Chicken Peanut Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients

For stir fry sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil


For Peanut Chicken:
2 chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb. total), diced
8 leaves of greenleaf or iceburg lettuce
3 tablespoons canola oil (or oil of choice)
1 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

[1] For stir fry sauce: Mix all ingredients making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.

[2] Heat canola oil in pan over medium to medium high heat. Add diced chicken and brown (about 4-5 minutes). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon soy sauce to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken, and peanuts. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.

[3] Spoon chicken mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Enjoy!


These were scrumptious, but be forewarned, it will stink up your kitchen! ;)

Chicken and Stuffing

Probably my favorite meal my Dad made while I was growing up and my favorite meal to make for my family today. So easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of celery or mushroom (I alternate, though I think I prefer the cream of mushroom.)
8 oz sour cream
6 chicken breasts
1 package of stuffing (the package I get is 6 oz)
1/2 stick of butter

Directions: Preheat oven to 350.

[1] Boil chicken until cooked through. Save pot of chicken stock (you'll need a cup of stock in a minute.) Cut chicken into desired size - I do bite-sized just for the ease of feeding children. Arrange chicken in a 13x9 casserole dish.

[2] In a bowl, mix sour cream, can of cream of chicken and can of cream of celery. Pour mixture over chicken in casserole dish.

[3] Evenly pour package of stuffing over chicken and sauce. (Traditionally my family used the cubed stuffing and this is what Cristin still likes, but recently I've decided I like the chicken-flavored crumb stuffing by Stove Top. Again, it seems easier for the kids to eat and the chicken flavoring is delicious on it. But this part is up to you - find one you like and stick with it!)

[4] Melt butter and drizzle over top of stuffing. Get one cup of chicken stock from pot you boiled the chicken in and also pour over top of stuffing.

[5] Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.


You'll have left-overs with 2 adults and 2 kids, but when Cristin and I make this to share between our families there is just barely enough for 4 adults and 3 kids.



Super quick and easy, and I've never seen anyone not like this dish. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Garlic-Parm-Cracker Chicken

Sorry for the huge hiatus, everyone.
Let's jump right back in!





I did some combining of recipes and made Ritz Cracker chicken but added the Garlic Bread Seasoning from Our Best Bites to the crackers that I crushed up. It was so moist and delicious and super easy.

Garlic Bread Seasoning ingredients:

1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. marjoram

2 tsp. parsley

[1] Combine ingredients in a jar (preferably one with a sprinkle top) and shake.

Ingredients needed for chicken:

2 eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz Crackers
1/2 stick of butter
6 chicken breasts

[1] Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees, place eggs in one bowl, combine cup of crushed Ritz and Garlic Bread Seasoning in a separate bowl.

[2] Dip each chicken breast in egg and then dredge in cracker/seasoning mix. Place in casserole dish.

[3] Cut in butter into pieces and arrange around chicken breasts.

Bake 35-40 minutes.

I added enough of the Garlic Bread Seasoning to look evenly mixed with the crackers. You should have some extra - use the left overs to make some garlic bread!
I served the chicken with rice and green beans. My 3-year-old loved it - he had seconds of the chicken. Enjoy!

Ryan's Chicken Alfredo Pizza

(And Natalie's)

Makes 2 pie pans of pizza

Sauce:

1 cup parmesan cheese
1 pint heavy whipping cream (use just a little less than the whole pint, Ryan eyeballs it)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
chopped garlic until you can smell it in the pot (that's literally what Ryan told me)

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer on stove top until well combined and cheese has melted.



Dough:

3 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 tsp shortening
1 cup boiling water
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast (1 packet)
6 tsps water
3 cups flour

Mix sugar, salt, shortening in the cup of boiling water. Stir until everything combines in the water. Let cool.
Soften yeast in 6 tsps water. Add to sugar mixture once softened.
Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix until smooth. Add remaining flour and knead. Put towel over bowl and allow 1 hour to rise.

Preparing the pizza and chicken:

You will need a bottle of olive oil, a bottle of Italian dressing and 1 cup or more of grated mozzarella cheese.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Soak chicken in Italian dressing in a ZipLock bag for 15 minutes (or longer). Grill and the cut into bite-sized chunks.
Coat pizza pan with olive oil. Form dough in pan. Glaze top of dough with olive oil. Fill dough generously with alfredo sauce. Add chicken chunks. Finish with mozzarella on top. (The more, the better, in our opinion.)
Bake on lowest rack for 20-25 minutes until cheese on top is the color brown that you prefer.

Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35-40 minutes

6	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6	slices prosciutto
6	slices provolone cheese
1/2	cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3	cup butter, melted
1	cup panko bread crumbs
	heavy-duty round toothpicks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

[1] Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts thin. Season with salt and pepper and top each breast with a slice of the proscuitto, a slice of cheese and basil. Gently roll up into a log and secure tightly, using several toothpicks.

[2] Place the melted butter in a shallow dish and the breadcrumbs on a plate.

[3] Dip the chicken rolls in the melted butter and then roll in the breadcrumbs.

[4] Place the chicken rolls in a baking pan and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes and remove the foil. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Remove the toothpicks and serve.

Sooooo.... I didn't have a mallet or the toothpicks, so I decided to just put the prosciutto, cheese and bread crumbs on top of the chicken. I mixed the butter with the bread crumbs and basil before hand and smushed them on top. It was dang tasty, so maybe next time I will do the whole hammer thing.

per serving: 380 calories; 42 grams protein; 20 grams total fat; 0 grams fiber; 11 grams saturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 130 mgs cholesterol; 617 mgs sodium
9 weight watcher points

Grilled Chicken Salad

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes

1	10.5 ounce jar marinated feta cheese cubes in oil with herbs and spices
2	tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2	tablespoons red wine vinegar
6	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1	red onion , peeled, and cut into1/2-inch wedges
6	ounces fresh spinach
4	tomatoes , in assorted colors, cut into wedges
2	cups grape tomatoes
1/2	cup kalamata olives, pitted, halved

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

[1] Drain oil from feta into a small bowl. Whisk in oregano and vinegar.

[2] Brush chicken and onion wedges with a little olive oil;. Grill chicken until cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side, and onion until tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes.

[3] Meanwhile, arrange spinach on large platter. Combine tomatoes, olives, and feta in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat generously. Arrange on platter with spinach.

[4] Thinly slice chicken; arrange chicken and onion wedges on platter. Drizzle chicken and spinach with more dressing and serve.

I ended up pan-frying the chicken breasts until they were cooked through because none of the boys were available for grilling last night. :) They were super moist and juicy - I just sprayed both sides and the pan with some olive oil cooking spray and cooked them about 8 minutes on each side, flipping occasionally. I cooked the onions while the chicken was resting.. they tasted great in the chicken drippings that were left in the pan.
Now, I didn't bother with getting different colored tomatoes - I just used the grape tomatoes (which I cut in half) and some vine-ripened tomatoes cut into wedges.
If you don't know what kalamata olives taste like then you will probably be surprised by what a strong flavor they have. Personally, I love they way they taste, but Mark and Cristin thought they were too overwhelming, so next time I may just throw regular olives in. (And pretty much forget about a kid eating them.)
I didn't "arrange on a platter", as you can tell from the pictures. I just put the spinach in one bowl, the tomato-feta-olive mixture in another bowl and the chicken and onions on a plate and let everyone build their own salad. Overall this was a very fresh, flavorful dish!



per serving: 396 calories; 61 grams protein; 11 grams total fat; 3 grams fiber; 5 grams saturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 162 mgs cholesterol; 647 mgs sodium
8 weight watcher points

Baked Barbecue Chicken

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

3	tablespoons vegetable oil
6	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2	teaspoons coarse salt
1	teaspoon black pepper
1/2	yellow onion , chopped
1 1/2	teaspoon garlic, minced
1 1/2	cup ketchup
1 1/2	cup tomato sauce
1/3	cup maple syrup
3	tablespoons Dijon mustard
3	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2	teaspoon hot sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

[1] Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Saute chicken in oil until browned on both sides. Remove chicken to a large casserole dish. Add onion to pan and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.

[2] Decrease heat to medium low. Slowly add ketchup, tomato sauce, maple syrup, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce, scraping bits up from bottom of pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over chicken in casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through, basting twice during cooking time.

I am not a fan of cooking things in oil... my poor forearms!
The chicken was super moist, but I don't know if I'd go to the trouble of making this barbecue sauce again. Cristin said she really liked it, though.
I did not baste the chicken, since the sauce basically covered it in the casserole dish anyways.




per serving: 312 calories; 30 grams protein; 6 grams total fat; 2 grams fiber; 1 gram saturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 68 mgs cholesterol; 2156 mgs sodium
6 weight watcher points

Coconut-Marinated Chicken Kebabs

Marinate time: 15 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2	fresh pineapple fresh pineapple
2	bell peppers (any color or variety)
1 1/2	cups light coconut milk
1/4	cup sugar
1/4	cup cilantro, chopped
1	teaspoon coarse salt
2	tablespoons lime juice
	12-inch bamboo skewers, soaked
2	cups frozen corn

Preheat grill to medium heat

[1] Prepare the chicken, pineapple and peppers by cutting each into 2-inch chunks, place in a large resealable plastic bag.

[2] In a medium bowl, mix the coconut milk, sugar, cilantro, salt and lime juice. Add half of the marinade to the chicken mixture in the bag. Let stand for 15 minutes reserve the remaining marinade for basting. Heat the grill to medium-high heat.

[3] Thread chicken, pineapple and pepper onto bamboo skewers.

[4] Grill the kebabs for 10-12 minutes rotating and basting with the coconut mixture. Meanwhile, cook corn according to package instructions. Serve chicken with corn.

Note: Make sure that the chicken is spread out on the skewer to cook evenly.

We all loved this recipe - the marinade was very yummy, especially on the pineapple.
Mmmm... grilled pineapple...

per serving: 313 calories; 31 grams protein; 5 grams total fat; 4 grams fiber; 3 grams saturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 68 mgs cholesterol; 94 mgs sodium
6 Weight Watcher points

Grilled Rosemary Chicken with Cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

2	teaspoons Dijon mustard
2	tablespoons olive oil
2	tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon black pepper
4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
	olive oil cooking spray
	SAUCE
1	tablespoon Dijon mustard
3	tablespoons mayonnaise
1	tablespoon milk

Prepare grill to medium high heat.

[1] For chicken, combine mustard, oil, rosemary and salt and pepper in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.

[2] For sauce: While chicken grills, combine mustard, mayonnaise and milk. Serve mustard cream with grilled chicken.

This dish was fast and easy to prepare and cook - and it tasted delicious! The dijon cream sauce was light and complemented the rosemary chicken very nicely. The grocery stores around here don't have a huge selection of fresh herbs, so I used rosemary from a spice jar - only 1 and 1/2 tablespoons instead of two whole ones. A crowd pleaser!

per serving: 400 calories; 55 grams protein; 18 grams total fat; 0 grams fiber; 3 grams saturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 143 mgs cholesterol; 287 mgs sodium
10 Weight Watchers points