Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I missed the Friday Favorites last week due to my parents being in town, but I'll be back on schedule this week. I worked Thanksgiving Day, so we just had a smaller meal consisting of soup, homemade bread, and definitely desserts! It was kind of nice to have Thanksgiving on a smaller scale, but I am missing those turkey leftovers. I think the leftovers may be my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal!
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, I'm sure you could swap the chicken in these for some of that leftover turkey. In fact, if you have turkey, I would be more than willing to take some of it so I can make these again! Avocado, cilantro, peppers, and Monterey Jack cheese. That list should speak for itself. These are good. Definitely in the running for favorite enchilada dish around here!
The recipe for these comes from Gimmie Some Oven, and I made them largely as written. My only swaps were small - plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream and whole wheat tortillas. My other addition was to add a little shredded cheese on top of the dish. If you do this, be careful with the foil. In fact, you may want to spray the bottom of it with nonstick spray or much of your melty cheese may stick to the foil. Not that I would know... :)
Chicken or turkey. Greek yogurt or sour cream. You won't regret making these. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Chicken Avocado Enchiladas
Adapted slightly from Gimme Some Oven
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
2 poblano peppers, seeded and stemmed, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and stemmed, diced
8-10 (I had a little filling left) whole wheat enchiladas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (or turkey)
2-3 cups Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Avocado Cream Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or stock)
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
For the avocado cream sauce, melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add flour, whisking until golden brown and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Whisk as necessary to remove any lumps. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a heat-safe bowl. Add avocado, cilantro, and lime juice. Blend using an immersion blender until smooth. Alternately, you can let the mixture cool slightly and then blend in a traditional blender.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch pan. In another skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, and jalapeno, and saute for 5-6 minutes until the onions become translucent. Remove from heat. Mix in the shredded chicken.
Spread a little avocado sauce over the bottom of the prepared pan. To assemble the enchiladas, place a tortilla on a flat surface. Spread some avocado sauce on the top 1/3 of the tortilla. Top with the chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Repeat until the pan is full or you have used all the filling. Spread the remaining avocado sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Spray a piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover the pan with the spray-side down. Bake for 20 minutes or until the dish is heated through and the tortillas being to harden. Serve and enjoy.
My blog assignment this month for SRC was Shelby's blog The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. While I had heard of GHB (as she calls it) before, Shelby's blog was still relatively new to me. I can honestly tell you that I loved it. She has a great list of recipes, and her stories in each post really can't be beat.
While I still really want to make this banana bread, the recipe I picked for SRC is her Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Couscous. The hubs and I love anything remotely "southwest" flavored, so I was confident it would be a hit. I did end up using the "puspus" as Shelby indicates Grumpy calls it. Rice would work great too, but you just can't beat the 5 minute cook time of couscous!
I followed her recipe pretty close, subbing only brown sugar for the white sugar and adding a little lime juice to the couscous as well. I also left my chicken breasts whole, mostly because I felt like it that day. If you leave them whole, be sure to pound them a bit with a meat tenderizer. Chicken just seems to cook so much more evenly that way! As for the dried pepper flakes, I added just 1/2 teaspoon, and there was a fair amount of heat in the dish. My only advice would be to add slowly. Once the spice is in, you won't get it out (I have learned this the hard way in the past...).
Enjoy the dish and be sure to stop by GHB to say hello!
(Printable Recipe)
Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Couscous
Adapted from The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, pounded even with meat tenderizer
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime
Cilantro Couscous:
1-1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup whole wheat couscous
3-4 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Warm the oil in the skillet. Pound the chicken breasts until even. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in the pre-heated skillet until cooked through. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, lime juice, and lime zest in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. When the chicken is finished cooking, pour into the hot skillet and bring to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is beginning to reduce. Return the chicken to the pan, cooking for 2-3 more minutes and turning the chicken breasts to coat.
For the couscous, bring the broth to a boil in medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the couscous, and place the lid on the pan. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve with the chicken.
Well, it happened. Something I never though I'd see in my lifetime.
I. Forgot. To. Eat.
Seriously, I am typically not one to miss meals. My stomach is quite the time keeper, even letting me know a couple hours early (most of the time) that it is time to eat. Lunch at 10:30AM, why not? Nonetheless, there I was perched on my couch studying BCPS material, and before I knew it, it was 4:30 in the afternoon and I hadn't eaten since breakfast. Who knew? Apparently the gastrointestinal section (comically enough) really was that enthralling.
Anyway, forgetting to eat doesn't have much to do with this post other than the fact that there is no way you'll forget about dinner with this cooking in the crockpot. Mexican food, in some way, shape, or form, almost always makes it onto our weekly menu, and this is a great way to do it fuss free. Chicken slow cooked in beer and spices only to be shredded and mixed with cheese. Where do I sign up? Bonus points that it is perfectly acceptable to finish the rest of the beer :)
This recipe is from Jessica at How Sweet It Is, and it really is nothing short of genius. Make it next time you know you'll be rushed around dinner time. You certainly won't regret it, just don't forget the taco toppings. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Crockpot Cheddar Beer Chicken Tacos
From How Sweet It Is
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
3/4 cup beer (I used Blue Moon)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
taco shells or tortillas
Toppings: Greek yogurt (or sour cream), avocado, cilantro, salsa, onion, lettuce
In a bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, caynne pepper, salt and pepper. Measure the 3/4 cup of beer and stir 1-1/2 tablespoons of spices into the beer.
Place the chicken in the crockpot. Pour the beer mixture over the top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours (mine was done closer to 4 hours). The time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts.
When cooked, remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred. Do not drain the liquid in the crockpot. Add the chicken back to the liquid and mix until combined (there shouldn't be much leftover liquid, although the chicken will be moist). Leave in the crockpot to cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and immediately mix in the shredded cheese. Assemble the tacos as desired.
Every time I use my crockpot, I wonder why we don't use it more often. I probably don't have to sing it's praises to anyone here - ready made meal, typically little "active" cook time, and let's be honest, it doesn't heat up the house. The heat factor alone could be enough to sing its praises when its >100 degrees every day!
This is a recipe that I found on Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen. We have a teriyaki recipe we love, but the crockpot version here was intriguing. This recipe definitely surprised me. Asian-flavored dishes are almost always a hit around here (have we discussed my husband's Chinese buffet addiction in undergraduate?), but this exceeded my expectations. It uses boneless skinless chicken thighs which help keep the meat moist. The chicken here basically shredded itself! Even with that, I have to note my one negative point, although this is common to many chicken dishes in the crockpot. Cooking time during the work week. A 4-5 hour cook time just doesn't work very well with my work schedule. Nonetheless, this still makes for an easy dinner on the weekend!
Enough about work, back to the food :)
As written, this recipe calls for 3 lbs. of chicken. That's a lot of food! We halved the recipe with good success. One more tip. Be sure to concentrate the cooking liquid. It makes a great sauce served over brown rice. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
From Lake Lure Cottage Chicken
Ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
4-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
4-1/2 tsp. cold water
brown rice, cooked according to package directions
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ground ginger, minced garlic, and pepper. Add chicken to the bowl of the crockpot and pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken to a platter, keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Pour the liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly add to the boiling pot, stirring until the sauce has thickened. Serve the chicken over rice, topped with the teriyaki sauce.
We got quite the surprise in our garden this year. The plan was to buy 4 bell pepper plants, as we eat quite a few bell peppers every week. Apparently someone at the nursery had a little fun because when the plants finally started producing peppers a couple of weeks ago, we found ourselves with a crop of banana peppers. Good thing we like Mexican food!
This is my "more complicated" Mexican recipe that I promised. In reality, the dish is not that hard to make, but it does have several steps. Some of which would be easy enough to make ahead of time if you did not want to make it all at once.
The recipe comes from Amber at Chocolate Broccoli, and she indicates this is a recipe she has been making for quite some time. It is basically a Mexican-themed lasanga filled with vegetables. She makes her own roasted salsa for the sauce which is amazing. I made very few modifications to the recipe - mostly using my banana peppers rather than the poblanos.
Despite the steps, I promise it is delicious. It made a wonderful dinner and lunch for several days afterwards. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Mexican Chicken Casserole
Slightly Adapted from Chocolate Broccoli
Ingredients:
For the salsa:
8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and quartered
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp. lime juice (1 lime)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
For the casserole:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 large banana peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 (10oz) can green chile enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into quarters
1 cup (4oz) shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup (4oz) crumbled Cojita cheese
Preheat broiler. To prepare salsa, combine the first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.
Decrease oven to 350 degrees. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, banana peppers, and bell peppers. Saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add chicken and other ingredients through the enchilada sauce. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Just cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with the salsa. Arrange half the tortillas over the salsa, tearing if needed to cover the entire dish. Spoon 2 cups of the chicken mixture evenly over the tortillas. Top with half the remaining salsa. Sprinkle with half of each of the cheeses. Repeat layers, starting with the remaining tortillas and ending with the remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly.
I don't feel like I need to speak to the beauties of the crockpot too much. A hot meal ready when you walk in the door? Not too many complaints there!
While crockpots are wonderful dinner tools, one of the things I still struggle with is cooking times. Even on the best day, the crockpot is likely to be cooking whatever meal it contains for at least 10 hours. Yes, this has resulted in some over cooked meals... Because of this fact, one of the things I find myself using the crockpot for the most is soup. It is much harder to overcook soup (unless you run out of liquid - haven't done this yet...)
Like many other classic recipes, there are about a million variations of chicken tortilla soup. This adaption is based off a recipe from one of my co-workers that I adapted somewhat to our tastes. I left the chicken breasts whole to cook with the soup, shredded them, add added them back to the soup. Does not get easier than this! Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Shannon
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed if frozen)
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 cup Black Bean and Corn salsa
1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice
8 oz. corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
light sour cream, garnish
Add ingredients through the salsa to the bowl of a crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove chicken breasts and shred. Add back to soup with cooked rice. Turn the crockpot to high to heat through, if needed.
Roughly crush the tortilla chips. Place in the bottom of each bowl. Spoon the soup over the chips. Top each bowl with Monterey jack cheese and sour cream if desired.
Well, the Secret Recipe Club is back! After taking the month of January off, I am excited to be back with the group to start our February reveals. This month, my blog assignment was Culinary Adventures with Camilla. Camilla has a fun blog with a ton of different recipes with influences from all over the world.
Since she has so many different recipes, I wanted to try something that was a little bit out of my typical comfort zone. I looked for awhile at this recipe for kadu bouranee, but as it is winter, I went with my cravings and chose this recipe for coconut chicken soup. In her post, Camilla mentions that this is a recipe that she just put together quickly from the things that she had in her kitchen. I certainly had to buy a couple things as this is actually the first time I have ever actually made anything with swiss chard.
The recipe here is really more of a guide as Camilla does not list ingredients. I used all the ingredients she suggests, but varied amounts based on what I had and to taste. I'll list my approximate measurements below but feel free to add or vary ingredients as you prefer. For the two of us, there was plenty of soup for dinner and several days of lunch, and as most soups do, this seemed to get better and better after storing it. A hit here, and I certainly have a great new (to me) blog to check out for ethnic dishes!
(Printable Recipe)
Coconut Chicken Soup
Adapted from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup fennel bulb, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 whole carrots, peeled and sliced
1 pkg. swiss chard, leaves removed from stems and torn
3 cups baby spinach, torn
1 (14.5oz) can light coconut milk
2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 - 1 tsp. cardamom
3 Tbsp. lemon juice (or juice from 1 lemon)
2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Fluff and set aside. Boil water in a medium saucepan and add raw chicken. Boil until the chicken is cooked through. Shred with 2 forks or by mixing the hot chicken in the bowl of a stand mixer on low for about a minute.
Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the fennel and garlic and saute until they begin to soften. Add the chicken, carrots, chard, spinach, cooked brown rice, coconut milk, water, and chicken broth. Season with spices, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the greens are wilted and the vegetables are cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Cheesy. Enchilada. Casserole. Not the terms that you would typically think of in a January meal. Surprise, this recipe is actually based from Cooking Light, although I found this adaption on Iowa Girl Eats this past summer. Not sure it would actually classify as "health food," but when a Mexican craving strikes, this could certainly fulfill the requirements without doing too much damage to your diet. Good news in our book as Mexican is one of our favorite types of cuisines.
This recipe starts by cooking chicken breasts on the stove top in a mixture of chicken broth and green chiles. The cooked chicken is shredded and set aside as the chile mixture turns into your cheesy enchilada sauce. On a side note, did you know that you can shred a cooked chicken breast in your stand mixer? It works here or if you've boiled them on the stovetop. Just place the hot breast into the mixer with the paddle attachment and go. Perfect if you're like me and always end up burning yourself while trying to shred the hot chicken :)
Our verdict: cheesy, lighter, and delicious! Looking through the ingredients, the dish is really a deconstructed enchilada layered lasagna-style into a baking dish, so if you have that soft spot in your heart for enchiladas, these should float your boat. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Mexican Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats (originally adapted from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5oz) cans chopped green chiles, divided
1-1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup skim evaporated milk
1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce
2oz. 1/3-less fat cream cheese
1 cup (4oz) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup (2oz) 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
9 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1-2 oz tortilla chips, crushed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
Heat the chicken broth and one can of the green chiles in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When boiling, add the chicken breasts and cook for 7-8 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken, shred, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid and set aside.
Re-heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and second can of green chiles. Saute until the onions are soft, then add the evaporated milk, enchilada sauce, cream cheese, Monterey jack cheese, and reserved cooking liquid. Stir until sauce is combined, then add in the shredded chicken. Stir well, and remove from heat.
Lay 3 corn tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish, tearing them when necessary to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Top with 2 cups of the chicken mixture. Repeat the layers 2 more times, ending with the chicken layer on top. Top with the crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese on the top is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Last but not least, I'm adding white chicken chili into the mix. This is one of those recipes where I'm sure everyone has their own little variation, but no matter how you make it, it always turns out awesome! This recipe is my mom's, and it has made an appearance more than once on Christmas Eve.
I feel like I say this a lot, but I really, really like this soup. We made a double batch of it last Friday for the savory part of a cookie exchange party, so my husband and I have been enjoying the leftovers all week. It literally is one of those things that I could eat everyday and not become tired of it. The recipe for this soup does call for a 1/2 cup of heavy cream. I have successfully swapped lower fat products including half and half and whole milk. If you are looking to try this, keep in mind that these items will "thin out" the soup a little bit more than the cream and may clump easier if they get too hot in the soup. If you are making it in the crockpot, be sure not to add any of the dairy products until about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the soup or they may curdle. A bonus with the crockpot is that your house will smell so good when you come home!
This is definitely a recipe that will allow for some tailoring, so if something sounds like it would go well in here, try it! I know I'll be enjoying my last bowl tomorrow. Merry Christmas everyone!
(Printable Recipe)
White Chicken Chili
From Mom
Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
1 Tbsp. oil (only if cooking in stockpot)
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 cans (14.5 oz each) white beans (navy beans), rinsed and drained
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cans (4oz) chopped green chiles
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1-1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
If cooking in a stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic powder and saute until the onion is translucent. Add beans, broth, chiles, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and heavy cream.
Crockpot directions: Add all ingredients except the sour cream and heavy cream to the crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Add the sour cream and heavy cream about 30 minutes before serving to allow the soup to re-warm after the addition.
I wish I could tell you that I had a great Christmas cookie recipe for you, but I have really yet to think about anything Christmas. Our tree is up, but I have a big fat zero in the gift and baking department. I guess you could say that I've been a little slow getting into the Christmas spirit this year. Hoping to get on that this weekend with a cookie exchange party on Friday and shopping days planned for this up coming weekend :)
While I may be lacking in the Christmas department, I have been trying to keep up cooking and have several recipes that are in the wings waiting to be posted. This chicken dish is a recipe that Jenna posted almost a year ago to the date on Eat, Live, Run. While the recipe title basically sums up the ingredients, the combination of the ingredients here is greater than the sum of it's parts. The caramelization of the sugar in the oven combined with the tartness from the lemon juice = yum!
Be sure not to skip the pounding step as this really helps your chicken breasts cook evenly thus helping to avoid drying them out. I don't know about you, but I feel that the chicken breasts I have been getting from the store lately are huge. Without this step, I'd probably be baking them for a hour! I continued the lemon theme here by serving these over a lemon pearl couscous. Deliciousness if I do say so myself. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
juice of 2 large lemons
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 cup flour
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Lemon Couscous:
olive oil
1 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous
1/2 lemon, juiced
1-3/4 cup chicken broth
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts until thin and even. Set aside.
Combine the flour, paprika, and salt in a shallow cake pan or container. Coat each chicken breast with the flour mixture.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drop each chicken breast in and cook until browned on each side, about 4 minutes per side. You do not need to cook the chicken all the way through as it will finish cooking as it bakes. Remove chicken breasts and keep warm in a casserole dish.
Pour the lemon juice in the pan to deglaze. Cook until just boiling and the brown bits from the chicken are scooped up. Pour over the chicken in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon zest. Bake for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reach 165 degrees.
Meanwhile, for the couscous, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add couscous and stir fry until the pearls become golden brown. Add the juice of half a lemon and stir to coat the couscous. Add the chicken broth to the pan, place a lid on top and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous is tender.
Man. I feel like a little bit of a wimp saying this, but it was cold this week in New Orleans. No, not snow cold, but cool weather combined with rain can still be cold. We were there for a pharmacy conference and having to walk around in the rain is not synonymous with fun. I was definitely ready to get back to Arizona desert last night! Nonetheless, the chill stayed with me and has me thinking of one thing. Soup!
In reality, I made this soup a couple weeks ago, almost immediately after I ran across it online, and a bowl of it sounds about perfect right now! Dara from the Cookin' Canuck came up with this recipe on her own, and I have to say she is a genius. Check out her site for the pictures, and let me tell you that this soup is as good as it looks. Extra points in because it is healthy. Delicious + healthy = win.
I changed the soup a little by using a sweet potato rather than a butternut squash and slightly varying the cooking method. The recipe calls for cooking the chicken in some broth, but you could certainly use cooked chicken as a time saver if you want. We loved our end result, but I'm sure it would be great with the butternut squash too. If you're looking to warm up from some cool weather, this would be a great way to do it. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Hearty Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Quinoa
Adapted from Cookin' Canuck
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
3-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley, chopped
In a medium saucepan, add sweet potatoes and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Remove half of the pieces. Continue boiling the remaining pieces of sweet potato until they are very soft, 3-5 minutes more. Drain and mash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower the heat to medium. Add olive oil and allow to warm. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and oregano. Cook stirring for 1 additional minute. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, cubed sweet potato pieces, and mashed sweet potato. Stir to combine. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork. Stir in the chicken, olives, and pepper into the stew, and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.
It is Secret Recipe Club time already. It feels like there is no way that another month has gone by, but the calendar begs to differ. Our group has a new host this month, Jane from The Heritage Cook, so a huge thank you to her for helping to organize all our delicious posts!
My blog assigment this month Phemomenon. I was crazy excited about this assignment because Holly's blog is one of the first I started reading before I ever started my own. In fact, one of my very first posts was a Cookie Carnival week that she hosted (please forgive these early blog pictures!). Holly has established a great blog with tons of awesome looking dinners and desserts from posts for different cooking groups. In choosing a recipe for this group, I wanted to pick an original recipe to give her a little more of the spotlight, and this search led me straight to this chile honey chicken recipe.
While I haven't made an Asian-inspired dish in quite some time, my husband is definitely a fan of Chinese food. Combine that with one of Holly's recipes, and my odds were good that this would be a hit. As it turns out, I should have placed a few bets on those odds because this was really good! My only change from the way she originally made it was to follow her stir-fry directions. One of the advantages of making Chinese food at home is that it gives you the freedom to turn it into a healthy meal, so I never bread nor fry my chicken when making it at home. As she notes, the dish turns out being a little sweet from the addition of the honey, however one could easily up the heat-factor by adding a little more crushed red pepper - as I have found out the hard way in previous Asian dishes. Two tablespoons really is too much! :)
I know both of us cleaned our plates with this one. Yum! Be sure to check out the other great SRC recipes below. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Chile Honey Chicken
From PheMOMenon
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
1/3 cup Ponzu sauce
1/4 cup sweet chile sauce
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup fresh sugar snap peas
Sauce:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sweet chile sauce
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. water
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch (or more) crushed red pepper
Trim and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large ziptop bag with the ponzu sauce and 1/4 cup sweet chile sauce. Mix the bag to cover the chicken pieces and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Begin preparing rice or noodles if using to serve with the chicken.
While the chicken is marinating, make the sauce by whisking together the honey, remaining 1/4 cup sweet chile sauce, butter, water, garlic, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Drain the marinade from the chicken pieces and discard. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the chicken and stir-fry until cooked through. Place the cooked chicken aside in a bowl, leaving an empty pan. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the prepared sauce. Using a wooden spoon, stir the sauce and let it boil for approximately 1 minute. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and stir to coat. Add the sugar snap peas and stir to coat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until everything is hot. Serve over rice or noodles.
It has been almost two weeks since I have posted on here. I have my reasons (solid 19 day stretch at work), but it is what it is. We're all busy. I am currently on day 14 of 19, and I promise that I will try to be better. We have certainly still been eating, so I should keep posting :) In a peace offering for my absence, I am offering up this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
While it may be a little hard to offer you a serving of this dish in person, I am not kidding when I tell you this recipe rocks. In her post, Mel talks about wanting to dream about this dinner forever. I am with her! The ingredients themselves seem fairly basic, something that would be the makings of your standard weeknight meal. I am not sure if it is one ingredient that stands out or if it is the combination of these ingredients together, but the finished dish is hands down one of the best dinners we have made (I say we because my husband actually made this dish, although I have to get some credit as I picked out the recipe).
My take on this one: Just make it. Please! And call me when you do, as I'll be over for supper as soon as I get off work :)
(Printable Recipe)
Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and from Cook’s Country Cookbook: Rediscovering America’s Home Cooking
Ingredients:
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced basil, divided
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (on the thicker side in order to stuff them)
3 Tbsp. lowfat mayonnaise
1 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cheese, 2 tablespoons of the minced basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast. Stuff with cheese mixture and seal using a toothpick to help close the slit if necessary. Transfer the stuffed breasts to a 9x13-inch pan and spread the tops evenly with mayonnaise.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining basil, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the chicken breasts, pressing lightly to adhere.
Toss the tomatoes with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the tomatoes in the baking dish in and around the chicken. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (registering 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer), about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
Since September hit, I have been seeing a lot of fall-themed recipes across the blogs. Don't get me wrong, I still love pumpkin, apples, soups, and stews, but I am not quite ready to give up on summer. The weather has been gorgeous here the past week since we've dropped to right around or just below 100 degrees for a high. It's also been cooling off better at night - I actually saw a reading in the 70's in my car on the way to work the other morning (granted it was 5:30AM). I haven't been able to enjoy the weather on an outdoor run yet since I've been on call this week, but I assure you that I will be out there as soon as I can.
Since stone fruit and berries have still been on sale around here, I thought this salad was appropriate to share. The inspiration for this salad came from finding this berry poppy seed dressing on Our Best Bites. I am amongst the group that enjoys fruit in my salad, and I thought that the coconut chicken would pair well with the berries to make a great lighter meal. I didn't have any pineapple when I made these, but I think that this would make a great addition to the flavors here.
One note, I actually ended up using chicken tenders rather than chicken breasts as that is what I had stocked in the freezer. Chicken breasts would work just fine. You may need to adjust the ratios of coating, and just be sure to cook them to the appropriate temperature as gauged by a meat thermometer. The dressing does need to be made ahead of time, but it can certainly be made the night before to help speed up the cooking process when it is dinner time. Overall, we ended up really enjoying it, and it's definitely a recipe I will continue to make for as long as I can get my hands on good fresh fruit this fall :)
(Printable Recipe)
Fruity Coconut Chicken Salad with Berry Poppy Seed Viniagrette
Dressing recipe from Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
3-4 chicken tenderloins
4 Tbsp. unsweetend shredded coconut (can use sweetened if preferred)
1/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
pinch of salt
1 egg white
6 cups preferred salad greens (we love spinach, but a lettuce mix would work well too)
1-2 cups berries - blueberries, strawberries (sliced), raspberries, blackberries
1 nectarine, pitted and sliced
fresh pineapple, chopped (optional - I think this would be a great addition!)
Dressing:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1-2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. grated onion
1 tsp. kosher salt or other coarse salt
10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper (1/4-1/2 tsp)
1 cup raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 cup canola oil
1-1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
For the dressing, combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
For the chicken, preheat
the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
Combine the coconut, panko, and salt; place in a shallow dish. Add egg
white to another shallow dish. Dip the chicken in the egg white, then
coat in the coconut mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is
cooked through.
Divide the salad greens and fruit between 2 plates. If desired, slice the chicken and add on top of the salad. Dress individual plates with the dressing. There will be extra dressing. It should keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Enjoy!
Yield: 2 dinner-sized salads
Another month, another Secret Recipe Club post. I can't believe how fast this past month has gone! Summer - unofficially out the door, my birthday - yesterday, my residency - picking up steam like an unstoppable freight train, football - depending on the league you follow started either last week or this past weekend. I guess fall must really be knocking on the door because they are forecasting temperatures below the triple digit mark here next week. Not sure I am ready yet...
This month for SRC I was assigned Tami from Tami's Kitchen Table Talk. I am somewhat familiar with Tami's blog as she is the wonderful host of the Cookie Carnival in which I've been involved for quite awhile. While I've somewhat known about her blog through the carnival, I was excited to get a chance to look around! Much of the time I've spent over there has involved cookies in some form, so I wanted to find a non-sweet dinner recipe from her archives. As it turns out, this was harder than it sounds as Tami has some yummy sounding desserts over there! Nonetheless, I ended up combining two of her recipes - BBQ chicken sliders in the crockpot and homemade BBQ sauce to make a great, non-involved, easy dinner.
My only change to her recipes was omitting the whiskey from the barbecue sauce. In reality, this wasn't an intentional change. If you are worried about the alcohol, it will all cook off while the mixture is boiling. My issue was the lack of whiskey in our pantry. I swore we had some but when I went to look for it, none was to be found. As a result, my barbecue sauce ended up a little on the sweeter side. While it was still great, I think the whiskey in here serves the purpose of cutting the sweetness a little bit. I also blended it with my immersion blender at the end to incorporate the onion chunks.
The idea for this pairing came from our love loaded baked potatoes. Not the side-dish kind. The meal kind with chicken, onions, and cheese. It has been a long time since we have had them! Growing up, mom always made ours with canned or rotisserie chicken mixed with bottle barbecue sauce. By combining Tami's recipes for BBQ sauce and crockpot pulled chicken, I was able to make both from fresher ingredients in my own kitchen with only a little bit more effort. By making the barbecue sauce ahead of time one Sunday morning and cooking the chicken with it in the crockpot later that day, the only step left was cooking the potatoes and chopping a few ingredients right before serving. A perfect busy day recipe. Success if you ask me. My husband is already asking for them again!
(Printable Recipe)
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Loaded Baked Potato
Adapted from Tami's Kitchen Table Talk
Ingredients:
BBQ sauce:
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. mesquite flavor liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. tobasco sauce
2 Tbsp. whiskey (optional)
Loaded Baked Potatoes:
1-1/2 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-1/2 cups of BBQ sauce
5-6 russet potatoes
cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream
red onion, diced
black olives, sliced
aluminum foil
For the barbecue sauce, warm a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic with the whiskey until the onion begins to soften. Combine remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If a smoother sauce is desired, blend with an immersion blender or let cool and add to a regular blender. Blend until smooth. Use 1-1/2 cups in the following recipe. Save the remaining sauce in the refrigerator.
Layer the chicken breasts into the crockpot by alternating one piece of chicken with a little barbecue sauce. Add the remaining barbecue sauce over the top of the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. After 4 hours, check to see if the chicken is cooked through. It should begin to shred itself if it is finished cooking. If it is not quite done, continue to cook for another hour. Remove the chicken and place on a plate. Shred using two forks. Place the chicken in a resealable container and mix with any remaining barbecue sauce from the crockpot. Refrigerate until ready to use.
On the day you are planning to eat the potatoes, wash and wrap each in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped, raw potatoes in the clean crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. When ready to eat, warm the chicken on the stove or in the microwave. Add more barbecue sauce to the chicken if desired. Top the potatoes with your desired ingredients. Enjoy!
This may be the last pizza recipe in my series, but I am sure it won't be the last recipe we have around here. That's one of the reasons we love pizza so much. You can really top it with any combination of ingredients that you can dream up!
In the year before and right after we were married, we frequented Papa Murphy's quite often. The pizza was good, relatively inexpensive, and made for a quick meal since we spent much of our time studying. Our two favorite pizzas there were the Mediterranean de-lite pizza and the chicken garlic pizza, but since I've been making more and more of our food at home, we haven't had one in quite a while. Not long ago, I ran across this pie on Tammy's Recipes, and thought I'd give one of our old favorites a shot.
While I am not quite sure it was exactly the same as the Papa Murphy's version, this pizza made a really great meal! I didn't make the crust recipe written into Tammy's post as I have been on a mission to find a great homemade whole wheat crust. For me, simply swaping whole wheat flour into most recipes makes my crust recipes really dense. The crust I used here was a new technique that actually worked really well, so it may be finding its way on here after a few more test runs :) Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Mediterranean Chicken Pizza
Adapted from Tammy's Recipes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. or portion homemade dough
1/3 cup light spicy Italian dressing
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
dash black pepper
2 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
1-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not oil packed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 cup (large handful) of baby spinach, torn
1/2 cup cherry/grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven as it preheats. If using a normal pan, it does not need to be preheated.
Stretch dough out on a piece of parchment paper with your hands. If it springs back, let it sit for a few minutes and try again. Mix together the Italian dressing, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread over the dough. Sprinkle the toppings on the pizza in the order listed.
If using, remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the pizza (while still on the parchment paper) onto the hot pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is browned on the bottom and the toppings are hot and bubbly. After baking, let rest for 5 minutes then cut into slices.
