Saturday, October 5, 2013

Chicken Tenders with Spicy Tomato and Black Beans

Ingredients

12 (about 1 1/4 lb) chicken tenders  
1/2 tsp. chili powder 
1 10-oz can mild diced tomatoes and green chilis
½ 15.5-oz can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
½ cup fat-free sour cream

Directions


  1. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces evenly with chili powder.
  2. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. 
  3. Coat skillet with cooking spray, cook chicken 2 minutes or until browned on one side, turn, and top with the tomatoes and beans. 
  4. Bring to a boil (over medium-high heat), and cook for 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.
  5. Remove from heat and drizzle the oil evenly over all. 
  6. Serve in shallow soup bowls, topped with sour cream.


Serves 4

Friday, September 20, 2013

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1/2 cup flour
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Dried oregano to taste
4 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Marsala wine


Directions:
  1. Pound chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap (or in a plastic zipper bag) until about 1/4" thickness.
  2. Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano in a mixing bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess.
  3. Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Cook chicken breasts on medium heat for about 2 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned.
  5. Turn breasts over to cook other side, then add mushrooms to skillet.
  6. Cook breasts about 2 more minutes, until both sides are lightly browned.
  7. Continue to stir mushrooms.
  8. Add Marsala wine around chicken pieces.
  9. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  10. Transfer to serving plate.
Serves 4
Prep Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

One Pot Pasta

Ingredients

12 ounces pasta
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

  1. Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. 
  2. Pour in vegetable broth. 
  3. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano.
  4. Drizzle top with oil.
  5. Cover pot and bring to a boil. 
  6. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. 
  7. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated.
  8. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. 
  9. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Chicken and Dumplins


This recipe is very similar to Cracker Barrel's Chicken n' Dumplins.

Ingredients:
 
2 cups Flour
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup buttermilk, A Bit Less Than A Full Cup (you can use regular milk if needed)
2 quarts Chicken Broth
3 cups Cooked Chicken

Directions:
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.
  2. Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.
  3. Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 1"x1". They do not have to be uniform or exact.
  4. Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.
  5. To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they are not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot, stir and you are done!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken tenders or 4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley


Sauce:
1 - 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoon butter


Directions:
  1. Crush 1 1/2 sleeves of crackers.
  2. If using chicken breasts and not tenders, cut each chicken breast into 3 large pieces.
  3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans.
  4. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
  5. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese.
  6. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers.
  7. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in.
  8. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.
  9. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
  10. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.
  11. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.
  12. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk.
  13. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot.
  14. Serve over the chicken.
Cook Time:  45-50 minutes

Friday, July 26, 2013

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

Ingredients
1 lb of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (can substitute Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs)
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 cans (10.5oz) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
14 oz. water
1 medium Onion, diced
Hot Cooked Rice

Directions

  1. Place thawed chicken in crock pot. 
  2. Add butter, cream of chicken soup, water and onions.  Stir until soup is mixed well with water. 
  3. Cook on high 4-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  4. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Broccoli and Shrimp Chowder

Ingredients
1 medium uncooked Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced   
2 cups uncooked broccoli, florets   
1 medium uncooked shallot, minced   
2 cups fat free chicken broth   
1/4 tsp dried thyme   
1/2 pounds cooked shrimp, peeled (medium size)   
1/2 cup fat free sour cream   
1/2 cup fat free skim milk   
1/4 tsp table salt   
1/4 tsp black pepper


Directions
  1. In a medium-size pot, combine potato, broccoli, shallot, broth and thyme; bring to a boil, partially cover pot and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
  2. Pour soup into blender and purée in batches careful not to splatter hot liquid; return soup to pot. (Or puree soup in pot using an immersion blender.)
  3. Add remaining ingredients to pot; reduce heat to low and simmer until hot, about 3 minutes. (Do not allow to boil.)

Prep Time:  10 Minutes
Cook Time:  18 Minutes
Serves 4 - Yields about 1 cup per serving.