Lemon-Herb Grilled Chicken with Apple, Celery and Snap Pea Slaw

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid

Total Time: 2- 3 hr
Prep: 40 min
Cook: about 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
Chicken:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces
Vegetable oil spray

Apple, Celery and Snap Pea Slaw:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 green apples, cut into julienne
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions
For the chicken:
Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in a 1-gallon zip top bag.

Pound the chicken out to an even thickness so it will cook more evenly on the grill.
Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated.
Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator.
Let the chicken marinate 1 to 2 hours.

For the apple, celery and snap pea slaw:
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and agave. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the peas, cilantro, apples, celery, jalapeno and onion.
Add the vinaigrette to the bowl and toss.
Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

At this point, I had some corn on the cob started in a pot and it was time for the chef to have a break. Nothing goes with a marinated chicken and apple vinaigrette salad like a margarita and a shot of Cuervo Gold.

Spray some non-stick vegetable oil on the grill.
Preheat a grill to high heat.
Grill the chicken until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Serve the chicken with the slaw.

This was a new recipe and it turned out great. We will be having this apple, celery and snap pea slaw again soon since there was plenty left over. I wonder how it goes with ribs?

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Who doesn't like chicken parmesan? I love chicken parmesan, but I never make it at home because I don't like to fry foods. Watching 'The Kitchen' on Food Network Sunday morning, Sunny Anderson showed a simple five ingredient recipe for baked chicken parmesan that I decided I just have to try, so here goes. If this turns out well, it could become a regular in the rotation. You can never have too many good, simple chicken dishes, right?

Sunny's Easy Chicken Parmesan
Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson

Total Time: 40 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Yield:4 servings
Level:Easy

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray (olive oil or butter), for coating the baking sheet and chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, gently pounded to an even thickness
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup prepared pizza sauce (not tomato sauce)
Four 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh mozzarella

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper, then coat each breast with cooking spray. In a shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Press the chicken breasts into the mixture 1 at a time to coat on all sides, shaking off the excess. Spray the coated breasts with more cooking spray. This makes them turn out crispy without frying!

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until the juices run clear, 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spoon the pizza sauce evenly over the top of each chicken breast and top with a slice of mozzarella. Place under the broiler and watch for the cheese to melt and bubble. Serve.

VERDICT: It turned out well! The recipe is so simple I already have it memorized. We will definitely be having this again.

Chicken with Cherry Pineapple Salsa

This is a relatively inexpensive, easy to prepare dish that also happens to be an excellent diabetic meal. This is becoming a 'go to' dish for me. I keep the dried cherries and pineapple chunks in stock as a pantry item all the time now. Serves 4 and takes about a half hour to make.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 8oz. can unsweetened pineapple chunks
1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:
1. Sprinkle garlic salt and ginger over chicken.
2. Brown chicken in oil, in a large non-stick skillet.
3. Drain pineapple, saving 1/4 cup of the juice in reserve.
4. In a small bowl, combine reserved juice, sauce, and cherries; pour over chicken.
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, turning once, 8-10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees internal temperature.
6. Stir in pineapple and onions, heat through.
7. Serve over rice or with salad or veggies on the side.

Big Mike's Chicken Chili Cha Cha

Craving something southwestern for dinner, I threw together this recipe from items in the pantry. It turned out fantastic! The smoky chipotle seasonings in the bean salad put it over the top.

We had it two days in a row, once over brown rice and once over white rice.

I'll post pictures next time I make it.

Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless chicken breast (1 inch chunks)
1 medium yellow onion (large chop)
1 tbs. EVOO
2 tbs. butter
Salt and pepper
1 15 oz. can Mexican seasoned stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomatoes puree
1 15 oz. can Southwest Bean Salad
1 4.5 oz. can green chiles
1 10 oz. can red and green chiles
1 tbs. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tbs. chili powder
1 cup white or brown rice
Shredded Mexican or Taco blend cheese

Directions
In a large Dutch Oven, heat EVOO and butter to melt over medium high heat.
Add onion, cook until tender.
Add chicken, cook until thoroughly browned.
Salt and pepper lightly.
Add stewed and diced tomatoes, tomato puree, bean salad, chiles, cilantro, red pepper flakes and chili powder. Simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
Prepare rice according to package directions.
To serve, ladle chicken chili over rice, sprinkle with Mexican or taco cheese blend.

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri

I haven't made a lot of dishes using Guy Fieri recipes. He usually features other people's cooking on his shows. But this one sounded so good when I saw it on Guy's Big Bite I had to try it.

It turned out fantastic- an instant hit. It was very good reheated in the microwave the next day also.

You know a recipe is good when suddenly there is no talking at the dinner table and everyone is just eating and making yum yum sounds. When she finally came up for air, Irene said, "You can make this as often as you want."

That's what I like to hear!

Ingredients
Kosher salt
Four 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Paul Prudhomme's Chicken Spice Rub
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1 pound fettuccine
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, for garnish

Directions
1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat.

2- Dredge the chicken breasts in the Blackening Spice Rub. Place in the cast-iron skillet. Blacken both sides of the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3- Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and place in the oven until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes.

4- Remove from the oven and slice the chicken into strips on the bias.

5- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and lightly brown it, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine. Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chicken slices.

6- Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.

7- When the cream sauce is at the desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the sea salt, pepper and pasta.

8- To serve, toss the pasta with the cream sauce and serve on large rimmed plates. Garnish with the green onions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Chicken Pasta Salad

I love chicken salad. I've been refining this recipe for ten years. I finally settled on one that is very low fat, yet tangy enough for me to love it. My best chicken salad recipe ever. But first...

If you love chicken you need to know about Frankenmuth, Michigan. It's a Bavarian village in central Michigan known for their all you can eat chicken dinners.

I think they put crack in the seasonings, because I have never met anyone who doesn't speak reverently about the last time they overate when ordering the famous chicken dinner and how they anxiously await the next opportunity to overindulge. I use the secret Frankenmuth chicken seasonings blend in a lot of recipes because it is unique, versatile and reminds me of good times with family and friends.

INGREDIENTS
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 tbs. Frankenmuth or other chicken seasoning
2/3 box of Rotini pasta
2 dozen seedless red grapes halved
5 celery stalks chopped
1 medium red onion chopped
1/3 cup Miracle whip
1/2 cup fat free Zesty Italian salad dressing
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

DIRECTIONS
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and let cool.
3. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch strips, coat lightly all over with chicken seasonings. Arrange strips into a single layer in a glass dish for baking. Do not over-crowd the dish.
4. Bake chicken for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, chop into 1 inch cubes and let cool.
5. Combine pasta, chicken, grape halves, celery, onion, relish, salad dressing, Miracle Whip and mix thoroughly.
6. Refrigerate and try to wait to eat some!
7. Serve with red grapes, cold water, crackers and girls fanning you on the chaise.

What's left makes about 4-5 salads for lunch, if you didn't scarf it down when you made it.

Tyler's Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe from Tyler Florence is a lot of work in prep time, about an hour. But it is so worth it. These are the best enchiladas I've ever made.

Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Yield:16 enchiladas, 8 servings
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
1. Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
2. Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
3. Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
4. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
5. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving.

Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Giada's Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' recipe on Foodnetwork.com. I used boneless skinless meat to reduce the fat and I used some pickled red peppers I had leftover from another recipe instead of a fresh red bell pepper.

She claims you can make this in less than an hour. Not me! It took me all of 90 minutes from start to plating. 

Total Time: 60-90 min

Yield: 4-6 servings

Level: Easy

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved crosswise

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large Italian style pickled red peppers 

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

2. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. 

3. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. 

5. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

6. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Chicken cacciatore is not a pasta dish. Serve with mashed potatoes or palenta and some green vegetables.

Paula's Chicken Dinner Stir Fry

I've been trying to do stir fry that was as good as what I could get in restaurants for years, but never really tried that hard because it gave me something to order when we go out. I prefer to order things that I can't (or don't) make at home for a variety of reasons.

Then I started hearing about Hoisin sauce. It's a mixture of soy, garlic and red chiles that results in a dark, somewhat thick sweet and salty sauce used for glazing meat and dipping. I hunted around for a stir fry recipe utilizing this secret ingredient and found a Paula Dean stir fry that has all the ingredients I was looking for. I substituted snap peas for mushrooms, since Irene doesn't like mushrooms, and I use a few more carrots that the recipe calls for - but other than that, I didn't mess with the recipe much.

Hoisin sauce is the mystery ingredient I've been hunting for. It imparts that distinct oriental flavor I was craving. I love the flavor of the sauce on the chicken, carrots, peas and broccoli. This dish has turned out great every time I've made it and it has become my go to chicken dish if I want something special. It also makes enough for us to have it twice in a week for dinner and I can sneak a lunch or two out of the batch. What could be better?

Chicken Dinner Stir Fry

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 package fresh snap peas
2 to 3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, diced
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions
In a large skillet, heat the oils over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Add broccoli, peas, carrots, pepper, and onion and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the water chestnuts.
In a small bowl, combine broth, hoisin sauce (the secret ingredient!), soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch.
Add to chicken mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium to medium-low, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
Serve over hot, cooked rice noodles or brown rice.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Amy's Midwestern Fried Chicken and Gravy

From Amy Thielen (food network)

Pan fried and then finished in the oven.
Plus a bonus gravy recipe. Gravy is really 10% recipe, 90% love.

Ingredients
One 4- to 4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
1 cup buttermilk
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
7 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups plus 5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup finely ground butter crackers, such as Ritz or Club (about 1 sleeve)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
About 2 cups lard or canola oil, for frying
1 small bunch fresh sage
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, low-sodium store-bought or homemade
Mashed potatoes, for serving

Directions
1. Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the thyme, and 4 of the garlic cloves. Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or, refrigerated, overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and set a baking sheet fitted with a rack on the middle shelf.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken coating: Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the ground crackers, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the paprika in a large bowl. One at a time, take the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dunk them in the flour dredge, pressing hard to make the coating adhere to every spot. Set aside on a plate.
4. In a large, high-sided cast-iron pan, add lard or oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until a droplet of water sprinkled on the surface sizzles loudly.
5. Give the chicken pieces a fresh roll in the flour mixture if they've absorbed it, and add as many pieces of the dark meat (thighs, wings, and drumsticks) as will fit comfortably in the pan. Fry, turning as needed, until all sides turn dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to the baking sheet in the oven. Continue frying the rest, saving the white breast meat until last, and being careful not to burn the residue forming at the bottom the pan; that's your gravy base. When it is browned, add the chicken to the baking sheet. (Ideally the dark meat should bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and the light meat for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.)
6. Pour off most of the fat in the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons of oil and the brown sludge at the bottom of the pan. (But if any of it looks burnt, discard that as well, because that is the base of your gravy.) Let the pan cool down for a minute. Then add the remaining 3 garlic cloves and the sage, and fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining 5 teaspoons flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and light brown, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and whisk until smooth. Cook the gravy over low heat until it thickens softly, about 5 minutes.
7. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, remove the garlic and sage, and pour it into a spouted pitcher to pass behind the hot chicken and the mashed potatoes.

Rachel's Smoky Chicken and Cider

From Rachel Ray on food network

Ingredients
1/2 lb. chopped bacon
whole chicken cut up
salt and pepper
2 medium yellow onions
4 carrots sliced on an angle
2 bay leaves
2 tbs chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cups cloudy apple cider
2-3 tbs AP flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup dark amber maple syrup
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
2 Golden delicious apples sliced with skin on

Directions
1. Cook bacon in light oiled skillet over medium high heat to done. Remove from skillet, leave drippings.
2. Salt and pepper chicken on one side, place in skillet season side down. Season top side of chicken. Cook to golden brown and crunchy.
3. Remove chicken from skillet to cool.
4. Add onions, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper to skillet. Cook to tender crisp.
5. Add 2 tbs. flour to veggies to help make sauce. Mix it in and let it cook.
6. Add cider vinegar (back off, or you'll clear your sinuses!)
7. Add apple cider, maple syrup and chicken stock. Bring to a bubble.
8. Cut up potatoes and apples and add to the stew mixture.
9. Add bacon to the top, and top off skillet with browned chicken.
10. Cover and cook until apples and potato are done and sauce begins to thicken, 15-25 minutes.
11. Remove from heat, place chicken on serving plate, remove bay leaves, spoon mixture all around chicken for good presentation.

You can make this in advance and save for a few days. When ready to eat, bring the skillet to a bubbling boil then serve.

Big Mike's Chicken Pot Pies

Who doesn't love chicken pot pies? After years of experimenting this recipe is simply awesome.

Big Mike's Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients
5 chicken thighs, cooked, skinned, deboned and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into 3/4" cubes, slightly boiled
1/2 yellow onion chopped small
3 celery stalks chopped small
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen corn
teaspoon (or more) ground sage
salt
cracked black pepper
2-3 tbs flour
1 1/2 cups lo-sodium chicken broth
1/2 stick butter
1 egg
ready made pie crusts

Directions 
Pre-heat oven to 365 degrees.
1. Cook chicken thighs covered on medium heat in a splash of canola oil. Season with salt, pepper and ground sage lightly, especially on the underside away from the skin. Remove from pan and let cool.
2. Heat chicken broth in small sauce pan. Deglaze chicken pan with a tbs. chicken broth. Add 1/2 stick of butter, carrots, onion and celery. Cook gently over medium heat.
3. Partially boil potatoes in another sauce pan. Don't let them get soft or they break up in the mixture.
4. Add flour to veggies slowly and cook until combined and browned. Add chicken broth slowly mixing continuously. Season with sage and S&P.
5. Skin, debone, shred and chop chicken.
6. Add potatoes and chicken to mixture, cook slowly over medium low heat.
7. Add frozen veggies, remove from heat, let mixture cool.
8. Line baking dishes with pre-made crust. Use lid as template to trim top crust. Load dishes with mixture, cover with top crust. Fold edges of bottom crust over top crust edges. Flute edges and press with fork to finish.
9. Make egg wash with a splash of water. Brush egg wash over top crust. Slit top crust to vent.
10. Cook at 365 for 35-40 minutes.
11. Remove and let cool, if you can.

CAUTION: CONTENTS WILL BE HOT!