Tag: chicken

Chicken, Green Beans and Asian Noodles

Chicken, green beans and asian noodlesThis dish turned out better than I thought it would. Originally posted on MyRecipes.com, I had to alter it of course! BTW, you really MUST use the mint in this dish. Don’t make it without mint, that’s what ties it all together!

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces Thai flat rice noodles
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 8 ounces yard-long beans (Chinese long beans) or regular green beans, cut into 2-in. pieces
  • 2 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (1 lb. total), sliced 1/2 in. thick
  • 1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (Jen’s Note: Reduce to 1 tablespoon for less sweet taste)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh Thai basil leaves, divided (Jen’s Note: Asian grocery stores are great for fresh Thai basil)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, divided
    1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook noodles in boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain noodles and transfer to a large serving bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add garlic, long beans, and chicken. Cook until chicken is slightly browned, stirring often, about 4 minutes. (Jen’s Note: You really want to make sure that the wok is really hot so that the chicken
3. Add fish sauce, broth, sugar, ginger, lime juice, and 1/4 cup each basil, mint, and green onions, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and pour over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining basil, mint, and green onions.

This dish is great with something else on the side – like pot stickers, egg rolls, or egg drop soup. Really tasty left overs too.

I’ll see you at the table!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Butternut Squash

Recipe courtesy of my beautiful and healthy friend, Summer Milkovich of Summer Kaye Fitness.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Butternut Squash is a great recipe that requires little prep, but tastes great and the benefit of using a slow cooker.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 lbs organic, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 12 dried figs, chopped
  • 1 cup butternut squash, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet place the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
  2. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, browning each side for about 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer the contents of the skillet to your slow cooker and top with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours.

For a complete meal, serve with brown rice or quinoa and a large green salad on the side.

I’ll see you at the table!

Easy Chicken Tika Masala for Dinner

Working full time out of the house and raising a family has it’s own challenges. One of those challenges is meal preparation. Wherever I can cut corners to save on time – but still provide healthy and yummy food – I take those opportunities! This dinner is super easy to make because the hardest part of making the Chicken Tika Masala is already prepared for you. I’ve made Tika Masala from scratch before – several hours of prep and cook time – but my family loves this ready-made version from Costco more… win for Costco!

For an easy dinner for 4 people (2 adults, 2 teenagers) try this menu for Easy Chicken Tika Masala:

Sukhi’s Chicken Tika Masala from Costco
Basmati rice
Stonefire mini naan from Costco
Vegetable
1 cup cilantro, rough chop for garnish

 

Directions:

1. Use your rice cooker to prepare 1.5 uncooked rice.

2. While the rice is cooking, start a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, carefully drop in one of the bags of Sukhi’s Chicken Tika Masala. Don’t open the bag, keep it sealed to boil. You can start from frozen if you forgot to take out of the freezer earlier, it’ll just take a few minutes longer. I usually let it boil for about 8-10 minutes. You can microwave the Tika too, but I try to avoid microwaving food as much as possible so that it’s not rubbery. The boiling doesn’t take that long anyhow.

3. Prepare your vegetables while the Tika Masala is boiling. We prefer steamed broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts. You can make a green salad too, but with this yummy masala sauce, I think you’ll enjoy having some warm veggies to dip into it.

4. The Stonefire Mini Naan is a great way to enjoy the Tika Masala. Keep it in the fridge to last longer. Just as you’re about to eat, toast the mini naan to heat it up. Stack on a plate to keep warm. Be careful, the bread will be hot out of the toaster.

 

To put on the table:

1. Put cooked rice in big bowl with serving spoon.

2. Carefully remove the Tika Masala package from the boiling water. Cut the edge with scissors and pour into a serving bowl – careful of splatters because it’ll be hot from the boiling water. Provide serving spoon.

3. Veggies in a bowl with a serving spoon.

4. Fresh chopped cilantro in a small bowl as a garnish for the Tika. This adds a wonderful extra layer of flavor.

5. Plate of toasted naan.

To plate from the table:

Each person will want a heaping scoop of basmati rice, then scoop the Tika Masala on the rice – add a sprinkle of cilantro! Scoop of veggies on the side of the rice. Break off a third the naan and scoop up some of the Tika Masala sauce, chicken and rice. Yum!

Leftovers make for a great work lunch the next day… if you have any left overs. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

 

Salsa Chicken and Rice Bake

I love easy to prepare dishes that are full of flavor. In our house, anything Mexican is pretty popular, so this dish was and easy success.

Original recipe from TipHero.
Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients:
– 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, rinsed
– 1 can corn kernels, drained
– 1-15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (Jen’s Note: Omit if your breast feeding and beans don’t work well with baby)
– 1-16-ounce jar salsa
– 1 cup chicken broth
– 1-½ teaspoons ground cayenne pepper (Jen’s Note: Omit for less spice)
– 1 teaspoon oregano
– ½ teaspoon salt
– ¼ teaspoon black pepper
– 2 large chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds), thawed (Jen’s Note: Cut in half length wise)
– 1 cup shredded cheese blend
– 2 green onions, sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish, add the rice, black beans, corn, salsa, chicken broth, chili powder and oregano. Stir to combine. (Jen’s Note: Or, use a 8×11″ dish and you can add a third chicken breast)
  3. Cut the chicken breasts into 2 pieces and submerge into the liquid in the baking dish as far as possible.
  4. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
  5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and bake just until the cheese has melted.
  6. Top with green onions and serve.

Jen’s Note: We like to have garnishes like sour cream, cilantro, lime, hot sauce, so have those on hand to enhance the dish. Serve with green salad for a great, easy, week day meal!

I’ll see you at the table!

Whole Baked Chicken

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I love baking a whole chicken because it looks great on the dinner table, tastes great and the left overs are great for making chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
  • 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with onion slices, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.
  3. Lift the skin of the chicken and using your fingers, rub butter on the chicken meat. Try to get this all over the breast, thigh and leg meat. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper on the outside.
  4. Place the whole chicken upside down in the baking pan – that way the juices flow to the breast and keep it moist.
  5. Place the onions and carrots around the chicken in a roasting pan. Place any extra onion slices on top of the chicken.
  6. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
  7. Carefully pour juices from pan into gravy boat and serve as well – nice alternative to gravy if you serve with potatoes too.

I’ll see you at the table!

Mexican Chicken and Beans Crock Pot Recipe

I love the crock pot! It makes my life a little bit easier when I can put together a yummy dish and have less “standing in the kitchen” time. I originally found this recipe on about.com, but in my typical fashion I’ve added additional things to the recipe.

Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 5.5-6.5 hours

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 can (12 to 15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
  • 1 can (4 ounces) mild chopped green chile pepper (omit for less spice)
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1-14 oz can chipotle fire roasted tomatoes (or 1 cup chunky salsa)
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Stir to blend ingredients.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Serve with warmed tortillas and your favorite Mexican garnishes; such as, chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, lime, guacamole and salsa. We eat a lot of salad at our house, so this goes well with salad. You may even want to serve with a Spanish Rice dish too. It is a great dish by itself as well. Either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

Slow Cooker Chicken with Honey and Garlic

I originally found this recipe on Damn Delicious. It really is *damn* delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved
  • 16 ounces baby carrots
  • 16 ounces green beans, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

For the sauce

  • 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and pepper.
  2. Place chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots and soy sauce mixture into a 6-qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, basting every hour. Add green beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
  3. OPTIONAL: Preheat oven to broil. Place chicken thighs onto a baking sheet, skin side up, and broil until crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Serve chicken immediately with potatoes, carrots and green beans, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Recipe: Thai Coconut Chicken

I haven’t cooked this favorite recipe for years, but had a dear friend ask me for the recipe again, which I happily obliged. I love it when old friends continue to enjoy my recipes again and again… brings me much joy to my heart!

For you, sweet Lisa! xo

Thai Coconut Chicken: serves 4

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2-14 oz can coconut milk
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot julienne sliced
1 medium broccoli crown, cut into small florets
Olive oil
1 while onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Dry rub ingredients:
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t like spicy)
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish:
1 bunch of cilantro, rough chop
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
1 cup of crushed peanuts
Spicy chili sauce – my favorite is Sriracha

Directions:
Using a gallon sized Ziploc bag, add all the dry rub ingredients and shake to mix together. Add raw chicken breasts and seal, leaving some air in the bag. Shake the bag to coat the chicken breasts evenly. Rub it around from the outside, if needed. Place in bowl and put in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.

In large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the onions and garlic, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

Add the chicken and brown for 1-2 minutes per side. Be careful to not let the chicken breasts cook in one place in the pan for too long because will burn and rip off a section of the meat. Your goal is to keep the chicken breasts in one piece so that the juices will sear into the meat.

Slowly pour in the coconut milk and scrape up all the seasoning and bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over halfway through and stir the coconut milk to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan, plus helps to loosen all the yummy bits of cooked onion and spices and blend into the coconut milk. You’ll notice the milk turning a yellowish/orange color from the spices.

Add bell pepper, carrots and broccoli and stir until covered with the coconut milk. Cover and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve immediately. Best served over rice – I prefer black rice or basmati rice. For garnish, toppings of cilantro, lime, peanuts and chili sauce are the best. I love it all, but best to allow others to choose how they want to garnish, so put these in individual bowls on the table for self serving.

To my old friends and new friends, enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Slanted Door – CA

With a great view of the Bay Bridge, Slanted Door at the restored Ferry Building in San Francisco is a fabulous Vietnamese inspired restaurant. I heard about the Slanted Door from my brother, who is lucky enough to live in San Francisco. I mentioned the restaurant to my Vietnamese Utah manicurist and even he had heard about Slanted Door… cool!

After a 5 mile run across the Golden Gate Bridge, my long time friend Sharon and I were hungry for something healthy and yummy. Off to Slanted Door we go!

slanted1Based on the crowds, we expected a long wait but were pleasantly surprised with a quick seat outside. The glass wall between the outdoor eating space and the pier walkway makes for a nice wind break, but didn’t obstruct the view… and views are always beautiful in San Francisco!

The service was perfect as the waiter came often enough, but not too often. When I’m out to lunch with a friend, I don’t want to be interrupted too often. Other than occasional water refills and random needs, I thought that their frequency of service was just right.

slanted2Lunch consisted of:

  • Pho
  • Lemon grass chicken
  • Chinese broccoli
  • Spicy chicken stir fry
  • Spring rolls with peanut sauce.

Amazing. Flavors were not too spicy. The vegetables were fresh and crisp. The sauces were complimentary. I can see why this restaurant is so popular. Next time you’re in San Francisco, I highly recommend that you check it out.

I can’t wait to try some other dishes at the Slanted Door again… and hopefully Klint will be with me next time!