Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

I did take a picture of this, but my computer won't let me download it for some very annoying reason. Just imagine mine looks as good as the picture in the recipe. Because it totally did... Regardless, it was very delicious and a lot quicker than I thought it would be. Came together in like 10 minutes. So on a night you're not feeling like cooking this is a good option.

What you need:
-Chicken cutlets or whatever type of chicken you want to use
-Sage leaves
-Prosciutto
-Chicken broth
-Lemon Juice
-Cornstarch
-Olive oil

All you do is put the sage leaves on top of the chicken. Wrap it in a piece of prosciutto to hold the leaves on. Cook it in a little olive oil in a pan on medium. Take them out and then combine lemon juice, chicken broth, cornstarch, and a little olive oil. Cook unit boiling and slightly thickened. Spoon that on top of the chicken and you're done! Very tasty!

Here's the real recipe: Yummy chicken

Tinga

Adapted from Taste of Home

These are delicious and if you get the chicken going in the crock pot the morning of, super easy.  

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I cooked mine in a the crock pot)
• 1-3 tsp. chipotle chile pepper (depending on how spicy you want it. I used 1 1/2 tsp)
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) petite diced tomatoes (I only used 1)
• 1 small onion quartered and thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• sour cream or plain greek yogurt (we prefer plain Greek yogurt these days)
• shredded cheese
• refried beans
• avocado, sliced
• lettuce
• 10 tostada shells

Directions

• Pour a little olive oil in skillet and saute onion and garlic for a few minutes until fragrant
• Add in chicken, tomatoes, and chipotle chile pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• To serve, spread each tostada with a thin layer of refried beans and sour cream/plain yogurt. Top each tostada with chicken mixture, lettuce, cheese, avocado. 

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

• From eatingwell.com
• We liked this, but felt that it needed more stuffing. Next time I will do more cheese and ham.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup grated Swiss, Monterey Jack or part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped ham
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (1-1 1/4 pounds total)
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Use a baking sheet with sides and lightly coat it with cooking spray.
2. Mix cheese, ham, mustard and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up the breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
4. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in egg white, then dredge in breadcrumbs. 
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes - until the chicken reads about 160-170 degrees.

Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake

From Food Wishes

Really easy and quick! This was good and made tons! Definitely the way to go if you want chicken parmesan without the hassle. 

Ingredients: 
2 tbsp olive oil 
2 cloves garlic, crushed 
hot red pepper flakes, to taste 
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (approx. depending on how big the breasts are) 
2 cups marinara sauce 
1/4 cup chopped basil 
8 oz mozzarella, shredded 
4 oz Parmesan, grated 
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
In bottom of 9x13 casserole dish pour in olive oil, crush the garlic and spread it around, then sprinkle some pepper flakes on top. Place chicken breasts on top of oil. Pour marinara sauce on top of chicken and sprinkle on the chopped basil and half the mozzarella and half the paremsan. Next spread the croutons over the entire dish and cover again with the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan. 
Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes taking the foil off about half way through. (I didn't cover mine at all because it didn't say to in the original recipe and I ended up having to cover it about 20 min through because it was getting too brown on top and I didn't want it to burn. So the exact time of coverage vs non-coverage has not been perfected yet.) 
Make sure to check the temp of your chicken to make sure it's done. 

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

From 100 days of Real Food

This was so good! Proof: When I asked Mark how often I could make this. He said, "As often as you want." He basically says that . . . never. I doubled this recipe and we had enough left overs for maybe 1 1/2 lunches, but we like a lot of sauce on our pasta.   

• 1 lb boxed 100% whole-grain pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, (I have also used half and half and it worked just fine) (I only used 2/3 c to get it thicker, but I may try it her way next time just to see)
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I just went by taste and look - not sure how much I used)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• I also added some garlic, peppers, and onions to give it a little kick

1. In a large pot, boil the pasta according to package directions
2. Meanwhile melt all the butter and saute some garlic.
3. Add 2/3 of the cream in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Stir with a wooden or other large spoon.
4. In a separate pan saute some peppers and onions to sprinkle on top
5. Once the cream and butter start to thicken (after a couple minutes) turn the heat to medium low. (mine never really thickened, but it thickens up when you add the cheese and let it sit for a bit before you eat).

6. Slowly stir in the cheese a little at a time so you don't get clumps. (if you want to use the remaining 1/3 c heavy whipping cream (or half and half) this is the time to stir it in)

7. Stir in salt, pepper

8. Remove it from the heat and let sit for a while to thicken.

At this point you can stir it into the pasta or serve separately. I don't stir it in since Mark likes more sauce on his noodles than I do. Be creative and add whatever you want. It's pretty versatile. 

Hawaiian Haystacks - New Version!!

From Picky Palate

This was really yummy! Definitely much better than the cream of chicken soup version I've always made. The ranch dressing seasoning added the perfect flavor! 

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons of dry Ranch Dressing seasoning packet

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast (Yesterday, I put 6 chicken breasts in the crockpot with some broth, salt, and pepper. It made 5 1/2 cups of shredded chicken. Best idea ever! I basically have half of a meal already made for the next few days! Today - Hawaiian Haystacks. Tomorrow - baked chicken taquitos. The day after - balsamic chicken pasta. SO EASY!)

Steamed rice, enough for your family (I used basmati - as usual)

Whatever toppings you prefer (We do cheese, pineapple, celery, and chow mein noodles)

Place butter into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to melt. Slowly whisk in flour, salt and pepper until smooth and thick, for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Increase heat to high whisking until thick, about 2 minutes (more like 4-5 min). Add sour cream, Ranch seasoning, garlic salt, and cooked chicken breast. Stir and season accordingly. You may prefer additional, salt, pepper and garlic salt. (After I added everything and stirred it together I turned it to low and let it simmer. That helps it thicken up more). 

Shredded Chicken in a Tomatillo Sauce

I got the ingredients for this recipe from bevcooks, but changed the method of preparation from the original to make it a million times easier!

INGREDIENTS
* 2 (12 oz) cans whole tomatillos, drained
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (no need for this ingredient using my method)
* 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat (I used frozen boneless, skinless chicken cutlets)
* 2 jalapenos, minced (leave the seeds in for more heat) (I left them out)
* 1/2 medium onion, diced
* 3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (15 oz) can white hominy, drained (I forgot to buy this, so I left it out)
*1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
* juice from 1/2 lime
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 cups cooked jasmine rice (I used brown rice)


METHOD
1. Put frozen chicken into the crockpot.
2. Blend all of the other ingredients together in a blender or food processor, minus the oil and rice.
3. Put the sauce on top of the chicken and cook for 5 hours-ish on high or longer on low or until the chicken is cooked.
4. Take the chicken out, shred it, toss it back in, and throw in some rice!


I ate mine with some whole wheat wraps and a little sriracha. YUM!!

Black Beans and Rice with Apple Salsa

Black Beans and Rice with Apple Salsa (you can add chicken if you want) 
From Our Best Bites

(This was really good! The apple salsa added the perfect flavor. I will definitely make this again. I made it without the chicken and it still has tons of protein.)

1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
2 limes
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin (I like cumin so I used a bit more - like 3/4 tsp)
1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice (Instead of this I made this: cilantro lime rice - YUM!)
1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breasts (I didn't use chicken because I wanted it to be veggie, but Mark informed me the chicken broth made it un-veggie.  Oh well - close enough. I guess if you really wanted to be full on vegan you could use vegetable stock or something?) 

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and the juice from half a lime.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper.  Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes.  Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of the beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes (or longer if needed).  Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice (I used the other lime and a half).  Divide rice and beans among plates.  Top with some chicken and apple salsa.  Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges.  Serves 4-6. (Chop up some avocados for a garnish too...I love Mexican food!)

Asian BBQ Chicken

Asian BBQ ChickenFrom ourbestbites.com (I have decided to start paying homage to the blogs I get my recipes from)

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger (I used that pre-minced ginger you get in a jar)
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I only made 4, but mine were bone-in, skin-on so I don't know if that makes them bigger or something.... but next time I will do boneless, skinless, because it was TONS more work!)

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight) (I did mine for about 5 hours - who thinks a whole day ahead!?)

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). (I used my new indoor grill pan....YAY!) Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.  Optional:  garnish with sliced green onions

*Tip:  When I make this I usually make 1 1/2 times the marinade.  I reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken and then use it in the last few minutes of grilling, or just brush it on after for extra flavor. (I think next time I will save some and drizzle it over the rice too....extra yumminess!)

(I made sweet and savory coconut rice to go with this and I highly recommend that).

Honey Lime Enchiladas

These are really yummy too, but take a little more time - with the marinating and all.  You just have to be thinking a bit ahead.  I probably make these about once a month.

1.5 lbs. chicken or pork, cooked and shredded (I've only used chicken - about 3 chicken breasts)

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 10 oz. cans green enchilada sauce (I usually do half of a 28 oz. can and then freeze the other half; or do a 14 oz. can if you can find it)

Equal parts mozzarella & cheddar cheese, grated (I just use colby jack cheese)

8-10 flour tortillas

After chicken/pork is cooked and shredded, combine with honey, lime juice, chili & garlic powder. Let "marinate" in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour a little bit of the enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Fill your tortillas with chicken mixture and a little cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle more cheese on top (don't be stingy). Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then turn on the broiler for a couple minutes so it gets nice and brown. (I never do that last step)

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

(Or if you're like me -  Stovetop Chicken Fajitas)  I will post both directions - mine will be in bold.  Someday I hope to have a griddle so that I can actually grill on the stove, but until then this will have to do.  

This is one of my favorite recipes and Mark's too.  It's a big deal around here if Mark actually says he likes something!

1/3 c. freshly squeezed lime juice

6 T. olive oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1 jalapeno, seeded, ribbed, and diced (I don't use this and it still tastes great)

1 1/2 T. fresh cilantro, minced

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. pepper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (6 halves total) (I half my halves so I have 12 pieces)

1 large red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices, rings not separated (Since I don't grill I just cut the onion in strips like you do when you saute them.  And I do separate them)

2 large bell peppers, stemmed, quartered, and seeded (same thing here - I cut the pepper into thin strips)

8-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 T. oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade; set aside. Place the chicken breast halves in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. For a gas grill*, light all burners on high, cover and heat grill until hot. Leave one burner on medium-high and turn the rest down to medium/medium-low. (ignore if you're doing it my stovetop way)

Remove the chicken breast halves from the marinade and transfer to the hotter side of the grill (In a skillet add a little olive oil, so the chicken won't stick.  Add the chicken pieces in a single layer); discard the left-over marinade. 

Brush both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with the remaining 2 T. oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place the onion rounds and peppers on the cooler side of the grill. Cook onions and peppers until spottily charred and crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed. (I don't brush them with oil, but I do season with salt and pepper.  I saute the onion and pepper strips on medium in about 1-2 tbsp olive oil until tender and brownish looking - kind of like the stove top version of charred)

Cook the chicken until it is well browned, 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue grilling until it is no longer pink inside. (basically yeah, just in a skillet rather than a grill. I cook it on medium high/high.  It takes a little longer and I flip a few times just to make sure its all done and to avoid one side getting burned).

When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a large plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Warm your tortillas, either on the grill or on the stove or oven, and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or foil.

Separate the onions into rings and place them in a medium bowl. Slice the bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and add them to the bowl with the onions. (Obviously you don't have to do that part) Add 2 T. of the reserved unused marinade and toss well to combine. Slice the chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with the remaining 2 T. of reserved marinade in another. Serve with the warmed tortillas and additional toppings of your choice.

Balsamic Chicken Pasta

Another winner with both Mark and Tyler.  Mark says it's especially good with the parm cheese - I wouldn't know.  

Balsamic Chicken Pasta

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 large broccoli crown

3 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz can or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken

1 tsp dried basil

12 oz whole wheat fettuccine, cooked according to package directions (I used spaghetti. Don't use a whole 12 oz or it will be kind of bland and will take over the whole dish)

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add red bell pepper and broccoli, cook until tender (add some water, 1/4 cup, if you want it to steam up a bit). Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add broth, vinegar, chicken, and basil. Bring to a boil, then simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add fettuccine. Mix it all up. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with parmesan sprinkled on top.