sweet and sour chicken

Yum! This recipe has been on a number of blogs (I found it on Molly's)... and I can definitely see why! I wanted to get take out this weekend, but I'm glad I chose to make this instead. We'll definitely be making it again.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce Ingredients
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions
Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken.

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

chicken scallopine with sage + fontina cheese

So this week I pretty much went to foodnetwork.com, clicked on Giada and then searched through all her recipes. I didn't want to mess around with food that I don't like - and Giada's recipes are generally a guaranteed win. This was no exception. It was SO yummy! I'm glad the sauce was super simple. This means I'll actually make it again! 

My only suggestion, make sure you salt to taste. The sauce cooked down a lot so the end result was a bit too salty with what the recipe called for.  Oh and don't buy the tomatoes from a tiny little market like I did. You may end up spending $4 for a can. Ouch. I cut the following recipe in half and served it over angel hair.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis via foodnetwork.com

Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
6 (4 1/2 to 5 1/2-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sage leaves
3 ounces grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 cup white wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Special Equipment: toothpicks.

Instructions
Place the chicken cutlets on a clean work surface, narrow end facing you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place one sage leaf crosswise on each of the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle each of the pieces of chicken with 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of fontina cheese. Roll up the chicken and seal with one or two toothpicks.

Warm the olive oil and halved garlic clove in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and remove and discard the garlic. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and red pepper flakes in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tomato mixture to the reduced wine in the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors marry.

Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer the chicken in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato sauce onto serving plates or a serving platter. Slice the chicken into 1-inch rounds. Remove the toothpicks. Place the chicken over the sauce and serve immediately.

crock pot coq au vin

I first made this a couple of months ago but never posted it on here (I think I was slacking at the time)! I got the recipe from the side of my crock pot box, which I tore off and eventually lost. It was so yummy that I searched for the recipe online and found a similar one. Unfortunately, I don't think it turned out quite as well as the original - so I will post the Crock Pot version. Luckily, it's the easier of the two! I think that using breast halves (bone-in) is key! And I also think the Whole Foods version is missing the taste of the green onions.

Source: Crock Pot via recipezaar.com
Similar not-as-good recipe: Whole Foods Market


Crock Pot Coq Au Vin
Serves two

Ingredients
2 slices bacon (diced)
1/4 cup green onion (sliced)
2 chicken breast halves
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/8 lb whole mushrooms
2-3 new potatoes, quartered (I used about 5)
1 small garlic clove (minced)
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup chicken broth (you may want to add more liquid to cover the chicken)
1/4 burgundy wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)

Instructions
In large skillet saute the diced bacon and green onions until the bacon is crisp. Remove and drain well. Add chicken breasts to the skillet and brown them well on both sides. Remove chicken and set it aside.

Put the onion, mushrooms, new-potatoes and garlic in crock pot. Add browned chicken breasts, bacon and green onions, salt, pepper, thyme and chicken broth. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or HIGH 4 hours. Add Burgundy Wine during last hour of cooking.

laughing cow chicken

I told myself that I would leave this one out of my blog so that I could trick my friends into thinking that I spent all day slaving in the kitchen when I made this for them. But truth be told, it was fabulous regardless of the fact that it was so simple to make! I got this from Lindsay at Love Deliciousness and I served it with roasted vegetables and roasted potatoes (nope, they're not burnt, just amazingly caramelized!). 

Freddy response was so funny, I have to share: "mmm it's like a chicken twinkie!"

Laughing Cow Chicken
Serves two

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally 3/4 of the way through (so you can stuff the inside)
2 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese, one per breast (I used garlic & herb instead)
Italian seasoning to taste
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (I used 1/2 regular and 1/2 Italian seasoned)
Handful grated parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Open each chicken breast up and spread one wedge of Laughing Cow inside the middle. Sprinkle Italian seasoning inside to taste. Fold chicken back over to original shape.
3. Mix together bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Spray each chicken breast with cooking spray and then dip in bread crumb mixture to coat. Place on baking sheet.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

creamy chicken pasta with spinach + tomatoes

A new school semester has started and so has my blog slacking! I'm going to try really hard to keep it going while I get used to my new schedule... not that it's a crazy schedule, just different!

I made this last week after drooling over the picture in Molly's blog for some time now. I can't believe I waited so long to make this! It was super yummy and extremely simple to make. It is now on our list of favorites. Thanks Molly! 

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Spinach + Tomatoes

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked pasta (penne)
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can of chicken broth
1 package of cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)
1 package frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 tsp garlic, chopped (I minced mine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
15 cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions
Cook pasta and drain. Cube chicken breast (1" cubes), heat half the chicken broth in a large skillet and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink (5-7 minutes). Add cream cheese, spinach, remaining chicken broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts. Add tomatoes. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are soft. Toss with pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

pecan crusted chicken salad

Freddy loves pecans. I love chicken crusted in pretty much anything. Match made in heaven, I'll say.

This is another recipe from Cuisine at Home. It was crazy good! I served this over an "Italian Blend" of lettuce with honey mustard dressing. The magazine also included onions and mild crumbled goat cheese. Unfortunately, I was out of feta. :(

Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad
Serves two

Ingredients
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half (6-8 oz)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Dipping Mixture Ingredients
1 egg white
1 teaspoons cornstarch
Juice of 1/4 lemon

Crusting Mixture Ingredients
1/2 cup coarse dry bread crumbs (I dried out a large piece of baguette)
1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Zest of 1/2 lemon, minced
1/3 cup pecans
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450˚. Prepare chicken breast by halving and pounding to an even thickness (I like mine 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick). Whisk together dipping mixture ingredients in a shallow dish. Put all crusting mixture ingredients into the food processor and chop into a coarse crumb.

Dip the chicken in the egg, then the crumb mixtures. Because the crumbs are fairly coarse, they won't adhere well. Scoop handfuls of crumbs, piling them on each piece, then transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet. Air-dry chicken 20-30 minutes to help set the crumbs (I didn't worry about air-drying).

Heat the oil in an ovenproof, nonstick skillet. Saute the chicken on one side, approximately 3 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken, then transfer the pan to the oven. Roast chicken in the pan in the oven 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Slice chicken and serve over a bed of greens with honey mustard dressing (below), the remaining browned crumbs from the pan, thinly sliced red onion, and mild goat cheese crumbles.


Honey-Mustard Dressing

Whisk together the following:
1/8 cup honey
1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste.

chicken cacciatore (molly style)

I've been on a bit of a tomato kick lately and since Molly always reminds me about her chicken cacciatore (because it's so easy and she makes it all the time), I decided yesterday was the night to give it a try. Mostly because it sounded yummy and I had all the ingredients. I served it with rice that I made with chicken stock and roasted veggies. Here was the end result:

Chicken Cacciatore
Serves four

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless chicken
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. oil
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 c. green pepper strips
1 1/2 c. rice

Instructions
Cut chicken into strips; brown lightly with onion and garlic in oil. Drain off all oil and drippings. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasonings and green pepper. Bring to a full boil. Turn down heat. Stir and simmer about 20 minutes. (Can simmer longer.) Make rice. Serve cacciatore over rice, or to side. Serve with vegetable and-or salad.

chicken + leek pot pie

The day after Thanksgiving, I enjoyed some turkey pot pie at my parents' house. I thought, "wow, this crust is really good!" just before my mom revealed that it was just a refrigerated pie crust. I knew I bought some for a reason!

Then she handed me a chicken pot pie recipe that she tore out of the Free Press saying, "your dad won't eat half the stuff in here, so you can take it." I decided to make it the next day, but realized that I hadn't been grocery shopping in just about forever and didn't even have onions in the fridge. But, I did have refrigerated pie crust! So, this recipe has been changed quite a bit. So much so that I could probably escape any sort of copyright infringement and just call it my own.

Regardless, the result was SO tasty that I'll probably double the filling the next time. It was quite thin because I'm not cooking for an army here, but we loved the crust so we didn't mind! If you're a leek lover, definitely try this! I should also mention that I didn't take this picture until the day after. The crust looked crispier the day before. ;)

Chicken + Leek Pot Pie
Serves four-ish

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon or so olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green part only, sliced
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup cooked diced potato
2-3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium and then added a bullion cube)
1 cup low-fat milk
2-3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or: I admit, I didn't have Italian seasoning nor do I know what's in Italian seasoning - so I mixed equal parts of garlic powder, basil, oregano and parsley.
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
1 sheet refrigerated pie crust (thawed if frozen)


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pot heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened. Add the carrots and sauté until softened. Add the potatoes and cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and cook 1 minute. Pour in the broth and milk and cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened. Add more flour if it is too thin. Stir in the cooked chicken, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish at least 2 inches deep.

Place the pie crust sheet loosely over the filling, or you can adjust it to fit to the edge and crimp the edges if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

herb-roasted chicken + vegetables

I made this a couple of weeks ago and boy was it good! I can't wait to make it again when I have a bit more time on my hands. The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. It calls for the use of a 3 1/2 to 4 pound broiler chicken, but I used about 1 to 1.5 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts since there are only two of us (and we both only eat white meat). If it looks a bit herby in the picture, it is. I decided against altering the amounts of the herb-rub because I originally planned on making more chicken. Regardless, it tasted wonderful in our opinions. I opted for the roasted vegetable portion of the recipe, but you can leave them out and just roast the chicken if you'd like.

I will provide you with the original recipe(s) below and you can alter it however you prefer!

Herb-Roasted Chicken + Vegetables
Serves four

Ingredients
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound whole broiler chicken (or bone-in/skin-on breasts)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning or ground black pepper

Vegetable Ingredients
1 pound red potatoes (I used new potatoes), quartered (or halved if small)
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Directions
Rinse the chicken body cavity; pat dry with paper towels. Skewer neck skin of chicken to back; tie legs to tail. Twist wing tips under back (or skip all of this if just using chicken breasts). Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush chicken with melted butter and rub with minced garlic.

In a small bowl stir together basil, sage, thyme, salt, and lemon pepper seasoning; rub onto chicken. If desired, insert a meat thermometer into the center of an inside thigh muscle.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring lightly salted water to boiling. Add potatoes, carrots, and turnip. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes; drain. Add drained vegetables and onion to the bottom of the roasting pan around chicken. Drizzle vegetables with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remember to stir vegetables once or twice during roasting.

Roast, uncovered, in a 375°F oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until drumsticks move easily in their sockets and chicken is no longer pink (180°F). Remove chicken from oven. Cover; let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

tequila-citrus chicken + roasted corn with latino flavors

When I asked Freddy what he wanted for his birthday, he gave me a bunch of simple answers, one of which being "cookbooks". So, I got him a cookbook: Weber's Charcoal Grilling. However, knowing that I generally go overboard for this occasion, I also got him a Weber Performer grill to go with it. Unfortunately, the sun set before we were able to use it today, but we still used a few recipes from the cookbook. We just had to settle for our cast iron griddle/grill.

Wow was this yummy! We even made a new dance for it when we tried it (its more like our reaction). I can't imagine how much better its going to taste next time when we have more time to marinate and grill. I'll indicate the real directions below with my notes. I served this with Mexican rice and sugared asparagus.

Slow-Grilled Tequila-Citrus Chicken
(or fast-grilled, in our case)
Serves 2

Marinade Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/8 cup tequila
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
1/2 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients
2 chicken breasts or 4 thighs, with bone and skin (we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
* Either 8-10 oz each for the breasts or 5-6 oz each for thighs, trimmed of excess fat and skin

In a medium bowl mix the marinade ingredients. Put the chicken thighs in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, lay flat in a rimmed dish, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, turning once (we foodsaved it - and marinated it for only about an hour). Prepare a two-zone fire for low heat (or grill over low heat... we grilled over medium-high).

Remove the chicken from the bag and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. bring the marinate to a boil and let it boil for at least 30 seconds to kill any raw chicken bacteria. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Brush the cooking grate clean. Grill the chicken skin side down first, over direct low heat (we grilled over medium-high), with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm and no longer pink near the bone (again, we used boneless, skinless), 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 5 minutes and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking (we grilled for about 8 minutes per side, turning once). During the last 20 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken on both sides with the boiled marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Ember-Roasted Corn with Latino Flavors
2 side-dish servings

Butter Ingredients
1/2 cup (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano (we used dry oregano, same amount)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/16 teaspoon granulated garlic (I know these measurements are crazy - we halved the recipe)
1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients
2 ears sweet corn (white or yellow), in husks

Instructions
Prepare a three-zone split fire for medium heat (Okay, this is too complicated for me anyway, I'd just grill regular, turning often. Besides, who is going to go through the process of setting up a charcoal grill for just a few ears of corn??). In a small bowl, mash the butter ingredients with the back of a fork. Mix until evenly distributed. Trim the pointed end of each ear of corn, cutting off and discarding the fine "silk" sticking out of the husk. remove and discard a layer or two of the tough outer leaves of each husk.

Carefully lay the ears of corn in a single layer on the charcoal grate between the coals (or on a regular grill if you don't do the charcoal thing). Cook the ears of corn there, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the husks are browned and blackened in spots all over and the kernels are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, swapping the positions of the ears and rolling them over a few times for even cooking. If the outer leaves burn, that's okay.

Carefully remove the ears of corn from the grill with long-handled tongs. use a thick kitchen towel to work with 1 ear of corn at a time. Carefully peel off and discard the husk and silk from each ear of corn. Leave the stem ends attached to use as handles. Smear the butter mixture evenly over the kernels. Serve warm.

guest post : pesto-mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts over risotto

Guest Blogger: Kory

Inspiration:

Monica and Freddy have been friends of Kristen and I for years now. We share so much in common including our passion for food. When Monica sent over the link for her new food blog, I thought it was a very cool idea. She even granted me the honor of being the first (non-husband) guest blogger! While chatting online with Freddy yesterday, a pop-up ad came across my screen from Dominick’s Grocery with an interesting recipe for pesto-mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts. This is such a wonderful combination of many of my flavors that fancy my palate: grilled chicken, cheese, pesto, and roasted red peppers! I chose this dish to go over a creamy, al dente risotto. Here we go!


Pesto-Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts Over Risotto

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:
This recipe makes more than you will need, but I HIGHLY recommend freezing the rest in ice cube trays for later use in pastas, sandwiches, chicken, etc….

1 pkg. (.66oz) fresh organic basil leaves, washed and patted dry
3/8 cup parmesano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated
3/8 cup cashews, toasted (great alternative to expensive pine-nuts)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder to taste

Instructions:
Using a food processor, add cheese and cashews. Blend for a few seconds making sure all the cheese is not sticking to the sides of your food processor. Slowly add olive oil, blending until desired consistency is attained. Optional: add a quarter cup of water to stretch out the value of your EVOO. Next add the basil and garlic powder, blending until a nice smooth consistency. Let this stand for an hour and refrigerate or freeze the rest.

Creamy, Al Dente Risotto Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked Arborio risotto
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
3 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper (optional)

Instructions:
Sauté the onion in butter and olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the risotto, stirring often for the next 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the broth, stirring in until liquid is absorbed. Gradually stir in the remaining broth, one cup at a time. Wait ‘til previous cup of broth is absorbed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pesto-Mozzarella Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 and 2/3 lbs)
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ cup fresh pesto sauce
½ cup fresh mozzarella balls (I used a large fresh mozzarella ball and cut it into small pieces)
½ cup roasted red peppers (I prefer mine in olive oil and garlic)

Instructions:
Prepare your grill (gas or electric) to high heat (making sure the grill is clean and oil the cooking surface). As the grill is heating up, now we prepare the stuffed chicken. Cut a slit length wise in each of the chicken breasts, being careful not to cut through to the other side. Rub a pinch of pepper on all sides (internal and external) of each breast. Take a tablespoon of pesto and rub inside each pocket. Take ¼ of the mozzarella balls and stuff inside. Add ¼ of the red pepper pieces to each chicken. Lastly, lightly rub the remaining pesto on the outside of each breast. Grilling takes about 15 minutes using the grill cover, turning only once with a wide spatula. Be careful not to lose any of your goodies inside!

The Results:
This turned out to be one excellent meal. Kristen and I really enjoyed it. The only drawback was that the prep time is a little extensive and the ingredients can get a little pricy. (This is why I recommend cashews and also making extra sauce and freezing for later usage. The chicken was very juicy and flavorful, and the combination of flavors in each bite was amazing! The risotto turned out nice too, although I am used to a creamier center. I failed to realize that I had bought an al dente (Italian for “to the tooth”) style of risotto.

Thank you for reading my guest blog, and bon appétit!

-Kory


A Note From Monica:
This looks and sounds great, Kory! We will definitely have to give it a try. Thanks for your interest in the blog... and for dressing up for the occasion!

guest post : ponzu-glazed chicken served over bok choy

Guest Blogger : Freddy

While watching Channel 7 one day last week, I saw a video of this recipe being prepared at a local market. Since the chef explained the preparation way too fast, I decided to track down the full recipe. A few google key word queries later, and I was ready to cook. For those of you wondering what ponzu is, it's a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and citrus juice that is relatively common in Japanese cuisine. I perked up the recipe by making a couple of changes. Here is what I did:


Ponzu-Glazed Chicken Served Over Bok Choy

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons ponzu sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 bok choy, sliced thin
1 cup broccoli
6 baby corn cobs, sliced long-ways
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 cups of jasmine rice (cooked in your preferred method)
Sea salt and pepper

Just to prove that Freddy really did the cooking.

Chicken Preparation:

While an outdoor grill or stove-top grill pan is best, the chicken can be cooked in a skillet. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. The chicken breasts will be sliced in 1/4 pieces prior to combining with the cooked bok choy. This should be done at the end to avoid drying out the prepared chicken.

Ponzu-Glaze Preparation:
Combine the ponzu, lime juice, ginger, garlic, bell pepper and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

Bok Choy + Vegetables Preparation:
Heat sesame oil in a skillet (wok, preferably) over high heat and add the sliced bok choy, baby corn, and broccoli. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bok choy is tender but crisp and slightly browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the bok choy is complete, reduce heat and add the sliced chicken breasts. The ponzu glaze can now be poured over the vegetables and chicken. Stir all of the ingredients together to allow for proper glaze distribution. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

enjoy

Serves 2.

-Freddy

And our delish dessert prepared by Busch's. Nom.

lemon + garlic chicken + potatoes

This is a family favorite. My grandma and my mom always made it, and now I do, too. Its simple, but so yummy! If you like lemon, this dish is for you. I served it with tabbouleh.

The last couple of times I made it, the potatoes didn't cook as fast as the chicken. I'm not sure how my mom magically does it. So I'll probably pre-boil them next time. Or use a faster cooking potato. I make it with boneless chicken breasts, but it tastes even better with the bone-in chicken breasts. Freddy isn't always a fan of eating meat off of a bone.


Lemon + Garlic Chicken + Potatoes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds
2-3 lemons
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3 russet potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon of paprika
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Italian-style breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with the potatoes. Then place the chicken on top. Mix the lemons, garlic, paprika and olive oil and pour over the chicken and potatoes. The bottom should have about 1/2 of an inch of liquid. If not, add more lemon. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top and cover the entire dish with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil for the last couple of minutes to brown the chicken.

Serves 4.

wing night!

Tuesday nights, we're always thinking about heading out for wings... of course, its generally accompanied by onion rings and potato wedges. Not good for us at all! I'm pretty sure that Buffalo Wild Wings refuses to have any sort of nutrition information available to consumers. And that scares me. Can I get a healthier option?!

Last night I was looking for something quick and easy, so I opted for a healthier wing night by oven "frying" everything: boneless wings, onion rings, and asparagus fries (toss in olive oil and sea salt and roast 10-15 minutes, they'll still be a bit crunchy). Excuse the onion rings, they needed a little more time in the oven to crisp up, we decided.

Oven "Fried" Boneless Wings + Onion Rings

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 medium white onions, cut into "rings" and separated
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
Splash of milk (skim, 1% or 2%)
Bread crumbs
1 tsp flour
BBQ sauce - or your favorite wing sauce

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix the egg whites, cayenne pepper, paprika, and a splash of milk in a shallow bowl. Coat the onion in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs. Line them into a greased, shallow baking pan. Bake the chicken for about 20-25 minutes. The onion rings, however, will take a bit longer (cook those until fork-tender and golden).

Remove the boneless wings and toss in your favorite wing sauce until coated. We just happened to have a bottle of B-dub's Asian Zing. Yum! And, just like that, the wing craving is taken care of for another week.

spinach + ricotta stuffed chicken with lemon sauce + roasted green beans

I was that strange child that actually loved her spinach. And, to this day, that love has endured. I've been seeing stuffed chicken breast recipes here and there, and decided to give it a go. I guess I was feeling adventurous! I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com, and this one on recipezaar.com, and combined the two.

I thought that I ended up with twice as much stuffing than I needed. And, it was also starting to soften a bit due to the heat, so next time I'll throw it into the fridge. Freddy and I thought it tasted phenomenal. Unfortunately, we ate it before I could snap a picture. We'll be sure to bring it back soon!

Green Beans
1/2 lb green beans, ends snapped off
1/2 pt grape tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Preheat oven to 400°F. Put the pan in the oven until you're ready to use it. Toss green beans and tomatoes in olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes.

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Lemony White Wine Sauce

Stuffing:
1 cup cooked, chopped, and drained fresh spinach
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup mozarella
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg

Sauce:
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Chicken:
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Italian bread crumbs

Make the Stuffing: In a bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, Gorgonzola, and bacon and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the egg, mix well, and set aside.

Make the Sauce: Combine the wine and stock in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a sauce-like consistency. Whisk in the mustard, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Make the Chicken: Place each chicken breast between 2 doubled-up sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness with a meat-pounder or rolling pin. Divide the stuffing between the breasts, mounding it along the center of each. Fold the bottom edge of each breast over the stuffing, fold in the sides, and roll forward until completely wrapped, to form a tight rolled package. Secure each flap with a toothpick. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, to taste and roll in bread crumbs to coat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Cover the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the sauce into the skillet over high heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Slice the chicken into medallions, divide among plates, and spoon some of the sauce over each. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.