Chicken Satay

This Thai chicken satay is fresh on my mind because it's fresh in my belly! Brother came over for dinner and per the usual I forgot to take pictures. But, this blogger didn't:

https://dishnthekitchen.com/2018/08/14/classic-thai-chicken-satay/

You'll make this dish and kick your favorite Asian carry-out place to the curb, at least for one meal. This recipe makes a whole lot of the satay sauce so don't double it like we did. We also served it with white rice and grilled broccoli. Enjoy!

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Spinach Stuffed Chicken

We're talking chicken today. This recipe put the wind in my sails after a long weekend of "solo parenting" while Ross was at the ranch (doing very hard things I'm sure). The chicken is seasoned well and quite cheesy, but you feel like you've gotten away with something because there's also a ton of fresh spinach in there.  Hope you check it out!

Here's the recipe: Spinach Stuffed Chicken

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Recipe Finder

My favorite place to find new recipes is Foodgawker.com because it's all about the pictures. You can basically eat with your eyes and let them decide what looks good enough to actually make yourself. Tonight we made "one pot Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice", which I found on this website. It got a thumbs up from the whole family, except for Paige, who just wanted more mandarin oranges. She did pick the black beans out and eat them, so I'm calling it a winner. I didn't get any pictures so follow the link above to eat with your eyes, then make it yourself!

One Pot Lime Chicken and Rice

One Pot Lime Chicken and Rice – healthy and filling meal with rice, beans and flavor-packed chicken thighs cooked in one pan. Easy weeknight dinner; comes ready in less than 45 minutes!

Ingredients

Chicken Thighs Marinate 

• ¼ cup canola oil
• 2 1/2 -3 pound chicken thighs (about 5-6 pieces)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• ½ Tablespoon lime juice (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 -1 Teaspoon minced garlic 
• 2 tablespoons Adobo seasoning or your favorite chicken seasoning 

Chicken and Rice 

• ½ medium onion , diced
• ½ jalapenos pepper , diced
• 2 small bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin spice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2-3 garlic clove , minced
• 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 3-4 . Tablespoons fresh cilantro , chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth or water
• 1/2 Tablespoon Lime Juice 
• 1 lime grated zest 
• 15.5 oz black beans , rinsed and drained
• Cilantro and lime Slices (for garnish)
• 1 Teaspoon White pepper 
• Salt to taste 
• 2 cups Frozen Peas 

Instructions

1. Wash chicken thighs For faster cooking, make a ½ ” slit into chicken thigh meat on either side of the chicken, then wipe with a paper towel. Season with salt (about 1 ½ teaspoons).  Sprinkle lime juice on chicken, followed by garlic  
2. Generously rub both sides with adobo spice blend. Or your favorite spice mix. If desired this can be done hour before to let it marinate .
3. Place chicken skin side up in a skillet/Dutch oven or oven safe pot/pan for about 3 minutes each. Be very careful with the chicken, it shouldn’t burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Meanwhile, place the rice into a large bowl, cover with cold water and use your hands to wash the grains. Tip the water out, then repeat twice until the water runs clear.
6. Wipe the same pan with paper towel or napkin to remove any burns from pan. If not visible burns proceed with the next step .
7. Add about 2 tablespoons oil or more, followed by onions, jalapenos, cumin, paprika, and bay leaf .Sauté until soft but not golden, about 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for another minute.
8. Next, add rice, stir for about a minute , then pour over chicken stock/broth ,lime juice, grated lime zest, and beans. Season with white pepper  and  salt   to taste.
9. Add the chicken back to the pan, with it's juice. 

   Place in the oven and cook for about 30- 35 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
10. Remove, let it cool and serve, garnish with slices of lime and cilantro

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Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken and Broccoli

This meal of Peanut Chicken and Brocooli was waiting for us when we got home from work/school today. I would recommend with a couple minor tweaks:

*Serve with rice. Brown, white, basmati, etc. I served with brown rice noodles and I don't think it soaked up the broth as nicely as rice would

*Don't skimp on the broccoli or the thai curry sauce

*Add some extra salt if you use low sodium chicken broth and unsalted natural PB

*You'll definitely want that siracha sauce if you like spicy food

This was a solid weeknight slow cooker meal; a one pot meal that didn't need much prep. Go to the link above to see some pretty pictures!

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

What? 2 recipes posts on the blog in the same week??! This is big. This is a sign that baby Paige is 6 months old and more regularly sleeping through the night, giving us more energy to devote to food rather than just viewing it as sustenance. Though we have found our favorite food pickup spot near our house to be Peli Peli Kitchen, a South African restaurant. Claire thinks they make a mean macaroni and cheese.

I will try to get better at taking pictures of the meals, but most of these recipes are accompanied by enviable pictures so I don't feel like I'm neglecting you too much :) This recipe includes a nice amount of veggies with the ease of one pot meal. I mean anytime you don't have to cook rice separately is nice too right? There's some spice to the dish because of the red curry paste.

Thai Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

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One Pan Chicken

Were you wondering if we still cooked at our house? I will admit, recipes on the blog have been few and far between lately. But keep in mind I do the screening for you and only post recipes if they're worthy. So when I say this "One Pan Chicken" is amazing and you should make it, you really should :)

The Recipe is from a blog called Nerds with Knives here. You can find beautiful pictures of the dish on this site.

The biggest modifications I made were:
1) Used un-cased venison italian sausage
2) Cooked orzo separately and added to the pan at the end

One­Pan Baked Chicken, Sausage and Brussels Sprouts
Author: Emily Clifton ­ Nerds with Knives This crispy chicken, sausage and brussels sprouts dish bakes in a bed of spiced flavors and best of all it uses a single skillet.

Ingredients 
1 pound (450g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or quartered if very large) 5 shallots, peeled and quartered 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, seeds discarded 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra­virgin olive oil, divided ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or grated 1½ tablespoons (20ml) Dijon mustard 1½ tablespoons (20ml) honey 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary needles (from about 5 sprigs)
4 bone­in, skin­ on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds; 680g) 4 large Italian sausages, hot or sweet, cut into 2­inch lengths ] 
1 lb Italian venison sausage, ground
2 cups cooked orzo

Instructions

1. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). 2. Combine Brussels sprouts, shallots, and lemon with 2 tablespoons (30ml) oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a 12­inch cast iron skillet. (Alternatively, you can use a rimmed baking sheet.) 3. In a small bowl, combine garlic, mustard, honey, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, stirring to form a paste. Rub paste all over chicken. Nestle chicken and sausage pieces on top of Brussels sprouts. 4. Roast on lower rack until Brussels sprouts are browned and tender and an instant­read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken without touching bone registers 165°F (74°C), 25 to 30 minutes. (If chicken & sausage are done before sprouts have browned enough, you can transfer the meat to a plate and let the vegetables finish in the oven; recombine before serving.) Add cooked orzo to pan. Serve.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

I've made 3 dinners in the slow cooker over the past week and they've all been good... I mean make again, add to your rotation kinda good. 3 for 3 is a pretty good record I'd say. Anyway I wanted to pass along this recipe for slow cooker Chicken Tikka Masala that I made for Mom on her birthday. (Happy Birthday Mom!). I served it over brown rice and it was a nice combo. But, if you want to go one step farther I'd recommend serving with homemade naan. YUM. Sorry I didn't take a single picture- what a bad blogger right?!

Here's the original recipe, with some adaptions shown below.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4 to 6

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs I used chicken breasts
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons garam masala go for 2!
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk 1/2 cup was plenty, use coconut milk

2 cups peas, frozen or canned. Add at the end when adding coconut milk.Fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups cooked rice, to serve

Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, paprika, and kosher salt until the chicken is evenly covered with spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices.

→ If you have the time: Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup yogurt for up to 6 hours. Shake to remove excess yogurt before transferring to the slow cooker.

→ If you have the time: Sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet until softened, then stir in the ginger, tomato paste, and spices until fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker with the chicken and diced tomatoes. This will give your tikka masala more depth of flavor.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the heavy cream. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered for the last 15 minutes. Taste and add more garam masala or salt to taste.

Serve over rice with fresh cilantro sprinkled over the top of each serving. The tikka masala can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.

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Crockpot White Bean Chili

Now that I'm a) working full time again and b) making the daily commute downtown I am constantly looking for new crockpot recipes. A working mom must have invented the crockpot... Actually, let's do a little research on this matter. Here's what Wikipedia had to say:

History[edit]

The Naxon Utilities Corporation of Chicago, under the leadership of Irving Naxon, developed the Naxon Beanery All-Purpose Cooker. Naxon was inspired by a story his Jewish grandmother told about how back in her native Lithuanian shtetl, her mother made a stew called cholent, which took several hours to cook in an oven.^[2]The Rival Company bought Naxon in 1970 and reintroduced it under the Crock-Pot name in 1971. Slow cookers achieved popularity in the US during the 1970s when many women began to work outside the home. They could start dinner cooking in the morning before going to work and finish preparing the meal in the evening when they came home. In 1974, Rival introduced removable stoneware inserts making the appliance easier to clean. The brand now belongs to Sunbeam Products, a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation. 

So it wasn't a mommy afterall. Now we know.

So back to the crockpot, I made this White Bean Chili over the weekend and we enjoyed it (sorry I forgot to take pictures). I served it up with cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, and grated cheese. I think the toppings really jazz the dish up.  I will make this recipe again for sure!


White Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 pounds chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• 2 - 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 - 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup salsa verde
• 2 Tablespoons cumin
• 1½ teaspoons sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1½ Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder + 3 Tablespoons water
• optional: cilantro and avocado for toppings

METHOD

1. Place the olive oil and chopped onion in the crock pot.
2. Add the drained and rinsed beans, salsa verde, and chicken broth. Place the cover on the crock pot.
3. Cook for 4 hours on high heat, or 6-8 hours on low heat.
4. Just before serving, combine the cornstarch or arrowroot powder and the water in a small container with a lid. Shake well. Drizzle the mixture into the crock pot and stir. Place the cover back on and let it cook for a few minutes so that the chili thickens up.
5. Serve chili topped with chopped avocado and fresh cilantro.
6. *To Freeze: Place all ingredients except broth and cornstarch in a gallon size freezer bag.
7. Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then place in the crockpot, add the chicken broth, and follow the cooking instructions above.

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Lemon Chicken Piccata

You can go ahead and file this recipe for Lemon Chicken Piccata under "Quick & Easy" or "Weeknight Meals." Well, that second description could be changed to "Meal for when your house is for Sale." :)

You basically dredge chicken in flour, pan fry it, then make a sauce in the same pan. Totally simple. Next time I plan to double the sauce. I served the piccata over angel hair pasta and found there to be barely enough sauce for 2 servings. Maybe I reduced the sauce too much? Either way, can't hurt to make a little extra.

Check out the original recipe post at Jocooks.com for some additional food pictures. (She obviously a) doesn't live in Alaska and b) didn't cook this at night).

Lemon Chicken Piccata from JoCooks

INGREDIENTS

• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
• salt and pepper to taste
• all purpose flour, for dredging
• 4 tbsp butter, unsalted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup chicken stock or dry white wine, I used wine
• ¼ cup brined capers
• ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter with the olive oil, over medium to high heat.
3. Add chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for about 3 to 4 min per side until browned. When chicken is cooked, remove chicken from skillet.
4. Remove skillet from heat. Add lemon juice, chicken stock or wine, capers and scrape up the brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Return skillet to heat and bring to a boil. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add chicken back to skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a platter and add remaining butter and whisk for about a minute. Sauce will thicken a bit.
5. You can return chicken to skillet and garnish with parsley. Alternatively you can pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

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Crock Pot Kung Pao Chicken

It's been a long time since I've posted a recipe, but it's a new year right?! Our house is for sale now, which may put a damper on the use of the kitchen in the near future. Or maybe we'll sell our house quickly and we can make kitchen messes whenever we want. If only... :)

Last week I made this Crock Pot Kung Pao Chicken served atop Jasmine rice and topped with chopped peanuts and green onions. It was such a fast, easy meal reminiscent of so many other crockpot wonders.

The original recipe is copied from Host the Toast, however my suggestions are highlighted blue.

Crock Pot Kung Pao Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
• ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar Really not necessary because of the hoisin, I plan to reduce/take out next time.
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 6-10 dried red chili peppers, split and seeds removed (adjust according to desired heat level) Try chopping these rather than just splitting down the middle. Found that the skin was tough and uncooked on several of these. 
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• ½ medium white onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or grated or 2 tsp
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Peanuts or cashews, to top 
• Green onion, to garnish
• Rice, to serve Kick it up a notch with some specialty rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (or, if you have a multicooker you can just do it right in the crock pot, which is awesome). Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and saute until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken to the crock pot.
2. Add in the chicken broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and hoisin sauce. Give the pot a light stir. Then, add in the chilis, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir once more. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before you've finished cooking (at the 3 hour and 30 minute mark), combine equal parts water and cornstarch (about 2 tablespoons of each) in a small bowl, whisking together until smooth. Add the slurry to the crock pot and mix well. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
4. While you wait for the sauce to thicken, slice your green onions in half, longways. Keep slicing until you have thin strips. Place the green onions in a bowl of ice water and let sit. This will make them curl up. Pictures of this process are also on the Spicy Fried Shrimp post.
5. Serve the Crock Pot Kung Pao Chicken over rice with peanuts or cashews on top and the curled green onion to garnish.

Hope you give it a try!

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THE Enchilada Recipe

I'm not typically an Enchilada kinda gal, but I love these. This is a more complex recipe than I would normally spring for, but they're delicious. You can double this recipe and portion out in disposable aluminum baking pans and get several meals out of it. It's especially awesome if someone is willing to do the hard work for you (thank you Granna!).

Los Tios Enchiladas Verdes, Tomatillo Sauce

8 cups Tomatillo Sauce
4 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken
6 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 teaspoon oregano
1-teaspoon salt
2 cups vegetable oil
12 (6 in) corn tortillas
1 1⁄2 cups sour cream
2 avocados, sliced

Tomatillo Sauce:
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in 3 to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons chopped garlic and cook until soft. Stir in 3 1⁄2 pounds tomatillos (roasted and pureed), 1 roasted and pureed jalapeño, 1 1⁄2 cups chicken broth, 1⁄2-teaspoon white pepper, 1⁄2-teaspoon salt and 1⁄4-teaspoon sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add 1 cup fresh cilantro and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally 15 minutes.

Enchiladas:
In a large bowl, mix chicken, 2 cups cheese, oregano and salt; set aside. Pour oil to a depth of 1⁄4 inch into an 8 to 10 inch frying pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, cook each tortilla, turning once, until just limp and slightly blistered (about 10 seconds per side). Add more oil as needed. Drain on paper towels. Preheat oven to 350°. While tortillas are still warm, spoon 1⁄2 cup of chicken mixture down the center of each. Roll each tortilla around filling and place seam down in a 10-by-15 inch-baking dish. Cover enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered until hot in center and cheese is melted.

To Serve:
Spoon sauce onto dinner plates and set 2 or 3 enchiladas atop each. Top with dollop of sour cream and avocado slices. Serve with rice and beans.
sdf

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Lettuce Wraps

I made Cashew Chicken lettuce wraps last week and was really pleased with the end result. It ranked high on the effort versus reward matrix :)

The recipe is listed below, however I would recommend amping it up with some chili garlic sauce or siracha. I also added shitake mushrooms and water chestnuts just because those sounded particularly delicious to me that day. Also, go ahead and double this recipe while you're going through the effort and you'll be happy with the leftovers for days to come!

CHICKEN CASHEW LETTUCE WRAPS

 

Author: Amy Johnson | She Wears Many Hats. This is a simple recipe for Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps. Top it off with your favorite hot sauce, basil or more cashews and you'll have a winner for sure.

Serves: Makes 6-8 lettuce wraps.

INGREDIENTS

For stir fry sauce:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

For Cashew Chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts (about ¾ lb. total), diced
• 8 leaves of greenleaf or iceburg lettuce
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (or oil of choice)
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ¼ cup cashews, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

For stir fry sauce:

1. Mix all stir fry sauce ingredients making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.

For Cashew Chicken:

1. Heat canola oil in pan over medium to medium high heat. Add diced chicken and brown (about 4-5 minutes). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon soy sauce to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken, and cashews. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.
2. Spoon chicken mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Add your favorite hot sauce, more cashews or basil.

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Skillet Chicken Parmesan

How long has it been since you've had a good (I mean really good) chicken parmesan?

It probably wasn't in your own kitchen... but it can be next time, with this recipe (girlcarnivore.com)!

FYI, this meal ranked very high on Ross's Effort vs Reward Matrix too :)

Cheesy deliciousness!

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 day-old baguette
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs finely chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 15oz can tomato puree
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teas red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Recipe

• Take out some workday frustration and pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic or in a heavy duty bag to 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick.
• Dice the baguette into cubes, and place in a food processor a few at a time with the motor running to make coarse crumbs. You want about 1 1/4 cups total when all said and done.
• In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast, about 3 minutes, stirring. Add 2 tbs parmesan cheese and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a plate or bowl and stir in the 2 tbs of the basil.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Return the skillet to the cook top and add the remaining olive oil. Season the chicken with 1/4 teas salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to another plate.
• Return the skillet to the cook top and add the tomato puree, fill the can with water and add it to the skillet as well. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1 tbs of parmesan. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium / medium-low and simmer, stirring as needed until the sauce has thickened, 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Add the chicken back to the skillet and turn to coat. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and some of the bread crumbs. Spread the mozarella cheese on top and the rest of the bread crumbs. Place under the broiler until the cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

4 years ago: 2 Years Old!

3 years ago: Baked Shrimp

2 years ago: iPhone Pictures

1 year ago: Goodbye Summertime

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