Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Bake

Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Bake
Serves 4

8 chicken legs

1 lemon
1 pound potatoes
10 garlic cloves
4 T olive oil
2-3 T fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
Fresh, coarse ground black pepper
1 1/2 t Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 F

Put chicken legs into a roasting dish. Cut potatoes and lemon into wedges. Add in the wedges and peeled garlic cloves.

Add in olive oil, coarsely chopped rosemary, salt and pepper, and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.

Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes until tender, fragrant, and beautifully browned.

**Notes from Em**
This recipe was AMAZING and so super easy. Next time I make it I think I'll throw in some cubed butternut squash, and maybe some green beans. I served it with a super simple side salad that had a Tuscan herb vinaigrette on it.

Foil Packet Chicken with Snow Peas and Carrots

Makes 4 packets
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

18-24 baby carrots
2 C sugar snap peas
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 small chicken breasts
2 T hoisin sauce
soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut 4 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil about 12 inches square (if you don’t have heavy-duty aluminum foil, use two pieces of regular aluminum foil for each packet). In a small bowl, combine garlic and ginger.

Arrange the carrots and peas on the aluminum foil. Sprinkle with the ginger/garlic mixture, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush the chicken on both sides with the hoisin sauce. Top each portion of vegetables with a piece of chicken. Salt lightly. Add 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce on top of the chicken.

Bring opposite sides of the foil up to meet over the chicken. Fold the edges together in a ¼-inch fold, and then fold over 3 more times. Fold the open edges at either end of the packet together in a ¼-inch fold, and then fold over twice again to seal.

Put the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes. Transfer the contents of each packet to a dinner plate and serve.

Grilled Chicken Tuscan Style

Serves 2
From Eating for Life

2 portions chicken breast
1 T olive oil
2 tomatoes, diced
2 T capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 t Mrs. Dash Tomato-Basil-Garlic seasoning
1/4 C fresh basil, sliced, divided
2 portions whole-wheat bread

Preheat grill to high

Place chicken on hot grill and cook for about 6 minutes, turnand grill for about 6 more minutes, until no longer pink in the center.

Whilte the chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add tomatoes and capers; saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in Mrs. Dash seasoning and half of the sliced basil; saute for 2 more minutes.

Place a portion of chicken on two separate plates on top each with half the tomato and caper mixture; sprinkle with the remaining fresh basil.

Place a portion of whole-wheat bread on each plate. Serve and enjoy!

**Notes from Em**
I didn't have the correct Mrs. Dash seasoning on hand, so I just seasoned the tomatoes with a bit of sun-dried tomato, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion. It was fantastically good.

Re-vamped Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

I made THIS recipe again tonight, but seeing as how we're on a strict diet, I had to find a lower carb/calorie way of doing it. Here's what needs to be changed:

-Don't marinate or bread the chicken, just season with salt and pepper
-Use fat free mayo. Seriously you won't notice the difference
- Add a few drops of Tobasco to the mayo to get a bite of a kick still. 5 drops or so
- Ditch the bun. It's a little messier, but still FANTASTICALLY good
Oh and just for good measure I now add 1t or so of soy sauce to the mayo. Very tasty

Lemon Chicken

From AllRecipes.com
Serves 6

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 T dry sherry
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
2 C vegetable oil
1/4 C cornstarch
1/2 t baking powder
1/3 C white sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 C chicken broth
1 T lemon juice
1 t salt
1 lemon, sliced
2 T vegetable oil

In a large bowl combine the chicken, sherry, soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together, cover and refrigerate. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, 1/4 cup cornstarch and baking powder to form a batter. In a work, heat 2 cups oil to 350 degrees F. Coat chicken with batter an fry in wok until browned. cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, 1 T cornstarch, broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together and add lemon slices. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok and slowly stir in lemon sauce mixture. Cook, stirring until sauce is clear. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

**Notes from Em**
I've never bothered to do the marinating part of this recipe, and it has always been really tasty.

Cooking the sauce in the hot oil is somewhat unnecessary. I usually just combine it all in a sauce pan, bring to boil stirring regularly, and it makes a pleasant, thick sauce.

Thai Chicken Salad

From Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings

6 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

~*Veg*n Options*~
I left the chicken off but still felt the need for something 'meaty'. I didn't have any tofu handy, and honestly I'm still afraid of cooking it, so I threw some canellini beans on there, and it was really tasty.

Chicken and Chayote Casserole

From Basket Recipes 4 You
Serves 6-8

1 pound chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound potatoes, chopped
3 chayotes squashes, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 t salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t ground black pepper
1/4 C oil
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, add in onion, pepper, garlic, salt an dblack pepper. Saute 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add in chicken. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Add in potatoes and squash. Stir together and cover. Reduce heat to medium. Stir occasionally until potatoes are soft and chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in parsley and tomatoes. Cook another 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are heated through.

**Notes from Em**
I ended up cooking this with halibut instead of chicken and it was actually really good. It would also be really good vegetarian, or with some tofu. I also threw in some freshly grated parmesan, maybe about 1/4 cup, added a nice subtle flavor. You could throw just about any vegetable in with this and it would be good. Nice way to use up those extra veggies that never seem to get eaten.

Chicken Pot Pie

From Williams-Sonoma
Serves 4-6

1 C sliced peeled carrots
1 C shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
1 C corn kernels
2 T unsalted butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, about 1 1/2 lbs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 T chopped shallot
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 C half-n-half
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 t water
Basic Pie Dough rolled into a 9-inch round

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bring a saucepan three-fourth full of lightly salted water to a boil. Using a pasta insert or large sieve, immerse the carrots and peas in the water and boil until crisp tender, 3-5 minutes. Lift out, drain, and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the corn, boiling for 1 minute. Set aside.

In a large frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Stir in the stock, wine, half-n-n half, and parsley and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce eh heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the carrots, peas, and corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. Brush some of the egg yolk mixture in a 1-inch border around the edge of the pie dough round. Place the round, egg side down, over the filling and press the dough to the rim of the dish. Trim off any overhanging dough and brush the surface lightly with the remaining egg yolk mixture. Cut a few slits in the center of the top with the tip of a knife.

Place the dish on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

**Notes from Em**

I substitute the vegetables around also using peas and green beans. So long as you have a total of 3 cups, and it's a veg that won't mush (like zucchini) you should be fine to use just about
anything.

When adding the liquids into your chicken/butter/flour mixture, do it really slowly like when you're making a roux. This will help to make sure the sauce gets nice and thick.

Super Easy Roast Chicken

The more pregnant I get (I'm 38 weeks right now) the less motivation I have to make spectacular dinners. It's just too much effort to stand up for that long. My desire for really tasty dinners however, has no decreased. So I decided to try my hand at a roast chicken. It's one of those meals that has always been intimidating to me for some reason, but this was really simple, super tasty, pretty healthy, and involved about 10 minutes total prep time for the entire meal.

1 whole chicken
2 T butter
Salt
Pepper
Marjoram
Savory
Stuffing mix - chicken flavored
Canned green beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using several paper towels, pat the chicken until it is dry. With your hands rub the chicken with butter, then sprinkle generously with all of the seasonings. Put in a roasting pan (or 9x13) and place in oven. Cook 20-25 minutes per pound of chicken until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180F.

Once the chicken is done, cook the stuffing according to its package direction, and heat the green beans.

**The 'official' pattern for carving a chicken is as follows: First remove the back legs and thighs. Next remove the wings. Finally remove the breast, and slice as desired. Once you've done that, you'll have to essentially 'clean' the rest of the chicken by hand. These small pieces are really good in soups etc.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

From Cooking Light

Serves 4

Mayo:
1/4 C reduced-fat mayo
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 t fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Chicken:
1/4 C egg substitute (or 1 large egg)
3 T hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
2 T olive oil

Remaining Ingredients:
4 Kaiser rolls, split
12 red onion slices
4 lettuce leaves

To prepare mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients

To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Place tortilla chips in a food processor; process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.

Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 chicken cutlet, top with top halves of rolls.

**Notes from Em**
We barely had enough of the mayo to do 3 sandwiches, so I would definitely at least double it next time. There was also a comment on the original website saying that Swiss Cheese was a good addition to this tasty sandwich.

I used the left over chicken to make a mock Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Just stick it on a hamburger bun with mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickle.

10/24 I made this again today and didn't do enough of the corn chips, so I used some Panko. I think that's what I'll use from now on. It was a lot easier, and it stuck to the chicken better.

India-Spiced Patties with Yogurt Sauce

From Rachael Ray
Serves 4

1 1/4 lbs ground chicken or lamb
2 T mild or hot curry paste
1 T grill seasoning
2 pinches of ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t ground coriander
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 C Greek yogurt
1 garlic cloves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
A generous handful of cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
A generous handful of mint
4 leaves of Bibb or Boston lettuce, Chopped
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
salt
4 pita rounds

Pre-heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.

Mix the ground chicken with the curry paste, grill seasoning, cinnamon, cumin and coriander and form into four large, 1/2-inch thick patties. Coat the patties with a little EVOO and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side (grill for 3 minutes on each side for lamb).

In a food processor, blend the yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice, cilantro and mint until smooth. Season the lettuce and tomatoes with a little salt.

Char the pitas on the grill, about 1 minute on each side, and cut about 1 inch off the tops. Open each pita and fill with a patty, a quarter of the chopped lettuce and sliced tomatoes and a generous spoonful of the yogurt sauce.

Chicken Enchilada

Chicken Enchilada

From Eating for Life

Serves 2

4 portions chicken breast
4 green onions, sliced
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 cans (10 oz each) green enchilada sauce
8 corn tortillas
1 C reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
2 C lettuce, shredded
1/2 C salsa
1/2 C light sour cream
1 tomato, diced
1 can (2 oz) ripe olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray

Place chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Shred cooked chicken by pulling apart with two forks; set aside.

Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, cilantro and jalapeno; saute for 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Pour the remaining 2 cans of enchilada sauce in a medium bowl and microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip each tortilla in the heated sauce and fill with about 1/8 of the chicken mixture. Roll up an place, seam-side down, in the prepared baking dish.

Pour remaining heated sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

Divide lettuce onto four plates and place a portion of enchiladas on top. Top with a spoonful of salsa, a dollop of sour cream, tomatoes and olives. Serve and enjoy!

Creamy Dill Chicken and Rice

Creamy Dill Chicken and Rice

Serves 8

4 - 6 Chicken breasts
2 Cans cream of chicken soup
1 C plan yogurt (or sour cream)
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
1/2 T dill

Combine all ingredients and place in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over a bed of cooked rice.

**Notes from Em**
The original recipe called for twice as much of the ingredients for the sauce, but I found it made WAY too much sauce. I had literally half a crock pot of sauce left and no more chicken. But if you're a sauce person, feel free to take it back to its original doubled amount.

I've also decided it would be really good to throw some baby carrots and/or frozen peas in there

Chicken Milano

Here is it folks, the dish that I credit with helping me to understand that cooking can be loads of fun. I don't know where the recipe originally came from. All I know is that I made it for my brother and his girlfriend (now wife) for a Valentines Day dinner (he found the recipe and taught it to me), and I've been making it for friends and family ever since. This is one of those recipes that EVERYONE loves, and generally asks me for the recipe.

Chicken Milano

Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 C Italian bread crumbs
4 T butter
3 C marinara sauce
1 C heavy cream (milk works too)
1/4 C fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 C fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 C Swiss Cheese

Put the flour and Italian bread crumbs each on a separate plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Place the breaded chicken breasts in the heated pan just until the bread crumbs turn golden brown, approximately 2 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish. Combine the marinara sauce and cream, pour over chicken breasts. Sprinkle each of the cheeses evenly over the chicken breasts. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

**Notes from Em**
Make sure to check the dish during the last 10 minutes of cooking. If the cheese is starting to brown, put a sheet of tinfoil over the top. Just be warned if the cheese touches the tinfoil it'll stick to it.

My personal favorite way to serve this recipe is with sauteed vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini or yellow squash, pea pods etc. Simply slice the vegetables fairly thin, put them in a skillet on medium-high heat, throw in 1 T or so of butter, some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion, and saute it all until the veggies are just starting to soften. It's also fun to put the chicken on top of a bed of angel hair pasta, or serve some yummy crusty bread on the side.

Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry

Thai Kitchen

Serves 2-4

2 chicken breasts, diced
1/4 C bamboo shoots
1/2 C frozen peas
1/3 C chicken stock
14 oz coconut milk
1/2-1 T green curry paste
1-2 T fish sauce
2 T brown sugar

Heat a large, lightly greased wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until mostly done, stirring occasionally. Add bamboo shoots and frozen peas, stirring occasionally. While the chicken mixture is finishing, combine coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Whisk until well combined and set over medium heat. Add chicken stock. Once the sauce begins to boil add it to the chicken mixture. Allow it all to come to a simmer, then serve over rice.

**Notes from Em**
I like to add carrot, green pepper, cashews and pineapple to my curry, and I don't use the chicken stock or peas. Other vegetables that would be good in this recipe are tomatoes, sweet potatoes, egg plant or zucchini.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

As far as I know, this recipe comes straight out of the brain of my mother. She had a different recipe for the casserole, and has since turned it into this version, which is technically the Dutch Oven version. This is a great make-ahead and freeze any left-overs type of recipe.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

From Mama Jean

Serves 8-10

4 chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 Large can of enchilada sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
2 C shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne (optional)


In a large pot mix all ingredients together.  Heat on medium until warmed through, stirring occasionally.  Serve in a tortilla or over chips.

Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice

Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice

From Cooking Light

Serves 12

I T peanut oil
1 C chopped onion
1 1/2 T minced garlic
2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 C chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 t yellow curry powder
1 t salt
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
3 C chopped plum tomato
2 (14 oz) cans fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
8 C hot cooked brown rice
3/4 C 2% Greek-style yogurt

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes ot until tender, stirring frequently. Add chickent o pan, cook 4 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in peanut butter and next 5 ingredients (through tomato paste); cook 1 minute. Add tomato and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve chicken mixture over rice; top each serving with yogurt.

Roasted Orange-Herb Game Hens

Roasted Orange-Herb Game  Hens

From Epicurious.com

Serves 2

2 T chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as thyme, parsley, and mint)
2 T minced shallots
2 t grated orange peel
1 large Cornish game hen, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 T butter, room temperature
1/2 C low-sat chicken broth
1/4 C orange juice
2 T dry sherry
2 thin orange slices

Preheat oven to 450 F. Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Slide fingertips under skin of hen halves to loosen. Spread 1/4 of herb mixture under skin of each hen half. Rub skin with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place hen halves in shallow roasting pan.

Roast hen halves until golden and cooked through, adding broth after 10 minutes and basting twice throughout cooking time, about 30 minutes.

Transfer hen halves to platter. Place roasting pan directly atop burner over medium heat. Add juice, Sherry and remaining herb mixture; boil until reduced, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over hen halves, garnish with orange slices, and serve.

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

 

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

From Eating for Life

4 Servings

 1/3 c brown rice (uncooked)
4 portions chicken breast (about 1lb)
1 lime, halved
2 t taco seasoning
6 corn tortillas
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
6 C fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 T salsa
1/4 C fat-free sour cream
2 T cilantro, chopped

Cook brown rice according to its package directions. While the rice is cooking, place chicken breast in a shallow dish; cover with lime juice, and lightly coat both sides with taco seasoning. Place chicken on a hot grill and cook for approximately 6 minutes on each side. Let the chicken cool slightly, then cut it into strips and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F and cut corn tortillas into 1/2-inch strips, then place them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are crispy then set aside.

While the tortilla strips are baking, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; saute until the onion is transparent, about 8 minutes.

Add cooked rice to the pot and saute for 3 minutes. Add green chilies and saute for 2 more minutes. Pour fat-free chicken broth into the mixture and bring it to a boil. Add sliced chicken and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 25 minutes.

Place a few baked tortilla strips in the bottom of bowls and spoon about a fourth of the soup into each. Garnish each bowl with a few more tortilla strips, a spoonful of salsa, fat-free sour cream and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!!!

Note: Sante Fe Chicken Soup is a delicious and nutritious "planned-over." Consider making extra servings and storing them in portion-sized (about two cups) airtight containers; refrigerate for use in one or two days, or freeze for up to two months. Store without the tortilla strips and garnish. Microwave to reheat for quick lunches and dinners