Slow Cooker Enchiladas

I printed out this recipe fully intending to use the slow cooker for it, but due to a busy, hectic weekend, I ended up just baking them in the oven. However, I love that I can make them in the slow cooker in the future. These are so good! I think that they are my second favorite after the honey-lime ones I made awhile back. As usual, I made some adaptations, but the idea was not mine.

Source: http://thekitchn.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa ( I used 1 jar salsa)
( I added 1/2 can tomato sauce mixed with 1/2 can of Pato sauce to the salsa.) (I find Pato sauce in the international food aisle at the grocery store along with all of the Mexican salsas, etc.)
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef ( I used shredded chicken)

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.
Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.
Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.
Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Additional Notes:
• You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6-8 hours on LOW), but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!
• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• We haven’t tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn't be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.

Leftover Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

This is a really good recipe for chicken soup. I really liked the infusion of some of the Asian spices. I added bowtie pasta to it, in order to make it more like chicken noodle soup. Note: This recipe was copied directly from the source, my changes are noted in parenthesis.

Source: http://donalskehan.com

Ingredients:
Leftovers of half a roast chicken, shredded
1 litre/2 pints of homemade chicken stock
2 x 400g tins sweetcorn ( I bag frozen corn)
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil ( canola oil)
1 large thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely chopped (grated)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (grated)
1 tablespoon of soy sauce1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2 eggs lightly beaten ( I omitted)
4 spring onions, finely sliced, diagonally

Directions:
In a large pot with a little oil, fry the garlic and ginger for about 3 minutes, add the corn and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add a little bit of the chicken stock and, with a hand blender, blitz the mixture until it becomes smooth.
Add the rest of the chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Beat the eggs in a Pyrex jug, which will make it easy for you to trickle them into the soup.
Reduce the heat and while the soup is still simmering, stir it continuously in a figure of eight motion and gently trickle in the beaten egg a little bit at a time to form thin strands.
Add the chicken shreds and stir through. Serve with a generous garnish of spring onions.

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I retrieved this recipe from Ellie Krieger's cookbook, So Easy. This recipe really is easy. Using a rotisserie chicken helped this recipe come together for a perfect weeknight meal. I loved the sauce! I added a bit more molasses to it because it is one of my favorite things, so good and healthy!

Source: So Easy by Ellie Krieger

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons molasses ( I added 1 more tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke ( I omitted)
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls
6 large green lettuce leaves

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.
Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll.

Per Serving:
Calories 440; Total Fat 12 g; (Sat Fat 2.5 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 3.5 g) ; Protein 36 g; Carb 47 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 400 mg

Glazed Chicken & Peaches

This is a delicious recipe. It is a great combination of sweet and savory. The recipe suggests serving it with cheese biscuits, which I did.

Source: Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
4 peaches, pitted and thickly sliced or halved ( I used 1 pkg frozen)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I doubled)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs ( I omitted)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, chopped
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated or minced
3/4 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup peach preserves
2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot brand ( I omitted)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:
Heat a medium size skillet with the butter over medium heat. Add the peaches and the juice of 1/2 lemon and cook until tender and lightly golden, 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
While the peaches cook, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, a turn of the pan, in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Cut the chicken breasts in half across the center of each breast to make four equal portions. Add the chicken breasts and thighs to the pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes, then remove to a plate and cover with foil.
Drizzle the pan with the remaining EVOO, half a turn of the pan. Add the chopped shallot and the ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the stock, preserves, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and season with black pepper, to taste. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes to thicken. Arrange the chicken and peaches on a platter and douse with peach sauce. Serve one piece of light meat and one thigh per person.

Chicken Paprikash

I found this recipe while browsing one of my favorite blogs. It is delicious! It would even be good without the chicken. You could substitute any protein or omit protein altogether. It came together pretty quickly for a weeknight meal as well.

Source: http://cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com
also adapted from Saveur

Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup flour + 2 tablespoons
1⁄4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 and 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
sea or kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 Italian frying pepper or green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped or 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
12 ounces egg noodles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I omitted)
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped(I omitted)

Directions:
1. Use a meat mallet to tenderize the chicken and pound it out until it's even in width (not too thin). Season with salt and pepper. Put 1⁄2 cup flour on a plate, dredge chicken, shake off excess. Heat oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat or in an extra large deep-sided skillet. Cook chicken until browned about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside. 3. Add paprika, peppers, tomatoes and onions to pot along with additional olive oil if needed. Cook, stirring often until onions are soft and tender. Add chicken and broth, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until cooked through about 15 minutes. Meanwhile cook egg noodles according to package directions. 4. Whisk together 2 tablespoons flour and sour cream in a medium bowl then whisk in 3⁄4 cup of sauce from pot. Stir sour cream mixture into sauce in pot. Remove from heat. 5. Drain egg noodles and stir in butter and parsley. Serve with chicken.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

This recipe is so good and fairly healthy. The only change that I made is to use corn tortillas instead of flour. In my opinion, flour tortillas should NEVER be used for enchiladas! This will make 9-10 enchiladas if you use corn tortillas.

Source: http://recipeindulgence.blogspot.com


Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken, shredded
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 (10 ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
mozzarella cheese, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded
flour tortillas (I used corn)

Directions:
1. Mix together honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder. Add to chicken and let soak for 30 minutes.
2. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick spray and pour enchilada sauce so it coats the bottom of the pan.
3. Fill tortillas with shredded chicken and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in baking pan.
4. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over chicken and and sprinkle more cheese on top.
5. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Floribean Chicken Chili

This is a really great chili recipe. I loved that it was sweet and smoky. I LOVED the addition of molasses, which added so much depth. I may just add it to every chili recipe!



Source: http://theperfectpantry.com

Adapted from a recipe in Parade magazine by Sheila Lukins, the dish serves 6-8; can be doubled or tripled (and frozen).

Ingredients:
2-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 onion, divided (half cut into two large chunks, half diced)
1 carrot, halved
2 celery ribs, halved
2 bay leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander ( I omitted)
3 black peppercorns ( I omitted)
1 15-oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained ( I used 2 cans Ranch Style beans)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 4-oz can roasted green chilies
4 oz diced chicken andouille or other spicy sausage ( I used turkey kielbasa)
2 tsp each ground coriander, cumin, and chili powder (mild or hot, to taste)
1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp molasses ( I used 2 tbsp)
1 Tbsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo ( I omitted)
1 tsp agave nectar or honey, or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water (I omitted)

For garnishes (optional):1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1 ripe mango, diced
1 ripe tomato, diced
Chopped cilantro
Grated Monterrey Jack pepper cheese or other cheese

Directions:
Place chicken along with the two large chunks of onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, lime juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and peppercorns in a large heavy pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a bowl. Strain broth through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into another bowl, and set aside. Shred the chicken and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add chopped onions, green chilies and sausage; cook for 8 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons each of coriander, cumin and chili powder; cook 3-4 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, chipotle, agave or honey, and reserved chicken cooking liquid. Simmer 20-25 minutes. Add cilantro, beans and chicken. Cook for 10 minutes longer. Add cornstarch slurry to the stew and stir. Cook for 5 minutes until the stew thickens slightly. ( I skipped this step)

Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk

This is one of the best recipes for chicken that I have ever had. It may seem like a strange combination, but it really works! Go to Jamie's website for more delectable recipes!

Source: http://jamieoliver.com
Note: Recipe was copied directly from Jamie's site.



Ingredients:
• 1 x 1.5k/ 3½lb organic chicken
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 115g/4oz or ½ a pack of butter
• olive oil
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 good handful of fresh sage, leaves picked
• zest of 2 lemons
• 10 cloves of garlic, skin left on
• 565ml/1 pint milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5, and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even colour all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan which will give you a lovely caramelly flavour later on.
Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it on to your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato.

Zingy Quick and Tasty Stir Fry

I really loved this recipe. I made a few changes, such as add shredded chicken and mushrooms. I also added a bit of brown sugar to the sauce instead of honey.

Source: http://thegoodmoodfoodblog.com

Serves four

Ingredients:
16 oz noodles of your choice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey (I used brown sugar)
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 c shredded cooked chicken
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 carrots, grated or sliced in thin matchsticks
½ head Chinese cabbage, roughly shredded
1 red onion, sliced into thin half moons
2 cloves garlic, finely minced1 red chili, finely chopped
1 package of mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside.Whisk together the soy sauce, honey or brown sugar, lime juice and olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl. Add in the chopped veggies, except for the onion, garlic and chillies, and toss until everything is combined. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until it’s very hot, add the onion, chili and garlic and stir-fry for about 40 seconds. Add in the veggies and stir fry until they are tender. You can check this by taking a bite.Then add the noodles and toss in with all the veggies until combined, then fry for a further minute. Serve straight away or allow to cool then pop in a lunchbox for the next day.

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

This is a really light version of chicken pot pie. The recipe was good if you are looking for a light meal, but it definitely was not as good as a chicken pot pie!

Source:http://lovestoeat.wordpress.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup half & half or heavy cream
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded into bite sized pieces
1 cup frozen peas & carrots mix
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1-2 cups whole wheat dry penne pasta (or any penne pasta will do)
water for boiling pasta

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. When done, place hot penne pasta in a large bowl and set aside.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion, garlic and mushrooms in the skillet until golden brown.Sprinkle in the flour over the mushroom mixture in the skillet and stir. Cook for a few seconds to rid the floury smell then add the broth, half & half (or heavy cream) to the skillet. Deglaze the skillet, scraping up any bits of fond at the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered until the liquid is slightly thickened.Add the chicken, frozen peas and carrots mix, lemon juice, and thyme to the skillet. Cook until heated through and season with salt & pepper to taste. Place the hot penne pasta into the skillet and toss to combine. Add the cooked penne pasta and toss to coat pasta. Serve hot.

Salsa Verde Chicken Soup with Dumplings

This is a good chicken stew recipe. I loved the addition of salsa verde! I made a few adjustments such as, I added cumin, carrots and celery to the recipe because that is what I like in my chicken soup. I also used homemade chicken stock, which made the recipe extra flavorful. I wasn't crazy about the dumplings though. I think that it would be better with noodles instead of dumplings.

Serves 8

Source:http://savorysweetlife.com/

Chicken
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter ( I used 1 tbsp)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour ( I used 1/4 cup)
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 jar (15 ounces) salsa verde (2 cups)
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 large rotisserie chicken, meat deboned and left in large chunks (about 6 cups)

Dumplings
1 cup whole milk ( I used 1%)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Chicken: Heat butter over medium-high heat in a large (11 – 12 inch), deep ovenproof skillet or 5-6 quart Dutch oven. Add in carrots, celery and cumin. Mix well and cook until semi-soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to make a paste. Mix broth, salsa verde, and evaporated milk and whisk in all at once. Whisk, vigorously at first, until mixture simmers and thickens to sauce consistency. Stir in chicken, heat through, and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
Dumplings: Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until steamy. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, scallions, and cilantro in a medium bowl with a fork. Stir in milk mixture to form a smooth, firm dough. Pinch off Ping-Pong-ball-size pieces of dough with your fingers and drop onto chicken mixture. Return chicken to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer pan to oven and bake until dumplings are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

Homemade Chicken Stock

I have always wanted to make chicken stock, but was always intimidated by it. I can't believe I never tried it before, it was so easy and so much better than the canned/box varieties. The canned box varieties are good for a time crunch though as this is kind of time consuming.


Source: http://simplyrecipes.com

1. Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley.
2. Add salt and pepper, about 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.
3. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer.
4. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.
5. Remove the bones and strain the stock.
6. If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.

Spicy Honey Brushed Chicken

This is my favorite recipe for chicken. I love this rub! I have used it for all kinds of meat, not just chicken. It is sweet, smoky and spicy. The recipe calls for using the broiler, but I usually grill it for the extra smoky flavor.

Source: Cooking Light Magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
8 boneless chicken thighs (I prefer breasts, so that is what I use)
Cooking spray
6 tbsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
3. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 c honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Crescent Chicken Pockets

This is such an easy recipe and so good. It makes a great weeknight meal. Just pair it with a salad or roasted veggies and you are good to go!
Note: I did not spray the finished product with oil and it turned out fine. I also used light cream cheese and I sprinkled the tops with oregano and parm cheese.

Source: delish-blog.com

Ingredients:
3 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. butter, softened
2 c cooked chicken. diced/shredded
2 Tbsp milksalt & pepper, to taste
1 (8 oz) can reduced-fat Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
3/4 c seasoned croutons, crushed (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and 1 tablespoon softened butter; stir until smooth. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and milk. Mix well.
Separate dough into 4 rectangles (combine two crescents). Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture; twist firmly. Pinch edges to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Gently spray tops of chicken pockets with olive oil; sprinkle with crushed croutons. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Adapted from Southern Living Homestyle Cooking, 2002

Southwest Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is one of the best salads that I have ever tasted. I altered the recipe considerably to fit the tastes of my family, but the original would have been good as well.

Adapted from:http://anediblesymphony.blogspot.com/2009/07/chipotle-chicken-salad-for-quick.html

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken or 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 - 1 c frozen corn, thawed
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c light mayo
1/4 c light sour cream
Juice from 1 whole lime
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
3-4 potatoes, cooked until slightly soft and diced

Directions:

If using chicken breast halves, lightly coat in olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast them in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until no longer pink.
Shred the chicken after it cools and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the veggies and potatoes, add in the chicken.
Combine the cilantro, mayo, sour cream, lime juice, cumin and chili powder in a food processor or blender.
Pour the mayo mixture over the chicken mixture and combine well.
Salt to taste.

Southwest Chicken Salad with Creamy Green Chili Dressing

It is about 110 + degrees here in Phoenix so I am trying to come up with recipes that are cool and refreshing. This recipe was everything that I was looking for. I really loved the chicken marinade, but the dressing was extremely strong and a bit bitter. I made it taste better by adding a little bit of honey to it. I think that the salad would be just as good if you eliminated the dressing and just used a little red wine vinegar instead.

Source: Adapted from weightwatchers.com
Serves 8 Points per serving = 4

Ingredients:
1/2 c lime juice
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/4 c cilantro, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated or pressed
1.5 pounds uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium red peppers, chopped
2 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 medium scallions, sliced
2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
4 oz can diced green chilies
1 c plain fat free yogurt
1 tbsp cilantro, fresh
1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, peeled and left whole
1 tbsp honey ( optional)

Instructions:
Combine lime juice, cumin, 1/4 c chopped cilantro and chopped garlic in a large resealable bag. Add chicken and shake to coat with the mixture. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat broiler or grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side; set aside.

In a large bowl combine beans, lettuce and other vegetables.

To make dressing: Combine remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Slice cooled chicken and mix into the salad.

Morroccan Skillet Chicken with Pine Nut Couscous

This was really good. I love just about anything that contains cinnamon. My dh ate it, but I don't think he appreciated the flavor combination as well as I did. Oh well you win some lose some, right?

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray August 2009

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander ( I omitted)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 pounds boneless dark or white meat chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces ( I used 1 pound and it was plenty)
2 tbsp EVOO ( I used 1)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves of garlic, diced ( I used 2)
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced and one juiced ( I used 1 lemon thinly sliced only)
Salt and pepper
1 c pitted large green olives ( I omitted)
2.5 c chicken stock
1 tbsp butter ( I omitted)
1.5 c Couscous
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
1 c flat leaf parsley ( I omitted)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together the spices. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
2. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat until rippling and beginning to smoke. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and lemon; season with s&p. Cook , stirring frequently until the onion is soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add 1 c chicken stock, the olives and lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1.5 c chicken stock to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the pine nuts. Top the chicken with parsley. To serve, top the couscous with the chicken mixture.

Serves 6

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

I decided to make pasta salad for my husband this Father's Day because it is one of his favorite foods. This recipe is really good. I made a few changes to the original, which I have noted in parenthesis. This meal feeds an army, so if you don't have an army living at your house, be prepared for leftovers!

Source:http://recessionipies.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 lemon
1 pound penne
1 red pepper ( I omitted)
1 green pepper
3 cups celery ( I used 1 cup)
1 red onion
1 ¼ cups Kalamata Olives ( I omitted)
¼ cup fresh dill ( I used 2 tbsp)
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsps mayonnaise
2 tbsps Dijon mustard ( I used 1)
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil ( I used 2 tbsp)
1 tsp sugar ( my addition)
Salt
Pepper
1 c cauliflower (my addition)
1 cucumber, peeled and diced (my addition)
3 scallions, diced (my addition)
1 carrot, peeled and diced (my addition)

Directions:
Cook the penne in boiling, salted water until al dente. Strain into a colander and refresh the pasta under cold water.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan on a burner, and brush the chicken with approx. 1 tbsp olive oil. Grill the chicken breasts for about 8 minutes, then use tongs to flip over. Continue grilling on the reverse side for about another 6-8 minutes, until cooked through but still moist. Remove from heat and transfer to a shallow dish. Pour the lemon juice over, and allow the chicken to cool.

While the chicken and pasta are cooking, chop the vegetables, thinly slice the celery, and combine in a large bowl. Toss together with the cooked pasta. Remove the chicken from the dish, making sure to reserve the juices. Slice the chicken thinly, and add the slices to the penne mixture.

In a small bowl, combine the reserved chicken and lemon juices with the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, a few grinds of black pepper and a few dashes salt, to taste. Whisk well, them stream in the olive oil as you continue whisking. Pour the dressing over the penne mixture and toss well.

WW Points = 7 for 1 cup

Crockpot Green Chili Chicken and Rice

This recipe is easy, cheap and delicious, exactly the kind of meal that appeals to me. I even used the leftovers in burritos the next day for lunch.

Source:http://picky-palate.com

3-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
2 cans 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup
4 0z can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's garlic salt with parsley
6 Cups steamed rice of choiceBlue Corn Tortilla Chips, crumbled for garnish (I used brown rice)


1. Place chicken, soup, green chilis, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic salt into crockpot on low. Let cook for 6-8 hours or until chicken is fork tender and falls apart easily. With 2 forks, shred chicken in the sauce and season with additional seasonings if desired. Spoon over bowls of rice then garnish with crumbled tortilla chips.

4 servings

WW Points = 7 including 1 c brown rice

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Salad

I am always looking for new ways to cook chicken. What attracted me to this recipe was the pecans and the dressing for the salad, plus I LOVE fruit in my salad. The chicken was very good, but I had a difficult time getting the pecans to adhere to the chicken. I think that If I made it again I would finely process the pecans in the food processor and omit the breadcrumbs. The dressing for the salad was out of this world, so good that I think I could just eat it with a spoon!

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7 chicken tenderloins or 2 medium chicken breasts, sliced
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
1 red apple, thinly sliced
1 green apple, thinly sliced
3-4 big handfuls lettuce
1 cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, shredded
raisins (optional – I didn’t use raisins but I think they’d go really well in this salad)

Dressing:
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the chicken:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F and line and/or grease a baking sheet.
2. Season your chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
3. If you don’t have bread crumbs, toast 3 pieces of bread and pulse in food processor.
4. Combine the chopped pecans and breadcrumbs together with cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk.
5. Dredge the chicken tenders in the egg, then dredge in pecan mixture. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Salad & Dressing:
1. Combine the apples, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and raisins (if you’re using them) in a large bowl.
2. Combine dressing ingredients in bowl and whisk until well combined.
3. Toss the salad with dressing and serve the chicken over the salad.
Serves 4.