Chicken, Recipes

Ginger Chicken with Avocado

Sarah

ginger chickenHappy Spring! Yesterday in Bloomington on the first day of spring we experienced the best and worst spring has to offer–in the morning, rain, wind, and 45 degrees, followed by 60 degree temperatures and sunny skies in the afternoon. Today  is supposed to be much of the same. And while rain is not my favorite thing ever, I must admit that I prefer it to snow and certainly prefer it to ice. Whether winter will make another appearance before summertime arrives is a mystery, but one thing that is not a mystery is how wonderful my new favorite way of preparing grilled chicken is! I realize I have new favorites all the time, but this recipe is just fabulous. You have got to try it. We loved the contrast between the slightly spicy chicken and the creamy avocado sauce, bursting with fresh flavors. Serve it with a bright, fruity spinach salad and welcome spring tonight!

Ginger Chicken with Avocado [from Eat Cheap but Eat Well by Charles Mattocks]

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves [~1 pound]
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 medium avocado, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

Mix together ginger and cumin and rub over chicken. Cook in a hot skillet with oil or on the grill [we used our George Foreman] until the juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

While chicken is cooking, prepare the avocado sauce. In the bowl of a food processor, combine avocado, sour cream/yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic. Puree until smooth. Spoon sauce on top of chicken and enjoy.

Click here for the printable version: Ginger Chicken with Avocado

Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Sarah

Week of March 21

Monday: Orange-Pistachio Wild Rice Salad

Tuesday: breakfast baked egg rolls

Wednesday: class for me/man meal for Ben

Thursday: leftover BBQ pork from the freezer

Friday: Tomato Tortellini Soup from the freezer

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: some sort of pasta…

lunch special: I have a lot of salad fixings for the week that I’m excited about!

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Asiago Spinach Tomato Quiche

Sarah

Quiche is one of those dishes that I love but find difficult to make well at home. I don’t know what it is, but it always seems like my quiches burn, don’t cook through all the way, or are bland. Not this time though. I improvised off a recipe from a fun blog that I read regularly, The Runner’s Plate, and was oh-so-satisfied after this baby popped out of the oven on Monday evening for dinner.

The combination of spinach, tomatoes, and asiago cheese paired with eggs and cottage cheese and seasonings on a light tortilla shell crust was just right. Sometimes savory pie-type dishes with thick crusts are a little too much heavy, so I loved using whole wheat tortillas as the crust, and will definitely be replicating that technique again. The addition of asiago cheese was purely spontaneous, and a little goes a long way in making this dish utterly rich and decadent without being overwhelming. This Asiago Spinach Tomato Quiche was a filling dinner, but I could also see it being perfect for a special breakfast or holiday brunch. Yum!

Asiago Spinach Tomato Quiche [based from a recipe by The Runner’s Plate]

Ingredients:

  • 3 whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 cup Egg beaters [or 4 large eggs… I used Egg beaters because I had a free coupon]
  • 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 – 14.5 ounce can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, drained
  • heaping 1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
  • 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • generous amount of freshly ground black pepper [maybe 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon?]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9″ deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. Line with tortillas. In a large bowl, stir together eggs, spinach, tomatoes, asiago cheese, cottage cheese, and paprika. Season with pepper as desired. Pour into tortilla “crust” and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. [If necessary: Cover with foil, increase heat to 425 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.] Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Click here for the printable version: Asiago Spinach Tomato Quiche

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Winner + Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken with Israeli Couscous

Sarah

What a winner of a chicken dinner! This has been one of my most favorite chicken creations as of late.

I first saw the recipe that is the amazingness of Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken on Eat Live Run and then saw Iowa Girl Eats make it, and I knew I had to try it. With the rave reviews floating around the internet, I knew I wouldn’t be steered wrong. It took me a couple months to get around to trying it, but now I am hooked… hooked I say! I’m in love with the easy prep, the tangy lemon melding with the molasses-y brown sugar which caramelizes all over each piece of juicy chicken. Amazing! Served atop tender Israeli Couscous, this is one winner of a chicken dinner. I can’t wait to make it again.

Speaking of winners, I am happy to announce the winner of the $35 gift certificate to CSN stores!

I used Random.org to select the winner….

Congratulations! I wish I could give all of you a prize, but you’ll just have to keep reading because I’m sure there will be more fun giveaways in the future. 🙂 But as for now… enjoy this winner of a chicken dinner!

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken [from Eat Live Run and Iowa Girl Eats]

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken tenders [original called for chicken breasts, pounded thin]
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar [I used dark brown sugar…but either would be fine.]
  • 2 cups cooked Israeli couscous

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Pat chicken tenders dry with a paper towel, then place in flour mixture and toss to coat.

In a large skillet, heat a little oil over medium high heat. When hot, brown each piece of chicken on both sides, then remove and place in a large baking dish.

Pour the lemon juice into the hot skillet and stir to get up all those leftover chicken bits. Pour juice on the chicken, then top with brown sugar and lemon zest. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with Israeli couscous cooked in chicken broth if you like. 🙂

Click here for the printable version: Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken

Chicken, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Chicken Parmesan

Sarah
BEn
another Pajama Chef in action!

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———-

Ah, Italian food.  The stereotypical style for dinner dates.  I have no problem with that, and evidently  neither does my wife.  So on this past Valentine’s Day, I decided to make her some Italian food.  For those of you who are regular readers of her blog, you understand that it is no easy task to cook for someone like her.  The standards are high, and I have to be at the top of my game to please (okay, that may be andinner exaggeration, she is pretty appreciative of the mere fact that she doesn’t have to cook for a meal).  But I enjoy the occasional kitchen adventure, so rather than just take her out to some overcrowded restaurant, I decided to have one of those adventures.

Chicken Parmesan [from Eat Live Run]

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts halves, beaten into oblivion (okay fine, pounded)
  • 2 c Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 c flour
  • 1/4 c milk
  • 1 c shredded mozzarella
  • 2 oz pepperoni
  • 1/4 c parmesan cheese
  • 1 jar marinara or pasta sauce
  • 1/4 c canola oil
  • spaghetti or fettuccini noodles, cooked

Directions:

As always, begin by preheating the oven.  In this case, to 450 degrees.  Combine the eggs and milk in a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish, spread out the bread crumbs.  In yet another shallow dish, place the flour.  Arrange the dishes in a neat little line.  After pounding the chicken breasts (don’t go overboard or it’ll break into small pieces), dunk one breast at a time in each dish, starting with the dairy blend (not to be confused with store brand yogurt) and so on and so forth.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place the chicken breasts in the oil and fry them until they are delicious-looking golden brown and cooked through.  Drain the chicken of any excess moisture (if there is any, I had no need for it).  Lay the fried chicken breasts in a greased casserole dish.  Smother them in the pasta sauce, parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses.  Last, but certainly not least, place the pepperoni on the top.  Bake for 15 minutes and serve with spaghetti or fettuccini noodles.  Enjoy.

Click here for the printable version: Chicken Parmesan

dinner