Sweet & Sour Chicken

I made this the other night and it was surprisingly easy and quick, not to mention unbelievably good. I am trying to really simplify my cooking lately and it is difficult for me since I love to try new things even if they are difficult. However, this was an easy fulfillment of my missing hobby lately. And you know it's good when my husband said, "So where did you buy the chicken?" I'll take that as a compliment, thank you!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the baking directions in the recipe and pour the other half in a small saucepan. Cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

*Serves 4-6

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice.

Healthy Stuffed Chicken

This is another recipe I got from Maria Menounos. Yeah, I'm a big fan of hers! Love her!! My husband said this recipe was a definite keeper and a "home run" (he associates everything with sports. Hahaha!)!! If he approves then it must be good!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened

Stuffing:

3/4 lb low-fat feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup packed, chopped baby spinach

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce:

one 14oz can tomato sauce

1 diced mango, peeled and seeded

1/4 tsp seeded and diced jalapeno pepper (I left this ingredient out)

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl. Spoon out half of the mix onto each flattened chicken breast. Wrap the chicken around the stuffing and place in a small greased baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then turn heat down to low and simmer, stirring off and on, for 15 minuted or until sauce becomes thick.

Spoon the sauce over cooked chicken and serve.

Yield: 2 (the stuffing makes a lot, so you could even get 3-4 stuffed chicken breasts)

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I found this recipe on: www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com

6-8 Chicken Breasts
Garlic salt
Pepper
1 ½ C. sugar
1 C. vinegar
1 C. chicken broth
7 Tbsp. Ketchup
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
-Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper.
-Layer chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch pan.
-Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken broth, ketchup, soy sauce, and cornstarch with wire wisk.
-Pour directly over chicken breasts.
-Bake uncovered at 325 for about 1 ½ hours, or until sauce is thick and dark in color.
-The chicken needs to be fall apart tender!

Chicken Pillows

Maybe many of you have experienced these chicken pillows, but I was new to them and loved them. A couple sidenotes:

1. I did not take the time to make 16 small pillows and just made 8 - kept 2 crescent rolls together and they were the perfect size for adults.

2. Some of you may be aware of my new gluten-free child and it's been challenging to say the least! So much more planning and time is required for our meals so when I do something like this, I will for sure let you know if I altered it for my gluten-free child.

Chicken Pillows
Ingredients:

2/3 cup crushed Mom's seasoned stuffing
2 (3 oz.) package cream cheese
4 Tbsp. softened butter
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups cooked chicken pieces
2/3 cup mushroom pieces
2 cans crescent dinner rolls
6 Tbsp. melted butter
Directions:

Combine cream cheese, softened butter, and pepper. Mix well, then add the cooked chicken and mushroom pieces. In a separate bowl, put the crushed stuffing. Roll out each section of crescent roll into a square and put 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture in the center of each one. Fold over and pinch edges. Dip each one in melted butter and then roll it in the crushed stuffing. Place them on a cookie sheet and cook at 375 for 20 minutes. This is best served with a mild chicken gravy or a sauce made with cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Makes 16.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to stuffing.

Gluten-free meal:
Gluten-free "cream of chicken"
3T. butter or oil
3T. flour blend (gluten-free)
1 1/4c. chicken broth (or milk if you can)
salt, pepper

Melt butter/oil in saucepan. Stir in flour and seasonings. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Add liquid slowly, stirring with whisk to get rid of lumps. Cook until thick.

Makes 1 cup or equivalent to 1 can of condensed soup.
***It's more just like a thick chicken gravy, so for this I put a little of the chicken mixture aside and added more milk to make it gravier. Then I served it over rice and used the extra gravy over the chicken pillows and rice.***

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

We have been in a recipe hump and so I have been trying a bunch of new recipes - this is a new favorite and it freezes well too, so it's all around wonderful! Try it out! I halved the recipe, but next time I'm going to do the full recipe and freeze the extras to give away to all of our new babies families in the ward. I also substituted the ricotta for cottage cheese.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Submitted by Erin (Brittany's delicious recipe. :) )

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
Makes 8-10 servings.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

I had a craving for this pasta today and went to find the recipe in my book. Imagine my dismay when it wasn't there!! So I looked on here and it wasn't there either. Always in search of ways to avoid using your oven, here's another delicious way from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. You could also easily omit chicken and it becomes vegetarian.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

*Note: this pasta is best served immediately as it tends to get less creamy as it sits at room temperature – so serve warm right as it finishes cooking! (Incidentally, it heated up just fine the next day in the microwave on low power.)

*Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 average-sized chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 ½ pounds), cut into chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound orzo pasta
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.

While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Bow Tie Chicken Pasta

This is a such a yummy summer salad. It's a great salad to serve at like a luncheon, reception, or shower. It does make a lot, so you can half it and be fine.

4 chicken breasts, boiled and cubed
1-2 cups grapes, cut in half
2 cups celery, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 1-lb pkg bow tie pasta
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 can cashews
16-oz bottle coleslaw dressing
1 cup mayonnaise

Mix ingredients together reserving lettuce and cashews until just before serving (they get soggy). Best if served cold. (I did the pasta and chicken the night before and then refrigerated it so it would be cold for the salad the next day).

Hoisin Chicken with Cucumber Salad

I finally used the grill almost by myself last night. Doug had to go help someone move about 15 minutes after he got home so he had me turn the grill on before he got home. I have seen him do it, but I am one of those people who has to do it myself to remember. This expands my food repertoire so much now!

Weston loved this meal and is a hard person to get to eat meat, but he just kept saying "mmm, mnmm, I like it!" I took the skin off my pieces of chicken & you really could not tell the difference. So if you want to save a few calories and clogging arteries and cut the skin off, go for it!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved (remove seeds for less heat)
• Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for garnish
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (separate pieces)

For the Salad:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Prepare the chicken: Preheat a grill to medium on one side. Combine the hoisin sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, lime zest and juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a mini food processor or blender; process until almost smooth. Season the chicken with salt; toss with the hoisin mixture in a large bowl.

Make the salad: Bring the vinegar, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup ice cubes until melted. Toss the cucumber and red onion in a serving bowl with the vinegar mixture; place in the refrigerator.

Grill the chicken over direct heat until the skin is crisp, 5 minutes per side, basting with extra marinade. Transfer to the cooler side of the grill; cover and grill until cooked through, 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve with the cucumber salad and lime wedges.

Per serving: Calories 375; Fat 16 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 107 mg; Sodium 1,906 mg; Carbohydrate 30 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 32 g

Shredded Salad with Chicken & Peanut Sauce over Rice Noodles

I check the foodbuzz recipes every so often when I haven't found anything new to try and had been wanting to try this recipe. This took a long time to make just with the chopping, etc. My advice is to do whatever you can throughout the day or ahead of time. But it was sooooo good, I cannot even tell you. I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles and only 2 of the peppers. It was still spicy, but not too spicy for me. I picked out the peppers after tossing it all together so someone wouldn't get one accidentally and heat rash their mouth. I also didn't add mint just because I didn't want to buy it and only use it for this recipe. I added quite a bit more water and did not even use close to all the peanut sauce.

To poach the chicken:
1 three-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and cut in half
10 cilantro stems
2 T toasted sesame oil
1/2 t salt
2 large, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

-in a large saute pan, add ginger, garlic, cilantro, sesame oil, and salt and enough water to reach halfway up the side of the pan; bring to a boil over high heat; add the chicken, reduce heat to medium, and cover; simmer until chicken is cooked through; remove from heat and let stand until cool enough to handle
-transfer chicken to a cutting board; remove skin and cut meat from bone, cut meat into small strips or shred with your fingers

Prep vegetables and herbs:
1/2 head green cabbage (or savoy or napa), cored and thinly sliced
6 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or julienned on slicer
3 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced into long strips
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced white and green parts
1/2 c fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

-place all sliced and chopped vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl

Peanut Sauce:
1 five-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1/4 c fish sauce
1/2 c soy sauce
3/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1 c smooth, natural peanut butter
1/4 c toasted sesame oil
2 T water if needed

-in a large measuring pitcher, combine ginger, shallots, fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice; whisk in peanut butter; whisk in sesame oil; if sauce is too thick, whisk in water starting with one tablespoon and adding more as needed

To finish salad:
1 pound rice vermicelli noodles
1/2 c roasted, unsalted peanuts for serving

-bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook noodles according to package instructions or until al dente; transfer to a colander to drain; rinse under cold water, drain, and place on a serving platter
-add prepared chicken to bowl of vegetables and herbs and toss to combine; pour half of the peanut sauce over this mixture and toss to coat; taste and add more peanut sauce as desired
-to serve, top noodles with chicken salad mixture, drizzle with some remaining peanut sauce, sprinkle with peanuts, and garnish with any extra herbs or green onions

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

I literally cannot say enough good things about this dish. It was soooo good and I still have one in the freezer, yay! My only suggestion is that when I tasted the sauce, I kept adding S & P, thinking it was slightly bland. Well, that was unnecessary because the sundried tomatoes do the trick.

from Our Best Bites
based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

*Note on Cheese:
Sometimes provolone cheese can be hard to find. I don't always encourage the use of pre-shredded bagged cheeses (because 've found they usually contain additives and therefore don't melt or taste as good), but in this recipe I've used a *good* quality one, like Sargento, and it's turned out great. Actually in this batch I used Sargento's Provolone/Mozzarella mix. You'll find that with packaged cheese mixes, provolone is often mixed with other white cheeses and that's totally fine. Just try to find one that is mostly provolone, like a 50/50 mix. The other easy option is to go to the deli department where you can buy sliced cheese. Just ask for a 6 oz chunk and you can grate it yourself.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you're going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie. If cooking, sprinkle on top.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Lighter Chicken Alfredo

So I've been trying to research some healthy recipes to balance out some of the not-so-healthy stuff I make. I came across this website and it had the first recipe. Then someone commented and left the second recipe. I made the second and it took me all of 10 minutes and no more than $7-8 to make. Impressive, yes?

Dana’s Fettuccine Alfredo
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fettuccine (use whole-grain versions — whole-wheat or brown rice pasta — for extra fiber)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 ounces light cream cheese
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cream; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes as the sauce thickens. Add cream cheese and mix well with a whisk until smooth. Add cooked pasta and grated cheese; toss well to combine. If mixture appears too dry, add small amounts of reserved cooking liquid until the sauce is smooth and pasta is well coated. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info (per 1 cup of pasta):
Calories: 400
Total fat: 16.5 grams
Saturated fat: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 47 grams
Cholesterol: 56 milligrams
Sodium: 538 milligrams
Protein: 18 grams
Fiber: 6 grams

Tofu Alfredo Sauce
This recipe replaces the traditional heavy cream and butter with Tofu and saves 453 calories per serving for the sauce alone!
Makes 4 servings, (sauce alone)
Ingredients

• 1 package (12oz) firm silken tofu
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Kosher salt (or less to taste)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¼ cup skim milk or plain soymilk
• 1 # frozen chopped broccoli (or fresh)
• 1 pound pasta, cooked and drained

Preparation

• Combine sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Warm in the microwave 3-
4 minutes on high, or until hot.
• Cook pasta. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add frozen (or fresh) broccoli to cooking water. (I put in some frozen broccoli and some chopped, frozen pre-cooked chicken I had at the same time)
Drain and toss with Alfredo Sauce. Top with more cheese if you like (you've save tons of fat calories in the sauce, you can enjoy them here!)
Nutrition Information: Per Serving: 52 Calories, 4 g Protein, 1 g Carbohydrate, 3 g Fat
Traditional Alfredo Sauce Comparison: 505 Calories, 9 g Protein, 5 g Carbohydrate, 51 g Fat

Green Chile Enchiladas

This recipe has been adapted from one of my mom's recipes. I have it down to a science now. Thanks mom!

2 cups cooked chicken
3 cups Colby Jack Cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz. container of light sour cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 can green chiles
Flour tortillas
1 small white onion

Shed chicken. Set Aside. Shred Cheese. Set Aside. Chop Onion and Saute. Set aside.

Mix soup, sour cream and green chilies. Add enough chicken broth to mixture to make a smooth and creamy texture. Usually about 3-4 tablespoons.

Heat remaining chicken broth in large saucepan. Work one tortilla at a time. Cook flour tortillas about 5 -10 seconds on each side. Dry tortilla with paper towel.

Spread sour cream mixture over tortilla. Add approximately 2 tablespoons Chicken to tortilla. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon onion and plenty o’ cheese over chicken. Wrap tight and lay tortilla seam side down in buttered baking dish. Work the rest of tortillas until baking dish is full.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add the remaining sour cream mixture over the top of the tortillas and spread evenly with spatula. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Place the enchiladas in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Wait 5-10 minutes to cool before serving.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Doug loved these the best and I did not have rice vinegar so I put a little salt and sugar and white vinegar instead and it was still delicious! The dipping sauce really was the best part :)

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2 t vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 lb ground chicken (about 2 boneless, skinless breasts(yeah the author of this recipe ground her own chicken! It makes me want to try sometime))
3/4 C minced mushrooms
1/2 t kosher salt
4 C minced cabbage (about 1/2 a head)
1 8oz can water chestnuts, minced
1/2 C minced green onions
1/4 C soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
1 lemon, zested, then juiced
1 t hot sauce
1/3 C chopped cilantro
1 head iceberg lettuce
*Dipping Sauce recipe to follow

Heat up a large skillet. Really, a large one, this makes a lot. Put in vegetable oil and when it's hot add minced garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute just until it's fragrant and then add in the ground chicken, minced mushrooms, and salt. Cook until chicken is cooked through.

Then add in the cabbage, water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook for a few minutes until cabbage starts to wilt. Add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, juice and zest from the lemon, and hot sauce. When everything is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

To serve, carefully separate the whole leaves from the lettuce. Wash and dry them and keep them in the fridge so they're nice and cold. Spoon chicken filling onto the lettuce leaf and then roll it up and serve with dipping sauce below- or any other favorite Asian dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce
¼ C Soy Sauce
¼ C Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 T Fresh Minced Ginger
2 T chopped green onions

*This makes quite a bit. It's enough to feed my small family for a couple meals, so I use half and freeze the other half for later use! You'll get about 6 cups total of filling.

Asian Night

Dinner menus at my house are planned with three things in mind usually:
1. What have I made before that sounds good?
2. What can I make using only ingredients that I have? (This is the main one usually and this week it is potatoes :))
3. Experimenting and trying something new.

So I tried 2 new recipes yesterday for dinner, which is always a little frightening on a Sunday dinner, but it was delicious so enjoy!!

Both recipes were from here.

The first was fried rice, which cooking the rice actually took the longest in this meal. (Use your food processor if you can both these recipes!)

Fried Rice
Recipe from Disneyworld's Ohana Restaurant

2 c. white rice + 4 c. water (OR 4 c. cold, leftover rice, which is actually better)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. minced red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms
8 oz. (1/2 bag) of coleslaw mix
3-4 generous Tbsp. soy sauce

SEASONING:
1 Tbsp. dried onion
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. celery salt
1 ½ tsp. sugar


Boil water and add rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. This step can be done even up to 2-3 days in advance (and for some reason, fried rice tastes better when the rice is cold). Heat butter over medium heat and saute onions, carrots, and cabbage until carrots are tender. Add cooked rice, soy sauce, and seasoning to taste (you won't even come close to using all of it; save the rest for future fried rice or use as you would seasoning salt.)

OPTIONAL ADD-INS:

--Peas, snap peas, or pea pods
--Ham
--Shrimp

Baked Chicken Taquitos

I am a recipe-blog-hopper now. And I found another site I like: My Kitchen Cafe and they took this recipe from a site I like called Our Best Bites. They were absolutely delicious and easy. I made it throughout the day. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Taquitos
adapted from Our Best Bites

Makes 14-16 taquitos (served our family of two adults and three kids with three or four leftover for lunch the next day)

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts to equal about 2 tablespoons)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I cook large batches of chicken in my crockpot with a little chicken broth and salt, shred it and freeze it for meals like this)
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese (use pepperjack if you like a little heat)

small yellow or white corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare this step ahead of time (which I did - I made it the morning of). Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don't crack while rolling. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a soft tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. (A few of mine wanted to rebel and come unrolled so I stuck a toothpick through them to keep them right and tight.)

Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don't touch each other. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and lightly sprinkle some kosher (coarse) salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve immediately. Taquitos can be dipped in in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any other combination you can dream up .

Chicken Parmesan

I got this recipe here and every time we have it, we are like mmm, mmm, mmm! As she suggested, we tried it with Provolone, but actually preferred it when we tried mozzarella cheese.

7-8 garden tomatoes (if you don't have garden tomatoes, I would suggest using 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can tomato sauce
3 chicken breasts
2 eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
6 slices Provolone cheese (or mozzarella, but we had Provolone on hand so that's what we used and it was amazing!)
1 lb. spaghetti

If you are using fresh tomatoes, peel them and mash them with a potato masher in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt and pepper, set aside. Heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet and saute onion and garlic. When onions are clear, add the smashed tomatoes. Add basil, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a good rolling simmer. Add tomato sauce (to thicken it up a little bit). It still may seem a little watery, but trust me, it thickens up quite a bit after it simmers. Reduce heat a little and simmer uncovered for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

About 20 minutes prior to serving. Put chicken in a Ziploc bag and add beaten egg and garlic. Smash all the air out of the bag, seal tightly, then work the the chicken around a little bit so it is covered in egg.

On a plate or pie pan, combine bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Heat some oil on medium heat in another large skillet. Remove chicken from egg mixture and press into the bread crumbs. When covered in bread crumbs, add the chicken to the oil and cook for about 1 minute on each side. Place chicken on a greased cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 375-degrees for about 12 minutes or until no longer pink. In the meantime, cook spaghetti to al dente. Remove chicken from oven, add 2 slices of cheese per chicken breast, then return to the oven for about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Layer spaghetti, sauce, and chicken on a plate, garnish with parsley, then serve!

BBQ Rub-Roasted Chicken

I know - this was way ambitious for me. I saw it on Cooking For Real and it looked soooo good, I had to try it. I have never roasted a chicken so this was new for me. I bought a cheap meat thermometer at the grocery store ($4) and I only used a 3.5-lb. chicken, however, it still worked. I only halved the brine and about 3/4 of the rub. There weren't that many drippings so I actually put water at the bottom of my pan. I also did not have a roasting pan, so I took off the top of a broiler pan and put a wire rack in. This was probably the best roasted chicken I have ever had, storebought, restaurant, whatever. The rub didn't stay on the chicken that well on top either, so don't be frustrated with that. Another side note, she made this because she was craving Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in LA. I will take a pic next time so you will really want to make it. The thing is, when you take it out and turn the oven up to 450 degrees and brine it all over, it creates this incredible glaze crust on top. I am a dark meat girl, but the white meat was incredibly moist because you put the butter rub underneath the skin. Anyways, I'll stop now... ENJOY! WE CERTAINLY DID!

For the brine:

• 8 cups water
• 1 lemon juiced and halves reserved
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (7 to 8 pound) whole roaster chicken

Directions

BBQ Rub, recipe follows, divided 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature In a bowl large enough to fit the chicken, combine the water, lemon juice and halves, salt, and sugar. Whisk until salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the chicken to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. If the brine does not fully cover the chicken, rotate the chicken halfway through the brining process. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl add half of the BBQ Rub and the butter. Mix until well combined. Refrigerate for a few minutes if the butter begins to melt after mixing. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Use your fingers to gently release the skin from the flesh of the breasts and legs. Spread the butter mixture evenly under the skin and over the breast and legs. Pat the remaining BBQ rub mixture all over the bird. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack and bake until golden and the juices run clear, basting frequently, for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Baste the chicken thoroughly with the drippings in pan, return to the oven, and let bake until the skin is brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Carve the meat and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with Lemon and Walnut Waffles, if desired

BBQ Rub: 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried ground thyme
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 lemon, zested
• Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Yield: about 3/4 cup

Pineapple Chicken

(Weight Watcher friendly)

8 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained (1 small can)
2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBSP Soy-sauce
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 TBSP Splenda (sugar optional)
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1-2 lb. breast, cubed

Combine all ingredients except rice in large ziplock bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer. Place chicken and all marinade in a sprayed baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until done @ 350 degrees. Serve over rice.

Serves 6
Weight watcher points: 6 points each
By: Lindsey Simon

Chicken Italiano

This is one of mine and my husband's favorite recipes. It's super easy and so yummy! It's our favorite meal to make on Sundays because it's a crock pot recipe. When we get home from church dinner is practically done! My kind of cookin!!!

Chicken Italiano (crock pot recipe)

Ingredients:
- 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (I usually put mine in frozen)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 8oz cream cheese (I either use the fat free or 1/3 less fat)
- 1 package dry italian dressing mix
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 can mushrooms, drained (this is optional. If you're like us and love mushrooms, try putting in fresh cut ones. It's yummy!)

Directions:
Place chicken in the crock pot. Mix together the water and dry italian dressing mix. Pour over chicken. Mix together (I use an electric hand held mixer) cream cheese and cream of chicken soup. Fold in mushrooms. Pour over chicken (this mixture doesn't really pour because it's so thick, but it will liquefy as it cooks). Place crock pot on high for 4 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken with a fork or knife. Best served over rice.

Enchiladas galore

Here are a few Mexican recipes I have found and loved as of late:
Maniladas

• 1 (8-ounce) package manicotti shells
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup sour cream

For the Tomatillo sauce:

• 1 pound tomatillos, quartered
• 1 small red onion, quartered
• 1 jalapeno, halved
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cheese sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups heavy cream, room temperature
• 2 cups grated fontina cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Boil manicotti in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water and set pasta aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat and mix in chicken, tomatoes, cilantro and sour cream. Set aside.

To make the Tomatillo Sauce:

Place tomatillos, onion, jalapeno and garlic in a baking dish. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatillos turn golden around the edges and are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and blend ingredients together until smooth. Use reserved pasta water to thin sauce, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To make the cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add cheese and nutmeg and stir until melted. Season sauce with salt, to taste.

To assemble: Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Stuff manicotti tubes with chicken mixture and assemble in a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top. Bake 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Drizzle tomatillo sauce on Maniladas before serving.

My notes: I actually just did enchiladas because my manicotti shells kept falling apart and also I just used monterey jack cheese because it was much cheaper than fontina. I also put a little cream in the salsa because it was too spicy for me. Delish - my new favorite chicken enchiladas:

Kaye Briggs' Chicken Enchiladas:
These are super easy and there are two ways to do them. The first:
Stir together:

• 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
• 1 tub of sour cream
• 1 can of diced green chiles, drained.
• 1 lb. chicken (I'm guessing, I usually use 2 breasts)

• plenty of cheese

Fill tortillas with mix above mixture and with cheese. Put in greased 9x13 pan and top with remaining sauce and more cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and bubbly.

Next version is new and improved of the last version:
Stir together:

• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 tub of sour cream
• 1 can of diced green chiles, drained
• 1/2 of rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1-1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.
• lime juice and cilantro (optional)

Fill tortillas with above mixture and shredded cheese Top with remaining sauce and plenty of cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and bubbly. Yum!