Chicken

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

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This is an absolute must for your Sunday meal repertoire.  Ina Garten is a complete go-to for me when I need a solid recipe that is no fail.  She never disappoints.  This is a version of her roasted chicken.  I simply add extra veggies to make this a one-pan meal and it comes out positively perfect.  Every.  Single.  Time.  The roasted veggies get caramelized and incredibly flavorful.  My belly would be in heaven just eating the slightly crispy onions alone.  And the chicken?  Well.  Theres a good chance you may never purchase a store-prepared chicken ever again. Continue reading →

Last Minute…

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Hey you!  In case you need a few last minute ideas for tomorrows big game…here you have it.   It will just be the four of us here…and although none of us are all that pumped about the game…we will be eating in celebration!  I plan to make a big pot of chill and, of course, the dates on the video below (my absolute favorite)…but here are a  couple links to a few other favorites if you guys are interested. Continue reading →

Savory Chicken Stew

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Hello there!  I apologize for my hiatus this last week.  I am fully aware that excuses are useless but things have been a little nutty around here.  My husband has been traveling the last two weeks and our house has been full of all sorts of crazy…and Im totally over this single parenting thing, it makes me so grateful for the time Nick is home.  Holiday parties, Christmas programs, deadlines, croup, first birthdays, family visits, graffiti on bedroom walls (the culprit shall remain nameless but lets just say that it appears that the year of “3” has started off with quite a bang), meltdowns, deviance, weaning and sleepless nights.  But theres still plenty of merriment around here as things are looking pretty darn good right now.  Daddy is hours away from being home.  Empathy seems to have been implemented into that tiny “3” year old body that I swear I didn’t know.  Sleep has been had the last couple nights.  And Christmas is coming!  We are looking so forward to time with family!

Dinners have been consisting of macaroni and cheese, sandwiches and yes….gingerbread houses.  Sometimes you just go with it, I suppose 😉  But Im putting my foot down.  This Savory Chicken Stew is currently simmering on the stove and I just realized I don’t think I have shared this recipe with you guys.  It’s so very comforting and rich…its a favorite.  Simple, healthy and one pot friendly, to boot. Continue reading →

Mediterranean Chicken with Garlic Sauce

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If you have ever eaten at a Lebanese restaurant or been blessed enough to experience schwarma I’m sure you’ll catch my drift here.  That garlic sauce?  Obsessed.  Like, eat-it-with-a-spoon-obsessed.  It’s tart and bold
and has the perfect bite to it…and quite frankly you could put it on top of anything and it would be delicious.  But over this grilled chicken?  Accompanied by this juicy, simple tomato salad?  My gosh, people, it’s almost unacceptable it tastes so good.

Traditional Lebanese garlic sauce is made with vegetable oil, garlic and lemon….but emulsifying the oil and lemon juice can get a bit tedious and the results are so inconsistent; not to mention that vegetable oil isn’t necessarily the most healthy.  So, in an effort to simplify the process, health it up and make it no-fail each and every time I came up with my own non traditional recipe that truly tastes just as good.  We use this sauce for so many different things.  It’s fabulous with any grilled meat or fish, works beautifully as a dressing for green salads and makes a great dip for veggies, pizza, anything, really.  Now I must warn you…it is spicy.  Not burn-your-mouth spicy but it has a strong bite to it from the garlic.  Feel free to use 2-3 garlic cloves instead of 4 if you are afraid it will be too much bite for you..4 is great for us, even my 2 year old loves it.

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This is such  a simple, quick meal and pairs beautifully with rice or roasted potatoes…perfect for welcoming the spring sunshine.

Mediterranean Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Note: four cloves of garlic will give you a pretty big bite in this sauce..i stick with 3 for my family and it’s still very garlicky..but if you’re feeling edgy, use four;)

Ingredients

For the Garlic Sauce

3-4 Cloves Garlic, see note above

1 Cup Whole Fat Greek Yogurt

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoons Mayonaise

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

For the Tomato Salad

1/2 Cup Chopped Cucumber

1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion

3/4 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley or 1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

For the Chicken

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Greek Seasoning

1 Pound Chicken Breast Filets

Directions

For the Garlic Sauce

Place garlic in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until the garlic is finely chopped, about 30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl to get the garlic pieces to the bottom and add the yogurt, lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt and process until combined, 30 seconds.  With the motor running, stream in the olive oil slowly and process until completely combined, about 1 minute.

For the Tomato Salad

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For the Chicken

Preheat the grill over medium high heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with Greek seasoning, drizzle it with olive oil and toss to coat evenly.  Grill the filets for 8 minutes or until cooked through, flipping once after 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, top with tomato salad and drizzle with garlic sauce.  Serves 2-3.

Autumn Salad

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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

Chicken, Avocado and Mango Salad

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Guys.  Its April 11th.  And it snowed today.  Again.  For what seems like the 432nd day this year.  I know, there’s not that many days in an entire year…but it seems like that’s how many days have been in our Minnesota winter alone.  ENOUGH!  While out shoveling today I decided I was going to boycott winter food at all costs this evening.  Hence, this salad.  Its light, fresh and full of so much flavor.  It will make you feel like your sitting on a beach, sipping a beautifully colored cocktail and hearing the crashing waves of the ocean.  Or not.  But its fun to dream…and it tastes pretty darn good 🙂

Although any cooked chicken will do for this recipe, below is my all time favorite way to prepare boneless chicken breasts indoors.  The pan roasting gives the chicken the most savory flavor imaginable.  Its my go-to method for so many recipes, and so simple!

Chicken, Avocado and Mango Salad

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette:

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of One Orange

1 Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

For the Salad:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts + 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Mango, Diced

1 Avocado, Diced

1/2 Cup Walnut Halves

4 Cups Greens, Chopped  *I used leafy romaine this time

Directions:

For the Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

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 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 for about ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.

Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Combine greens, chicken, mango, avocado and walnuts.  Drizzle the salad with half of the dressing and toss to coat.  Serve the other half of the dressing on the side.