February 24, 2010
Chicken with Peppers and Hummus
This dish was super easy and had bright fun colors! The hummus blended in with the chicken but Michael said it was a great addition. This is a great weeknight meal that can be thrown together so quickly! You could even just buy chicken tenders and throw this together with the veggies for a super fast dinner.
Chicken with Peppers and Hummus
adapted from Gourmet
4 servings
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced in 1 1/2 inch tenders
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips1 Italian frying or Cubanelle pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 medium red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 (8- to 10-ounce) container prepared hummus
- Preheat broiler. Line a large baking pan with foil.
- Stir together oil, salt, cumin, pepper, and oregano in a large bowl, then toss with chicken and vegetables.
- Arrange in baking pan and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat, stirring once, until chicken is just cooked through and vegetables are lightly charred, about 8-12 minutes.
- Divide hummus among plates and top with chicken and vegetables.
February 16, 2010
Provencal Chicken with Rosemary Orzo
This was a great dish. Michael loved it all and I thought the orzo was so simple yet super flavorful! I forgot to drain the can of tomatoes so it took me longer to reduce the sauce, so please do not make the same mistake I did 
Although I did not eat the chicken, I knew this was going to be a good one because I love these flavors. Tomatoes, Olives, Leeks and White Wine, OH MY! YUM! Enjoy!
Check out those boiling bubbles!!!
Provencal Chicken with Rosemary Orzo
Recipe adapted from Gourmet
Provencal Chicken
Serves 6
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
white part of 4 leeks, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/4 inch thick crosswise, washed well, and drained (make sure to drain!)
2 cups chicken broth
a 28-to-32 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 cup drained Niçoise or Kalamata olives
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy flameproof casserole pan or deep skillet, heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs as browned to a large plate.
Turn on the fan, unless you want to the smoke detector going off Add wine to casserole and boil, scraping up browned bits, until almost evaporated. Add garlic, leeks, broth, tomatoes, zest, and chicken with any juices accumulated on plate and simmer, covered, turning chicken once, until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Add olives to tomato mixture and boil sauce until thickened slightly. Season sauce with salt and pepper and serve with chicken and rosemary orzo.
Rosemary Orzo
Serves 6
1 pound orzo
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Bring a 6-quart saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook orzo until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain orzo well and in a large bowl toss with oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.
February 8, 2010
Cracked Pepper Chicken
I always make big batches of chicken so Michael has leftovers for lunch and dinners and I am always trying to come up with new ways to prepare chicken for him. I bet this is a quam with people everywhere! haha This is a twist on the classic lemon pepper chicken. I liked using whole peppercorns because I bet it gave it more a spicier bite Plus it was fun to crush them up!
Cracked Pepper Chicken
Serves 4
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Four skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Place peppercorns in a small ziplock bag and crush with a meat mallet, hammer or back of skillet. Dry chicken breasts and sprinkle peppercorns on both sides to adhere.
- Whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, and olive oil together in large bowl. Season with salt and add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Marinate 15 minutes, turning several times.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in pan (reserving marinade) and cook both sides until golden. Lower heat if they are starting to burn. Pour reserved marinade over chicken to baste. Serve and enjoy!
February 1, 2010
Chicken and Mushrooms & Spinach Bread Pudding
OH MY GOODNESS, WE HAVE A WINNER!!! This was a fabulous dinner! I had the bread pudding which was insane! And Michael Loved the chicken and the bread pudding! I would say try this one asap
This chicken was pretty simple and I am guessing that any dish with white wine, garlic and mushrooms must be good! I loved making a bread pudding a little healthier by using multi-grain bread instead of plain old sugary white bread. It was divine!
Chicken and Mushrooms
4 servings
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8-10 ounces cup white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 6 tablespoon dry white wine
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to plate and keep warm. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to skillet. Cook on both sides until cooked through and the browned. Add wine and lemon juice and continue cooking until reduced to 4 tablespoons, about 5 more minutes. Serve chicken with mushrooms, pan sauce and sprinkled parsley on top.
Spinach Bread Pudding
6 servings
- 6 eggs2 cups low-fat milk
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- dash ground nutmeg
- 1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 slices multi-grain bread, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (crusts discarded)
Preheat oven to 375 degree. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until combined. Stir in spinach, Monterey Jack, and bread. Pour the bread mixture into lightly sprayed or greased 13″ by 9″ glass baking dish. Bake until browned and puffed, and knife inserted in center comes out clean, 25 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving and ENJOY!
Pre-Cooked Bread Pudding
January 20, 2010
Maple Chicken
This is a super simple recipe I just whipped up for Michael. If I know I am not going to have a lot of time one evening to cook, I love setting up something in a marinade the night before so all I have to do is cook. I am a big fan of the foodsaver but you could just use a gallon size bag to marinade. I doubled the recipe as usual, but wrote it for 4 servings. Michael really enjoyed the flavor of this chicken dish!
Maple Chicken
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoon tamari, nama-shoyu or soy sauce
juice from 2 lemons
2 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- In a large plastic bag pour all ingredients except the chicken and mix. Add chicken and marinate from 2 hours to overnight.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. remove chicken from the marinde (reserve) and grill chicken untikl cooked through on both sides, flipping once.
- While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Pour over cooked chicken and serve.
January 12, 2010
Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes, and Paprika
This one is simple. You prepare the goodies, mix them up and then put them in the oven and Voila! Dinner is Served I liked the colors as well. I served this with my go-to brussel sprouts but I am sure you could also serve this with rice to sop up the yummy sauce.
Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes, and Paprika
Inspired from Bon Appétit
4 servings
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 4 chicken breast halves
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
- 1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
Preheat oven to 450°. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon spiced oil mixture into small bowl; whisk in yogurt and set aside for sauce. Place chicken in a 9×13 baking dish. Rub 2 tablespoons spiced oil mixture over chicken. Add beans, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup cilantro to remaining spiced oil mixture and toss. Pour bean mixture around chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken is). Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cilantro. Serve chciken with bean mixture spooned over it and serve with yogurt sauce.
December 13, 2009
Multi-grain Crusted Chicken with Roasted Veggies
This is a super easy one to throw together. My husband loved it! I am sure this would be great for kids as well if you use chicken tenders instead of breasts, such a better version than the fried chicken fingers out there! This would be great with a sauce or on its own. You could always play with the mixture and add spices as well. I love that I mixed the mayo with mustard to cut the fat in half. Michael does not like the taste of mustard, but he said he couldn’t taste it at all, which is perfect! It adds all the moisture you need while cutting the fat.
As usual I doubled the recipe so I could freeze these in individual portions, but I wrote it out for more functional use But feel free to do what I did, they froze perfectly!
I always make my own breadcrumbs but to keep this extra simple just buy a good store brand. But I find making them is just as simple What I do is toast about 4 slices of multi-grain bread (we keep it in the house, so it is really convenient). I then let the slices cool a bit before cutting the edges off and tossing the pieces into the food processor. A couple of pulses and I have bread crumbs.
Multi-grain Crusted Chicken
- Olive oil for brushing
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 cups multi-grain bread crumbs
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with the salt and pepper.
- Blend together the mustard and mayonnaise and coat the chicken with the mixture.
- Pour the breadcrumbs onto a dinner plate, or equivalent and roll the chicken around on it to cover them.
- Place the chicken on the baking sheet and cook until cooked through 14-25 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken is)
I love roasted veggies! Of course, my beloved brussel sprouts found their way into this one I could eat a dish like this all year-round but it just feels right in the fall/winter. Super simple, yet all the goodness and nutrition of the veggies. Pearl onions are one of my favorites too. I used fresh ones for this recipe, but to keep it simple and easy just buy a frozen box of them and toss it in.
As usual, I encourage you to play around with the recipe and substitute your favorites!
Roasted Veggies
1 pound baby carrots
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 1/2 cups pearl onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all the veggies with the olive oil in a large baking pan. (9×13 is the best for this)
- Place in the oven and stir half way through. Roast are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes total.
- Season with salt and pepper and Enjoy!
November 9, 2009
Marmalade Chicken and Roasted Broccoli
My husband loved this one! Using chicken tenders made this quite simple and super quick! The sauce was thick and looked deelish I served this with my go to broccoli dish. I normally make a big batch of the broccoli and freeze it in individual servings for future sides.
Marmalade Chicken
2-3 servings
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
12 ounces chicken tenders
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 orange, zested
Whisk together broth, vinegar, marmalade, mustard and cornstarch. Salt and pepper the chicken. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a skillet, add chicken and cooked till no longer pink inside. Remove chicken and add remaining oil and shallots and cook until they begin to brown. Add broth mixture and reduce heat. Simmer until reduced and add chicken to rewarm. Once warm remove from heat and add zest. Serve and Enjoy
Roasted Broccoli
Makes 6 servings
2 bunches of broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss broccoli, oil, garlic and salt in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the broccoli softens, 30-45 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
September 30, 2009
Chicken Stir-Fry with Edamame and Brown Rice
As the weather gets cooler I start breaking out the crock pot more and more. It is so nice to come home to a house with the great smells of home cooking yet all the work is already done! It was the perfect way to make this dinner super quick in the end. I put the dry brown rice, water and salt in the slow cooker in the morning and when I came home the rice was perfect and all I had to prepare was the stirfry. I also made sure to make extra rice for the rest of the week. If you prepare the chicken first and then prep the rest of the ingredients the chicken will be ready to cook and the entire meal will take you under 30 minutes to prep and cook. So fabulous after a long day! ENJOY
Chicken Stir-Fry with Edamame and Brown Rice
Recipe inspired from Bon Appétit
Serves 6
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1.5-2 pounds chicken tenders, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon honey
4 teaspoons sesame oil
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked and cooled
12 ounce bag shelled cooked edamame beans
2/3 cup chopped green onions
Combine chicken, 2 tablespoons tamari and honey in medium bowl; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.
Toast walnuts in a skillet for 3 minutes, shaking the pan consistently. Add 2 tablespoons tamari and stir until tamari coats walnuts, about 45 seconds. Cool.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add cooked rice and edamame; reduce heat to medium and stir-fry until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide rice mixture among plates. Sprinkle with green onions and walnuts.
September 9, 2009
Spiced Moroccan Chicken and Lentils
This dish smelled so good as I was cooking it. There were so many spices that made everything so fragrant. Michael thought this was super good! I had let the lentils cool, and he thought this was a nice contrast to all the spice that was in the chicken. Highly recommended dish
Spiced Moroccan Chicken and Lentils
4 servings
Lentils:
1 lb dried lentils cooked or 2 15oz. cans of cooked lentils
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Chicken:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Place cooked lentils in a large bowl. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and salt in bowl. Pour over lentils and toss.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion; saute about 5 minutes. Add chicken; cook for 2 minutes more. Add salt, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon. Saute until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
Serve with chopped parsley sprinkled on top.
