Category: POULTRY

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

Creamy Chicken & Cheese Pasta

My good friend Barbara made us some great code to make it easy to use this button. What is this all about? Go here for all the details.

Simply Delicious Sunday

To use this button, copy and paste the following into your post as HTML:

If you like to play along, please add this button, link to this post with your recipe and sign Mr. Linky . Be sure to include your recipe in parenthesis following your name. Thanks and have fun. Don’t forget to leave a comment and visit everyone.

CREAMY CHICKEN & CHEESE PASTA
8 ounces bowtie pasta (or pasta of your choice)
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1¼ cups grated Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1½ pounds chicken tenders
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
2 tablespoons white wine
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.
  • Whisk together the flour, salt and milk in a large skillet. Stir thoroughly to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly.
  • Remove from heat and stir in ¾ cup of the cheese, stirring until melted. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in a large skillet. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Generously sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper while browning. Transfer to a plate.
  • Add onions and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until garlic is fragrant and onions are tender.
  • Add wine and , Italian seasoning, pepper flakes and cook until heated through.
  • In a large bowl add the pasta and chicken to the cheese mixture and toss to combine.
  • Portion into oven proof pasta bowls sprayed with PURE or a 2 quart casserole.
  • Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
  • Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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Chicken Curry ~ Simply Delicious Sunday


CHICKEN CURRY
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into tender size pieces
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 apple, cored and chopped small
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon butter

  • Melt butter with peanut oil in heavy skillet.
  • When oil is hot add chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
  • Reduce heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant.
  • Sprinkle in salt, pepper and curry powder and stir until well blended.
  • Add apples, apricots, raisins and broth. Stir to mix. Return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm.
  • Continue simmering curry sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
  • Serve over hot rice covered with the chicken and curry sauce.

If you like to play along, please add a link to this post on your post and sign Mr. Linky. Be sure to include your recipe in parenthesis following your name. Thanks and have fun.

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Chicken Turnovers aka Chicken Empanadas


Hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

CHICKEN TURNOVERS
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup guacamole
1 can refrigerator biscuits, grand size
1 cup shredded shredded cheddar cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine in large bowl the salsa, guacamole, green onions, chicken and cheese.
  • On a floured board between wax paper layers, roll out each biscuit to about double the original size.
  • Fill each biscuit with chicken mixture and fold over into a moon shape.
  • Press the edges firmly to seal.
  • Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve with a side of sour cream and salsa for dipping.
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Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

I’ve been trying to get more and more vegetables into our diet as we approach spring and stir fry has been a great taste tempting treat for us recently.


CASHEW CHICKEN STIR FRY
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 JUMBO egg white
2 bunches green onions, sliced thin
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)*
1 cup honey roasted cashews, whole or chopped
1/4 cup sweet cooking rice wine
1/8 cup bead molasses
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Peanut Oil

  • Whisk together the cornstarch and egg white. Coat the chicken strips and chill 1 hour before preparing the meal.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil.
  • Quickly stir fry the mushrooms, onions and bean sprouts.
  • Lift out veggies with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add another tablespoon +/- of peanut oil and heat.
  • Add chicken pieces and stir fry until white and tender.
  • Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, bead molasses, salt and sugar. Add to pan and coat chicken well and continue stir frying until most of the liquid is absorbed and chicken is glazed.
  • Add veggies back in as well as the cashews. Mix well and heat through.
  • Serve over rice or with noodles.

*You just can’t always get fresh and I don’t care for the canned.

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Chicken Flautas

I used to have a favorite lunch haunt called simply ‘Nachos’. It started as a hole in the wall, literally!, with ‘mama’ making her own tortillas and sauces. Mama couldn’t speak a word of English, but her traditional Mexican fare spoke volumes for her. She prepared the best Mexican food! At work we used to all pool together, call in a big order, send someone to pick it up and then truly pig out when the food arrived back at work! Their Nachos were truly awe inspiring ~ crisp and gooey all at the same time.
One of my very favorite meals that she made was her Chicken Flautas! Now that we’re here in the North Woods, where honestly they wouldn’t know Mexican food if it bit them on the butt, I crave those Chicken Flautas and have been working to replicate them. I tried boiling chickens with various seasoning combinations, none of which were correct and then finally settled on this recipe. It’s actually easier and tastes perfect too.

1 lemon herb rotisserie chicken (lemon & herb works best)
1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Juice of 1 lime
sea salt
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
1 package tortillas
sour cream
Fresh Guacamole
Garden Tomato Salsa
1 cup or so Safflower oil for frying

  • Remove chicken pieces from the bone and finely shred the meat.
  • Toss the chicken pieces with the green onions, lime juice and salt.
  • Warm tortillas so they are soft and pliable.
  • Distribute the chicken and cheese mixture evenly amongst the tortillas.
  • Sprinkle onions over top.
  • Sprinkle with sea salt and lime juice.
  • Roll each tortilla up jelly roll style.
  • This works best with deep frying, but I found a cast iron pan works well as long as the oil goes at least half way up the side.
  • Fry each Flauta until golden. (Don’t crowd them in the pan)
  • Drain on a paper towel.
  • Serve with sour cream, Fresh Guacamole & Garden Tomato Salsa for dipping.
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Chicken Florentine aka Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts ~ Simply Delicious Sunday

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! I remember one potluck at church several years back that I asked for a recipe and she instantly pulled it out of her pocket. Obviously I wasn’t the first to ask! Those are the recipes I like, the ones that bring a memory to mind like Lonnie handing me that recipe card.
Now while I kept her combination of spices and seasonings intact I did make changes that made it more palatable to my family. For example hubby doesn’t like cooked mushrooms so I either have to eliminate them or substitute for something else. but sometimes I’m a little sneaky and they’re in there, but just not so he can tell. One son doesn’t like tomato pieces, but loves tomato sauce, his old girlfriend won’t eat cooked carrots, and on and on! So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

This recipe has been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where it originated which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived.



This is the start of tonight’s dinner so I’ll post the finished picture in a few hours.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE aka STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
FILLING
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper*
1/3 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves**
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 bunch green onions, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
2 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened or 2 ounces grated mozzarella
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
CHICKEN
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 slices sourdough bread, staled and crumbled
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1+1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg white, beaten

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter add 1 teaspoon olive oil in skillet.
  • Saute’ garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add in spinach and cooked until spinach is completely wilted. If using frozen stir until well blended.
  • Drain well.
  • Combine cream cheese, flour and spinach mix until well blended and set aside.
  • Between 2 sheets of wax paper flatten each chicken breast to 1/4 inch and set aside.
  • Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix until crumbly.
  • Divide the spinach mixture equally between the chicken breasts.
  • Carefully roll each chicken breast.
  • Using a pastry brush coat each chicken bundle with the beaten egg and then roll in coating mixture.
  • Place seam side down on a small baking sheet or stoneware pan (I prefer the stoneware pan for a crisper, non-greasy chicken)
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown in color and juices are clear.

*I like to make this recipe back to back on my weekly menu with Twisted Pepper Steak to make the red pepper usage more efficient, use jar (olive oil soaked) red peppers or I substitute a jar of pimentos in a pinch.
** You can use frozen chopped, but it must be drained well and then drained a few more times until dry!!

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