Chicken

Roasted Buffalo Chicken Salad

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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Time consuming dinners are becoming a little more challenging during the week in our house…I’ve been saving those for the weekends these days.  This buffalo chicken salad recipe has been used and abused around here during the week because it is so incredibly quick and simple and, well, it’s basically buffalo wings on crack which equals beyond delicious.  I use the help of store bought wing sauce most of the time and if you’re really struggling for time you could always use a store bought roasted chicken but this method for roasting the chicken is incredibly simple and the taste beats out any store bought chicken you can buy.  Bar grub perfected at home…just how we like it.

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Roasted Buffalo Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt + Black Pepper

1/2 Cup Buffalo Wing Sauce

6 Ounces Mixed Greens or Romaine

3/4 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 Cup Grated Carrot

1/2 Cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese

1 Green Pepper, chopped

1 Avocado, diced

1/3 Cup Ranch Dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let the chicken rest and cool for ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.  Slice the chicken, pour the buffalo wing sauce over it and stir it in the pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl add the greens, tomatoes, carrots, bleu cheese, green pepper and avocado.  Pour the ranch dressing over the top and toss gently with your hands.  Distribute the salad onto plates and top with the roasted buffalo chicken.  Serves 2-3

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowls

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The Superbowl is quickly approaching and I get so darn excited for that day each year.  Do I have a clue who is playing in it?  Nope.  One of those Manning boys, that much I know.  Do I know anything about the halftime entertainment?  Not so much.  Am I excited for the commercials?  Ill pass.  As you may assume…I don’t really watch one bit of this game.  I just like the food that goes along with it.  So if you are a die-hard and want to sit and watch the game without some obnoxious girl trying to shove food into your mouth and talk about things that have absolutely no relevance to football…Im probably not the girl you’d like to invite over 😉  Which, no offense, is totally fine with me.  I’d much rather be in my own home for the Superbowl…in the kitchen making bar-type grub and snacking and lounging.  These tacos are perfect for a crowd big or small.  Just throw everything in the slow cooker and let it cook all day.  Once it is done its so fun to set up a “Taco Bowl Bar” where everyone can build their own.  Fan-pleasing fare, without a doubt.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowls

Notes:  Click here for my homemade Taco Seasoning recipe.  Its not only cheaper than store bought..its much more healthful and tasty.  Also, Trader Joes frozen roasted corn is awesome in this dish-I like to sauté it in a little olive oil until just cooked through.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Can Pinto Beans, drained

1 Cup Chicken Stock

3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning (find my homemade recipe for Taco Seasoning here)

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

For the bowls:

Cooked Brown Rice

Leafy Greens

Cooked Corn

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Guacamole

Salsa

Directions

Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Whisk the chicken stock, taco seasoning and tomato paste together until combined and pour over the chicken.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours and add the pinto beans halfway through the cooking.  Shred the chicken and build your taco bowls.  Serves 6-8

To build the Taco Bowls:  Place a small amount of rice on the bottom of your bowl.  Top with chicken and beans, leafy greens, corn, cheese, guacamole and salsa.

Pomegranate Chicken Chopped Salad

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Let me begin by telling you that I have a problem.  I’m fine to admit it because I know you wont judge me.  Right?  Good, I love how open minded you are.  Pomegranate seeds.  They have begun to take over my life.  So much that I had to text my mom the other day a photo of the bowl of them I was eating and say “if anyone is looking for me I was forced to check myself into a pomegranate seed addiction program”.  My largest concern?  That the baby inside of my big ol belly may be overdosing on the stuff…or that he actually may turn into a pomegranate seed himself.  I wonder if he is kicking and punching and sticking his cute butt into my ribs so frequently because he’s trying to tell me to stop the madness…that he’s in pom seed overload.  And just so you know, there are no pomegranate seed support groups out there…I’ve already looked.

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So, as you might guess, this salad is serious bliss to me.  You know me and chopped salads.  Remember this?  And this?  I love the concept of lots of different tastes and textures in one bite and this salad fits right into that category.  Actually…it may be my favorite thus far.  The simple honey mustard vinaigrette teams up just perfectly with the roasted chicken and all of the chopped goodness in this dish…and it really is so healthful.  Full of antioxidants, healthy fats, greens and protein and literally as delicious as they come…I think you’re going to really enjoy this goodie.

Pomegranate Chicken Chopped Salad

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Mayonaise

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

For the Salad:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts + 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil + Salt and Pepper

4 Ounces Mixed Greens, very roughly chopped

1 Avocado, diced

1/3 Cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese

2 Hard Boiled Eggs, diced

1/3 Cup Pomegranate Seeds

Directions

For the Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together well until completely incorporated.  Set aside.  Will keep in the fridge for at least 1 week.

For the Salad:

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let the chicken rest for about ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.

Chop the chicken in to bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.  Add the greens, avocado, bleu cheese, eggs and pomegranate seeds.  Drizzle the vinaigrette on top of the salad and toss gently.  Serve immediately.  Serves 2-3.

Chicken Noodle Soup

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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Well, it’s been one of those weekends.  A stomach virus hit my little peach overnight on thursday…and of course my husband was traveling, which meant I was fortunate enough to be on clean-up duty, wash 3 loads of sheets duty, comfort duty, rub your tummy duty until the sun came up and it was time to begin our friday.  I finally got her to bed for a few hours around 6:30 Friday morning and it was all good…Nick would be home that day and we could try to get rested up and have a leisure weekend…and I could have some adult company and a little help.

Nick gets home Friday and no more than 20 hours later gets hit with the “Icky Truck”.  Yep…stomach virus in full effect.  Awesome!  Totally fine, I can handle another patient…I’ll get them both cozy and comfortable and able to keep down liquids for a few hours, send them to bed for the night and then it will be my turn to sleep.  I’ve never craved anything like I did sleep that night-Im no good with skipping a full nights worth of the stuff like I did the previous night.  Nick’s out like a light and finally comfortable. I give Georgia a bath, we get cozy, read books and off to bed she goes.  Ahhh.  After a quick clorox wipe-down of most of the house I finally head up to start my shower….the feeling was pure bliss; a silent, semi germ-free house and a clean bed waiting for me.  The minute I grab my towel I hear Georgia scream.  I ran into her room and walked in to find her dripping a completely not-okay amount of blood from her mouth and grabbing at her tongue.  OF COURSE she bit her tongue horribly!  Why wouldn’t she??  That poor thing.  I have absolutely no clue how it happened but the little punkin was in pain.  She bled for well over two hours but again, Barney, that ridiculously annoying wonderful dinosaur kept her happy and busy while I tried to give her ice and popsicles to numb the pain and help with the swelling.  After two and a half hours she was finally in bed and asleep.  I got to shower and climb into my clean bed and aside from a couple of “I’m-in-pain wake ups” from the little lady I got a somewhat decent sleep in.  Today…both of my loves are seeming a little better; heres to hoping for them feeling 100% tomorrow.

I have no idea why I felt the need to tell you all of that when, in essence, I was simply trying to get to the point of how I made a pot of chicken soup for my poor sickies….that completely hit the comforting nail on the head.  I apologize for the rant…but boy did that feel good to vent 😉  This soup is just outstanding…it has the most rich chicken flavor you could imagine and by browning the chicken on the stove before making the stock you are left with an incredibly deep-in-flavor broth…so deep that the color is reminiscent of a beef broth, not chicken.  I’ve been on the hunt for a staple chicken soup recipe with homemade stock that is not an all-day deal….and I will not be looking further.  Perfection.  And pure, nourishing comfort.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Peanut or Sunflower Seed Oil

2 Large Onions, roughly chopped

2-3 Pounds Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Breasts

2 Cups Chicken Stock

6 Cups Water

2 Bay Leaves

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

2 Large Carrots, diced

1 Large Celery Stalk, diced

1 Cup Dried Egg Noodles

Flat Leaf Parsley for garnish, optional

Directions

In a heavy soup pot heat oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until edges begin to brown.  Nestle the chicken in the pot, skin side down, moving the onions aside so that the chicken is directly touching the bottom of the pan and brown for 5-6 minutes or until the skin is a deep golden color.  Turn chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Add water, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper, flip chicken over so it is skin side down and bring the pot to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, scrape away any fat that has floated to the top, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from the pot and set aside; shred which rest of the soup is simmering.  Pour the soup broth through a strainer to strain out the onion and bay leaves.  Return the broth to the pot, bring back to a simmer and add carrot and celery.  Let vegetable simmer for 5 minutes then add the pasta and cook for an additional 6 minutes.  Stir in shredded chicken, season with additional salt and pepper, if needed and serve with optional parsley for garnish.  Serves 6.

Autumn Salad

~ nourishedpeach ~ 1 Comment

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This is just simply a wonderful salad.  It’s easy to prepare, packed with nutrition and the taste is outstanding.  My perfect salad contains sweet, savory, salty and many textures, to boot, and this one has it all.  The savory chicken, the sweet squash, pears and vinaigrette, the salty bacon, the creamy goat cheese and the crunch of the walnuts will leave your tastebuds (and dining buddies) very VERY happy.  A perfect way to  celebrate Autumn.  

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Autumn Salad

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

5 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup 

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

For the Salad:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Cups Cubed Butternut squash (1/2 inch-1 inch cubes)

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

6-8 Ounces Mixed Greens

4 Skinless Boneless Split Chicken Breasts, grilled or roasted

4 Slices Nitrate and Nitrite Free Bacon, cooked and chopped  *optional

1 Pear, diced

4 Ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Directions

For the Vinaigrette:  Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.  Set aside.

For the Salad:  Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with non stick foil.  Place squash on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss well to ensure all the squash is coated.  Spread out evenly in one layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until squash is tender and just beginning to get a crust on it, stirring 1 time in the middle of cooking. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.  

Begin to build your salads.  Drizzle all but 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on top of the greens and toss well to coat.  Divide the greens among four plates, top with squash, chicken, bacon, pear, goat cheese and walnuts.  Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top of the salads.  Serves 4.  

Chicken Club Wraps

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There’s been lots of exciting things going on here at the homestead:  painting and organizing and converting spare bedrooms into “big girl rooms” and just plain nesting, I suppose.  So while I have been busy being neurotic, dinners have had to be bit less labor intensive..not that they required tons of work to begin with, but just extra simple these days.  This club wrap is one of our favorite fast and easy weeknight dinners.  To really quicken it up you could always use store-bought rotisserie chicken, but I prefer to roast my own.  It’s as easy and timely as running to the store to buy one and the taste is so much better.  I also love to use this method to roast chicken on Sundays, shred and use it for quick meals like this throughout the week.  If you ask me, a meal like this beats going out for a sandwich any day of the  week…both tastefully and nutritionally.  Pair it will a side salad or steamed veggie and you’re good to go!

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Chicken Club Wraps

Ingredients

For the chicken:

2 Chicken Breasts, bone in and skin on

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

For the wraps:

4 Whole Grain Tortillas

1/4 Cup Ranch Dressing

1/3 Cup Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese

4 Slices Nitrate and Nitrite Free Bacon, optional

1 Avocado, mashed

1 Tomato, chopped

Directions

For the chicken:

Preheat oven to 400.  Place chicken breasts in a baking dish, rub with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until skin is golden and chicken is completely cooked through.  Remove from oven and shred with two forks.

For the wraps:

Lay tortillas out and divide and spread ranch dressing evenly among them.  Top with shredded chicken, followed by cheese and bacon.  Spread on avocado and sprinkle with tomatoes.  Roll up and serve immediately or chill.  Serves 4

Pesto Roasted Chicken with Tomato and Mozzarella

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This was a last minute “what the heck am I going to do with this chicken” idea and will become a regular in this kitchen for sure.  It was ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish and is a light, seriously tasty way to switch up your typical baked chicken.  The roasted chicken flavor adds unbelievable depth to the fresh, fragrant pesto, sweet tomatoes and gooey cheese.  Winner winner chicken dinner.

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Pesto Roasted Chicken with Tomato and Mozzarella

Note:  Store bought pesto would work just fine in this dish…but I’m betting it just won’t beat the flavor of this homemade version.

Ingredients

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Coarsely Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Basil Pesto

4 Slices Tomato

4 Slices Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, spoon 1/4 cup pesto over each breast, top with two tomatoes and then two slices of mozzarella each.  Transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Serves two.

Roasted Chicken Salad

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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This is one of those make-on-sunday-and-eat-througout-the-week dishes.  It’s both savory and sweet and is great on sandwiches, crackers, or tossed on a bed of greens.  The chicken has such a great roasted flavor that you really don’t need a large quantity of mayo or additional seasonings.   It’s a great way to get your protein, veggies and fruit in one delicious no-fuss meal or snack…it never lasts long in our fridge.

Roasted Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Course Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Red Onion

3/4 Cup Chopped Spinach Leaves

1 Tablespoon Mayonaise

1 Tablespoon Sour Cream

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Sliced Almonds

1/3 Cup Red Grapes, halved

1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let the chicken rest and cool for ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.

Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium sized bowl along with the juices.  Add red onion, spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and stir well until combined.  Stir in almonds, grapes and optional parsley and serve or chill.

Asian Chicken Wild Rice Salad

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I love this salad.  Like, so much that I made it yesterday and I am eating the last of it as I write.  The recipe makes enough for 8-10 servings, you guys.  I mean we did have it for dinner last night and my husband took some for lunch today but seriously, me, pull yourself together.

About five years ago a client of mine gave me a bag of amazing, beautiful wild rice that was grown on her family’s farm…and she included a recipe very similar to this one with it.  It is an awesome recipe and I have been making it regularly ever since then but just last night I decided to turn it Asian.  Why, you ask?  Apparently you are unaware that I was born in Thailand in my past life and love and adore anything with Asian flavor..hence, why I am able to eat enough servings of this stuff to feed a small country.  I will never make it the old way again…it’s seriously craveable.

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Asian Chicken Wild Rice Salad

Note:  this salad gets better with age so make it in advance if you are able.

Ingredients

1 Large Garlic Clove, grated or pressed

1/3 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar, unseasoned

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

3 Teaspoons Agave Nectar or Honey

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

2 Cups Cooked Chopped Chicken

1 1/2 Cups Wild Rice

1 Red Pepper, diced

1/2 Cup Sugar Snap Peas, sliced

4 Green Onions, Chopped

Chopped Walnuts or Almonds, optional

Diced Avocado, optional

Directions

Cook wild rice according to package directions substituting chicken stock for half the amount of water recommended.

Make vinaigrette:  In a small bowl combine garlic, vinegar, olive oil. sesame oil, dijon, agave or honey, salt and pepper.  Whisk until well combined.

Make salad:  Combine chicken, wild rice, red pepper, snap peas and green onions in a large bowl.  Pour vinaigrette over and mix to coat well.  Chill.  Serve topped with diced avocado and nuts, if desired.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Mediterranean Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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I don’t know about you but this past long weekend overflowed with indulgent food around here….flooded, really, and I have not a single complaint.  All good things in moderation, right? It started with date night with my much better half that consisted of oh so good eats…that included but was not limited to:  pork belly, shrimp scampi, spinach salad with bacon and a soft boiled egg (that I will be recreating immediately) and a stop at my favorite ice cream joint for dessert.  This was just one night, my friends.  We also enjoyed some amazing local bbq and met some family and friends for, by far, the best burger in the Twin Cities…I will even throw myself out there and put it up against the best burger known to human kind.  I’m still drooling..and somehow those ridiculous burgers get more and more enjoyable each time we have them.  If you’ve never been, please treat yourself and go…life changing, I swear.

So, needless to say, we were ready for a light, refreshing meal last night.  I give you…Mediterranean Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  In the good old days of newlywed life living downtown we often ate these wraps at our local neighborhood bar; they usually followed a couple of bloody mary’s on a Saturday afternoon.  My gosh that life seems like so many moons ago and as much as I loved every ounce of it I wouldn’t take it back for the world.  What’s different now?  Instead of following a couple of bloody mary’s they now follow a long day of changing dirty diapers, washing crayon marks off the walls and reasoning with a 1.5 year old on why Paddington the Bear is not allowed to take baths in the potty.  I mean, who needs bloody mary’s?

Truly, these wraps are even better than what we got at the bar.  They are so satisfying and the flavor is just top notch.  They make a great, fast weeknight meal and I have even served them as appetizers at cocktail parties.  Once you make these they will become a regular in your kitchen…your’e going to love them.

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Be sure to slice the chicken after it has rested while it is still in the pan…this allows you to coat the slices with all of those savory pan juices.

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My husband took one bite and I ran to get the camera…I mean look at this!  So many layers of awesome flavor…and you see the juice drippings on his plate?  You should be sold by now.

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Mediterranean Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

note:  Greek or Mediterranean Seasoning is available at your local market.  It makes a wonderful shortcut for quick meals and is something I’d highly reccomend keeping on hand.  It’s ingredients:  Mint, Oregano, Onion, Garlic, Sea Salt

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 1/4 Teaspoons Greek or Mediterranean Seasoning

1 Cup Greek Yogurt, preferably full fat

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Small Garlic Clove, minced or pressed

1/4 Teaspoon Dried Mint Flakes or 1 Teaspoon Fresh Chopped Mint Leaves

1/4 Teaspoons Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

6 Leaf Lettuce Leaves

Sliced Cucumber, for topping

Sliced Tomato, for topping

Sliced Red Onion, for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with greek/mediterranean seasoning.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on the top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and roast until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let chicken rest in the pan for about ten minutes so the meat can absorb all the pan juices.

While the chicken is cooking combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, mint, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir well to combine.  Can be made 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Slice the chicken while it is still in the pan and stir the slices around to coat them in all of the pan juices.  Serve chicken on top of lettuce leafs and top with a spoonful of the yogurt sauce, cucumber, tomato and onion, if desired.