Sunday, October 28, 2012
Dutch Oven Chicken Coating
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
That's ok, it actually tasted pretty good...for sweet and sour, and those that like sweet and sour loved this recipe. That and it is a slow cooker recipe and you know how I love my slow cooker! Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen.
Marie
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup diced pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
1/4 onion , cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 green pepper, ,cut into 1 inch pieces
cooked rice
Add the 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, tomato paste, garlic powder, and ginger to the slow cooker an whisk until combined.
Add the chicken pieces and stir to combine. Cook on low for 5 hours. In a small bowl, combine the 1/3 cup water with the cornstarch. Add to the slow cooker and carefully stir to combine. The chicken pieces will be tender and you don't want them to shred.
Add the pineapple, onion, and bell pepper and carefully fold into the mixture. Cover and cook on low for another 45 min.
Serve over cooked rice.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Asain Orange Chicken
I make egg drop soup to go with this but wantons would also be excellent!
Sauce:
1 cup warm water
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tbs orange juice
6 Tbs soy sauce
6 Tbs ketchup
3 Tbs white vinegar
2 Tbs garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
3 tsp grated orange peel
2 chicken breasts, cubed
6 tsp cornstarch
6 Tbs cold water
Chopped green onions, if desired
*The original recipe says to just brown the chicken but I like to mix flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder in a small bowl then dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a skillet until hot then add chicken and cook until brown on the outside. Mix together sauce ingredients and add to chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 min.
Whisk cornstarch and water together and add to chicken and sauce mixture slowly until sauce reaches desired consistency.
Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onions.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Healthier Bangers and Mash (Sausage and Potato)
I know this a little late, but it was our St Patricks Day meal. You can still make it any old time, because, let's be honest...it delicious.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Easy, quick, tasty.
Enjoy!
Matti
Healthier Bangers and Mash (modified from Munchin with Munchkin)
4 chicken sausages
1 yellow onion
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 Tsp. flour
1 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cauliflower head
1/2 cup milk
2 Tsp. butter
2 Tbsp. fat free cream cheese
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
Spray a cast iron skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Sauté onions for ten minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté for an additional ten minutes until they begin to caramelize.
In the meantime fill a saucepan halfway with warm water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add chicken sausages and cover for 20 minutes.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
When the onions and mushrooms have caramelized sprinkle with flour and stir to combine. Pour in chicken broth, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until thickened.
Remove sausages from pan and discard water. Spray pan with cooking spray and sauté sausages until golden brown on all sides.
Meanwhile, strain cauliflower and place in a food processor with milk, butter, and cream cheese. Pulse until smooth, season with salt and pepper.
To serve place mashed cauliflower and sausages on a plate and cover with gravy.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Black Bean-Taco Salad with Lime Vinagrette
I made the vinaigrette ahead of time, while I was fixing lunch, to speed up meal preparation that evening. My husband grilled up the chicken seasoned with salt, pepper and Natures Seasoning (Have you ever tried that? If not, go to your grocery store and buy some. It makes veggies and meat taste that much better.) but you could probably cook it in a skillet or in your broiler.
Marie
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup chopped, seeded tomato (I used 1/4 cup bottled tomatoes, drained)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp grated lime rind
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic
Combine in a blender or food processor, process until smooth. Let sit for 30 min to a few hours
Salad:
8 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
1 1/2 cups chopped chicken breast
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup finely diced red onion
1/2-1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (15 oz)can black beans
Chopped olives
Combine all salad ingredients, drizzle with vinaigrette right before serving and serve with tortilla chips
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Whole Wheat Orzo with Broccoli-Pine nut Pesto and Chicken
I love Orzo.
It's this crazy mix of pasta that is sized like giant rice.
It's delicious!
The original is from Whole Living, I adapted it a bit to use it as a meal...and simplify the prep process. Most the ingredients are the same...just prep is different. I cut out the creme frache and used milk instead....less fat!
I love that the pesto is made out of steamed broccoli.
It's actually pretty healthy...and totally delicious.
Oh yes...and it's the perfect shade of green for St. Patricks Day.
If you can't find whole wheat orzo...just use regular orzo...it tastes equally delicious.
Enjoy!
-Matti
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat orzo
2 bags frozen broccoli
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2-2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup milk
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
2-3 seasoned and grilled chicken breasts....but into bite sized pieces.
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt, add orzo, and cook according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well again.
Meanwhile, cook broccoli according to package directions (I used 2 "steam able" bags) Drain well and set aside.
Make the pesto: Combine 2 cups of the cooked broccoli, garlic, three-quarters of the pine nuts, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in olive oil and milk and pulse until smooth.
Toss orzo and remaining cooked broccoli florets with about two-thirds of the broccoli pesto and the lemon zest. Thin with a bit of warm water to desired consistency. Toss in grilled chicken. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt, lemon juice, or pesto as desired. Fold in avocado. Serve topped with remaining pine nuts.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Black Bean and Corn Salsa Chicken
I used frozen corn and my chicken was frozen so I did not add the water. I was glad I did. I served this with tortillas but she also suggested rice or chips.
Marie
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans corn, drained
1 package taco seasoning
4-5 chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
3/4 cup water
Put beans, corn, taco seasoning, and water in crock pot and mix together until seasoning is
dissolved. Place chicken breasts on top and spread salsa on chicken. Cook on
high for 4 hours. Shred meat and serve however you want (see explanation above).
Garnish with cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce.
She used this as a freezer meal, also. Here http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/09/slow-cooker-black-bean-and-corn-salsa.html is her complete recipe.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Creamy Italian Chicken
This dish is very similar to Brenda's Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo that makes a regular appearance at our house. Sometimes is nice to have another option like rice or potatoes, though. (I prefer rice.) I found this over at Real Mom Kitchen and if you know about my love affair with slow cookers (I have three and they all get used regularly) and add in the fact that it calls for ingredients I usually have on hand of course I had to try it. And then make it repeatedly, as much as I think I can get away with!
Marie
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I ran out of chicken once and used 1 can of cream of mushroom in place of the cream of mushroom. It was fine.)
1 8 oz package cream cheese (I use light)
Place chicken breasts in crock pot and sprinkle with Italian dressing mix. Add the soups and cream cheese mixed together.
Cook on low all day. You can leave the chicken breasts whole or shred them. Add milk if needed to make the sauce your desired consistency. Serve with rice, pasta or potatoes.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu
I found this recipe on Six Sister's Stuff.
It is EASY.
It is VERY QUICK to put together...I even put the chicken in while frozen.
It is also DELICIOUS.
I know that the picture isn't the most, well...appealing.
But it's a concoction of cheese and chicken and deliciousness. If only we had "smell-o-net" instead of internet.
Oh well.
One tip. Double the "sauce" (milk and soup)....it was worth it in every way.
Enjoy.
Matti
Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (I doubled this)
1 cup milk (I doubled this too)
4 ounces sliced ham
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom. Layer chicken breasts over the sauce. Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese. Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers. Sprinkle the stuffing on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Cowboy Quesadillas
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Chicken BLT taco Salad
Friday, July 8, 2011
Apricot Coconut Chicken
It's really good...and baked (yay!).
The sauce it strong on the mustard...which my husband and I liked, but the kids didn't. So next time I'd half the mustard.
Yummy. Quick. Easy.
My kind of dinner.
Enjoy!
Matti
Apricot Coconut Chicken
1 egg
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Next time I would use 1 tablespoon)
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture. Place on the baking sheet. Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway.
To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Freezer Friendly: After baking the chicken, let cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20 minutes.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Chicken and Goat Cheese
Oh well.
I. Love. Goat Cheese.
Let's me honest, I love cheese in general.
But goat cheese is just one of those things I really really crave.
So, I found this recipe and decided to give it a whirl.
I was nervous about the whole "roasting" part of the recipe, but it was actually very easy and really delicious.
I used regular goat cheese (NOT crumbled), because I like the creaminess of it.
Yes... we ate it as a meal...not a side dish. It was THAT yummy.
Trust me, if you like cheese, you'll like goat cheese, and this one is worth it!
Matti
Chicken and Broccoli Salad with Goat Cheese
From Tasty Kitchen
For the roasted broccoli and pepper:
1 large head of broccoli (about 1 3/4 lbs), cut into 1-2 inch florets
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (*I used a green bell pepper... because the red one was $4 for a single pepper!!!)
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
For the rest of the salad:
4 T olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
a couple pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of dried oregano
juice from 1/2 a lemon (about 2 T), plus additional lemon wedges for garnish
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3-4 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled (*I used 4 oz creamy goat cheese)
To prepare the broccoli:
Heat oven to 500 degrees and place a sturdy baking sheet on the lowest rack. Place broccoli florets and peppers slices in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper.
Working quickly, remove baking sheet from the oven and spread broccoli and peppers into an even layer, placing the florets cut-side down when possible. Return to bottom rack of the oven and roast 10-12 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and there are caramelized spots scattered throughout. Be sure not to cook until the tips of the florets turn black.
To prepare the rest of the salad:
Heat 2 T olive oil, sliced garlic, and pepper flakes in a small skillet over med-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is soft and begins to turn golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken-garlic mixture from heat; stir in oregano and lemon juice.
Toss roasted vegetables with the chicken-garlic mixture and an additional 2 T of olive oil in a large salad bowl. Gently fold in the goat cheese crumbles and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos
Marie
1 loaf (16 oz) prepared cheese product, cut into chunks.*
3/4 cup thick salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb cooked chicken breast
8 oz sour cream
1 medium bell pepper (I didn't use this, didn't have one...)
3 green onions, sliced (3 Tbs)
tortilla chips
Spray small 3-4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, place cheese, salsa, beans, and chicken.
Cover, cook on low heat for 2 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking.
Stir in sour cream, bell pepper and onions. Turn to high and cook about 45 minutes loner or until mixture is hot.
Serve with tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, olives, onions, etc.
Topping can be kept warm on low heat for up to 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
*The original recipe called for prepared cheese product with jalapeno pepper.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Lemon Chicken Pasta
-Brenda
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cube butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tsp basil (or to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large garlic cloves
pepper
1 bag shell pasta
Boil water and cook pasta. While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken into cubes and cook thoroughly. After the chicken is cooked, add the butter, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper and garlic.
Once the pasta is done, drain and then mix together with the chicken and sauce.
I like to add a little Parmesan cheese on top when I serve it.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes
Click here or here to see my very favorite wing sauce. It is sold at my local Western Family grocery store.
Marie
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
6 cups frozen (thawed)southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
2 Tbs butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray
In a medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce, set aside.
In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in a single layer over potato mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.
Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Sprinkle with green onions.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Crock Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken
Southwest Egg Rolls with Avacado Ranch Sauce
Friday, February 4, 2011
Buffalo Chicken Pizza


Marie
1 large pizza crust (I used this one this time, but at some Papa Murphy's you can just buy the crust.)
1 lb diced chicken breast
olive oil
paprika (I had smoked paprika so I used that, just to add a little more flavor)
cayenne pepper
2 Tbs melted butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (I used a little more that that for a large pizza)
grated mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle chicken with paprika and cayenne pepper and cook chicken in olive oil until chicken is done. In a small bowl, combine wing sauce and melted butter.
Prepare pizza dough and add the wing sauce, chicken, and cheese. We poured more sauce on top. Bake according to pizza dough instructions.
You could use ranch or bleu cheese for dipping, if desired