Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Yesterday, I had PLANNED on making my Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken.  But when I went to prep it yesterday morning, it had not completely thawed yet.  Problem since you cannot remove the giblets unless it's thawed!  So, I had to resort to waiting until the afternoon and roasting it in the oven.  I had also planned on having baked sweet potatoes with it.  But being me, I LOVE having a one step prep/bake dinner.  So, I decided to search out some recipes that had both the chicken and sweet potatoes in it.  I did not find a single recipe that looked appetizing, so I came up with my own.  And it was G.O.O.D!  So yummy!  Here it is!

Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, defrosted with giblets removed
2 lemons
7 garlic cloves, peeled
4 bay leaves
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 red onion
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. ground thyme
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. rosemary
1 Tbs. rubbed sage
2 Tbs. + 1 tsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. 
2. In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, ground black pepper, 1 Tbs. thyme, 1 Tbs. rosemary, and 1 Tbs. sage.  Season cavity of chicken with spices.  Slice 1 lemon into quarters.  Stuff cavity with lemon quarters, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.  Rub outside of chicken with 1 tsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Clean sweet potatoes, leaving skins on.  Cut into 2 inch cubes.  Slice red onion into quarters.  Slice remaining lemon into eighths.  In a bowl, combine potatoes, onion, and lemon.  Drizzle 2 Tbs. olive oil and toss.  Add thyme and rosemary and toss.  Pour into a 9x13 pan.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place chicken on top of vegetables.  Cook uncovered for 90 minutes.  Remove from oven and place a sheet of aluminum foil over pan.  Allow chicken to sit for 5-10 minutes after removing from oven to retain juices. 

Chicken Curry

Okay, my friend Tim has been asking for a curry recipe for a while now.  Tim - this is for you.  It is so yummy!  A little bit of heat, but absolutely yummy.  Hubby and I were eating leftovers the next day, which was even better.  And I even found some Naan bread at Fresh and Easy!  If it is too much heat for you, you can serve it with plain yogurt or sour cream. 

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
6 tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 Tbs. curry powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. sugar
3 skinless/boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 cups plain yogurt
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, sweet potato, and garlic until lightly browned.
2. Stir in curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaves, ginger, sugar. Continue stirring for two minutes.
3. Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
4. Remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice. Simmer 5 minutes. Eat over rice.

Turkey Meatloaf

Remember how I told you I don't like meatloaf?  Well, I don't.  But, this is I can do. And since I love using ground turkey rather than ground beef, this recipe is a hit with me. Plus, you cook these in a muffin pan for individual portions (2 per person). 

Turkey Meatloaf with Sesame Lime Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
5 Tbs. soy sauce, divided
4 tsp. sesame oil, divided
2 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. water
2 tsp. honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan with shortening or cooking spray.
2. Combine bread crumbs, milk, turkey, beaten egg, salt, chopped cilantro, 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce, and 2 tsp. of the sesame oil.
3. Spoon mixture into muffin pan. Place in oven and bake until cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.
4. While meatloafs cook, combine lime juice, water, honey, remaining soy sauce, and remaining of oil in a small bowl.
5. Remove meatloafs from pan immediately and place in a serving dish. Whisk sauce to recombine then drizzle sauce over each.

White Chili (With Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey)

The holidays are over, the decorations are put away, and I have started to clean out my fridge, freezer, and pantry from all that junk food that I really should not eat.  While cleaning out my freezer though, I found 2, gallon size bags full of leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  What on earth do you do with all that turkey?  I found a recipe for turkey chili, made a few tweaks of my own, and have found a new family favorite.  You could use ground turkey in this.  Oh, and you may think you're seeing a typo on the "cinnamon" ingredient, but there's not.  You have to add it!  It just gives the chili such a nice flavor. 

White Chili With Turkey

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds shredded turkey
8 oz. can diced green chile peppers
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. oregano
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Ground cayenne pepper to taste
Ground pepper to taste
3 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, except for cheese.  Cook on High for 4 hours.
2. Add 1 cup of cheese to chili and cook on low for 30 minutes. 
3. Serve with remaining cheese.

Chicken Cord en Bleu

Growing up, instead of going out on our birthdays, my mom would make us whatever we wanted for dinner. I always asked for this recipe for my birthday. It is still one of my favorites. My mom makes it with the chicken breast rolled up around the cheese/ham, but I like to butterfly the breast so that the cheese runs the whole length of the breast. That's the best part! I am scaling this recipe for 4 people.

Chicken Cord en Bleu (Chicken Blue Ribbon)

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices swiss cheese
8 slices ham lunch meat
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup cornflake crumbs
Toothpicks
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly each chicken breast, creating a pocket through the center, thickest part of the chicken.
2. Place 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese inside pocket. Sprinkle inside with salt and pepper. Close opening of pocket and seal with toothpicks.
3 Roll each chicken breast in melted butter and then in cornflake crumbs. Place in 9x13 pan. Pour remaining butter over the tops of chicken breasts.
4. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until juices run clear.
5. While chicken is baking, combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and lemon juice in small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until sauce just begins to boil. Turn to low heat and cover to keep warm. Serve over chicken.

Turkey Stuffing Casserole

I was cleaning my fridge/freezer out a few weeks ago, and I had forgotten about a full gallon size ziploc bag of stuffing and turkey left over from Thanksgiving. Now, I don't know about you, but I am not about reheating months old leftovers and eating them. BUT, I do know the miracle of casseroles. So, I gave this recipe a shot, and it was DELISH! I do not recommend making it though for a family of 3, as we had tons of leftovers, and I ended up throwing about a quarter of the pan away after eating leftovers for 3 days. But it's great for a family dish. So, next time you're ready to toss your Thanksgiving leftovers, give this dish a try.

Turkey Stuffing Casserole

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz.) package seasoned dry stuffing
1 tsp. ground sage
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chicken broth
(Substitution: I used my gallon size ziploc bag of leftover stuffing in place of all these ingredients.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts - cooked and shredded
(Substitution: I used my gallon size ziploc bag of leftover turkey for this. It came to about 3 cups of shredded turkey)
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Pour cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup into a medium size bowl and add 2 cans of water. Stir to combine.
3. Sprinkle 1/3 of the stuffing crumb mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. Layer with 1/2 of the shredded turkey meat and pour 1/2 of the soup mixture of turkey. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the stuffing mixture over layer, followed by remaining turkey and soup mixture. Sprinkle remaining stuffing over top. Drizzle melted butter over the top of the entire mixture. Press the mixture down into the pan until firmly packed.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes until top becomes crispy.

Orange Chicken

So do you like Panda Express's Orange Chicken? We do - we LOVE it! But we hate the price. So I vowed a long time ago that I would find a mock recipe for it so that I could make it at home. I finally got around to it, and it was DELICIOUS! The only thing we didn't care for was the breading for the chicken. So stay tuned for an alteration there.

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour

1 Tbs. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 dash crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbs. water
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs. cornstarch

Directions:
1. Cut chicken pieces into 2-inch squares and place in large bowl.
2. Whisk egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil together. Add to chicken and stir to coat.
3. Stir cornstarch and flour together. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.
4. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Add chicken pieces, small batch at time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. (Do not overcook or chicken will be tough.) Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
5. Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add and stir-fry crushed red pepper flakes and green onions. Add 1 tablespoon water and stir 3 seconds.
6. Add remaining ingredients (minus water and cornstarch) and bring to boil. Whisk together water and cornstarch to make a slurry and slowly pour into sauce mixture. Return to boil for 1 minute and remove from heat.
7. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Serve with rice or chow mein.

25 Days of Christmas Recipes - Turkey Brine

Well, we have begun preparations for our annual "Cajun Night Before Christmas." We like to do our big meal on Christmas Eve, and I love to make a big, southern feast. We invite family, missionaries, and anyone else who needs a home on Christmas Eve. This year, we're hosting Jon's mom, Jon's sister and her family, and 3 sets of missionaries. It's going to be quite a group!

We also read "Cajun Night Before Christmas" to everyone, a book that many southerners own, as well as missionaries who served in the southern states. It's a favorite in our house.

Anyway, here's part of our feast - turkey! This year, I'm going to put it in a brine overnight before I cook it. Dawnie made it two years ago for Thanksgiving, and it is SOOOOO yummy!

Turkey/Poultry Brine

Ingredients:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 Tbs. peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp. allspice berries
1 1/2 tsp. chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions:
1. 2-3 days before roasting, begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
2. The night before roasting, combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
4. Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
5. Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

This is my version of rotisserie chicken. It's also one of my crock pot recipes that I like to make on days that I am CRAZY busy, like today. It's very simple, great for leftover salads and sandwiches, and low fat.

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, washed and dried
1 package onion soup mix

Directions:
1. Roll up 5 sheets of aluminum foil into balls (or if you have a metal steamer basket, you can use one of those) and place in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Place washed chicken on top of balls/basket. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the top.
3. Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Broccoli and Chicken Casserole (for the freezer)

Here's the next set of recipes that we liked from our freezer meals last week.

Broccoli and Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded
1 to 1 ½ large bags frozen broccoli pieces
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cans cream of chicken soup
½ can chicken broth
3 Tbs. lemon juice
½ tsp. curry powder
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Bread Crumbs

Directions:
1. Grease 9 X 13 pan. Pour broccoli into bottom of pan.
2. Mix remaining ingredients except bread crumbs. Top broccoli with chicken and soup mixture. Garnish with bread crumbs. Freeze.
3. If thawed, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes. If frozen, bake covered for 1 hour, then uncovered for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole (for the freezer)

We started eating our freezer meals this week. There were a few we liked and a few we didn't. So, I'm going to post the few that we did like. I'm hoping they'll switch it up next month and get rid of a few of the things we didn't care for. Anyway, here's the recipes. Remember, if you want to make these in a group of people, you just multiply the recipe by however many people are involved. (aka, we did it x4)

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (approx. equivalent to 2 large chicken breast halves)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3 cups egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup butter
1 box seasoned stuffing mix

Directions:
1. In aluminum 9x13 pan, mix together soup, sour cream, chicken and cooked egg noodles.
2. Melt butter and mix with chicken broth. Pour on top of chicken mixture. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top.
3. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Freeze in foil pan.
4. To reheat, cook frozen at 400 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Southwest Egg Rolls

This is one of our favorite dishes at Chile's. I've done my own version, using egg roll wrapers rather than tortillas. This recipe makes a ton (a whole package of wrappers to be exact), so I portion them off into five groups of 4 egg rolls and freeze them for later (just make sure you defrost them before you fry them up). When you make these, also make sure you have plenty of time for preparation as it can take a while to chop up the vegetables (or if you have a food processor, I highly recommend using it!).

Southwest Egg Rolls

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 can (15 oz.) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach
1 can (4.5 oz.) green chilies
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
3 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 package (20 count) egg roll wrappers

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler or grill to high heat. Rub chicken breasts with vegetable oil, then cook, salting each side, until done. Put chicken aside and allow to cool. Dice chicken into small cubes or shred.
2. Preheat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add red pepper and onion. Sauté until tender. Add the chicken and cook until warm.
3. Add the corn, black beans, spinach, green chilies, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes or until warmed through. Stir well so that the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture. Remove pan from heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
4. Put a large spoonful of mixture into the center of each egg roll wrapper. Fold in ends, burrito style. Arrange the egg rolls on a cookie sheet, lined with wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.
5. While egg rolls freeze, prepare dipping sauce by adding all ingredients in a food processor and puree.
6. In a large skillet, preheat 1 cup of vegetable oil to 375 degrees and fry the egg rolls until a deep golden brown.
7. Cool on a plate lined with paper towels to drain the oil. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1 avocado
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbs. buttermilk
3 tsp. white vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. fresh parsley
¼ tsp. onion powder
1 dash dill weed
1 dash garlic powder
1 dash pepper

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in food processor and mix until combined and smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
2. Spoon onto plate to avoid thinning out sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

Poultry Marinade

This recipe has been in my family as long as I can remember - my grandpa used to make it, my uncle, my dad, and now I am passing it down. It is best used with turkey breasts/tenders, but it is also great with chicken (a much cheaper option). If you absolutely want turkey here's an idea: During Thanksgiving, my mom would buy an extra turkey and debone it, then freeze it in portions for later use. A shortcut that I use though, is that when I know I am going to be making this, I buy the chicken and then before putting it in the freezer, I cut it up and put it in a ziploc bag with the marinade. Then as the chicken is defrosting, it marinades cutting out the extra time to do both.

(I am making these this week by cutting the chicken breasts into small strips, then I will thread them onto skewers to make a meat stick.)

Poultry Marinade

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1, 8 oz. can lemon lime soda (or 1 cup)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in large ziploc bag. Add 2-4 chicken boneless skinless breasts (cut however you like).
2. Allow to marinade in the refrigerator a minimum of 6 hours, but no more than 24.
3. Grill over medium heat until meat is cooked through and no longer pink.

Cat's Crock Pot Enchiladas

Okay, so I tried my own version of enchiladas in the crock pot, and I think they were even better than cooking them in the oven. These are DEFINITELY NOT fat free. But they are super yummy.

Cat's Crock Pot Enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 corn tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can green chiles
1 package cream cheese, cut up into 12 cubes
2 cups taco blend shredded cheese
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can enchilada sauce
Sour Cream
Avacado

Directions:
1. Cook chicken breasts by filling large saucepan halfway with cold water. Place chicken in saucepan. Add 1 Tbs. season salt to water. Cook over medium-high heat for 1/2 hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through. When done, turn off heat but leave pan on stove top and cover with lid. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, then remove chicken from water - doing this will keep chicken from drying out. Allow to cool and then shred using forks or food processor.
2. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas in the pot, overlapping to cover bottom. Spread 1/2 of chicken over the top of tortillas. Spoon 1/2 of the soup onto the chicken. Evenly place 1/2 of the cream cheese cubes over the layer. Add the corn, 1/2 of green chiles, 2/3 cup of the taco cheese, and 1/2 of the seasonings. Pour about 1/3 of enchilada sauce over top and cover with 4 more tortillas.
3. Repeat with second layer, using black beans instead of corn. Place remaining 4 tortillas on the top and sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup of cheese and enchilada sauce over the top. Cover crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with sour cream and guacamole or salsa.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

During the Fall and Winter, I play for the Northwest Children's Choir in the afternoons. Because I am gone half the day, I have to do crock pot meals for dinner. Here's a great recipe I found and tried last week. WINNER! It makes quite a bit, so it's best served for 5-6 people. Also, I'm going to be trying my own version this week, so I'll be posting it next week.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
9, 6-inch, corn tortillas
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2-3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chili peppers
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 cans (10 oz. each) enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Guacamole and sour cream for topping

Directions:
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place 3 tortillas in the bottom of slow cooker. Top tortillas with the corn, half the chicken, half the chile peppers, and half the seasonings. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over chicken and pour 3/4 cup enchilada sauce over the top.
2. Lay 3 more tortillas over the first layer and top with black beans, remaining chicken, chiles and seasonings. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the cheese over top and pour another 3/4 cup over cheese.
3. Lay 3 more tortillas over the second layer, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low setting for 5-6 hours.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I got this recipe off of Kraft's website. It was really yummy, and surprisingly low in fat/calories (PERFECT!). Pretty cheap too! It feeds 4 people, cost about $2/person. They suggest you serve it with asparagus spears, but we just had it with a nice spinach salad.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth, divided into 1 1/4 cups and 1/2 cup
9 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
3 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tsp. oil
1/2 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread

Directions:
1. Cook rice as directed on package, using 1 1/4 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup water.
2. Mix cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese in shallow dish. Rinse chicken in cold water and gently shake off excess water. Dip chicken in crumb mixture, turning each piece over to evenly coat both sides.
3. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, cooking 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Place chicken on serving plate and cover to keep warm. Add remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth and the cream cheese to skillet. Cook on medium heat just until mixture starts to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with the rice.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I love this recipe because when it is done, it seems like a gourmet dish - one that you slaved over for hours, spent a ton of money on, and sold your soul to eat! It is fantastic! I like it served with rice because the chicken is so rich.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda or Swiss chese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. butter, melted
Toothpicks

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9-inch square pan. Make a pocket in the chicken breast by using a butterfly cut.
2. In medium bowl, mix together cheese, spinach, and nutmeg until well blended. Spoon one fourth of mixture into each chicken "pocket." Pull edges of chicken over the opening of the pocket and toothpick shut.
3. Place chicken in pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes or until juice runs clear.

Tandoori Chicken

Tonight is Indian night! This is another one of our family favorites. Now, I have to warn you, this recipe has heat to it - it is spicy! But if any of you have had good Indian food before, some of it is spicy. We eat this with a green salad, couscous, flatbread, and sourcream (to tone down the heat). And then the next day, we warm up everything and make sandwiches with the leftovers. Very very tastey!

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ tsp. water
¼ tsp. ground mustard
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. ground red pepper
¼ tsp. pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed

Directions:
1. Place chicken in shallow glass bowl. Mix water and mustard; stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken, and turn to coat well with marinade.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, but no longer than 24 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour chicken and marinade in ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
4. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Chicken Souvlaki

Well, here's my first set of recipes for you! We're having one of my favorite foods tonight - GREEK! SOOO YUMMY! I make these recipes together when we have Greek Night. We also make Lemon Rice as a side dish. They are all easy and so good together. Give it a try!

Chicken Souvlaki

Ingredients:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 lbs. chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium red onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions:
1. In a large glass bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano, and garlic. Add chicken, onions, and peppers, and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
2. Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Thread chicken, onions, and peppers onto skewers. (These are also great done in the broiler! The marinade keeps them from drying out, just turn them frequently.)
3. Lightly oil grate. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through, turning skewers often for even cooking.