  Do not let it boil or you may get the dreaded curdling.  If you do, remind yourself that it is still going to taste just fine.  

5. Ladle into bowls and serve at once.

Roman Style Chicken

Courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis - Food Network

I saved this recipe a long time ago in my recipe box on the Food Network's website (I do this way too often). One of my best friends from JMU came down with her husband, so I figured it would be a good dish for a group. It's also great for easy clean up because you only use one pan! I'm all for that :) Another reason I like this dish - it's great for leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
• 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced (I had roasted red peppers on hand and used those)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (can use dried if that's all you have)
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (can use dried if that's all you have)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Rice (optional - I used basmati and served the chicken on top)

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. 

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Date night with Duncan (Melissa)

Duncan and I set a date to cook (we used to do this a lot), and she told me about this recipe she had made that was delicious. So what kind of friend would I be if I didn't let her cook it for me? :) I poured the vino and kept her company...and baked some chicken to go with it. I know she made some minor tweaks, but I wanted to share the recipe so that everyone else can enjoy as well! I believe the main difference was that she used more white wine...when I asked how much more, she just answered "a lot more"...ha. Enjoy!

Garden Risotto:

• approximately 3 chicken breasts (optional)
• few pieces of your favorite bread (I used sourdough)
• few dashes Italian Seasoning
• approximately 2 teaspoons of butter
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 lightly packed cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 pound asparagus, steamed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (optional)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and marinade with your favorite sauce. I tried the new Lea & Perrins Chicken marinade. Bake for approximately 20 minutes (depending on thickness).

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is almost tender and creamy-looking, about 18 minutes.

Add the spinach and peas and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the asparagus and cook just until the vegetables are hot. Stir in the Parmesan and more broth or wine if the risotto seems too thick.

 Brush the slices of bread with softened butter and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Place under broiler for just a couple of minutes.