Chicken Quesedillas

A while back I found pre-cooked southwestern seasoned grilled chicken strips (by Perdue) in the grocery store and had the wonderful idea of making quesedillas with them. That was a couple of years ago and I guess the popularity of the southwestern variety has faded because it has become increasingly difficult to find them in the grocery store when I need them. In essence, I gave up on finding them and decided that I could make this chicken for my quesedillas just as good at home - and without any of the artifical additives I suppose were in the pre-packaged stuff.

These quesedillas are always a nice treat and are especially easy and inexpensive if you've got what you need in the house already. I always tend to have leftover flour tortillas from other meals I've made with them and they end up sitting the fridge for a couple of weeks before I realize that I have to use them before they go bad. Use whatever cheese you have in your cheese drawer - cheddar, Monterey jack, gouda, fontina, a shredded taco or mexican mix, mozzarella, American...it doesn't matter - they'll all work perfectly. And for the chicken, if you want to buy the pre-package stuff, go for it, but making it at home is just as easy and quite cheaper. Marinate in the suggested ingredients below or just sprinkle some of your favorite seasonings on the raw chicken and grill until fully cooked. Add a few veggies if you'd like - sauteed peppers and onions would work great but I only had onions in the house the night I made them so that's what I used. Serve them alongside some rice and beans or on their own - with sour cream of course for dipping. :) Good stuff here....

Chicken Quesedillas

source: Smells Like Home

• 4 (10") flour tortillas
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to 1/2" thick) or tenderloins
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mexican mix)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, ground coriander, salt and pepper, all to taste (or use whatever you like/have on hand)

1. In a Ziploc bag, add lime juice, honey, olive oil, and dry spices; blend well. Add chicken and allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
2. While chicken is marinating, in a medium-sized frying pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat and add onions. Cook until very soft, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Grill until fully cooked. Slice chicken into 1/2" by 3" (approximately) strips. When chicken is almost finished cooking, heat a griddle or large non-stick frying pan to medium-high heat. When griddle is hot and chicken is finished cooking and is sliced, place tortilla on the griddle. Add cheese, onions, and chicken to one half of tortilla half. Carefully fold over empty half to sandwich the filling between the two halves of the tortilla. When the bottom half is browned and cheese is starting to melt, carefully turn over to brown the uncooked half. When cheese is melted and quesedilla is browned, remove from griddle. Repeat with all tortillas.
4. Serve with mexican rice, beans, and sour cream.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Chicken Chow Mein...or is it Chop Suey??

Why the confusion about what this meal is called? I might ask my mom the same thing but for whatever reason, I've yet to ask. My mom wrote this recipe out years ago and chicken chow mein/chop suey and made it to our dinner table on a number of occasions. I have no idea why the title has two names and I really can't tell you which it is - I don't think I've ever ordered either from a Chinese restaurant so I just don't know which the meal more closely resembles...or if it resembles either at all!

To be honest, I had completely forgotten that my mom used to make this until Kyle asked me to make "American Chop Suey," a dish his mom used to serve that involved elbow macaroni, ground beef, onions, and canned tomato sauce...and that's it. gag. It's like a homemade version of Hamburger Helper and while I did try it once because I couldn't say I didn't like it without trying it, I vowed to never make it again.

OK, so I got a little off topic there...Kyle's request for his mom's meal jogged my memory and I had my mom make a copy of her recipe for me. This meal is a great way to use up leftover chicken and gravy and I often make it with leftovers from a Sunday roast chicken. It's so easy to make and usually fulfills my craving for Chinese food but is so much healthier. I serve it over rice or spaghetti (this time I used penne because I was out of spaghetti) and top it with a few crunchy noodles.

Chicken Chow Mein/Chop Suey

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped small
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 1/2 medium onions
• 3/4 cup bean sprouts, washed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups chicken gravy (either homemade, jarred, or a combo of both)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube plus 1/2 cup water (I use 3/4 cup chicken stock)
• a good pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper, and garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 - 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used more like 2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp sugar or molasses (I use sugar)
• 1 tsp gravy master if you don't use molasses
• 1 1/2 cups diced or nearly shredded cooked chicken (or pork)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (if needed)

1. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add celery and carrot and cook for 5 minutes. Add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until everything starts to soften.
2. Add bean sprouts and stir to combine. Turn heat to medium-low. Add gravy and bouillon cube and water or chicken stock. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, and soy sauce. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in sugar or molasses and gravy master (again, if not using molasses). Cook for 3 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.
4. Add in chicken (or pork) and cook until chicken is heated through and sauce is thick. If sauce doesn't thicken, add the cornstarch.
5. Serve over rice or pasta. Freezes well (without pasta).

Prep time: 5-8 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 4

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

One little joy in life that makes me happy over and over is my crockpot. Can it get any easier than to prep a meal in the morning, throw it in a pot, and have it be ready when I return home from work? Probably not...and this time, Kyle and ate our dinners at two completely different times of day and the meal was ready for both of us to eat when we needed to.

I got up extra early so that the chicken would be ready when Kyle needed to eat at 11am before leaving for his afternoon/evening shift today. After tossing everything into the crockpot at 6:30am, I set it to low and let it cook on low for 1 1/2 hrs, then turned it to high and it cooked for an additional 3 hrs. After Kyle served up his serving, he turned it to the warm setting to keep it warm for the afternoon.

After I got home, I turned it back on low for 30 minutes to reheat and I was all set to go. Love it! And let me tell you...by the time I got home after having thought about this cooking all day, I couldn't wait to dig in! I had also made some mexican rice this morning while I got ready for work so that it would be ready for both of us when we were ready to eat. What a treat this whole meal was!!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

• 2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground corinader (optional)
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• dash of chipotle chili powder (optional)

1. Put chicken on the bottom of the crockpot. Cover with salsa then beans. Add water to bottom of the crockpot around the chicken. Sprinkle with dry spices.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
3. Serve with rice, sour cream, shredded cheese and garnish with chopped cilantro. You can also shred the chicken and make burritos if you have tortillas in the fridge.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 8hrs on low or 3 1/2 to 4hr on high

Serves: 2-4

A special birthday request

OK, so I'm about 2 weeks late with this post but better late than never! This year, Kyle requested chicken fried chicken with country gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, and corn - a truly starch-filled meal that rarely ever makes it to my weekly menus. I cringed when Kyle told me his veggie choice was corn (in addition to the potatoes and fried chicken) but I figured that it's his birthday meal so what the heck. And to add something else to the inevitable post-dinner food coma (pre-birthday cake of course), I threw in some cheddar-bacon biscuits that I've been dying to make (see the next post for these).

Since investing in my 7 1/4" round Le Creuset dutch oven, I've only used it a few times (and will use it more so during the fall and winter months) but after using it for frying chicken cutlets, I vowed to never use another pan or pot again for doing so - the deep sides and heat retention from the cast iron makes frying SO easy. I have add here that the queen of things fried, Paula Deen, was right again - peanut oil makes all the difference when frying foods...low smoke point so you can get the oil good and hot, and the flavor it adds is totally unlike olive oil. You just really have to be careful of food allergies when cooking with it - and thankfully, Kyle is NOT allergic to peanuts. And my last comment is on the panko...Panko: where have you been all my life?! Panko makes the perfect crunchy crust. I don't think I'll use it for everything that I fry (for instance, I feel that breadcrumbs would work better for chicken parm) but it really is such a great breading option to have in the kitchen to make some dishes a little extra special.

Overall, once I got passed the guilt of the high-fat, high-carb, low nutrition meal, I really enjoyed everything and Kyle "mmm'd" his way through dinner. The chicken was perfect, the gravy was peppery, the potatoes were garlicky, and the biscuits turned out beautifully. Thank goodness Kyle only has one birthday per year!!!

Chicken Fried Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken cutlets, pounded to about 1/2" - 3/4"
• peanut oil (enough for about 1/2" inch in the bottom of the pan/pot)
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs plus a dash of water, beaten together
• salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet or dutch oven - something with deep sides is optimal - over medium to medium-high heat. You'll know when the oil is ready when a tiny droplet of water sizzles when added to oil and the top of the oil is rippled.
2. Put panko, flour, and egg mixture in 3 separate shallow bowls.
3. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in this order to achieve the perfect crunchy breading: flour, egg, flour, egg, panko. Gently press the panko onto chicken to assure the will stick.
4. Carefully add chicken to oil - do not allow chicken to splash into oil. Cook until panko is nicely browned on both sides, flipping only once. Drain.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Country Gravy

• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
• salt to taste
• lots of freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter then add flour, stirring to make a roux - add more or less flour to achieve desired consistency of the roux. Add salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Lower heat to medium-low and slowly stir in milk and work out any lumps. Stir constantly to while brining milk to a simmer and cook for 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. If sauce becomes too thick, add more milk (a little at a time).

Prep time: 0 minutes

Cook time: 3-5 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 1 lb red-skin potatoes, quartered - Peeled or unpeeled is your preference. We like them unpeeled.
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium to large saucepot, cover potatoes with water, salt water, and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 8-10 minutes. Check for doneness with a fork after 8 minutes.
2. When finished, drain potatoes and return to pot. Smash potatoes with a potato masher until there are no more large chunks left.
3. Add cheese, sour cream, chives, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Stir into potatoes. Add more sour cream if potatoes are too dense.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Chicken Stir-fry

There isn't much that's easier than sauteeing chicken with some veggies and whipping up a smooth homemade stir-fry sauce. Yes, to some stir-fry seems a little daunting but if you really break down the steps and are able to tailor the sauce to your own tastes, you'll find yourself making this dish more often...and making your busy life a little easier at night in the process.

Make it easy on yourself --- prep the ingredients for stir-fry on the weekend. Put your cut-up chicken and veggies in separate baggies and stick them in the fridge for a day or two until you're ready to use them. The sauce will come together as you add your spices but if you end up measuring your spices (I don't), you can create larger batches and store them in the pantry for future use. Use whatever veggies you want and make your sauce as spicy as you can stand it (mine isn't spicy at all). Don't feel like you always have to use chicken - try beef, shrimp or even tofu, if meat isn't your thing. Serve it over rice, pasta, or on it's own.

Chicken Stir-fry

• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red peppers, sliced
• 1 bunch broccoli florets (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ground ginger
• Chinese 5 spice
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• crunchy chow mein noodles

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy skillet or wok. When oil is hot, add peppers and onions and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and broccoli and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove veggies from skillet.
2. To the skillet, heat remaining oil then add chicken and the dry spices (all to taste). Cook chicken for 3 minutes, return veggies to skillet.
3. Add soy sauce and honey, coating stir-fry mix with the sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer and add cornstarch. Simmer until sauce thickens, adding more cornstarch to thicken further, if desired. Toss sauce well with chicken and veggies. Top with crunchy chow mein noodles before serving.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Chicken Stuffed Shells

I'll admit that I was skeptical about this recipe when I first read the rave reviews on my cooking board and I've been holding on making it for months now for two reasons: 1.) I was afraid that chicken in stuffed shells would be dry and I didn't need to add another dry chicken recipe to my repetoire, and 2.) I've never made stuffed shells before because they seemed too time consuming. Well, I was SO wrong on both accounts.
I decided to make this a Sunday night dinner because I figured they'd take more time to make than I am afforded for weeknight dinners. This was true, but really worth the extra couple of minutes, and it would have taken me less time but I made a quick tomato sauce rather than using canned or jarred.

The only changes I made to the recipe is that I used a rostisserie chicken rather than boiling a chicken breast, I made my own sauce, and added a little bit of shredded fontina cheese to the top of the shells before baking.

Kyle and I LOVED these stuffed shells and they will definitely be repeated sometime soon. They are easy to make for a nice weekend meal or fancy enough for a dinner party, and can be made ahead and frozen for another time (which I will be doing the next time I make them).

Chicken Stuffed Shells

(looking for recipe's original source....)

• 15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 8 ounces cooked chicken
• 1(15 ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 (28 ounce) can low fat marinara sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp parsley
• Parmesan cheese for topping

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Spray large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
3. Cook pasta shells according to directions and drain
4. Boil chicken and shred
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
6. Combine chicken and garlic, cook for 3-5 minutes
7. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta, breadcrumbs, parsley and salt and pepper to taste
8. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish
9. Fill cooked shells with chicken mixture and place filled sides up in baking dish
10. Pour remaining sauce over shells
11. Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking until filling is lightly browned
12. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 4-5

Spinach and feta stuffed chicken

Feta cheese is not a staple in my house and as much as I LOVE cheese, I've never cooked with feta. The salad that was served to Kyle and I at the wedding we were at recently had feta on the side. We looked at each other and commented on how good the feta was. I decided then that I needed to add feta to one of my upcoming menus.

So I decided to make a stuffed chicken breast with spinach and feta. Easy enough and it sounded so good! I reduced some tomato sauce and served it over some orzo on the side.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

• 2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 bag fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp plus 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper

Heat oil in a medium-sized oven-safe saute pan to medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add spinach, stir in with garlic. Cover and cook for 1-3 minutes. Once spinach has wilted remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Cut small pockets (about 2 inches wide) in the sides of the chicken breasts. Using a sharp paring knife, slice the inside of the chicken open to increase the size of the pocket without enlarging the outer opening, being careful not to cut through to the opposite side.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Return the saute pan to medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Stuff chicken with feta then spinach mixture. Carefully place stuffed breasts in the hot pan and cook until chicken has begun to brown, turning once, about 4 minutes per side. Cover and move pan to oven. Cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: about 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Spicy Garlic Lime Pasta

After weeks of reading raves about this recipe on my cooking board, I finally put it on my weekly menu (last week's menu actually). Overall, I thought it was great but I think next time it needs a little extra lime and spiciness, which says a lot coming from me. Thanks Amber for finding this one and for reworking the original recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Spicy Black Bean Cakes

A new cookbook has emerged in my kitchen - Everyday Food: Great Food Fast (from the Martha Stewart Kitchens). I know I've raved about it a past post so I'll save my breath this time but I have to rave about the Spicy Black Bean Cakes that came out of this cookbook.

Oh. My. Goodness. SO GOOD!! I'm not known to be a "spicy kind of girl" and I've NEVER made anything with fresh spicy chilis but I've watched enough FoodNetwork to know that you can dramatically reduce the heat of a chili pepper by removing the seeds and pulp (carefully of course, avoiding direct contact with the seeds - which is where the heat of the chili lies - and avoiding touching my eyes before thoroughly washing my hands). So that's what I did. I wanted the flavor of the jalepeno chili sans heat.

The premise of the cookbook is that you can really make great food in a decent amount of time (usually under 30 minutes) and the recipe states that it should take 20 min to prep the cakes. It took me about 25-30, mostly because of the time it took to remove the seeds and pulp from the jalepeno. The extra time was well worth it though and I am so pleased with the result - and I will definitely be making these again. I paired them with my garlic-cilantro-lime marinated grilled chicken and about 1/2 lb shrimp that "got happy" all day in the same marinade (separate bags though), and the suggested lime sour cream that the cookbook suggested to serve with the cakes. YUM!!

I've had some trouble finding the recipe on Martha's website so below is the recipe directly from the cookbook.

Spicy Black Bean Cakes

• 2 tbsp olive oil (I only used one and sprayed the cookie sheet with Pam)
• 4 scallions, thinly cut
• 1 small jalepeno chili, finely minced (I used 3/4 of the jalepeno)
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (I used 1 can)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to Broil and adjust rack to between 4 and 6 inches from the broiler.

In a medium frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Cook scallions for 2 minutes, add garlic, jalepeno, and cumin; cook for 30 seconds until fragrent; remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. To the hot mixture, add black beans. Mash beans into hot mixture, leaving about 1/4 of the beans whole; season generously with salt and pepper. Fold in sweet potato, egg, and bread crumbs and work the mixture until everything is well-incorporated.

Coat a cookie sheet with remaining olive oil (again, I sprayed it with Pam instead of using the olive oil). Scoop a handleful of the mixture out and pat into a small patty, about the size and shapes of a crab cake. The mixture will make 8 cakes. Place the cakes on the sheet; broil for 10 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 12-13 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Lime Sour Cream

• 1 cup low-fat sour cream
• 4 tsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 1 jalepeno, finely minced (I subbed this out for a handful of chopped fresh cilantro)

Combine ingredients and serve with cakes.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Garlic-Cilantro-Lime Grilled Chicken and Shrimp

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (fresh works best for this dish)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 limes
• 4 tbsp honey
• 6 tbsp olive oil

Separate marinade ingredients in half (except for the limes - 2 for the chicken, 1 for the shrimp). In 2 Ziploc bags, add all marinade ingredients, and squeeze around in the bags to combine them well. Squeeze in lime juice (again, 2 limes for chicken and 1 for shrimp). Add chicken and shrimp to their respective bags and squeeze all the air out of the bags before closing. Work the marinade around the chicken and shrimp. Refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours (or even overnight).

Grill chicken for 10-12 minutes, flipping once after 8 minutes. Add shrimp to grill (metal or wooden skewers work great) during the last 2 minutes of cooking the chicken. Turn shrimp once. Serve with black bean cakes.

Active prep time: 10 minutes

Inactive prep time: 8-10 hours

Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Serves: 2

Chicken Parmigiana Pizza...

with a little extra umph. I had chicken parmigiana pizza for the first time about 7 years ago and thought it was the best creation ever. Well, Kyle having worked in a pizza restaurant for the better part of his high school years and for sometime afterwards, let's say that he picked up a few ideas...one of them being chicken, bacon, onions, and garlic pizza. Yes, this is the best pizza creation I have ever had. EVER. It's the chicken parmigiana pizza "kicked up a notch" (for lack of a better phrase).

How could you ever go wrong with bacon? Bacon was a new and scary concept to put on a pizza for me but they just don't do it in NY. I'd never seen it on a pizza menu, had never heard anyone order it, and had never ever heard anyone talk about bacon as a pizza topping...until I moved to Connecticut for college. Yes, I turned my nose up at the suggestion of it but to be honest, it wasn't too bad. And then Kyle stepped in and ordered this masterpiece one night a few years back and I knew it was love...love of this new pizza creation, that is. ;) This is our 'ol standby now.

Chicken, Bacon, Onions, and Garlic Pizza

• 3 Perdue Baked Italian Chicken Cutlets (they are pre-cooked), diced into bite-size pieces
• 1 onion, sliced and slowly sauteed until very soft (about 20 minutes)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2-3 slices bacon, almost fully cooked and chopped
• 8-12oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups tomato sauce (jarred or homemade)

See my pizza instructions and tips for how to roll out the dough and prep the pizza stone. Layer ingredients in any order. Cook for 12-13 minutes at 475 degrees.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 12-13 minutes
Serves: 4

All-time favorite

Most everyone has their own chicken parmigiana recipe but every so often, I come across someone who has never made this mouth-watering chicken dish. What gets me is that this just so basic, its a total wonder how some people think chicken parm is intimidating to make and at the same time, that there are so many different versions.

I am truly my father's daughter and aside from our shared affinity for rice pudding, peanut butter, and potato chips, my mom can attest that chicken parm is, hands-down, our numero uno favorite meal. (In fact, when my dad eats at seafood restaurants, he orders chicken parm rather than seafood - and does that make my mom steam!) I can't count the number of times this has appeared on my parent's dinner table, although usually only for special occasions, and to this day as I turn 29 years old this year, my mom still makes this for my birthday dinner when they celebrate with me.

While growing up, I have spent a lot of time watching this meal be prepared and have since incorporated many of my parent's methods into my own recipe, while adding some ideas that I've picked up along the way in an effort to personalize an already fantastic meal. So...here's my very special version...

Chicken Parmigiana

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2 inch
• 1 egg
• dash of water
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup flour
• olive oil
• sliced mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups (approx) spaghetti sauce (either jarred or homemade), heated
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil (about 1/4 inch deep) in a heavy fry or saute pan. In 2 shallow bowls, beat an egg with a dash of water in one bowl, and combine bread crumbs and flour in the second bowl. Dip and coat chicken breasts in egg then dredge in bread crumb and flour mixture, pressing mixture onto chicken. Carefully place in hot oil. Cook until chicken is browned, then turn and brown the other side. When both sides are browned, carefully remove chicken and place on a paper towel on a plate to drain.

Cover the bottom of a 9x9 glass oven-safe dish with some sauce. Place drained chicken on top of sauce. Top with more sauce (reserving some for a side of spaghetti), Parmesan cheese, then sliced mozzarella. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2

P.S. - Please excuse the picture- it is a little dark and I let the cheese brown for a minute too long this time. :)

Vegetable-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Roasted Red Pepper Basil Sauce

So I finally made the second dish for my first NTWC Platinum Chef Challenge hosted by Cara and I am so glad I waited to really figure out what I wanted to make before I just threw a few things together and called it a day.

The remainder of my challenge ingredients were basil, tomatoes, and zucchini. Sounds easy enough? Sure. But I made a resolution this year to move away from being tied down to cooking with recipes and start coming up with my own creations. More than creativity, it was about my feeling confident with my abilities to combine ingredients and experiment with flavor. And the result here was so satisfying!! In the vegetable stuffing, I used the zucchini and I used the basil and tomatoes in the sauce that topped the chicken, which sat atop a bed of orzo (my new favorite pasta!). More than I amazed Kyle that this wasn't from a recipe or cookbook (which he did ask me), I amazed myself...and found a great new "go-to" meal both for an easy weeknight dinner and to serve to guests alike.

Vegetable-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Roasted Red Pepper Basil Sauce

• 1/2 large zucchini, diced small (1/4") and divided
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced and divided
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split open horizontally to form a pocket
• 2 oz fontina cubed (small)
• 1/2 to 3/4 of a roasted red pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• reserved pasta water

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium-sized oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add half of the zucchini and cook for 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium then add spinach and half of the garlic and cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside and allow to cool in a separate bowl for a couple of minutes.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Stuff pockets of the chicken breasts with vegetable stuffing, adding fontina far enough into pocket so that it won't fall out while cooking.
3. In the same saute pan from the vegetables, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place stuffed chicken breasts into pan and saute for 6 minutes, flipping once. Cover and move to oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
4. Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil and cook orzo according to package directions. Drain, reserving a little water for the sauce.
5. While chicken is in the oven, add roasted red pepper, basil, the remaining garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender or food processor (I used my mini food processor - perfect size for this). Blend until almost smoothe.
6. In a small sauce pan heated over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add remaining zucchini; cook 3 minutes. Add red pepper mixture and tomato paste; stir until heated through. Turn heat to low and stir in heavy cream. Stir to combine into a sauce, adding pasta water if sauce needs to be thinned out. Add parmesan cheese and cook until sauce thickens and then add salt and pepper to taste.
7. With pot holders remove pan from oven and serve.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 2

Giada does it again!

Why has it taken me 28 years to try orzo??? I don't ever remember having it as a kid and know I've never tried it as an adult...why IS this?? Maybe because I'm not a huge fan of rice and thought that because this PASTA looked like rice, it tasted like it too? I don't know...but anyhow, I was perusing though one of Giada's cookbooks a couple of weeks ago and came upon a delicious-sounding (there wasn't a pic in the book of the dish) meal that I figured would be quick and easy for a weeknight dinner, and would also go over well with Kyle. The recipe is designed to be a main course but I knew another main course without meat wouldn't fly in my house so I halved the recipe and coupled it with grilled chicken rubbed with herbes de provence, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Good move. :) The two complement each other perfectly and Kyle didn't have enough good things to say about the meal. This one will make frequent reappearances on our weekly menu.

Creamy Orzo served with Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

• 1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced*
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream*
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed*
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• reserved pasta water
• 2 tsp herbes de provence
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2"

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 10-11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Season pounded chicken on both sides with herbes de provence (1 tsp per breast), salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat and pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Put chicken on grill, turning after 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas*. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo generously with salt and pepper, and serve.

* Modifications:

1. Even when halving the recipe, use a 1-2 cloves minced garlic.
2. I used 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets rather than peas (personal preference). After the tomatoes have cooked for 6 minutes, add the broccoli. Cook for 2 minutes, turn the heat to medium-low and then add the cream.
3. You might need a little extra cream if the orzo soaks up too much liquid after you add it to the pan.
4. I halved this recipe and cooked two chicken breasts. The whole orzo recipe will serve 6-8.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 6-8

A New Favorite

Have I said before that I am in love with my panini maker? Probably not, but it's difficult to describe the feelings I have for a kitchen appliance without making my Kitchenaid mixer feel bad about itself.

I bought the long-sought-after panini maker a few months ago and only recently came up with the perfect specimen for a new sandwich (and it's my own recipe!!). Since Kyle has realized that cilantro is one of the most incredible herbs out there, he has begged me to make this sandwich...err...panini on a weekly basis. No problems with that here!!!
Cilantro-Garlic-Lime Chicken Panini

Step 1

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thick
• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Squeeze the juice of the limes into a large Ziploc bag and add cilantro, garlic, honey, and olive oil. Close the bag and squeeze contents to incorporate. Add the chicken and refridgerate for 8 hours.

Step 2

• 6 oz Monterey jack cheese, sliced and divided in half
• 1/2 roasted red pepper, cut into 1/2" strips
• 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread (or other artisan or thick-sliced sourdough bread)
• mayonnaise
• chipotle chili powder
• olive oil

Pre-heat grill and panini maker. Slice the bread into two equal pieces then slice open through the soft part of the bread. Drizzle some olive oil on to each piece of bread, place oil-side down on the panini maker, and close the lid. Grill chicken while bread is warming.

When chicken is cooked and bread is slightly browned (but not toasted), spread some mayo (to preference) on all slices of bread (the soft side only) and sprinkle with a minimal amount of chipotle chili powder (a little goes a long way!). Place a couple pieces of cheese on the bottom slices of bread, add a few strips of roasted red peppers, then top with chicken. Add more peppers, cheese, then top with the other sides of the bread.

Carefully put sandwiches back on panini maker and close the lid, pressing down slightly. Try to evenly distribute the weight of the lid over the sandwiches so that they aren't squishing out on one side. Remove sandwiches when cheese is starting to melt down the sides of the sandwich (takes about 3-5 minutes).

Prep time: Step 1 - 10 minutes; Step 2 - 10 minutes

Inactive prep time: 8 hours

Cook time: 12 minutes

Serves: 2