Buffalo Chicken and Rice

Here's another delicious meal from Better Homes and Gardens. Very easy to put together. I only used 1 tablespoon of hot sauce and did not use the Anaheim chile pepper. I don't know my way around chile or peppers so I go easy and add hot sauce when eating, if that's what I think it needs. This had just a nice warm kick to it. Nothing that would blow your head off. Also, it was done way sooner than 6 hours, but that is pretty standard, at least for my crock pot. 

Ingredients

3 green onions

1 ¼ lb. boneless chicken cut into 1-inch squares

2 stalks celery, cut into ¼ inch slices

1 cup very thinly sliced carrots (2 medium)

½ cup tomato sauce

½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth

⅓ cup coarsely chopped Anaheim chile pepper

1 1-oz. envelope ranch dry salad mix

2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce

4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese

3 cups hot cooked brown rice

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

Thinly slice green onions, separating white and green parts; set green parts aside.

In a 3-quart slow cooker combine white parts of green onions and all the ingredients through hot sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

Stir in cream cheese and green parts of green onions. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more.

Serve chicken over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle it with blue cheese for serving.

Chicken with Rice, Chorizo, and Tomatoes

 

Chorizo is a type of pork sausage from the Iberian peninsula. I had it first in Portugal and I love it even more than bacon. Just like bacon, anything you put it in will immediately become the most delicious thing in the world. This is a one pan meal and that, combined with delicious, makes this one of my favorite recipes.

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 TBSP oil, divided

4 ounces cured Spanish chorizo, diced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped  

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ cup white wine or 2 TBSP white wine vinegar

One 14.5 ounce crushed tomatoes or 1 3/4 cups diced fresh tomatoes

1 ½ cups uncooked white rice

2 cups chicken broth

 

Directions:

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add 2 TBSP of oil. Brown the chicken 3-4 minutes on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

If the pan looks dry, warm the last TBSP of oil in it. Otherwise, just add the chorizo and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it’s beginning to crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and paprika, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine (or vinegar) and cook until it’s almost all reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes plus 2 tsp salt (I don't use all the salt). If using whole tomatoes, cook until they lose their shape. Otherwise, a few minutes will do. Nestle the chicken back into the pan, including any juices that collected on the plate. Pour in the broth and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, and cover the pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender, and the chicken is cooked through. Add more water if the rice is undercooked and continue cooking until done.

If you like you can make the rice crispy by putting on the lid and increasing the heat to medium-high. Cook, moving the pan around every minute or so, allowing the bottom to color evenly. You’ll hear it crackling in the pan. Remove it from the heat and let it rest with the lid on for 10 minutes.

From Smitten Kitchen Keepers, D. Perelman. (2022)

Sheet Pan with Tahini & Yogurt Sauce

 

 So easy, so delicious. It's the sauce that makes this stand out from other sheet pan dinners.

Ingredients

Chicken thighs (one per person)

Any vegetables you have in the refrigerator for roasting

Chickpeas (rinsed and dried in a paper towel)

Tahini

Plain yogurt

Olive oil

Lemon  

Paprika

 

Directions

Place chicken at one end of the sheet pan. Next to that put the vegetables with the most moisture and so on until you get to the chickpeas, which are at the end of the pan. My usual lineup is chicken, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, chickpeas.

Make the sauce to put on top of the chicken using equal parts tahini and plain yogurt along with juice of one lemon. The consistency should be between a sauce and a paste. If it's too thick you can add some hot water. Slather this on top of the chicken, being careful not to touch the chicken with the spoon to prevent cross contamination. Place one generous slice of lemon atop each thigh.

Salt and pepper all. Drizzle olive oil over everything but the chicken. Sprinkle paprika over the chickpeas. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Drizzle remaining sauce over all when serving.

Chicken Shawarma

There is a great Middle Eastern restaurant in Ann Arbor that I love. But what I love even more is enjoying dinner at my own house. And now, if you're lucky, I might invite you over for some delicious Chicken Shawarma.

Ingredients
2lb  chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless

Marinade
1 large garlic clove , minced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground cardamon
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (reduce to 1/2 tsp to make it not spicy)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil

Yogurt Sauce
1 cup Greek yoghurt
1 clove garlic , crushed
1 tsp cumin

Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
 

Serve with flatbreads, sliced lettuce, tomato slices, hummus or tzatziki sauce, or yogurt sauce, recipe below.

Instructions

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag (or bowl). Add the chicken and use your hands to make sure each piece is coated. If using a ziplock bag, I find it convenient to close the bag then massage the bag to disperse the rub all over each chicken piece.
Marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Combine the Yoghurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until required (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
Heat grill/BBQ (or large heavy based pan on stove) on medium high. You should not need to oil it because the marinade has oil in it and also thigh fillets have fat. But if you are worried then oil your hotplate/grill. (See notes for baking)
Place chicken on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred, then turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

From recipetineats.com

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

 

And another great recipe from Skinnytaste. Operative word - EASY. Operative word - DELICIOUS. That's all you need to know. I think Mike ended up using two pans in order to be able to spread things out, but that's about as complicated as it gets.

Servings: 4 • Size: 2 thighs + vegetables • Points +: 10 • Smart Points: 8

Calories: 401 • Fat: 17 g • Saturated Fat: 3 g • Carb: 15 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 48 g 

Sugar: 2 g • Sodium: 518 mg • Cholesterol: 214 mg

Ingredients:

• 8 (4 oz each) boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• fresh black pepper, to taste
• cooking spray
• 10 medium asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 red onions, chopped in large chunks
• 1/2 cup carrots, sliced in half long, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 5 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano or thyme
• 2 leaves fresh sage, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spray 2 large baking sheets with oil.

 

 Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl using your hands to mix well then arrange everything onto the prepared baking sheets spread out in a single layer. The vegetables should not touch the chicken or it will steam instead of roast. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are roasted and tender.

Crock Pot Chicken a la Criolla

 

Here's another winner from Skinnytaste. You will not believe how delicious this is. And easy. Three steps - chop, put it in the crock pot, turn on the pot. We just used sliced Spanish olives from a jar. Don't leave those out. They add a great zing to the meal. The chicken just falls apart. Mmmm-mmmm good.

Servings: 5 • Size: 2 thighs + sauce • Points +: 5 pts*  • Smart Points: 5
Calories: 211 • Fat: 6.2 g • Protein: 28.8 g • Carb: 9.9 g • Fiber: 1.9 g • Sugar: 2.1 g
Sodium: 447 mg (without salt)  

Ingredients:

• 10 (2 lbs) skinless boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 bell pepper, chopped or sliced
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 2 tbsp alcaparrado or pitted spanish olives
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• salt to taste
• 1-2 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus 2 tbsp more for serving)

Directions:

Place chicken, onion, garlic, pepper and tomatoes in the crock pot. Season with salt, cumin and oregano. Mix well so everything is seasoned.

Add tomato sauce, alcaparrado (or olives) along with 1 tbsp of the brine, 1/2 cup water, bay leaf and cilantro. Mix well and set crock pot to HIGH 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. When done, taste for salt and seasoning and adjust spices as needed. Add 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro and serve over rice.

Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowl

 
When you're combining the ingredients for the sauce, this is not the most visually appetizing dish, but do not be discouraged. It is delicious! Because the veggies are not cooked they are crisp and full of flavor. This dish would work really well with a number of veggies. I meant to throw in some broccoli in my fridge with which I am currently holding a staring contest, but forgot. If I had, I would have thrown it in for the last 45 seconds-1 minute of cooking with the noodles to blanche it. Given the relative intensity of the vegetables the kids were not into it. But, because I had the peanut butter out already I just made them some sandwiches and helped myself to seconds on the noodles.

INGREDIENTS 

• 7 ounces rice noodles
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/2”
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook noodles according to package directions and reserve.
2. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, fish sauce, water, honey, and crushed red pepper in a microwave safe bowl.
3. Microwave sauce for 30 seconds to soften peanut butter and stir to combine.
4. Marinate chicken in 1/4 cup of the sauce for about 20 minutes.
5. Grill the chicken 3-4 minutes per side or until juices run clear.
6. Toss reserved noodles, bell pepper, carrot, and green onion with remaining sauce. Top with sliced chicken and garnish with cilantro.

 Photo & recipe courtesy of NoMoreToGo.com
 

Chicken and rosemary lentil traybake

I used the attached recipe as a base for the meal pictured below. 

The dish was enjoyable, but the recipe raised a few questions. Either the liquid volume or the timings seemed way out to me, but I'll make it again with adjustments. Despite giving everything extra time, the chicken skin was pale (which is fine, if you're not going to eat it, but I like it when it's crisp) and there was still a lot of liquid in the dish. This picture is of a re-heat, so the chicken looks a bit more the way I like it.

http://www.morrisonsmag.co.uk/march_2015/chicken_and_rosemary_lentil_traybake

Not having red onions, I cut 2 small leeks into 1in pieces, used dried rosemary, a yellow pepper, and pressed some garlic, as it gives a stronger flavour than sliced. It was accompanied by baby potatoes. (They were Charlottes, Lizzie. I know you like to know :)

8 chicken thighs

• 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
• 2 pointed red peppers, deseeded and sliced into rings
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 200g green lentils
• 600ml chicken stock, made from cubes
  

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. Make slashes in the skin of each chicken thigh, season and arrange in a large roasting dish. Roast for 10 minutes.
2. Scatter the red onion, peppers, garlic and rosemary around the chicken and toss well to mix the different elements together.
   
   Incidentally, I'm going to try using the leftover stock and lentils as the base for a soup. We'll see how that goes.
   

Very Unrefined Chicken Soup

Here's a version of a soup which I put together fairly regularly. As Liz said, when I roast chicken, I keep the pan juices to "beef"-up the stock.  I Scotland I'd use "neep" (rutabaga) instead of sweet potato, and maybe a small leek, or cabbage, or any other vegetable that was to hand, but the onion and carrots are constants for me.
The soup in the photo was made this week, and it has Savoy cabbage in it. You could add any small pieces of leftover chicken.

Very Unrefined Chicken Soup

1 carton chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced sweet potato
2 cups kale, finely chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth to a simmer, adding all ingredients as you do. Simmer for 45mins to 1hr..............ummm.....

that's it.

Lemony Orgo Vegetable Salad with Chicken

I made this for my dinner tonight. I've only had a few bites, but it's delicious. I used asparagus and tomatoes in place of the cucumber and red pepper. And I used a splash more olive oil and almost twice the honey because it tasted a bit too lemony first time through.

Lemony Orzo Veggie Salad with Chicken
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/2 cup diced English cucumber
• 1/2 cup pre-chopped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Directions
Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl.
While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper), stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over orzo; toss to coat. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients (through dill); toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with cheese.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups
Per serving: Calories: 281; Total Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 26mg; Sodium: 301mg; Carbohydrate: 35g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 16g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 82mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 18%; Vitamin C: 56%; Calcium: 3%

Slow-Cooker Harvest Chicken & Potatoes

 
Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 2 cups baby carrots, cut into thirds
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 4 ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1. In a medium-size bowl, stir together chicken, 2 tablespoons of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper; add to slow cooker. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme, the sage and broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
2. In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 tablespoon flour and the butter until a paste forms. Push the chicken and veggies to one side and whisk paste, remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and thyme into slow cooker bowl. Cook 1 more hour or until thickened. 

Photo and recipe from recipe.com

Risotto with Bacon and Kale

 
It's not that impressive to look at. And it requires quite a bit of chopping and prep work. So far, not a good combination. However, the results... oh, the results! It is well worth every second of chopping and roasting and stirring and cooking. This is the first time I have ever made risotto in the oven and I will likely never do it on the stove top again. At this period in my life, any cooking that can be made in a hands off fashion is going to get rave reviews from me. This was delicious and, thanks to the host of veggies, also felt good for you. As with anything like this, it is easy to mess with the vegetables to suit taste. I've made it as-is and also using peas (that I did not roast) instead of the parsnips. Both were delicious. I used far more kale than 3 leaves (in part because it is what makes this dish feel good for you and also because I am unlikely to use kale in other dishes and I wanted to use as much of it as I could get away with).
 
4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, chopped coarsely
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 3 cups low-salt chicken broth, plus ¼ to ½ cup
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• ¾ cup diced cooked chicken
• 3 medium curly kale leaves, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 parsnip, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Mix vegetables with olive oil and minced garlic. Roast for ~20-30 minutes.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
4. In a large heavy saucepan or braising pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.
5. Add the onions, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and the lemon juice. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover with a tight lid and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Remove the lid and stir in the chicken, kale, roasted vegetables and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Stir until the kale is wilted, about 5 minutes, adding extra broth, as needed, until the risotto is creamy. Stir in the cooked bacon and cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve.

 Photo and recipe from giadadelaurentiis.com

Chicken & Gruyere Turnovers

I have not made these in a long time but enjoyed them immensely every time I did. They are not incredibly healthy, so it's more of a once in awhile treat type of food... but so worth it. I generally cut the puff pastry into 4 pieces (making 4 squares instead of 2 rectangles) and then fold them corner to corner to make triangular shaped sandwiches. This was all in an effort to make them easier for Max's little hands to hold them (when Max had super little hands). Note, this could also make it easier to eat just a triangle and not splurge too much on these. Once you have assembled these you can wrap them in saran wrap & tin foil and stick them in the freezer. Then just let them defrost for 10-15 minutes and tack on some extra baking time.

Hands-On Time:15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère
1 cup frozen peas
2 sheets (one 17.25-ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup Dijon mustard


Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, Gruyère, and peas.
2. Cut the 2 sheets of puff pastry in half to form 4 rectangles and place on a baking sheet. 
3. Dividing evenly, top half of each rectangle with the chicken mixture. Fold over and seal the turnovers; brush the tops with the egg. 
4. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. 
5. Serve with the mustard.

Recipe and photo courtesy of realsimple.com

Ramen Noodle Bowls

 

I got this recipe from my meal planning source again. My kids were not crazy about it (how I'm not sure... they mostly had noodles) but I thought it was delicious. The original recipe called for short ribs, but I swapped it for chicken to lighten things up. I really enjoyed the flavor of the bok choy but found it very difficult to eat gracefully so I may sub some chopped kale next time. Frankly, I may just play around with the vegetables and see what combo I like the best. I'm seeing carrots, another red pepper... maybe some peas too. Since the kids won't eat it anyhow I may try to up the vegetables and reduce the noodles to just two packets. You could also use less soy sauce and/or homemade vegetable broth to try to bring down the sodium content in this dish. (I could not find chili garlic sauce so I got sweet chili sauce instead.) Point being, there are lots of ways to modify this in an effort to make it work for you. But the vegetable broth & coconut milk base is very tasty.

 

SERVINGS : 6 PEOPLE COOK TIME : 7-8 HOURS PREP TIME : 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2-3 inches ginger root, unpeeled and sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 14 oz straw mushrooms
• 1 can baby corn, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 baby bok choy, sliced horizontally
• 15 oz light coconut milk
• 1-2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
• 3 packages Ramen Noodles, noodles only
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
• kosher salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chicken, stock, soy sauce, sliced ginger, sliced garlic, and onion in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. 
3. Remove the chicken breasts and shred.
4. Strain broth into a large bowl and pour it back into the slow cooker.
5. Turn slow cooker to high and add chicken, mushrooms, baby corn, bell pepper, bok choy, coconut milk, chili garlic sauce, and noodles (discard the flavor packets). Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until noodles and vegetables are tender.
6. Season with lime juice and salt and pepper.

Asian Chicken Salad

I bought some Asian Chicken Salad last week at Busch's. It was so good that I had to have some more so I decided to try a hand at making it myself. Really glad I did because it was delicious and took no time at all to make.

Salad:
1 bag chicken flavored ramen noodles (put the flavor packet aside to put in the dressing)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 bag prepared cole slaw
3 green onions sliced
2 or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. white sugar
flavor packet from ramen noodles

Break up the ramen noodles. I used a rubber mallet and pounded the bag lightly before opening it.  I found it both easy and satisfying. Heat oven to 350 degrees and lay out the broken ramen noodles and slivered or sliced almonds on a baking tray. I lined mine with parchment paper. Love that stuff! Bake it for 5 minutes, toss it around a little and bake for 5 more. Only put this on at the point of serving, otherwise they'll get soggy.

Mix up your dressing in a lidded container and shake really well. Toss with vegetables and chicken. The recipe I did suggested letting it sit overnight for better flavor, which I did.

Cashew Crusted Chicken

Ingredients
1 cup coarsely chopped cashews
1 12 oz. jar apricot preserves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.

Combine the preserves, mustard and curry powder in a large skillet and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until preserves are completely melted and smooth.

Place cashews in a shallow dish or bowl. Dip chicken breasts in skillet sauce, then roll in nuts to coat and place in a lightly greased 9" x 13" baking dish.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Boil any remaining sauce and serve on the side with the baked chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

One pound chicken, cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 9 inch unbaked pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mediterranean Chicken

Mediterranean Chicken
As I said below, I used chicken strips and cut them into bite-sized pieces.  It's easier for me to bring things for lunch that don't need cutting.  But you could leave the strips whole or even use a whole breast.  I recommend that if you're cutting the chicken, do it while it's still a little frozen.  It stays put better.  Anyway, this is delicious.  Smells great cooking.  I'd serve it over rice or quinoa or even pasta, I suppose. If you're not cutting up chicken, you could make this in less than 30 minutes.

• 

• Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons wine
• one pound chicken (I used chicken tenders and then cut them up into bite sized pieces)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup wine
• 1 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/4 chopped fresh parsley
• half dozen canned artichoke hearts, halved

Directions

1. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons white wine in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Saute onion and garlic for about 2 minutes.  Add chicken and cook until chicken is cooked on the outside.
3.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. 
4. Lower heat, add 1/2 cup white win, thyme, and basil and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add olives, artichokes, and parsley to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

Another of the NCC staples in our house! 
Not to be confused with our staple carnivore, Felis domesticus.

Helo, NCC assistant (Photo:E.Evans)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 x 16 oz can black beans (rinsed)
• 1 x 16 oz can kidney beans (rinsed)
• 1 x 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 x 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with chillies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• Sour cream, guacamole, and shredded cheese for serving (optional)
• Chips or rice (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine onion, beans, tomatoes & sauce, and seasoning in the crockpot. Place chicken on top.
2. Cover and cook 5-6 hours (high) or 8-10 hours (low). I usually go with 6 and 8, respectively.
3. Half an hour prior to completion of slow-cooking, removing chicken and shred (using two forks to pull it apart). Return to crockpot and stir in.

Recipe via Skinnytaste

Ranch Crispy Chicken

 
A super easy and far healthier substitute for fried chicken. I usually use the chicken breast tenders (or just cut up regular chicken breast into smaller pieces); it cooks faster and there is more crunchy, ranchy breading to enjoy.  Sorry, Emili, I am not including amounts on the ingredients because I just eye ball it.

Ingredients:

• skinless, boneless chicken
• plain yogurt
• powdered ranch dressing mix
• Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 
2. Coat each piece of chicken in plain yogurt
3. Combine dressing mix and bread crumbs in a plastic bag. Add chicken in batches of just a few pieces and shake until coated. 
4. Cover a cookie sheet in tin foil and place a cooking cooling rack on top.
5. Place coated chicken pieces on the cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear (highly dependent on the size of your chicken pieces).