Lemon Ginger Grilled Chicken

The end of summer is creeping up more quickly than I'd prefer, and that means grilling recipes will eventually have to wait until next Spring in most parts of the U.S.  This grilling recipe, however, can also be prepared under the broiler, so, thankfully, we'll all be able to enjoy it year round. 

Normally, grilled chicken doesn't do much for me.  Whether it's coated in barbecue sauce or one of a million other marinades, it just typically doesn't stand out for me on the plate, no matter how seasoned the grill master.  That is, until we tried this recipe. 

Ever since trying this grilled chicken, I now happily put it in the regular rotation.  I should've known the CIOA wouldn't fail me!  The flavors in this marinade are beyond delicious and bright, which make it the perfect staple for an end of summer Labor Day weekend BBQ.  Serve it alongside an ear of corn or your favorite veggies roasted on the grill and you're well on your way to a perfect summer meal.  Even better, leftovers (if you have any) go perfectly chopped up and thrown in a salad for lunch the next day.  Easy, delicious, and serves double duty when it comes to menu planning?  That's a win in my book.  And since my toddler happily scarfed it down with us, that makes it a BIG win.  Can't wait to try it under the broiler when the weather turns colder!

Lemon Ginger Grilled Chicken

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Ingredients

3 lbs. chicken breasts or thighs, boneless, skinless

4 tablespoons lemon zest

2/3 cup lemon juice

4 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced

4 teaspoons light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

4 Szechuan chili peppers, dried seeds removed

Directions

1.    Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger, brown sugar, oil, salt, and chili peppers in a large zip-locking plastic bag. 

2.    Add the chicken to the bag, squeeze out the air, and seal.  Toss it around a bit to make sure the marinade coats all of the chicken and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (preferably an hour or so).  Flip the bag occasionally while marinating. 

3.    Spray the grill or broiler rack with nonstick spray.  Preheat the grill or broiler on high.  Position the rack about 5 inches from the heat source if broiling. 

4.    Remove chicken from zip-locking bag.  Discard remaining marinade.  Grill or broil the chicken until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.

Serves 8

Note:  Don't be afraid of the dried chili peppers in this recipe (you could probably leave them out if you want), but it really was not a "spicy" dish.

Source: The Culinary Institute of America's Gourmet Meals in Minutes

Tex Mex Chicken Pizza

I mentioned recently that I've been on quite a pizza kick lately.  Take out pizza is the pits in the DC area (or maybe I'm just a pizza snob having grown up in Chicago?), so the best it ever gets here is frozen or homemade.  Homemade wins in the delicious (and nutritious) department every time, but sometimes it's a pain to make your own.  But not with this recipe. 

This recipe peaked my interest immediately when I saw it in a magazine while waiting in the check out lane at Whole Foods.  In fact, it's the reason I decided to buy the $8 magazine (ouch!) in the first place.  It's incredibly quick, pretty healthy, and even my toddler eats it (minus the jalapenos).  It's truly a 30 minute meal, as the magazine notes, if you use a store bought rotisserie chicken.  I still keep it a 30 minute meal though and make my own shredded chicken in the crock pot (recipe included below) on a day in advance so it's all set to go when I want to assemble a quick meal like this one.  Plus, as an added bonus, any leftover shredded chicken is great to have on hand in the fridge or freezer to use in salads, quesadillas, soups, sandwiches, etc. later in the week.

That being said, this recipe is one of my new-found weeknight favorites that even my husband has started to regularly request.  We cook a lot and are always trying new recipes, so I always consider it a big, big win when a recipe strikes a chord with him so much that he actually requests it again and again.  In fact, since first discovering this recipe, I've made it at least 3 times, and I already have it on our weekly menu for next week.  I think it's time to put it on yours!

Tex Mex Chicken Pizza

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Ingredients

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

2 tablespoons lime juice, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 (16 oz.) can refried black beans

1 teaspoon chili powder

4 (8-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

8 teaspoons canola or olive oil

2 cups shredded Rotisserie or Crock pot chicken (crock pot shredded chicken recipe below)

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

½ cup chopped pickled jalapenos

Directions

1.     Adjust oven racks to upper and lower positions and preheat to 475 degrees.  Whisk together Greek yogurt, ¼ cup cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2.     In a second bowl, stir beans with remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and chili powder.

3.     Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil.  Transfer the 4 tortillas to 2 baking sheets and bake on upper and lower racks of oven until golden, flipping halfway through (approx. 5 minutes). 

4.     Spread ¼ cup of the bean mixture over each tortilla.  Top each tortilla with ½ cup shredded chicken, ¼ cup cheese, and 2 tablespoons jalapenos.  Bake on 2 baking sheets for 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizzas are heated through.

5.     Cut pizzas into quarters, top with a dollop of the greek yogurt mixture, and garnish with remaining cilantro.

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (or as many as you want), thawed if frozen

½ cup water

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1.     Place chicken breasts in crock pot.

2.     Mix water with spices and pour over chicken.

3.     Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

4.     Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with a fork.

5.     Use in pizzas, quesadillas, burritos, soups, salads, casseroles, etc.  Any leftovers can be frozen!

*Tex Mex Chicken Pizza recipe slightly adapted from the magazine America's Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers, Spring 2011 issue.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I'm always on the hunt for meals that the whole family will eat (what mom isn't?), and this is one of them.  It's pretty darn healthy too, which makes me even happier.  You can serve it as is, wrap it in a burrito shell, or serve it over rice.  No matter how you serve it, it's great for dinner, and even better for lunch the next day.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces


• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)


• 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)


• 1 (15 oz.) can or jar all-natural mild enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe's brand)


• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed


• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese


• flour/whole grain tortillas or rice, for serving

Directions

1. Add the chicken, sweet potato, onion, enchilada sauce, black beans, cumin, and garlic powder to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the sweet potato is tender and the is chicken cooked through, about 4 hours.


2. Stir in the corn and cheese until the cheese melts.  Set on warm until ready to serve.  Serve over rice or wrap burrito style in flour tortillas.

 

*Slightly adapted from Meal Makeover Moms.

Simple Dijon Tarragon Cream Chicken

The Dijon mustard, tarragon, and cream combine in this recipe to make a delectable sauce that is surprisingly impressive considering how quick and easy it is to pull together.  Most definitely an easy weeknight keeper, yet fancy enough to serve to company. 

Simply put - it's easy and impressive.  And that's the way I like it.

But let me be honest...

My husband picked out this recipe, put it on our menu last week, and I was very skeptical it would be anything more than ordinary.  I didn't even think it'd be worthy of posting, as I only like to post my absolute favorites.  But, we needed to use up our fresh tarragon, and we had all the other ingredients already on hand, so I agreed to it.  At the very least, I figured it'd be an easy night of cooking for me.  Much to my surprise though, as the sauce came together, my nose quickly realized my husband was right (shhhh).  He had found a dish that was going to taste much better than just average.  In fact, it was a keeper at first bite...and didn't last long on the plate!

Simple Dijon Tarragon Cream Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (Maille's Whole Grain Mustard is my favorite)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 Tablespoon dried)

Directions

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. 
2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat.  When the butter is melted, add the chicken and brown on both sides.
3. Once browned, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until juices run clear.  Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add the shallots to the juices already in the pan and cook for just a few minutes, just until softened.  Add the heavy cream, stirring to scrape up the brown bits.  Mix in the mustard and tarragon and cook until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce.
5. Serve with additional sauce drizzled on top.

Notes:  You could certainly omit the shallots if you don't have them on hand, and while fresh tarragon is highly preferred, dried can still give the same flavor in a pinch.  You could probably sub half-and-half for the cream if you wanted to reduce the fat as well, but it's ohhh so good with the heavy cream!  Any extra sauce is also excellent for serving over whatever veggies you serve on the side - asparagus, green beans, etc.

*Adapted from this recipe.

Swiss Baked Chicken

This recipe is perfect for those nights when you have zero energy to cook (something I think any working or SAHM or SAHD can relate to), yet you want a home-cooked meal.  There's no chopping and you can have this baby prepped in 5 - 10 minutes.  That being said, this recipe has become a regular in our household ever since my mother-in-law shared it with me a few years ago. 

My husband remembers his mom making this meal quite regularly growing up.   Having a family of 6 (including 4 very hungry boys and a husband) to feed every night, it's no wonder she turned to this recipe often.  She usually doubled it, using 2 casserole dishes, to feed their family of 6.

Swiss Baked Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts


• Swiss cheese slices


• 1 (10.75 oz) can Cream of Celery soup


• 1/4 cup dry sherry, cream sherry, or vermouth-cooking sherry**


• 1 cup herb-flavored salad croutons


• 3 Tablespoons butter

**I've always used cream sherry since I can easily find it at the grocery store

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Arrange chicken in greased baking dish.  Place cheese slices on top.


3. In a small bowl combine soup with sherry and mix well.  Pour over cheese.


4. Sprinkle with croutons, dot with butter, and bake for 1 hour uncovered.

*Recipe courtesy of my Mother-in-Law.

Oh, and I can't forget...  Honorable mention goes to my husband for doing the cooking of this dish the night it was photographed.  (It had been a very long day...sick 10 month olds like to be held.  A lot.)  So way to go hubs!  A home-cooked dish was just what I was craving after caring for our sick little love bug all day.  I think it tasted even better since I didn't have to make it. ;)

Roast Cornish Hens with Vegetables

When you want to impress your man (or even better, your lady) without spending hours in the kitchen, this dish fits the bill. 

Had it not been for seeing my post-college roommate prepare this dish one night 7 or 8 years ago, I never ever would have thought to try roasting a cornish hen at home.  I was an extremely novice home cook at the time, and cooking a whole anything (chicken, hen, you name it) sounded absolutely terrifying.  But after watching how easy this was to prep and smelling the aroma of the spices as they permeated our beloved Chicago apartment (loved that old 1920s building...), I knew I had to try it.  Sure enough, it was so much easier than I expected (no carving involved!).  It came from one of those small, grocery check-out lane, impulse magazines titled "Easy Meals for Two" after all, and they were right - pretty darn easy and pretty darn impressive.  My fiance (now husband) and I absolutely loved this dish the first time we tried it several years ago, so I was beyond thrilled when I happened to stumble across this recipe in my binder just a few days ago so we could enjoy it once again. 

Notes:  The spice rub for this dish is fantastic and one that I plan to use on mixed vegetables as a side dish.  I'm guessing they would pair nicely with pork, steak, or other chicken dishes.  Additionally, the original recipe only served 2, so I doubled it here for a family of 4, leftovers, or in case you're really, really hungry.  If you want this to serve 2, just use one hen, cut everything in half, and bake for about 40-50 mins in an 11x7 (2 quart) baking dish. 

Roast Cornish Hens with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 cornish hens, 24 oz. each (thawed if frozen)


• 2 teaspoons garlic salt


• 2 teaspoons chili powder


• 1 teaspoon ground ginger


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 4 tablespoons olive oil


• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)


• 4 small red potatoes, quartered


• 2 small green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. 

2.  Remove and discard neck and giblets from hens (Some come with them already removed, like mine did.  Score!).  With kitchen shears, cut hens in half and place skin side up in roasting pan.

3.  In a large bowl mix garlic salt, chili powder, ginger, cumin, and oil.  Brush hens with 2 tablespoons of the oil/spice mixture. 

 

4.  Add the sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and bell peppers to the bowl of the remaining oil/spice mixture, toss to coat, and arrange vegetables around the hen halves in the roasting pan.

5.  Bake 45-50 minutes or until hen halves are fork tender, juices run clear, and vegetables are tender.  Serve and enjoy.  The meat will easily pull away from the bones with a fork (or fingers!).  No carving needed!



Serves 4

*Recipe adapted from the magazine, "Easy Meals for Two".  Unfortunately, I have no idea who wrote it since I discovered this recipe almost 8 yrs ago.  My apologies!

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup - one of my new favorite crock pot recipes, courtesy of a fellow SAHM friend, Anne.  I've always loved the ease of cooking with a crock pot, but after my son was born I fell in love with it all over again.  I can prep while he's napping and let dinner cook all day while we play or run errands.  If you love the ease of the crock pot and how tender it can make any and all meat, then try this recipe.  It just earned a spot in this household's regular rotation!  Can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


• 1 chopped onion


• 1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained


• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained


• 2 (10 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles


• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce


• 4 oz. can diced green chiles


• 1 can/bottle of beer


• 1 packet taco seasoning


• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional, but I like a little heat)

Additional toppings (optional): 

• shredded cheddar cheese (a "must" in my opinion)


• plain non-fat greek yogurt or sour cream


• tortilla chips


• avocado

 Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a crock pot making sure the chicken is submerged under the liquids.  Cook on high for 3 hours. 


2. After 3 hours, remove the chicken breasts, shred them, and return to the crock pot. 


3. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for another 2 hours. 


4. Serve and top with your favorite toppings (i.e., shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, avocado).

Serves 6.

*Recipe adapted from my fellow SAHM friend, Anne P.  Thanks, Anne, for a great keeper recipe!

Enchiladas Verdes De Pollo

If you're looking for an easy, pretty darn healthy, full of flavor, weeknight keeper meal (who isn't?), you must, must, must try this recipe.  The star of the show is by far the green salsa mixture, which is bursting with flavor.  I was shocked by how delicious these were, as was my husband, especially considering the original recipe came from a diabetes cookbook...shhh.  I'll definitely be making these again.  Very soon.  Very, very soon.  And you should too!

Enchiladas verdes de pollo

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup medium green salsa
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (approx. 3 breasts)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 6 tortillas (6-8 inches in diameter)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine green salsa, cilantro, parsley, lime juice, and garlic.  Blend on high speed just until smooth.
3. Mix together half of the salsa mixture, the chicken, and 1/3 cup of the cheese.
4. Spray an 11x7 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Fill each tortilla with approximately 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture.  Place seem side down in the baking dish.
6. Pour the remaining salsa mixture over the filled tortillas.  Top with 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered, or until heated through.  Garnish with lime wedges (optional)

*Recipe courtesy of a friend of mine who discovered the original recipe in the Betty Crocker Diabetes Cookbook of all places...surprise surprise!  I followed the suggestions in my friend's post for modifying it if you're not on any dietary restrictions, but if you are and you want it to be more diabetes friendly, you'll only need to reduce the following ingredients:  Use only 1 cup of green salsa, 2 cups of chicken, and reduce the mozzarella cheese to only 3/4 cup total (using 1/4 cup in the chicken filling mixture and only 1/2 cup as the topping). 

Black Bean, Chicken, and Red Pepper Stoup

When I first stumbled across this recipe I liked the looks of the ingredient list (all things I love), but I was a little leary that it would be anything more than ordinary.  I was expecting it to be 'just another stew'.  Instead, I was surprised by how easy it was to throw together and how much flavor it had.  The cayenne gave it just enough heat without scaring me away, and the cumin added an earthy, warming feeling that I found perfect for a cold winter day. 

Black Bean, Chicken, Red Pepper Stoup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided


• 3 chicken breasts, cubed


• 1 onion, chopped


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth


• 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes


• 1 (12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, chopped


• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles


• 2 tbsp cumin


• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (use more or less to adjust the "heat")


• Salt and pepper to taste


• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional)


• 1/2 cup mexican cheddar (or other mild cheese)

Directions

1. In in a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink.


2. Using a slotted spoon transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl or plate.


3. In the same pot, heat another tablespoon of oil.  Add the onion and cook 5 minutes or until tender.


4. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.


5. Next, add the chicken broth, black beans, diced tomatoes, chopped red peppers, green chiles, cumin, and cayenne and mix together.


6. Add the cooked chicken back into the mix and bring the pot to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes uncovered.


7. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro (optional).

Note:  If you'd like this dish to be more of a soup, just add more chicken broth (say 3 to 4 cups instead of 2).

*Original recipe adapted from one of my favorite food blogs - Annie's Eats.