Chicken

Smoky Chicken and Potatoes

I put up my Christmas tree this weekend and it seemed a little strange to be doing it when the temperature was in the 50s.  Tomorrow we are having our work holiday party and it’s supposed to be almost 65 degrees.  Strange.  I feel like when it’s December and I’m decorating for Christmas that I should be making food like soup, chili, cookies or some other cold weather comfort food.  But when it’s not very cold out, what is there to make?  I’ve been trying to stock up on chicken when it’s on sale lately so that’s pretty much all I had in my freezer.  I’ve been eyeballing this recipe for Smoky Chicken and Potatoes so I decided this was as good a time as any to make it.

Chicken breasts, potato, sweet potato, green pepper, onion and lemon are tossed with garlic and smoked paprika and roasted in the oven until the chicken and potatoes are perfectly cooked.  You can use all white potatoes or all sweet potatoes for this recipe but I loved the combination of both here.  The chicken is juicy, the potatoes are tender and the addition of lemon and parsley adds a fresh touch.  The smoked paprika gives a ton of flavor to the whole dish.  This dish was simple to make and didn’t stand a chance before it was all gone.  Next time I’m craving sweet potatoes, I’ll remember to make this again.

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The ingredients:

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In a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, combine chicken potatoes, onion, green pepper and garlic.  Toss with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.

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Squeeze lemon wedges over the mixture and add wedges to the baking dish.

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Bake in a 450°F oven for 30 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees, stirring once after 20 minutes.  Top with parsley before serving.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

I haven’t been getting much cooking done lately with the hurricane and back-to-back trips out of state which have occupied my past few weekends. By the time I slept in my own bed this past Saturday night, all I looked forward to doing was settling down in my kitchen and making some food. Ahh, sometimes it’s nice just getting back into a routine, you know? Anyway, want to knock someone’s socks off tonight? Make these Kung Pao Chicken Tacos. I know, you’re thinking…huh?? Who mixes Chinese food and Mexican food? Well, I do. And trust me, you want to too. My friend Jodi benefits from some of the food I make for this blog and each time I make something new for her to eat, she always says it’s her new favorite. Well, this is now her new favorite. She says this is even better than her all-time favorite, Rustic Summer Squash Tart. I have to say that I think might have to I agree with her on this. These tacos are WOW.

Chicken is marinated in soy sauce before being lightly coated in cornstarch which gives it the subtle crispiness you find in Chinese food without it being too much of a guilty pleasure. A rich sauce of soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sambal oelek adds a sweet but spicy punch of flavor to the chicken which is wrapped in broiled corn tortillas and topped with celery, fresh red pepper, and peanuts. My only recommendation with this is to warm the tortillas rather than broil them because the broiled tortillas make these a little tough to eat. I made leftovers by just warming the tortillas and they were perfect. The sauce is so good that I fully plan on making it anytime I need a sauce for chicken or pasta in a pinch. Please, give these a try. You’ll realize that Chinese food isn’t just for take out anymore.

The ingredients:

Place chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag with 1 tablespoon soy sauce to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Add chicken to cornstarch in dish, and toss chicken to thoroughly coat. Shake off excess cornstarch.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of coated chicken and sauté for 6 minutes or until done, turning to brown. Remove chicken from pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Repeat the procedure with remaining canola oil and coated chicken.

Combine remaining cornstarch, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sambal oelek in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Microwave at HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring twice. Stir in garlic.

Combine soy sauce mixture, chicken, peanuts, and celery; toss to coat chicken.

Toast tortillas under broiler or on a griddle until lightly blistered, turning frequently.

Spoon chicken mixture onto tortillas and top each taco taco with green onions and bell pepper strips. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Roulade

Now that I’m finally able to use my stove and oven to make some healthy food since Hurricane Sandy swept through, I haven’t made anything.  After Sandy, I had to throw out everything in my refrigerator (due to 3 days of power loss) and ended up eating take-out for a few days before I jumped on a plane for a whirlwind weekend in New Orleans.  My diet is taking a beating as a result.  Days of Chinese food followed by days of Cajun, deep-fried food does not bode well for my waistline.  And since I haven’t been home, I have yet to get to the grocery store so my fridge has nothing but water in it.  Oh and a scary-looking left0ver piece of Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Roulade.

Thin-sliced chicken is layered with spinach, cheese and tomato before being rolled up and baked.  To top it off, a simple sauce of tomatoes, basil, spinach and red wine vinegar adds another layer of vibrant flavor.  I made this dish last week when I was trying to cook all of the chicken in my freezer, knowing the hurricane was coming and my power was going.  This dish is light and perfect if you are looking to make a low-calorie, high-flavor chicken dinner.  I made a batch of this and took it to my friend’s house before the hurricane.  If we’d chosen to not eat so badly, we would have eaten all of it.  But when the weather is bad, the only thing I want is bad food like cheese fries and chicken parm sandwiches.  I’ll end up making this dish again because it’s very tasty and can be made with other ingredients like kale or feta.  However I make it next time, I will eat every bite.

The ingredients:

Place thin chicken breasts on work surface, smooth side down. Top with 1∕4 cup of the spinach, 1∕4 cup of the cheese, and 1 tomato slice.

Fold in ends and roll tightly.  Place seam side down on a platter.  Repeat with remaining chicken.


Whisk together egg whites and broth.  Divide flour onto two large plates.  Coat stuffed chicken with flour, then dip into egg mixture and
back into flour.

 

Heat oil over medium heat in large sauté pan.  Brown each chicken roulade, then place on a baking sheet.  Bake in a 325 oven for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, combine tomato, spinach, vinegar, broth, and herbs in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes.  Season with salt and
pepper.

Slice each chicken roulade horizontally into 1-inch slices and top each portion with warm tomato mixture.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Shape Magazine

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