Ancho Chicken Taco's with Cilantro Slaw & Avacado Cream

Okay - that is a massive title, but the title needs to explain all that yumminess that are going into these tacos! This recipe is one from my Cooking Light magazine, but I made a few modifications...

Makes about 8 Taco's

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin 1/4" strips

3/4 t. ancho Chile powder

1/2 t. garlic salt

1/4 t. ground cumin

Cooking Spray

1/8 t. grated lime rind

2 T. fresh lime juice, divided

1/4 C. Light sour cream

2 T. Low-Fat milk

1 ripe peeled avocado, diced

2 C. packaged angle hair slaw

1/2 C. thinly sliced green onions

1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. Canola oil

1/4 t. salt

1 C. Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

16 Corn tortillas

Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Combine the Chile powder, garlic salt & cumin in a small bowl. Sprinkle it evenly & liberally over the sliced chicken. Coat the pan with some cooking spray. Add the chicken to the pan (this may need to be done in batches), turning after about 4 minutes. Cook thoroughly and place in a bowl covered with aluminum foil until all the other pieces have been cooked.

In a blender or food processor combine the lime rind, 1 tablespoon lime juice, sour cream, milk & avocado. Process until very smooth. Season with salt.

In a separate bowl combine the remaining lime juice with the slaw, onions, cilantro, oil and salt. Tossing to coat.

Heat a non-stick griddle ( I use a George Foreman, but a smooth-top griddle would work 100 times better!). Lightly dampen the corn tortillas with a squirt bottle full of water or quickly dunk in a shallow bowl of water. Place one tortilla  on the hot griddle, then sprinkle with enough cheese to cover the tortilla evenly, place another moist corn tortilla on top. Press down with the back of the spatula or the lid of your George Foreman. Allow to cook until the tortilla is soft and the cheese is melty.

Remove from the griddle and assemble the tacos. Top each tortilla with about 1 T. avocado cream and 1/4 C. of the slaw.... and some tomatoes.

 

Red Hot Fried Chicken

My little brother, Chad, is obsessed with this meal! It is amazing, I won't lie about that... but he really really loves it! He is in town right now, and today is my youngest daughters 3rd birthday, so for her birthday dinner I made Chad's favorite (because when I asked her she said "I just don't know") and it was a hit!

4 Chicken breasts

1 lg. bottle Frank Red Hot Sauce

1 C. Egg Beaters (you can use regular egg too, but it doesn't work as well)

3 C. flour

1. C. Milk

Vegetable Oil

Place each individual chicken breast in a gallon zip loc baggie and pound chicken until it is the same thickness throughout being careful not to tear the chicken. Place in a separate ziploc baggie, continue with the rest of the chicken. Add enough franks red hot to the baggie of chicken to coat all the pieces heavily. Let it marinade overnight or at least 6 hours.
Divide the flour in 3 separate shallow dishes (pie plate work well), put the egg beaters and milk in shallow dishes too and put them in the following order on the counter: flour, milk,flour, egg beaters, flour. Salt and pepper the flour between the milk and egg.

In a large pan with high sides heat several cups, about 2 inches, of vegetable oil over med-hi heat (I actually prefer to use the burner on our BBQ grill because the flame gets big and hot and then my house doesn't smell like fried food)

Using one hand (keep one hand clean so you can turn on the sink to rinse your other hand) take the chicken from the bag and immediately dredge in the first flour pan, coating everything, then into the milk, then flour, then egg, then flour. Place on a baking sheet that has been covered with wax paper and a sprinkling of flour. Continue with all chicken.

Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked throughout, using a meat thermometer if needed. When it is completely cooked place on a baking rack in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while the other chicken is being cooked.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a simple white gravy (we like to add about 1/3 c. Franks to our gravy.)

Oahu Salad

Add sliced Grilled Chicken breast for a more hearty meal.

 Ingredients:
Dressing (combine and chill while making salad):
1/2 tsp. salt and a dash of pepper
1/4 C, vegetable oil
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Dash of Tabasco sauce

Salad:
1/2 C. sliced almonds
3 Tbs. sugar
-In a small pan over medium heat, cook almonds and sugar, stirring constantly until almonds are coated and sugar is dissolved.   Cool until needed.

1/2 head romaine lettuce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
2 cups spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 c. chopped celery
1 green onion, chopped
1 (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, well drained (and/or sliced strawberries)
-Combine in a large bowl.   Do not add dressing until serving.

Lemon Chicken Picatta

Lemon isn't the first word in this recipes title for nothing! The flavor of lemon is strong and, I think, delicous. My family is a hung jury on this one. Some like the lemon flavor and others find it too overpowering.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

“A”

½ c. dry white wine

½ c. lemon juice

“B”

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 lemon – sliced paper thin

Directions:

Sauté chicken in olive oil until cooked throughout. Set aside. In a saucepan cook ingredients “A”, reduce to ½ cup, add “B” then add the chicken lay lemon slices on top of breasts, cover and simmer for 15 more minutes.

Party Chicken

I really really love this dinner, the only bummer about it is that it takes 2 days to make! But don't be alarmed - it is actually really simple to make, you just have to plan ahead because it has to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts

4 bacon strips

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

16 oz sour cream

1 pkg Onion Soup Mix

Directions:

Pound the chicken flat and roll up with a strip of bacon, poke a toothpick through it to keep it tight. Mix the soups, and sour cream together and pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate over night or AT LEAST 4 hours. Bake at 275* for 3 hours.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter

6 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 C. fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 C. butter, room temperature
1/3 C. all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 egg, well beaten
3/4 C. fine dry bread crumbs (made from french or Italian bread)
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil

Place the chicken between sheet of wax paper and pound with a mallet until very thin, being careful not to tear meat.

In a food processor or blender, combine basil, cheese and garlic. Mix until a thick paste is formed. Add butter and blend. Shape into a 3 inch square. Chill until firm. Slice chilled butter into 6 sticks - 1/2" thick and 3" wide.

Lay out the flattened chicken breasts. Place a stick of the pesto butter on one side of the of the meat (preferably to the larger side). Fold the remaining side over butter, then fold down the two ends. Press meat together on all sides to securely enclose butter.

Using 3 separate pie plates, place seasoned flour in one, beaten egg in another and bread crumbs in the third.

Dredge each chicken breast in flour and shake ff excess. Dip in egg and roll in bread crumbs. Firmly press bread crumbs into chicken.

Refrigerate chicken rolls for at least 1 hour to allow crumbs to adhere. At this point chicken rolls may be frozen, but thawed completely before cooking.

In a large saute pan, heat butter and olive oil. Saute chicken on medium heat for about 15 minutes, turning chicken until golden brown on all sides and meat is white all the way through.

Put cooked chicken in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while the others are being cooked.

Cilantro Chicken

Eleven years ago when I got married I receive a cookbook from my new in-laws. It was full of recipes from their city that they love so much. Portland, Oregon. I really like this cookbook in the 3 months that I can cook out of it (December, January and February). Unfortunately Oregon has this weather that promotes warm, comfort foods - not so much in Arizona. Most of the year I am looking for recipes that require little or no oven/stove use and this cookbooks requires much of it. However, with December being tomorrow and the weather unusually cool lately, I decided to bust the book out early. So the next three days are all from Portland's Palate.

1 lbs chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 C. dry white wine
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, washed and dried
4 garlic cloves
4 T. freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tomato, skinned, seeded and diced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat, brown chicken on both sides. Transfer chicken to a casserole dish with a cover or a dutch oven.

Pour white wine into saute pan and scrape pan to remove any browned bits. Bring wine to a boil. Pour over chicken.

In a food processor or blender, combine cilantro and garlic. Mix well. Sprinkle over chicken and add lime juice and tomato. Bake. covered, for 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy

This is one of those recipes that are on the Campbell's soups - or on the website (in this case). I have a bunch of leftover Thanksgiving stuff (stuffing, festive potatoes...) and I needed to use them up - plus I have had a whole chicken in my freezer waiting for me to use it. So this worked perfect, it is a yummy, delicious, easy Sunday dinner that uses everyday pantry items. Perfect.

 

Ingredients

1 lemon

1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (6 pound) roasting chicken

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grate 1 1/2 teaspoons zest and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the lemon.
2. Stir the lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, rosemary, thyme and garlic in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 cup soup mixture for the gravy. Place the chicken into a shallow roasting pan.
3. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes. Brush the chicken with 1/4 cup soup mixture.
4. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm.
5. Spoon off any fat from the pan juices. Stir the wine in the roasting pan and heat over medium-high heat to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the reserved soup mixture and water and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve the gravy with the chicken.

Saucy Chicken

This is an old Weight Watchers recipe that is a keeper (even when we are not as good at watching the weight). It is yummy and easy and thankfully a healthy meal (which is good on days like today when you are contemplating a gym membership...or using that gym membership you have been paying for since last year at this time!)

Ingredients:

2 C. Chicken broth - divided
1/4 C. Flour - seasoned with salt & pepper
4 (4oz each) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 16oz can stewed tomatoes
3-4 scallions, chopped

Directions:

Pour 1/2 cup of broth into a wide bowl; place flour on a plate.. Dip each chicken breast in broth, then flour, turning to coat on all sides.
Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook the chicken over medium heat, turning once until crowned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.
Add any remaining flour to the skillet; cook, stirring constantly until browned. Slowly stir in 1/4 cup of the broth; cook until thickened. Gradually stir in remaining broth, cook stirring constantly until thicker. Add tomatoes and scallions to the skillet, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, return chicken to skillet and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

*for those of you keeping track - 4 points per serving (this recipe is 4 servings)

Amalie's Orange Chicken

I am so excited for this recipe because it is my first viewer submitted recipe!! I was so excited to get it - even if it was from my cousin...and the best part of the recipe was - IT WAS DELICIOUS! The house smelled so good while I was cooking it too. Thank you so much Amalie for introducing this recipe to us - it will definitely be on the menu again (although, I suppose not for another 11 months :( )


Ingredients
1 1/2 C. Water
2 T. Orange Juice
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
1/3 C. Rice Vinegar
2 1/2 T. Soy Sauce
1 T. Grated Orange Zest
1 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 t. Minced Fresh Ginger Root
1/2 t. Minced Garlic
1/4 t. Red Pepper Flakes
3 T. Cornstarch
2 T. Water

Chicken:
2 - 3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
1 C. Flour
1/4 t. Salt
1/4 t. Pepper
3 T. Olive oil

Directions
Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over white rice (or brown!) and steamed snap peas and broccoli.

Beer Can Chicken

I know this is called Beer Can Chicken but it is just as amazing with cream soda instead of beer. I know that sounds like a weird switch but it works (and in all actuality, I think I prefer it with the cream soda). But this is delicious.

1 whole chicken

Make rub in a small bowl with the following ingredients:
1 t salt
1 t paprika
1 t rosemary
1 t thyme
1/2 t lemon zest
1/2 t pepper


Open the beer can and pour out about half the beer.  Put the following ingredients into the beer can so they will flavor the steam



Put the bird on the grill, balancing the bird on its two legs and the can, like a tripod.  Grill over indirect medium heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature registers 170 degrees in the breast and 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh. (1  to 1 1/2 hours).  Carefully remove the chicken and can from the grill (do not spill the contents of the beer can, as it will be very hot).  Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before lifting from the beer can and cutting into serving pieces.
Using a can opener, make 2 more holes in the top of the can.  Place the beer can on a solid surface.  Plunk the chicken cavity over the beer can. 1 T rosemary
1 clove of garlic
Juice of one lemon
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t red pepper flakes remove the neck a giblets and any excess fat from the chicken.  Lightly rub the chicken all over with 2 T. olive oil.  Season the chicken inside and out with the rub.  Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken's back

Chicken Dumpling Soup

I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I actually made this recipe so often that my husband got to the point where he couldn't eat it for few months. But, I laid off and now we can enjoy it once again. The best part of this soup is - you can make it whatever you want! Today for instance, we have leftover turkey from our  Thanksgiving yesterday and so instead of chicken, we are going with the turkey. My sister-in-law has even mentioned to me that they have used leftover shredded beef before too and it was great (just use a matching broth) Plus, you can use any vegetable you have on hand!

1 Rotisserie chicken
8 c. Chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1/2 Yellow onion, finely diced
3 Carrots, peeled and cubed
3 stalks of celery - diced
2 small red potatoes - washed and cubed
1 1/2 C. Green Beans, ends removed
Salt & Pepper
1 T. Basil
2 Bay leaves
3 Eggs
1-2 C. four

In a large stock pot, saute the onions with a small amount of oil or a spritz of cooking spray until translucent. Add in the carrots, celery, potatoes and green beans. Add in the broth, canned tomatoes and seasonings. Boil over high heat until the vegetables are tender (if you are in a hurry, cut them smaller).

Meanwhile, pick apart the chicken, removing all gristle parts and bones. Add the chicken to the soup.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a dash of salt and pepper. Slowly add in the flour - you want this to get to the consistency of drop biscuit dough. (The amount of flour you add will be different every time since egg sizes are not consistent). Using a large metal spoon, drop the dough into the boiling soup (see below). Continue to boil until the dumplings are cooked through - about 5 more minutes. Enjoy.

To drop in the dumplings:

Start by submerging your spoon in the boiling soup to get the spoon hot. Next scrape the side edge of the spoon on the top of the dough and up against the edge of the bowl to get a long, thinner portion of dough on the spoon.(this probably makes no sense, but you want the dough to be on the edge of the spoon, it should look like you are scraping the bottom of the bowl and you can only get a little bit... )then submerge it into the boiling soup, the dumpling will fall off on its own.  Then start again.

Dumpling pics:

This is what the dumpling should look like before you submerge it.

Leave your spoon in the hot soup until the dumpling detaches itself.

Chicken Paprikash

When we lived in Oregon we would go to this little mom & pop restaurant in Albany called Novaks. It was traditional Hungarian food and oh-man it was good. I don't know who is familiar with Hungarian food but it is heavy. Lots of creamy dishes and sausages and rich desserts are the main things on the menu. Therefore we would frequent Novaks in the cold long winter months and not go in the two months of "summer". Now that we are in Arizona, well we don't have a winter - so we have to make due and deal with heavy hot meals on lukewarm days, like today. It was 80. One of the signature dishes at Novaks was Chicken Paprikash. I never knew anything about this dish until the little Hungarian lady insisted that the kids get it for their kids meals. So when it came - I tried it. They next time we went, I ordered it.

I found this recipe online and tried it tonight for dinner and it was a HIT! We all loved it. Don't be frightened by the amount of Paprika - it works. trust me.

p.s. I am copying this recipe word-for-word, no edits (except the sour cream), and I followed it EXACTLY!



This recipe is barely any more complicated than chopping things up and boiling them in a pot. If I use store-bought spaetzel, I can make a complete pot of paprikash and have all the dishes cleaned in 45 minutes.

24 oz. (1.5 lbs) boneless skinless chicken breasts 24 oz. sour cream 48 oz. chicken broth 1 onion 3-4 tablespoons Hungarian paprika 2 tablespoon garlic 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ginger 2 bay leaves corn starch (or preferably potato starch, if you have access to a health food store) olive oil 1 Fudgesicle

Make spaetzel; put in a bowl. Alternatively, you can buy spaetzel from the store, or prepare any type of noodles you prefer.
Chop up the chicken breasts into small pieces.
Put the chicken and garlic in a pot; saute in olive oil.
Chop up the onion into small pieces.
Put the onions and some chicken broth into the pot. For now, use just enough broth to keep everything submerged, but don't flood it. You should have some broth left over (maybe around 16 ounces); the remaining broth will be used below.
Stir in the other spices (paprika, salt, black pepper, ginger, bay leaves).
Simmer to let the chicken and onions cook thoroughly. While it's all cooking, eat the Fudgesicle.
When the chicken and onions are fully cooked, add the starch as a thickening agent, by mixing it into the remaining broth and pouring it into the pot. (If you're out of broth, use water; but ideally you will have exactly enough broth for this.) Remove from heat and let it thicken.
Finally, mix in the sour cream, and it's ready to serve over spaetzel

Note: Spaetzel makes this dish! I just bought it in the pasta section at my local grocery store and boiled it just like it was a pasta. yummmmm...

Chicken Enchiladas

What is it about a Saturday night that calls for a different kind of food? When coming up with my menu for the week I always struggle with coming up with a Saturday dinner. For some reason I always want to have pizza or..... well pizza. It is the only thing I ever want to eat on a Saturday night. However, pizza every Saturday night would not be keeping up with my different meal for every night for 1 year gig, so I am branching out this week. I don't know that chicken enchiladas are necessarily a Saturday food but for now they will just have to do. Also, I prefer to keep this recipe lower fat - which is why I steam the corn tortillas rather than flash-fry them, but you are welcome to do either.

4 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 pints low-fat sour cream
2 cans diced green chilies
1 1/2 C. cheddar cheese
36 Corn tortillas

In a large stock pot, boil the chicken breasts until tender and able to be shredded, about 1 hour. Remove from pot and shred.
In a separate bowl combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and green chile's. Pour half of the sour cream mixture onto the shredded chicken and combine.
Pour half of the remaining sour cream mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
Steam the tortillas: I moisten each size of the tortilla with a spray bottle filled with water and then put it in a hot, dry skillet for a few seconds on each side or until pliable. I am sure that you can steam them in a rice cooker or maybe even the microwave if you wanted too.
One at a time, put the chicken mixture in the middle of a corn tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish and continue until all the tortillas and chicken is used. Spread the remaining sour cream mixture over the enchiladas and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and return to the oven for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melty and yummy.

Chicken Parmesan

Hello delicious. This recipe tastes like a million bucks - and it tastes like you slaved in the kitchen for hours (because you did!) and it is worth it! If you like chicken Parmesan then give this a try when you are feeling especially ambitious. Make sure that you have made your Traditional Italian Tomato Sauce before hand.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 C. milk
4 C. flour
6 large eggs, beaten
6 c. unseasoned, dried bread crumbs
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 T. unsalted butter (not margarine)
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 C. traditional Italian tomato sauce
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, slices into 1.8" thick medallions

 Trim the chicken of fatty pieces, and cut in half lengthwise - making 2 servings. using a meat tenderizer or a heavy skillet, pound the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until flat, about 1/4 inch thick. Place the milk, four, eggs and bread crumbs in 4 separate shallow dishes. Season the eggs with a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Dip each breast in the following order: milk, flour (shake off excess), eggs, bread crumbs (pressing firmly into bread crumbs).
In a large skillet melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat until sizzling. Arrange the chicken breast in the pan without over crowding. cooking in batches. Reduce the heat and cook until golden brown n both sides and juices run clear, about 7 minutes per side (do not flip the chicken more than needed, this will cause the crust to break and fall off). Place the cooked chicken breasts on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet in a warm oven to keep warm while the other chicken is cooking.
When all the chicken is cooked, place 1/2 c. of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. add cooked breasts to the dish, cover with tomato sauce, place sliced mozzarella cheese on top of chicken and broil until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve over angel hair or linguine pasta.

Note: I do not recommend the "precious" brand mozzarella cheese. It has a very bitter flavor, which is very unfortunate. Mozzarella cheese should almost be sweet. I recommend getting it from the deli section  (not behind the counter, but over by the fancy cheeses) or even Costco sells fresh mozzarella that is delicious and it comes in a 2 pack.

Chicken, Cheese & Rice

We have been eating this dish for as long as I can remember. I am sure my mom made it because it is SO easy to prepare. Plus, it is a people pleaser. My kids all love this, especially the rice! This does take an hour to bake so prepare ahead of time for that.

1 1/2 C. White Rice
1 1/2 C. Cheddar Cheese
3/4 C. Parmesan Cheese (not the powdered stuff, actual real shredded parm!)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fat and yucky parts removed)
3 C. Chicken Broth
1 T. Dried Basil
1 T. Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350*

In a 9x13 pan, layer ingredients in the order above. Bake for 1 hour or until all liquid is absorbed from rice.

* The only ingredients that need to be exact is the rice & broth. Everything else can be eyeballed. Sometimes I don't have Parmesan cheese, so it doesn't get added - and it is just as delicious.
**A little hint: When adding in the basil, garlic salt & salt and pepper: Sprinkle it in the rice areas, not directly on the chicken. As the liquid absorbed the chicken will end up with the perfect amount of seasonings. If you sprinkle it all on the chicken in the beginning the chicken will be encrusted with the seasonings and it isn't as delicious as it sounds.

Update: 11/7/10  3:57pm
I just got off the phone with my mother who informed me that there is a better way of cooking this meal!  So I will be trying this method out in the next couple of days and then I will post the new and improved (if it is improved) recipe!

Lorie's Easy Sweet & Sour Chicken

This recipe is delicious and super easy! My kids all love it - and that says a lot. It does have to cook for an hour - so plan for that.

1/2 C. chopped onion
1/2 C. green bell pepper - chopped
1/2 C. carrots - sliced
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 t. garlic powder
3/4 c. catsup
1 c. pineapple juice - reserved
2 T. vinegar (white, red wine or apple cider)
2 t. Soy Sauce
dash ground ginger
1 can pineapple chunks - juice drained & reserved
3 lbs chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375*

Saute the onion, pepper and carrots in the butter until the onions are translucent. Add in the brown sugar, garlic powder, catsup, pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce and ginger. Bring to a boil. Add in the pineapple chunks and remove from heat.

Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish and pour the sauce over them. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes. Serve over rice.

Chicken Marsala

So - I must note: I despise mushrooms! Something about their rubbery, squeaky, fungi texture gives me the heebie-jeebies! However, don't try to make this recipe without them! It doesn't work - trust me I have tried it. I just quietly push my mushrooms to the side and hope my kids don't notice that Mom isn't eating her veggies!

3 Chicken Breasts
1 container sliced mushrooms (button or baby bella work well) DON'T get canned mushrooms! ick.
1 Shallot
2 T + 1 t. Olive Oil
1 t. butter (not margarine!)
1/2 C. Marsala Wine
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
Ground Thyme
Flour
Salt & Pepper

Trim the fat and weird parts off the chicken breasts. Slice the chicken down the middle length-wise, making 2 servings of chicken. Lightly pound the chicken until it is the same thickness throughout. (This works really well if you put the chicken breast in a gallon size Ziploc baggie, zip it up, then pound it out. No flying chicken pieces!!) Sprinkle each piece on both sides with salt, pepper and thyme and then dredge in four.
Heat the 2 T. Olive Oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through (it is important to cook the chicken slowly in this step. If you cook on too high of heat the four on the outside will burn and the chicken will be raw on the inside). Continue in batches until all the chicken is cooked, placing the cooked chicken on a baking sheet in a warm oven.

* If you are wanting to serve this with pasta - now would be the time to start that! We love it with linguine.

Thinly slice the shallots and quickly rinse the mushrooms. In a saute pan heat the remaining 1 t. olive oil and the butter over medium-high heat (margarine has too much water in it - so it will pop and oil will explode all over the kitchen - so just use butter...please). When the butter is melted add in the shallots and cook until they are shiny. Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms have darkened and soft. They should also, give up some juices.  Add in the wine and broth and cook for 2 minutes. The mushrooms should work as a natural thickener to the sauce but if it is not thick enough, you can drizzle in a little cornstarch mixture ( 1t. cornstarch & 1 t. cold water) until it is thickened. Add in the cooked chicken breasts and continue to simmer for a few more minutes.

Serve with pasta

Side note: If you are having a hard time finding Marsala Wine.... At any grocery store you can find it (usually on the top shelf) with the vinegars. It is sold in a small bottle (perfect for recipes) and is usually next to the red wine vinegars.

Paula Deen's White Bean Chili

I am not a huge fan of Chili - it is actually a combination of things in the traditional chili that I don't find particularly appetizing - the chili powder mainly,but the ground beef and the kidney beans don't help the situation. Individually the ground beef and kidney beans are fine, but no matter what it is in I can not stand the flavor of Chili powder. So, when we were invited over to a friends house over Halloween weekend for their traditional Chili and Cornbread dinner I opted to bring a white chili and can I tell you IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! I did do a couple of things different than the original recipe but I will note that below.

• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 5 cups chicken stock * I started with 5 cups, but ended up using 10
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter * I would suggest at least HALF this amount - I used the full amount but after cooking I noticed a lot of it was unneeded.
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green chile's (fresh or canned) * I used 2 cans of diced green chilies
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped * I used the full bunch - no stems

Rinse beans well, cover with cool water, and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Put the beans in large pot with the 5 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chile's and saute for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add green chili mixture to pot with beans. Add the chicken, cumin, oregano, pepper, white pepper, red pepper flakes, and cilantro. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 1/2 hours.*after 1 1/2 hours my beans were still very undercooked. I ended up cooking it for nearly 3 hours and it was perfect - however, this is when I had to add in more chicken stock, so watch the pot! Serve with cornbread, if desired.

Serves 10-15

Chicken Burritos

Since today is Halloween a simple easy dinner is in order. I will be busy painting faces, doing hair, sewing kids into costumes and passing out candy - I am too busy to worry about dinner.  Therefore I am starting dinner in the early afternoon! This dinner can be (and actually should be) started earlier in the day. The longer is cooks, the tastier it gets. I must give credit to my sister-in-law Aubrey for this delicious recipe. Plus it makes the whole house smell delicious, it is one of those recipes that you can smell as you are walking up to the front door!

1 large jar of Pace Picante Sauce - medium, reserve 1 cup  ** (DON'T try a different salsa or your    own homemade salsa or the Pace salsa. I am well aware that Pace is not the most delicious sauce out there but for this recipe it is the ONLY one that works - trust me.)

4 chicken breasts
2 cups dry white rice
3 cups chicken broth
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
flour tortillas (burrito size)
Shredded Cheese
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Sour Cream
Olives
Salsa

In a large stock pot add the chicken breast and the bottle of pace (minus the one cup reserved) and enough water to cover the chicken. Simmer on Med-Low for as long as you have time for (1 hour minimum up to 4-5 hours) just remember to keep checking on it and filling it with water if needed. If the sauce starts to get too thick it will burn. The longer you let the chicken simmer, the tastier it will be and the better at shredding it will be. When you are getting ready for dinner let the water cook down so you have a thicker sauce left (just be careful not to burn it!)

About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat:

Start the rice:In a blender or food processor puree the remaining salsa (or if you like the chunks - you can skip this step) add it to a stock pot with the chicken broth, turn up to high heat and let it come to a boil. Meanwhile, in a saute pan, heat about 1 tsp of Olive oil. Add in the rice and a dash of garlic salt. Saute until some of the rice is a golden brown color and all the rest are opaque white. Add the rice to the boiling liquid (carefully because the hot rice can cause the liquid to boil over the edge of the stock pot). Turn down to low heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Shred the chicken, adding a little extra sauce to keep it moist and tasty.

Assemble the burritos: rice, chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, olives, salsa..... They get pretty big - so be careful!

Makes LOTS!