Bisquick Ultimate Chicken Tenders

Chicken can be so boring. There are so many ways to season and cook it up, but it seems like I always do the same old thing. I look to pinterest for inspiration as much as I can, but in this case it turned out that all I really needed to do was turn to the back of my bisquick box. These tenders were juicy and flavorful and EASY - which is what I'm all about on weekdays. You could even toss them in a sauce and put them on top of a salad, or leave them as is and make a yummy cobb salad. Or a wrap! So many possibilities.

Sometimes the best recipes are on the back of a package, like nestle tollhouse chocolate chip cookies! I pounded out 2 chicken breasts and cut them each into 4 strips. I baked them on an oven rack on top of a baking pan so that they got crisp and didnt cook in the juices.

Bisquick Ultimate Chicken Tenders (from Bisquick)
2/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted   Heat oven to 450ºF. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag. Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.

Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice

Adam and I eat fish probably 1-2 times a week. It's something lighter than other meats and always quicks up fast. I'm always looking for new recipes to work with, because I feel like the basic salt, pepper, lemon recipe is always  good but boring. So I pinned this salmon recipe and gave it a go.

This was one of my favorite meals that I've had in a while. It was so simple and I loved the onion added into it. The Glaze is amazing. It takes no time to throw together. There are no negatives in this dish. With lent coming up, you'll need some no-meat dishes for your friday nights - I suggest adding this to your list and trying it out. (yes, we eat on paper plates. I hate doing dishes at the ened of the day.)

Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice (slightly adapted from Real Simple)
1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup brown rice
1 head broccoli, florets only, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 pieces skinless salmon fillet (1 1/4 pounds total)
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.


Cook the rice according to the package directions. Steam broccoli.

Meanwhile, place the salmon and onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Broil until the salmon is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes, spooning half the soy sauce glaze over the fish during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Plate your rice and broccoli, and serve the salmon and onion on top with the remaining glaze.

BBQ Chicken Cauliflower Pizza

To go along with my Cauliflower Pizza Crust post, here is the first version of pizza that I made.

I sliced my pizzas into 4 rectangles each, so I think this could be a really nice appetizer or party food. You could top them all differently or all the same and it would be so easy to throw together.

BBQ Chicken Cauliflower Pizza
Cauliflower Crust
2 BBQ Chicken Breasts - see below
2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Basil
1/2 Green Pepper, sliced thin
1/4 Red onion, sliced thin
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (it should already be set from your crust)

Sprinkle Salt and pepper onto the baked crust. Then place a small amount of mozzarella on the crust (just enough to hold everything in place)

Top with Basil, Chicken, Onion and Pepper and put some BBQ sauce on as well (about 1 tbsp per pizza if you're making 2). Then top with more cheese and a dash of garlic powder.

Bake about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

*For the Chicken breasts, I pounded them thin and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a little crushed red pepper (not flakes, crushed). I baked at 375 for about 15 minutes, then turned it down to 350 degrees and brushed BBQ sauce onto both sides and cooked for another 4 minutes. then I sliced them into strips and tossed with a tiny bit more sauce.

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

I have a deep love for buffalo sauce. Surprisingly this love affair didn't start until a few years back, but now I can't get ewnough. Buffalo chicken on sandwiches, salads - buffalo wings - buffalo chicken dip -and now buffalo turkey burgers.

I always buy the 93% lean turkey meat, so it gets dried out pretty easily. I usually stuff them to make them moist and gooey, but last night I took this recipe to my burgers and the result was awesome! Thank you again, Skinny Taste! Our skinny burgers were full of flavor and not at all dry. I left out the slaw and topped ours with provolone and a little light blue cheese dressing. I prepared them on our grill pan and when it came time for cheese i just covered the tops with a saucepan lid to keep the heat in and melt it perfectly.

This is going into our nightly rotation, especially since it's one meal that I always have the ingredients for. Rolls and meat are always in the freezer :)

Buffalo Turkey Burgers (slightly adapted from SkinnyTaste)
1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
2/3 cup grated carrots  
1/4 cup seasoned  breadcrumbs 
1 clove garlic, grated (I used garlic powder)
1 tbsp red onion, grated
1/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
salt and fresh pepper
oil spray
5 slices provolone
5  burger buns 
*I only made 2 burgers. I basically just eyeballed all of the amounts since theres really no science to it*


In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, carrots, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Makes (5) equal patties.

Heat grill pan, or grill, and place burgers on grates. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until cooked about half way through. Flip and cook until done. Place cheese on top and let it melt.

Top your bun with light blue cheese dressing and tomato, or any other toppings you'd like.

Cheesesteaks!

It may seem like Pinterest is my sole source of recipes and ideas lately, but I do still utilize my google reader. 2-3 times a week I scroll through the new posts in hopes of discovering something that I want to make. This recipe fit the bill and after making it I can say that everyone needs to make these delicious cheesesteaks at some point in time. If not this recipe, then at least take the step of baking your cheesesteaks and use it. It is something so simple that makes a world of difference. In the oven, the flavors from the veggies, tender steak and gooey cheese (oh yea and some butter) meld together, do a little dance and it all seeps into the bread. It is a seriously magical thing.

I made the entire recipe and kept 2 in the fridge for later eating - and I know that Adam and I are bother ready for them now!

Cheesesteaks (from The Little Kitchen)

4 hoagie rolls, sliced 1/2 green pepper, sliced
1 large white onion, cut in half and sliced thick
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1.25-1.5 lbs beef ribeye steaks (sliced thinly across the grain and then chopped roughly again so they are small pieces)
salt & pepper
3 1/2 Tbsp salted butter
8 slices of cheese (Provolone or Muenster)

Prepare 4 sheets of foil and slice the hoagie rolls and set aside. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Heat a non-stick skillet with 1 Tbsp butter on medium high heat. Add mushrooms and half of the onions and cook 5-8 minutes or until mushrooms are browned and onions are cooked down. Remove and place on a plate.

Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and add 1/2 Tbsp of butter and return to the stove. Cook remaining onions and bell peppers for 5-8 minutes or until peppers start to brown and blister and the onions are cooked down. Add to plate.

Wipe the skillet again with a paper towel and add 1 Tbsp butter and return to stove again. Season half of the steak with salt & pepper and add to the skillet. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2-4 minutes. Add in half of the veggie mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes. Divide the meat & veggies in half (so that it is separated onto 2 sides of the pan). Add 4 slices of cheese on top and allow the cheese to melt for 1-2 minutes.
Add the cooked meat & veggies and melted cheese to two hoagie rolls. Inside one sheet of foil, roll the hoagie roll tightly and place inside the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Repeat the process with the remaining steak & veggies for the last two hoagie rolls. Serve fresh out of the oven.

If you have leftovers, refrigerate inside a zippered plastic bag inside (don't remove it from the foil). Reheat the cheesesteaks in the foil in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I have a real love for Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup. In fact, I get it 99.9% of the time that I go there. It can be 100 degrees out and I will order my soup with a smoked turkey sandwich (or a sierra turkey if I really want to be bad). The calories aren't really that high for the 1/2 portion, but when I moved to Nashville I moved away from Panera. I have one by work, but I really don't have time to get there and it isn't conveniently on my way home (especially now that I have a baby in tow).

Anyway, I can safely say that I was having some serious withdrawls. Especially when the fall weather hit, I needed some soup and stat. Enter in Pinterest. Adam helped me whip up this soup and it was seriously so easy and so delicious. We both really enjoyed this and next time I will double the recipe and freeze half.

I love that there is no heavy cream involved. And I used skim milk. It was still creamy and perfect with a baguette, a la panera :) the only thing that I had to change was the rue (the water and flour mix) - the soup wasn't thickening up enough so at the end we added in another portion of rue, only less water and more flour - and it thickened up perfectly. So you may have to play around with that, but leave it until the end to see. Sorry for the crap pic, we ate it at night and had no leftover to photograph the next day.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder (from LuLu the Baker)

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 celery stick, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth 1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. 

Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook 25-30 minutes.  

Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  

Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Chipotle Honey Chicken Poppers

One day during my pinning frenzy I came across these yummy looking little chicken nuggets - err, poppers. I happily pinned them to 'Food!' and after making then, they definitely deserve the exclamation point! Who would have thought that these bite size chicken poppers could pack such flavor and make an awesome meal for two grown adults?

The breading on these is just the best - we have started to use it as our go-to berading recipe. It leaves a crisp shell and really sticks well to your food. The sauce on these is great. It had a little kick at the end but nothing too powerful. I can definitely see myself serving these as an app or party food, plus it's going into our dinner rotation. Since there's a breading I just left out a carb side and we had the chicken and veggies - filling enough!

*Note - I subbed 2 ingredients, which I have shown below. It still came out really yummy and I didn't have to go buy more ingredients from the store which is always a plus!

Chipotle Honey Chicken Poppers (from Table for Two)
5 chicken tenderloins, cubed

For the Sauce:

2/3 cup honey (I used agave)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tbsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. chipotle powder (I used Mexican Chili Powder. Regular Chili Powder would work also)

1/2 tsp. salt

For the Egg Mix:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

For the Breading:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. dried basil

Prepare a plate lined with paper towels for the chicken after it’s done cooking in the oil. Set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to mix. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a small, shallow dish, combine the egg and milk. Set aside.

In another shallow dish, combine the ingredients for the breading. Set aside.

Bread the chicken cubes by first coating it in the bread mixture then the egg wash then back in the breading. Put the coated chicken cubes on a plate. Continue until all the chicken have been breaded.

Pop the plate of chicken in the fridge for about 20 minutes. It’ll help the breading stick to the chicken.

In a large skillet, add a thin layer of vegetable oil and place over medium high heat.

Once the oil is glistening, add in the chicken (I did it in 2 batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook the chicken until it’s cooked through & the breading is nice and crispy brown.

Once the first batch is done, put the cooked chicken on the prepared plate with the paper towel. Continue with the second batch and once that’s cooked, add that to the prepared plate.

In a large bowl, put in your cooked chicken and pour the sauce all over. Toss well to coat every bite.

Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

I am trying a lot of new meals and I like the twist on this. Who needs bread to enjoy a cheese steak?? Sometimes its nice to cut out one carb and make room for another which is what I did, I added a side of sweet potato fries to round out our meal.

The only change that I would make to this is I would throw the halved peppers into the oven for 10 minutes before stuffing and baking. They were just too crisp for me, they really should be soft and cooked for this meal to be perfect. I reflcted this change below.

Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers (from Peace Love and Low Carb)
8 oz sliced deli roast beef
4 slices provolone
2 large green bell peppers
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
6 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1 tbs garlic
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice peppers in half and remove seeds. Cook in oven for about 10 minutes.

Heat butter, oil, garlic, salt, pepper, onion and mushrooms on medium low heat unil onions caramelize, about 25-30 minutes.

Slice beef into strips and add to onion mixture. Stir until meat is heated through.

Add half a slice of provolone to the bottom of each pepper. Stuff with meat mixture, sprinkle with salt and top with another half slice of provolone. Repeat for all peppers.

Bake for 25-30 Minutes.

Salsa Chicken Enchiladas

You know that feeling when your husband has knee surgery and is laid up, helpless and waiting on dinner? And you are toting your 2 month old because said husband can't really help with her? No? Well, I do!  I found the perfect time to pull our frozen crockpot salsa chicken from the freezer when this happened a few weeks back.

I didn't really want to slave in the kitchen all night, so this was a life saver for me. I just had to find new ways to use it and this is now one of my favorite meals! I was always nervous about making enchiladas for some reason, but this was great and I used all low cal ingredients to make it more diet friendly.

Salsa Chicken Enchiladas
Salsa Chicken
Low Carb, 100 calorie Whole Wheat Tortillas
Shredded Mexican Cheese
2 Jalapenos, sliced
1/2 Red Onion, Sliced into half rings
Dash of olive oil
Pinch Cumin
10 Minute Enchilada Sauce (recipe below)
Velveeta Queso Blanco, mixed with milk and heated
Lettuce, beans, rice, fat free sour cream to plate with

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil, if you want to avoid cleaning like I do.


In a small pan, heat jalapeno and onion on low with your dash of olive oil and pinch of cumin for 20 minutes, or until soft.

Pile up your tortillas and pop inth emicrowave for about 30 seconds to get them soft. Ladle a few spoonfuls of your enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Place some enchilada sauce in a large shallow bowl (big enough to fit a tortilla).Take one tortilla and coat one side in enchilada sauce. On the side that you coated, place a sprinkle of cheese, a scoop of chicken and some of the jalapeno/onion mix. Roll up and place seam side down in your baking dish. Repeat with remaining shells.

Ladle more of the sauce on top once all of the enchiladas are rolled and in the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Top each enchilada with about 2 tbs of your queso blanco.

10 Minute Enchilada Sauce (from all recipes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup Mexican chili powder
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (I used a 6 oz can of tomato paste and was fine)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
salt to taste

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.


Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.

Cilantro Chicken

Thanks again to Pinterest for helping me make a healthy dinner! I am not one to use the grill, in fact I don't think I have ever put something on the grill or taken it off. Not by myself, anyway. I should probably learn, but for now I use my grill pan for most recipes like chicken and turkey burgers. (But you should have seen me try to cook this chicken inside with a crying baby in one arm, I dont think I could have pulled off a grill)

This is an easy marinade that you can throw on your chicken and let soak in. I think this chicken would be best mixed with something, perhaps some sort of chicken salad, on top a green salad, a sandwich with melty cheese, enchiladas, or a quesadilla like I ended up doing. Actually, I made a lot so that it would last a few dinners and I could do various things with it. I had it plain, in a quesadilla and will think up something else for tomorrow. I like the creativeness of this and that you could freeze it with the marinade on for later use.

Cilantro Chicken (from My Recipe)
2 Pounds chicken breasts, pounded to the same thinness
1/4 cup lime juice (I used 3 limes)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Arrange chicken in a shallow baking pan and pour marinade on top. Let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

I joke that for my freezer meals post baby I baked up tons of chocolate chip cookies and froze them. While this is actually true, I do have a good amount of chicken breasts, bone in chicken, steak and ground beef stocked in the freezer for easy grilling as well.

When I was thinking up what I wanted to eat on Cinco de Mayo, nachos was on the top of my list. And that made me think of Ale House nachos, which are layered with chicken. I remember when Salsa Chicken in the crock was all the rage, so I took to my google reader and searched for the recipe. I ended up going with a modified version (if you go to the original site, you will see a cooking time of 6-8 hours. Luckily I checked mine at 4 hours because it was done and would have been way overcooked any longer - just something to note).

I love how easy it was (hello, crockpots are the best, why don't I use it more?!) and that I now have this chicken in the freezer to go with my other meats. It would go great in tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas and even on tostones. *note- photo was taken after the chicken was shredded but before going back into the sauce. I froze the remaining sauce and chicken in a big gallon ziplock.*

Crockpot Salsa Chicken (from Stephanie Cooks)
4 large chicken breasts
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin


Combine all of the ingredients and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Shred with two forks once done and place back into the sauce to coat.

Sweet & Sticky Baked Chicken

I went out to the grocery store and stocked up on split chicken breasts and ground beef, so that we have some easy things to throw on the grill once the baby arrives. I don't want to be in charge of thinking up and shopping for dinners each week, and since it's summer it will be ideal to use our grill as much as we can.

While I was in the meat section I picked up some chicken tenders to cook up for a weekend dinner and then was left wondering what to do with it. I didn't want to bread it so I opened my google reader and found this recipe. While it is originally for drumsticks, the marinade just sounded so good to me, so I put everything together and popped it in the fridge for the day to marinate.

Sweet & Sticky Baked Chicken (from The Novice Chef)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
6 chicken drumsticks, about 1.25 pounds (I used a little under 1 pound of chicken tender strips)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
a few pinches chopped fresh parsley

In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and cracked black pepper. Pour into a large ziplock bag and add chicken drumsticks. Shake to coat chicken and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight, giving the bag a shake whenever you think about it.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top.

Remove the chicken from the bag, reserving the marinade, and place the drumsticks on the rack. Bake the drumsticks, on the middle oven rack, for 25 minutes. (I cooked for 7 minutes)

While the chicken is baking, place the leftover marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook over low heat, stirring as needed, for about 15 minutes or until thickened. (I put my chicken in for the first 7 minutes after cooking down the sauce for 7 minutes, so that they would both be ready at the same time)

Remove drumsticks from oven (after first 25 minutes of cooking)(7 for me and my chicken tenders) and heavily coat with the thickened marinade, using a silicone pastry brush. Return to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes (I returned for 4 minutes). Coat the drumsticks again and return to oven to cook for 5 more minutes, or until an internal temperate of 160°F is reached (I did another 4 minutes)

Coat the drumsticks one last time, with any remaining sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and parsley. Serve immediately.

My Mom's Meatloaf

When I hear the word meatloaf I immediately have this feeling about it - that no one wants anything to do with it. I don't think that any of my sisters eat meatloaf and it's not something you would ever see someone picking out on a restaurant menu (at least, no one that I know).

With all of that said, I happen to like meatloaf! It is more than a hunk of meat in a loaf shape, which may be where some of the stigma comes from. It is an easy dinner to throw together or pull out of the freezer. My mom has always made hers with potatoes and carrots which adds to the flavor of it all. I eat mine with a dipping sauce of bbq for some reason, I think it's the onion/beef combo. Anyway, I suggest trying this out and adding some fresh bread to go along with it.
Mom's Meatloaf

1 to 1 ½ lb ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
3/4 White Onion, chopped or minced (you can adjust this to whatever you'd like, I happen to like onion)

Salt

Pepper
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced (thick slices)
3 medium russet potatoes, chopped thick
2 small cans Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 small cans water

Preheat the oven to 375

Mix beef through pepper together and place in large cooking pot

Cook potatoes and carrots till almost soft but still firm - boil for about 10 minutes

Put around the meatloaf.

Pour 2 small cans of tomato sauce over meatloaf

Pour 1 or ½ cans water over meatloaf

Bake for about 1 hour on 375 and then raise the temperature to 400 and bake for another 15 minutes.

Baked Honey Dijon Chicken Tenders

Put this recipe in your weekly menu plan! That is really all that I have to say. I loved the chicken - it baked up moist and with a great flavor. Just make sure to use thinner slices of chicken as they bake crispier than the thicker ones. I served with bbq and honey mustard dipping sauce (mix agave nectar and dijon mustard), asparagus and baked potatoes. I may have gotten a little crazy with the breadcrumbs because I used all of it on only 2 chicken breasts, so I may suggest increasing that amount by 1/2 or so.

Baked Honey Dijon Chicken Tenders (from This Woman Cooks!)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
3 tbsp. butter, melted
heaping 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced vertically into strips


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, dijon mustard and honey; whisk until well combined.

Place the chicken strips into the mustard-butter mixture, then into the breadcrumbs. Coat evenly. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning half way through.

Garlic Honey Slow Cooker Chicken

I am loving the fact that more crockpot recipes are coming out for me to try. It is so nice coming home to half of dinner being cooked already. I found this recipe both here and here and it sounded like something I would really enjoy - the honey garlic flavor is one that I love. The only thing that I didnt like was the fact that this only takes 6 hours to cook. I am gone for much longer and even when Adam leaves late in the morning it is not late enough. I decided to try this on a work day despite that to at least get a sense for what this was.

The flavor of this chicken is great - sweet and still savory. I added a touch of chili powder and will put more in next time (the amount below is what I will put in from now on) - it just takes it up another notch and adds some more dimension. Serve with rice, pasta, orzo - anything would be good with this. This cooked for about 8 hours so it was a bit dry, especially the ends, so next time I use this it will be on a day off.

Garlic Honey Slow Cooker Chicken
4 Chicken breasts
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup low sodium Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Honey (I did half honey and half agave nectar)
3 cloves Garlic, crushed/minced
1 tsp Basil, dry or chopped if fresh
2 tsp Chili Powder

Place chicken in crock pot. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Feel Good Food: Crockpot Beef Stew

Being that I lived in the Florida heat for the last 12 years or so, I could never crock in early september, so now that Im in Nashville, when the temperature drops I want to take full advantage. I decided to make beef stew and freeze it in individual portions after I ate my own bowl. The beef was tender and it all blended together perfectly while I was at work. The smell that lingered in the house was perfect for the weather - cloudy, rainy and about 60 degrees. I hope to crock more and make freezer meals for lazy cold days. For now, I suggest trying this! I ate this with some fresh bread from publix - slightly spread with butter and topped with a little sat, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper and a sprinkle of mozzarella.


Beef Stew (adapted from allrecipes.com)
2 lbs Stew Meat
1 Onion, chopped
1/4c All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 packet McCormicks Beef Stew Seasoning
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 tsp Paprika
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Bay Leaves
1.5 c Beef Broth
1/4c Water
2 baking potatoes, diced
4 Carrots, sliced
1 stalk Celery, chopped

Place meat, flour, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag and shake until meat is completely covered. (for an extra step, brown the meat in olive oil on medium high in a skillet.)

Add everything to the crockpot. Give it a stir and cook on low for 10-12 hours, or high for 4-6.

Weeknight Orange Chicken

I have a very strong love for chinese food. I could probably eat it everyday, although I will attempt that! My favorite dish to get has been orange chicken for as long as I can remember. I love the wonton soup, egg/spring rolls, rangoon, fried rice and everything else but my main chinese squeeze is the orange sauce. When Adam and I were going through costco and I saw that Panda Express bottled their sauce, I became intrigued and really wanted to try it. It is such a good solution to a weeknight meal when you just dont have time.

Verdict: yummy! I added a decent amount of red pepper to give it some kick and cut some of the sweetness which just enhanced the flavor. I wouldn't go crazy and soak your meal in this, so be careful the amount that you put in your pan.

Weeknight Orange Chicken
2 Chicken breasts, pounded thin and cubed
1 head Broccoli, cut into florets
1 large Carrots, cut in half and slivered
Red Pepper Flakes
1/4c to 1/2c, plus more for marinade, Panda Express Bottled Orange Sauce
1/4c flour
1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

Place chicken in a plastic bag and add enough sauce to coat all of the pieces. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Place broccoli and carrots in large small skillet, lightly coated with cooking spray. Cook on low for 8 minutes, or until tender. Remove from pan.

Take chicken out of marinade. Place flour in a ziploc bag and add chicken. Shake until all pieces are coated with flour.

Add Olive Oil to skillet on medium/high heat. Place chicken in the pan and cook until browned on both sides, about 7 minutes or until almost completely cooked through. Remove from pan.

Wipe the skillet clean and add the orange sauce. Cook on medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add vegetable and chicken and stir until everything is coated. Add red pepper flakes to taste. Turn to medium/high heat and cook until chicken is completely done. Serve over brown rice.

Roasted Chicken

Well, I did it! I roasted my first whole chicken and it was perfect. Juicy on the inside and really crisp on the outside. I love that a whole chicken can last more than 1 meal and the only real effort is cutting it and agonizing over the delicious smell as it cooks.
Roasted Chicken
Whole Raw Chicken
1 orange, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
3-4 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Thyme
1/4 Stick Butter, Softened

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Spread the butter on both sides of chicken and season with salt, pepper and thyme (or herbs of your choice).

Place breast side up in a roasting pan. Squeeze the quartered fruits over top of the chicken.

Stuff the chicken with fruits and garlic cloves. - note that if they won't all fit, you can stick the fruits directly underneath of the chicken in the pan also.

Pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes per pound. Mine was 4.75 pounds and it cooked for just under 2 hours.

Flank Steak Sandwiches

I love red meat but it isn't something that I cook often since I don't really consider myself a grill master, or even a grill amateur. I leave that to Adam! So when I make flank steak it is in the form of chinese, and in this case steak sandwiches. We both love salty foods so cheesesteaks would be good with this meat also, but to make a more summer inspired meal, go with this recipe. I had the idea from a restaurant at Cocoa Beach. They use filet but the flank works perfectly also. You may want to cut it into smaller pieces once cooked and make sure to not overcook the meat because it will become too tough. This is also a good way to use frozen meat or bread, which is how this came about for us.


Flank Steak Sandwiches
2 Hoagie Rolls
1/2 lb or so Flank steak, sliced thin (I used about 6 strips per sandwich)
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 Red Onion, chopped
1/4 can Black Beans, drained
S&P
2 tbsp Light Mayo
1 tbsp Butter, softened
Lettuce

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a grill pan on medium high heat.

Slice rolls and spread butter on the insides. Place them into their own foil packs and place in oven.

Sprinkle S&P onto steak and place on grill pan. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

Combine onion, tomato and beans. Add S&P and toss.

Once meat is cooked, remove rolls from oven. Spread mayo on insides and place a couple spoonfuls of tomato mixture on the bottom. Place steak on top and add the rest of the tomato mix. Add lettuce.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Sausage Stuffed Peppers
1 Large Bell Peppers, cleaned out + 1/4 pepper chopped
2 links Hot Italian Sausage, Removed from casing
1/4 White Onion, chopped
1 Green Onion, chopped
2 pieces Celery, chopped
1 cup Quick Cook Brown Rice
1 cup Water or Chicken Broth, +1/2 cup broth
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
Sliced Cheddar Cheese
Pinch of Thyme
S&P

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a skillet, coat with cooking spray and add sausage. Cook until heated through and no longer pink - crumble while you cook it. Remove from pan and place onion, celery and chopped pepper in. Add a dash of olive oil and cook on medium until it becomes soft but still firm. Add a little of the 1/2 cup of broth and stir.

Bring 1 cup water or broth to a boil. Add 1 cup uncooked fast cooking rice. Bring back to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and fluff. Add rice and sausage to skillet and add remaining portion of the 1/2 cup broth. Stir, adding in thyme, s&p to taste until heated.

Cut 2 bell peppers and remove seeds from inside. Stuff with rice mixtures. Top with cheddar slices and sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Place in a baking dish. Add some chicken broth to the bottom of the dish just to cover the bottom of the peppers.

Cook for 35 minutes and serve warm.