I recently snagged a copy of Cooking Light magazine from the library with the intention of reading it on my lunch break at work. Truth be told, I generally work through my lunch (my anal retentiveness and all with trying to catch up on old projects), but I managed to skim it here at home.
There are several great-looking recipes I want to try, and I already have almost all the ingredients on hand. Bonus! This is one we had for dinner earlier this week, and we both really enjoyed how light it was.
Chicken with Lemon-Onion Pasta
Adapted from Cooking Light, Oct. 2010, p. 96
2 lg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 c. (+/-) all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 1/2 tsp. jarred minced garlic
1/4 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 water
1 chicken bouillon cube (I prefer soup base, but this was all I had on hand)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (I used bottled with great results)
Hot cooked pasta (I like angel hair)
Cook pasta according to directions, omitting salt & fat. Drain and keep warm.
Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap or in a large, sturdy ziplock bag. Pound flat with a heavy skillet or meat mallet.
Place flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture, shaking to remove excess.
Heat 1Tbsp. butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 (+/-) minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Melt another tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and a light sprinkle of salt; saute 4 minutes. Add water, bouillon cube and lemon juice; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter. Add the pasta to the onion mixture; toss well to combine. Serve chicken over the pasta mixture.
Ok, so I definitely deviated from the original recipe. It called for leeks instead of onions, but I forgot to pick some up at the produce market and refused to pay $2.99 for 2-3 of them at the regular grocery store. Besides, anything from the garlic/onion family makes me happy, so I subbed the onion in with no problem. Also, I was lazy and didn't pound out the chicken breasts. I deeply regretted this early on when I realized that I'd have to add water to the chicken pan and cover to steam the breasts because they just weren't going to cook through without burning the outside. A nice crust formed on the outside, but I lost that when I added the water. It would have been even crazier-tasty with the crust still intact, so I don't recommend skipping the pound-out stage. Also, the original called for 4 breasts, 6 ounces each. I used 2 very large breasts, which could have easily been enough for 4 people had I pounded them out. Actually, I ate about half of the breast I'd made for myself and Buppy had the rest of mine for lunch with the leftover pasta the next day.
This recipe was pretty simple to make, and I loved how 'Spring-y' it tasted. Light and fresh from the lemon juice, and the sauce was barely there. Enough to lend flavor to the pasta, which we both thought would be bland, but it wasn't a heavy sauce that weighed me down after I was done. Next time, I think I might add some artichoke hearts when I start sauteing the onions. How delicious does that sound? Enjoy!
Sorry about the picture quality. I have my new fancy-schmancy camera but have yet to figure out exactly what type of lighting I need for the best quality shots. I'm working on it though!
Last week, I decided to experiment with some Philadelphia Cooking Creme. Kraft First Taste sent me 2 coupons for the stuff, one for a free container and one for $1.50 off another container. I found them on sale for $2.50 each at a local grocery store, so I basically paid 50 cents for each one.
I decided I wanted to do a chicken, veggie and pasta dish, so I started off by roasting up some fresh broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and celery. The veggies were tossed in EVOO and seasoned lightly with some Mrs. Dash Herb and Garlic seasoning. I roasted everything at 425F for about 10 minutes.
For the chicken, I pounded out 2 boneless, skinless breasts and cut them into slices. I put 2 spoonfuls of flour into a plastic bag, seasoned it with garlic salt, black pepper and dried basil and added the chicken . . . then I shook it all around. I did the Hokey-Pokey . . . Oh wait, back to the chicken. I poured a tablespoon of canola oil (give or take) into a skillet and heated it on medium-high. I cooked the chicken in 2 batches (adding more oil as necessary) and removed to a plate (with a paper towel on it to absorb any excess oil).
I cooked up about 3/4 of a box of penne rigate per the instructions on the box, then combined the chicken, roasted veggies and pasta in a large skillet. I added 3/4 of the container of Italian Herb cooking creme, stirred it all together and heated through over medium heat until everything was warmed. Note: the pasta was cooked extra al dente because I knew it would continue to cook while I heated the mixture in the skillet. I added a little stock to the pan with the cooking creme, just because I wanted to thin the mixture out a little.
Thanks again to Kraft First Taste for allowing me to give it a try for free!
I know it's already Tuesday and I'm just now posting our week's menu plan, but better late than never, right? Besides, then I can refer back to this post instead of my ugly scratched up list when I totally forget what I'm supposed to be making. Good times.
Monday: Garden salads (lettuce, tomato, cremini mushrooms, celery, scallions & shredded cheddar cheese) topped with blackened chicken
Tuesday: Chicken-fried steak & gravy
Wednesday: A spin on grilled ham & cheese pull-apart sandwich loaf. If the turkey in the fridge is still good, we plan to use that instead of ham. Also, I have to see what type of cheese I have in the fridge; I think we have several, so I might mix 2 together. And since it's just the 2 of us eating, I might use buns instead of a whole loaf of bread. No need to waste food, right? Lastly, I keep seeing this butter/worcestershire mix that other foodies are brushing on top of sammys before warming in the oven. I might try to find that recipe and brush it on our sammys, too. Who knows where this dinner will eventually end up!
Thursday: I'm usually by myself because Thursdays are Buppy's overnight, but I think my sister is coming into town on Thursday (to stay for the weekend, yay!), so I think I'll try Alfredo pizza. My sister loves Alfredo sauce, and since the pizza has lots of spinach on it, I'm not sure how Buppy will like it. If it's good, I can always make some for him another night.
Friday: Onion beef stroganoff
Saturday: We'll be at a friend's surprise birthday party, to which we're bringing a hot pizza dip (unless I change my mind before then). My sister will be at a show she came to town to see, so no need to worry about her either. I'm sure lunch will be sandwiches and/or leftovers.
Sunday: This is my free day. By the time it rolls around, I hope to have something in mind. As of right now, I'm completely blank. I guess we'll see if my sister has any ideas for something she'd like me to make. We'll see.
I’m a big chicken fan, and we often cook with boneless, skinless breasts because they’re relatively healthy, quick and easy. I’m also a huge fan of artichokes, although I’ll admit more so the canned version than the fresh ones [which are so much work for such little reward!] White wine you say? Heck yes, throw some in! ‘Shrooms? Couldn’t live without ‘em. This dish was obviously a no-brainer for me. Turns out, I’m a fan of it, too! Shocker!
I must admit I was a bit skeptical when I saw there were no onions or garlic. I thought to myself, “Self, who cooks like that?” However both Buppy and I were pleasantly surprised and appreciated how light it turned out.
Chicken & Artichokes with Wine Sauce
Adapted from Proceed with Caution, which she adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Bridal Edition, page 427
¼ c. white flour
½ tsp. dried sage
Salt & pepper, to taste
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts [in water], quartered
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch1/3 c. dry white wine
1/3 c. chicken broth
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish Freshly cooked angel hair pasta
In a shallow dish, stir together flour, sage, approx. ¼ tsp. salt [I didn’t actually measure] and approx. 1/8 tsp. freshly cracked pepper. Coat the chicken breasts in this flour mixture.
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over med.-high heat until hot. Cook chicken in hot oil until no longer pink. The breasts I was cooking were relatively thick, even after they were pounded down slightly, and they took about 14 minutes to cook through. The original recipe recommends 8-10 minutes, so keep an eye on them and continue to temp. or cut one open to test for doneness. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm once cooked.
In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms and artichoke hearts in hot butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until artichokes are tender.
In a container with a lid [so you can shake all this together], mix cornstarch, wine, broth and a pinch of salt. Shake until cornstarch is dissolved, then add this mixture to the skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
Place a chicken breast [or half of one, depending on their size] on a bed of hot angel hair pasta and top with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Side note: The pan I used to cook everything in is raised in the center and lays flat around the outside, so thickening my sauce at the end was a challenge because only the little that stuck to the middle was thickening and the rest flowed to the outside where it wasn’t. Boo. Make sure to use a flat pan so you don’t have the same trouble. Side note, part deux: There wasn't a lot of sauce, so don't get your hopes up. Just want to make you aware. I'm thinking next time I might double the wine/broth and add a little extra cornstarch. Or possibly not serve it over pasta, but beside a potato or other starch.
Menu planning. Hmmm. Have had a hard time following through with things these past few weeks. We'll see if this week is any better.
Monday: Parmigiano & herb chicken tenders, baked sweet potato chips & honeydew melon
Tuesday: cheesy chicken zucchini casserole & green salad
Wednesday: BLTs, baked potato rounds with cheese & raw carrots
Thursday: home alone, so probably leftovers
Friday: Pampered chef party
Saturday lunch: grilled Boca burgers, fresh fruits/veggies on hand
Saturday dinner: grilled chicken breasts & healthified crunchy Asian slaw
Sunday lunch: sloppy Joes & fresh fruit/veggies on hand
Sunday dinner: pizzas & green salad
Those darn chicken tenders have been on our menu plan for 3-4 weeks now, and I'm making them tonight if it kills me [although I must be honest, I'm hoping it doesn't!] The cheesy chicken zucchini casserole is going to be a spin-off of a recipe I found on allrecipes.com, so if it's good, I'll share. If not, you'll never hear about it again! I tried to do things that require minimal effort this week to perhaps help keep me on track better. Here goes nothin' . . .
Menu plan, menu plan, menu plan. Sometimes I feel like that’s all I do. I know it’s not, and it’s funny how much I struggle some weeks since I have a zillion recipes I want to try . . . it’s just a matter of thinking about them, and sometimes I’m forgetful.
This week Buppy is working overtime on Friday, so I’ll be alone 2 nights. We’re not really sure what we’re doing on Saturday either, so I figure I won’t plan past lunch on that day since we’ll probably be out with friends or spending the night somewhere else. Perhaps not, but we’re trying to figure out something fun to do this weekend.
Monday: chicken tortilla casserole [recipe I’ve had for a long time and used to make in college but have yet to blog about] & fresh pineapple
Tuesday: beef fajitas & refried bean [we have a lot of fajita meat leftover from the party that needs to be cooked & eaten]
Wednesday: Parmigiano & herb chicken tenders & green salad [yes, these tenders have been on the menu for 3 weeks now and we still haven’t gotten around to making them!]
Thursday: I’m home alone, so I’ll probably do tuna, hot dogs, a ham sammy, leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Friday: a repeat performance of Thursday night
Saturday breakfast & lunch: simple stuff around the house [eggs, bacon & toast, tuna sammys, hot dogs, etc.]
Saturday dinner: most likely out somewhere, so I’m not making any plans as of yet. If things change towards the end of the week, I’ll worry about it then.
Sunday breakfast & lunch: again, simple things we have around the house since that’s easy and what we pretty much always do. Oooo, BLTs sound great [we had those for lunch on Sunday and they were so tasty!]Sunday’s dinner: I think I might try out a new recipe I’ve been eyeing: chicken & artichokes with a wine sauce, probably served over angel hair pasta.
Last week's menu plan was totally a bust. Ok, mostly a bust. Why? Because Buppy's back is whack, which meant I spent Tuesday-Thursday at home helping to take care of him, take him to appointments, watching the kids, etc. Needless to say, without his help in running the household, there were times I turned to much easier things than what I'd planned to make. Oh well. Again, we survived as usual.
This week is going to be a busy one because we're getting ready for our annual crab feast and slip 'n slide party on Saturday. We invite all friends and most of the families [who rarely show up] for a day of crabs, tons of other food, drinks, games, a 75' slip 'n slide and a fire in the fire pit after it gets dark. Such a lovely excuse to host a party and get everyone together! Anywho, this week we're in the process of getting the house ready for company [some overnight guests], trying to finish all grocery shopping, mow the law . . . well, you get the idea. It's all worth it in the end, but since we couldn't do much of anything last week to begin the prep work, it's a little more rushed now. With that said, I'm hoping to stick closely to our menu plan so it's one less thing to think and debate about at night when I get home from work.
Monday:Jalapeno popper dogs [yeah, didn't get around to this one last week] & leftover baked potato wedges
Tuesday: I'm home alone as it's Buppy's overnight at work, so I'll probably eat a leftover Italian turkey sausage we grilled up a few days ago and have some raw veggies
Wednesday: Saucy mushroom chicken with mashed spuds
Thursday: Grilled steak Caesar salads
Friday:Parmigiano & herb chicken breast tenders [didn't get to these last week either, and Buppy was sad because they're super tasty!] & Swiss scalloped potatoes [a new Light & Tasty recipe]
Saturday breakfast: A breakfast casserole I can make the night before so whoever wakes up first can pop it into the oven and be done with it. Not sure if I'm going to make this bagel & cheese bake I already know and enjoy, or branch out and try something new. Guess we'll see.
Saturday lunch & dinner: PARTY TIME! PLENTY OF FOOD EVERYWHERE!
Sunday breakfast: Buppy has to make chocolate chip pancakes for my friend's daughter, who had them last year and loves 'em. I think secretly that's the only reason she's coming back.[Kidding!]
Sunday lunch: Leftovers from the party, as there's generally plenty of food left.
Sunday dinner: Homemade pizzas, so we can make a variety to suite all tastes.
A friend mine from 8th grade and her family are coming up to stay with us Friday-Monday morning, which we're really looking forward to. Now to get the house clean in time . . .
Pop on over to orgjunkie.com for more great menu planning ideas!
I think I was a slacker this past week and didn't menu plan at all. Buppy's father and his wife were in town at the beginning, work has been somewhat stressful and I just didn't have the time or energy to menu plan. We survived all the same, so it's all good. But I'm back on it this week with some yummy recipes to try!
Monday lunch [because Buppy & I are both off work]: grilled brats, raw cauliflower, grapes
Monday dinner: spaghetti & meatballs, green salad
Tuesday: slow cooker easy beef & broccoli
Wednesday: grilled turkey Italian sausages, whatever fruits/veggies/salad we decide on
Thursday: my night home alone, so probably a tuna sandwich or leftovers
Friday: Parmigiano & herb chicken tenders, roasted cauliflower
Saturday: we're heading to a housewarming party that starts at 1pm, so no lunch or dinner plans
Sunday lunch: jalapeno popper dogs, cheese & crackers
Sunday dinner: cheeseburger pizza, green salad
It's that time again. Time to map out our meals for the week. Make sure we thaw what we need before the night we need it. Get any missing ingredients prior to attempting a recipe. Good stuff.
Last week was mostly on track with what I planned. We were thrown off mid-week because we didn't feel like making the ribs. Buppy loves ribs, but we got a bad 10 lb. box and are now just trying to use them up. We caved and ordered pizza one night, but then did the ribs the following night. They still weren't good, and after 1 rib, I was done. As I said, mostly on track though . . .
Monday: Leftover buffet / fend for yourself
Tuesday: Crab stuffed mushroom caps [no recipe yet, but I plan to devise my own]
Wednesday: Chicken in Poblano cream sauce [I love a restaurant version of this and am trying to recreate it]
Thursday: Leftover pork roast & sides from Sunday [my 1 night home alone]
Friday: Shrimp pizza Saturday lunch: Tuna melts, fresh fruits and/or veggies we have on hand
Saturday dinner: Beef & broccoli stir-fry over white rice
Sunday lunch: BLTs with fresh fruits and/or veggiesSunday dinner: Marinated grilled pork chops, baked sweet potato chips & green saladBuppy's father & his wife are coming down from NY and should arrive Sunday afternoon/evening, so Sunday through the following Tuesday night will be meals with them. Good times!
This recipe sounded like something Buppy and I would love from the minute I read it. With such great ingredients, how could one go wrong? While I might have overdone it a little with the bleu cheese [I get crazy with that sometimes!], it was still really good. I just have to remember that a cheese like bleu really intensifies when heated!
Open-faced Chicken Sandwiches
Adapted from Taste of Home's Light & Tasty Annual Recipes 2005
3 [3/4 inch] slices cut from a round, good-quality loaf of Italian bread
1/4 lb. fresh mushroom [I confess, I didn't measure]
1/4 med. yellow onion, sliced
1/4 c. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/8 c. crumbled bleu cheese [I used roughly 1/4 this time around and found it to be a lil' too much]
1 Tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/4 lb. cooked chicken [I boiled a leg quarter I had in the fridge and used meat from that, but you could use whatever you have on hand]
1/3 c. [4 oz.] shredded Italian blend cheese
In a large non-stick skillet , saute mushrooms and onion in butter for 8-10 minutes or until they're tender and golden brown; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, bleu cheese and pepper; mix well. Spread bleu cheese mixture over each bread slice. Top with chicken, mushroom mixture and other cheese. Place on a broiler pan; broil 4-6 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 2 servings [Buppy had 2 slices, I had one].
The original recipe didn't call for butter; instead, it wanted me to use non-stick cooking spray. I couldn't. Not for sauteing mushies and onions! Also, this recipe's ingredients are all basically quartered from the original version since it was just Buppy and I eating. The original also suggested toasting the bread prior to spreading on the mayo mixture. While I skipped it this time, I might do that next time just to see if it makes a difference. Oh, and the original recipe calls for French bread, I believe. I couldn't resist using a hearty Italian --- it was calling my name in the grocery store!
So there you have it. I modified it some, but that's the fun of being in the kitchen. Recipes aren't set in stone, they're a guide. Buppy and I liked this recipe and agreed we'd like to make it again. Enjoy!
I admit it, most of my recipe that I picked up while in college are things I've never actually made until now. And I feel really bad, because at that point in my life, I didn't really care where I got the recipe. I just copied it onto the computer and saved it to try at some future date. I have no idea where most of them came from, but now that's neither here nor there. I have yummy recipes and you can, too. Because nice girls share.
This is a recipe I actually have made once or twice, and I know for a fact that Buppy has made it for himself and the kids once (before we were cohabiting). I think they liked it; I know he did, but I'm not 100% sure about the kiddos. Who cares though, since their tastes change quicker than my undies. Is that sharing too much? Probably. Back to my point --- this recipe uses pantry ingredients, is quick to throw together, and you can pretty much forget it once you stick it in the oven. Unless you're like me and have an oven that bakes unevenly. Then you have to think about it again halfway through the baking process so one side doesn't over bake while the other doesn't fully bake. Take my advice and set a timer! What a pain. Ah, story of my life: the uneven-baking oven. Seriously.
Baked Chicken & Cheese
I got nothin'.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Mine generally run rather large, so I cut them in half and then they're the size of normal chicken breasts; if yours are small, use more.)
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c. skim milk
¼ c. reduced-fat sour cream
1 ½ c. herb stuffing mix
¼ c. melted butter
Mushrooms (optional, but I really love mushrooms!)
Place chicken in buttered 9"x13" baking dish; top with slices of cheese. Mix soup, milk and sour cream (and mushrooms, if using) together and pour over chicken/cheese. Top with stuffing and pour melted butter on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 30-40 minutes more.
Buppy's problem was that he thought this was a faster recipe than it is because he neglected to read the part about "bake 30-40 min. more after uncovering." I think he got mad at me. Not my fault Mr. I-didn't-read-the-recipe-through-before-beginning-dinner! If you've got the time, give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed! Enjoy!
*Linking this bad boy up to Life as Mom’s Ultimate Recipe Swap for Favorite Recipes today, 2/17/11.
Yup, you read right folks. I tried a bloody Mary chicken recipe I found waaaaay back in the day that I've been holding on to. Once again, I have no idea where I found this puppy.
The ingredients were pretty simple and all things I had on hand, which meant no special trip to the store, which meant a happy Bugaboo. And everyone loves a happy Bugaboo! Right . . . ?
I took some chicken out of the freezer before leaving for work the day prior to making this and let it thaw all day and over night in the fridge. That night, before heading to bed, I gathered the other few ingredients I'd need so assembly'd be a snap in morning. And that's exactly what it was.
The recipe said to cook for 7-10 hours on low, and by the time I got home, it was approximately 10 hours. Damn commute time. Oh well, at least I hoped to have an awesome dinner! It suggests to serve over rice and, while I had leftover rice in the fridge from a stir fry we'd made recently, I still didn't go for it. I should have used it up; that would have been the right thing to do. But I had a different idea. I love English muffins and think they make a great bed for things like this that have a sauce or gravy, so that's what I used instead.
Bloody Mary Chicken
No credit given here since I have no idea where this came from --- sorry. Man I suck at this game.
2 whole chicken breasts
1 can cream of something soup
1 c. V-8 juice
3 cloves garlic
Dash celery seed
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
I also added a cap full of lemon juice because my bloody Marys have to have lemon juice in them
Put all ingredients but chicken into a crock pot and stir; add chicken and bury in the sauce. Cook on low 7-10 hours; serve over rice.
The verdict? It was actually pretty good, but it didn't really taste anything like a bloody Mary. Ten hours for the size of my chicken breasts was too long and it had started to burn around the edges. I soaked the crock pot overnight, but Buppy said he still had to scrub it 3 times! Thanks hunny! Back to the chicken --- I garnished it with some chopped green olives because they're a staple in bloody Marys (mine anyway). It was great to have something salty mixed into the sauce, and the texture was a nice addition.
The leftovers are in the fridge right now; I saved some for Buppy so he gets to judge it and let me know if he thinks it's worth making again. I think I do. While not knock-my-socks-off fabulous, it was good for the amount of time and effort that was put into it. I'll probably just doctor it up a little more next time. Give it a try and see what you think!
Have you ever had buffalo chicken dip? I hadn't until I met Buppy. It's one of the yummy foods he's introduced me to, and I really appreciate that. It's not a complicated dip by any means and is pretty quick to come together. This would be an awesome addition to any Superbowl spread, trust me. If you like chicken wings, you're gonna love this dip. Buppy often eats it with flat bread, but I also discovered that it's crazy-tasty with celery sticks. Makes sense, right? You usually get celery sticks when you order buffalo chicken wings at restaurants, so it just seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, this helps me feel just a scoach more healthy. Yeah right.
Since I just recently blogged about how I'm trying to cook bone-in chicken in the crockpot to shred for use at a later time, this would be the type of recipe where I'd use the chicken. Because seriously, canned chicken just isn't quite right.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
No idea where Buppy picked up this recipe, but I'm sure there are a zillion different places it can be found.
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 lbs. of chopped or shredded chicken
3/4 c. Frank's Red Hot Original Hot Sauce
1 c. light/reduced fat ranch or Bleu cheese dressing
Heat cream cheese, hot sauce and dressing in a saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth, creamy and a somewhat orange-y color (doesn't that just sound healthy --- "an orange-y color"?) Add chicken and continue to heat until heated through. I added chopped pickles on top as garnish and to add a little bit of crunch; I must say they were a nice addition. Serve with Tostitos, flat bread, veggies, crackers or whatever else you can think of to dip.
I'm really surprised by some of the things Buppy has introduced me to that I'd never heard of/tasted previously. Was I living under a rock? Whatever the case, my recipe repertoire just keeps on growin'! Enjoy!
This is being linked up to this week's Ultimate Recipe Swap for favorite holiday foods. Buppy & I are excited to introduce this to the rest of my family next week when we head to Wisconsin for Christmas. My brother is pretty psyched for this, and Buppy's excited to be able to devour more of it, too! Check out Life as Mom’s blog for more great holiday dish ideas!
I love it when I don't believe the weathermen who predict snow for us, usually because I'm right and they're wrong and we get 5 flakes, max. But today? Different story. Thank goodness I headed out when I did this morning, or I probably wouldn't have made it out at all. I left the house around 10am to hit up 2 grocery stores; after my quick trip into the first one, I noticed on my way out that it was beginning to snow every so slightly. By the time I'd come out of the second, it was coming down pretty hard. Since MD drivers aren't exactly "top ranked" in snowy conditions, it's nice to be home and off the roads. It's also nice to have a fire in the fireplace crackling away, to watch the snow coming down outside, to smell the cinnamon crumb cake that just came out of the oven, and to know that I have chicken simmering away in the crockpot. This is the first day in roughly a week I haven't felt like complete crap-ola.
So about that chicken. I'm not sure how or why I never thought of this idea before, but I hadn't. I recently read about it on someone else's blog, and while I'd love to give credit to the person who got me thinkin' about this, I got nothin'. I completely spaced out where I read about this idea. I suck. But I'll be the sucky girl with lots of chicken soon!
Here's the idea that I'm lovin' right now: since bone-in chicken is pretty cheap, why not cook up a bunch of it in the crockpot all day, then pull it all off the bone, shred/chop it up and vacuum sealed bags for later use. Buppy and I use chicken in a lot of dishes, and a lot of the time we end up poaching boneless, skinless chicken breasts for something that requires shredded or chopped chicken, like the chicken enchilada dip wraps I made recently. Instead of using the more costly meat for dishes where it doesn't really matter what piece of the chicken it came from, why not make up a whole bunch of pre-cooked stuff? Brilliant. And pretty darn simple. I can usually find boneless, skinless chicken breasts anywhere from $1.69-$1.99/lb. on sale, but today I picked up leg quarters on sale for .49 cents/lb. I realize I don't as much meat since I have to bone and skin them once they're cooked, but that's ok. Plus, I get some really great chicken broth to use in soups. Yeah, I'm so all over this one. I see it going pretty well in my head, and hopefully later tonight it'll all play out like I'm imagining. I'll let ya know. I'm cooking 5+ lbs. right now.
As for my sickness? It's finally releasing it's death grip on me, slowly but surely. I missed Monday, worked only a few hours on Thursday and called out on Friday. It's gone from stomach to head cold to stomach to head cold several times within the past week. If this is indeed karma, you'd think I killed someone. I'm still a lil' stuffy and my stomach is still not quite right, but that's the usual for moi. Come Monday, I'm gonna have to jump back into work full force after missing so much last week. Thank goodness it was a relatively slow week.
Lastly, I'd like to share a simple but wow-was-it-tasty sandwich idea with you. I'm sure anyone could have looked around my kitchen and come up with this, so it's by no means mind blowing. But should you find yourself with all of these ingredients (or something similar) on hand, throw 'em together and prepare to be dazzled. Well, your taste buds at least.
I split open a hamburger bun we happened to have leftover, then threw some sliced tomato on top. I left it open faced and made each half the same since I knew from the get-go it wasn't going to fit in my mouth if I tried to make it a regular sammy. I topped each half with bacon slices, avocado, lettuce and part of a chicken breast we'd made in the rotisserie the night before that had marinated in a garlic-peppercorn mix. I meant to put a little mayo on the bun to moisten things up, but since I forgot, I added a little to my plate and dip my bites in. Not healthy, but seriously, it was crying out for mayo and I couldn't say no. So the sammy wasn't easy to eat, even with a knife and fork, but I loved every minute of it. The buttery texture of the avocado really added the extra ooomph I was looking for and really, who doesn't love bacon and chicken? So that's it. Simple. Tasty. Messy. And mmmm-mmmm good.
This recipe is thanks to Buppy. I'm not actually sure where he got it from, so I have no other credit to give. It's really tasty, not too complicated and yet fancy enough for company. I'm sure you could mix up the filling to suite your tastes. Hmmm, I bet it'd be really good as a pizza type braid. We might have to try that next time. I love how I have all sorts of great recipe variations as I'm blogging. And then I forget them. Write it down Bugaboo, write it down!
Chicken Broccoli Braid
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped (we usually use frozen, but fresh would work great too!)
½ c. mushrooms, chopped (we've used fresh and canned, both turned out well)
1 garlic clove, minced (we use the jarred pre-minced kind)
1 c. (4 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup reduced-fat mayo
2 tsp. dried dill weed
¼ tsp. salt
2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls (this is not the place to use generic; use Pillsbury, trust me!)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375F. Chop chicken, broccoli and mushrooms and place in a bowl; add garlic and shredded cheese and mix gently. Add mayonnaise, dill weed and salt; mix well. Unroll package of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of rectangular stone or baking sheet. Repeat with remaining package of dough. Roll dough to seal perforations. On longest sides of stone/baking sheet, cut dough into strips 1½" apart, 3" deep. (There will be 6" in the center for the filling.) Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends up to seal at end of braid. Brush egg white over dough. Bake 25-28 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Cut and serve. Yield: 10 servings. Enjoy!
To be honest, the recipe as I've copied it here from Buppy's file says this should make 2 braids. We jam pretty much all the filling into one package of crescent roll dough, which is why it looks so full in the pictures. Do what you'd like --- make 1 big or 2 smaller braids; smaller in the sense that they'd have less filling. I really like filling though.
Update: Thanks to Gooseberry Patch for letting me know that the recipe originally came from Jeannine English of Wylie, TX.
I polled my friends on FB prior to committing to an hors d'oeuvre for the chili cookoff, and chicken enchilada dip rollups won by a landslide! Ok, maybe a few votes, but I had to make it sound big, didn't I? If I'd said "a few votes" to begin with, would you have been as impressed and ready to jump all over this? No. Didn't think so.
They were well received at the party, I can tell you that much. I tried a few of the ends as I whacked them off, but didn't actually eat any of the pretty pinwheels once they were displayed on my lovely plate. I did try the filling as I was rolling them up and I have to say, I think it'd be phenomenal wrapped up in a rollup as it was here, but instead of cutting into pinwheels, I want to place the rolls in a baking pan, cover with salsa and a little shredded cheese and bake until heated through. I'm positive they'll be super tasty this way too!
Chicken Enchilada Dip Rollups
Adapted from a recipe in the Gooseberry Patch "Come on Over" cookbook, submitted by Jeannine English of Wylie, TX
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 heaping tsp. minced garlic (I use the pre-minced stuff in the jar)
1 1/2 Tbps. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt to taste
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled with a salt-free 17-seasoning blend, shredded 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 (10 oz.) can Ro*tel tomatoes with chiles (the original kind)
1 pkg. (6 tortillas) sun-dried tomato & basil tortillas
I blended the spices and cream cheese first (with a hand mixer) and made sure they were well combined. Then I added in the remainder of the ingredients, except the tortillas, and mixed well (with a wooden spoon). Evenly spread the mixture onto each of the 6 tortillas, then roll each one up and place in a large, resealable plastic bag. I could only fit 3 in each of my plastic bags. Chill the rolls for at least 1 hour so they firm up. Remove and slice into pinwheels however large you'd like. Enjoy!
Update: I'm linking up to Life as Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap for this week, 4/8/10. I realize that I'm a day late, but better late than never. The topic this week is herbs & spices, so stop on over if you wanna check out more great ideas!
Update #2: I'm also linking this up to Ultimate Recipe Swap today, 9/2/10, because it's an appropriate crowd-feeder.
Buppy and I have been talking about eating healthier lately, but it's a struggle when we have so many recipes that we either love or want to try that don't quit fit in the 'healthy' range. We had some chicken breasts out yesterday since Buppy had offered to make his chicken parmesan (which is really good), but I asked if I could find something a little more healthy for us. He was up for that, so I started flipping through one of my Light & Tasty magazines. The velvet shrimp dish we tried was a super success, so I'm definitely willing to try more of their offerings.
I stumbled across a recipe for saucy mushroom pork chops that sounded adaptable for chicken. While I don't like cooking with cream-of-whatever soups a whole lot, once in awhile is acceptable. This happened to be one of those instances. I tweaked the recipe only slightly, and my version is below. I basically added more mushroom (I love mushrooms) and onions (yup, love those too!) and used a different cream soup than it called for. Overall, the recipe stayed very similar to the original.
Saucy Mushroom Chicken
Adapted from Light & Tasty, Sept. 2006
Courtsey of Karlene Lantz, Felton, CA
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved butterfly style (butterfly, but cut all the way through so you end up with 6 pieces relatively the same size)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 tsp. canola oil, divided
1 ½ c. sliced fresh mushrooms
½ c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
½ c. white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 ¾ oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
½ c. reduced sodium chicken broth
Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper. Brown both sides of chicken in a large, non-stick skillet in 1 tsp. oil; remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, sauté mushrooms, onion and garlic in remaining oil until tender. Add wine or brother and stir up any browned bits. Cooked for 4-6 min. or until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in soup and broth; bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 min. or until meat juices run clear. Enjoy!
