Chicken Marsala

The weather here has been up and down and up and back down again, and you know what that means...COLD, as in I have one.  I've been sick about two weeks now, but it is getting better.  I, however, refuse to go to the doctor for something as minor as a cold. Adam has been working his tush off and is seldom home to cook in the evenings anymore (insert big sad face).  Much of the time I find myself (shamefully so) making frozen foods (chinese, pizza, etc), but every once in a while I actually remember to thaw something out and have the energy to make a real supper when I get home from a long day at school/work.

A few weeks ago I made Adam's amazing version of Chicken Marsala.  He was not home and I was therefore on my own making it for the first time.  When he got home he told me good job and that is tasted a little different that his, but it was really good.  Turns out the only reason that it tasted different was because I bought cooking marsala and not actual drinking marsala.  I looked for the real thing, but couldn't find it at Kroger and quickly ran out of patience.  The cooking marsala was much easier to find! I even cooked it in his "special skillet" that he loves and always makes it in.  I much prefer my nonstick or stainless steal varieties, but didn't want to jinx myself ;)

Adam used to make this quite a big at home and I always love it. Now I can make it all on my own, yum! The only difference other than the marsala is that we usually serve it with linguine.  I didn't have any on hand, so I used my usual whole wheat pasta. Give this beauty of a recipe a try!

Ingredients:


4 thin sliced chicken breasts
8 oz fresh mushrooms
8-10 ounces marsala (for cooking or drinking)
4 cloves of fresh garlic (sliced)
Pasta of choice
Oil

Chicken Marsala

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet.  Cook chicken on medium-high heat in oil with garlic cloves, salt, and pepper.













When chicken is half way cooked, flip over; Add mushrooms (sliced) and marsala.  Make sure that you add a decent amount of marsala to the pan. I used half a regular bottle of cooking marsala.









Continue to cook until mushrooms and chicken are done.  Continue still to cook, stirring regularly, until the marsala is reduced to the consistency that you like.  I prefer thicker sauces, so I tend to reduce mine quite a bit.  Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy!  Super easy, but so tasty!

Chicken, Pesto, Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Flatbread Pizza

Wow, I am really getting bad at this whole blogging thing. Not that it is really a big deal in the end because I am pretty sure that only 1 or 2 people read this blog. Life just gets away from you, and there have never been enough hours in the day or days in the week. Life has been busy for the both of us lately, so busy that we have been doing minimal wedding planning. About 6 short months until the big day (yikes) means that we should probably kick the planning in gear. My friend Tessa over at The Cookin' Chemist made flatbread pizzas one time long ago and I wanted to try them out for the longest time. Then, Adam and I went out to a restaurant in town called Kona Bistro. It is all organic and fresh foods and amazing, but a little pricey. They had this appetizer that was to die for. It was a flatbread with chicken and goat cheese that had an amazing pesto/sun-dried tomato creamy sauce on it. I really wanted to try my hand at making an easier at home version and thus this recipe was born. I combined Kona's appetizer ingredients with tessa's flatbread pizza idea to make an easy and delicious supper. Which Adam, my resident chef of a fiance, absolutely loved. I made this last year (long time, I know) and ended up making it 3-4 times in a little over a month. The pictures are not the best so my apologies. Obviously you can make this pizza with any toppings that you would like, but this was a great combination for us!

Chicken, Pesto, Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Flatbread Pizza

Ingredients:
Flatout flatbread Boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 3-4 ounces per pizza) Pesto (we use store bought)
Goat cheese
Sun-dried (dry not in liquid) tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Cut chicken and cook until done. Lay flatbread on pizza stone or sheet, spread pesto over the entire flatbread. Add diced sun-dried tomatoes and chicken. Crumble goat cheese on top of the pizza. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and flatbread is crispy. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Shawarma

I found this recipe on my friend Tessa's cooking blog. She is the one that actually originally got me into the whole cooking blog, so thank you Tessa! Her hubby made this for the two of them a while back and it just sounded amazing. I was looking for something fairly easy to make, and quick too, and this just seemed perfect at the time. I have a few comments to make on the parts of the dish, but don't ready too heavily into my criticism and if you start you need to read the ENTIRE post to get the real outcome.

Let's start with the chicken itself. I, like Tessa and her husband, LOVED the chicken in this dish. It was to die for and could easily be eaten by itself. Next time I actually might combine the chicken with rice, hard boiled egg, and potatoes for a dish. Yes, I am sure that sounds weird, but it is actually pieces of authentic Indian dishes that my friend Debjani (from India) made for us one night. It would be a great combo. I will let you know how it works out. :) Speaking of Debjani, she was my savior for this recipe as she lives right below me in the apartment complex and I got home to realize that the recipe called for curry and I did not have any. Being from India, she has MANY kinds of curry, she gave me a simple chicken curry. Thank you Debjani!

As far as the sauce goes, I felt like it was trying to be tzatziki sauce, but fell short. I went to Kroger to find Tahini for the sauce and it took forever. Not to mention that when I found in a smaller jar was $8.00. I thought "wow" since I only needed 2 tablespoons and it was just for the sauce. The sauce was good, but it reminded me of yogurt (duh) with a hint of hummus (from the tahini). I think that it would have been just a tasty to use hummus for the sauce and would have been MUCH cheaper since the tahini would not have been necessary, but that is just me :)

I also added fresh mushrooms and onions to the mix, which was awesome. I could not find flatbreat at Kroger to save my life, so I bought wheat pita bread instead. They were small (all I could find) and while they went fine taste wise, they fell apart. In the end, the recipe was not sure whether it wanted to be Greek or Indian, lol.

Overall, I really enjoyed this recipe, it was easy, light, and the chicken was super yummy! I better get this post wrapped up as my cake in the oven is almost done. Smells soooo good! That post is soon to come along with a few more.

Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips (I just used thin sliced breasts)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. plain reduced-fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. tahini
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
4 pieces whole-wheat flatbread (I used wheat pitas)
1 c. romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes, diced
chopped onion (I added)
chopped fresh mushrooms ( I added)

In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, curry powder, olive oil, salt, cumin, and minced garlic. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and 1 clove minced garlic. Set aside.

Spray grill grates with cooking spray and pre-heat the outdoor grill. Place chicken strips on the grill (can place on skewers if desired). Grill for 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is fully cooked. (I did mine in the oven at 350 degrees until done, about 20 minutes)

Place pitas on grill rack and grill for 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each plate. Top with chicken, lettuce, tomato, and sauce and any extras you want.

Enjoy! Yum!

Fresh Basil, Roasted Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Okay, until now I could take full credit for everything that I have posted on my blog (for actually cooking it that is). However, that time has come to an end. I came home Tuesday to Adam making supper, which was great because... 1.) I didn't have to make it 2.) It was amazing and 3.) I was exhausted from a run around day in the lab.

I can take no credit for this dish whatsoever. He, being a chef, pulled this idea right out of his wazoo. The verdict...it was AMAZING!

Now don't go telling him (the whole 3 people who may read this) that I posted the "Chef's Secrets" on here, lol. This is what I got out of making the recipe since I was not actually there.

Stuffed Chicken
*Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*Bread crumbs
*Olive oil
*Goat Cheese (about the size of a roll of quarters will be enough for 3-4 chicken breasts)
*Roasted red peppers (jarred or homemade)
*Fresh Basil

-Butterfly cut the chicken (gives you a long, thin breast for rolling later)
-Line one side with a few half leaves of fresh Basil (3-4 halves)
-Finger pat goat cheese (about a tablespoon or a little less) onto basil leaves, like pressing dough out.
-Line with roasted red peppers
-Roll chicken breast up
-Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with bread crumbs
-Bake until done

These were amazing. Sorry that the picture is not so great. I took it with my phone right before dinner.

Beer Can Chicken

My mother found this recipe while perusing on the internet one day. She told me that I would love it. However, she did warn me that the recipe does seem and look a little odd, but that is doesn't make a different and the chicken turns out amazing. My littler step sister, who is a picky eater at times, ate two whole chicken breasts because she liked it so much. I completely agree with my mom. I made it tonight and it was delicious. This recipe is for 2 pounds of chicken breasts but I used it all on 1 pound and it worked great and was not over seasoned. Most of the beer will evaporate, but the chicken is so juicy and tender. Skeptical? I was too. Give it a try, you'll love it!

Beer Can Chicken

*In a bowl mix:
1/2 Tbs Paprika
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

*Sprinkle the mixture on both side of the uncooked chicken and smother into chicken.
*Place chicken breasts in pan or glass dish.
*Pour beer (I used Bud Light) over the top of the chicken until the pan has about 1/4 inch of beer in it.
*Place in oven at 450 degrees for about 35 minutes of until chicken if fully cooked.

Chicken Fajitas

I first had this recipe for fajitas when Tessa made them for dinner a few years ago when I went up for a visit. She got it at her bridal shower. I really like the flavor and it's such an easy recipe to make. Supper easy and yummy dish! My changes are in purple.

Chicken Fajitas:

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion (cut into strips)
2 large bell peppers (cut into strips) (I used 1 red and 1 green this time.)
1 packet Italian dressing
Lemon pepper
Tortilla (whole wheat)

Preparation:
Cube chicken and fry in pan with Italian Seasoning with a little oil (I use canola oil). When chicken is done add veggies and saute until desired texture. Add lemon pepper to taste. Serve on tortilla with toppings of choice.

Orange Chicken Stir Fry

I always love trying one of the recipe's from my friend Tessa's blog. She and her husband like to change it up quite a bit. The other night I was really craving Chinese food, but wanted to make it at home, didn't much feel like going out to eat. Of course, I also love to cook, so it worked out great.

It's a really simple recipe when it gets down to it and does not take long to make at all, once you have become good and rapid veggie chopping. :) I made a few modifications, which I wrote in a different color. I did them based on preference, although next time I think I will double the amount of carrots that I put in, there is definitely enough sauce for it.

For such a simple meal, I really did love it. It has a lot of flavor. Here is a link to Tessa's original recipe in case you case to see it. Tessa mentioned a problem with her coated chicken sticking to her pan really bad. However, I didn't seem to have this problem.

Orange Chicken Stir Fry.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 c. uncooked instant rice
1 Tbsp. plus 1/3 cup cornstarch, divided
1 c. orange juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in cubes
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided (I used canola oil)
1-1/2 c. fresh carrots, sliced (I used 1/2 cup)
1 c. chopped red pepper (I put this in instead of the all the carrots b/c I LOVE red pepper)
1 c. chopped green pepper
½ c. chopped onion

Preparation:

Prepare rice according to package towards the end of the stir fry process.

In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, orange juice, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and pepper; set aside.

Place remaining cornstarch in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken and shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 2 Tbsp. oil until done. Remove and place in microwave to keep warm

In the same skillet, sauté carrots in remaining oil for 2-4 minutes. Add green pepper and onion; sauté for around 5 minutes (until vegetables are crisp-tender).

Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened. Add chicken; heat through. Serve with rice.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza?! I was looking for pizza recipes at work yesterday and stumbled across several recipes for Thai Chicken Pizza. However, I didn't like everything that was in any of them. So, I decided to make my own recipe. I must admit that when I looked at the pizza right as I was getting ready to put it in the oven I was not sure how it was going to turn out. However, once it was done and I tried it...I LOVED it! It has so much flavor and it pretty healthy with all of the fresh veggies that it has, and minimal sauce.

Once your veggies are all cut and your dough is ready, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to cook. I highly suggest that if you are looking at leaving out some of the ingredients that you don't. The sprouts and snow peas make is amazing! It was perfect and so flavorful. For those of you who know me, you know that I salt and pepper EVERYTHING. I did not need to add either to this meal.

Thai Chicken Pizza
Pizza Crust (for 12" pizza)
2 chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup peanut sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh snow peas
1/4 cup red bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup carrots (thinly sliced)
2 green onions (sliced)
1/4 cup (or more if you like) peanuts (crushed)
1/4 cup fresh bean sprouts (more if you like them like I do)


Cut fresh veggies while dough is rising.


Cook diced chicken in pan with oil and ginger root until chicken is done.

Flatten dough for crust on pan and spread peanut sauce over crust. Add the chicken and ginger mixture to the top

Spread pepper, carrots, snow peas, onion, and sprouts on top.

Then add the crushed peanuts and cover with the shredded cheese.

Place in the oven on the lowest rack and bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese in melted and crust appears done.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe online and thought that is looked delicious! So, I decided to give it a try and see if I liked it. As it turns out, I absolutely love it, and it is now one of my favorite recipes. I cut the batch in half because I did not want to eat if for a week. Beware, I told a friend about it and she made a full batch and said there was enough pasta for 10 people. After chopping up the veggies, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook. I modified the recipe by leaving out the mushrooms (didn't feel like buying them) and doubling the cajun seasoning.


Cajun Chicken Pasta
12 ounces uncooked linguine
2 pounds chicken breast strips
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 cup butter
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced*
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced*
1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms
2 green onions (white and light green parts only), sliced*
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Garnish: chopped green onions

Prepare pasta according to package to the package

Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning and salt over the chopped chicken and cook in 1/4 cup of butter on medium-high for 5 or 6 minutes (until chicken is cooked). Then remove the chicken from the pan

Add the sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions to skillet, and sauté 9 to 10 minutes (or until vegetables are tender and liquid evaporates)

Return chicken to skillet; stir in half-and-half, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Add the pasta, stir until heated through and ENJOY!!!