Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

Along the lines with my last post, here is another quick and healthy weeknight meal. I upped some of the ingredient amounts from the original recipe, since I like my noodles a little saucier than they come out when made exactly as described. We make this one quite often now, especially since Asian flavors are some of Joe's favorite. Enjoy!

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken
From Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 tbsp dark sesame oil, divided
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp sambal oelek(ground chili paste)
1 (6.75 ounce) package thin rick sticks (rice flour noodles)
2 tbsp chopped dry roasted peanuts

Directions:
Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan; cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Place in a large bowl. Stir in remaining 1 tsp oil, chicken and next 6 ingredients (through sambal).

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain. Add noodles to bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Jamaican Chicken Stew

I am back! Sorry for the extra long hiatus. Not having a laptop really crimps my schedule. Luckily I think we have decided on one and will be ordering it this week. Luckily, just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking. I have lots of posts to get ready to go over the coming weeks.


Joe and I are trying to eat better and workout more so I have been trying to make dishes that are not only healthier but quick to make since we are both off at the gym after work quite a few days of the week. This recipe fits the bill. It is great served over rice, or even just over some nicely steamed broccoli.


Jamaican Chicken Stew
From Cooking Light


Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 pound boneless,skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp capers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Combine chicken and the next 5 ingredients (chicken through black pepper) in a bowl. Add chicken mixture to pan; saute 4 minutes. Stir in wine, capers, beans and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Serve over rice or steamed broccoli

Chicken Shawarma

The first time I made this recipe it was indoors on a grill pan. Now that spring is here and our grill is out of the shed, I can't wait to make it again over the open fire. This recipe is from Cooking Light and often I find that I need to increase the amount of spices I use in their recipes but I didn't have to adapt this one at all. The flavors on the chicken and in the sauce were both right on. The only addition I made was a couple of slices of avocado since I had a ripe one I had to use and I really like the flavor of the creamy cool avocado with the over flavors involved. This has become a regular in our house and is so easy to make for a weeknight meal.

Chicken Shawarma
From Cooking Light

Ingredients:
Chicken:
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 strips

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Remaining Ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 (6-inch) pitas
Lettuce
Tomato Slices
Avocado Slices

Directions:
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperate 20 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients (through 1 garlic clove), stirring with a whisk.

Spray grill or gill pan with cooking spray and cook chicken 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Place pitas on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates; top each pita with lettuce, tomato and avocado. Add chicken and sauce and serve immediately.

Chicken & Biscuit Pie

I think one of favorite feel good meals is chicken pot pie. It is great on a cold winter night, really kits the spot. A number of years ago I set out to create my own version so I didn't have to buy the pre-made ones in the store. This recipe has undergone many revisions over the years. It started with a typical pastry crust, then it moved on to biscuits in a can as the topping and I liked the biscuits better than the pastry crust. I think they soak up more of the sauciness when you are eating it but I didn't love using the pre-made biscuit dough. So recently I began experimenting with making a drop biscuit dough and using that on top. I am hooked. I am now able to season the biscuit dough bringing even more flavor for the dish. I think this is it for this recipe. All is good with it but I don't promise that it might take another turn in the future and redefine itself again. We shall see.

Chicken & Biscuit Pie
From Colleen's Kitchen Therapy

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp flour

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp thyme

salt and fresh ground pepper

10 oz frozen mixed vegetables

10 oz frozen chopped broccoli

For the biscuit top:

2 3/4 cups bisquick mix

1 cup milk

1 large egg

1/4 tsp rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Season chicken strips with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Cook in olive oil until brown on all sides and cooked through. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly, then shred. Set aside. After removing the chicken from the pan, add the onion and cook until soft and slightly browned. Add butter to the pan and melt completely. Add flour to melted butter and cook for 2-3 minutes until all the butter and flour are incorporated. Add chicken broth, milk, marjoram and thyme and stir to combine with the butter/flour/onion mixture. Continue cooking on medium high heat, stirring frequently scraping the bottom of the pan until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the chicken, mixed vegetables and chopped broccoli and stir to combine. Pour into an oven safe casserole dish.

For the biscuit top, in a separate bowl, combine the bisquick, milk, egg, rosemary, marjoram, salt & pepper. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Drop mixture in large spoonfuls over the top of the casserole. Bake, uncovered 25-30 minutes until biscuit topping is golden brown and casserole is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

Chicken and Mushroom Pizza

Here I go, switching from healthy low fat and calorie mode to...pizza mode.  Even though we are in the middle of a heat wave here in New Jersey with temperatures in the triple digits I had to turn the oven on last night to make treats to bring to work for my friend Danielle's birthday (recipe to come next week) so I figured while it was on for that, I might has well use it to make dinner.  So we decided to make pizza.  We actually made two kinds last night and I will tell you about the other one we made next week, it was a little more adventurous than this one.  I had some homemade tomato sauce in the refrigerator so we decided to make a traditional mushroom pie but add chicken to it for some protein (and black olives on half of it for Joe, yuck!).  They both turned out really good and I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch this weekend.

I have a Pampered Chef pizza stone and if you are going to be making pizza at home I highly recommend it.  I may even have to order a second one because I really noticed the difference in the crusts on the two pizzas last night.  The texture of the one I cooked on the pizza stone was much better than the one I cooked in a metal pizza pan.  I bought it years ago and it only gets better with age!

Chicken and Mushroom Pizza
From Colleen's Kitchen Therapy

Ingredients:
1 large boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. dried cilantro
1 tbsp. olive oil
5 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 ball (15 -16 oz.) whole wheat pizza dough
2 cups Cheese (I used 4 cheese pizza blend which has mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and romano)
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic, coriander, oregano and cilantro.  Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook, 2-3 minutes on each side until brown and cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.  Then shred with your fingers or a fork.  Add the mushroom to the pan and saute 3-4 minutes until cooked.  Drain mushrooms and set aside.

Put a small amount of flour on your hands and begin working the dough into a circular shape, about 12" in diameter, working from the middle out, pulling the dough evenly.  If the dough starts to get sticky, add a little more flour to your hands.  Place dough circle on a pizza stone.  Place tomato sauce on pizza dough spreading it out with the back of a ladle, leaving a half inch sauce free around the edges.  Spread the cheese over the sauce.  Sprinkle chicken, mushrooms and olives (if using) on top of cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is a nice golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling.  Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I am trying to cook healthier at home and am always on the lookout for ways to reduce the fat and calories in dishes that I love to eat.  Stuffed chicken is one of those things that I love to make but I knew wasn't too good for us.  I came across this recipe from Gina at Skinnytaste and knew I had to try it.  And I had just about all of the ingredients that I would need at home.  They came out great and browned really well in the oven.  You still get the crispy texture you would get by pan frying them without the calories and fat in the oil.  Best of both worlds.

While this recipe uses broccoli and Swiss cheese you could really stuff them with anything.  Once you get the technique down, the sky is the limit as far as fillings go.  I served this with seasoned baked yukon gold potatoes which I roasted in the same pan that I cooked the chicken in with just non-stick cooking spray.  I put the potatoes in the oven first while I was making the stuffed chicken breasts to give them a head start in cooking and then added the chicken breasts and cooked for 25 minutes more.  Add a bag of steamed veggies and we were all set!

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breast halves
1 large egg
1 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (Gina uses whole wheat and I would have definitely used them too but I ran out and had regular at home)
1 cup broccoli florets, cooked, chopped small (I steamed them in the microwave)
3 slices Swiss cheese
Non-stick spray
Toothpicks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a small bowl, combine egg and milk.  Beat with a fork to make an egg wash.  Set aside.  Spread breadcrumbs on a plate.

Slice chicken breast halves into thin cutlets.  I got 3 cutlets out of one chicken breast and 2 out of the other.  Pound slightly to make sure they are an even thinness.

Cut each slice of cheese in half.  Please a 1/2 slice of cheese in the center of each chicken breast and top with a few pieces of broccoli.  Wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using toothpicks to secure.

Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs.  Spray baking dish with non-stick spray and place chicken in baking dish.  Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked.  Serve immediately.

Chicken Marsala Pasta

 It was finally a little bit cooler last night and it looked like it was going to rain so cooking dinner was a solely indoor affair.  I knew I had chicken breasts taken out but what to do with them?  I was on my friend Melissa's blog I Was Born to Cook looking at her awesome lobster when I remembered that she had a recipe for chicken marsala and pasta that I had wanted to try.  And I agree with Melissa, if you want to try this recipe, go to the liquor store and get a bottle of Marsala wine, don't use what they sell in the grocery store.

The recipe was fast and easy to follow.  I made just a few very minor changes and I think it turned out wonderful.  So good that I had some and then when Joe got home from work he finished the rest of it.  Too bad, since I was really looking forward to taking the leftovers for lunch today!

Chicken Marsala Pasta
Slightly adapted from I Was Born to Cook

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" chunks
1/4 cup flour
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, large dice
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup Marsala wine

1 teaspoon oregano
1 lb pasta
1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add butter and oil.  At the same time, place water in a pot to boil for pasta and cook according to package directions.

Season flour with salt and pepper.  Toss chicken into flour, shake off excess and add to skillet once butter has melted.  Saute until chicken is brown on one side.  At this point add onion and continue to saute until chicken is brown on all sides.  Add mushrooms, chicken broth, Marsala and oregano.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low.  Cook for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly.  If needed, add another tbsp. of butter to sauce to thicken texture at the end.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary to taste.  Remove from heat and toss with pasta.  Stir in parsley, reserving some for garnish.  Top with reserved parsley and Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

Chicken Fried Rice

Joe loves Asian food of all types.  I think if he could he would have some type of Asian food every day.  Before we met, I would have Chinese take out occasionally but didn't really try anything beyond that.  Now he has me eating Thai, Japanese, even sushi (only the cooked or veggie kind though).  We have come a long way.  I have also learned to make Asian inspired meals more at home.  I had boneless chicken breasts in the refrigerator that were supposed to be used for dinner on Saturday night but we wound up going out instead so on Sunday afternoon I made up a big pan of chicken fried rice for lunch and then for lunches for the rest of the week.  I have been playing with this recipe for a few months and I think I finally have it where I like it.  I am very excited for lunch this week!


Chicken Fried Rice
From Colleen's Kitchen Therapy

Ingredients:
3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. fresh grated ginger, divided
3 cups rice, cooked and cooled completely
Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and diced carrots
1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks in juice (not in syrup), drained, 1/2 juice reserved
3 large eggs (optional)

Directions:
Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder.  In a very large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tsp. grated ginger and saute for 30 seconds.  Add chicken and cook 5 minutes.  Add onion and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.  Add rice, remaining 1 tsp. ginger and an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Cook, stirring constantly until the rice is a little crispy and ginger is incorporated, 3-5 minutes.  Add peas and carrots, soy sauce, teriyaki and pineapple juice.  Stir until incorporated.  Taste and add additional soy sauce as necessary.  Rice should be well coated in sauce but not too wet.

Move the rice to the side of the skillet to make a space to scramble the eggs or if you prefer, scramble the eggs in a separate pan and add to the rice.  Stir in the pineapple chunks and serve.

Kitchen Sink Pasta

I am making a valiant effort this week to cook dinner only using the ingredients we currently have at home.  Every few weeks or so I try to do this to make sure I use up anything that is around that may go bad soon or is just taking up space and hasn't been used in awhile.  I almost always create a pasta dish of some kind during these weeks because it is a great way to combine a bunch of items that need to be used into a very tasty dinner with plenty left over for lunch!  Below is my recipe for what I created last night but you could use any mix of protein and vegetables that you had on hand and create your own version.  I love to eat it cold the next day for lunch.


Kitchen Sink Pasta
From Colleen's Kitchen Therapy

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" chunks
Salt
Fresh ground pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
Olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small vidalia onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Handful fresh basil and flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb medium shell pasta

Directions:
In a large stockpot, bring water and 2 tsp. salt to a boil.  Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  Add chicken to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until brown.  Add in the onion and cook for 5 minutes more until onion is soft.  Add in pepper and tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.  Stir in chicken broth, corn and peas and cook until warm, 2-3 minutes more.  Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.  Add drained pasta, chopped fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.  Mix well, adding some of the pasta liquid if the pasta is too dry.  Serve immediately, garnishing with more Parmesan cheese.

BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pizza

I was racking my brain all day yesterday about what to make for dinner.  I had boneless chicken breasts that were defrosted at home and I wanted to try something different.  I also had about 6 slices of bacon and a quarter of a huge vidalia onion left that needed to be used up before they went bad and 3/4 of a bag of reduced fat colby jack cheese.  What can I make with all of these ingredients.  My first thought was a bacon and cheese stuffed chicken breast with sauteed onion in wine sauce.  Good option but I tend to make stuffed chicken breast somewhat often and really wanted something a little easier and faster.  Then all of a sudden, BBQ chicken pizza popped into my head.  I could run to the store on my way home and pick up a ball of dough (I usually prefer to make my own but in a pinch the prepackaged dough from the store really works) and I had plenty of BBQ sauce in the house.  I could serve it with a nice salad and it would be a great dinner.  Meanwhile we started watching Inception last night and the salad never got made but the pizza turned out great and I will definitely be making it again.

Joe is becoming quite the home bartender and made some great drinks to go with it so all in all it was a great night!

BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pizza
From Colleen's Kitchen Therapy

2 small boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 medium vidalia onion, thinly sliced
6 slices bacon cut into pieces (I find that my kitchen shears work best for cutting uncooked bacon)
1/3 cup BBQ sauce (we only use Sweet Baby Rays in my house and I highly recommend it)
1 ball pizza dough, at room temperature (I used whole wheat)
2 cups reduced fat colby jack cheese
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1 avocado, sliced (optional)

Direction:

In a medium skillet over medium high heat cook the bacon pieces until crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate.  Save 1 tbsp of the bacon drippings and discard the rest.  Cook sliced onions in reserved bacon drippings until soft and brown, 7-10 minutes.  Remove from pan and place on plate with bacon

In a separate skillet, heat olive oil.  Season chicken strips with salt and pepper and cook in olive oil, about 10 minutes, turning once.  Remove from pan and let cool slightly.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite size pieces.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Put a small amount of flour on your hands and begin working the dough into a circular shape, about 12" in diameter, working from the middle out, pulling the dough evenly.  If the dough starts to get sticky, add a little more flour to your hands.  Place dough circle on a pizza stone.  Place BBQ sauce on pizza dough spreading it out with the back of a ladle, leaving a half inch sauce free around the edges.  Spread about half of the cheese over the BBQ sauce.  Sprinkle chicken, bacon and onions on top of cheese.  Top with remaining half of the cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and top each slice with a slice of avocado if desired.

Welcome Home Casserole

Two nights ago Joe came home from work and I told him that I had finally started the cooking blog that I had been talking about.  I decided that the chicken and rice casserole that I made for dinner that night was going to be my first recipe post.  He was all for it because he really likes this dish and asked me what I was going to call it; I hadn't thought about a name.  Joe came up with the name Welcome Home Casserole because when it comes out of the oven he feels like it is calling "Welcome Home" to you.  It is definitely comfort food.

This recipe was invented awhile back when I was trying to use up things we had in the house for dinner.  I had taken out boneless chicken breasts that night and didn't have any plans for what to make so I took inventory of what was in the kitchen and this is the result.  It is a favorite of ours and is usually made at least once a month in the cold weather months.  I hope you enjoy!

Welcome Home Casserole

1 lb Boneless Chicken Breasts
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder (I use ancho chili powder)
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 box Spanish Rice A Roni
2 tbsp Butter
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
2 cups frozen vegetables (your choice on type)
2 cups shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack Cheese

Cut chicken breasts into large strips.  Preheat a large skillet with vegetable oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and chili powder.  Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan.

In same pan add butter.  Once melted, add Rice A Roni and sauté until golden brown, stirring frequently.  Add seasoning packet from rice box, water and diced tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in the frozen vegetables, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

While rice is cooking, shred chicken into bite size pieces.

When most of the liquid is absorbed, remove rice mixture from heat and add chicken and half of the shredded cheese.  Transfer mixture to a 2 quart oven safe dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.