Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Chicken Lo Mein


Oh sodium and MSG... why must you be the main ingredients in lo mein? They are so scary and yucky. Thankfully, I can make this minus those. There are a lot of steps in this recipe, but it is basically stir frying.

In case you haven't noticed, I make a lot of chicken haha. I used linguine because that is what I happened to have, but I am interested to try other types of Asian noodles.

1/2 lb. linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. thin cut chicken
1 can baby corn
2 large broccoli crowns
3 carrots
water
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper
1 packet stir fry seasoning mix (found in the Asian foods section)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Whenever I make any kind of stir fry, I like to prepare all of my ingredients first and keep them in bowls until I am ready to cook them. For this recipe, you will need 4 bowls, one for raw chicken, one for cooked chicken, one for veggies, and one for the sauce.

Cut the vegetables first. Quarter the baby corn length wise. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Julienne the carrots. You can do this by hand by cutting matchstick size pieces. I have a julienne peeler (which is awesome), or you can use the large side of a grater. All of the veggies, the carrots especially, have to be small/thin so they cook evenly.

Rinse the chicken, pat dry, and trim away any fat. Cut into long strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan into a clean bowl.

At this point, make the linguine according to package directions.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add vegetables, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir fry until cooked but firm, about 10-15 minutes. If you notice during cooking that the vegetables are getting dry, add a little water at a time to create some steam.

Remove from heat. Return chicken to the pan. Add linguine.

Make the stir fry sauce according to the package directions. Mix in the soy sauce. Add to the pan and toss well.

The stir fry sauce I get comes in a packet in powder form that you add water to, usually about 2 tablespoons.

Chicken Nachos


I like to think that these are healthy because I use baked tortilla chips and veggies :). I encourage you to think the same!

I originally made these as a snack, but they really are a meal... with leftovers.

1 lb. chicken
chicken broth
1 packet taco seasoning (with 40% less sodium)
baked tortilla chips (I use scoops)
shredded cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
small can of chopped black olives
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

Rinse chicken and trim any fat. Put the chicken and just enough broth to cover it in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and discard the liquid. Shred the chicken and cook with the taco seasoning according to the package directions.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread chips on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top with chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and olives.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Top with lettuce. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Cooking for Change Cookbook


A community partner that I work with has created a cookbook as a fundraiser to support the Champions Mentoring Program, located in Bridgeport, CT.

"The Champions Mentoring Program for children of prisoners is designed to provide a safe environment where these special children can share their feelings and concerns, improve their coping skills and enhance their resiliency. They receive weekly, one-on-one attention from a caring adult volunteer mentor, who has been thoroughly screened and trained. Mentors, mentees and the child's family have access to staff at all times for problem solving, questions, and help accessing resources." http://www.familyreentry.org/help/champions.php

Please click on the link below and purchase a cookbook to help this wonderful cause! Thank you!!

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1157536

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Turtle Tart


I know that Valentine's Day was over a month ago (hehe), but I made this amazing tart as a gift for Paul... and several other people because Paul can't eat an entire tart. This tastes exactly like the turtle candy. It is a Betty Crocker recipe. Please click on the link below. Warning: this is gooey!!!!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/turtle-tart/4958057d-afc1-47ba-be3a-252566163f33

Lemon Spaghetti


This is one of my most requested recipes! Please note, these measurements are approximate. This can be as lemony as you want, just add more zest. I use a lot of garlic, so if you are not a huge fan, I would cut the amount in half. I usually serve this with bruschetta.

3/4 lb. angel hair pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons lemon zest
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh or dried parsley
grated cheese, Parmesan or Romano (I use both)

Cook pasta according to directions.

Heat oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Bring oil to a bubble. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat. Mix in parsley. Add pasta. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Note: I toss the pasta in the lemon sauce really well, and then I let it sit for a few minutes, re-toss and repeat a few times. This allows the pasta to absorb the flavors.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Baked Chicken Cutlets


I realize that this looks like fish, and it is on a seashell plate, but it really is chicken!! You can absolutely make this recipe with fish; I do with tilapia and shrimp.

This is one of our all time favorites; I make it once a week. I have been using ranch dressing lately as seasoning, but I used to use Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper, which is equally as good. Or you probably could just buy seasoned breadcrumbs, but that is no fun!

I have to share a little story :). I gave this recipe to a good friend who made it for her boyfriend. They put the chicken over salad (mmm). She said she honestly felt like her boyfriend found her more attractive after she made this for him (haha), and he described them as "phenomenal". This chicken is pretty good... just saying.

1 lb. thin cut chicken breast
2 cups plain panko breadcrumbs
1 packet powder ranch dressing mix
1 egg, slightly beaten
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray well with cooking spray. Rinse off chicken, pat dry, and cut each piece in half. Mix the panko crumbs and ranch mix in a dish or shallow bowl.

Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then in the panko mixture. Press the crumbs into each side of the chicken to ensure even coating. Place on baking sheet

Once all of the chicken is on the baking sheet, spray it well with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, flip them, and then spray again lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 10 more minutes.

Spinach Pizza


Sometimes I get a little crazy, and I try to incorporate healthy ingredients into unhealthy food, i.e. spinach pizza. I love pizza and could eat it everyday forever and ever. I am thinking the whole wheat dough and spinach makes it "healthy".

This pizza is good even if you don't usually like spinach. Some variations I would like to try are adding artichokes on top or making it with a red sauce.

one package whole wheat refrigerated pizza dough
one box frozen chopped spinach
olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about one clove
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
mozzarella cheese
grated cheese
garlic powder

Spray a metal bowl with cooking spray. Add dough and spray with cooking spray to lightly coat all of the dough. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for several hours (or while you are at work like I do).

Thaw spinach and squeeze out any water. In a non-stick frying pan heat garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Cook the garlic for one minute. Add spinach, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Flour a work surface and the dough. Kneed the dough a few times. Roll out and stretch the dough to into a thin crust. Place on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and rub it into the dough. Top with spinach, mozzarella, and grated cheese. Sprinkle with garlic powder.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.