Chicken Burrito with Peanut Sauce

My favorite restaurant has this dish and I started to wonder if I could make something similar at home...the only problem is that it has a tasty peanut sauce and I was afraid to buy something at the store that wouldn't live up. So my solution was to attempt my own peanut sauce! The recipe I found was easy and I had all of these ingredients at home in my cupboard. The chili paste I had was only 2 dollars from the store and I've used it in a few different dishes, and I think its critical in this dish to get a good level of flavor. Mix all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a food processor and then drizzle in the warm water to get the right consistency. (NOTE: This was the messiest I've ever gotten in my kitchen, there was peanut sauce flying everywhere...I must not be as experienced with my food processor as I thought! It was worth it though!)

The rest of the recipe is pretty easy. Cook the chicken tenders whichever way is easiest for you...I put them on a foil-lined pan and cooked them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. The slaw is also easy to mix together in a bowl and really adds a lot of good "crunch" to the dish. For extra crunch, add some chopped peanuts to the dish too...that's what they do at the restaurant but I didn't have any at home for this replication.

Ingredients
Chicken Tenders
Brown Rice, 1 cup uncooked
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
2 TBS chopped cilantro
1 lime
Tortillas

Peanut Sauce
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 TBS chili paste
Juice of 1 - 2 limes
1/2 cup warm water

1. To make the peanut sauce, add the first four ingredients in a food processor and blend together until smooth. Drizzle in the warm water to get the right consistency for the sauce. Once finished, set aside.

2. Cook chicken tenders in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of the brown rice. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer until fully cooked. About 30 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped cilantro and the juice of one lime. Set aside.

5. When the brown rice is finished cooking, add about 3 TBS of the peanut sauce to the rice and stir to combine.

6. On a warm tortilla, place the brown rice and cooked chicken tenders. Drizzle another TBS of the peanut sauce on the chicken tenders.

7. Top with about 1/4 of the slaw mixture and chopped peanuts if you have them. Enjoy!

Like us on Facebook!

Slow Cooker Turkey Tacos

In one of my latest cooking magazines, there are a lot of recipes listed for healthy eating after the new year. This was one that I came across that sounded delicious because A) I love ALL Mexican food, B) I've never made tacos in the crock pot, and C) Turkey tacos sounded different and kind of fun. So I threw everything in the crockpot (which took a total of about 8 minutes) and enjoyed these delicious tacos when I got home from work. I had some tomatillos in the fridge so I diced those up to put on top for a "fresh" crunch to the tacos and I will definitely make sure I have those next time I make these too. Although fresh diced tomatoes would also be a nice addition. (By the way...each taco is approximately 360 calories!)

Ingredients
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 scallions, diced
2 TBS. peanut butter
1.5 TBS. soy sauce
1 TBS chili powder
2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 skinless, boneless turkey breast (about 1.5 - 2 lbs.)
Corn or Flour tortillas

Optional: diced tomatillos for the topping

1. Combine in a slow cooker the tomatoes, green pepper, cilantro, scallions, peanut butter, soy sauce, chili powder, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Stir ingredients together.

2. Add the turkey breast and stir everything to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

3. When finished, take the turkey breast out and shred in a bowl. Add shredded turkey back into the crockpot to coat with the juices.

4. Serve in warm flour tortillas and top with more cilantro and diced tomatillos or other of your favorite taco toppings.

Like us on Facebook!

Basil Thai Chicken

There is a restaurant I love to go to that has this amazing dish with ground chicken, peppers onions and a tasty brown sauce. I started to wonder if I could make something similar at home, but I had no idea what might be in the brown sauce. While strolling the grocery store, I found this bottled sauce that I thought might have a similar taste and it turned out to be great when I mixed it with some soy sauce.

If you can't find this exact sauce, something that has a sweeter taste and a thicker consistency would work too. The Basil leaves make the dish different and give it a nice flavor at the end. Also, we like things a little spicier so I used half of a hot cherry pepper and for me it was perfect but my husband said he would have liked a little more spice, so make it to your own taste!

Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic
1 cup Thai Basil sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 Basil leaves, minced

Optional: For extra spice, add 1/2 of a hot cherry pepper, diced

1. In a medium heat skillet, brown the onion, peppers, garlic and the hot cherry pepper if you decide to put it in the dish.

2. Once the onions and peppers get a little browned, add in the chicken, Thai Basil sauce and soy sauce. Be sure to break up the chicken with your spoon.

3. Put a lid on the pan until the chicken is fully cooked. Right before serving, stir in the minced basil leaves.

4. Serve over white rice. Enjoy!

Like us on Facebook!

Baked Parmesan Chicken

This is a great chicken dish and when cooked in the oven it is very moist. The crust from the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese keeps all the moisture in. Before cooking, spray the bottom of your baking dish with Pam so it won't stick.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 cup of flour

1 tsp. paprika

2 eggs

2 TBS milk

1 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper

1. Set three bowls out, one with the mixture of flour and paprika, one with eggs and milk, and one with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.

2. Clean the chicken pieces. Dip first in flour mixture, second in egg mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture.

3. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Like us on Facebook!

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is one of my favorite things to order when we go out to dinner, but I'd never made it before at home so I decided to give this recipe a try. The Marsala wine was quite frustrating to find at the grocery store because it could be considered a condiment since you wouldn't actually drink it (unless you were desperate) but it could also be considered a wine. I looked in both sections and ended up finding it with the wine. I love the combination of the wine and the mushrooms, they really compliment each other. If you want to make the sauce a little thicker, I would add some cornstarch towards the end to thicken it up.

Ingredients

4 thinly sliced chicken breasts

8 oz portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 small shallot, diced

1 1/2 cups Marsala wine

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. oregano

3 TBS. butter

Salt & Pepper

1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 TBS. of butter. Coat chicken breasts in the flour mixture with a little bit of salt and pepper and place in skillet.

2. Cook chicken on each side for about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, melt 2 TBS. of butter and add in diced shallot and sliced mushrooms. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until shallot and mushrooms begin to soften.

4. Add in Marsala wine and oregano. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add chicken pieces back in the skillet and place the lid on the pan. Cook until the broth reduces a little bit, maybe another 7-8 minutes.

6. Serve with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes. 

Like us on Facebook!

Barbecue Chicken with Corn Bread Topper

I have been making some new dishes lately in hopes to blog them, but a few of them haven't turned out the best, and I didn't want to blog a failed recipe (I can't stand the rejection).  I found this recipe in a Diabetic Cookbook magazine that I receive every other month.  It seemed like a good idea because I had most of the ingredients, including some cooked chicken in the freezer and I was too lazy to go to the grocery store.  

Now, the actually recipe calls for part of this to be microwaved, but that seemed lame, plus I poured everything in a metal casserole dish, so that wouldn't have been wise.  The reason I'm boring you with this whole microwave part is, I cooked it in the oven, but didn't cover it...so it was a little dry.  So, for that part of the recipe, I would cover with foil and maybe even throw in some chicken broth to help moisten.  I'm just trying to help you to not fail.  ;-)

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds diced cooked boneless [skinless] chicken
1 can [15 oz] red beans, rinsed and drained
1 Cup chopped green bell pepper
1 can [8 oz] tomato sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 package [6 oz] corn bread mix (plus ingredients to prepare mix)

1.  Spray microwavable 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  

2.  Combine chicken, beans, bell pepper, tomato sauce and BBQ sauce.  Mix well and pour in baking dish.  
   *Now here you can either 
     1) cover with waxed paper and microwave @ 70% power for 8 minutes (stirring half way through) , or 
     2) cover with foil and bake in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes

 3.  Meanwhile, prepare corn bread mix according to package directions.  Spoon batter over chicken mixture.  Bake 15-18 minutes @ 375 degrees (uncovered) or until toothpick inserted into center of cornbread layer comes out clean.    

Like us on Facebook!

Grilled Stuffed Chicken

This is the perfect summer dish to throw on the grill...and it's great for entertaining too because it looks really impressive! Unfortunately...the night I wanted to grill this, it started raining so I busted out the ol' grill pan (if you don't have one of these, I highly recommend it) and grilled them inside. Equally delicious! I absolutely LOVE anything involving goat cheese so I really like this combination of chicken, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese and fresh basil. Definitely a great summer grill dish!

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts
Sundried tomatoes
Goat cheese
Basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
2 TBS. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
A few toothpicks

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts open (unless you buy them butterflied already).

2. Layer 2 basil leaves, a few sundried tomatoes and a little bit of goat cheese inside the chicken breast.

3. Close up and secure with 2 toothpicks so everything doesn't fall out.

4. Marinate the chicken breasts in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper.

5. Place on the grill, cook evenly on both sides until fully cooked. The timing really depends on how thick the chicken breasts are.

(Note: If the chicken doesn't look fully cooked when you take it off the grill, you can place them on a pan and finished them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so)

Like us on Facebook!

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

In a land far far away, long ago before blogs were even invented and before Facebook was a way of life, we used to share recipes at work with friends. Imagine that!  We actually talked to each other and didn't stare at our phones and computers.  This archaic practice is how I originally obtained this recipe; from my friend Dawn.  (You know who you are!)  It is very delicious because of the Swiss cheese, stuffing and creaminess of the soup.  Now I happen to like a lot of "sauce", so IF I was making 6 chicken breasts I would use two cans of soup.  For just the two of us, I only use three chicken breasts, with 1 can of soup.

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

pepper and garlic powder to taste

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 or 2 cans cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

2 cups prepared stuffing ( I use Pepperidge Farm)

1/2 stick butter, melted

1.  Grease 9 x 13 pan and place chicken breasts in bottom (I used a smaller pan, because I was only making 3 breasts).  

2.  Sprinkle each chicken breast with garlic powder and pepper.  Place one piece of swiss cheese on each breast.  (The chicken breasts people, unless placing swiss cheese on your own breasts is something you feel compelled to do!)

3.  In a separate bowl, mix soup and milk together and pour over chicken.  

4.  Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over top the chicken, drizzle melted butter over stuffing.

5.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  

Like us on Facebook!

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Thai Peanut Sauce

I like to prepare things for grilling, because once my prep work is done, I turn it over to the hubby for the actual grilling!  It is the best way to get him to think he is cooking.  He puts it on the grill, then plays with his iPhone and takes it off after the allotted time.  Actually, he does a very good job and doesn't overcook, like I probably would if I grilled.  Sometimes I'm so paranoid about eating under-cooked meat, that I leave it on the grill until you need a chain saw to cut the meat.  

With these kabobs, you can either make your own Satay Sauce (ingredients below) to use for grilling, or you can buy your favorite bottled sauce.  What I have been getting lately is Archer Farms (Target brand) Peanut Thai sauce.  Very yummy.   

This is a great recipe that is healthy and it doesn't take a lot of meat and vegetables to make quite a few kabobs.  

INGREDIENTS
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in 2" pieces
Vegetables of choice, I used:
    Mushrooms, halved
    Red Onion
    Grape tomatoes
    Yellow Squash
1 cup (or so) Peanut or Satay sauce

1.  Soak wood skewers in some water for at last 30 minutes to prevent burning on the grill
2.  Thread alternating meat and vegetables onto skewers

3.  Pour sauce over kabobs and marinade in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4.  Grill over medium coals for 6 minutes, then flip and grill for 4 more minutes.  Serve with rice.

OR...

Satay Sauce
3/4 cup light sour cream
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Like us on Facebook

Chicken Fingers

This was always one of the kids favorites and through the years, I actually got all of them to help make them.  One of the kids' babysitters, Dawn used to make these for the kids from time to time and they were a huge hit!  Of course, this is the same babysitter who made Corinne eat cottage cheese and scarred her for life!  Her life was so hard.   

When all the boys were in the house, I used to use at least 3 packages of chicken tenders.  If you use more chicken tenders than 1 package, increase the rest of the ingredients accordingly.

INGREDIENTS
1 package chicken tenders, cleaned and any fat and tendons cut off
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 sleeve crackers (I use Keebler Town House)    
Parsley, Paprika and Pepper to taste
Vegetable or Canola oil

1.  Place 1 sleeve of crackers in a plastic storage bag and roll with a rolling pin.  Mix in the Parsley, Paprika and Pepper into the cracker crumbs. Pour into a bowl or plate.

2.  Clean the chicken and set aside.
3.  Mix the egg and milk with fork in a bowl.

Love this breading set, a gift from Corinne!

4.  Heat enough oil in frying pan (about 1/4 inch) over medium heat.
5.  Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat both sides of chicken in cracker mixture.
6.  Fry both sides of chicken tenders for approximately 2 minutes, or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels  If you are making a lot, keep warm in oven.  

Like us on Facebook!

Turkey Meatloaf

Per the request of one of our readers, here is a solid meatloaf recipe. I use ground turkey instead of beef because I'm not a huge beef fan and because the turkey is leaner and healthier. The peppers and onions help to keep the turkey moist and add flavor to what can sometimes be a boring dish! Before baking I add a mixture of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to the top...you could also add a TBS or so of brown sugar to make it extra tasty...we all like that sweet crispy part on top, don't deny it!

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 TBS. ketchup
2 TBS. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup peppers, diced (I used green, red and yellow peppers)
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 TBS. olive oil
Salt & Pepper

1. Dice the peppers and onions and cook in a medium-heat saute pan with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper until peppers and onions are tender.

2. In a bowl, mix together ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.

3. When the peppers & onions mixture is cooled, add to turkey mixture and mix all together.

4. Place the mixture on a baking sheet and form into a "loaf" shape.

5. Mix together a little bit of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and spread on top of the meatloaf.

6. Place in a 350 degree oven for 40 - 45 minutes.

Like us on Facebook!