Grilled Orange Sesame Chicken Wraps with Asian Cole Slaw

Tried this new to me recipe tonight and again, a hit with the fam!!  I got it from The $5 Dinner Mom and it was perfect for the hot weather.  It was quick to prepare and didn't cost a lot of money which is a definite bonus.  I already had most of the ingredients so only had to pick up the burritos, pineapple and cole slaw mix.  9++ rating from everyone at the table AND my dairy allergic daughter could indulge with the family as well.  :)

Grilled Orange Sesame Chicken Wraps with Asian Cole Slaw

3 chicken breasts, cut thin horizontally, about 1.5 lbs.
2 cups orange juice
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (I had them but decided to use about 1.5 Tbsp. sesame oil instead
4-6 burrito sized whole wheat tortillas
pineapple or other fresh fruit

Asian Cole Slaw

1 12 oz. bag cole slaw mix
1/3 cup mayonaisse
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. ground ginger
couple dashes of pepper

Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish or resealable plastic baggie.  Add the orange juice and toasted sesame seeds (or sesame oil).  Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hour up to overnight.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut butter, ginger and pepper.  Pour over the cole slaw in a larger mixing bowl and toss well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grill chicken breast until done.  Remove to a plate or cutting board and slice into strips.

Assemble the wraps by adding some Asian Cole Slaw and sliced chicken to the burrito.  Roll and eat.

Serve with pineapple or other fresh fruit.  My husband put the cut up pineapple onto the burrito and thought it was fantastic!

Man-pleasing Chicken Thighs

Yep - these were man pleasing alright!!  Along with woman pleasing, kid pleasing and young adult pleasing!!  I got them from http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/  I served them with lemon roasted potatoes and green beans.  YUM!

Man-Pleasing Chicken Thighs

1 1/2 lb. chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
fresh rosemary if desired

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Line baking dish that will hold the thighs in one layer with foil.  Place thighs in pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix together mustard, syrup and vinegar then pour over thighs.  Turn thighs to coat well.

Bake at 450 degrees for 40 minutes until thighs are done.  Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with fresh rosemary if desired.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Man, this was GOOD!!  I saw a friend posted it on Facebook and figured "We love garlic so I'll try it!"  I'm so glad I did!!  I served it with orzo with butter, cut grape tomatoes, salt and pepper and broccoli.  The recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa  Copyright 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

• 3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
• 2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

I got this today from the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog and had to try it since I had nothing planned for tonight.  It was a HUGE hit with the family and will make it into our rotation.  Here is the link http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/04/chicken-florentine-pasta/

1 pound penne pasta

1. 5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (more if needed)

1 bag baby spinach

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

4 oz. parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.

Turn heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)

Turn off the heat. Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Add plenty of Parmesan shavings and toss to combine.

Serve with extra Parmesan shavings.

Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

I tried this recipe last night and it was yummy!!  Pretty simple to put together and if you prep all the ingredients beforehand, it should take less than 30 minutes to get it on the table!!  I served it with couscous and it was great.  I got the recipe from one of those magazine cookbooks at the register in the grocery store called Shortcut Cooking.

Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

1/4 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins
10 oz. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces or one 10" package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well drained
1 cup purchased shredded carrots
1/3 cup chopped, seeded tomato (1 small)

1.  In a small bowl, stir together salad dressing, vinegar, honey and crushed red pepper, set aside.
2.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink (170 degree internal temperature), turning once halfway through cooking.  Add half of the dressing mixture to skillet; turn chicken to coat.  Transfer chicken to a serving platter.  Keep warm.
3.  Add asparagus and carrots to skillet.  Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; transfer to a serving plate.
4.  Stir remaining dressing mixture, add to skillet.  Drizzle the dressing mixture over chicken and vegetables.  Sprinkle with tomato.

Makes 4 servings.  Per serving:
269 calories
12 g. fat (2 g. sat fat)
66 mg. chol
323 mg. sodium
12 g. carb
2 g. fiber
27 g. protein

Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

A friend of mine gave me some old Real Simple magazines and I looked through one the other day (February 2009)  and found this recipe to try.  We tried it tonight and it was great!!  Very simple to put together and very simple flavors but delicious.  I made it with just bone-in chicken thighs since that is what I had in the freezer

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 onion, cut into 1" wedges
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 3.5 - 4 lb. chicken cut into 8 pieces
3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a 9x13" baking dish, toss the sweet potatoes, onion, thyme, oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.  Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Nestle the chicken among the vegetables and drizzle with the maple syrup.

Roast, stirring the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through, 55 to 65 minutes.

Lemon Sticky Roast Chicken

This is a standard in my house and VERY much loved.  It can be cooked regular (350 until done) or with this method but I find this way turns out REALLY good and it's great when I'm busy in the afternoon.

Lemon Sticky Roast Chicken

6-7 lb. whole chicken roaster
1 tsp. each:  salt (up to 2 tsp.), paprika, onion powder, sage, garlic powder and lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 lemon

Put chicken in baking pan and squeeze lemon over the skin.  Mix all spices and rub on the outside and inside of the chicken.  Put the quartered lemon in the cavity.  Roast at 250 degrees for 5 hours, ignoring the pop-up timer if there is one.

Chicken Parm-atouille

YUMMO is what Rachael Rae would say, isn't it?  I got this recipe from her magazine and tried it tonight with great success.  I increased the chicken so had to increase the breading and egg but otherwise, I left everything else the same (I used 6 chicken breasts instead of 4).  It was perfect.  It took a long time to prepare but it was worth it!!

Chicken Parm-atouille

from:  Rachael Ray Mag. Jan/Feb ’12

1 large eggplant, peeled

salt and pepper

2 zucchini (1 lb. total)

1 large onion

1 green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5 Tbsp. EVOO

1 can (28 oz.) peeled whole Italian tomatoes, well drained and diced

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

2 1/2 Tbsp. grated parmesan , plus more for serving

1 egg

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. Cut the eggplant into 2/3” cubes;  transfer to a colander, toss with 1/2 tsp. salt and let drain for 20 minutes.  Cut the zucchini into bite-sized pieces, then cut the onion and bell pepper into 1/2” cubes; transfer to a bowl with the garlic.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.  Wrap the eggplant in a kitchen towel and pat dry.  IN a nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. EVOO over medium heat.  Add the eggplant and cook until halfway done, 8 minutes.  Add the zucchini and cook until crisp-tender, 5 minutes.  Transfer to a 9” square baking dish.
3. In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. EVOO over medium heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and 1/4 cup parsley and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Spoon onto the eggplant, then top with the mozzarella.
4. In a shallow bowl, toss the breadcrumbs, 2 1/2 Tbsp. parmesan and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.  In a separate shallow bowl, beat the egg.  Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, coat the smooth sides with the breadcrumb mixture, then with the egg, then with more breadcrumbs.  Place the chicken breasts crumb side up on a large plate.
5. Clean the skillet and place over medium heat with the remaining 2 Tbsp. EVOO.  Add the chicken breasts crumb side down and cook until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Season the uncoated sides, then flip and cook for 1 minute.  Transfer the chicken crumb side up to the baking dish and bake until cooked trough, about 25 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with more parmesan and the remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley.

Crockpot Tarragon Chicken

Oh my gosh - this was SO good and I don't like chicken in the crockpot!!  DEFINITELY try this out!!   It comes from the October 2011 Rachel Ray magazine.  :)  I took her suggestion to serve it with buttered noodles and asparagus that I roasted in my broken oven (had to finish it in the microwave!).

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Tarragon Chicken

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chicken broth
4 Tbsp. dijon mustard
salt and pepper
4 lbs. bone-in chicken parts (breasts, drumsticks and thighs, skin discarded)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
1 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

1.  Pour the broth into a 6-7 quart slow cooker.  In a small bowl, combine the mustard, 1 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper; rub the chicken with the mustard.  Place the chicken in the slow cooker and top with the garlic and 2 Tbsp. tarragon.  Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh away from the bone registers 165 degrees, about 5 hours.
2.  Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.  Strain the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat.  In a small bowl, combine the cream and cornstarch.  Whisk the mixture into the saucepan and cook until the sauce is thickened; stir in the lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
3.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, parsley and 1 Tbsp. tarragon.  Top the chicken with the zest-herb mixture.

Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

Oh my goodness - have we found a winner in our family!!  I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Woman and followed the link (she posted a bunch of links to pasta recipes) and thought it looked really good and something we'd like so I printed it out about a week ago.  I cooked it up last night and the dinner table was SILENT except for the occasional "Oh my gosh, this is so good" and "This is a 10 mama!!"  So try it yourself!  I think you might like it.  :)

Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta from http://cookandbemerry.com/chicken-sausage-asparagus-and-mushroom-pasta-from-grace-marie’s-kitchen-at-bristol-farms/


3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. Italian sausage (any variety), removed from casing
1 Tbsp. dry Italian herb mix
to season - kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups yellow, brown or red onion, medium diced
3 Tbsp. garlic, minced
to season, kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper

1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed then angle-sliced into 1" pieces
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup Marsala wine

2 cups Parmigiano cheese, shredded or flaked
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 cup basil, thinly sliced

1.  Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and sausage.  Season with the dry herbs, salt and pepper.  Once browned, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.  Cover to keep warm.

2.  Using the same skillet (do not clean), warm the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic.  Saute just until the onions are tender (2 minutes).  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3.  Add the asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet.  Continue to cook just until the asparagus is crisp tender, the mushrooms are soft and the tomatoes barely cooked (3-4 minutes).

4.  Off the heat, add the wine, return the skillet to the heat, scraping up any browned portions, cook until it is nearly absorbed.  Stir in the precooked chicken and sausage.  Cook, stirring, just until warmed through.

5.  Just before serving, stir the parmesan, mascarpone and basil into the ragu.

1+ lb. favorite pasta, cooked in salt water to al dente
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto

1.  Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto.  Serve on individual plates or a platter topped with a generous serving of ragu.  Garnish with more parmesan cheese if desired.

Chicken with Caponata Ragout

This topping is SOOOOO yummy!!  A great company dish, IMO.  :)

Chicken with Caponata Ragout

2 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lbs) halved crosswise
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small eggplant (about 1 lb), chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup tomato juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook, turning once, until well-browned, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

2.  Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and the eggplant to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes; transfer to a bowl.  Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil, the onion and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.  Add the cooked eggplant, the tomato and tomato juice to the skillet.  Arrange the chicken, skin side up, and any juices on top of the vegetable mixture and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

3.  Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Add the basil, vinegar and brown sugar to the eggplant caponata, stirring to dissolve the sugar; season with salt and pepper.  Serve the chicken with the caponata.

Chicken with Wine

OK - Just tried this today from Rachel Ray's magazine and it's YUMMY!!  Hubby and kids declared it a 10.  :)

Chicken with Wine

1 Tbsp. flour
salt and pepper
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced into 8 cutlets and pounded thin
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
10 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. fresh thyme

1.  In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.  Coat the chicken, shaking off any excess.
2.  In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, add the chicken and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.  Add 1/2 Tbsp. butter and the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to the plate of chicken.  Stir in the shallot and the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter.  Add the wine and chicken broth and simmer until reduced by one third, about 5 minutes.
3.  Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan, add the thyme and cook, turning, to heat through; season with salt.