Peachy Chicken

This recipe is like autumn in your mouth!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken breast halves
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 fresh peaches-peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2.  Place chicken in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Place peach slices over chicken, then sprinkle with remaining brown sugar, ginger, cloves, and lemon juice.

3.  Bake for about 30 mins, basting often with juices until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Potstickers with Sweet and Sour Slaw

Potstickers

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• 1/2-inch knob ginger, finely grated
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced, green tips reserved for garnish
• 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
• Few dashes Sriracha or hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 16 round wonton wrappers
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or water, plus more as needed

Preparation

In a mixing bowl combine the chicken, ginger, garlic,

scallion (save the green tips for garnish), 5-spice powder,

hot sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon soy

sauce. Cover the stack of wonton wrappers with a damp

towel and get a small bowl of water. Working with a

couple of wrappers at a time, place about 1 tablespoon

of the meat mixture in the center of the wrapper and

wet the edges by dabbing your finger in the water and

running it around the edges. Fold the wrapper over to

wrap the meat up (it’ll look like a half moon). Press on

the edges lightly to seal them and, if you like, crimp the

edges for decoration. Continue filling and shaping the

dumplings until all of the meat mixture and wrappers are used up.

Place a large skillet with a lid over medium-high heat with 1

turn of the pan of oil, about 1 tablespoon. Add the dumplings,

flat side down, into the pan and sear until deep golden brown,

about 1 minute on each side. Add the stock to the pan and

quickly place the lid on. Steam the dumplings until the meat

is cooked through and most all of the liquid has been

absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes (if all of the liquid absorbs

but the potstickers aren’t done yet, add a few splashes

more liquid and continue cooking).

Sweet and Sour Slaw

Ingredients:

• • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 head Napa Cabbage, shredded
  • 4 scallions, sliced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

Preparation

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons,

about 2 turns of the pan, canola oil. Sauté the Napa

cabbage, carrots and scallions until tender, about

5 minutes. While it is cooking, in a small saucepan,

mix together the sugar, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.

Heat through, then pour onto the cabbage mixture, toss around,

and turn off the heat. Serve the Sweet and Sour slaw under

the pot stickers.

I think this is one of my new favorite meals. Its soo good. Its pretty

simple too, once you get the hang of making the potstickers. FYI,

I found the potsticker wrappers by the mushrooms in the produce

section of the store.

Also, usually when a recipe calls for fresh ginger, I just use the

powdered stuff I already have. For some reason I decided to get

the fresh stuff this time. IT CHANGED MY LIFE! I don't usually

like ginger, but this stuff was so good. You just break off however

much you want. The piece I got was about 5 times more than

I really needed, and it only cost .3 cents. I'm never going back

to dry ginger again!

Also, I know this post has some major formatting issues, but

blogger wont let me fix them. Sometimes I really hate blogger.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (If you no-likey spicy, cut it down to 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and refrigerate for one hour. Grill or cook chicken in frying pan. Discard marinade.

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped (again...leave out if you don't want it too spicy)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over hot rice.

I first experienced this recipe when a friend made it for a few of us. I couldn't really appreciate it because all I could taste was my mouth lighting on fire because it was soooo spicy. I tasted a milder version of it at an Indian restaurant and fell in love with it. So here it is... when I make it I leave out the jalapeno peppers and cut back on the cayanne pepper. Also, the first time I made it I thought that it was a little too cuminy, so I cut it in half the second time I made it.

Tomato Breads Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups soft bread cubes (2 to 3 slices)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup cooked vegetables (peas, green beans, mixed, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups cooked cubed chicken
• 1 large tomato, sliced

Directions:

Combine bread cubes with melted butter and cheese; arrange half of mixture in a buttered 1 1/2-quart casserole. Spread vegetables over the bread mixture.

Sauté chopped onion in remaining 3 tablespoons butter until tender. Blend in flour and seasonings; cook, stirring, until flour is blended into butter. Gradually add milk, stirring and cooking until thickened and bubbling. Stir in cooked cubed chicken. Pour chicken in sauce over the vegetables in casserole; arrange tomatoes slices over sauce then top with remaining bread mixture. Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and lightly browned.


This was a pretty simple recipe that was really good.  The original name was "Chicken Casserole" but we re-named it to "Tomato Breads Casserole" because it just fit better.

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

This chicken looks fancy and people will think you took all day to make it. But that is not so. It's really easy. Roasting whole chicken is my new favorite thing. You could also try different flavors in the cavity. Another favorite is a lemon that is quartered, a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, and a clove of garlic inside the chicken. Another reason why this is so easy is because you add the potatoes and carrots and roast it at the same time. That's a full meal in one pan! I don't have a roasting pan and a rack, but I did this whole one in a 9x13 baking dish and it worked just fine. Without further ado:

standing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary or 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 whole roasting chicken (5 to 6 pounds)
• 6 small red potatoes, halved
• 6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, quartered

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in the seasonings. Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Spoon half of the butter mixture over chicken. Place the potatoes, carrots and onions around chicken. Drizzle remaining butter mixture over vegetables.
Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 30-60 minutes longer or a meat thermometer reaches 180° and vegetables are tender, basting occasionally.
Cover with foil and let stand for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables. Yield: 9 servings.


Enjoy!

African Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Spice Rub:
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) onion powder
3/4 teaspoon(s) ground cayenne pepper
Chicken:
4 pound(s) bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed
3 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
Peanut Sauce:
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 clove(s) garlic, minced
1 teaspoon(s) finely diced and seeded jalapeño chili
4 cup(s) chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon(s) tomato paste
1/2 tomato, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon(s) chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 teaspoon(s) peeled, grated fresh ginger ( I use dried ginger cause that's what i have)
1/2 cup(s) well-mixed coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) finely ground black pepper
1/4 cup(s) chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:
1. Stir together the spice rub ingredients and rub onto chicken pieces.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add half the chicken and brown on all sides, taking care not to burn the spices. Transfer browned pieces to a platter and set aside. Brown remaining chicken and transfer to platter.
3. With a paper towel, wipe skillet dry; then add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, red and green bell peppers, carrot, garlic, and jalapeño chili. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in remaining sauce ingredients, and simmer 2 minutes. Return browned chicken to skillet. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through, stirring frequently to prevent sauce from sticking. Turn chicken pieces over midway through cooking time. Garnish with parsley.

This recipe sounds kind of complicated, and there are a lot of ingredients, but it is really really good. The recipe makes a ton of sauce, which I like to keep in a leftover container and eat over noodles for lunch. It's the best. Also, I don't use the jalapeño chili because I don't like things too spicey. Even without it, this recipe is pretty spicey. Love it!

Indian Spiced Chicken Pitas

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 cup thinly sliced seeded cucumber
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or mint
2 teaspoon lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas, warmed
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
2 small tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cupthinly sliced red onion

1. Preheat grill to medium-high or position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler. If grilling, oil the grill rack (see Tips & Techniques). If broiling, coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the chicken on the grill rack or prepared pan and cook until no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 4 to 8 minutes per side, depending on the size of the breast. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine cucumber, yogurt, cilantro (or mint), lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl. Thinly slice the chicken. Split open the warm pitas and fill with the chicken, yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

These were really good. My brother said that the sauce tasted like sprite (we used mint leaves instead of cilantro.) Also, I didn't feel like buying the Garam Masala spice because it was an expensive spice, and I didn't know if we'd even like it. So, we made our own out of 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon corriander. They do sell Garam Masala at Macey's though.

Zesty Chicken with Corn Salsa

Add zing to your chicken with chili powder and ground cumin.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons chili powder
  
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• about 1 1/4 pd chicken tenders or breasts
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 can of corn, drained
  
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped
  
• 1/2 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
  
• 1/2 cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

Directions:

1.  In a small bowl, combine chili powder, brown sugar and cumin.  Rub both sides of chicken with the spice mixture.

2.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Cook chicken in hot oil for 12 mins or until chicken is done.

3.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together corn, red pepper, cucumber, kidney beans, lime juice and salt.  

4.  Serve chicken over corn salsa.  

I don't really like cumin, but I thought this was delicious.  I think the brown sugar adds something to the chicken that I've never experienced before.  

Chicken and Mushrooms with Brown Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 1/4 pounds diced chicken
  
• 1 package mushrooms, sliced
  
• 2 medium stalks of celery, sliced
  
• 1 teaspoon thyme
  
• 2 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 cup instant brown rice
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 8 baby summer squash, halved and steamed
  

Directions

In a 12 inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high until hot.  Saute' chicken until done.  Transfer to a plate.

In same skillet, add mushrooms, celery, and thyme; cook 5 mins or until veggies are softened, stirring occasionally.  Add broth, rice, salt and pepper. Heat till boiling. 

Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 12 mins or until rice is cooked.  Serve with squash.  

When I made this I sliced up the squash and cooked it with the rest of the veggies.  I loved this recipe, but kyle only thought it was ok.  

Garlic Tomato Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and Pepper

1 table spoon olive oil

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:  Season chicken with salt and pepper. IN a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil.  Cook chicken, turning when it easily releases from the pan, until golden, 4-6 mins.  Transfer to a plate. 

Add mushroom; cover and cook until softened, about 5 mins. Add garlic, tomatoes and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered for 10-15 mins. 

Return chicken to pan; cover and cook until chicken is completely done.  Turn chicken to cover with sauce.  Serve.

Kyle and I served this over noodles and it was delicious.  We sprinkled it with mozzerella cheese as well.  

Sour Cream Enchiladas

I'm not usually a fan of chicken enchiladas, but I love this recipe.  I got it from my genius cooking aunt, Lisa.  I don't really think its different than any other chicken enchilada recipe, but whatever.  The highlight is the fried tortillas you wrap the enchiladas.  It kind of reminds me of Cafe Rio's (I've never had enchiladas at Cafe Rio).  

Ingredients:

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1 can (4 oz) green chilies, chopped

2 cups cooked and diced chicken

1 onion, chopped

2 dozen, 6 inch flour tortillas

2-3 Tablespoons cooking oil

3/4-1 lb longhorn grated cheese

1.  Combine soup, sour cream and chilies in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2.  Divide the soup combination and add chicken and onions to half of the mixture.

3.  Heat the cooking oil in a medium skillet, heat and drain each tortilla.

4.  Place some of the chicken mixture and some cheese in each tortilla and roll up. 

5.  Place them all in a 9x13 pan.

6. Cover the tops with remaining sauce mixture and cheese.  

7.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 mins or until heated through.  

8.  Serve with Spanish Rice!

So, I halved this recipe because kyle and I wont eat 2 dozen enchiladas.  Cherie, you may not need to (we know Eli likes large portions, j/k man j/k).  Also, it calls for longhorn cheese, but I think cheddar is just fine.  

Orange Honey Chicken with Sesame

That honey bear in your cupboard adds flavor and richness to both sweet and savory dishes, like this Honey-Orange Chicken with Sesame. Served over rice, this dish is sure to be an asian delight tonight!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup(s) fresh orange juice
• 1/3 cup(s) orange blossom or clover honey
• 1 teaspoon(s) grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon(s) garlic
• 1 teaspoon(s) orange zest
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
• 4 (6 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon(s) toasted sesame oil (we didn't use this, because it's expensive to buy just for 1 teaspoon)
  
• 1 teaspoon(s) toasted sesame seeds

Directions

• 1. Combine juice, honey, ginger, garlic, zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken; stir to coat. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• 2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot; add vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Lift chicken from marinade and let excess drip back into bowl. When oil is hot, add chicken and cook over medium heat 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
• 3. Add reserved marinade to skillet and boil over medium-high heat, turning chicken once or twice, 3 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is reduced by half. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, cut into diagonal slices, and arrange on a platter. Stir sesame oil into thickened sauce and spoon it over chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

We halved the marinade because we prefer to use tenders to breasts. It turned out very well, tasting sweet and tangy with a kick. I don't know what that means, but that's how I describe it. Easy to make.
Amazing! 4.5/5 stars