Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs

In the never ending quest to make something new for dinner, I occasionally come across a recipe that everyone in my family likes.  Ok, lets be honest, it rarely happens that EVERYONE in my family likes what I make for dinner but when it does happen it definitely becomes blog worthy!  So here you go, a recipe EVERYONE in my family likes!  Hooray for me! Here is where I found the recipe, I changed it a bit.

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs
(makes about 20 meatballs)

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 T butter, melted
1 egg
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T dried oregano
2 t dried basil
salt and pepper
20 small mozzarella cubes (I cut string cheese into 4 or 5 chunks)

Preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, combine panko, butter and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese.  Mix until evenly coated with the butter and set aside.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg.  Add the chicken, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, the other half of the parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.  Mix well with your hands.  Lightly coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Place a couple of Tablespoons of chicken mixture into each well.  Place a chunk of mozzarella into the center of each and press down slightly and then cover with the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle the top of each chicken mound with the panko/parmesan mixture lightly pressing it into the meat.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the panko is lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through.  Let it rest for 5 minutes after taking out of the oven.  Serve with noodles and your favorite marinara sauce.

*These would be great served with just marinara as an appetizer

Chicken Florentine Pasta

It is about time, right?!!! I have been SOOO off the grid lately.  Call it moving across the country, call it summer vacation, call it laziness, call it whatever you want but I think it is high time I get a new post on here. If for no other reason than to NOT have to look at the cinnamon sticks any more!

I have been so NOT in the mood to cook lately, so I am forcing myself to come back slow and easy.  And that is exactly what this recipe is, well the easy part anyway!  I found it over at Picky Palate. My whole family loved it and the leftovers were great too!  I may have changed the recipe slightly...

Chicken Florentine Pasta
(8 servings)

2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic minced
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
2 cups Philadelphia Cooking Creme (found in the cream cheese section at the grocery store)  I used reduced fat Italian flavored, yum!
1 pound pasta, I used bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.   Place the oil in a large pot and when it has heated up add onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the spinach leaves and stir until wilted.  Add the cooked and shredded chicken and pepper and cook until heated through.  Add the cooking creme and mix well. Lastly, add the cooked pasta until combined. Salt to taste,  I didn't add any.  Transfer this mixture to the baking dish and top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Serve with salad and breadsticks.

Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers

I found this recipe at Kitchen Meets Girl.  I LOVE that these are grilled but still a little Mexican.  I made THIS rice to go with it but added black beans and corn.  So yummy, my whole family loved it!

Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers


3 T soy sauce
2 T honey
1 T vegetable oil
juice of one lime
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t Siracha (hot sauce)
2 T cilantro, chopped
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3-4 breasts)

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, except chicken, and mix thoroughly. Cut the chicken into cubes and add it to the marinade, mix to coat.  Let this marinate for at least 1 hour.  Skewer the chicken and grill on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  Serve with Mexican rice.

*If you are using wooden skewers, do not forget to soak them in water for 30 minutes before using.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad

This is my go to chicken salad recipe.  I have made it for many baby showers and always get asked for the recipe which makes me chuckle because it is so easy and basic.  The key is to use a Rotisserie chicken all that flavor is what makes people think you are a genius!  I LOVE the ones from Sam's Club but any rotisserie chicken would work just fine.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad
(8 to 10 servings)

1 Rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed and roughly chopped
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup pecans, chopped
1-2 cups red grapes, cut in half
mayonnaise to desired consistency (I LOVE Hellman's lite)
fresh ground pepper to taste
salt to taste (I usually don't need any)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to combine.  Serve on toasted whole wheat bread (as shown), on croissants, or anything else that suits your fancy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

We have been making this soup for years, so I don't remember where the recipe came from.  I do remember it being a copy cat recipe from Chili's (the restaurant) Chicken Enchilada Soup.  No matter how I got a hold of it, it has been a house favorite for quite some time!  It is just a fantastic soup and different then other mexican or tortilla soups I have had.  This one is just so perfectly delicious!  

Chicken Enchilada Soup

(8-10 servings)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 T chicken base

1 1/2 cup diced onions

1 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1 t minced garlic

1/4 t cayenne pepper (this will NOT make it spicy)

1 cup masa harina, corn flour (you can find this at any grocery store)

2 quarts water

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/4 pound American cheese, cut into small cubes (I totally don't like this but it is amazing and creamy in this soup!)

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

garnishes:

shredded cheddar cheese

tortilla chips 

avocado

homemade tortillas

In a large soup pot, heat oil.  Add onion, chicken base and spices.  Saute until the onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes.  In another container, combine 2 cups of the water with the masa harina, stirring until all lumps dissolve.  Add this to the sautéed onions, stirring constantly, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes once it starts to bubble, this will eliminate the raw flavor of the masa harina. Add the remaining water slowly, whisking as you go until the soup is smooth. Add the tomatoes, let the soup come to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add cheese to the soup and stir to melt.  Add the chicken to the soup and stir to heat through.  Top with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips and fresh avocado!

Lettuce Wraps

I LOVE these!  They are a copy cat of P.F. Chang's, which are to die for.  These come pretty close.  Besides, who doesn't love a healthy, fun way to spice up chicken for dinner?  I got this recipe from my A-mazing sister who (I think) found it online.  So, thanks Abby! Now you won't have to continue to send me the same recipe over and over...

Lettuce Wraps

3 frozen chicken breasts

1 lg. carrot

8 whole mushrooms

3 green onions

1 red bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 can water chestnuts- drained

2 T oil

1/4 t. sesame oil

Iceberg lettuce

rice noodles (optional for more crunch)

Boil chicken in water with a pinch of salt and a clove of garlic. Once it is cooked through,

finely chop it.  Finely grate carrot and mushroom.  Finely chop bell pepper, onion and chestnuts. Set aside.

Mix Sauce ingredients

1/2 C water

1/4 C sugar

2T rice vinegar

1 t. sesame oil

1 t. sriracha, this will NOT make these spicy.  Double this for more kick!

1/2 C soy sauce

1/2 t. fresh ginger or 1/4 t. powdered ginger

(Double the sauce so you have some for dipping!)

Now, heat 2 T oil and 1/4 t sesame oil in a large skillet. Add onion, mushroom and red pepper.  Cook 2 minutes to soften.  Add sauce and chicken and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minute until almost all the liquid is absorbed.  Add chestnuts and carrots. Stir to combine.

Serve in the crunchy inside pieces of iceberg lettuce.  Add the rice noodles, if you are using them. Dip in the extra sauce!

 * I will use Low-sodium soy sauce next time, I like to have a little more control over the saltiness without losing the flavor.

Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry

If you are like me and LOVE Indian food, especially Chicken Tikka Masala, then this recipe may just be your new best friend.  Now, if you have never had Indian food, first of all, shame on you, and second MAKE THIS RECIPE!  This recipe is wonderfully flavorful and satisfying.  It is so easy and best of all you get to make dinner at 10 am before the day gets crazy and hectic.  Your house will smell amazing all day and all you have to do to finish it off is make rice and maybe (ok definitely) some Naan bread. I found this recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry
(4-5 servings)

3 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless) about 2 pounds, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 whole onion
1 whole bell pepper (seeded) I like the sweetness of red bell peppers
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 1/2 t salt
1 T curry powder
1 T Garam Masala (Indian Spice Mix)
Fresh Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Cooked rice
Naan bread (we LOVE this recipe)

Place the cubed chicken into the slow cooker. Place the rest of the ingredients (except the water, cornstarch and cilantro) into a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.  Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker and mix well.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  if it is not thick enough, add some cornstarch mixed with water about 1 hour before serving.  Serve over cooked rice, garnish with chopped cilantro.  Serve with warm Naan bread.

Chicken Gyros with Greek Chicken

If there is one thing that Michigan has a million of it is Coney Island Restaurants. When I first moved here I just assumed that Michiganders LOVED their hot dogs, but as it turns out all of these Coney Islands also have Greek food. YUM! We love us a good Gyro! So when I saw this recipe over at A Hint of Honey I decided to try it out. As it turns out, this is our new favorite chicken marinade and we have made these many times!  I altered the original recipe just slightly.

Chicken Gyros with Greek Chicken


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 -inch pieces
4 T extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 t salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
Feta cheese
Tzatziki Sauce (recipe below)
hummus (optional, but so good. We LOVE this recipe)
Pita bread (We LOVE this recipe)
Sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and red onion to garnish

In a medium bowl combine extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Whisk together and then add the chicken.  Stir to coat evenly and let marinate for 30 minutes.  Preheat grill and thread skewers with chicken. If you are using wooden skewers don't forget to soak them in water for 20 minutes to keep them from burning.  Cook chicken on the grill until it is cooked through. (We have also put bell peppers and onions on with the chicken and served the kabobs over rice.)

Tzatziki Sauce


8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, shredded and water squeezed out
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
several dashes of dried dill, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble the Gyro add chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and lettuce to the Pita.  Top with Tzatziki sauce, hummus and feta cheese.

Day 112 - Chicken Noodle Casserole

What a wonderful weekend!
I say that because I was finally able to be productive and get some housework done!
Ok, I was really only able to do laundry, but the mounds just kept growing during the week because I hadn't had any energy to do much of anything.
Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get through the day without taking a nap.
I've done that every day this week!
Being sick stinks!
Everyone, stay HEALTHY!!

This is adapted from my New Doubleday Cookbook.

Chicken Noodle Casserole - serves 4

¼ cup butter
¼ cup sifted flour
½ teaspoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated pepper
2 cups bite-size pieces cooked chicken
8 oz. thin noodles, cooked according to package directions until al dente, and drained

Topping

3 potato hamburger buns sliced into small cubes and tossed with 3 tablespoons melted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat and blend in flour and poultry seasoning.

Slowly stir in broth and milk, add salt and pepper, and heat, stirring until mixture thickens.

Off heat, mix in all remaining ingredients except topping.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Oh. My. Goodness!
Yes, this is one of those recipes that IS a keeper!!
The whole family absolutely loved this dish tonight, and unanimously decided that it earned 4 rolling pins! 
I rate everything that I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best of the best.
The sauce was so delicious and I think it was largely in part due to the fact that I used the Montreal Chicken seasoning.  That seasoning is great when we grill chicken, so I knew it would give this dish that extra boost I was looking for.  Also, instead of using the 1 teaspoon of granules I used 2 for even additional flavor.
This was SO yummy!!!!!
The only thing I think I'd change, is to double the amount of sauce.  The noodles weren't dry, I just like things really saucy.
Saucy.  I like that.
I'm so glad this was better than those Nutella sour cream cookies I made yesterday.
What a relief!
Happy baking!

Day 109 - Corn Flake Chicken

Wow, I have really nothing to say.  That must be a first.  I won't bore you with my health.  I'm tired of talking about it and thinking about it just makes me exhausted.  I'll sum it up and say, I'm better, not perfect, but better.
Thank you.


Corn Flake Chicken - serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons butter, melted
5 cups corn flakes
1½ teaspoons dried parsley
½ teaspoon thyme
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine corn flakes, parsley, and thyme in a large plastic bag.  Crush cornflakes until they are small crumbs.  (This is something I would have the kids do when they were little.  They loved it and were able to help me with dinner.  As teenagers, no one wanted to help me tonight.  Go figure.)  Transfer crumbs to plate.
Combine egg and milk in a medium bowl and mix together.
Whisk in flour, salt and ground pepper.
Place one chicken breast in milk/flour mixture, cover completely.

Put chicken in plate of cornflake crumbs.  Coat both sides of chicken.

Place in baking dish in single layer.

Repeat with remaining pieces.
Using a spoon, drip melted butter evenly over chicken.
Bake for 30 minutes.

The family likes this dish.  I rate everything that I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and everyone thought this earned 3 rolling pins.  It's especially good with cranberry sauce served on the side.  I've also substituted potato chips for corn flakes, but of course, the corn flake version is a little healthier.
Happy baking!

Day 104 - Chicken with Spinach, Pine Nuts & Gruyere Cheese

I really want to thank all of you who entered the 100th Day giveaway!  We do have a winner and she has been notified by e-mail.

If you didn't win, there will be other chances as I will be doing a giveaway in the near future on the 365 Facebook page and again on the 200th day.

Again, I cannot thank you all enough!  I truly appreciate your support.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Big, big hugs!

Pretty aren't they?
Oh. Boy.
Beautifully grilled habanero peppers.
What do they have to do with today's post?
While shopping I decided that tonight's dinner needed something orange on the plate and rack my brain as I might, I just couldn't come up with anything.
Until...
I saw the little, itty, bitty habanero peppers arranged so nicely in a basket in the produce section.
I'd never had them before and really am not a spicy food fan, AND have no idea where they might range on the heirarchy of the pepper heat scale.
Regardless, I thought they might be wonderful grilled after being tossed in some olive oil and coarse salt.  I thought that slicing them into small sections would cut down on the heat.
After I grilled them, I seeded them, sliced them into quarters, then slivers and was going to serve them either on top of the chicken or as a side.
Until...

I bit into one!!
And it wasn't even a whole one OR a big bite for that matter - it was a quarter of a quarter!
I just wanted to TASTE it.
Holy Crow!!!
I can't believe how much heat that puppy put into my mouth.  I have NEVER in my life experienced something so unbelievably HOT!!
My whole mouth was on fire, my lips were burning, my ears were ringing, I started salivating uncontrollably, and needless to say my nose was running like a faucet!
Nope, water doesn't help.
Milk, well, a little better.  Oh yeah, that works.  Wait. Heck NO! It's coming back!!!  MORE MILK!!!!
So, there I ran around in the kitchen like a chicken with my head cut off desperately attempting to find some relief.
All this while the family sits on the couch watching both the Red Sox and Celtics lose and me circling in a frenzy.
"Really, Lynne, it can't be THAT bad!" and "C'mon, mom."
HAH - I couldn't even respond!
What is GOING TO GET RID OF THIS????!!!!!

Vanilla. Ice. Cream.
And a BIG bowl of it.
Yup, that's what I ate right before dinner while I was attempting to finish making dinner.
I will NEVER have another cute little, itty, bitty habanero pepper. AGAIN.
Mr. 365 had a small piece, too.
And then he needed some of my ice cream.  ;-)

Chicken with Spinach, Pine Nuts, & Gruyere Cheese

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package fresh spinach
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup olive oil, divided in two
2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
In a flat dish press bread crumbs on to both sides of chicken.  Place ¼ cup oil in a 13 X 9"-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a large skillet, pour in ¼ cup of olive oil, and add minced garlic.  Sauté for one minute.  Add spinach, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.  Sauté until spinach is limp; set aside.

Spoon spinach mixture on to each of the chicken breasts.  Top with grated Gruyere.

Bake for 20 minutes.

I have made this in the past with provolone instead of Gruyere.  I should have stuck with that, but I decided I wanted to be fancy (and I had Gruyere that I wanted to use up).

The spinach was DELICIOUS and I sometimes cook it that way as a side dish without the pine nuts.

The family REALLY didn't like the Gruyere on it, and said I should have gone with the provolone.  They said the first bite was good, but then the rest tasted like fish.

Fish?

Really? 

We were eating chicken.

I really didn't taste the "fishiness" and that's usually something I'll pick right up on.

Needless to say, 3 chicken breasts were plenty for four people, and noone wanted the last one, and my palate had already been ruined for the night.

I rate everything on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  This chicken dish earned 2 rolling pins. 

I would highly recommend using the provolone.  The Gruyere has just too strong of a taste.

Happy baking! 

Chicken Taquitos

Every time I see taquitos in the frozen food section, I think YUM! But then I make them and think "What was I thinking?" They are never very good to me. So when I saw these over at Annie's Eats I ran right out and got the stuff. And boy I was NOT disappointed. My only regret was that I didn't double the recipe. *They freeze you know! So next time I make these (like tomorrow!) I am going to double the recipe and stock my freezer for the quickest meal EVER! My boys loved these too, making them double fantastic!

Chicken Taquitos

(10-12 taquitos, 3-4 servings)

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup salsa (I used homemade, but use whatever you love)

1 T fresh squeezed lime juice

1 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T chopped cilantro

1-2 green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded chicken (about 1 1/2 chicken breasts)

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I used cheddar)

10-12 6-inch (fajita size) flour tortillas

cooking spray

kosher salt

1/2 can corn, drained (optional)**
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)**

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese. Mix until well combined.

Briefly heat the tortillas until they are soft enough to roll easily. Place a tortilla on a work surface and fill with 2-3 Tablespoons of chicken mixture down the middle. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place the taquito seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled. Space them evenly on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray and then sprinkle with kosher salt. (This actually gives a great pop to these, so do not skip this step!)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole, if desired

*To freeze for later use, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos for 30-60 minutes. Then transfer them to a freezer safe container or storage bag for storing. To bake them from frozen, simply add a few minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through

**We made these again and added one can of black beans and a can of corn (both drained), omitted the cheese, left the chicken the same and doubled the cream cheese and spices and it made twice as many taquitos!  We didn't miss the cheese at all and LOVED the corn and beans in them!

Day 102 - Chicken Divan

Remember, you still have time to enter the giveaway on the 100th day!  Read the rules and leave your comments and YOU could be the lucky winner!!

*The contest is now over and a winner has been determined.*

I have to be honest, I LOVE my life!
I had coffee this morning which turned into lunch with a good friend today and we had some amazing laughs and conversation.  Thank you, Laura!
I've been reconnecting with some old friends lately and I must say that it's wonderful.
It's also comforting to know that when you need someone in times of stress or crisis that someone will be there.
I've always preferred to be there for others.  It's so much easier for me to "pay it forward" as opposed to asking accepting the support or help once it's needed.
But that's what life's about isn't it?  Love thy neighbors as you would love thyself.
Besides, it's ALWAYS good to reconnect with your girlfriends and have a good laugh because that's the best medicine.  And boy, does it feel good when my cheeks hurt!

Tonight's dinner is sponsored by (no, not sponsored, just wanted to sound like a voice-over for a commercial) or rather adapted from The New Doubleday Cookbook; authors, Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna; publisher, Doubleday, a division of Random House; ISBN 0-385-19577-X.

Chicken Divan - serves 4

¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup sifted flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 head broccoli (about 1½ pounds) trimmed and chopped
3 cooked chicken breasts ( about 1- 1½ pounds), cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar/ Monterey Jack Cheese
½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Melt butter in a saucepan over moderate heat, blend in flour, slowly add broth and milk, and heat stirring until thickened; mix in salt, pepper, ¼ cup cheese, and the sherry.

Arrange broccoli in a single layer in a buttered 8 X 8-inch baking dish and top with chopped chicken.  Spread shredded cheddar/jack cheese evenly over chicken.

Beat cream until soft peaks form and fold into sauce.

Pour evenly over chicken.

Bake, uncovered about ½ hour until bubbly.
Broil quickly to brown and serve.

We really liked this dish - I must say, it's a keeper  I rate all of my dishes on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the absolute best and this one earned 4 rolling pins The sauce was delicious and with the extra shredded cheese I added, it had a lot of flavor.  i always think it's great to have a vegetable in a casserole especially if there are children involved.
Happy Baking!

Day 76 - Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

    
     Yay!!! I'll probably be going to bed with my husband tonight!!  Not that I usually go to bed with someone else, it's just that it's only 9 o'clock at night and I'm almost finished blogging.  Lately, and not to his liking, I've been staying up later than him and he doesn't like it.  Neither of us sleep well without the other - we anticipate when the missing partner will be coming into the bedroom, turning on the light in the bathroom (which has no door - only out here have we lived in houses that have no door on the master bath.  Stupid!), and stealing the covers from the one already retired.  I think it also has to do with the fact that, every night ever since I can remember, we hold hands when as we fall asleep.  I know, it sounds corny, but it's just one of those things that we do.  And if the other partner is not there to hold your hand, there is definitely something that isn't quite right.  So, I understand his discontent with my late nights - he misses me.  And I love that about him.
     Okay, so go retrieve your heads of garlic and start peeling while you're sitting here reading this post.  That way, you can kill two birds with one stone or multi-task, whichever way you prefer to look at it.  I have my garlic peeled and it took me all of 5 minutes.  I confess, I bought the peeled garlic in the jar.  I can't be sitting peeling garlic.  That would drive me NUTS except maybe if I watched 'Days of Our Lives' like I used to way back when the kids were nappers.  Not to mention the smell I'd probably never be able to remove from my fingers.  I found this on one blog, A Tale of Two Kitchens, but she had gotten it from Alton Brown at the Food Network, but I found this one at For the Love of Cooking and it looked so very delicious that I just had to try it.

     Chicken with 40 cloves of Garlic

     4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
     1-2 tablespoons olive oil
     dried thyme to taste
     sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
     40 cloves of garlic
     1 tablespoon butter
     1 tablespoon gluten-free flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted)
     ¼ teaspoon corn starch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
     2 tablespoons milk
     2/3 white cooking wine
     1 cup vegetable broth (use chicken broth if you do not need this to be gluten-free)
     1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

     Purchase jar of already peeled garlic or if you so desire, peel it yourself.  Leave me a note to let me know how long it took you to do that.
     Preheat oven to 350ºF.
     Place chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper and pound until ½-inch thick.  Season with salt, black pepper and thyme to taste.

     Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  In batches, sauté the chicken until nicely browned, about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove and place in baking dish.  After all of the chicken has been removed from the skillet, add the garlic.  Lower the heat and sauté for 3-4 minutes, turning often.  add the cooking wine and vegetable broth, making sure to scrape all the yummy brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Season with sea salt, black pepper, and thyme, if needed.  Pour sauce over chicken in baking dish.  Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

     Once the chicken has been baked, carefully remove the chicken and garlic cloves to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.  Place the sauce in the previously used large skillet or a saucepan.  In a small bowl, mix together the water and cornstarch.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and milk with a little bit of the sauce.  Once thoroughly mixed, slowly whisk the flour mixture back into the rest of the sauce.  Add the butter to the sauce; add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes or until it is nice and thick.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.

     I really enjoyed this dish.  I thought it was flavorful and really liked the garlic cloves.  Unfortunately, my family didn't agree with me and thought it was just, "eh".  My husband said he thought the sauce needed more of a kick and rated the dish a 2.  I rate my dishes/baked goods on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the absolute best.  I'm going to give this 3 rolling pins.  Maybe instead of using the vegetable stock you'll have a better flavor with chicken.

     Happy baking!

Day 66 - Gluten Free Chicken Parmigiana

     I made two kinds of chicken parmigiana tonight - one was based on the Eggplant Parmigiana  recipe I made on Day 5 of this blog and the other one needed to be gluten free for my daughter.  I needed to change the breadcrumbs I usually use with something that was gluten free.  I was going to buy some gluten free bread crumbs, but figured they'd be pretty expensive as most gluten free products are, so I decided I"d do some searching online.  One site (I looked at so many, I can't remember which was which) said that a Japanese Panko crumbs could be made from crumbled Rice Chex cereal it doesn't contain gluten.  I didn't have the Rice, I had Honey Nut.  Since i was going to be eating it with her, I didn't want my Italian chicken tasting honeyish.
     My daughter has been eating these Blue Diamond Pecan Nut Thins.  They are really quite good!  Since she likes them so much I decided to take about 25-30 of them (which made about 1/2 cup) and pop them into the food processor which I had never used with any gluten containing products.  This is important because you don't want to use the same toaster, food processor, etc. for concern of cross-contamination.  I made this for three, but I'll give it to you for four servings.
     All of the specific items I used tonight were gluten free.  If this is important for you, please check your labels or if you have any questions, contact the company of the product you are concerned about directly.  That is the easiest way to find out and I've discovered that most are extremely willing to help with any dietary questions.  It is much better to check than just assume, and then have issues later. 

     Gluten Free Chicken Parmigiana
     2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more if needed)
     4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
     1 egg, lightly beaten
     3/4 cup Pecan Nut-Thin Cracker Crumbs (approx. 40 crackers)
     3/4 cup grated Kraft Parmesan Cheese
     1  1lb.10 oz. jar of Ragu Spaghetti Sauce
     8 oz. block of mozzarella cheese

     Preheat oven to 375ºF.
     Combine cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese on a plate. 
     Grate or slice mozzarella cheese.
     Dip one chicken breast into beaten egg, coating both sides.  Dredge in crumbs/parmesan mixture.  Repeat with remaining chicken.
     Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
     Add chicken to skillet and brown on both sides for about 4 minutes each.  I recommend using a spatula to scrape under the chicken before turning so that the coating won't stick to the pan.

Can you tell I didn't use the spatula before flipping like I told you to?

Pour 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce into a 9 X 13" baking dish to cover the bottom.

     Arrange chicken pieces in pan.
     Cover with remaining sauce.
     Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.
     Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

     Usually I'll use shredded mozzarella cheese, but I've read that some, unless noted that it is gluten free, may contain gluten.  Purchasing the block and slicing it myself also saved some money instead of buying the specific gluten free shredded cheese.
     In the past, the breadcrumbs I've used are Italian style and contain herbs.  To be honest, I completely forgot to add any oregano, or basil to the cracker crumbs, but I really couldn't taste a difference.  I think it may have been because there were enough spices in the spaghetti sauce.  The great thing about this meal is that you can just substitute those bread crumbs for the crackers if there aren't any dietary concerns.  
     I really liked the taste of the chicken.  It was coated nicely with the crackers and had a very slight nutty flavor.  My daughter really couldn't tell a difference from the bread crumbs, so I'll be making it for her this way again.  We both agreed that this gluten free chicken parmigiana deserves 3½ rolling pins.  I use a rating system of 1-4 rolling pins with 4 being the best.
     Happy baking!
    
    
    

    












   

Restaurant Style Chicken Nachos

I am a huge fan of mexican food in general, but nachos {Good Nachos} top my list. I made these on a whim to copy our favorite Mexican restaurant and they were so yummy! I need to put them on here so that I will remember to make them again! This is more just a list of ingredients because you can make as big a plate of these as you like!

Restaurant Style Chicken Nachos

Chicken, cooked and shredded

green enchilada sauce

cheddar cheese/jack cheese

refried beans

tortilla chips

sour cream

salsa

guacamole

Preheat your oven on broil. Place an oven rack about 10 inches from the top of the oven. Cover a pie plate or cookies sheet with foil and pile on some tortilla chips. Cook shredded chicken in enchilada sauce in a sauce pan until warmed through. Heat up refried beans (I like to add a little enchilada sauce and shredded to these). Put dollops of beans all over the chips. Next add the chicken in the same way. Top with lots of shredded cheese. Place the nachos in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starts to bubble. Top with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. We like to gather around and eat off of the same plate just like at a Mexican restaurant!

*You could totally use any kind of meat: shredded beef, shredded pork or make it vegetarian and just use beans!

Day 33 - Chicken with Rice

     I found this recipe card for Chicken with Rice among my cookbooks today.  I remember my mom making it and really wanting to know how to prepare it.  She gave me the card, but I never received a personal cooking lesson.  I make it sound like it's complicated when it took me all of 10 minutes,  I think to put the ingredients into the pan.  I'm all for easy, especially when it comes to busy nights with various family activities; there's nothing better than being able to pull something out of the freezer that's already been prepared, some crock pot recipe that I can start in the morning, or a dish that takes little time to prepare and will be done by the time we arrive home (like the lasagna, but you probably want to make sure you cover it, so that it doesn't become crusty like mine did ;-) ).  Hmmm...that reminds me, what do I make for dinner tomorrow night?
     Chicken with Rice
     1 cup uncooked rice
     1 chicken-cut up
     1 pkg. onion soup mix
     1 can cream of chicken soup
     1 cup sherry
     1 cup water

     Place rice in 2 qt. casserole, cover with water and wine. 

Place chicken over rice (in one layer if possible).  I used boneless chicken breasts.

Sprinkle with onion soup mix.

Cover with chicken soup.

Cover and bake at 325ºF - 350ºF for 1-2 hrs.  Remove cover; brown 30 minutes longer.

     It is an extremely simple recipe, but somehow, I managed to screw it up. Haha  Ok, not really funny.  As I said, I used the boneless chicken breasts, so I knew it should be in the oven or thought it should be in the oven for a different amount of time than it called for.  I started it at 350ºF for 30 minutes at which point I removed the cover and turned the heat up to 375ºF for another 30 minutes.  Why, you ask?  Um, because it was already 6 o'clock when I started to make dinner and I didn't have 1½ - 2½ hours to wait.  I have teenagers, remember?  And one of them is a boy.  So I figured before they filled up on snacks, I'd better speed dinner up.

     The chicken was delicious, very tender and flavorful because of the sherry, soup and onions.

 HOWEVER, the rice was a tad bit underdone and a little crunchy.  Next time, I'll probably use chicken breast again, but will bake for the allotted time at the temperature I'm supposed to.  The family liked it even though the rice was crunchy.  I'm still trying to pick bits out of my teeth.   The rating: on a scale of 1 to 4 rolling pins, I give this a 2½ because of the rice.  

     Happy baking!

Day 31 - Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

     This family LOVES this meal!  It is easy to make, too.  The step that takes me the longest is shredding the chicken, so once you're through that you're golden.  This recipe is enough to serve 5 people.

      Ingredients

     ½ lb. chicken breast

     ½ cup barbecue sauce

     8 medium soft flour tortillas

     12 oz. shredded Monterey Jack/ Cheddar cheese

     2 tomatoes, diced

     1/3 cup minced red onion

Preheat oven to 375º.  Brush chicken breast with barbecue sauce and grill til cooked through.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you how long to do this on an actual grill because I haven't mastered our outside grill.  I use that and everything's charred on the outside and raw on the inside.  So, I use my George Foreman Grill and it cooks in about 5-7 minutes.  I love that thing!  It's great when I'm in a hurry to make dinner because it cooks things in no time flat.          

Cover two cookie sheets with tin foil (this makes clean-up so much easier, especially since the cheese will melt) and place two tortillas on each.  Spread 1/4 cup of cheese over each tortilla.  Once chicken is cooked, shred it using two forks.

Spread chicken evenly over the four tortillas.  Divide tomatoes among the tortillas and spread. 
Add diced onion to each tortilla and then cover each with remaining cheese.  Cover with four tortillas.

Bake at 375F for 10 minutes.

Oh boy, I deleted the picture of the finished product.  Obviously, I hit a button I wasn't supposed to.  I'll see if I can find it and post it tomorrow.
     I have a rating system of 1-4 rolling pins: 1 being horrible, we couldn't stand it, definitely don't recommend it, and you're on your own if you decide to bake it, and 4 being absolutely loved it and cannot get enough of it, you need to bake this!  My grilled chicken quesadillas are rated a 3½ rolling pins.  They are really good and I make them at least twice a month because they're easy.
     Happy baking!