Avocado and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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avocado, chicken, gluten free, lettuce, quick, wrap

My sweet boyfriend is out of town at annual training with the Army for 3 weeks. What does that mean for me, other than being lonely? DIET TIME! Since dating, I have gained those 10 pounds of “happy weight” that everyone dreads. How can I NOT eat when someone makes me a delicious dinner? How can I NOT drink a beer when there are several new, fun breweries and pubs? So I have been enjoying too much. These three weeks are crunch time! Exercise more. Eat less. Wish that it was easier to lose than gain…. Cheers to more bunny food!

Avocado and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• 1 chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 2 large leaves from iceburg or romaine lettuce
• 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
• Red onion, to taste
• 2 small tomatoes, quartered
• 2 slices of cheese
• Dijon mustard, to taste

Pretend like you are making a burrito. Lay the leaf of lettuce on a plate. On one third of the lettuce, layer the chicken, avocado, onion, 4 pieces of tomato, the slice of cheese broken in half, and mustard to taste. Gently roll the lettuce up into a burrito shape. Makes 2 rolls.

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Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon and Greek Olives

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braised, chicken, gluten free, greek, lemon, olives, oregano, thighs

This is one of my new favorite work night meals. The lemon, onion, and olives meld together with the chicken drippings to form a luscious gravy. And it’s even better the next day!

Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon, and Greek Olives (from here)

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (remove the excessive fat and skin)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 12 garlic cloves
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds discarded
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup mixed Greek olives, pitted
• Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven large enough to hold all the thighs in a single layer, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until golden brown. Add the garlic and flip the thighs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add the onions, lemon slices and oregano. Season with more salt and pepper. Cook, until the onions have wilted and the juices have de-glazed the pan. Place the thighs skin-side up in the onion mixture; add the garlic and the olives. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and put into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve. Serves 6.

 

 

Chicken Caesar Salad

Tags

anchovy, caesar, chicken, dressing, easy, garlic, quick, salad

I love a good Caesar salad. It is simple, savory, and delicious. Plus it is super easy to make. I am a hard core believer in homemade salad dressing. Bottled Caesar is disgusting compared to homemade and this one is so simple there is no reason not to make it.

Chicken Caesar Salad

• Cooked chicken (I use leftover rotisserie chicken)
• Croutons
• Parmesan shavings
• Lettuce
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper to taste (I don’t use salt because the fish is salty enough)
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Get out a small bowl in which to combine your dressing ingredients. On a cutting board, finely chop the garlic and anchovies together until they make a paste. Add to the bowl. Add the egg yolks and mix together well. Add the mustard and lemon juice. Stir again. Add the olive oil and whisk vigorously, until the dressing looks creamy.

In a bowl, add lettuce, chicken, croutons, and Parm shavings. Top with desired amount of dressing.

Cheesy Baked Chicken Taquitos

Tags

appetizer, baked, cheese, chicken, easy, main dish, Mexican, taquitos

I love taquitos, even the frozen ones. But I don’t love the price, the high sodium levels, or that they are so processed with ingredients I can’t even begin to pronounce. I didn’t want something complicated, though. This recipe is a perfect match for my food needs. You can make up a whole bunch of these and then freeze them for later use. Plus, they are easy to make so you can get your kids evolved.

• Servings: 4 to 6
• Time: 40 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup salsa verde
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tsp chipotle chile powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper
• A couple of shakes of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tbsp finely chopped onions
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 12 to 15 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients. Stir in the chicken and the shredded cheese. Taste then season with salt and pepper as needed.

When you make the taquitos, the tortillas need to be pliable. Dampen a couple of paper towels and layer the tortillas on a plate in this order – two tortillas, paper towel, two tortillas, paper towel. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until they are soft and pliable.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of filling onto the tortilla and roll tightly.  Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat until all the filling is used.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown.  Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole. Inspired by this recipe from Pink Parsley. 

Herb and Citrus Roasted Chicken

Tags

chicken, citrus, easy, gluten free, herb, meat, oven, quick, roasted

Busy fall weekends full of football and pumpkin patches and hiking through the leaves needs a quick main dish that required only a bit of prep for a lot of flavor. This recipes gets you there…

Herb and Citrus Roasted Chicken (from the Comfort of Cooking)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
• 2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 lbs of chicken thighs (leave the bones and skin intact)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• Chopped fresh herbs), for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.

Place chicken in a rimmed 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Place parts skin side up and spread them out evenly in the pan. Pour olive oil mixture all over chicken, turning pieces to coat all sides. (If you marinated the chicken in this mixture, still add it all in). Arrange slices of lemon, orange and onion around and under the chicken. Sprinkle all over generously with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. Remove parts to a serving platter and garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs, if desired. Serves 8.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Tags

chicken, food, grilled, honey, Labor Day, mustard, summer

Labor Day weekend is upon us. For some, this will be a last summer hooray. Pools will close. Children will (or already have) gone back to school. Parents will start worrying about carpools, Halloween costumes, and endless sports practices. That means dinner needs to be quick and make good leftovers. This recipe is great for that. Eat it the night it’s made. Use it tomorrow in a wrap. Or to top a salad. Or just warm it up and serve it with new sides.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken (from AllRecipes)

• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs

Preheat the grill for medium heat. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and Worchestershire sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning! Serves 4.

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Chicken

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chicken, garlic, gluten free, grilled, marinade, rosemary, summer

Here is a quick chicken recipe perfect for any cookout or quick weekend meal. It only uses ingredients you probably already have. And you can use the leftovers to top salad or place in wraps.

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Chicken

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp microplaned garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
• 1/8 cup lemon juice or vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Marinade the chicken in the mixture for 3 to 5 hours. Grill over medium heat until the chicken is cooked though and the juice runs clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Kung Pao Chicken

Tags

Asian, bell peppers, chicken, food, kung pao chicken, main dish, stir-fry

Stir fry is one of the healthiest, quickest meals. Very little prep time required. Dinner on the table in 30 minutes flat. Thanks Stefan for the great recipe!

Kung Pao Chicken (from Stefan’s Gourmet Blog)

• 1/2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 2 yellow bell peppers, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
• dried chile peppers (1 = mild, 2 = medium, 3 = hot, 4 or more = very hot)
• 1 tsp sichuan peppercorns
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp oil for stir-frying

For the marinade:

• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp shaohsing rice wine

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaohsing rice wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)

Combine the chicken in a bowl with 1 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp shaohsing rice wine. Stir until well mixed and the chicken is coated with the marinade on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for about 25 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, prep the veggies. Clean the bell peppers and cut into pieces about the size of the chicken. Chop the green onions and separate the green part. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the dried chile peppers and remove the seeds. Mix the ingredients for the sauce (2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp shaohsing rice wine, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp rice vinegar) in a small bowl. Whole sichuan peppercorns are not nice to have in the final dish because of the texture. To extract their flavor, heat the oil in a wok, add the sichuan pepper corns, lower the heat, and allow the sichuan peppercorns to flavor the oil. Remove the sichuan peppercorns with a slotted spoon before you continue. Now heat the oil over very high heat. Add the chicken when the oil is very hot. Stir-fry just until golden. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon. It should be only 80% cooked at this time. Chicken should be cooked through, but do not overcook it or it will become dry and tasteless.  Add the bell pepper, chile peppers, garlic, and white part of the green onions to the wok. Add the peanuts as well if using raw peanuts. If you like your peanuts well-roasted, you could even start by roasting them first. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Lower the heat and add the sauce. Stir and cook for a minute until the sauce has reduced somewhat. Add the chicken and green part of the green onions. This is where you add roasted peanuts if using. Stir and cook for another minute until the chicken is coated with the sauce and warmed through.

Smothered Chicken – A Healthier Version

Tags

chicken, grilled, mushrooms, onions, outdoors, peppers, smothered, spring, warm weather

It is warm and wonderful outside. If you are like me, you’re firing up the grill for two reasons- 1) you want to be outside to cook and 2) you don’t want to do dishes so you can stay outside longer. This chicken tastes decadent without adding too many calories… Just in time for your worrying about that bathing suit.

Smothered Chicken – A Healthier Version

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, marinaded as desired
• 1 green bell pepper, quarted and cored
• 8 oz mushrooms,  sliced and in a foil packet with a bit of oil and garlic
• 1 large onion, peeled and thickly sliced
• Mozzarella cheese 

Prepare grill to medium heat. Grill meat, peppers, onions, and mushroom packet until all are done. Combine in a glass dish and top with cheese. Allow to melt before serving.

Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon by Julia Child

Tags

chicken, french, Julia Child, main dish, mushrooms, onions, red wine

Don’t be thrown off by the number of ingredients or what seems to be many steps in this recipe. It isn’t hard and the results are amazing. This recipe is one of the best chicken dishes I have tried in a while. The gravy is rich and delicious. The chicken is tender. The mushrooms and onions compliment the chicken amazingly. This may be French food but it isn’t the pretentious, tiny serving you would imagine. This is rustic, heart warming food. I served it with Yukon Gold Potatoes with Parsley and Spring Onions. If you make the effort to prepare this dish, you will be so happy you did. I promise!

Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon by Julia Child

• 3 to 4 oz chopped bacon
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs cut up frying chicken (I used boneless, skinless thighs)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 3 cups young, full bodied red wine such as Burgandy, Beaujolais, or Chianti
• 1 to 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 lb sauteed mushrooms (see below)
• 12 to 24 brown braised onions (see below)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• Parsley to garnish

Cut the bacon into lardons. Saute in first 2 tbsp butter until lightly browned. Remove to a side dish. Dry chicken thoroughly and brown in the hot fat. Season the chicken and return the bacon to the casserole. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning chicken once. Uncover and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside. Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a side dish. Simmer the chicken cooking liquid for a minute or two, skimming off the fat. Raise heat and boil the juices rapidly until they are reduced to 2 1/4 cups. Season to taste then remove bay leaf.

Blend together the 3 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp butter together to form a paste. Beat into the hot chicken liquid with a wire whisk. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Arrange the chicken, mushrooms and onions on a warmed platter and base with the sauce. Serves 4 to 6.

Sauteed Mushrooms by Julia Child

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, whole if small, quartered if large
• 2 tbsp minced shallots
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place an enameled skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute, the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface and the mushrooms will begin to brown.  As soon as they have lightly browned add in the shallots. Saute for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Brown-Braised Onions by Julia Child

• 18 to 24 small peeled onions
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup beef stock or red wine
• Herb bouquet: 4 sprigs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

In an enameled skillet, melt together the butter and the oil. Add onions and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, moving the onions about so they will brown evenly. Be careful not to break the skins. Pour in the beef stock, add herbs, and season to taste. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until onions are tender and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.