Pesto Baked Chicken

This is what we had tonight (per request from my 10 year old). I like this because if you make your own or look really hard, you can find pesto sauce which is SCD compliant for my 17 year old. It is also VERY EASY to make, which you will like. I would also say that it is a nice enough dish to make for company. So, all pluses and no minuses.

I got it from this site (they have a picture too)....
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/09/easy-recipe-for-baked-pesto-chicken.html

Pesto Baked Chicken

Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chickenn breasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. 

Spray a 9" x 12" baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the chicken for 30 minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted. After the cheese is melted for 5 minutes, switch oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes more, just long enough to get the cheese lightly browned.

Serve hot. There will be some flavorful juice in the bottom of the dish when this is done, so you may want to serve with rice, couscous, or quinoa to soak up the juice, but if you're eating this for phase one, just spoon the juice over the chicken.

 

I bought a container of pesto and didn't measure it all out. I put half on the bottom and spooned the rest over the top of the chicken. I then grated cheese over the top until it was all covered. So don't worry about measuring it all out, it will still turn out yummy.

Texas Chicken Diablo

I think just the fact I cooked something with "diablo" in the recipe makes me cool. When the kids ask what is for dinner, don't you just want to say "Diablo Chicken" and then let them mull that over until dinner time?

I was a little nervous making this because of the jalapeno peppers. I have a 9 year old and a few picky eaters, and thought that they might not go over so well. So I did some chicken with the pepers and some just wrapped in bacon. The pepper ones were the hit. Next time I will do them all that way. Because the jalapeno peppers cook, they really become mild, with just a little kick. Not enough to bother my 9 year old. So give it a try and maybe make a few without, just in case.

I also thought these would be pretty time consuming to assemble and was surprised at how easy they were to make. I used whipped or softened cream cheese and just stirred in the steak seasoning and chopped pecans (which I bought already chopped) in a bowl. I think it only took me about 5 mintues to assemble 6 chicken breasts.

So here is the recipe and let me know how you liked it.

Texas Diablo Chicken

2 pounds chicken tenders
2/3 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons dry steak seasoning
8 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup chopped Texas pecans
12 whole fresh jalapeños
2 pounds thin-sliced bacon
2 cups barbecue sauce

Place chicken tenders in bowl, add orange juice and 1 tablespoon steak seasoning, stir, cover and set in refrigerator to marinate 1 or more hours, but not overnight. In separate bowl, mix cream cheese, pecans and 1/2 tablespoon steak seasoning, blend well by hand, and set aside. When ready to assemble, wash and slice jalapeños in half lengthwise, remove seeds, then rinse again. Fill jalapeño half with cream cheese mixture, place chicken tender on top of filling, wrap with 1 slice of bacon, and secure with large grilling skewer so that bacon stays wrapped around jalapeño. Place three stuffed jalapeños on each skewer. When finished, brush all finished jalapeños generously with barbecue sauce. Bake or grill until chicken is thoroughly cooked, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees, turning halfway through cooking time and basting with more sauce. Baste one last time about 5 minutes before finishing cooking or use remaining sauce to serve.

White Chicken Chili

This is a recipe that a friend brought to the same baby shower that I made the caramel apple bars (see below). It was good enough that I requested the very next day.What I like about this chili, the taste is really good and the additions of melting the cheese and sour cream at the end gives is a creamy consistency. It goes together pretty quickly.

White Chicken Chili

(adapted from "The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner" by Liz Edmunds

 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
1 T. olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can diced green chiles, drained
2 - 15oz. cans white beans, drained
4 c. water
4 t. "Better Than Bouillon" chicken base
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. dried oregano
1/2 to 1 t. cayenne pepper (I used these amount of spices - it was just the right amount, spicy but not too much so)
1 t. salt
1 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  chopped tomato
  chopped cilantro
  diced avocado

Heat oil in large pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes.  Add the chicken, chiles, beans, chicken base mixed with water, cumin, oregano, and cayenne.  Simmer 30 - 45 minutes.  Add the sour cream and cheese, and continue cooking until the cheese is melted.  Keep warm until serving.  Serve in bowls and top with tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro.

Edited: I baked 3 chicken breasts and shredded them for my chicken. Ialso used 2 more cups of water and 2 more tsp of chicken base. I wanted my chicken chili to be between a soup and a chili consistency. I also only used 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper since I was serving it to my kids. I figured I could add more later, but thought it had the right amount of kick.

This is definitely going in my stack of favorites! We served our with these mozzarella, pesto, bacon and tomato paninis (recipe HERE).

Honey Sesame Chicken

Saw this recipe a few weeks back and put it on my list of things to try. We like chinese food, but

1. hate the prices (when you are feeding a family of 6, 2 being full grown men/boys) and

2. sometimes it can be really fattening or the chicken can be a little junky.

What I loved about this recipe... the taste.

What I didn't love.... coating and frying all the chicken pieces.

When I try this again, I think I will cut my chicken into pieces and then just cook them in a pan with a little olive oil. Remove the chicken, make the sauce, replace the chicken in the pan to coat with sauce. Then serve over rice. This makes the recipe much easier (don't you hate the smell in your kitchen after frying stuff) and much healthier. Yes, the crunchy battered coating is delicious, but if you are lazy like me, this is a good alternative. Or maybe I should say I am looking for a healthy alternative. Doesn't that make me sound more posh?

The sauce was easy and very tastey. I cut the oil down by half and doubled it as I wanted enough sauce to drizzle over on the rice when serving. I actually doubled the recipe, so really I quadrupled the sauce recipe.

Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
Oil (for deep frying)

Batter-
4 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white

Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons oil
2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
3 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Step 1: In a large bowl mix all batter ingredients together until smooth. Cover and allow the batter to site for at least 30 minutes. Add the chicken to the batter tossing to coat.

Step 2: Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry chicken bits in patches for 2 minutes or until batter becomes firm. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: To make the sauce. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in your wok. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well. Combine 1 teaspoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the sauce and Simmer for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Coat chicken with the sauce and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with white rice.
(Makes 4 servings)

Steak or Chicken Fajitas

(picture borrowed from ourbestbites.com)

This recipes comes from one of my favorite food blogs ourbestbites.com. I've made it twice and the hubs has raved both times. He said if he closed his eyes he felt like he was eating fajitas at a good restaurant. I think it's especially delicious because you marinade the meat (I used chicken) and vegetables beforehand and then grill them all which adds a lot of yummy flavor. If you are a fan of Mexican food, I would definitely give this recipe a try!

Chicken or Steak Fajitas

Measurements of meat and vegetables are approximate. Adjust depending on your preference and the number of people you’re serving. This will serve about 4-6.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or steak
2-3 bell peppers, stem and membranes removed and peppers quartered
1 large onion (any color/variety) sliced into 1/2″ slices
Marinade:
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/3 C water
2 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
3 t vinegar
2 t soy sauce
1-2 t liquid smoke*
1 t salt
1/2 t chili powder, or chipotle chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/4 t onion powder

*If you’re not familiar with liquid smoke, you can find it near the bbq sauces. Don’t make this without it! It’s definitely one of the key components. It makes things yummy and smoky and super flavorful. And if you’re wondering, it actually is real smoke in liquid form. Interesting, eh?

Place meat in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Place vegetables in another. In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well. Reserve 3-4 Tablespoons of marinade for later use. With remaining marinade, add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat. Marinate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat bbq grill (my preference), indoor grill pan, or large skillet. If you’re using a grill, place everything on at the same time. If using a skillet, slice peppers and onions first. Cook chicken for a few minutes on each side until cooked through and remove from pan. Cover with foil to keep warm. Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender.

Remove vegetables from cooking surface and slice. Slice meat. Toss with reserved marinade and serve along side any or all of the following:

Flour Tortillas
Black Beans
Lime-Cilantro Rice
Pico de Gallo
Salsa
Diced avocado
Guacamole
Sour Cream (sorry, we just buy that one!)

Chicken Skewers with Sweet Red Chili Sauce

Don't Count Me Out!

It is May 31st and here I am keeping my promise to post at least monthly. I almost missed the deadline and in this family if you mess up there are some (Lorri) that will never let you forget it. I have had some grand intentions of posting, in fact my computer is full of pictures I have taken of foods we love, but do I share - NO! Yes, I am the sister that is hoarding her delicious recipes! Not to fear though, I am making a decision, right here - right now, to share so that you too can be an amazing cook like me. Okay just kidding - I'm not that great, but every once in a while I make something that is pretty dang good and I will start sharing. Take for example this last weekend, I grilled up some really, really good chicken, it is perfect for a group or just your family. I ended up marinading 8 lb. of chicken plus 3.5 lb. of steak (recipe to come later) and there was not even a morsel left. I highly recommend you trying this out ASAP - let me know what you think!

Chicken Skewers

30 wooden skewer sticks - soak in water 30 minutes before threading chicken strips so the skewers don't burn on the grill.

4 large chicken breast (I use tenderloins, just more of them) - cut into 1/2 inch strips

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 T. brown sugar

2 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. honey

1 T. fresh ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, honey, ginger and garlic. Put chicken strips in a gallon ziploc bag and pour marinade over the top - seal it up. Let marinade for a couple of hours or I like to prepare this the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight for some really good flavor. Right before grilling thread the chicken onto skewer sticks then grill on medium heat 5- 10 minutes, turning often. Discard marinade. Serve chicken with a bowl of Sweet Red Chili Sauce for dipping. Delicious!!

Note: keep the marinade to chicken ratio equal so you get the wonderful flavor in the chicken - don't skimp!

Red Chili Sauce

1 red bell pepper

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. rice vinegar

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. soy sauce

2 T. corn starch

1/4 tsp. crushed red chili flakes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

In a blender puree all ingredients. Pour mixture into a small pan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly and cook until sauce thickens. Serve warm or chill.

Chicken Salad

A few things I love about summer are BBQing, fresh fruits and vegetable, and yummy salads. This is one of my favorites. In fact my sister, Wendi, and I had a chicken salad cookoff. We were so sure everyone woule like ours the best that we both ended up doubling our recipes. Needless to say we had PLENTY of chicken salad. That, and I am sure I was the hands down winner :) This recipe is from a friend our family has known for quite a while. She is a fantastic cook. You know the type. When she has a recipe you know you want a copy because there isn't anything that she makes that isn't wonderful. Thanks Marilyn! Chicken Salad 3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (I think you could use your canned chicken too) 1 cup grapes (red or green) 1 cup slivered almonds 3 cups celery (I use less as my family aren't celery fans) 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped (love the creaminess this adds) 1 Tablespoon lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Mix he chicken, grapes, almonds and celery. Mix mayonnaise, whipped cream and lemon juice. Fold into chicken mixture and serve on lettuce leaves or croissants. Taste it before serving and add whatever salt and pepper you want to your liking. Yummy! Making this Saturday for lunch!

Traditional Chicken Enchiladas

Matt and I have been on the search for a couple years for a great Enchilada recipe similar to the one we have at our favorite mexican restaurant. It doesn't have the red or green enchilada sauce, it's a more of a white sauce but we couldn't figure out what it was. I've seen the recipes using cream cheese and we knew that wasn't it either...there is no hint of cream cheese in our favorites. I finally came across this recipe one day and gave it a go. We both agreed it was the closest thing we've had to the ones at the actual restaurant and we really liked them! This will be our go to enchilada recipe from now on! This picture is from the website (http://www.mexicanfoodrecipes.org) I got the recipe from as I've been having issues with transferring pictures from my camera to my computer.

Traditional Mexican Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Ingredients -
12 corn tortillas
3 cooked chicken breast halves, no bones or skin, shredded
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup minced onion
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz chopped green chilies
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat, and then fry the tortillas on 5 seconds per side until they are pliable. Do them individually and add more oil as required. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and keep them warm.

Divide the chicken, onion (not green onion) and 10 oz of the cheese between the tortillas. Roll them up and place in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until it begins to boil. Add the broth, stirring continuously.

Add the chilies and sour cream. Stir occasionally and do not let the mixture boil. Pour this mixture over the enchiladas when hot and thick. Bake the Mexican chicken enchiladas for 20 minutes then top with the rest of the cheese and bake for a further 5 minutes. Use the green onions and cilantro to garnish them.

Serves 6


PS- I kept my promise Lorri! Are you proud?!

Cranberry Chicken

I think everyone has this recipe. If you don't, then you can thank me later for letting you "in" the loop. I made this for approximately 40 ladies at a Christmas dinner. It is pretty full proof and very tastey.



Cranberry Chicken

1 (16 oz) can whole cranberry sauce
1 (8 oz) bottle French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cranberry sauce, dressing, and soup mix. Place chicken breasts in a greased 3 quart casserole dish or a 9 x 13 baking dish. pour mixture over chicken and bake uncovered 45 - 60 minutes. Serves 8.

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Yep, another soup. It is cold and rainy here. I have 4 loaves of bread in the oven and this soup on the stove. Very creamy and hearty.

I used my bottled chicken instead of cooking some chicken breasts.



Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced (I like to leave the peels on red potatoes, if using them)
1 cup milk (1% is my milk of choice)
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty. I usually place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for one minute at 30% power. I like it really, really soft so it doesn’t leave lumps in the soup. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Mexican Chicken Chowder

Not sure where this originated, but I got it from my Mom. So, speak up if this is yours.

As we head into cold weather season, I think warm fires and soups. This one is a winner with everyone in my family. It has a very creamy texture, which comes from the cream and cheese with a hint of spice from the chilies, cumin and hot sauce. Very rich and delicious.

Mexican Chicken Chowder

1 1/2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces (or I use my canned chicken)

1/2 cup chopped, onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter

2 cubes chicken boullion

1 cup water

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups half and half cream

2 cups shredded Monterery Jack cheese

1 (14.75 oz) can cream style corn

1 (4 oz) can green chilies, diced

1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

1 tomato, chopped

fresh cilantro (garnish)

sour cream

In dutch oven (or pot) brown chicken in butter adding the onion and garlic part way through. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and onion begins to turn transluscent. Dissolve boullion in hot water and pour in pan. Season with cumin, cover and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Add half and half cream, cheese, corn, chilies and hot pepper sauce. Cook, stirring frequently until cheese is melted and it is all mixed together well. Stir in tomato and serve in a bowl with cilantro garnish. Can add some sour cream, tortiall chips and avocado on top.

Canning Chicken

My sister emailed me a great deal on fresh, hormone free chicken for 1.48 a lb. They are only doing delivery to Washington, Oregon and Idaho right now.

Here is the link...

Zaycon Foods

My mom, some friends and I got together last spring and canned chicken for the first time. It went amazingly well. I was always a little nervous about using a pressure cooker, but after reading the directions and doing it once, found it pretty easy.

I had thought that I posted the canning chicken directions on this website and then realized I posted it on my Mark and Lorri blog. So here is a link if you are interested in buying a 40 lb box of chicken and are not sure what to do with it.

Mark and Lorri Blog on canning chicken

I also just want to add.. it is great on a busy day, being able to grab a bottle of chicken I canned myself (so I know what is in it) and make a casserole, soup, enchiladas and so on, in half the time. I highly recommend you giving this a try if you haven't. Here is a picture of the finished product. We did pork with a sauce and chicken with just a little salt.



Any questions... please feel free to comment and I will check back and answer what I can.

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

Fall has arrived! What goes better with Fall than warm soup. So I am sharing this easy, yummy soup that you can cook in your crockpot all day, that will make your house smell good.



Crockpot Tortilla Soup

1.5 lbs chicken breast cooked/shredded (I put them in with the rest of the soup ingredients whole and frozen, let them cook and shred at the end of the cooking day... much easier.
1 15 oz. can tomatoes
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 4 oz. can green chiles, chopped
1 clove garlic, mined
2 cups water
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 10 oz. package frozen corn
fresh bunch of cilantro
vegetable oil
corn tortillas
shredded cheese
fresh avacado

Throw all items except cliantro, vegetable oil, corn tortillas, shredded cheese and avacado in crockpot and cook all day. After cooking, shred chicken breasts if place in whole.

Preheat ove to 400 degrees, brush tortillas with vegetable oil, cut into strips and spread on baking sheet, crisp in ove until golden and crunchy.

Serve soup with crisp tortilla strips, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese and fresh cubed avacado. We also make cheese quesadillas to go along the side with salsa/sour cream.

Notes from recipe owner: This recipe is very easy and good. I often double the recipe and place the other half in the freezer to eat at a later meal. My children also don't like chucnks so I puree the green chilies and tomatoes in the blender and add that to the soup and use onion flakes instead.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

I was quickly trying to find something to make for dinner the other night, when I ran across this. I wasn't 100% convinced it would be good, but thought that we like pasta and we like enchiladas, so let's give it a go. It was easier than rolling and make enchiladas and tasted really good. Got compliments from my husband, but my 7 year old thought it might be a tad on the spicey side. We just put a little more sour cream on hers. I think if you were concerned, you could cut out 1 of the cans of green enchilada sauce and substitute with cream of chicken soup. This recipe made enough for dinner and then I put the rest in a covered dish to heat again in a couple of days. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Chicken Enchilada Pasta Serves 6-8 *Plan Ahead: the recipe calls for cooked chicken so use leftovers or plan enough time to cook the chicken beforehand. 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 1 medium onion, diced 1 red pepper, diced 4-ounce can diced green chilies 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild) 2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild) 1 can large black olives, cut in half 1 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar) 16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips. BTW, I got this from My Kitchen Cafe. Hope it was okay that I used her picture

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A neighbor brought this soup to me a while ago and it has quickly become a family favorite. In fact I made it last night so I could post a picture - unfortunately it was eaten before I got my camera out. I guess that isn't really a bad thing - family loving your dinner so much they eat it all. That doesn't happen around our house very often - very picky kids!!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2 boxes Uncle Bens original Long Grain and Wild Rice

cook this following directions on box except use only 3 cups water total and shorten time to about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile:

In pot saute -

2 T butter

4 carrots sliced

4 celery stalks chopped

1 onion diced

(cook until onions are translucent)

now add:

6 cups chicken stock ( this is more rich than chicken broth)

2-3 chicken breast cooked and cubed

(I bottled chicken and just use one bottle shredding the chicken as I add it - this is the easiest way to make this soup)

cooked Rice with any remaining liquid

1 pint whipping cream - you didn't think it was all going to be good for you did you?

I sometimes end up adding more chicken stock because the rice takes alot of the liquid - just do what you like.

Simmer and serve. YUM!!!

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Smoke Alarm Chicken

This one is from my sister Steff (and I have no idea who she got it from). The bacon keeps your chicken breasts nice and tender. They call it smoke alarm chicken because you cook it on such a high temperature, there is a chance of smoke coming out of your oven. I did not have this problem, but if you do, it is a small price to pay for this tender deliciousness :)

SMOKE ALARM CHICKEN

boneless chken breasts
sage
salt & pepper
string cheese
bacon slices

Pound chicken breasts until evenly flat (I put my chicken breasts in a gallon size bag and then pound them so I don't get raw chicken goo all over everything). sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper on both sides. Cut a piece of string cheese, pull apart and spread on chicken. Roll up, tucking in ends. Wrap a slice of bacon around the chken securing with toohtpicks (not colored). Put on rack in a shallow baking dish. ake at 500 degrees (yes that is the correc tempeature) fo 8 minutes, turn over and bake another 8 minute. Serve.

Note: Mine takes a little longer to cook, so you may want to check them before considering done.

Chicken Lettuce Cups

I've recently become a fan of the show "Guy's Big Bite" on the Food Network. Okay, I became a fan after I watched it once and he happened to make this recipe and I really liked it. I got on the website and it had great reviews and I tried it and we thought it was pretty tasty. So...here ya go. (Here's the link to the recipe on the actual Food Network website just in case you don't trust me... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/chicken-lettuce-cups-recipe/index.html)


Chicken Lettuce Cups

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Prep Time: 40 min
Cook Time: 2 min
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 small carrots, diced
1/2 celery rib, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
5 snap peas, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup mung beans, cut in 1/2 (I just used bean sprouts chopped up)
2 chicken breast, diced
6 ounces Apricot Sesame Sambal Szechwan Sauce, recipe follows
5 fried wonton skins
6 iceberg lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons diced green onions
2 tablespoons crushed, unsalted peanuts
Black sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions
In a medium saute pan over high heat, add oil.
Add vegetables, and chicken, saute for 45 seconds. Deglaze with sambal sauce for 30 seconds.

Add wonton to lettuce cup, pour chicken and veg mix into cup, top with green onions and peanuts. Garnish lettuce cups with black sesame seeds.

Ingredients
Apricot Sesame Sambal Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons sambal hot sauce (I couldn't find this so I left it out as suggested by some of the reviews)
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon minced cilantro
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Shake before serving.

Southwest Chicken Salad

1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn

2 large chicken breasts or 4 regular sized (I used 4 frozen ones from Costco)

1 can black bans, rinsed and drained

1 jar of MEDIUM salsa (or hot, but not mild, mild will lose all flavor while cooking)

1 bag corn chips

Garnish with any of the following:

sour cream

shredded cheese

cilantro

avacado

salsa

tomato

onion

lettuce

Place corn on bottom of a crock pot. Follow with chicken breasts. Top with black beans and salsa. Cook in crock pot on high for 5 hours. Remove chicken and shred with forks. Place shredded chicken back in crock pot and mix with corn and beans. Place a handful of chips on plate and slightly crush with the palm of your hand. Place a good sized portion of chicken mixture on top of chips and garnish as you'd like. This really needs the chips to bring all the flavors together. The saltiness of the chips makes it so yummy! Reheats well. You can also you torilla chips instead of corn chips.

This was a once shot picture. Just as I was ready to try another angle my battery went dead. So hopefully the first one was good enough for you to get an idea of what this looks like. My family really enjoyed it, not to mention it was nice to throw together this morning and have something warm and substantial to feed them for dinner.

Barbecue Chicken

I started pondering some of my favorite recipes that I haven't made in awhile, and since it is close to summer, I remember loving this barbecue chicken. It reminds me of this stand at our local King County Fair that would make the best smelling and tasting chicken ever! I think it was run by the Kiwanas. Anyway, this recipe is very close to it. I like this recipe because you precook the chicken half way, so when you go to barbecue you don't have to wait forever for your chicken to get done. I did overcook my chicken when I precooked it, but it was still really tasty. I think it was because you baste it as it cooks so it still stayed decently moist. I also boiled the left over marinade (so it would be safe to eat after you marinade your half cooked chicken in it) and served it with the chicken. Hope you like this as much as I do.

Barbecue Chicken

3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup salad oil (I would half or possibly quarter this amount)
3/4 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
3 T sugar
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 tsp prepared mustard (I also cut this down a little)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
chicken breasts (in this recipe I prefer it on the bone, but this could be used on whole chicken pieces). If you use boneless chicken breasts I would just marinade without precooking.

Saute onion in oil until tender. Simmer the remaining ingredients until thick. Boil chicken in salt water until partially done. Marinade (I did this overnight) - barbecue and brush with sauce until it is cooked through (juices run clear when poked with a fork).

A hit for dinner last night!

So I tried a recipe off the picky palate blog last night. You should have seen my kids faces when I placed it on the table, they were not happy to say the least. In fact, in the blessing on the food my 11 year old prayed that he would be able to eat the meal and not throw up - it is such a pleasure to cook for them! Now for the good news - they loved it! There was some spinach and aparagus pushed to the side of a couple plates but all in all it was a success. I did change one small thing on the recipe, it calls for alot of gorgonzola cheese so I just swapped amounts with the parmesan cheese. We still got the rich flavor without it being overwhelming. I even remembered to take a picture, it's nothing like the picky palate pictures but it's a start.

I highly recommend this recipe, in fact I finished it off for lunch today - Yummy!
The recipe is posted below with the cheese amounts already swapped the way I made it.

Spinach and Asparagus Chicken Linguini in a Parmesan Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

12 oz uncooked linguini pasta

1 Bunch asparagus tips

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

Pinch of salt and pepper

3 Cups lowfat milk

¼ Cups crumbled gorgonzola

1¼ Cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 Cups baby spinach

2 medium size chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

10 strips precooked bacon, crisped and crumbled

Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan filled ¾ full of water to boil. Place asparagus tips in hot water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove and place into a bowl of ice water to shock and stop cooking. Set aside.
2. Place butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat to melt. Whisk in flour, pinch of salt and pepper until combined. Slowly whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium high. While whisking, heat until milk comes to a light boil.

Reduce heat to low and immediately stir in parmesan and gorgonzola until melted. Stir in chopped spinach, linguini, asparagus, chicken and half the bacon.

Gently toss to coat, season with pinches of salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a large serving bowl and garnish top with remaining crumbled bacon pieces.