Category: PROTEINS

Simple Supper Saturday – Easy hot and spicy chicken

On my menu plans last week I had an idea for easy hot and spicy chicken to try for Tuesday night along with some leftovers ideas. It was just something I came up with while searching the pantry for things I have on hand already. Everything turned out really good so I thought I’d share it here.

Season some chicken breasts with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, brown on each side in little olive oil in a large oven safe skillet – if you don’t have an oven safe skillet you can transfer the chicken to a baking dish – and really the browning is just for aesthetics. It isn’t required to brown it but it just looks more appetizing and it does help seal in the juices too.

Pour a can of the Hot Rotel over the browned chicken. If you don’t like hot, spicy foods you can just use a can of diced tomatoes instead. Any kind of salsa would work well for this too. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 or until chicken is done.

I served this with Mexican rice and cheesy refried beans the first night – the rice was a packaged rice, Vigo Mexican rice. The refried beans were canned topped with shredded colby jack cheese and baked alongside the chicken – so sue me for using canned and packaged, this recipe meme is all about simple! 😉

For the second night I shredded the leftover chicken, heated and wrapped the leftover refried beans, rice and chicken in warm burrito shells – what a hit with the hubby and kids!

I still had a very small container left of the chicken and Rotel mix which went into to freezer to use another night for a Mexican pizza topping or a spicy chicken soup. This was a great meal stretching recipe.

Hope you’ll join in and link your simple supper ideas!

Shredded Vegetable Chicken Egg Rolls with Blackberry Pineapple Dipping Sauce and Spicy Gingersnaps




Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice. Save Room for Dessert, What Did you Bake Today and Cultural connections are hosted over at ThE KraZy KitcHen. Stop by and join in. Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam . Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby and is being hosted by Cole for a while. Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace.

SHREDDED CHICKEN VEGETABLE EGG ROLLS
2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken or pork pieces
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic, jar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons canola oil
egg roll wrappers (I use Melissa’s)

  • Heat skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots, Saute’ until tender.
  • Drain, retaining oil.
  • In a large mixing bowl toss meat pieces with sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Add vegetables and blend well.
  • Cool 5-10 minutes.
  • Fill center of each wrapper with 2 tablespoons of filling.
  • Fold 1st corner towards the center. Then fold each edge towards the center. With a pastry brush wet the exposed triangle of dough and roll the bulk onto it.
  • Add oil back into pan and add the additional 2 tablespoons and bring to medium heat.
  • Cook egg rolls on all 4 sides until golden.



BLACKBERRY PINEAPPLE DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup Blackberry Pineapple Jam
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • Heat jam in microwave for 20 seconds to warm and thin.
  • Whisk in honey and soy sauce.
  • Set aside.

SPICY GINGERSNAPS
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 JUMBO eggs
1 cup golden raisins
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried orange peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

  • In a mortar and pestle (or similar) finely grind all the spices together into a fine dust.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a small food chopper, chop the raisins into the butter until creamy.
  • Transfer to a mixing bowl.
  • Add brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend until creamy and smooth.
  • Sift together the flour, spices, baking soda and powder.
  • Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until well blended.
  • Add walnuts.
  • Drop by spoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet and slightly flatten.
  • Bake 12-14 minutes until edges are set.
  • Let cool on pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  • Good plain or with a Cream Cheese Frosting.

♥♥final blog signature. ♥♥

Garlic Parmesan Stuffed Chicken with melted Strawberries



GARLIC PARMESAN STUFFED CHICKEN with MELTED STRAWBERRIES*
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves minced garlic, jar
1 large bunch green onions sliced
1/4 cup seedless strawberry or raspberry jam*
3 1/2 cups strawberry pieces*
salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Whisk together the jam, lime juice and vinegar.
  • Pour over strawberries and onions toss together.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread into a 3 quart baking dish.
  • Toss garlic and Parmesan cheese together.
  • Cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast and fill with garlic cheese mixture. Secure with toothpicks to close or use these cool loops or band! Salt and pepper each side.
  • In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute’ onions. Add chicken and brown on each side.
  • Transfer chicken to a baking dish and put into the oven for 10 minutes.
  • Add the strawberry baking dish to oven and bake both another 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink, the berries have softened and the jam mixture has thickened.
  • Serve chicken with the berries over top and with Herb Rice Pilaf.

*I like to also change it out sometimes and make it with apricot pineapple jam, an 8 ounce can drained crushed pineapple and 2 cups of fresh apricot pieces.

Easy Sliders – Simple Saturday

Press the ground beef flat onto a cookie sheet and season …

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Get your other goodies together while they cook …

Cut into little squares with a pizza cutter and serve on dinner rolls with the toppings. 
Can’t get much easier than that and the kids love them!

Chicken Apple Puff Bundles – Dinner and Dessert All in one

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.
~La Rochefoucauld
Personally, I like to go a step farther and eat creatively which is what inspired this recipe!

CHICKEN & APPLE PUFF BUNDLES
3/4 pound chicken tenders
1/4 cup chopped Vidalia onions
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
4 ounces orange juice with pulp
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons golden raisins
puff pastry*
cinnamon sugar
egg, beaten

  • Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature until they’re easy to handle (about 45 minutes).
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
  • In a skillet melt butter and saute’ chicken and onion until golden.
  • Whisk the orange juice, apple pie spice, brown sugar and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
  • Add apple pieces and raisins.
  • Add to chicken and onion mixture.
  • Simmer until moisture is absorbed.
  • Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (5-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
  • Spoon 1/4 cup of apple mixture into center of square.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg.
  • Fold each pastry in half over the apple mixture and press the edges to seal.
  • Place the filled pastries onto the baking sheets.
  • Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove the pastries to a wire rack and let cool.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

♥final blog signature. ♥

Simple Supper Saturday – Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Welcome to Simple Supper Saturday! You know it doesn’t get much more simple than letting your slow cooker do the work for you! I originally found this recipe at Problem Solvin’ Mom. My version is adapted just a teeny tiny bit.

What you’ll need
Pork loin, cut into large pieces to fit into your slow cooker
Beef broth, enough to cover the meat
BBQ sauce (optional)

How to make it
Place pork loin into slow cooker – go ahead stuff it full! (I usually use about a 5 pound loin). Cover with beef broth. Cook on low heat 6 hours. Remove pork and shred using 2 forks. Place your shredded pork into a baking pan(s). Add some beef broth if you are serving it plain or add BBQ sauce – if you’re like me you’ll make a lot and make a pan of each! Bake at 350 uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Note – The pulled pork freezes great for some quick BBQ sandwich nights! Serve with coleslaw and corn on the cob – or even just with some chips on the side for a great quick and easy meal!

I’m also linking this to Debbie’s all new Crock Pot Wednesdays. Check it out for lots of great slow cooking recipes 🙂

Healthy Helpings – Stuffed Chicken with Vegetables and Lemon Basil Pasta

I tried this recipe last week, and it got a thumbs up from my mom and my 12 year old. Tara had her pasta the “normal” way, but she loved the stuffed chicken.

Stuffed Chicken with Vegetables and Lemon Basil Pasta
From Clean Eating
Serves 4, Hands on Time: 20 min, Total Time – 1 hour

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 1/2 c onion, chopped
  • 1 c loosely packed spinach, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded, cored & diced, divided
  • 2 tbps bread crumbs
  • 1/2 pkg whole wheat spagetti (I used Barilla Plus Angel Hair)
  • 4 4 oz boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • 4 tbps fresh basil, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 1 1/2 tbsp parm cheese grated
  • Salt and pepper to taste… I found it needed salt when I served.

Instructions
Heat a large non stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Mist with cooking spary and add onion, spinach ONE garlic clove and ONE tomato. Saute for 5 min or until just cooked. Remove from heat, mix in bread crumbs, set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat and cook pasta according to package directions.

To stuff chicken, place 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp vegetable-bread crumb mixture in the middle of each piece of chicken. Fold chicken over filling and secure with toothpicks.

Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat for 2 min. Mist with cooking spray. Place stuffed chicken into pan and cook until golden brown on each side (about 3-4 min per side)

Drain pasta when finished cooking, then put back in the pot and toss with basil, oil, lemon juice and zest, add remaining 3 cloves of garlic.

To serve garnish pasta with remaining tomatoes and parmesean cheese.

(my rolls are a little “messy”, I had picked up chicken tenders instead of breasts, so I was working with small pieces of chicken!)

Do you have a healthy recipe to share? Post it to your blog, and be sure to come back here and add it to Mcklinky! Thanks for stopping by!

Braised Garlic Tomato Chicken


Slow Cooking Thursday is hosted by Sandra
at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

BRAISED GARLIC TOMATO CHICKEN
2-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt & pepper
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thick
2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic, jar
2 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
1 teaspoon tarragon
2 cups chicken broth
1 large tomato, chopped + a handful of grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Prepared pasta or mashed Parmesan potatoes.

  • Heat olive oil in skillet.
  • Generously salt and pepper chicken breasts and sear on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
  • Add onions and garlic. Saute’ until fragrant, well done and oil has been absorbed. Be sure and scrape all the bits from the bottom of the skillet when you add onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
  • In a slow cooker whisk the chicken broth and sun dried tomato pesto together. Add tarragon and blend well.
  • Add the chicken breasts*, top with onions, garlic and tomatoes.
  • Cook on low 2-3 hours.
  • Remove chicken and shred it.
  • Remove 1 cup of sauce and whisk cornstarch into it. Return to slow cooker and blend well.
  • Return chicken pieces to sauce.
  • Serve over pasta or mashed Parmesan potatoes

*This recipe makes enough sauce for 2-6 chicken breasts. For just the 2 of us I make 2, but use any remaining sauce over potatoes or pasta later in the week.

♥final blog signature. ♥

Pineapple Cider Brine Pork Chops w/ Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce, Broccoli Green Bean Almond Saute & StrawBlackberry topping for Magazine Monday

Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice. All 3 of these recipes are loosely based on recipes from magazines, but the main ingredients have been changed to protect my family. No seriously, the main ingredients were changed to make my family happy as the original recipes had ingredients that my family just won’t eat! Also Healthy Helpings is debuting over at ThE KraZy KitcHen tomorrow. Stop by and join in.
When I do ‘recipe experiment’ night I try to do EVERY part of the meal as a new recipe. Some times I get lucky and they ALL are worth sharing. I’m a ‘no measure’ cook, well at least a no exact measure cook so when I invent a new recipe, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But, today worked!

PINEAPPLE CIDER BRINE PORK CHOPS
1 1/2 cup water
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sea salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 thick pork chops

  • In a large sauce pan whisk together water, cider vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar together until salt and sugar are dissolved.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add seasonings and blend well.
  • Slow simmer 10 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Immerse pork chops and soak 12-24 hours. I used my 8 cup pampered chef batter bowl so the chops had plenty of room to ‘swim’.
  • Drain chops.
  • Grill or broil 5-6 minutes on each side.
  • Heat enough Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce to cover the chops.
  • Brush each side of chops with BBQ sauce for the last few minutes.

ROOT BEER PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE

12 ounce MUG root beer
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  • Add onions and garlic, Saute’ until tender.
  • Add other ingredients, except cornstarch, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Remove 1 cup of sauce and whisk cornstarch into it.
  • Return mixture to the sauce pan and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Cool 15 minutes.
  • Refrigerate,
  • Makes 4 cups.

BROCCOLI GREEN BEAN ALMOND SAUTE’

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed
1 broccoli crown, chopped small
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

  • Heat olive oil in large skillet.
  • Add vegetables and saute’ until tender.
  • Add soy sauce and white balsamic vinegar.
  • Sprinkle with sea salt and white pepper.
  • Add almonds, blend well and heat through.
  • This dish is good hot OR cold!

STRAWBLACKBERRY SHORTCAKE TOPPING

1 pint blackberries, washed and sliced in thirds
1/2 pint strawberries, washed and chopped small
1/4 cup brown sugar

  • Toss Together and marinate several hours.
  • Serve over shortcake.

♥final blog signature. ♥

ORTEGA CHILE BAKE

I thought I’d kick off the week and the meme with a family favorite which is also super simple time saver recipe, inexpensive, great ‘user upper’ of great food AND it was sooooooooooooo tasty I thought hubby was going to lick his plate. He settled for seconds though.

This recipe originally ran at 3 sides of Crazy 12-14-08. It was cold and snowy here that day. A day that just cried for a really hot lunch! So I took to the freezer and refrigerator to see what there was (we hadn’t planned on being here so nothing had been planned) and I found some leftover BBQ beef (which I drained of all sauce), 1/2 a package of shredded cheddar cheese, a can of cream of celery soup, some pasta shells and a can of diced green chiles. This is tlso the most perfect recipe for leftover Pot Roast or roast beef. We had 6 servings for $4.29 or $0.72 cents per serving.

ORTEGA CHILE BAKE
Left over shredded beef (technically 0.00 since it was already accounted for)
1 can cream of celery soup (.96)
3 cups AL DENTE pasta noodles (1.12)
1 can diced green chiles, drained (.89)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (1.12)

  • Drain chiles.
  • Stir soup and chiles together.
  • Stir in beef until well blended.
  • Add pasta and mix well.
  • Pour into a greased 9×9 baking dish and top with cheese.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Balsamic Peach Chicken ~ Stretch Your Food Dollar

This recipe was originally this. Hubby liked it so well that I have written an alternative version that allows me to clean out the fruit drawer, freezer and eat it too! This version also allows me to make the flavorful part the night before while I’m cleaning up the kitchen and throw it together quickly the next night and no one knows I cheated a little.


BALSAMIC PEACH CHICKEN ~ 6 servings ~ $5.82 ~ $0.97/serving

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar ($0.65)
2 peaches ($0.82)
1 kiwi*($0.33)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar($0.32)
1 tablespoon plum sauce* ($0.10)
1 tablespoon KARO syrup ($0.10)
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon chicken base ($0.25)
1 pound chicken tenders, sliced into 1 inch pieces ($2.95)
1 1/2 cups prepared brown rice ($0.30)

  • In a small saucepan bring the water, vinegar, bouillon and brown sugar to a boil. Add the chopped fruit pieces and boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer for several minutes more.
  • Spray a skillet with pure. Stir fry the chicken pieces until heated through.
  • Transfer to a medium size bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over chicken pieces and chill several hours.
  • Prepare rice.
  • In a large skillet heat through the chicken mixture.
  • Add the rice and heat through.
  • Serve and Enjoy.

*The plum sauce and kiwi made a nice tropical taste that was a little more tart than the original recipe.