Margarita Chicken Pasta Salad

My friend Julie also introduced me to this yummy recipe - I love it when she invites me over for lunch!  I forgot to take a picture when I made it last week, but I'm sure I'll be making it again before too long.

Ingredients:

Salad
10 oz. rainbow rotini
1 lb boneless skinless poached chicken breast, shredded
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Dressing

1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. sour cream
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp salt
1 c. loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies
4 tsp tequila (optional)
1 packet taco seasoning

Cook pasta, drain and rinse with cold water.  Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor; blend until smooth.  Combine cooked pasta, corn, beans and chicken in a large serving bowl, fold in dressing.  Serve cold.

*I like to poach and shred the chicken ahead of time so that it's really easy to throw together on a busy night.

Chicken Spaghetti

My mom has made this since I was a kid; I'm pretty sure she got the recipe from a neighbor. I didn't like it much then, but now I love it! So even if it sounds a little weird, give it a try. It's really yummy!

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, stewed with 2 bay leaves and 1 chicken bouillon cube for each cup water used
1 lb Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 (10 oz) can tomato soup
2 cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 small onion, diced
1 lb spaghetti


Directions:

Cook and cool chicken. Reserve broth. Saute onions in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, soup and cubed cheese. Stir over medium heat until cheese is melted. Add cubed chicken and simmer while noodles cook. Cook spaghetti in reserved chicken broth, drain, then put back into pan. Pour sauce into pan with pasta and toss until coated. Heat through to allow the sauce to thicken and serve. You can also bake the pasta in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes rather than heating on the stove.

Serves 6

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

We love this salad! We make it all summer long - we even made it while we were camping once - and I never get tired of it.

Ingredients

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes

1 t. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. pepper

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 large bunch of Romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cup croutons

1 c halved cherry tomatoes

2/3 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing (our favorite is the Lighthouse brand)

shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 8 ingredients, then add chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the romaine, croutons and tomatoes; add dressing and toss to coat. Divide onto salad plates, slice chicken and arrange on salads. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

*If I'm making this for just Chris and myself, I add the dressing to our salads individually. That way I'm not stuck with a bunch of leftovers that will go bad by the next day.

Amazing Crusted Chicken

I found this on allrecipes.com the other day and have made it twice now. It has a wonderful flavor and is so easy and fast to make. My husband loves it so that is all the reason I need to add it to my 'Favorites' list. The chicken stays so moist and juicy but the outside is crispy and flavorful.

Ingredients:
2 cups cheese flavored crackers (such as Cheez-It brand), crushed
1 cup French-fried onions, crushed
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (plain work fine too, or you can just add Italian seasoning to the plain)
2 teaspoons sesame seed, toasted( I bought some that are already toasted)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in half
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish or sheet with cooking spray.

2. Mix cheese crackers, French fried onions, bread crumbs, sesame seeds, salt and pepper in a bowl. set aside.

3. Wash and pat chicken breasts dry. Spread a thin layer of mayo on one side of each piece and place mayo side down in the cracker mixture. Repeat on the other side patting firmly into the chicken, covering all sides. Place chicken on the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining mixture on top. Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, 35-40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

*I serve mine with white rice and a salad.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken with Cream

I found this recipe on my friend's recipe blog, Making Manna and had to try it. It was delicious - my husband is still raving about it!

Ingredients:

2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Prepare grill to medium high heat.

For chicken, combine mustard, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Grill chicken for 6 minutes on each side or until done.

For the sauce, while chicken grills, combine mustard, mayo and milk. Serve over grilled chicken.


*I personally thought that a little of the sauce goes a long way - I won't put as much on my chicken next time. However, my husband loved it just the way it was so I think it's all a matter of personal preference :)


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

Grilled Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches

I've been dying to try this one for awhile and for some reason I haven't. Does that ever happen to you? Chris and I both love bacon and pineapple, so I finally decided enough was enough and I put it on the menu. It was great! I will absolutely be making this again :)

Ingredients:

2 bacon strips, halved

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp barbecue sauce

2 pineapple slices

2 lettuce leaves, optional

2 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Flatten chicken to 3/8 in. thickness; brush both sides with oil. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 4 minutes. Turn; brush with barbecue sauce. Grill 3-4 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, place the pineapple and rolls cut side down on grill; cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned, turning the pineapple once. Place lettuce if desired on roll bottoms; top with chicken, cheese, bacon and pineapple. Replace roll tops.

Serves 2

Nutritional Facts: 1 sandwich equals 556 calories, 23 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 103 mg cholesterol, 860 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 44 g protein.

Weight Watchers Points: 13

Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce

This is a recipe that my hubby definitely didn't want to try. I knew he wouldn't want to say anything, but he thought it sounded gross - he's not a huge fan of mayo. I could tell by the way quietly nodded his head and said, "Oh" when I mentioned the recipe. I had a gut feeling about this one though - I knew it was going to be good - so I made it anyway. How else are we going to find new recipes? My ever-patient hubby tried it and may I say, was pleasantly surprised. It's kind of a sweet and tangy flavor and this chicken is never dry. We have a winner!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
6 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts






Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in lemon juice and vinegar. Pour 1 cup marinade into a Ziploc bag, then add the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better). Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Ginger Lime Marinade

Spring and Summer weather is my favorite because it means that I can dust off the BBQ grill and pull out my favorite marinade recipes. I just found this one in my Mom's ward cookbook and was so excited to try it. I wasn't disappointed - it smelled great while cooking and tasted even better!

Ingredients:

3/4 c. Italian dressing
3/4 c. honey
4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least a few hours - I think I left mine in for 4 or 5 hours - and then you're ready to grill.

*You can also freeze this recipe. After combining marinade and chicken place flat in freezer. When ready to use, defrost and then grill.

Grilled Mexican Citrus Chicken and Taos Tumble Salad

I am a huge fan of marinade recipes - they're fast, they're easy and they're delicious. I can throw everything together in the morning and forget about it until dinnertime rolls around. I'm pretty sure I found this recipe in one of those little magazines you can find by the checkout, although I can't remember which one exactly.

I love grilling - not that I'm a master at the BBQ, I just love cooking outside. Maybe it's because it brings back all those memories of childhood summers, although it may be due to the fact that it doesn't heat up my kitchen; I can't decide. This recipe takes a little more time to put together than most of my marinades, but believe me, it's well worth it.

Ingredients: (for the chicken)

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

In a large shallow dish or gallon Ziploc bag, mix first 8 ingredients, then add chicken; turn to coat. Refrigerate, turning chicken occasionally, at least 3 hours but no longer than 24 hours.


Taos Tumble Salad

This salad is super fast to put together while the chicken is grilling - you'll love it!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Caesar salad dressing
1 tsp ground cumin
I head of romaine lettuce
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups coarsely broken lime-flavored tortilla chips


Directions:

In a small bowl, mix dressing and cumin. In a large bowl, toss remaining ingredients with dressing mixture. Sprinkle with additional cheese and chips if desired. Serve immediately.


*The picture above doesn't show the tomatoes in the salad because my hubby doesn't like them. Crazy, I know! I think he's missing out, but I add tomatoes to mine separately and then it's not an issue. Unless I'm serving this salad to several people, I only add the dressing to our portions of salad. That way I can save any leftover dressing and lettuce for the next day's leftovers ;)

Chicken Corn Chili

Mmmm...this is so yummy! In fact, it's on my menu for this weekend. Can't wait!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa– we love Sam’s Choice Black Bean and White Corn
2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can Mexican-style corn

1 can pinto beans

Directions:

Place chicken and salsa in the crock pot the night before you want to eat this chili. In the morning, season the chicken and salsa mixture with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 2-3 hours before you want to eat, shred the chicken with two forks then place back in the slow cooker. Add the corn and pinto beans, continue cooking. Simmer until ready to serve. We like it with sour cream and shredded cheese on top and we eat it with tortilla chips. You can add all kinds of toppings to this – be creative. It’s fantastic anytime of the year!

Chicken Packets

This is a fabulous recipe for Summer - or even Spring, when you're hoping for Summer to come :) It's super simple and smells great while it's cooking. Plus - it's healthy!

You can use any combination of vegetables that you like. Chris and I like different things, so we each make a packet for ourselves and we throw enough in there so that we'll have leftovers for the next day!

Here is a list of the veggies that Chris puts in his:

Red Potatoes
Baby Carrots
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Green Pepper
Onion

Here's what I use:

Red Potatoes
Baby Carrots
Broccoli
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Cherry or Grape tomatoes
Mushrooms
and sometimes pineapple chunks

I steam the potatoes, carrots, broccoli, squash and zucchini beforehand and then assemble the packets. I usually put the potatoes and carrots in first, followed by the broccoli and squash. After I've added my veggies I add a bit of salt and pepper. Use a good long piece of tinfoil so that you can pack it full of veggies and still close it :)


Here's what it looks like once you've layered all the veggies on the foil:

Next, you're ready to add the chicken. This time I used Chicken Tenders, but Chicken Breasts work great too. Salt and pepper the chicken as well.

Next I add Worchestershire sauce and then drizzle honey over the top. I haven't measured; I just keep adding until I think it's enough.

To roll the foil, I've found it's easiest to bring the two long ends together, roll those down and then roll up the short sides. I place mine on a cookie sheet to keep any juices from spilling into the oven.

After that you're ready to place it under the broiler. If you'd rather not heat up the house, you can also throw it on the grill. Either way works well. I place my rack just under the broiler and set it on high. Cook it on high for 30 minutes. Do you like the toys in the background? This is how I cook - crazy kids!

Generally, I clean up my dishes as I go along - it's a little trick my mom taught me. That way you aren't left with a messy kitchen after dinner ;) If I do have dishes left, I clean those up and then sit back to relax until dinner's ready!

And...Voila! Here are your finished Chicken Packets. I made mine with extra this time and it was enough to feed me and my two little boys, plus leftovers. Enjoy!

Orange Chicken and Fried Rice

This is so yummy you won't want to stop eating it! My mom found the recipe on SparkPeople.com and I waited awhile to make it because I thought it would take extra time. It turns out that the sauce is super easy to throw together and the only time consuming thing is cooking the chicken. So don't wait - try it soon!! I promise you'll be glad you did.

Ingredients (for the orange sauce)

1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar (in a pinch you can sub 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1 tsp orange extract
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp freshly minces ginger root (or 1/4 tsp powdered)

1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to create a slurry 

Directions

Mix all ingredients, except cornstarch slurry, in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. After it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and slowly add in the cornstarch mixture and continue to stir as it thickens. Lower heat to keep warm.

*I serve this over Tempura Chicken. You can buy the Tempura batter in the Seafood section of your grocery store. It's just in a box and I only use half of the mix. I probably use a 1lb or so of chicken tenders, cut into chunks. The batter makes enough for more than that though so you could make more if you wanted. I throw a bunch of the chicken into the batter and then put them one at a time into the fryer to keep them from sticking together. I think I put about 10 or so in at a time to cook. Maybe more - I've never counted. As I said earlier, this is the part that takes the longest, but it's not that bad. I start cooking the chicken and then work on the sauce and rice. If you have someone to help in the kitchen that's even better! Put them in charge of the chicken and then you can focus on the rest. :)

Ingredients (for the Fried Rice)

1 cup cold, cooked brown rice (or white, I've tried both)
8 oz frozen shrimp, with tails off (or diced ham)
1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1egg, beaten
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
pepper to taste


**Can also substitute 8oz of cooked chicken, beef, or pork. For Vegetarian style add 1 cup assorted chopped fresh vegetable such as asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, or cabbage.**

Directions

In a small bowl beat egg, set aside.
Heat olive oil in large skillet on med high, add cooked rice, peas and carrots, shrimp (or ham), green onions, garlic powder and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp and veggies are warmed through. Clear out the center of pan by pushing rice mixture to the sides, pour egg into space. Scramble egg until almost firm about 1 min. Mix egg and rice mixture together cook additional 1 min until egg done through. Add soy sauce and pepper. Serve immediately.

*Chris and I are definitely not seafood fans, so I always use ham. You can buy ham that's already diced and it's much faster! I also double the recipe so that we have leftovers.

Make sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Apricot Glazed Chicken

1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1 1/2 t. soy sauce
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (5 oz each)
salt
pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil

In a small bowl, combine broth, preserves and soy sauce; set aside. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides; drain excess liquid. Add broth mixture to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-12 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove from heat. Spoon pan juices over chicken.

Serves 6

*We just tried this recipe tonight and it was simple and quick to make. The original recipe calls for sliced green onion to be sprinkled over the top of the chicken, but I can't stand green onion, so I left it out. Instead, I had dried apricots on hand and I sliced a few and threw them into the sauce while it was cooking. There is a lot of sauce, so I served it over rice.

*This also came from Taste of Home's Cooking for 2 and I tripled the recipe so that we'd have enough for leftovers. My husband and sister gave it 3 1/2 stars (out of 5). Let me know what you think! :)