Grilled chicken with cheese rice (Steven's special)

http://www.eunamaes.com/2016/10/stevens-special-mexican-chicken-and.html

Photo & recipe credit: http://www.eunamaes.com/

Broccoli cheddar chicken and dumpling soup

http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/broccoli-cheddar-chicken-and-dumpling-soup/


Photo and recipe credit: http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Cream cheese chicken enchiladas

http://www.eunamaes.com/2015/02/cream-cheese-chicken-enchiladas.html

Recipe and photo credit: http://www.eunamaes.com/

Thai coconut curry chicken soup

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2016/08/thai-coconut-curry-chicken-soup/

Recipe and photo credit: http://www.cookingclassy.com/

Barbecue chicken chili

Well y'all, it is officially chili season.  There is nothing I love more on a cold night than a fire in the fireplace and a pot of chili on the stove!  We made this BBQ chicken chili from Skinnytaste with friends on Halloween night, and it was a big hit!!

Sweet potato & chicken chili

The temperatures have finally started to cool off around here, and we jumped at the chance to make this sweet potato & chicken chili from Pinch of Yum.  It is thick, hearty and delicious- welcome, Fall!!

SWEET POTATO & CHICKEN CHILI

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. chicken breasts

5 cups chicken broth

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)

2 14-ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Cilantro, for topping

Instructions:

1). Poach the chicken: Bring the chicken broth to a rolling boil and add the raw chicken breasts. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken continue to cook in the broth for another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, let cool, and shred with two forks. Reserve 2 cups of broth.

2). Saute the veggies: Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño and saute until tender. Add the chili powder, salt, and sweet potatoes. Saute until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned.  Add the fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, shredded chicken and reserved broth. Stir and cover with a tight fitting lid. Keep over medium low heat for 45 minutes without stirring.

3). Make it saucy: After 45 minutes, uncover and you’ll see a bunch of chicken and veggies with hardly any liquid. Perfect. Add 2 cups of water (or less, as needed) and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with cilantro.

Chinese orange chicken

We've been on a bit of a Chinese chicken kick lately.  There's just something about coating chicken in yumminess and giving it a light fry that calls our name.  This recipe from Cooking Classy is a keeper!

CHINESE ORANGE CHICKEN

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless, chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp grated orange zest (zest of 1 1/2 large oranges)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp dried ginger

2 Tbsp grated yellow onion (be sure to get some of the juices when measuring)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (optional)

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided

2 Tbsp cold water

2 large eggs

Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

Cooked rice, for serving

Chopped green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

Place chicken pieces in a gallon size resealable bag, and set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, granulated sugar, ginger, yellow onion, garlic, Sriracha and black pepper. Whisk well, then measure out 2/3 cup of the mixture and pour it over the chicken in the resealable bag. Seal bag while pressing excess air out, and press chicken into marinade. Place bag in a bowl or baking dish and refrigerate 30 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, return remaining sauce mixture in saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil, stirring frequently. In a small bowl whisk together 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water then stir cornstarch mixture into sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 1 - 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until thickened, remove from heat.

Pour vegetable oil into a large cast iron dutch oven, filling pot about 1 1/2-inches deep and heat oil to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a shallow dish until well blended. Pour remaining 1 1/4 cups cornstarch into a separate shallow dish. Remove chicken from refrigerator and drain and discard marinade from chicken. Dip chicken pieces into egg, followed by cornstarch (evenly coat), then carefully place 1/3 of the chicken pieces into preheated oil and cook for 5 - 7 minutes until golden, turning once during cooking. Using skimmer, remove fried chicken from oil and transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain excess oil. Repeat process with remaining chicken working in two more batches.

Put drained fried chicken into a bowl and toss with sauce. Serve warm over white or brown rice, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

General Tso's chicken

We've tried several Chinese food recipes at this house (Robert loooooooooooves soy sauce), but this one from Tasty Kitchen is the most successful one so far.  I assume it's the cornstarchy mixture that the chicken gets covered in, because it creates a perfect coating and texture once it's fried.  And then there's that sauce... seriously, this is so, so good.  Try it!

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

FOR THE CHICKEN:

1 ½ teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 egg white

¼ cups plus 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (original calls for chicken thighs, I used chicken breast)

Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced

1 cup chicken broth or stock

¼ cups soy sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon Chinese chile-garlic sauce

3 Tablespoons raw (turbinado) sugar

4 scallions, thinly sliced

White or brown rice, for serving

Instructions:

Prep your chicken:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, egg white, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until a thick slurry forms. It will look gummy but smooth.

Add the chicken pieces and stir until all are evenly coated. Set chicken aside, covered lightly with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Begin the sauce:
Add the tablespoon of oil to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Stir the garlic and ginger into the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour into the garlic and ginger, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick and shiny. Once the sauce thickens, lower heat and keep the saucepan over a low burner partially covered to stay warm.

To fry the chicken:
Heat 1/2-inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided frying pan or skillet over high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add one piece of chicken at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown and crisp on both sides.  Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process until you’ve cooked all the chicken.

Then slide all of the fried chicken into the prepared sauce and toss to coat.  Increase the heat to medium, stir and cook just until hot all the way through.  Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve immediately over rice.

Chicken BLT salad

Dinner last night was this simple, delicious, chicken BLT salad from Cooking Light.  I'll emphasize the word simple because I took a few shortcuts that greatly reduced the number of ingredients AND time/effort required for this recipe.  The original recipe is here if you want to make your own dressing and use a buttermilk coating for the chicken.  OR, you can drive down Easy Street and use ranch dressing for both, which is what we did. The original recipe also does the salad wedge-style with iceberg, but we're romaine fans so we did a chopped version.  Robert and I both loved this one, and I know it will be on the menu again soon! 

CHICKEN BLT SALAD

Yield: 6 salads

Ingredients:

Ranch dressing, for coating chicken and dressing the salad (we used Naturally Fresh jalapeno ranch, which I highly recommend.  Found in the refrigerated section in produce)

3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3 Tbsp canola oil

Iceberg or romaine lettuce

2 cups chopped plum tomatoes

3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Prepare 2 shallow dishes with ranch dressing and panko. Dip chicken in dressing, then dredge in the panko. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chicken. Cook 4 minutes; turn over. Bake at 425° for 14 minutes or until done. Let chicken stand 10 minutes; slice crosswise.

Divide lettuce between 6 plates. Top each serving with chicken, tomato, and tablespoons dressing. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Chicken soup with avocado relish

We made this chicken soup from Cooking Light last week and it is FANTASTIC!  The guacamole on top was an a-ha moment- why didn't I think of that??  Try it- you'll love it.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH AVOCADO RELISH
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Spice blend:

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup:

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided 

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

2 cups chopped sweet onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper 

1 cup chopped green bell pepper 

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper 

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 32-ounce carton fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth 

1 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Relish:

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice

1 diced avocado 

Instructions

1. Prepare spice blend: combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

2. To prepare soup, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons spice blend over chicken. Sauté 8 minutes or until done; cool. Shred chicken; set aside.

3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with remaining spice blend; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, corn, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice.

4. To prepare relish, combine chopped cilantro and next 4 ingredients (through avocado).

5. Serve soup topped with avocado relish.

Chicken tostadas with avocado salsa

Today's post in my Easy Street series are chicken tostadas with avocado salsa from Cooking Light.  This one goes in the easy category because not only does it use rotisserie chicken (someone else does the cooking for you- genius!), but it also suggests using prechopped onion and tomatoes (from a salad bar, I guess?  Dunno, I chopped my own).  Whichever way you slice it, it's simple and delicious, with lots of flavor from the avocado salsa.  

CHICKEN TOSTADAS AND AVOCADO SALSA

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chopped tomato 

1/2 cup chopped white onion 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, peeled and diced 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 (6-inch) flour tortillas 

2 cups shredded green leaf lettuce

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups shredded boneless rotisserie chicken breast

1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco (or whatever cheese you prefer)

Instructions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add tomato, onion, cilantro, and avocado; toss gently to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 3/4 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1 tortilla to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons oil and tortillas.

Layer each tortilla with lettuce, beans, chicken, avocado salsa, and cheese.

Chicken soft tacos

We modified this recipe for chicken and cheese tortas (Mexican sandwiches) from Food & Wine magazine to create these delicious chicken soft tacos.  It uses a technique similar to pork carnitas, where you smash the meat in an oiled pan to fry the bottom to crispy perfection.  (I marked the tomatillo salsa ingredient as optional, because we thought it overpowered the other flavors).  Can't wait to make these again!

CHICKEN SOFT TACOS

Yield: 4-6 tacos

Ingredients

1 avocado, chopped

2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used sour cream)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 small red onion, minced

1 small jalapeño, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 cups thickly shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie or baked)

1 1/2 cups shredded fresh mozzarella

2 tablespoons grated Cotija or parmesan cheese

Flour tortillas, warmed

1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños

1/2 cup jarred tomatillo salsa (optional)

Instructions

In a bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Stir in the yogurt/sour cream, lime juice, onion, jalapeño, cumin and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken in an even layer and cook over moderately high heat until crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Scatter the mozzarella and Cotija/parmesan cheeses over the chicken, cover the skillet and remove from the heat. Let stand until the mozzarella is melted.

Spread tortillas with the avocado mixture. Top with the chicken, then add the pickled jalapeños and tomatillo salsa. Serve immediately.

Spicy Moroccan chicken skewers

A few weeks ago at the lake we made these spicy Moroccan chicken skewers from Cooking Light.  They are super-simple, and a great grill recipe for the summer!  Don't forget the Greek yogurt to help cool things down- these guys are spicy!

SPICY MOROCCAN CHICKEN SKEWERS

Yield: 12 skewers

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste (such as sambal oelek)

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 36 pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Cherry tomatoes 

Cooking spray

1/4 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

Instructions

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Scrape mixture into a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken and seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning after 1 hour.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken, peppers and tomatoes alternately onto each skewer, beginning and ending with chicken; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with yogurt. (I seasoned our yogurt with a squeeze of lime juice, cumin and salt for extra-kick).

Chicken flautas

Here's another fine option for Cinco de Mayo (or any other day of the year).  These chicken and cheddar flautas from Food & Wine are pan fried - and out of this world.  The beauty of this recipe is that there are countless combinations and ingredients you can sub to create your own version- steak, ground turkey, vegetarian- you name it, I bet it will be delicious!

CHICKEN FLAUTAS

Yield: 12 flautas

Ingredients

2 jalapeños

2 cups finely shredded cooked chicken

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

12 corn or flour tortillas

Vegetable oil, for frying

Sour cream, for serving

Other filling ideas are cliantro, lime juice and red onion

Instructions

1. Skewer the jalapeños on a metal skewer or fork and roast over a flame until blackened, 3 minutes. Wrap in foil and let cool slightly. Rub off the skins and remove the seeds, then finely chop.

2. Transfer the jalapeños to a bowl and add the chicken, cheese and cumin. Season with salt and pepper; toss well.

3. Wrap half of the tortillas in a towel and microwave at high power for 1 minute, until pliable. Arrange the tortillas on a surface and pack half of the chicken filling into cylinders across the bottoms. Tightly roll the tortillas around the filling, securing with toothpicks. Repeat to form the remaining flautas.

4. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fry half of the flautas over moderate heat, turning, until golden and crisp all over and heated through, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Fry the remaining flautas.  Remove toothpicks and serve the flautas with sour cream.

Chicken carne asada tacos

I have a few Mexican recipes to share this week in honor of Cinco de Mayo.  First up, are these chicken carne asada tacos from Cooking Light.  A tasty taco with quick pickled onions, chicken, and lovely avocado (which somehow was absent when I took this photo-  0ops.  Do as I say, not as I do).

CHICKEN CARNE ASADA TACOS

Yield: 8 tacos

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange) 

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes) 

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium red onion, thinly vertically sliced 

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed and cut into thin strips

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp  freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas

1 avocado, diced 

1/2 cup cheese (Cotija, Feta, Monterey Jack or Pepperjack)

Lime wedges, optional

Instructions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place onion in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; drain and plunge onion in ice water. Drain onion; add to juice mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned and done, stirring occasionally.

3. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide chicken evenly among tortillas. Drain onion; divide evenly among tortillas. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons avocado and 1 tablespoon cheese; fold over. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Chicken cheesesteaks

We made these delicious chicken cheesesteak sandwiches from Confections of a Foodie Bride blog, who was inspired by the popular restaurant Texadelphia in well, Texas.  Say howdy to grilled chicken, onions, peppers, and a fantastic mustard sauce- yum!

 CHICKEN CHEESESTEAKS

 Yield: 4-6 sandwiches

Ingredients

 

        For the sandwiches:

        1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, partially frozen (easier to slice)

        2 Tbsp olive oil

        Worcestershire sauce

        Salt & Pepper

        1 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced

        1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

        1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

        4-6 slices of your favorite cheese

        4-6 hoagie rolls, split

        For the mustard spread:

        1/4 cup light mayo

        3 Tbsp spicy brown mustard

        2 tsp teriyaki sauce

        1 tsp honey, plus more to taste

 Instructions

 

1. To make the mustard spread, whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate in a covered jar.  Any remaining sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

2. If the chicken is completely thawed, place it on a plastic-wrapped plate and put it back in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. The chicken needs to be slightly frozen so it's easier to slice thinly. 

3. Use a very sharp knife to thinly slice the chicken.  Season the chicken with a couple dashes of Worcestershire, salt and pepper.

4. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add the peppers and onions, toss to coat with oil, and cook covered for 10-15 minutes, until softened, stirring every few minutes. If necessary, add a couple Tbsp of water to prevent sticking.  Transfer peppers to a bowl and set aside.

5. Heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat and add the chicken, stirring frequently until cooked through and lightly browned.  Drain fat and reduce heat to medium.  Add peppers back to the pan, tossing to reheat.

6. Spread mustard on split hoagie rolls and add chicken and peppers.  Top each with a slice of cheese and serve hot. (Pop the sandwiches under the broiler, if necessary, to reheat and melt the cheese).

       

Cilantro-lime jalapeno chicken salad

I saw this chicken salad recipe from Daily Crave on Pinterest and immediately bookmarked it for a future lunch.  I made it a day-ahead at a time that was convenient for me, and I loved that it was ready to go the next day for a simple, delicious lunch!

Cilantro-Lime Jalapeno Chicken Salad

Yield: 3-4 servings

§             3 chicken breasts

§             1 jalapeño, diced (with seeds scraped out)

§             4 Tbls cilantro, coarsely chopped

§             1 lime, juiced

§             1/4 red onion, finely diced

§             1/3 cup mayo (more if needed for your desired consistency)

§             1 Tbls Dijon mustard

§             1 tsp cumin

§             salt and pepper

§             2 ripe avocados (or for a sandwich good French or Italian bread)

Season chicken with salt and pepper and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Let chicken cool,  then shred with a fork. 

Add mayo, Dijon, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper and mix to combine.  (Add more mayo and lime here if necessary).  Mix in red onion, jalapeño and cilantro. Cool in fridge for several hours to let flavors merge, and serve with avocado or on French bread with a slice of provolone cheese.

Prosciutto-wrapped ricotta-stuffed chicken

We made these prosciutto-wrapped ricotta-stuffed chicken breasts from Rachael Ray last week, and Robert was surprised how much he enjoyed it because according to him, "it's hard to make a chicken breast exciting".  I agree, but this recipe takes the lowly chicken breast to a new level by stuffing it with parmesan herb ricotta, then wrapping it in thinly sliced prosciutto.  Delicious!!


PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED RICOTTA-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp. grated parmigiano-reggiano
• 1 small clove garlic, grated or pasted
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• A few leaves basil, chopped
• A couple sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 4 small pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast, butterflied
• EVOO, for drizzling
• 4 thin slices prosciutto di parma
• A splash white wine
• 1 tbsp. butter
•    

• DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano, garlic, parsley, basil and thyme. Place some of the ricotta mixture on each butterflied piece of chicken and fold the breast over. Drizzle with EVOO and wrap with the prosciutto.
  2. Heat an ovenproof skillet with a drizzle of EVOO. Add the chicken bundles and brown over medium-high heat, turning once, for 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to the oven to cook through, 12 to 15 minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken from the pan and deglaze the pan with the wine. Swirl in the butter. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.