Curried Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

It's been a while since I've posted on a soup and I have been looking for a chicken and wild rice soup that wasn't super rich. I try not to make meals that require heavy cream or a lot of cream cheese--and found most chicken and rice soups to be very rich due to those ingredients. When I stumbled upon this recipe, I decided to give it a go. I have adapted this recipe to be even lighter and don't miss the heaviness at all! But, feel free to make it as 'creamy' as you wish by adding a fuller fat dairy. We enjoyed it and I even sent some home with my dad when he came to visit. They said they loved it.


The soup calls for a little curry powder and many people think that curry powder brings out the flavor of chicken. I do not find it overpowering, but you can always add a little less. We really loved the texture of this soup due to the sliced almonds--how neat is that? Crunch in a soup. And almonds are so good for you! My husband said it reminded him of our avocado curry on brown rice. This is really great comfort food. And I may also try it with vegetarian 'chicken' next time.


Tips:

• If you really in a hurry, you can buy one of those frozen mirepoix bags in the freezer section of your grocery store--one bag is a fine substitute for the chopped onion, celery & carrot required in the recipe (or so it seemed for me anyway!) 
• In the comments section of this recipe, someone said they used the food processor to chop the onions, carrots, and celery--so I may try that next time. It's a forgiving recipe so a little more of this and a little less of that won't kill the flavor.
• Also, in the comments section, someone said they put everything in the crockpot, raw chicken & I'm assuming uncooked rice (EXCEPT for the cream/milk), left it on low--I'm assuming for 4-6 hours, and added the milk/cream when everything was cooked through. That would be easy, wouldn't it?

CURRIED CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP

Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

Serves 6-8

• 1 Tbsp. butter (+a little olive oil, if necessary)
• 1 finely chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms (I used 1 lb. sliced mushrooms because we LOVE them!)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 3 Tbsp. dry sherry (vermouth would work well too)
• 2 cups half-and-half (I USED 2% milk—but you could go even lighter with 1% or skim or fat-free half & half)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes (add a little olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking). Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 more minutes. Then add the flour and stir well. 

Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until all has been added. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, chicken, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper, almonds and sherry. Allow to heat through, then pour in the half-and-half or milk.

Let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. (Note: Do not boil or your roux will break.)

Parmesan Chicken Picatta

I LOVE chicken picatta! And I think you will too. I had never made it before, but since I wanted to make something special now that my husband was coming home after a few weeks away in training, I decided to play around with my friend Nancy's chicken picatta recipe and Rachel Ray's recipe and this is what I came up with below. I didn't have fresh parsley (which I think is truly the traditional way to make it--but will try that next time), so I used dried parsley in the breading and it was very good). Also, Rachel Ray's recipe uses a lot more Parmesan cheese--but I chose to cut it down significantly and still feel you could taste the cheese in the final outcome. We really enjoyed this dinner and will definitely be making it again sometime soon.

Our dinner comprised of this chicken, cumin & chili roasted cauliflower (recipe to follow), lima beans, and a Harvest Grains blend by Trader Joe's (Israeli couscous blend--see below--very delicious!). You would probably do well to serve it with a salad and potatoes also. This is an awesome weeknight dinner that is still special enough to serve to company. YUM!

 

 (photo courtesy of 'food for conversation')

 

 

PARMESAN CHICKEN PICATTA

Serves 4

• 3/4 - 1 cup panko bread crumbs (you may not need the whole cup)
• 2-3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (freshly grated if you can get it)
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 4 chicken cutlets (mine were THIN cut and just under 1 pound total weight for all 4)
• Salt & pepper
• 3/4 - 1 cup all purpose flour (you may not need the whole cup)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. oil (I used a combination of olive oil and safflower oil)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (this means NOT a sweet white wine like Riesling)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2-3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. capers, drained
• 1 or 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lemon, sliced
• Fresh parsley (can omit the dried if you have fresh)

In a small-medium sized container, mix the Panko bread crumbs with the dried parsley and Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Put your flour in another small-medium sized container. And lastly, in another container or bowl (about same size as the other two), whisk your egg.

Rinse cutlets (no need to pat dry).

Your first step will be to dredge cutlets through the flour. The second step will be to dip the cutlets in the egg and then press them into the Panko breadcrumb mixture. Set them aside.

Heat oil in a large saute pan and saute the cutlets for about 3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and cooked through (turn them over gently so as to not remove the breading). The thicker the cutlets, the more time they will need to cook--probably another 3-4 minutes (or more). Keep your eye on them and take them out when they get golden brown and are thoroughly cooked.

Set the cooked chicken breasts aside. At this point, I removed any burned bits inside the pan with a paper towel--but if you are comfortable doing so, leave them in.

Deglaze pan by pouring in the wine and garlic. My garlic was finely minced and cooked super fast, but it might take a minute or two until most of the liquid is evaporated and the garlic has cooked through.

Pour in the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, butter, and lemon slices. Stir. When the butter has melted, return the cutlets to the pan and let them cook for another minute or two (careful when flipping them to leave the breading on).

Serve a cutlet on each plate. Evenly distribute any leftover sauce from the pan over each cutlet before serving. Serve with freshly chopped parsley on top of chicken (if you have it).

Serve warm.

We found this chicken to be salty, tangy, tender, slightly crispy, and basically all around delicious. Hope everyone else will enjoy it too!

 

Balsamic Chicken with 3 Grain Risotto & Summer Squash Medley

I'm almost hesitant to say this in case someone has problems with this recipe, but my husband told me this was one of my best chicken dishes so far. And I had to agree that it was good. While digging for some olive oil in my pantry, I spotted the balsamic vinegar and threw it over the simmering chicken, while crossing my fingers. It ended up being delicious. You can have dinner ready in about 30 minutes with frozen chicken--you can make the sides simultaneously. I think the chicken may take a little less time if you use defrosted chicken instead of frozen.

We had the chicken with a summer squash saute and a Trader Joe's 3-Grain Blend Risotto (about $2.29) that I doctored up. If you are near a TJ's--try this! My aunt introduced me to it and I'm sold! You can cook this risotto in a separate pot on another burner next to the chicken.

Why I love this Trader Joe's 3 Grains Blend risotto:

1) It's healthier than white rice
2) It is creamy like risotto
3) It takes about half the time to cook
4) No continual stirring over the stove as with traditional risotto.

If you don't have a TJ's near you, try a multigrain pilaf from any grocery store. Or any starch you prefer.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH SUMMER SQUASH MEDLEY

Serves 4-6 (depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts)

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4-6 chicken breasts (I use 5 big frozen chicken breasts)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Scant 1/4 (or less) cup balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper, to taste (I tried a chardonnay scented coarse salt once & was bowled over)

Place all ingredients in a large (non-stick) skillet or frying/saute pan. Bring to a low boil and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook until most of the liquid evaporates and the chicken is cooked through (skim off any fat). This took about another 20 minutes for me with frozen chicken breasts. The chicken will be caramelized and brown when ready.

Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.


3-Grain Blend Risotto with Olives & Tomato

Serves 4-6 (with leftovers)

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tomato, diced
• ~1/3 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
• 1/4 tsp. dried parsley
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Trader Joe's 3-Grain Blend (rice, barley, spelt)
• 2.5 cups of water or chicken broth (I used water)

Saute onion for a minute or two in olive oil. Add water and bring to a boil. Then add all the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Cook according to package directions--about 16 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.

Serve the risotto with the chicken. (We had leftovers of the risotto.)


Summer Squash Medley

Serves 4 as a side dish (may have leftovers)

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 onion or a couple shallots, diced
• 1 zucchini, sliced in ~1/3 inch rounds
• 1 yellow summer squash,  sliced in ~1/3 inch rounds
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Salt & pepper, to taste.

Saute onion in olive oil until it is almost translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to saute until the zucchini is cooked through (only takes a few minutes--we like ours fork-tender).

 

 

To serve: Plate the chicken with the risotto and summer squash medley. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh basil.

Pesto, Spinach, & Chicken Stuffed Shells

Recently, I have joined Pinterest. I am learning to slow down with my new obsession...Having Pinterest has allowed me to throw away several scrap papers--and yet virtually 'pin' my favorite images--and categorize them on bulletin boards. It's fun to see what your friends are pinning too! Somewhere along the way, someone pinned this awesome recipe. It looked superb. So, I was inspired to try it recently for our family and for a friend to whom I was taking a meal. It was well received and therefore, has become a keeper.

By the way, it's sort of nice to try a stuffed shell recipe that doesn't require tomato sauce, but don't let that stop you if you're a sauce kind of person--you just go ahead and spread some sauce over the shells if you can't stand not seeing red sauce over pasta.

And as I tend to do with these things, I adapted the recipe because the stuffing seemed a little dry to me (I didn't use as much pesto because I didn't want too overwhelming of a flavor). Below is a double recipe (I boiled the whole box of pasta and used about 75% of the shells--the other 25% had fallen apart anyway) and got two 8x8 pans of the dish. However, if you were having a big group for dinner, you could do a big 9X13 inch pan. Consider this a freezer friendly meal.

PESTO, SPINACH, & CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS

Makes approximately 10 servings.

• 24-36 jumbo pasta shells
• water for boiling pasta
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (6 oz) bag of baby spinach (rinsed & chopped)
• 8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/3 cup MORE for topping
• 4-5 Tbsp. prepared basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat a little olive oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is almost transclucent. Add the chopped spinach and cook for a minute longer or until spinach has JUST wilted.

Because I'm trying to use less dishes, add the cheeses (reserving that 1/3 cup of Parmesan), pesto, olive oil, yogurt, and shredded chicken to the pot (where you have sauteed the onion/garlic/spinach). Combine. 

Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish (either two 8X8 inch pans--can freeze one of them! or a 9X13 inch pan). Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells (uncovered) for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese has melted.

Serve with a fresh salad. Or with diced, fresh tomatoes on top.

Greek Lemon Chicken with New Potatoes

I've made this several times and each time I love it even more. How is this possible? Maybe it has to do with the tart and salty taste combination--an absolute favorite of mine--or maybe because it takes care of carbs and protein all in one dish..not sure, either way, the credit goes to my friend Nancy. She featured it on her blog www.casualcuisine.blogspot.com. Thank you Nancy for this recipe that has become my favorite way to eat chicken (I've only changed the proportions slightly).

The tangy sauce is so delicious! You can use frozen chicken for ease and the chicken will come out tender and the potatoes crispy. This is one of my absolute favorite recipes! LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! It goes right next to my Moroccan chicken recipe (to be featured at a later date). Please try Nancy's recipe if you like feta or lemons.

Greek lemon chicken with potatoes also makes great leftovers. It makes a delicious dinner served with green beans and fresh tomatoes. Hope you love it as much as I do.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN WITH NEW POTATOES

Serves ~6

• 5-6 chicken quarters (or chicken breasts)--I used 2 lbs. of lean chicken tenders 
• 4 lbs. redskin  (or new) potatoes, quartered or cut in bigger chunks
• 1/2-3/4 cup FRESHLY squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. garlic, granulated (or about 4 small-medium cloves, minced)
• 1 tsp. paprika (smoked preferably)
• 2 Tbsp. oregano (I used fresh and LOVED the flavor)
• ~1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese--you can add more or less

Place chicken in deep baking pan (I used a large shallow baking pan and it seemed to work well also). Surround with potatoes. In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and oregano. Stir to combine all ingredients and drizzle mixture over chicken and potatoes.
Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the chicken and potatoes.

Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for an additional 1/2 hour to achieve a crisp light brown texture*. Serve hot.

*NOTE: Nancy said that even though she used frozen chicken, she still cooked the chicken at the same temperature and amount of time, and it was fully cooked and tender. But if your frozen meat is really thick, check for doneness (or about 170 degrees). If you need to cook it longer, place the foil back on it so the chicken does not get burnt.

Fiesta Chowder

I know, it's the day of the superbowl and everyone is eating dips and chips or ordering pizza or having barbeque sandwiches. Well, I figured I'd share a delicious Fiesta Chowder recipe, courtesy of Southern Living, that would bode well for a super bowl party. We had company over the weekend and everyone really liked it. It's one of my favorite soups and definately a good one to keep warm in the crock pot while people are over.

The original recipe called for cooked, chopped chicken, but I boiled and shredded mine this time--I wanted to see if it would work and it did. But I like either method just fine and included both methods.  I've even made this soup with Fri-Chik (vegetarian chicken). If you can't find a can of corn with red and green peppers, just use regular corn. I'll often use Rotel tomatoes and chilies and regular corn instead of the Mexican stewed tomatoes and chilies. It's really a fail-proof recipe! And a hit with all ages and sexes.

We served this soup with my hot corn dip (see recipe here), cheddar-chili bread (previous post), a wonderful strawberry orange almond salad (that my friend, Lindsay, brought over), and warm apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream (courtesy of my friend Chelsea). I'll see if I can procure those recipes for you all sometime. Dip, soup, bread, salad, comfort dessert, beer for the guys? Who's not going to be happy, right?

FIESTA CHOWDER
Adapted from Southern Living
The ingredient list may be long, but the results are fast and delicious.


Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (1.4-ounce) package fajita seasoning, divided
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive oil when I do fry the chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives (optional-but good!)
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed nacho cheese soup (I used cheddar cheese soup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice (I squeezed half a lime)

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions (my favorite), breadsticks (optional)
*Combine flour and 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and shake to coat. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring often, 4 minutes or until browned.

Reduce heat to medium-high; add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in remaining fajita seasoning, corn, next 5 ingredients, and, if desired, olives.

Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove lid, and stir in nacho (or Cheddar) cheese soup, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.

Garnish and serve with breadsticks, if desired (they recommend breadsticks, I recommend cheddar-chile bread--recipe to follow).

*Or use shredded boiled or roasted chicken and follow the recipe as follows (skipping the flour coating and frying, but adding all the fajita seasoning in with the soup).

NOTE: I threw everything except the condensed cheese soup in the crock pot (chicken was cooked this time) and left it on the lower setting for about 6-7 hours. An hour before serving, I added the nacho/Cheddar cheese soup and mixed it all in. It was a real winner in my book. So, you can try it that way too. Email me if you have any questions.

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I've been going to PFChang's for a few years now. I like it ok...but I LOVE their lettuce wraps. So after seeing the 'copycat' recipe online, I decided to try them. They were DELCIOUS! And I highly, highly recommend them. If you're like me, it will be the only time in your life that you will buy iceberg lettuce. But no matter what, read this carefully: BUY ICEBERG LETTUCE AND ONLY ICEBERG LETTUCE. No other greens can give you that crispy crunchy cold support. And you need it to make this dish successful.

One more thing to point out, I was in a horribly hurry and threw everything in the saute pan--and it STILL turned out amazing--but I can't imagine how much more awesome they would be if you were a better cook than myself and made it according to the recipe exactly (HA!). So, below, is the step by step instruction.

Having said that, I will let you know a couple things I learned so yours turn out better. 1) Chop your ingredients. Don't put them in the food processor. I had roasted chicken breast and wish I'd chopped it rather than pulverized it. I don't know what I was thinking.... Also, chop your mushrooms. 2) It's probably better not to use low-sodium soy sauce because you'll just end up having to use more of it to balance out the sweet ingredients and then you'll have more liquid to deal with.

Let me know if anyone tries them with veggie/mock chicken....I'd love to know how that worked out. I'm sure it'd be good too.

CHINESE CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

Serves 2-3

3 Tbsp. oil (We used half olive oil and half toasted sesame seed oil)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushroom (We used a bit more-baby portabellas)
3 Tbsp. chopped onions (I also added 2 green onions, chopped)
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. ketchup (I used slightly less)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp.hot mustard
2 tsp. water
*1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste (I also added a couple minced garlic cloves)

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp.brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

Make the special sauce by 1) dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil to the sugar/water mixture. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. 2) Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. (Eventually you will add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.)

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.

Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.

Keep oil in the pan, keep hot. As chicken cools MINCE water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

With the pan still on high heat, add another tablespoon of oil. Then, add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.

Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".

Top with special sauce.

YOU WILL NEED NAPKINS!!!!

*In case you're wondering what chili sauce was used, here it is. It deserves its own special space in this entry because many people regard it as a heavenly ingredient. All I know is that it is capable of powers beyond my capacity (for instance, picture your husband sweating and breathing heavily and sighing but going back for more and muttering things such as, 'whew', 'whoa', 'wow', 'so good'....) Almost felt like I should be wearing a cape and standing with my hands on my hips staring down at dinner.....

So maybe you should go buy a cape and make chicken lettuce wraps.

What's For Dinner? Foil Packets!

Foil packets can be made as simple or as gourmet as you'd like to make them. They're not just for camping! All you do is use aluminum foil and pile your chicken, vegetables, and potatoes/rice OR just potatoes/rice and vegetables for a vegetarian option. The chicken and potatoes/rice and vegetables all cook together by steaming. It's really a healthy way to eat dinner. (I've never made them with uncooked rice--only cooked rice. But, I have made them with uncooked potatoes and raw chicken--worked great.)

Making foil packets is one of the BEST and EASIEST ways to entertain and a fantastic way to use what you have in the fridge for dinner. It's a do-it-yourself kind of meal. For enertaining: set up a bar-type area with all the ingredients and everyone assembles their own meal. Just have a marker handy so everyone can add their names or initials to each packet for easy identification when the packets come out of the oven.

During the summer, you can place your packets on the grill so you don't heat up your house....in the winter, you can throw them in the oven. Foil pockets minimal clean-up--it's wonderful not to have to do dishes! And you can try a new version each time you make this meal!

There are no off-limits ingredients--it's just whatever you like or have in the fridge. Below are some ideas for ingredients to use--it's just a start. You can make Asian, Italian, Indian, Mexican, Greek, or Barbeque versions depening on sauces, cheeses or ingredients you use.

For the fastest version, use cooked potatoes and chicken. For a slower version, you can use all raw chicken and uncooked potatoes. Either way, keep the vegetables raw because they will cook fast.

ANY of these ingredients listed below can be used to make foil pack chicken (be sure to cut up your ingredients)--you pick & choose:

• Cream of mushroom soup (for a creamy sauce)-but I'm sure cream cheese or sour cream would work too-you can skip any sauce though
• Mushrooms (sauteed or fresh)
• Onions or green onions
• Garlic
• Red bell peppers
• Potatoes
• Cooked rice
• Green beans
• Zucchini or squash
• Brocoli and/or cauliflower
• Cheese--any kind or several different kinds (Parmesan, cheddar, feta, goat, mexican blend, etc.)
• Beans
• Olives
• Artichokes
• Spinach
• Celery or carrots
• Pine nuts
• Jalapenos
• Tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
• Chicken
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Hot sauce
• Salsa
• Seasonings of your choice (taco, italian, steak, etc.)
• Soy sauce
• Lemon juice
• White wine
• Red wine vinegar
• Barbeque sauce

To prevent sticking, spray each piece of foil with Pam or some type of cooking spray. Then layer all your desired ingredients and close up each foil packet leaving just a little bit of space for steam (basically, don't wrap it extremely tight).

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-35 minutes if your chicken is raw. If it is not, your packet may be ready in 20 minutes. If they are on the grill with high heat, they will probably be ready in about 25 minutes--and even less so if your potatoes and chicken are cooked or you are making a purely vegetarian version.

If I use raw chicken, I will often open the packet and broil for another 5-10 minutes to get a crispy top--keep your eye on it to prevent burning.

When they are done, everyone can either eat the meal out of the packets or spill the contents onto a plate. BE CAREFUL OPENING THE PACKETS!!!! Steam will escape and it can be easy to get burned.

Good luck & just to assure you, everyone loves these and it's really hard to screw this up :)

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti (Or What To Do With Leftover Pasta)

Here's an easy weeknight dish that can be prepared ahead of time or doubled and shared with a friend. It was inspired by something I saw in Southern Living a while back (you just can't go wrong with SL!). I did not use the broccoli, but I did use the mushrooms. We are hard-core mushroom lovers in this family.

Serve this casserole with a salad (or roasted green beans, as was our case) and some rolls and you are set.



CHEESY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI WITH MUSHROOMS

You can cover and refrigerate the casserole overnight, and sprinkle with cheese before baking. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until bubbly.

1/2 package of uncooked spaghetti (yes, you may go whole-grain)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
1-2 cups broccoli, cooked (optional)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes, un-drained (and chopped if using stewed)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided (I used a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Mozzarella, and a small amount of Cheddar)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (frozen is fine as long as you thaw it)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic (and mushrooms, if using); sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, seasoning, and salt; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes--adding broccoli during the last 2-3 minutes, if using. Stir in 1 cup cheese, cooked spaghetti, and chicken. Continue to cook until heated through.

Spoon into a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray (I used an 8x8 dish).

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.



Easy, Healthy, Chicken and Salsa Soup

Fall is here!!! Woo-hoo! I’m so inspired but I have to mark the cool weather start with soup—we LOVE soups. Chicken and salsa soup is a SUPER easy dinner to make when you are in a hurry and I guarantee it’s a surefire winner of a meal for guests too!

The beauty of this soup is that if you already have cooked chicken on hand, you don’t have to follow the directions below—you can throw all the ingredients in a soup pot and heat until it starts to boil. Then turn off the heat and your soup is ready!


CHICKEN AND SALSA SOUP

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
2 (14.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth (or approx. 3 1/2 cups)
1 to 2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. cumin (optional-but good)
1 1/2 cups loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
1 can black beans (about 14-15 oz), rinsed and drained (optional-but very good)
1 cup bottled chunky salsa (fresh salsa is best-I prefer the Herdez brand if fresh is not available)

For serving:
About 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese—Cheddar or Monterey is good (if your salsa is mild, you can use Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers instead)
*3 cups tortilla chips
Light sour cream (optional)

Combine chicken, water, broth and chili powder in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Cover; cook for 8 minutes. Uncover; add corn. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Stir in salsa; heat through. Sprinkle cheese over each serving. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream or any other toppings of your choice.

Makes about 6 servings.

**I like to use baked corn tortilla strips as a topping instead of tortilla chips: Cut about 10-12 corn tortillas into strips (any size) and spray lightly with olive oil (the olive oil version of ‘Pam’) and sprinkle lightly with salt (optional) and cumin/chili powder. Bake at 325-350 degrees for 5-10 minutes or so—when they start to turn brown, take them out of the oven. They help thicken the soup, when added before serving, and provide a great texture!

Grilled Chicken, Hummus, & Spinach Pizza

MORE PIZZA! In this house, you can never have too much pizza. And we like to break away from the traditional red sauce now and then....

I'm a huge fan of cooking once, using twice. We had leftover grilled chicken (from the previous entry) and therefore go to make this delicious pizza for dinner last night & I again have to thank Laura Curlin. All you need is pizza dough, spinach, hummus, grilled chicken and cheese (blend) & maybe some rosemary. An easy 7-ingredient meal if you have things handy....seriously, you can roll/spread out pizza dough with your hands!

GRILLED CHICKEN, HUMMUS, AND SPINACH PIZZA

4-6 oz. (1/2 cup-3/4 cup) part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup-3/4 cup cup plain hummus, preferably homemade; store bought is fine (see homemade hummus recipe below--the pizza will use about 3/4 of what is made below--I estimate)

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped or julienne cut (I left them whole)
1-2 grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast-sliced (I used 1.5 big chicken breasts)

1 tsp. fresh or dried minced rosemary

1 ball refrigerated pizza dough (see this entry for an easy home-made pizza dough recipe)

Place crust on cookie sheet and spread out with your hands (it's fine to keep it rustic looking). Spread the crust with hummus. Then top with the grilled chicken.

Even spread the spinach on the pizzas follow that up by spreading the cheeses and rosemary over the pizza.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until your cheese is started to brown and bubble and your crust has gotten golden/brown.

I make hummus all the time but I don't use written proportions. I was happy to receive Laura's recipe because it tastes so much like mine & I actually have proportions this time! Woo-hoo!

Thanks for a great recipe--I love to add paprika and cumin too! I never thought about adding the smoked flavor and while digging through my cupboards, found this amazing smoked salish salt purchased from our culinary tour in Seattle's Pike Place Market (World Spice Merchants). So I used regular paprika and smoked salt with great success.


CURLIN FAVORITE HUMMUS--this is great!

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, strain and reserve ¼ c. liquid
1/4 cup liquid from can
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sesame tahini (sesame seed paste found at Whole Foods or other natural markets--ask your grocer about it)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp. minced fresh garlic (about 2 small cloves)
¾ tsp. ground white pepper (black seemed ok too)
¾ tsp. fine ground sea salt
¼ tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika, pref. smoked

Strain the beans, reserving portion of liquid.

Using a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth, stirring to ensure even mixing consistency if necessary.

Spoon into covered container and refrigerate overnight before serving, if possible.

Store in refrigerator. Will last for 2 weeks. Hummus can be served alone or with pita chips and veggies.

Variations for Hummus: While blending hummus any of the following can be added to change the flavor: roasted red peppers, fresh basil, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pine nuts, artichoke hearts, fresh flat leaf parsley, black olives or olive tapenade, or sundried tomatoes.

Enjoy!!!!

Best. Marinade. Ever. Thank you John Stamos.

It's Labor Day! Many of us are grilling out today so I thought I'd post on my favorite chicken marinade.

So, never thought much of John Stamos --ok, except he was quite the hunk back in the late 80's-early 90's-yes, from Full House)....until I ran across a recipe. Embarrassingly enough, the recipe is from InStyle Magazine--back when I had time to care about that sort of thing. Well, this marinade has STYLE! You can't screw it up. You just can't. The marinade somewhat reflects the actor's Greek heritage..

For the first time ever, I manned the chicken breasts on the grill without my husband's help. It was pretty awesome....sort of, "I am woman, hear me roar" feeling--I may not like to take out the trash, but I WILL grill. Also, I tried to locate a link to the original InStyle article, but unfortunately, I believe the site has taken it down. (In my research, however, I was relieved to see that a law student commented that ingredient lists are not copyright protected.)

BEST CHICKEN MARINADE EVER

4 big chicken breasts (probably about 2 lbs, or a bit over)

Marinade:

1/4 cup white wine (not cooking wine)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of one lemon

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

3/4 tsp. salt

2-3 big garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper (he didn't call for this but I believe it to be essential)

Optional & my additions:

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/4 tsp. parsley
Zest of 1 lemon 

Mix the ingredients together. I like to put them in a sealed jelly jar and shake to mix.

Pour the marinade over the chicken in a sealed container.

Marinate for a couple of hours and you are ready to grill!!!

Serves 4.

Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie

So after dealing with the car in the shop this week and leaving the equivalent of a small vacation in funds there, I needed some comfort. And what do you feed hungry men? I have chicken, some standard vegetables, and a pie crust. Oh wait, where is that heavenly recipe Nancy introduced on her site a while back? The one that was to-die-for amazing?

Well, friends, I have to tell you--she was right. I also adore Pioneer Woman, but I must preface with 1) This is not the fastest recipe (unless you have Samurai skills with chopping vegetables)--but it is relatively uncomplicated (with the exception of carefully flipping a store-bought pie crust on top of a pie dish & crimping edges of pastry with hands--well, for me anyway--I don't work with pastry on a regular basis) and 2) This is not the healthiest recipe the way that the Pioneer Woman makes it or any of her recipes. However, I have done my best to make it somewhat more healthy--well, SOMEWHAT is key. And you don't miss the extra fat (which I guess I added some back with cheese) or a little tiny bit of whole grain in the filling. And, I'm sure you can make it with veggie-chicken too (no boiling/roasting required).

But, it's worth making it. I highly suggest reading through the recipe in its entirety before starting. And if you're going through the effort, go ahead and make two and freeze a pie or give to a tired woman that's just had a baby :)

From The Pioneer Woman Cooks

CHICKEN POT PIE

Makes one 9-inch pie

3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots, peeled (I left these unpeeled, but scraped them very clean)
1 large yellow onion
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter (I only used 2 Tbsp. & a teeny bit of olive oil)
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I roasted two frozen chicken breasts per pie-after sprinkling them with seasoning--Nancy boiled hers)1 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup white wine (optional) (all I had was dry vermouth & it made a really wonderful addition)1 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk and it was just fine!!)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Nancy's addition that I also made-great idea!)
1 tsp. ground thyme (like Nancy, I only used 1/2 tsp.)1 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 pie crust (I also cheated and used store-bought)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (I suggest you not do this until you're about to assemble the pie--I mean, it is SUMMER after all!)
Begin by finely dicing the vegetables (celery, carrots, and onion).

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and peas. (I waited to add the peas until I added the milk/cream--see further down--I like my peas a bit less "cooked"). Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.

(If you use less fat, like myself, the vegetables may brown a bit or stick to the bottom--if that happens, just add a little extra water or broth to prevent sticking).
Add the chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube and wine, if using. The flour will combine with the chicken to create a delicious gravy.

Pour in the milk/cream (and cheddar cheese if you choose to use it--and if you waited to add peas like myself, add them now too) and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes.

Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Be sure its adequately salted! (Since I did not use low-sodium broth, no extra salt was needed--however, I didn't realize this and my pie ended up a little too salty-just a warning). If you waited to preheat the oven, do so now at 400 degrees.

Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.

Roll out the crust so that it's 1 inch larger than the pan. Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal. Pioneer woman says: I don't worry about making a perfect edge on my chicken pot pie because 1) it looks more rustic and B) I'm lazy and hungry, and I want to eat (Couldn't agree more!).

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Use a large spoon to serve.

Now sit back and watch those men marvel. This last part is the easiest. Especially if you're lucky enough to have them offer to do the dishes. Good luck!