Parmesan Chicken

This is one of the easier recipes I have and it's tasty. Make a little angel hair pasta and asparagus or edamame (which we had with it)and it's simple yet tasty!

Saucy Parmesan Chicken

Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: 4 servings

What You Need!
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/4 cup Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It!
PLACE all ingredients in large resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing and cheese.

REFRIGERATE 30 min. to marinate, laying bag flat so chicken pieces do not overlap in bag.

PREHEAT oven to 425ºF. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade. Arrange chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Bake 20 min. or until cooked through.

Chicken with mushroom sauce

I made this tonight and it was delicious!

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce


Butter and whipping cream add a wonderful lushness to this savory pan gravy, which features fresh morel and button mushrooms.


6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces morel mushrooms
4 ounces button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 1/2 cups hot cooked egg noodles
Fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)


1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Heat 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Add 2 breast halves to pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure twice with 4 teaspoons butter and remaining chicken. Keep warm.

2. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until moisture evaporates, stirring frequently. Remove mushroom mixture from pan. Add broth to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 5 minutes). Return mushroom mixture to pan. Stir in cream; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.

3. Place 3/4 cup egg noodles on each of 6 plates. Cut each chicken breast half into 1-inch-thick strips. Top each serving with 1 chicken breast half and about 1/3 cup mushroom mixture. Garnish each serving with parsley sprigs, if desired.



Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 452 ; FAT 14.2g (sat 7g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.6g); CHOLESTEROL 162mg; CALCIUM 49mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.2g; SODIUM 489mg; PROTEIN 47g; FIBER 2.2g; IRON 3.4mg

Cooking Light, MAY 2009

Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice....Tasty!

Slow-Cooker Orange Chicken

Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 3 hr 20 min Makes: 8 servings, one thigh each

What You Need
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated gingerroot or ground ginger (1/4 tsp.)
8 bone-in chicken thighs (3-1/2 lb.), skin removed

Make It
STIR barbecue sauce and flour in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken; mix well.

POUR sauce mixture evenly over chicken in slow cooker. (Do not stir.) Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 3 to 5 hours. Serve chicken topped with the sauce.

I served this with steamed white rice and sliced cucumbers.
YUMMY!!!!

Pulled Chicken and Marinated Cucumbers.......

BBQ Pulled Chicken and Marinated Cucumbers

You can put this chicken on so many things. Tonight I put it on a tostada with the diced cucumbers and some slivers of avocado. You can also make soft tacos or a bbq chicken sandwich, just add extra sauce. It's limitless!


INGREDIENTS:
Chicken:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Cucumbers:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
Remaining Ingredients:
4 (2 ounce) hamburger buns
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients. Rub surface of chicken breasts with brown sugar mixture.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly.
3. Return chicken to pan; add broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat. Remove chicken from pan; shred with 2 forks. Return chicken to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in balsamic vinegar.
4. To prepare cucumbers, combine the cider vinegar and next 3 ingredients (cider vinegar through cucumber) in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 10 minutes. Remove cucumber from bag; discard marinade.
5. Spoon 1 cup chicken mixture onto bottom half of each bun. Top each with 1/4 cup cucumber mixture and top half of bun.
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Healthy Units: 7 per serving
373 cal, 6.4g fat, 32.7g pro, 45.3g carb, 3g

Chimichangas (from Cooking Light)

Tonight we had these for dinner with brown rice, a very easy and healthy way to eat a delicious Mexican dish.

Chimichangas
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup bottled green salsa
Preparation

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well.

Spread 1/4 cup beans down center of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 2/3 cup chicken mixture; roll up. Place rolls, seam sides down, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat tops of chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake at 500° for 7 minutes. Serve with salsa. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 chimichanga and about 4 teaspoons salsa)

Nutritional Information
Calories:380 (23% from fat),Fat:9.7g (sat 3.1g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.6g), Protein:28.8g, Carbohydrate:42.5g, Fiber:6.5g, Cholesterol:55mg, Iron:3.8mg, Sodium:728mg, Calcium:157mg

This was a delicious dinner, thanks Kristen!

Tonight I made a couple of recipes my friend (whom I miss dearly) Kristen sent me. Well, I finally got all the stuff and tried them tonight. WOW, they were both so good and I wanted to share the recipes!


Crispy Pan Fried Chciken with Summer Sauce
Sauce ingredients:
2 cups fresh cilantro
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)

Chicken ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup panko (find these by the breadcrumbs) or crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the sauce:
Process the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, and water in a blender or food processor until pureed. Pour the misture into a bowl and whick in the mayop. chill, covered in the fridge.

For the chicken:
pound the chicken to 1/2 inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap with a meat mallet. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken lightly with the flour mixture, shake off excess. Dip in the eggs and coat with panko.

Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the chicken. Cook over med/high heat about 5 minutes on each side or golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately with the sauce.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Artichokes
Ingredients:
2 lbs. small red potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-2 cans artichokes, quartered. Drain first.
1 yellow onion chopped
1/2 cup crmbled feta cheese
paprika to taste

Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil, spray with nonstick spray. Combine the potatoes, olive oil, thyme and pepper in a ziploc bag, seal tightly and turn to coat. Pour the potato mixture into the prepared pan.

Roast at 425 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until they are tender. Add the artichokes and onions during the last 20 minutes of the baking time. When done, toss the potatoes with the feta cheese in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with paprika.

P.S. Don't be intimidated by the amount of work......it's so worth it!

Chicken and Dumplings.....perfect food for a cold night

Tonight I tried a new Chicken and Dumplings recipe from CL. Well, it was soooooo good and comforting on a cold night. It took a little longer than I thought it would but it was worth it. I would double it if Mike were home, this recipe is only 2 servings. But, I loved it!



Herbed Chicken and Dumplings

Cooking spray
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut celery
1/2 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk


1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add celery and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute. Add broth to pan; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, chopped parsley, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, stirring just until moist. Spoon by heaping teaspoonfuls into broth mixture; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done. Discard parsley sprigs and bay leaf.



Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

CALORIES 285 (16% from fat); FAT 5.2g (sat 1.5g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.2g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 133mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.2g; SODIUM 596mg; PROTEIN 25g; FIBER 3.1g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

I feel like chicken tonight.....

Here's the recipe for the picture above.....the secret ingredient was the olive oil Mike brought back from Rome! I pity the day that stuff is gone. I also added green beans and long grain rice.

ENJOY!

Chinese-Style Glazed Chicken Breasts


1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon apricot preserves or fruit spread (I always use orange marmalade)
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (you can also cut these into bite size pieces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and sauté for 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat; carefully stir in broth mixture. Return chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until done, turning to coat.