Roman-Style Chicken

Any new recipe I can use for chicken is always at the top of my "try-it" list. I have my classic "go-to" chicken recipes, but those get old after a while. Chicken is a staple on my shopping list -- its always in my fridge or freezer. And, because its pretty healthy (without the skin) and has some good protein and nutrients, its a great meat to have on hand since its so versatile.

This recipe also incorporates some vegetables into it. So make this with a nice salad or some pasta noodles on the side and you have a well-rounded nutritional meal!

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper


• 2 tbsp olive oil


• 1 red bell pepper, sliced


• 1 yellow or green bell pepper, sliced


• 3 oz prosciutto, chopped


• 2 cloves garlic, chopped


• 15 oz can diced tomatoes (if you are not into chunks, you can use crushed)


• 1/2 cup white wine


• 1 tsp thyme


• 1 tsp oregano


• 1/2 cup chicken stock


• 2 tbsp capers


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine,
and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve.

Original recipe from Giada de Laurentiis

Tex-Mex Pie

I found pie crust in the fridge the other day while I was cleaning and saw that I only had two more weeks to use it before the expiration date so I browsed some other cooking blogs for inspiration on what to make.

I had some leftover chicken taco meat from the day before and I found a Ranchero Crostada on Picky Palate that also used pie crust and chicken. This is spin on the original recipe. It really is super easy and the perfect weeknight meal. Only takes a few minutes to prepare and then goes straight to the oven. Hope you enjoy!

• 1 ready-made pie crust


• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (can be shredded or chopped)


• 1 cup black bean and corn salsa (this is a frozen bag of vegetables - you can used canned also)


• 2 tbsp taco seasoning


• juice of one lime


• 1/2 cup shredded cheese


• kosher salt

In a bowl, mix together chicken, (thawed/drained) corn/black beans, lime juice and taco seasoning.

Roll out pie crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or silicone baking mat) and pour chicken mixture into the center. Spread evenly leaving a one-inch border around the outside. Fold up the pie crust to help keep the mixture inside and give it a nice border. Sprinkle cheese over the top and add a small pinch of kosher salt to the borders of the crust.

Bake in a 350F oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned and cheese is completely melted.

Serve warm with sour cream, avocado, and salsa on the side. Serves 2.

Pad Thai

I love making pasta-like dishes that my mom can eat with the rest of the family. This dish is light and satisfies your thai-food craving without a lot of oil and batter and can be served as a side dish or main course. (I wish I got another picture but by the time I checked my camera it was all gone)

• 8 oz rice noodles


• 1/4 cup chicken broth


• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar


• 2 tbsp sugar


• 1/4 lb shrimp


• 1/2 lb chicken, sliced thin


• 1/4 tsp cayenne


• 3 tbsp peanut oil


• 2 tbsp minced garlic


• 2 large eggs


• 1 cup bean sprouts


• 1 cup green onions, chopped


• 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter


• 1/8 cup minced fresh cilantro


• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

In a large bowl, combine the noodles with water to cover. Soak until just tender, about 45 minutes, then drain. In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, vinegar, peanut butter and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Season the shrimp and chicken with cayenne.


In a wok or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and chicken and cook until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until just set, about 45 seconds. Add the sprouts, onions, sauce mixture, and noodles, and cook, stirring, until warmed through.


Add the shrimp and chicken and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter and toss with the cilantro and lime juice. Serve immediately.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

This recipe is super quick. You can even shred the chicken the night before and then all you have to do for dinner is heat with the seasoning and serve. A perfect weekday meal and you only have 2 pots to clean!

• 1 1/2 lbs shredded chicken breast


• Hard shell corn tortillas



• 2 tbsp. olive oil


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 tbsp sweet paprika


• 2 tbsp smoked paprika


• 2 tbsp cumin


• 2 tbsp dried oregano


• 1 cup chicken broth or water


• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To shred chicken:
I boil the entire chicken breast in water until its almost cooked through and then using two forks I pull the chicken breast apart into small pieces.


In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add seasonings, chicken broth (or water), and shredded chicken.

Cook for 5-10 minutes or until completely heated through and flavors have had a chance to come together and the sauce has thickened a little. Serve in taco shells with your favorite taco toppings.

Orange Chicken

My dad subscribes to Cooks Magazine and I now know why he loves it so much. Often I get cookbooks that have a lot of great recipes, but also some things that I may only try once or sometimes not even at all. Cooks recipes are amazing. I'm not going to lie -- this isn't something you would normally make during the week unless you do have sometime on your hands mostly just because of the total time from start to finish and the fact that your kitchen is basically a disaster zone (or at least mine was) when you are finally finished. But in spite of all that, I love this recipe and even more because it is naturally Gluten-Free!

Marinade and Sauce

• 3/4 cup chicken broth


• 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

• 1 1/2 tsp. orange zest


• 8 strips of orange rind


• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar


• 1/4 cup soy sauce *

• 6 tbsp. apple cider vinegar


• 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  
  
• 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp cornstarch


• 2 tbsp cold water

Batter

• 3 eggs whites, beaten



• 1 cup cornstarch


• 1/2 tsp. baking soda


• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper



• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into bit-size pieces



• Oil for cooking

For the marinade, mix together the first set of ingredients (everything but the cornstarch and water) in saucepan on low heat until a lot of the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Cut chicken into chunks and place in a large ziplock bag. Pour about 3/4 cup of the marinade over the chicken and seal back, removing most of the air. Place into the fridge for 30-60 minutes.



In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water. Heat the remaining sauce on medium heat until it begins to boil. Turn heat to a simmer and slowly whisk in the cornstarch/water mixture. Simmer for a few minutes or until sauce begins to slightly thicken. Remove from heat.

Heat oil in a deep skillet to 350F. Oil should be about 1 inch deep.



In two shallow bowls, place beatens egg whites in one and the cornstarch, baking soda, and cayenne pepper in the other. Drain marinade from chicken and slightly pat dry (this allows the batter to stick better). Dredge chicken in egg whites and then cornstarch. I then place them on a wire rack to get any excess cornstarch off before cooking.

Gently place chicken pieces into oil. Because the oil is so hot, caution must be taken around the stove because oil sputters can easily burn your skin. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning half way through. Drain chicken on paper towel when removed from oil to soak any excess.



Reheat sauce on a simmer about 5 minutes. In a clean bowl, toss sauce and chicken together. Serve immediately.

* Most soy sauce at the grocery store contains wheat as an ingredient. However, "Chun King" or the Gluten-Free soy sauce at P.F. Changs restaurant contains no wheat.

Original recipe courtesy of Cooks!

Jambalaya

The first Food Network show I ever watched was Emeril Live when he first began his live-audience cooking show. A recipe he once featured during a New Orleans episode was a spicy jambalaya that I have wanted to try ever since. From memory, I tried to remember all the ingredients while shopping through the grocery store so this adaption includes both his original recipe ingredients and some extras that I decided to throw in.

• 1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded or cut small


• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined


• 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bit size pieces


• 1/4 cup oil


• 1 medium yellow onion, diced


• 2 medium green bell peppers, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes


• 2 zucchini, chopped


• 2 bay leaf


• 1 tsp. coarse salt


• 1 tbsp. black pepper


• 1 tbsp. paprika


• 2 tbsp. parsley


• 6 cans chicken broth or stock


• 3 cups cooked white rice

In large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add sausage and continue cooking until edges of sausage are golden brown. Add zucchini, chicken, can of tomatoes (including juice), and spices to pot. Stir until well-combined. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bring heat back to medium-low. Add shrimp and continue cooking about 10 minutes or until shrimp is pink.

Serve in a bowl over a scoop of rice. Serves 6-8.

Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad

This is a re-creation of a salad that my boyfriend and I used to order at a local place where we went to college. They served this in a huge bowl with a big slice of cornbread on the side -- so delicious I can taste it already. Plus, if you have had enough chicken you can substitute any kind of meat (or no meat) you want.

• 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce


• 1 can white beans, drained


• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained


• 1/4 cup chopped red onion


• 1 chicken breast (about 1/2 lb.)


• Your favorite poultry seasoning (and salt and pepper)


• Handful of tortilla strips

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup ranch


• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce

Season chicken breast with favorite seasoning and grill until cooked thoroughly. Cut up into bite-size pieces.

Mix together BBQ sauce and ranch dressing.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, beans, corn, onion, and chicken. Toss with dressing. Add tortilla strips on top. Serve immediately.

* Make sure the dressing and seasonings used are gluten-free if you have a gluten allergy.

White Chicken Pizza

Instead of a traditional cheese or pepporini pizza, this chicken and white sauce pizza is different than anything you would get down at your local pizza shop.

Making a pizza that you love is simple. Take dough, sauce, and any of your favorite foods, layer it on a pizza stone or cookie sheet and bake. It really is that easy. Here is one of my favorites.

• 1 recipe of pizza dough (dough from your local store works too)


• 1 jar Alfredo sauce


• ½ lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breast


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 tsp. salt


• 1 tsp. black pepper


• 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered


• 1 handful spinach leaves


• 1 ½ cups mozarella cheese


• ¼ cup parmesean cheese


• Fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425ºF

Cut-up chicken breast into bite-size chunks and season with salt and pepper. Saute chicken and garlic in a little olive oil until cooked through.

Roll out dough onto a lightly-floured work surface to about ½" thick. Spread a thin layer of alfredo sauce onto the dough. Scatter spinach leaves around pie evenly. Add chicken, artichoke hearts, and fresh basil (optional). Spread both cheeses evenly on top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crust is lightly brown and cheese is all melted.

Mexican Lasagna

I originally saw a recipe for a Mexican Lasagna featured on Food Network and since my family loves Mexican food, mostly because of the taste and also because its super easy to be gluten-free, I decided to try it out. Since I didn't really remember the recipe from the show, I decided to just throw together some ingredients that I thought would taste good and layer it just like regular lasagna.

• 20 corn tortillas (taco size)


• 1 ½ lbs. shredded chicken breast


• 1 lg can of enchilada sauce *


• 1 can whole kernel corn, liquid drained


• 1 can black beans


• 8 oz. bag of shredded Mexican cheese blend


• Sour cream and guacamole (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large baking dish, pour a very thin layer of enchilada sauce. Lay a flat layer of corn tortillas on bottom of the dish. Pour another thin layer of sauce. This will keep the tortillas moist while its cooking.

In a mixing bowl, stir together corn and black beans. In a separate bowl, combine chicken and ½ cup of sauce. Combine ingredients from both bowls together and mix well.

Spread 1/3 of meat mixture over tortillas evenly. Sprinkle cheese over layer. Lay next set of corn tortillas evenly over meat. Pour thin layer of sauce over tortillas. Repeat for final two layers. Last layer should be corn tortillas with sauce.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream and guacamole on top if you wish.

Note: If pouring sauce over tortillas isn't cutting it, one thing I do is dunk each tortilla in the sauce before placing it in the dish. It gets a little messy, but you can more easily control the amount of sauce on each layer.

* Make sure the enchilada sauce is gluten-free, most of the time it is, but if you have a gluten allergy you want to be sure

Chicken Parmesan

I think it's fitting to have this recipe as the first addition to this blog since it’s the first recipe I ever learned to cook. As a young child my mom would sit me on top of the kitchen counter and allow me to help with the preparation. So in honor of my childhood, here it is.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


• 1 cup flour


• 2 eggs, lightly beaten


• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs


• 1 jar tomato sauce


• ½ lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced into thin pieces


• 2 cups oil, for cooking

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Clean chicken breast, removing any excess fat. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, flatten each chicken breast to about ½” thick.

In three separate shallow bowls (plates will work too), pour the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into each. Beginning at the flour bowl, dredge each chicken breast until fully-coated. Next, dip chicken in eggs and then lastly into breadcrumbs. Place on a clean plate.

After all chicken breasts have been coated, heat 2 cups of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, carefully place each chicken breast into skillet. Cook about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from oil and place on a paper-towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.

In a deep baking dish, spray non-stick cooking spray on bottom of pan (makes clean up much easier). Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce on bottom of pan. Place chicken breast side-by-side in dish with a slice of mozzarella cheese on top. Then pour remaining tomato sauce on top so that chicken is mostly covered. Bake in oven about 10 minutes. Carefully pull out oven rack and place remaining cheese on top of chicken, bake an additional 3-5 minutes. Serves 4.

Dish best served with a side of pasta and favorite vegetable.